Announcing Happiness
The Double Blessing
By Luna Lovegood
All of us raised in the wizarding world and many of us who entered this world when they were eleven and were told by friends why certain dates were magically especially important will know what the meaning of Beltane is. For the younger readers let me summarize the meaning of Beltane. In the old religion, which more than three quarters of our people belongs to, there are a few dates that hold more magical power than others. Imbolc, Beltane, Lugnasadh and Samhain are the first ones to think of. Beltane is the day where we celebrate the awakening earth and unite in love to bless the harvest for the new year. Each year one young man and woman are chosen to participate in the Beltane ceremony as the goddess and the horned warrior. Each celebration has its own pair of main characters. The goddess and the horned warrior unite their bodies in a ceremony of pure emotions and the magic that is released by this act is directly transferred into the earth by a runic circle in which this ceremony takes place apart from prying eyes. Only the chosen goddess and the warrior can enter or see the circle, such is the powerful magic active on Beltane.
Now the greatest blessing that a couple can receive from the goddess is that a union at Beltane is crowned by the conception of a child. A so-called Beltane Child, not limited to the chosen couple but all those that decided to celebrate their love at that date as well, is seen as a gift to the family and the parents of said child can be assured that any later born children will be strong and healthy. The Beltane child itself will always be in tune with its magic and therefore capable of magical deeds that others struggle with. Our society will always look fondly at a child born thanks to that union.
A prominent example of a family who was blessed with a Beltane child in the past is the Weasley family. Molly Weasley confirmed for the Quibbler that her first-born son William was a Beltane child and her six following children all proved to be good at magic which shows in their chosen professions or their results at school.
This morning of 30th January 1999 Harry James Potter, known by some as the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One or more recently the Man-Who-Conquered, though Harry himself hates every single one of his titles, and Daphne Jasmine Greengrass announced happily that they have become parents of two wonderful babies. Harry and Daphne were the chosen goddess and horned warrior at the Beltane rites last year in Cornwall and the two children conceived that night have been born after a bit over four hours of labour in which both new parents waited excitedly for the birth. After finding out about the children to be his Harry Potter who is now head of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter and the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black immediately declared that he would acknowledge the children as his and that he and Daphne Greengrass, heiress to the Ancient House of Greengrass, are currently getting to know each other better as they didn't have much interaction at their time at school due to being sorted into Gryffindor and Slytherin respectively.
Caspian Ignotus Greengrass-Potter and his minutes younger twin sister Rhapsody Isabelle Greengrass-Potter will grow up under the care of both their happy parents. This reporter got the opportunity to interview both new parents.
The Quibbler (TQ): Congratulations to the birth of your children, Harry and Daphne. How do you feel?
Harry Potter (HP): I can't imagine a greater gift than the two little wonders that Daphne gave birth to this morning. I am incredibly happy and grateful that everything with the birth went well. Healer Cobalt and her team took a lot of Daphne's and my anxiety about becoming parents away and I am now looking forward to raising my children together with Daphne.
Daphne Greengrass (DG): I am so happy that they are finally here. Even if it was a surprise that we were going to have twins instead of only one child. Thankfully we had a boy and a girl as we had chosen names for both because I didn't want to know the gender of the baby before it was born.
TQ: How did it happen that you were the horned warrior, Harry, you were a wanted man at that time?
HP: I was in disguise as I needed a break from the mission I had to do. My original plan was to only go to one of the Beltane fires to dance a bit and perhaps find somebody who was there on her own as well, but then I was roped into being replacement for the original horned warrior. I can't say that I regret this as it has given me my two greatest treasures.
TQ: Daphne, how did you find out that it was Harry who was the father?
DG: It was a coincidence. I had asked the organisers who had been the horned warrior to inform him that I was pregnant with his child but they had never asked for his name and he was gone in the morning as it is tradition of the ceremony. When I was in Diagon Alley to buy some more things for the nursery that I was setting up my bag fell down and Harry picked it up. He was there for breakfast coincidentally and we talked about my baby. I told him how I was going to have a Beltane child and how I didn't know the father. One thing led to another and we directly went to St. Mungo's because Harry needed to know if he really was the father which a test done by Healer Cobalt confirmed. After getting some advice how to behave in such a situation from a family friend who grew up with our traditions Harry decided that the best solution for everybody involved, especially the children, was that we spent more time together to see if we could be friends at least and perhaps more.
TQ: And what is the current opinion on that?
