Harry came home feeling dejected, his mother's cold stare still fresh in his mind. "How could I be so stupid..." he muttered.

A loud hoot jolted Harry from his reverie. Glancing up, he saw Pigwidgeon, Ron's tiny owl, swooping down through the open window. The energetic bird fluttered around the ceiling light fixtures, a parcel tied to his leg.

"Come down here!" Harry called. Pigwidgeon obeyed and landed on Harry's outstretched arm. Harry untied the parcel and opened the accompanying letter.

Harry,

I need your help urgently. Could you meet me at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes joke shop in Diagon Alley right away? Fred and George convinced me to help sort products in exchange for pay, but I'm skeptical they'll follow through. I'm stuck here until you can come rescue me.

I used Pigwidgeon instead of Hedwig to deliver this, and he flew off before I finished tying my letter to his leg. That impatient little owl!

Hope to see you soon,

Ron

Harry laughed as he imagined Ron gleefully chasing and wrestling after his owl and playing with his brothers, having the time of his life. After laying Ron's letter on the table, Harry went to his room to shower and get dressed, eager to visit the joke shop. Ron had been pestering Harry to come ever since the store opened, and he decided now was the perfect time to finally see it.

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Two hours later, Lily sat disappointedly at her office desk. She angrily shoved the rejected report into her drawer, never wanting to see the offending document again.

A knock sounded at the door before Arthur peeked in, smiling when he saw Lily. "Did you get the approval, then?" he asked excitedly.

Lily scowled in response. "Almost," she said curtly, then added, "I can't believe Harry pulled that stunt right after he—"

"Harry?" Arthur looked confused. "He was here?"

"Yes!" Lily yelled, exasperated. "At the meeting! He spent all morning peeving at me for not being present or some such nonsense..." She took a deep breath as stress overtook her.

"But what happened at the meeting? Why was he there?"

Lily closed her eyes. "Never mind," she said, not wanting to relive it again. She massaged her temples and asked, "What are you doing here, Arthur? You didn't just come to ask about my meeting, did you?"

Sitting across from her, Arthur replied, "Well, it's about that silver dagger with rune markings we talked about yesterday. I did some research and found out it's not just a regular kitchen knife. It's imbued with very dark, powerful magic. One stab can easily kill you, and no healing charm or potion can undo the damage."

Lily's eyes widened in surprise.

"And I think I know a place where you might find clues about it," Arthur continued. "Let me write down the location for you." Reaching for a quill, Arthur accidentally knocked over the ink bottle. "Blimey!" he gasped apologetically, looking at the spill.

Lily sighed and said, "This is why I prefer self-inking quills."

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"This place is awesome!" Harry exclaimed, grinning widely as he looked around the bustling joke shop.

Ron eagerly showed him the various novelties and tricks packed into every corner. The store was crowded with eager customers, forcing Ron and Harry to weave their way through the throngs of people. They had been helping the twins restock shelves all afternoon, but the products flew off as soon as they were put out.

"Thanks for coming to help me out, Harry," said Ron gratefully as he carefully arranged stacks of Skiving Snackboxes.

"You're a real lifesaver," George agreed as he attempted to balance an odd, black horn-shaped object.

Harry smiled. "I'm really impressed. This is amazing!" he said sincerely.

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The twins beamed proudly at his praise and swept off to help more customers flooding into the shop.

Harry was stocking labeled boxes on a shelf when Ron tapped his shoulder and gestured toward the window, asking, "Is that your mum, Harry?"

Harry looked over, frowning as he spotted Lily Potter walking outside the shops of Diagon Alley.

"Wait, what's she doing here?" asked Ron, confusion in his voice.

Lily stopped in front of Quality Quidditch Supplies and went inside the store.

Ron's eyes widened with excitement. "I bet she's getting you a birthday present, Harry! I just knew she would!" he exclaimed proudly. "Especially since you're top of our class too!"

Harry didn't respond. He knew Ron was likely just speculating, as he didn't really expect his mother to buy him a gift.

Lily was aware of Harry's love for Quidditch and had seen his natural flying ability, so like his father James Potter. However, she had never acknowledged or praised this skill in front of Harry.

Harry glanced outside the window again, unsure how to feel. Could this really be the surprise he thought? A gift from his mother? Nevertheless, Harry's heart fluttered with anticipation and he couldn't help but smile widely.

