It wasn't amusing, not really, but Harry still laughed a little. "Oh, I can make my own choices, can I?"
Snape tilted his head to one side. "You can, though being an adult, you would have to live with the consequences."
As if Harry hadn't been living with the consequences of his choices for a long time, now. Harry pushed thoughts of Peter Pettigrew, and Cedric, and Sirius from his mind. He had to. Some choices he'd made . . . the results had been too painful to contemplate for long. He needed to get off this topic, straight away.
"What if I want to drop Potions since it's no longer required to apply as an Auror apprentice?"
Snape's face darkened. "Are you daft? You want to drop Potions, you-- you--"
Harry couldn't resist. He'd so rarely heard his father actually sputter. "And just think, this time last year you were hoping I'd be forced to drop it. Now, you can hardly stand the thought. See how far we've come, Dad?"
"That's hardly funny, Harry," said Draco.
Snape rounded on him, his eyes narrowing still further. "You think he's joking, do you?"
"Oh, I know he is," said Draco easily. "We talked the whole thing over. Harry would like to drop Potions, sure, but that's only in the abstract. He knows he can't actually do it, no matter what the Auror requirements are. He knows you wouldn't stand for it."
"Yeah, and it's not like he's standing right here able to speak for himself," muttered Harry. "Look, I said if, you know. I was just kidding. Sorry."
Snape grimaced. "I would hope that you know you can't drop the subject not because of my reaction but because you're aware you may need the knowledge seventh-year Potions will impart."
"I do understand that." Harry smiled. "You just always assumed I'd keep taking it, and I guess I thought you should have, you know, consulted me."
Snape looked like he was trying not to roll his eyes. "Consulted you."
"Yeah, since my instincts are so good. Remember that?" Harry frowned. "Which brings us back to this Voldemort thing. I guess it could be a trap. I hadn't thought of that, which is, you know, nothing new. I wish I'd thought of it last time."
Snape reached out and patted his hand. "Try not to let it torment you. Particularly not today, on your birthday. Black would not have wanted that."
Harry swallowed to force back the tear that wanted to fall. "He wouldn't, yeah."
Dumbledore smiled. "Quite right, he wouldn't. So, to happier things. Why don't you go and chat with Hagrid for a bit? I think he'd very much like to see you."
Harry glanced uncertainly towards his brother. "Er . . ."
"I am perfectly fine," said Snape stiffly, standing up as if to prove it.
"I was just thinking that Draco had better come with me," said Harry, grimacing. "For appearances, you know. So I keep looking weak to anybody who might be watching."
"Yes, because Death Eaters in Eastern Europe can see Hogwarts from there," drawled Draco. "Everybody knows that."
"Well, somebody might see and word might get out," insisted Harry. "I don't like it any better than you do, but I'm not supposed to wander around alone, and you know it!"
"Go together," said Snape, suddenly putting out a hand to lean on the wall. "I do believe I'll have a short nap, and I'll sleep better without your squabbling voices."
Draco raised his wand. "I'll summon you a mild sleeping draught--"
"No," said Snape. "We'll be going out later, to celebrate Harry's birthday."
"Oh, really, Severus," murmured Dumbledore. "If that should need to be put off, I think everyone would understand."
"There's no such need." Snape levelled a glare at both boys. "Are you still here? I thought I told you to go so I can rest."
"Come on, Draco," said Harry, walking over to his brother and tugging on his sleeve. "Don't worry. The worst that'll happen is you chip a tooth on Hagrid's treacle tart."
"Ha. He'll probably sit on me," grumbled Draco, though he did follow Harry from the room, then.
Hagrid, of course, did no such thing. "'Arry!" he called, flinging his door wide. "Good ta see yeh, good ta see yeh!"
"Hey, Hagrid," said Harry, tugging Draco's sleeve again, this time to get him to come inside the hut. "Good to see you, too. How's your summer been?"
"Eh, little a' this, little a' that . . ." Hagrid gave a shrug that looked entirely relaxed to Harry, but Draco must have seen things differently, since he kind of jumped in place.
"Sit yerself down, 'Arry." A slight frown creased Hagrid's features, like he was trying to figure out what to say next. Harry soon found out why. "Eh, and you too, Draco. Been keepin' our 'Arry 'ere company this summer, 'ave yeh?"
"Yes," said Draco quickly, sitting down on the chair nearest to him. He started prattling on in his most polite voice, the way he did when he was nervous and trying not to show it. "We've had a lovely summer, truly. Harry attended a course of swimming lessons, and I had an opportunity to take in a bit of opera. Have you ever been?"
"No, I bleedin' well ain't ever been to an opera," growled Hagrid, looking like he thought Draco was a few cards short of a full deck.
"You aren't missing much," said Harry dryly. "But Draco likes it."
Hagrid didn't appear to notice the reference to the other boy. "And yeh liked yer swimmin' lessons, did yeh?"
"Yeah." Harry grinned. "And I learned to Apparate. Draco helped teach me."
"And yer seventeen today," said Hagrid softly. "Thinkin' a gettin' yerself licensed soon, then?"
"As soon as we can get an appointment to be tested, yeah. Draco and me both."
"Well, I'm right glad yeh stopped by, 'Arry," said Hagrid with a broad smile. He seemed to have settled on ignoring Draco's presence, but that was probably for the best, Harry thought. Draco's nerves were stretched thin already, after the day they'd had, and having Hagrid chat him up wasn't likely to help him feel better, considering. "Been 'oping I'd get myself a chance to tell yeh happy birthday."
Harry grinned. "Thanks, Hagrid. I always think of you on my birthdays, you know. Ever since you knocked the door down flat, trying to get into that little house on the rock."
Draco flinched a little.
"Feel a bit bad I can't be there later," Hagrid went on. "Yeh see, I got a pair a' nifflers that're real sick, and need special feedin' ever' hour, an . . ."
"Hagrid?" asked Harry, frowning a little. "Er . . . where would you be later, if you didn't have the nifflers to see to?"
"Eh, nowheres, 'Arry--" Hagrid cleared his throat. "It's jus, I knew yeh'd understand, but when they asked me, I didna know about the nifflers--"
"When who asked you?"
"Eh, nobody--"
"Just what is going on?" Harry demanded.
"'Arry, yeh can't blame a bloke fer not wanting to spoil yer party--" Hagrid's mouth turned down, his enormous jowls quivering a little as he suddenly looked stricken. "I shouldn't a said tha'."
"Oh, a party," drawled Draco, his fringe flapping as he tossed his head a little. "What a complete shock, Harry. There's a party planned. For you. A surprise party, because your birthday, at least, is clearly something to be fÃted from one end of wizarding Britain to the other--"
"Look, I'm sure you'd have got a party too, if you hadn't mucked around--"
"But I did muck around, because you're the one who's the good son," snapped Draco, crossing his arms as he jumped up from the chair. "Except, it's not so good of you to announce my mucking to all and sundry, is it now? But then, it's only Severus you're trying to impress, I suppose."
"Don' tell yer father I tol' yeh," said Hagrid, biting his lip.
"I won't," said Harry, deciding that the best thing he could do about Draco's rant would be to ignore it.
"S'posed ta be a surprise--"
"Yes, we had gathered as much," said Draco, chin lifted about as high as Harry had ever seen it. He had to crush an urge to tell the other boy to get over himself. "Well, Harry, it wouldn't do for the guest of honour to be late to his own party, would it now? So, come along. We mustn't keep your public waiting--"