Summery: The Wizengamot has decided to invoke an ancient ritual to heighten the Wizarding Worlds population. Will this end tragically for our favorite Golden Hero? Will Harry overcome the odds to find happiness he didn't know could exist for him or will he be forced into a roll that he does not agree with?

Pairings: Severus Snape x Harry Potter.

Warning: This chapter-fic contains Adult Situations pertaining to Slash, Lemon, MPREG, Strong Language, Forced Situations, and some OOC-ness. This story has not been Beat-read. Therefore any mistakes are my own and I highly apologies for them.

If you don't understand what these words mean or are uncomfortable with homosexual themes, then you should not be reading this fanfiction. I will not be blamed for your ignorance or prejudice. Or so help me Merlin! I will send Severus after you with a vengeance!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter© is the property of the incredible J.K. Rowling. Other characters and plot independent of Rowling's original creation are my property. I, MurderedLogic, in no way make any profit from this story. Do not take/use any material from this story without my express permission.

Author's Note: Have no fear! I have not and will not abandon When The Flames Spark. It's just that my inspiration has shifted a little. Please review; it makes Severus much easier to work with when he's not whispering snide remarks in my ear. =]

Veneficus Conventus

By MurderedLogic

Chapter 1

Wizengamot Verdict: Wizarding's Salvation or Damnation

Rita Skeeter

The Wizengamot has decided to take it upon themselves to solve the Wizarding World's population crisis by invoking Veneficus Conventus. For my readers who are not familiar with Veneficus Conventus, it is aritual, which will combine wizards and witches magic with that of their magic's most compatible companion. With the hope that their offspring will be magical.

The wizarding world's population has been dropping steadily since the war. The war had destroyed many of our Pure Blood families. However readers, that is not our only problem. Many witches and wizards have been marring into muggle families, which has severely dropped the admittance of children to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In other word, squibs have been the result of these tragic nuptials.

Ministry officials report that the institution of Veneficus Conventus will quick-start our birth rate to its original height. Seeing as how the coupled participants must be with child at the end of the year. It has not yet been released to whom this new decree will directly affect. Nevertheless, when I know you will know.

Magically bound parentage from both sides, will it be enough to restore our way of life?

Harry and Ron were still sleeping in their beds when they heard the roar of Mrs. Weasley fill the Burrow. "Breakfast is ready, boys," Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs.

Harry groaned and rolled over pulling the pillow over his head. "C'mon Harry, I smell bacon, get up," Ron said, climbing out of his warm cozy bed.

"Ten more minutes. I'm to tired to get up. Hermione's making us stay up to late studying for N.E.W.T.'s and the school year hasn't even started yet," Harry whispered groggily as he snuggled further under the covers of his makeshift bed on the floor of Ron's room.

"BOYS!" Mrs. Weasley yelled again.

"Alright, Mum. I'm coming," Ron yelled down the stairs. "C'mon Harry, You don't want mum to come up here, she's like a lion in the mornings."

"Fine, I'm up." Harry threw the blankets off and dragged himself down the stair after Ron.

Hermione was already eating her breakfast when the boys sat down. She had the Daily Prophet out in front of her. Harry and Ron shared a glance. Hermione's eyebrows were knitted together with worry, her mouth opened in a silent 'o'.

"What's the matter Hermione? They banning books from the library?" Ron said with a little chuckle.

"Oh, ha ha," she responded sarcastically to Ron. She laid the newspaper in front of them and pointed to an article. "The Wizengamot is forcing people to undergo a ritual called Veneficus Conventus. Have you ever heard of it?" she asked.

Harry shook his head as he dug into his scrambled eggs. "No, what is it?"

"I've only read about it once. There wasn't much about it. Just that the ritual finds a person's mate, their magic's mate to be more concise. It doubles sometimes triples a persons power but also grounds it." Hermione recited from memory, as she roughly pushed her bangs away from her deep brown eyes.

"Grounds it?" asked Harry, tilting his head in confusion.

"Yes, it means that your power won't go out of control and consume you. If your magic is grounded it is much easier to perform the most powerful of spells. Most Pure Bloods ground their magic together after their marriage with different ritual that requires blood and consummating the their bond. It makes it easier to push your power to a specific part of your body and energize it for long periods of time. This is mainly used for healing and male pregnancies," explained Hermione while buttering her toast.

"Wh' 'ey do' it fo'?" Ron asked through a mouthful of food.

