Disclaimer: As I am a simple person who does not own tons and tons of money, I must admit to being a plain American girl, and not JK Rowling. Therefore, I do not own Harry Potter and the connected involved characters. Oh, well...

**Canon until post-Ootp. Then, my wild imagination has free reign...**

Fears and Hopes

Hermione slipped into the Common Room without much fuss. She her roommates had only put in a token attempt to keep her from leaving the dorms, and she wanted to talk to someone.

"Ginny?"

The lithe redhead looked up from her hands, her face tear-streaked. "Hermione? Why are you here?"

Hermione sighed, and sat down next to the shaking fifth year. "Ginny, I'm not blind. When you left Harry in the hospital wing, you practically flew back to the Common Room. You're upset about something, and I want to know what."

Ginny breathed in a long, shuddering breath, and hurled herself into Hermione's arms, tears soaking Hermione's skirt. After a few long minutes of sobs, Ginny pulled away with a watery smile, and said, in a choked voice, "Hermione?"

Hermione handed Ginny a handkerchief. "Yes?"

Ginny rubbed her eyes. "Do you want to marry Ron and have kids?"

Hermione stiffened for a moment, and nodded. Ginny looked at Hermione, her chin wobbling. "Hermione… I want to have Harry's kids. But – he won't. He doesn't want to chance me being a single mom in the Wizarding World, because I'll get a bad reputation. I'm just so scared, if he dies, I'll go insane! I can't – breathe – without – him – oh, Hermione, I'll die if he dies!"

A tiny popping noise interrupted Ginny as she began to cry again. Sitting on the couch next to them was a small box with a note attached. It read –

"Gin,

"Come on back to the hospital wing and open the box. If your answer is yes, I'll kiss you all night.

"Love you."

Ginny read the note with confusion. The handwriting was atrocious, and recognizably Harry's handwriting.

Hermione looked from the note to the box, and her eyes went wide. "Ginny," she whispered, "Open the box."

Ginny opened the box cautiously, and gaped to see a beautiful gold ring inside, with a lion's head holding a lovely diamond surrounded by rubies. "What…?"

Hermione yelped. "Ginny, get up to the hospital wing, now." Ginny blinked, and slipped the ring on her finger. The world swirled away, and Ginny stared. A moment ago, she had been in the Common Room, and now she was in the hospital wing. Harry looked up at her, his green eyes unseeing.

"Gin? Could you get me my glasses so that I can see you?" Ginny smiled and placed the battered glasses on Harry's face. His face lit up. "You're wearing it! So…"

Ginny looked from Harry to the ring, and put things together. "Mr. Potter, are you proposing to me?"

Harry turned red. "I was thinking of keeping it a secret, getting married someplace private, soon, and spending our short vacation from Voldemort together. He's going to attack again in October, unless something huge changes, and, well, I know how much you wanted to get married, and I was thinking that we could kind of keep it a secret until after the War's over. We could have a big party on our anniversary. If – if that's okay?" He ended in a plaintive question, his eyes pleading.

The pleading eyes were unnecessary. Ginny hurled herself at Harry, knocking him back onto the bed, kissing him furiously. "I love you," she whispered, again and again. "I love you, and we're all going to do this."

They got married secretly, in Japan, two weeks later.

The Order scattered across the globe.

They had their honeymoon in America, posing as Muggles.

The Order regrouped in July.

They returned to Great Britain in August.

They returned to Hogwarts in September.

Voldemort attacked in October.

Ginny was practically dancing, she was moving so fast. She didn't even bother to think about the hexes that rained from her wand, simply aiming and firing, desperate, they had to live through this, they had to.

Ducking behind the wall that was being used as a cover for the front-line Healers, she got a slice on her arm healed before darting back out – when her wedding ring flared brightly. She knew what that meant – Harry had been injured.

Shrieking, Ginny created a swath of damage, determined to reach her husband.

She stopped at the edge of a magical dome. The dome kept people out, but it couldn't keep people from watching the fight.

