Family Affairs

Chapter 8: March and April

Ginny and her friends continued to train with a vicious determination, protected for the moment inside Hogwarts walls while the wizarding world outside them began to crack and crumble.

Muggleborns were being forced to register themselves with the Ministry-many more families had suddenly begun to lose family members. Werewolves, Vampires and other 'Dark Creatures" were being essentially hunted down and slaughtered-though the newspapers were claiming the Dark creatures were beginning to attack and the Ministry was taking a pre-emptive strike. Half-breeds, too, were being targeted.

Hagrid, though safe under the protection of Hogwarts, continued to leave the castle, more to prove a point than anything else, and had been attacked numerous times in secluded places. Remus and Tonks had gratefully retired to Grimmauld, with McGonagall as Secret Keeper, to keep him away from danger and Theodore Remus Lupin was born March 13.

But the most important affair to Ginny of March did not begin until March 31st, ending ironically, on the 1st of April. Her son had decided to join the world.

XoXoXoXo

Andy and Harry sat side by side on the doorstep to Andy's cottage. Inside was the low murmur of voices, but the pair were much quieter, taking in the information they'd just provided each other.

"So Sirius was a Light wizard too," Andy murmured finally, voice soft as he gazed out into the darkened night.

"He never…If he'd have known about you, Andy," Harry whispered hoarsely back, "If he'd have known, he wouldn't have stopped until you were free."

"S'alright- I managed. Not like Sirius put me in there."

"No…but I guess we're family then, eh?"

"Yeah," Andy grinned, a light of mischief in his eyes, "Technically this makes you my god nephew-that means I get to tell you what to do!"

"Hah! Andy there has only been one person in the world who's ever been able to tell me what to do and he's…moved on to the next great adventure."

"Dumbledore?"

"Yea…"

"You know it killed Severus, what he had to do?" Andy looked sideways at his companion, "He loved Dumbledore too, would have died to save him."

"But Dumbledore was already dieing…" Harry murmured softly, vacantly staring away form the other teen, "I knew something was wrong-knew it but was too consumed with myself to notice, really. I wonder…Why he didn't tell me?"

"Because you are a child, Potter, and he hoped to save you from as much as he could." Snape's silky voice preceded him as he stepped up onto the porch, emerging silently from the shadows, "The doddering old fool."

"He always tried to do what was best for everyone else."

"What he did was best-not for our feelings or our hearts. But for Draco, who won't die from His hand now, and for me, so that I can help as many as I can under His nose and for you, so you can defeat Him."

"Voldemort, Snape," Harry looked up at the Potions Master, "Better yet, Riddle. When I kill the son of a bitch, everyone is going to call him Tom fucking Riddle."
XoXoXoXo

Tessa and Dudley rented a room at the Leaky Cauldron and spent their days in Diagon Alley, learning as much as they could. Tessa, who had spent much of her life raised in the shadows of the wizarding world, was appalled at the state it had become.

She'd known that Harry was off fighting, and that Dumbledore was dead, but the despairing state the Ministry had become was appalling. Muggleborns were being treated in a way that brought forth vicious thoughts of the Muggle Holocaust so many years ago, people were being slaughtered for conditions they couldn't control and half breeds were being attacked in the street. Muggleborns had taken to running away, travelling in small groups outside cities and major towns. Several men had started a radio program, "Potter Watch", that was difficult to access but that held quite a bit of useful information the Ministry and Malfoy hoped to conceal.

Tessa sighed, shaking the thoughts from her head as she sat at the bar in the Cauldron. She sipped idly at her butter beer as she waited for her cousin, her eyes travelling the room idly. A jingle from the doorway alerted her to a new presence and she leaned herself back to casually peer at the door.

A man entered, so tall he had to stoop to make it through the doorway. He had a mess of black hair with a matching moustache and beard. He was almost as wide as he was tall, but broad, not fat. He towered, with both height and strength.

