10/18/2026
During *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, Harry found a letter at Grimmauld Place that his mother, Lily Potter, had written to Sirius Black.
It had been hidden among Sirius’s belongings and preserved for many years.
In the letter, Lily thanked Sirius for giving Harry a toy broomstick for his first birthday. She also mentioned that little Harry had thoroughly enjoyed flying around the house, while James had been highly amused watching him.
For Harry, finding that letter was deeply moving, as it was one of the few things he possessed that had been written directly by his mother. Recognizing her handwriting and reading her words allowed him to feel a closeness to Lily that he had never experienced in quite that way.
However, the letter was incomplete, as a portion—along with a family photograph—had been torn away. Although Harry could not read the whole thing, he cherished the memento dearly, as it offered a small window into the happy life he had shared with his parents before losing them.
The letter reads as follows:
Dear Sirius,
Thank you so much for Harry’s birthday present! It was his favorite, without a doubt. At just one year old, he’s already zooming around on his toy broomstick like a bolt of lightning. He was so pleased with himself that I’ve enclosed a photo so you can see. It only hovers about two feet off the ground, mind you, but he nearly took out the cat and managed to break a hideous vase that Petunia sent me for Christmas (not that I’m complaining!).
James, of course, found it hilarious and says he’s going to be a great Quidditch player—though we’ve had to put away all the ornaments and make sure to keep a close eye on him whenever he starts flying.
We had a very quiet birthday tea—just us and old Bathilda, who has always been so kind to us and absolutely adores Harry. We’re so sorry you couldn’t make it, but the Order has to come first—and Harry isn’t even old enough to realize it’s his birthday! James is getting a bit frustrated being cooped up here; he tries not to show it, but I can tell. Besides, Dumbledore still has his Invisibility Cloak, so there’s no chance of any little excursions.
If you could come visit, it would really cheer him up. Wormy was here last weekend—he seemed a bit down, though that was probably because of the news about the McKinnons; I cried all night when I heard.
Bathilda stops by almost every day—she’s a fascinating old woman with the most incredible stories about Dumbledore; I’m not sure he’d be too happy about that! Honestly, I’m not sure how much of it to believe—it just seems impossible that Dumbledore was friends with Grindelwald.