Harry and Voldemort circled each other, Harry warily, Voldemort proudly. Harry was bleeding heavily from his shoulder, arms, and legs. His scar was livid on his forehead, like a prediction of doom. Ginny watched as Harry said something, and Voldemort hissed back at him. Whatever they were saying, each word drew Voldemort closer to fury.

In a sweeping movement that many of the onlookers recognized, Voldemort, who was more severely injured than Harry, lifted his wand. Harry smiled, and said something with a sardonic smile. Voldemort became furious, and he shouted something that, even soundless, made all of the onlookers shout.

Green light blasted from Voldemort's wand, aimed at Harry. Harry had nowhere to go, no escape.

Ginny screamed; she could feel her terror tearing through her throat. "HARRY!"

Harry lifted both hands, wandless, and smiled directly at Ginny. The Killing Curse slammed into his body. Everyone watching went silent, except for Ginny, who was screaming.

Green light flared around Harry's body, and twined around his bare arms. The light roiled around his hands, and launched itself back at Voldemort.

Voldemort had a look of shock in his eyes, when he died.

Harry smiled, but tears were falling down his cheeks as he called down the dome. Members of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army raced towards him, but stopped as light billowed away from his skin like smoke. Ginny rushed to Harry's side, and caught him when he fell.

Setting him gently on the ground, Ginny was shocked to realize how much blood he'd lost. Rather that abuse her poor throat anymore, she cast an Amplification Spell. "I need a Healer, NOW, for Harry Potter."

Healers rushed over, and Harry was taken to the hospital wing.

When Harry opened his eyes, Ginny wanted to cry. The Healers had told her that the magically-induced coma wasn't working, and she had a choice. Harry could live longer, and she wouldn't get to talk to him, or she could talk to him, and he'd die that day.

Harry smiled weakly. "Always… wake up here. I'm in here… too much."

Ginny let out a little sob. Harry took one look at her face, and became serious. "Gin… I'm not going to make it, am I?"

Ginny shook her head, trying to deny it, but unable to. "Oh, Harry! We've finally won, and now I'm losing you! How, how can I live?"

Harry's face had an odd expression on it. "You aren't losing me, Gin. Not… completely. Live… for me? You know… that prophecy about me and Voldemort… 'power the Dark Lord knows not,' its… true."

Ginny stared at Harry. "What are you talking about, Harry?"

Harry leaned to the side a little, nudging her stomach with his stomach. "I'll… live on. In you, in… in love. Don't die, Gin. When… when I die, you become the sole Potter heir. At least… for a few months…."

Ginny blinked at him. Her face was soaked, and she was in the process of soaking the hospital wing bed. "What do you mean, 'a few months?'" she asked.

Harry reached weakly for her hand, and kissed it. "Honeymoon, plus nine, Gin. I'll live on in your love… and the results of your love. Live, Gin. For me… the ring will become visible when I –" He broke off, his face lighting up. "Sirius! And is that? Mum? Dad? Remus? Tonks? P-Professor McGonagall? Oh, I love you! Live, Gin, live!"

Ginny was sobbing hysterically, and Harry was still holding her hand to his lips.

Harry James Potter, born July 31, 1980, died with a smile on his face on November 21, 1997, twenty-one days since the end of the War.

New Life from Old

Ginny went catatonic for a while. Hermione and Ron had to fight with their own grief so that they could keep her alive. One month after Harry died; Hermione shoved Ron out of the room and sat down on the bed Ginny had appropriated in their flat.

"Ginny?" she began cautiously, "I have something you might want to hear."

Ginny continued to stare into space as if Hermione wasn't sitting next to her.

Hermione sighed, and began again. "Ginny, you're pregnant."

"WHAT!" Ginny blasted out of bed so fast, Hermione was knocked to the floor. Ron slammed the door open to find Ginny shrieking at the top of her lungs. For a moment, he wondered if his sister had finally cracked.

"HEAR THAT!" she shrieked. "HARRY JAMES POTTER I KNOW THAT YOU CAN HEAR ME EVEN IF YOU'RE DEAD! I'M PREGNANT! PREGNANT! I'M GOING TO HAVE YOUR BABY!"

