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“I finally know what I want for my birthday!” Lily burst into the kitchen, pajamas on, hair messy from sleep.
“Good morning,” Ginny said, yawning, holding a cup of coffee and a Daily Prophet in her hand. “What is it, Lils?”
“A Hippogriff.” Lily said matter-of-factly, grabbing a piece of toast and sitting across from her mother.
Ginny looked at her, amused.
“A what?”
“A Hippogriff, Mum!” Lily said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world to want a Hippogriff for a birthday.
“Last year you wanted a Lunaballa, sweetie.”
“I still want a Lunaballa. They’re so cute, but I thought it over and Hippogriffs are much more useful. For example, I wouldn’t have to fly on a broom anymore—I could fly on my Hippogriff, and it would be so much cooler! Can you imagine Hugo’s face when we play Quidditch in the orchard and I play on a Hippogriff? Sick!”
“Yeah, sick. Honey, you don’t play Quidditch on Hippogriffs, and I think keeping a broom is much easier than keeping a Hippogriff…”
“But muuuuum!”
“What is it? What’s this racket?” Harry entered the kitchen, yawning and rubbing his sleepy eyes. He messed up Lily's hair and kissed Ginny’s cheek in greeting.
“Your daughter wants a Hippogriff for her birthday,” Ginny said as if it were a very common conversation.
“Oh yeah?” Harry poured himself some coffee. “So a cat, two owls, a toad, and a couple of Pygmy Puffs aren’t enough for our household? We should add your brothers to the count too.”
Lily laughed and shook her head.
“Daaaaad. Please, can I have a Hippogriff? Please, please, pleaaaase?” She made puppy eyes, an expression that always softened her father.
“I don’t think so, sweetie. Where would we keep it?” Harry said, buttering his toast, trying not to think about his daughter’s disappointment.
“We have a garden!”
“I’m sure our Muggle neighbours would love it,” Ginny said, shaking her head with an amused smile.
“Well, what about The Burrow? I’m sure Granny and Grandpa wouldn’t mind.”
“Lily…”
“But Hagrid says I’m the best in my year at Care of Magical Creatures. He does! Ask him. And you know how much I love taking care of pets. Owning a Hippogriff would improve my studies. And Auntie Luna and Uncle Rolf would help me and…” Lily fired off her arguments without taking a pause.
“Lils, please. Hippogriffs aren’t house pets! Who would take care of it when you’re at school? Me and your dad haven’t got much time for the constant care of beasts. The zoo that we already have in this house is really enough.”
“But Mum, you love Hippogriffs. Dad, you too…”
Harry and Ginny looked at each other, trying very hard not to laugh.
“Honey, these creatures can act really vicious. They’re sweet and amazing, but also a little dangerous.”
“No! I know a few of them. Like Buckbeak. Hagrid lets me spend time with him whenever we visit his hut. He’s really gentle and likes people.”
“Buckbeak is very old and is a different case,” Harry said, the corners of his mouth twitching at the thought of his old Hippogriff friend.
“Buckbeak? The Hippogriff that you told us lived on Grimmauld Place?” Albus entered the kitchen, instantly drawn into the conversation. He loved magical creatures almost as much as his sister—but not quite, since Lily was actually obsessed.
Harry and Ginny exchanged mortified looks.
“Al…” Ginny hissed.
“What do you mean Buckbeak lived on Grimmauld Place?”
“Yeah, Dad said he lived in this old bedroom at the top of—”
“Al!”
“What?” Al asked, confused. He thought everybody knew the story of Buckbeak, the outlaw Hippogriff.
“A HIPPOGRIFF LIVED AT GRIMMAULD PLACE, IN A BEDROOM? AND YOU WON’T LET ME KEEP A HIPPOGRIFF IN A GARDEN?!”
“Lils, come on…”
“Nobody understands me!” Lily stormed out of the kitchen, almost knocking over James, who was just about to come in.
“What was that about?” Al asked, shocked. James didn’t even seem surprised by his sister’s behaviour. He just said, “Morning,” and proceeded to butter some toast.
“We didn’t tell her the story about Buckbeak exactly because we knew she’d start thinking about having one of her own,” Harry said, burying his head in his hands, mentally preparing for his daughter’s moodiness.
“Oh, we’re so cooked,” Ginny said, patting his arm.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
That day the Potter family discussed very lively what to get Lily for her 14th birthday. Al suggested another cat.
“Well, it’s not a Hippogriff, is it?”
James suggested sending her on a long trip abroad for the whole summer (just so he wouldn’t have to listen to her constantly talking for once in his life).
“What about the Delacours in Paris? They really like her, I’m sure they’d take her in! And it’s Paris. She’d love it.”
Ginny had no idea, and Harry had even less.
What do you get a child who already has everything?