"It's the Wizengamot solution to – "

"Wait! Guy's can get pregnant!?" Harry interrupted. His emerald green eyes widened with disbelief.

"Well yes, didn't you know that wizards could get pregnant Harry?" She asked slowly.

"No! No one ever thought to mention it to me."

"It doesn't matter, Harry. It's not as if you like guys. Right?" Ron spoke sipping his pumpkin juice while grabbing another helping of eggs.

Harry looked down at his plate trying to avoid his friends' gaze. "Yeah, right," he said quietly pushing his plate away from him. "I'm going to help twins de-gnome the garden." Harry stood up and walked out the back door to join Fred and George as they threw gnomes at each other.

"Did I say something?" Ron asked as he started after Harry.

"Your Hogwarts letters arrived," Fred said, walking though the backdoor with George and Harry in tow. Hermione was helping Mrs. Weasley clear the table while Ron read Skeeter's article.

Fred tossed the letters on the table and walked up the stairs with George, whispering suspiciously about the gnomes. Ron opened his letter and read off the books that they needed this year. "Hey, I didn't sign up for Ancient Runes," he exclaimed while double-checking to make sure that it was his letter he was reading and not Harry's or Hermione's.

"Yes, you did Ron," said Hermione, picking up his plate, with a slight smirk gracing her triangular face.

"No, no, I didn't," he said watching his plate be taken away with perfectly good bacon resting on it.

"Yes, you did. Don't you remember, Ron? We were sitting on the divan in the common room. We were going over the classes you were signing up for." Hermione went on but lost Ron at the word 'divan'.

His eyes glazed over with the memory. Hermione's soft body pressed up against him with his parchment of next terms classes sitting in their laps. His arm around her shoulders. Her slender lightly tanned hand resting on his upper thigh. Her golden brown curly hair tickling his neck and chin. The smell of the sweet apple shampoo she used wafting to his senses…

"Ron. Ron! Are you listening to me?" Hermione waved a hand in front of his face but received no sign of acknowledgment. She turned, feigning a sigh.

"He's gone to it, Hermione. When do you think we can go to Diagon Ally?"

Diagon Ally was crowed, as it always was this close to the beginning of term. The Golden Trio had come early hoping to avoid what seemed to be unavoidable mass of shoppers. People were in every Shoppe, café, street, and alleyway. The trio had resorted to holding hands so that they wouldn't be separated within the ever growing throng of magical folk.

"I need to stock my potions kit. I'm all out of Boomslang and Mermaid Tears," Hermione said over the noise of the new Quidditch store that had recently opened its doors to the public. The boys were literally drooling over the newest broom, Lightning Bolt 800. A supposedly lighter, faster broom than the Firebolt but harder to maneuver.

"Er, I think I'll head over to the pub for a bite lunch and tea," Ron said quickly, not wanting to be dragged into yet another shoppe full of people and their nagging children.

"I'll go with you, Hermione. We'll meet you there in half an hour or so. Should that be enough time?" Harry asked turning to Hermione to receive a nod in agreement.

Hermione led the way to 'Prince's Finest Potions'. It was small shoppe bordering Nocturne Alley.

"I've never been in here before. Did it just open?" Harry asked while looking around. The shoppe had a soothing aura about it. Dried herbs hung from the ceiling. Shelves were lined with pre-made potions, ingredients, caldrons, and books. Mirrors lined the walls and reflected the soft green and purple orbs of light that floated overhead.

Hermione walked over to a section that carried potion utensils. "It's been open for a couple of years. Although, I heard a private investor bought it out a couple of months back and updated the stock. I wanted to check it out," Hermione paused as she picked up a cutting knife trying to discern if she really needed it or not.

"It seems the investor knows quite a lot about potions," said Harry as his eyes wandered over jars full of frog toes, beetle eyes, and boomslang. He picked up the last jar and handed it to Hermione. She smiled her thanks.

"Yes, all the potions being sold were created by him. By a man that goes by 'E.P.'," recited Hermione. She sat the knife down and walked towards the shelves packed with books.

"Did you read that somewhere? Or does –" Harry collided with a tall firm body, knocking thick books onto the floor "I'm sorry I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Obviously not, Potter, or you would not have ran into me," spoke a harsh, strong voice above him.

Slowly, Harry raised his head to see his one and only most hated potion professor. "Professor Snape, I'm sorry, sir!" Harry said, quickly knelling to pick up the leather bound books that had fallen from the professor's lengthy hands.