HP: We work well together and I like Daphne. I can't tell more yet because we only spent a few weeks together. We will share the raising of the children and perhaps more will come out of this, perhaps not. I can promise though that I will never turn my back on my children. I grew up without parents and I don't want that my children will go through that as well.
DG: Harry is a true gentleman and I am really impressed with how well he has taken the situation and wants to be part of our lives. He is a really nice man and I look forward to getting to know him better without any stupid preconceptions that sadly were part of our Hogwarts days.
TQ: How are your families taking the situation?
DG: My step-mother didn't like that I was pregnant and the fact that it was a child conceived in the Beltane ceremony didn't matter. If she could have done it she would have disinherited me. I haven't spoken to her and my half-sister since I was told to leave the Greengrass mansion and not to return. My cousin Eric Valoris though is very happy for me and has agreed to be godfather to Caspian.
HP: While I don't have any blood-relatives that I would want to include in my happiness, the people that over the years have come to be my surrogate family have been very supportive and are happy for me. My surrogate sister Hermione Granger had also agreed to be Caspian's godmother. We chose Daphne's best friend Tracy Davis and my friend Neville Longbottom for Rhapsody's godparents. I think my godson will be happier that he will have somebody to play with in a few years though.
TQ: Thank you for your time and the best wishes for you and your children.
HP+DG: Thank you Luna.
The new family wishes to tell all readers that they would like that any good wishes and presents for the children are directed to a post box they have set up where security checks will be performed to make sure that no harmful spells or substances threaten the recipients. They hope that everybody can understand the need for security in regards to the position Harry Potter has in our society.
The article in the Quibbler led to massive requests for that edition and Xeno again had to reprint countless times, which he was more than happy to do. Luna had already warned him that the demand would be high and he had been prepared to start immediately. The reactions ranged from happiness for the couple, awe about Beltane twins, not to mention outbreaks of cooing over the cute twins, jealousy that Daphne was now in the best position to seduce Harry to fury about the accusations against Stella Greengrass. It had been a calculated move on Daphne's side to tell exactly how her step-mother had reacted. She didn't need more than mention her probable plans to disinherit her as the Greengrass heiress, people would think their part. The mere fact that Stella had thrown Daphne out over a Beltane child was a scandal already and even former allies wouldn't take Stella's side in this. Especially not when they knew that Harry Potter was the father of the children.
Harry and Daphne meanwhile got lots of good advice from Andromeda and Molly who had taken the positions of honourable grandmothers of the children. Ron had been mad that Harry hadn't asked him to be godfather of one of the children, but Harry had coldly countered that he hadn't been sure that Ron would be able to look past the fact that his children's mother had been in Slytherin and that he hadn't even come to congratulate when the twins were born. He had been undecided if he should ask Ron or Neville until he saw that only Neville had come to congratulate him for becoming a father and seeing the children when he had sent a patronus to both of them. Bill and George had then taken over berating Ron over that and Hermione and Luna had made it clear to Ginny that if she tried anything that would hurt Harry or Daphne she would have to go up against them. Surprisingly Ginny had grudgingly accepted the situation easier.
Luna and Hermione could be scary when they wanted to and had clearly pointed out that it was her own fault and only hers that Harry was even considering being together with Daphne for the children. Not to mention all others that Ginny had tried to sway to her side. Ginny had been the one that tried to make him do things he hated. She had tried to use his fame to get to parties, tried to show him around like a prize she had won. Harry hated his fame and was an incredibly private person. The announcement of the birth of his children and the circumstances behind it was only to avoid people telling lies about him and Daphne which would in turn harm the children. On top of her stupid demands to him to take her to parties he didn't want to go to, she just had to pressure him during the time he was studying for his NEWTs, attempting to catch up over a year's worth of material which he hadn't been able to learn normally thanks to being forced to be on the run.
If she had really loved him she would have been supportive and let Harry get the NEWTs done before trying to get their relationship moved forward. Now she had lost him forever. Ginny had tried to deny it but Luna's words had been clear and true.
"You were the only one he wanted after the battle. He fought thinking that he could build up a life together with you but you had to throw it away over a stupid bout of greed. You're no better than Ronald." Luna had said and that was it.
Ginny now tried to find another boyfriend, but many had heard how she had treated Harry and were weary. Not to mention that nobody wanted to be a replacement boyfriend and be compared to Harry Potter.
A short chapter but I thought it would work out best this way. Till next week.