Hermione winced, and decided not to tell Ginny that her information wasn't quite accurate. Later, she told Ginny that they thought she was pregnant with twins. Ginny began shouting again, and it was a startled Dumbledore who eventually had to send her to the Room of Requirement when she burst into the Great Hall of Hogwarts shouting.

April 2, 1998, Ginny Potter woke in St. Mungo's, exhausted. After a crazy meeting with family members and friends, she asked to see the babies. Hermione looked at the nurse, who hemmed and hawed.

Exasperated, Ginny glared at both Hermione and the nurse. "I did have twins last night, didn't I?"

Hermione hid a smirk. "Not exactly, Ginny."

Ginny looked at her friend suspiciously. "What are you smirking about?"

The nurse squeaked and fled to fetch the newest Potters, while Hermione giggled quietly. "You didn't have twins, Ginny. As of last night, there are now six Potters in the world, and only one of them's you."

Ginny, who had been trying to stand up, fell back onto the bed. "Five?" she squeaked, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Harry gave me five babies?"

At that point, the nurse came into the room, pulling a row of baby cribs. She was followed by and a Ministry official.

Ginny stiffed, and her mother put a calming hand on her shoulder. "Sh, Ginny, the official is just here to take down their names."

Ginny blinked, and nodded. "R-Right. Can I see them, first?" Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, and the nurse exchanged knowing looks, and handed the babies over to Ginny, one by one.

Ginny held back sobs. Three boys and two girls, all hers and Harry's. The boys all had black hair, but only one had green eyes. The younger girl had black hair and wide, green eyes that stared up at her mother with trust and love. The older girl had a red dusting of hair, and green eyes as well. Ginny clutched at her children, holding back sobs, as she thought of the names she wanted. The names Harry would have chosen.

"The girls – oldest first – are Minerva and Lily Julia Potter."

The official frowned. "Minerva Potter and Lily Julia Potter?" he asked.

Ginny shook her head. "Minerva Julia Potter and Lily Julia Potter. The boys –" she choked up, tears streaming down her face, and waited for the official to finish writing.

"The boys are – from oldest to youngest – James Harry, Sirius Harry, and Remus Harry Potter." Her throat felt as if it had swelled shut, and she shut her mouth as the official wrote down the names.

Later that night, after the nurse had left the babies in small cribs in her room, Ginny slipped out of bed and stared at them.

"Look, Harry," she whispered. "I named the girls after the two most important women in your life who died, and after your birthday. And now I have three little Marauders, and they all are a part of Harry Potter. I'll love you forever, Harry. Thank you for making me live."

Eleven years later, Professor Neville Longbottom was struggling to keep from smiling at the five children seated in front of his desk. He'd been Headmaster for ten years, now, but the school hadn't seen such an amusing group of troublemakers since the Marauders, and three of the troublemakers even shared their names with the originals.

Today, however, Minnie, Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus weren't in the Headmaster's Office because of a failed prank, in fact, none of their pranks had failed, yet. They were there because they had frightened the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Inanus. Professor Inanus was from the Ministry, so even though they hadn't actually caused trouble, the five Potters sat silently in the Headmaster's Office, waiting for him to speak.

Smiling to himself, Neville leaned forward. "So, since I can't call you all Potter, and I'm certainly not going to call you all by your middle names, I shall have to be overly familiar with the five of you. Is that alright?"

Four heads nodded. The singular redhead among them paused to think before nodding as enthusiastically as the brunettes. Considering the fact that, before they'd started school, he'd been 'Nuncle Neville,' it was a good sign that they were respectful.

"Now," began Neville, leaning back a little. "I understand that you scared Professor Inanus. Considering that she is a very skilled Auror from the Ministry, could you explain how this happened?"

James sat forward, Sirius and Remus mimicking his movements unconsciously. "Professor, we didn't mean to scare her, but she was teaching us baby spells. We learned that stuff when we were three years old." Minnie and Lily nodded vigorously.

Neville blinked at them. How had they learned spells at such a young age without the Ministry knowing? "That doesn't explain how you scared her."

James rolled his eyes, and Sirius and Lily did the same. Minnie and Remus flushed at being that forward with a teacher.

