After breakfast Harry took his friends to The Hideaway again. They took a little extra time and examined the place right into the little nooks and crannies. Ron found an old note, probably written during class. It was a conversation between James and Sirius.
‘James: Hey Padfoot. This is so boring! I think Binns is about to drop dead! Fancy getting outta here?
Sirius: Prongs, I don't think we should this time. Remember what McGonagall told us last time we were caught. We’ll get expelled for sure!
James: I think, Padfoot that you have just chickened out of a good time. I'm disappointed. And to think, I used to call you my brother…
Sirius: I'm not chickening out! Actually I think it’s a great idea! Have you got the cloak? Fancy going to The Hideaway?
James: Great minds think alike, eh Padfoot?
Sirius: Okay, let’s get outta here.’
Harry laughed but when he caught Hermione's eye she gave him a look which would put Professor McGonagall to shame. He looked at Ginny again. He wanted her so bad. He could tell Ron was feeling the pressure too. He was deliberately making himself busy to avoid Hermione.
Ginny found another engraving behind the farthest tree. She called Harry over to read it. It was another for him.
‘Hey Harry boy!
If you’re not Harry Potter then go away because I will be embarrassed to know that someone else has read this.’
Ginny turned but Harry pulled her back. ‘I want you to read it.’ She stayed.
‘So Harry. I know now that you will have found The Hideaway. It’s really something isn’t it? Yeah, I left a few things around here for you, I hope you find them! Well, if you haven’t then look in a little squirrels hole below this and you’ll find a map of The Hideaway. It’ll show you where to find the little things I've left here for you.
Love, dad. aka Prongs.’
Harry looked frantically for the map and reached into the hole in the tree to get it. He pulled out an old piece of parchment which had a scruffy drawing on it. Scruffy as it was, it was clear to Harry where he had to look. There were four X’s on the map and Harry had already found the items from the first three last year. When he looked at the fourth X, he saw that it was the largest tree in The Hideaway and it was in the corner. He went over and looked around it. He couldn’t see anything. He looked for any little holes, like the one where he had found the map. Still, he saw nothing. He sighed and told the others that someone must’ve got here before them.
Then he saw a flash of flaming red hair shoot past him and up the tree. He looked closer and saw that Ginny was climbing the tree and an incredible speed. Soon she was at the top and slowly, started descending, checking the tree as she went. She got a few branches lower and pulled out a red velvet box and a roll of parchment. She took them in her left hand and grabbed a branch with her right hand and swung down and landed with a little ‘thump’ beside Harry.
‘Ginny, that was…’ he said.
‘Amazing!’ said Ron. ‘Where did you learn to do that?’
‘Well’ Ginny said. ‘When you went to Hogwarts, I was left alone. I used to spend all my time wandering around the orchard and down to the stream, places like that. I liked sitting up in the trees so I could think and no one could see me. I started getting a little more confident and pretty soon, I was swinging about like a monkey. Anyway, let’s take a look at what I found.’
She handed the velvet box and the letter, which he read aloud.
‘Dear Harry.
It’s me again. Your dad.
And me!
Oh yeah, and Sirius. Anyway, I trust that you have found the little surprise. I know it was a hard place to get and if you got up that tree, then I praise you, because you didn’t get the ability off me, or your mum! Sirius though it would be funny to put it up so high. When he got it up there, I couldn’t get it down.’
Ginny blushed, thanking God that she had something in common with Sirius. Harry read on.
‘Inside the box is a magical thing. Open it now.’
Harry opened the box and pulled out a golden locket. It was oval shaped and quite small with a swirly design on it. Inside there was a picture of his mum, dad and himself and on the other side there was a picture of him and Sirius when he was a baby. Harry sniffled a little and continued to read.
‘It’s really magical, not that it looks it. You see, the pictures inside are there for a reason. Because we are the people who love you the most, we are all in there. There is a protection charm around it and if you were it, you will be protected by our love and no known spell can harm you. Even the Avada Kedavra.
Yep, it’s true!
Shut up Sirius, just a minute!
Your godfather is so annoying Harry, I hope you know that! Anyways, this necklace thingy will only work on you because it was us three who made it and we all love you most. If you want to use this charm for anyone else, you’ll find the book in the library. It’s called ‘To love and to protect. Spells to protect your loved ones by Frank Sutcliffe’.
Bye Harry. See you in the summer! (Or Christmas, whenever you find this).
Love dad. aka Prongs.
Harry sniffed again and his eyes looked at the words in Sirius’ handwriting. He read them aloud again.
‘Hey there little guy! You’re probably not little anymore but you are as I'm writing this. Well, you could be little if someone has put a baby charm on you. I remember one time I did that to Remus. God he was angry.
Sirius, just write what you have to!
Sorry Prongs. So Harry, any girls yet? Hope so, if you're anything like me, they’ll be all over you. They liked James to but he was too wrapped up in your mother to notice. That was okay, more for me! Heh heh.
SIRIUS!
Okay Prongs, sorry!!!!!!!!!! Your dad likes to overreact. You’ll know that. All I want to tell you is to enjoy life because it’s short. But don't forget to keep up with your studies (Lily told me to write that). Be happy, be bad and make the marauders proud!
Love, Sirius. aka Padfoot.’
Harry looked up to find all his friends had tears in their eyes. They were streaming down his face. Ginny kissed him.
‘Come here Harry. Let me put this locket on you.’
‘I guess I win the bet, then.’ he grinned.