"I was under the impression that you were not taking potions this year," Snape sneered making Harry flinch. He pushed his long hair over his shoulder as her regarded Harry carefully.

"I'm not. Hermione needed to restock on a few things before the term starts," Harry said, not understanding why he felt the need to justify his being there.

"Indeed," Snape said as he took the offered books from Harry's hands. Harry turned to leave, eyes searching for Hermione in desperate need to escape. "Potter," Snape called questionably.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Nothing," Snape said as he watched Harry nod and walk off towards Granger with a contemplative look hidden among his features.

Harry was quite surprised when his professor stopped him. He could not decipher the look the man's face presented to him. It was almost as if the man wanted to say something more. Something more than the usual insults that the older man typically threw at him.

Harry found Hermione, her head hidden behind large book.

"Are you ready to go yet. I'm getting hungry," asked Harry, his stomach growling in agreement.

Ron was wondering what was taking Hermione and Harry so long. They were supposed to be back 20 minutes ago. Ron stood up and was about to pay when the two walked in. Harry carrying enough bags to get a day's workout.

"Sorry we took so long, Ron. I couldn't help myself," Hermione said smiling sweetly. Her hands empty except for her dainty powder blue purse.

"Yeah, you probably read a whole book on potions while you were there." Ron responded with a grin, sitting back down at the table.

After they all sat down, Harry and Hermione ordered lunch.

"I bumped into Snape at the shoppe." Harry said, continuing to tell them what had proceeded.

"That greasy it! He can't even leave you alone during the summer!" Ron said, slamming his fist down upon the table.

"Ron, calm yourself. Harry are you sure Professor Snape wanted to say something else?" asked Hermione thoughtfully, while signaling a waiter for tea.

Harry looked at her, pinching the bridge of his nose. Maybe he should not have told them of what now seemed to be an insignificant encounter with his dreaded professor. "He stopped me, didn't he?" he replied, taking a deep breath.

Hermione gave him one of her looks that said she was only trying to help and not to get snood-y with her. "I'm trying to make sense of all of it, that's all Harry." She replied, nodding her head in thanks to the waiter serving them their tea.

Ron stayed quite. His tactician brain fast at work. "You think it had something to do with that Veneftus Convenicus?" he asked scratching the back of his head in thought.

"It's Veneficus Conventus, Ron." Hermione snapped.

"I was actually thinking the same thing. I have been having this feeling that I shouldn't worry about it so much. Almost as if the problem has already been solved but not acted upon just as yet," Harry said quietly looking into his half drunken tea.

"That brings up another point, Harry," said Hermione slowly. Her eyebrows knitted in contemplation. Harry looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "I've been thinking, of course this is only a theory. You might have some sort of inner eye, Harry." Ron snorted at this but continued to drink his tea when Hermione glared at him to shut up.

"Inner eye? I thought you said that was just rubbish," said Harry finishing off his tea to hide the grin that was forming on his face.

"Maybe I used the wrong word. How about an empathic ability? For instance, this might have been why you were able to see Sirius and Buckbeak flying away in third year or how you were able to communicate with Sirius while he was behind the veil," she replied remembering how happy Harry was when he discovered that Sirius was not dead but in fact alive.

Sirius had just come back from a mission for Dumbledore a couple of days before he fell threw the veil. His mission was to find an artifact of Merlin's that would grant the holder with a second chance of at life, hoping to give it to Harry for the final battle. When Sirius fell through the veil, he became stuck for a year in a black moat of human screams and sounds that were not oh-so human.

Harry had dreamed of this and when he had awoken, all he could think of was Sirius. He had to find him. He had to get him out of such a horrible place.

When Sirius came back to the land of the living, he told them he followed Harry's voice back threw the veil again. It was quite amazing. No one could believe such a story. Everyone thought that insanity had finally crept into the mind of their dear friend.

Hermione's thoughts were interrupted as their food was served. Harry sat silently, ignoring the food placed in front of him, thinking about what Hermione just said.

"Ouch," Ron yelped, clutching his now red hand to his chest. "Hermione! Why did you do that for?"

"You have already eaten, Ron. Harry has hardly had anything all day!" Hermione lectured while pointing her fork towards Ron. Harry watched bemused as Ron had the audacity to look innocent.

"It's alright, Hermione. If Ron wants my vegetables, he can have them," Harry said smirking mischievously at Ron.