Note: I know that the last chapter was almost pure angst, but this one will introduce a much more positive resolution. Just wait and see what.
(As you all know, there's a part where Hermione gets hurt during the fight at the Department of Mysteries. I'll resume the story there.)
Hermione dropped to the ground.
The color almost completely drained from Harry's face. He shouted "Hermione, NOOOOOOO!"
He turned toward Dolohov, feeling more rage than ever before. He felt the insatiable desire to put the bastard in as much pain as possible. Harry raised his wand and shouted "Crucio!"
Dolohov dropped to the ground and writhed in agony. Harry only wished that Hermione had not used the Silencing Charm on him. He would have loved to hear him scream right about then. After about thirty seconds, Harry lowered his wand and placed it in his robes. Then he jumped next to Dolohov, turned him over, and raised his fist in the air.
Harry delivered a number of fierce blows onto Dolohov's face, savoring each one as it was in turn delivered. Within a minute, Dolohov was unconscious, but Harry didn't stop punching him. He didn't relent until Neville had to forcefully pull him off.
Neville stuttered through his nosebleed "Cam down; 'e's out cold, Harry. 'Ere, let's chec on Hermione."
The two of them went over to Hermione. Neville took her wrist and felt around for her pulse. He had found it and let Harry know. Harry pressed his ear against Hermione's abdomen and could make out her heartbeat. He felt the need to recall how much time had passed since that night he and Hermione had slept together. He quickly did the math in his head, and found that Hermione was five weeks pregnant. He had referenced the fact that the heart of a fetus starts beating at around the third week of development.
Harry moved his ear slightly downward in relation to Hermione's abdomen and listened for another heartbeat. Finally, he heard one. It was very faint and weak, but it was still a second heartbeat.
Harry felt a lot more reassured by this fact.
(Now I'm skipping to the part where Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Moody, and Kingsley rescue the group of six. I'm resuming just before the infamous scene at the veil.)
Harry fought alongside Sirius near an archway. Sirius ducked a beam of red light Bellatrix had sent his way.
"Come on, you can do better than that!" he laughed at her mockingly.
A second jet of light sailed toward Sirius. Harry noticed it and shouted "Sirius, look out" while simultaneously jumping towards Sirius. He pushed him out of the way just in time. Bellatrix looked around and saw that she was outnumbered. So she turned and ran. Harry followed her, determined not to let her get away.
(Now I'll move to after the battle in the Hospital Wing. On a side note, Harry handled his meeting with Dumbledore a lot better this time than he did in the book.)
Harry looked down at Hermione as Madame Pomfrey examined her.
"Is the baby alright?" he asked with a high note of concern in his voice. Madame Pomfrey did not answer him right away.
After a few more minutes of examining Hermione, Madame Pomfrey looked up at Harry with a grin on her face. She told him "It would appear that the Protection Charm I gave Miss Granger for the fetus yesterday morning was more potent than I had intended it to be. The fetus has had no damage to it whatsoever."
Harry maneuvered himself around the bed and hugged Madame Pomfrey with all his might. He embraced her so firmly that had he hugged her any tighter, Madame Pomfrey would have had to report herself to the Hospital Wing.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you," he repeated over and over again, expressing his gratitude. Madame Pomfrey gently patted him on the back and said "It's my pleasure, Harry. Now, would you kindly let me go? I would like to breathe, if it's alright with you."
"Oh, sorry." Harry quickly withdrew his hands from around Madame Pomfrey. Hermione snickered at the rapidity of his movements.
Harry looked over at Sirius. He was sitting next to Ron's bed and grinned in his general direction.
"So, Sirius, how does it feel to be a free man now?" Harry asked brightly.
"Eh, I kind of liked being an outlaw." said Sirius. Harry could tell his godfather was joking. "It gave me a thrill of adventure that I never experienced before."
"Yeah, but adventure wouldn't prove your innocence." Neville pointed out.
"I hear that Fudge is facing an Inquiry." said Hermione. "He's scheduled to be sacked any day now. At his resignation speech, he'll be issuing you a formal apology, Sirius."
"Normally, I wouldn't want to accept anything from that idiot, even an apology." Sirius stated tensely. "But I'll accept it just so I can enjoy the expression on his face when he gives it."
Everybody laughed at Sirius' joke. When the laughter subsided, Sirius looked at Harry and told him "So, it looks like you're just as rebellious as your father, Harry, if not more so."
"What do you mean?" inquired his godson.
Sirius gestured toward Hermione with a huge smirk on his face. Harry quickly caught on.
"Have you thought up a name yet?" asked Sirius.
"We have not." Hermione answered quickly. "Do you have any suggestions?"
"Well, if it's a girl, I would recommend that you use something stylish, like Esmeralda." Sirius suggested.
"What kind of name is that?" asked Ron.
"It's from a Muggle book of French origin." Sirius explained. "One of my personal favorites: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo."
"Esmeralda is a sixteen year-old gypsy who dances in the streets of Paris." Harry joined in the explanation. "The plot of the novel focuses mainly around her and the title character, Quasimodo."
"What happens?" asked Ron.
"It's better if you just read it, Ron." said Sirius.
"Esmeralda…" said Hermione, "I like it. We can put it at the top of the list."
"And if it's a boy?" said Harry.
"Maybe you could name him after Dumbledore." said Sirius.
"'Albus Potter.'" said Hermione. "That sounds appealing."
Harry agreed with Sirius' suggestion. But they decided not to stick with those names right away. However, they would go right at the top of the list.
Soon afterwards, Harry brought up another matter.
"Did you hear about Umbridge?" said Harry.
"No, what about her?" asked Ginny.
"She's dead." Harry answered happily. "The centaurs brought her body back this morning. Apparently they kicked her to death."
"Is the Ministry pressing charges?" asked Luna.
"No, they're too busy in their own affairs." said Harry.
"I'll be sure to throw a party just before term ends." Ron commented.
"Ronald!" said Hermione.
"Oh, come on, Hermione," said Ron, "Surely you're glad that that hag is permanently out of lives now."
Hermione remembered the previous night when Umbridge had threatened to harm her unborn child. She suddenly felt a notion which was rather uncharacteristic to her. She looked over at Ron and said "Well, I suppose I could help you send out the invitations."
Everybody laughed again, even Madame Pomfrey. She freely admitted that she was most displeased with Umbridge's presence at Hogwarts. Most of the injuries reported that year had involved Umbridge either directly or indirectly.
(Now here's the first time the six of them enter the Great Hall after the incident at the Ministry)
When the six friends entered the Great Hall, they were met with thunderous applause. Luna went over to the Ravenclaw table and sat down with a group of peers.
The rest of the group sat down at the Gryffindor table with several of their friends. Seamus and Dean sat close by Harry and Hermione. Seamus asked "Are congratulations in order?"
Both of them were confused. "What do you mean, Seamus?"
Seamus made a gesture towards Hermione's abdomen. She and Harry were too stunned to speak. Finally, Harry asked "How did you know?"
"Peeves." answered Dean. "He must have eavesdropped on a private conversation you were having. Everyone knows now."
"If he was a living person, I would kill him." said Harry angrily.
"Relax, Harry." said Seamus. "No one in Gryffindor is going to judge you or Hermione. I'm sure the same thing will go for Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. And who cares what Slytherin thinks?"
Harry decided that Seamus was right. Besides, with so many things going his way now, he felt that nothing could spoil his good mood for the first time that year.