Chapter 74.3- Doom Days

“Perenelle spent all yesterday baking the cake. Nicholas and I have been decorating the place all morning, Harry” Sirius said, adding his own two knuts before plopping me down on the throne.

“Happy Birthday to you…” All three of them sang in unison, each one managing to get the key wrong in their own way— giving me fond flashbacks to the Hogwarts anthem where everyone would try to get it wrong in as unique a way as possible. Well, get it wrong was subjective since there was no official key, but the consensus seemed to be that whoever could go the farthest away from what Flitwick and the choir were doing was he automatic winner. At least these lot managed to finish their song around the same time.

The cake dropped in front of me, and I noted that it had fifteen candles, each one lit with a different colour of fire.

“Make a wish, Harry” Perenelle said.

“Wizards do that?” I asked, somewhat surprised. That seemed to be the type of tradition that wouldn’t have made it to the wizarding world.

“No, but you’re not just a wizard are you? Now blow that candle out before we blow you out”

“Phrasing” Sirius and I said in unison before looking at each other and laughing our arses off. How the hell had Nicholas not seen the landmine he was stepping in with that choice of words.

“Just get on with it before I turn one or both of you into a frog” Nicholas’ threat was laughed off. At least until the immortal alchemist drew his wand and both Sirius and I sobered up very quickly. I’d dueled the man enough, and Sirius had watched enough of our duels, to know that when it came to transfiguration, the man was practically unbeatable.

“You can’t turn me into a frog. It’s my birthday” I contested, only to see him starting the beginnings of a wand motion.

“Okay okay. I’m blowing it out” I said, and then blew on the candles with all my strength. The candles went off. And then the cake exploded, covering both Sirius and I in its innards. I wiped some of it off my eyes before I looked towards the Alchemist and his wife and found them laughing their arses off, completely spotless. Not a single bit of the cake had gotten on them. So that was how it was.

I turned to Sirius to find him watching the situation with narrowed eyes. He was also drenched in cake from head to toe like I was.

“New one" Nicholas said, waving his wand and a new cake seemed to appear from nowhere. It was multiple layers, reaching dos high that I had to crane my neck to look at the top of it from so close.

“Did you conjure this?” I asked, forgetting my rage in my amazement.

“Of course not. This is what Perenelle actually spent all of yesterday working on. The other one was just a gag between us to lighten the atmosphere a little bit” He explained.

“Please forgive me Harry. You’ll forgive me, won’t you? It was all Nicholas’ idea. You know how he can be when he wants to get his way. I didn’t have any choice in it really” She began.

“Hey” Nicholas objected, but no one paid him any mind as Perenelle took hold of a small plate and animated a knife to cut a healthy slice before laying it out in front of me.

“You’ll forgive me, won’t you, Harry?” She asked, batting her eyes.

“Of course, of course” I said, not sure how I could say no with her so close and staring so intently.

“Good. Now just let me know when you want to get revenge on Nicholas and I’ll help best I can” She said, whispering the words into my ear before planting a kiss on my cheek.