"You see," said James, "She was making Remy cry. And nobody makes Remy cry. She said that Remy was named after a mangy beast and that she didn't expect him to do well in class. Then she threw a Confunding Charm at him, but he already had his shield up. She attacked with Occlumency, trying to figure out how we already knew the baby stuff, and Sirius knocked her out with his mind by accident."

Sirius sat up hotly. "That wasn't my fault. I meant to squeeze her, but Lily's mind knocked into mine, and James got dizzy, and Minnie was distracting the class by teaching the shielding charm, so I accidently knocked the Professor out."

Neville bit through his lip to keep from laughing. "You do realize that, had you been normal first years knocking out a teacher, you would have been in here the day it happened, instead of two weeks later, when the teacher finally woke up."

All five Potters blushed. Lily bowed her head forward, and knocked a piece of paper to the floor. While leaning to pick it up, she knocked a glass bowl from the desk.

"Yipes!" shouted James, putting out his hand, palm out. Neville gaped as James showed every bit of evidence of being talented at wandless magic. Blushing, Lily flicked her hand, and the paper lifted from the floor and returned itself to the desk.

Neville tried not to swallow his tongue, and managed to say something about wands. All five Potters blinked at him without comprehension.

"Wands?" asked Lily, frowning. "You need a wand to do magic? Wait, wands are those things Mum told us to use during class – where are they, Minnie?"

Minnie opened her bookbag, and stuck in her arm, trying to find their wands. After a moment of exasperated silence, she shoved her whole arm and head into the bag. After a few minutes of no luck, Minnie set the bag on her chair and knelt on the floor beside it. With a huff of annoyance, she leaned forward and stuck her entire body into her bag.

Leaning in until it was only Sirius' arms around her waist that held her out of the bag; she pulled herself out a few minutes later looking triumphant. "Wands!" she said, grinning. A wisp of red hair had fallen from her messy bun, and she looked as if she had gotten into a fight with a library – little pieces of parchment and paper were stuck to her face, robes, and hair.

James rolled his eyes. "Do we really have to use them? I mean, I just pretend, in class. Doing it the handy way is easier, if a little more tiring. Plus, you can change the shapes of spells, that way."

Neville allowed a smile to spread over his face. "I may have to speak to your mother about this, but you are free to go."

James and Sirius grinned, and swept him teasing bows. Remus flushed and mumbled something about thanks, and Lily stood up and tripped. Minnie was digging in her bag again.

"Found it!" Grinning, she stuffed a Chocolate Frog card into his hand. "Could you sign it? Please? I'm trying to get a full DA set."

Neville felt an ache in his heart for all of the members of the DA who were gone, and signed the card. Leaning over and kissing him on the cheek, Minnie suddenly looked flustered at her own forwardness, and fled behind her siblings.

"She looks like her mother," observed Dumbledore from his portrait on the wall.

Neville smiled. "If her current grades are any example, she'll take after her namesake, as well as her parents."

..::oo0oo::..

Two halls away, under an Invisibility Cloak, five first years erupted in laughter.

"That was brilliant, Minnie! You should've seen his face when you did a header into your bag! Hysterical!" Sirius was gasping, tears of laughter rolling down his cheeks.

Minnie attempted to look haughty for a moment, and failed utterly. "Well, there's an anti-Summoning Charm on my bag. I had to get those wands out somehow. Besides, weren't we going to take a stop at the Great Hall before we went back to the Tower?"

James slapped Sirius, who controlled himself. "Sorry, Mins. Lils, Remy, we doing this?"

Remus pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket, and placed his hand on it. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good, Marauding the Halls of Hogwarts School."

The map glowed for a moment, and split into five pieces. Each one said something nearly the same –

"Welcome, fresh young Marauders! Good day to you, Flames!"

"Welcome, fresh young Marauders! Good day to you, Tawny!"

"Welcome, fresh young Marauders! Good day to you, Cammie!"

"Welcome, fresh young Marauders! Good day to you, Paddie!"

"Welcome, fresh young Marauders! Good day to you, Prongslet!"