"Tom!" the big man called out genially as he clomped to the bar, dropping into the chair beside Tessa with enough force to rattle her own stool. "How are yeh mate?"

"Good, Hagrid, good," Grinning, the bar tender passed the man a mug of…something strong, lowering his voice just a touch as he asked, "How's everything at the school?"

Hagrid leaned forward, not even touching the mug at his hands as he murmured, "Th''re determin', Tom, 'll give 'em tha'. Little ones have bin trainin' somthin' fierce. Don't know wha' good it's gonna do 'em when he comes, but th're gunna try!"

Tessa's attention was caught and she tried to keep her curiosity from her face as she leaned imperceptibly closer. Surely they couldn't be discussing Hogwarts...But what other school would they be talking about in such a conspiring manner?

"I heard the Ministry came-tried to make the Muggleborn students register like they've been doing to the adults."

"Tried's the word, Tom," Hagrid grinned, looking both vicious and triumphant all at once, "McGonagall kicked 'em out on th'r arses!"

Tom grinned at Hagrid's guffaw, before, lowering his voice even lower, he asked, "And Harry, Hagrid? Has there been any word?"

"Not a one." The big man looked up sharply at Tessa's gasp of shock but already she was looking at hag, pretending to be totally engrossed in the creatures ugly features, "Bu' mebbe we shouldn' talk 'ere Tom. Meet me next Thursday, at th' Broomsticks. We'll talk more th're."

With one last, suspicious look at the young teen, Hagrid stood from his stool. Shaking Tom's hand goodbye, he drank the drink in one quick gulp before striding away to the brick hall.

Tessa's hands tightened around her butter beer with both excitement and fear as she willed her cousin to hurry up-they had so much more to discuss now!
XoXoXoXo

Harry waved the others back firmly, taking the lead as the tunnel narrowed. Hermione hissed a mumbled curse at his back but fell behind him obediently. Severus, glaring, did the same but the other three young men did as they were told without comment. Even Harry, the shortest of the group, had to stoop to keep from grazing his head off the stone wall of the dank cave.

Voldemort, it seemed, had a thing for dank caves and they were hear now to destroy another Horcrux. Helga Hufflepuff had had a golden goblet that had been passed through her family and somehow fallen into the hands of Tom Riddle. After the ritual he'd hidden it here, in a cave close to his father's home, where he'd spent time laying low with Severus once.

Already, they'd had to manipulate several layers of wards to gain entrance. Stupidly, however, the Horcruxes were all guarded by the same set of wards and Hermione had become quite adept at severing a neat hole in them without Voldemort's notice. They'd almost had their heads severed by a curse, though Severus' quick reflexes had conjured them a shield that deflected it just in time and Harry, with years of Seeker as practice, had caught a grenade like item before it had landed in their midst, hurling it behind them and out the entrance of the cave just before it exploded. Now, however, they could see the goblet ahead of them, placed in a clear space ahead that widened out, with enough room for them all to stand comfortably. It was placed simply on a small stone pedestal.

"No way it's that easy," Ron voiced softly, eyes searching the dimly lit cave for the horrors they all expected.

"Really, Weasley? What an astute observation!" Severus snarled nastily, glaring angrily at the redhead.

"Shut it, you greasy git, before I-"

"Both of you shut up before I hex you," Harry cut in absently as with a hand motion, he forced them to stop abruptly. "Don't move," he commanded firmly, "Cover me."

Ignoring Hermione's murmured protest, Harry started forward into the open space slowly, testing the stone floor carefully. Ron started after him but Harry shot a body bind back in warning, narrowly missing the other teen, and the others reluctantly acquiesced. Slowly, Harry made it to the pedestal, and he paused hesitantly before touching the goblet.

"Oh, Harry, be careful," Hermione whispered, more to herself than him, reaching behind her to clutch Ron's hand in a death grip, though her hand was held steady on Harry, the "Protego" already on the tip of her tongue.