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The office emptied as people packed up and left for the night. Glancing at the clock, Lily saw it was six o'clock. She stood, took a few calming breaths, and exited her office, now the only one left in the Auror Headquarters. She headed for the lifts.

A frail old man in a worn black suit and fedora greeted her with a faint smile as she stepped into the lift. Lily nodded and smiled back politely.

"Pardon me, but you seem to have something weighing on your mind," he said gently as the lift descended unhurriedly.

Caught off guard, Lily replied, "What makes you think that?"

The old man chuckled softly. "At my age, I can tell."

"I'd rather not discuss it," Lily said dismissively.

"I understand. It will likely resolve itself," he said quietly, meeting her eyes.

Lily felt a twinge of guilt. She knew she hadn't made a real effort to connect with Harry. Still, the old man's calm demeanor made her want to open up. Oddly, she felt it was worth trying.

"Well..." she took a deep breath. "I can't seem to make my son happy." She said anxiously, "How can you love someone so much but not know how to show that love?"

"So you do love him?"

"Yes, very much," Lily replied.

"You know, that's all that matters," the old man said simply.

"He's leaving tomorrow for a month and wants me to go with him."

"What if he never came back?" the old man asked, looking at Lily.

Lily glared at him. "What kind of question is that?"

“Well... go on, imagine it.” The old man waved his hand through the air as if saying goodbye, then asked pointedly, "You waved farewell to your son and you never see him again. Could you live with that?"

Lily pondered for a moment. She had never considered until now how agonizing it would be to lose someone she loved, to lose Harry. After James's death, she had repressed all emotions that might evoke heartache and anguish.

"No...," she exhaled. "No, I couldn't."

"Well, you know what to do," the old man said gently. "Cherish him and what you have. Simply love him." He gave her a reassuring smile as the lift slowed to a stop.

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As the night wore on, Harry nervously awaited his mother's arrival at Hogwarts. Dressed in his typical Gryffindor uniform alongside his housemates, he was preparing for the Recognition Assembly.

Ron and Hermione's parents had come early and were chatting together in the Great Hall, where the assembly would take place.

Eager to avoid his parents after hearing of his poor marks in Divination and Potions, Ron lingered with Harry in the Entrance Hall.

"You know," Harry began, gazing up at the night sky, "if my mum bought me a gift and is coming with me tomorrow, maybe even staying at the Burrow for a few days, that would be really sweet." He paused. "I mean, maybe she's coming around," he added hopefully, looking at Ron.

Ron nodded and smiled. "I hope so, you deserve it."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Lily emerge in the entrance hall just minutes before the assembly was set to begin. The two hurried into the Great Hall, with Ron trailing behind them as the last students to arrive.

Mrs. Weasley shot Lily a stern look, wondering what had delayed her arrival to Hogwarts. But Lily remained unfazed, her eyes fixed on Albus Dumbledore as he delivered his welcoming remarks.

The assembly was brief. At the end, Harry was named the top student of the entire school, much to Hermione's disappointment at coming in second. Still, she congratulated Harry on a job well done, while Ron struggled to hide his reddening face as he sneaked glances at his parents.

"Congratulations, Harry," said Lily.

"Thanks, Mum," he replied.

"Ready to go?" she asked restlessly, eager to leave as she checked her watch.

“Uh, yeah... one moment,” Harry excused himself and went to inform Mr. and Mrs. Weasley as well as Hermione's parents that he was leaving for the night.

"Ready?" Lily asked again when she saw Harry returning.

With a nod, Harry descended the stairs with his mother leading outside to the Entrance Hall.

"Congratulations again, Harry!" Hermione called out as she and Ron hurried down the steps to meet them.

"Yeah, brilliant job mate," Ron added, stopping behind Harry and Lily.

"Hello Mrs. Potter," Hermione greeted politely while Ron eyed her anxiously. "My parents wanted to invite you and Harry over for dinner tonight."

Harry glanced up at his mother for her response.

Sensing Lily's disapproving glare at Harry, Hermione quickly added, "Mr. and Mrs. Weasley will be there too."

"Please come. It'll be fun," Ron pleaded.

"We can't tonight," Lily replied brusquely, grabbing Harry's arm. "Let's go."

As Lily pulled him away from his friends and Hogwarts, Harry silently mouthed "I'm sorry" to Ron and Hermione.

To be continued…