Minnie sighed, and folded up the Invisibility Cloak, putting it into her bag before handing her bag to James. "If you drop it, Prongslet…"

James grinned at her. "No worries, Flames."

Sirius rolled his eyes at the two of them. "Jab each other later, okay? Cammie, Tawny, and I are waiting, Flame-Mins."

Minnie stomped her foot. "Then stop interrupting me, Paddie. Or we won't get into the Great Hall." After a prank played on the second day of school, the teachers now kept the Great Hall locked until morning for fear of more Potter intrusions.

Shutting her eyes, Minnie turned into a beautiful phoenix. All four of the still-human Potters grabbed her feet, and light flashed.

Four mischievous Potters appeared in the Great Hall, in the dead of night…

In retrospect, the prank played that night had been spectacular. The next morning, the tables colored their students according to House. Gryffindors turned crimson, Slytherins turned emerald green, Ravenclaws turned sapphire blue, and Hufflepuffs became an eyeblinding yellow.

In their second year, the Potter Five befriended a scared transfer student, Jonathan Derwin, the first werewolf Hogwarts had hosted since Remus Lupin. In the years that followed, Neville was warmed to see that the Potter Five became the Great Six, and, when Terrie Longbottom finally came to Hogwarts, the Marauders' Seven.

In their fifth year, a transfer student named Theresa de Lancerde came from Beauxbatons, having been expelled for accidentally killing a boy who tried to rape her. The Marauders' Seven, in that year, became the Potters' Eight, or Harry's Infinity. If Neville noticed a phoenix, lioness, stag, lizard, dog, eagle, fox, and werewolf on the full moons, he never mentioned it, and nobody else did, either.

The entire Wizarding World celebrated October 31st as a holiday, the day that Voldemort had fallen, twice over. The Potter family mourned on the 31st, and celebrated on the date of Harry's death. Each year, at the party, Ginny would explain to family, friends, and guests that Harry wanted her to live, and wouldn't like her remembering his death as a bad thing.

Each year on April 1st, Hogwarts cowered in fear of the Potters' Eight, five of whom celebrated their birthday on that auspicious day.

Generations Come and Go

In years to come, a tall redhaired woman would come to sit in the Headmistress's chair, with a black haired man messing with the students of Transfiguration. The Minister of Magic would come to be a slim young man with messy black hair and green eyes. The Head of the MLE would end up being a brunette with messy hair named Potter. In a house in Godric's Hollow, a woman with black hair would happily hug her husband while watching their adopted children, all with the name Derwin.

In years to come, Ginevra Molly Weasley-Potter would watch the many Potters grow up and grow old.

The day of Ginny's death, all of her family had come to visit her. It was July 31st, a day that Ginny continued to celebrate for the man who waited for her beyond the Veil between life and death. She died smiling, with five children, thirty grandchildren, one-hundred-and-thirty great-grandchildren, and five-hundred-and-thirty-three great-great-grandchildren.

Her grave was beside Harry's and it read:

Ginevra Molly Weasley-Potter

August 10, 1981 – July 31, 2161

She loved to save a life, her love created a world.

Her names are many:

Ginny

Mother

Daughter

Sister

Aunt

Grandmother

Teacher

Believer

Ginny died, and left behind eight-hundred-fifty-eight Potters.

Ginny opened her eyes. She was sixteen again! She looked around, and found herself on the Hogwarts Express. Sitting next to her was a tall young woman with long red hair and green eyes. The woman looked at her, and laughed as a black haired man came flying in, transforming into a dog mid-leap. "I'll go tell him," she said.

Ginny grinned as she hugged Sirius Black, it had been so long! The door slammed open, and a lanky teenager with messy black hair, green eyes, and glasses hurled himself across the short distance, squashing Sirius. "Ginny!"

Ginny returned the huge hug, feeling free. She was whole again. She looked up into the eyes of her love, and he smiled. "Thank you for living, Ginny," he said solemnly.

Ginny grabbed his ears and gave him the snogging of his – death? "Thank you, too," she said. "For giving me a reason to live."

Sighing, she leaned back into his embrace, as footsteps heralded the arrival of some never-met relatives and long-missed friends and family.

"I love you, Harry Potter."