CHAPTER 1: THE MYSTERIOUS BOOK
Harry sat amidst a mountain of wrapping paper, surrounded by his friends and family. He had insisted that he sit on the floor to open his birthday presents this year, since he never got to do that as a kid.
Bits of tape with wrapping paper clinging stubbornly to them floated around the room; Ron had been too liberal with the tape.
"Harry, there's one last present," Hermione said from the kitchen table.
"What? I thought I opened them all," he replied, standing.
"Look." She showed him the wrapped package. The paper was red with a lightning-bolt pattern. Harry gingerly took the rectangular parcel, wary of its contents. He looked the tag.
"'Happy Birthday Harry! I wrote this myself. I hope you like it. From, a female born today,'" he read. "You don't think--" His eyes drifted towards the seven books on the endtable.
"Open it and find out," Ron said, eyeing the parcel. Harry did so, the scraps of wrapping paper fluttering down to join the remnants of the others.
"In The Background," he said looking at the cover of the book. "That's exactly where I want to be right now."
"Let's read it," Hermione said, trying to be helpful.