Lily Luna was, in fact, the perfect future Magizoologist. She had loved magical creatures and thrived around them since she was little, and he and Ginny were very proud of her.
Even though she had a fierce and impetuous character, she was also very gentle and warm.
Harry thought that she would be great at taking care of her own pet Hippogriff, just like she did with all the pets they already owned, but he couldn’t really allow it in his house.
There was another thing — Harry couldn’t resist his daughter.
He was like that with all of his kids, but the boys were different, and Lily… was Lily. His little Lily.
When he saw her for the first time — a tiny bundle with red fuzz on her head and her mother’s big brown eyes — he knew in that moment he would do anything for her.
So was getting her a Hippogriff really such a bad idea?
The longer he thought about it, the more convinced he became.
“Gin, I was thinking about that Hippogriff business,” he told his wife when they were already in bed.
“Mhm?” Ginny was almost asleep.
“Let’s do it.”
“Excuse me?” She immediately opened her eyes and sat up, staring at her husband.
“Let’s get a Hippogriff.” Under Ginny’s gaze, Harry wasn’t so sure anymore, but he continued anyway.
“Harry, I know you’d do anything for her, but she can’t have everything she wants.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re doing a really hard job making sure our kids aren’t spoiled. And she literally wants a magical beast. Harry, no.”
“Okay, you’re right.” He nodded in understanding.
“Silly.” Ginny laughed and kissed him goodnight.
He lay wide awake for a long time.
Until he met the Weasleys, he had never received a present for any occasion, so spoiling his kids seemed really fun.
All his childhood he had been love-starved, malnourished, and abused by his own closest family. When he found out he was going to be a father for the first time, he was scared — scared that he would somehow, accidentally turn into the Dursleys, even though he never had it in him and couldn’t even imagine treating his own children the way he had been treated.
So when he became a father, he promised himself he would do the best he could.
He was going to get Lily that Hippogriff.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
“Okay, eat your breakfasts and get ready.” Harry was sitting in a birthday hat. A mountain of pancakes topped with number 14 candles stood in the middle of the table, and everyone was very cheerful — especially Lily, since it was her birthday.
“But we’re going to the Burrow in the afternoon. Uncle Ron said the birthday barbecue will be at five.” Lily was looking at the new bracelet she had received from her brothers.
“We’re not going to the Burrow now. It’s a surprise.” Harry poured everyone coffee and tea and encouraged them to eat.
Ginny looked at him, subtly asking what was on his mind. Over the years they had mastered the art of communicating with a single glance.
“It’s a surprise.”
Lily gasped and immediately started devouring her breakfast.
After the meal, Harry led them to the Portkey — an old oil canister he had fixed for their trip.
They landed on a huge meadow.
“Okay, Lily, close your eyes and take my arm.”
Lily giggled and did as she was told. She could hardly stand still from excitement.
Ginny was still wondering what was going on, but she was excited too.
Soon they reached an enclosure full of many colourful, winged beasts.
Hippogriffs.
Ginny and the boys stood quietly, amused, but didn’t say anything so they wouldn’t spoil Lily’s surprise.
“You can open your eyes now.”
Lily opened her eyes and squealed, looking excitedly at her parents.
“You can choose your own Hippogriff. Happy birthday, Lils.” Harry grinned as Lily stared at him, her mouth wide open.
“For real?”
“For real.”
Lily squealed again but quickly regained her composure when she remembered not to scare the beasts.
She opened the gate and carefully stepped inside.
She bowed low to every Hippogriff in the pen, and every one of them seemed very calm in her presence. The Potters stayed back — they didn’t want to overwhelm the animals.
“Dad! Wow! Cool,” Al said, grinning, and James gave him an approving high five.
Harry was almost afraid to look at Ginny, but when he did she was smiling.
“I knew you’d do something like that. Let’s just hope she doesn’t start asking for Blast-Ended Skrewts next year.” Ginny grabbed his arm, and they stood together, waiting for Lily to choose her pet.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
“Everything is settled with the owner. Of course he’ll have to stay here, but you can visit him anytime. And they’ll take good care of him here,” Harry said, petting the feathery back of the snowy white Hippogriff Lily had chosen.
He was a very good-natured creature, which Lily had christened Angel. He seemed to like the whole family, but he was completely taken with Lily, who was feeding him at that moment.
“Can I fly on him?” Lily asked, not taking her eyes off her birthday gift.
“Er… sure.”
Ginny sent Harry a look.
“When you’ve practised, of course,” he added quickly.
“Thanks, Dad. You’re the best.” Lily threw her arms around her father’s neck and kissed his cheek.
Harry’s heart swelled, and he felt incredibly happy.
His eyes met Ginny’s and, once again, they communicated without words.
We’re really lucky.
Their gaze said.