Ignoring his sister, Harry reached his hand out once more, his fingers wrapping firmly onto the stem. He waited, breath caught, but nothing happened. Grinning in triumph, he lifted the goblet, turning to his friends…

And fell to the floor in a convulsing heap.

Screams ripped the air as electricity seemed to surge through Harry's body and he writhed in agony. The cup seemed glued to his hand as his back arched, his head smacking back harshly against the ground. A hand gripped his, trying to pull the goblet from his white fingered grip, but he refused to let go. Voldemort could not have this!

With the goblet still clenched in Harry's hands, it began to smoke and the smell of burnt flesh exuded. Harry's screams were soon joined by another set of agonized howls and, by the end, a black smoke had been ripped free from the goblet and fled, still howling. The goblet melted and burned, but didn't seem to melt into Harry's hand, instead into itself, only burning the flesh of his palm.

The attack only lasted 5 minutes, but it felt like an eternity to them all. Vainly, the others attempted to pull the goblet from Harry's hand, but he wouldn't and couldn't let go. His agonized screams ripped the still air, interrupted only by their harsh curses and Hermione's angry sobs. When it finally stopped, Harry lay on the dirty stone floor, eyes closed, breath coming in loud gasps of pain. Hermione, tears still wet on her face, stood beside Snape as they ran diagnostic spells over his battered body. Ron, Andy and Cerce stood uncertainly over his body, not wanting to touch him and hurt him, but wanting to touch him and reassure themselves he wouldn't die.

Finally, though, Harry slowly opened his eyes, croaking weakly, "Anybody catch the number on that lorry?"

Hermione's moan of relief blocked out Ron's "What's a lorry?" and Andy was the first to kneel beside the Boy-Who-Lived. Carefully, Andy helped his friend to his feet, Ron quick to slip beneath Harry's other arm as they supported him. Gently, Hermione worked the goblet free of Harry's hand, hissing in shared pain as she revealed his blackened palm.

"Oh, Harry…"

"Needed another scar, Potter?"

"Didn't have enough yet," Harry quipped hoarsely back, sagging gratefully against his friends, "Thought I'd add another one."

"How bad is it?" Andy attempted to peer past Harry's head to see, but only succeeding in stumbling and almost losing his grip on the other teen.

"Scarred for the rest of his life," Snape said curtly, taking the injured hand in his in a surprisingly gentle grip, "Let's get out of here before someone comes. Maybe I can find you something for the pain, Potter, if you hurry."

"Always the saviour, eh Snape?" Harry grinned weakly, but allowed himself to be led from the cave and into the fresh sunshine, the freed goblet secure in Hermione's cloak pocket.

He was in too much pain from the after effects of the attack to pay any real attention to the striking pain in his abdomen.
XoXoXoXo

Ginny's screams filled the hospital wing, making the other students grimace in sympathy pain. She had been in labour for almost 12 hours and, finally, it seemed the end was nearing.

"I'll never go near a boy again. Ever!" Ginny promised her mother fiercely as she squeezed the older woman's hand in a death grip, "Just make it stop!"

"It'll be hard not to go near a boy when you have a son," Molly pointed out with a small smile, remembering how she'd uttered those exact words with Bill.

"You can have him!" the young teen moaned in pain as another contraction hit, "Why won't he get out!?"

"Babies come when they're ready, darling, and no sooner," Molly soothed, smoothing back her only daughter's sweaty bangs, "Boys especially like to dawdle. You're brothers were never less than 6 hours of labour-you were out into the world in ½ an hour!"

"Why couldn't I have a girl then?" Ginny whined, "Why in Merlin do I have to suffer?"

"Men can't handle it," Poppy replied promptly before, grinning, she declared, "I think he's ready. On the next contraction, Ginny, I need you to push."

Ginny moaned but obeyed, pushing hard when the next painful contraction hit her. In the next half an hour, with another half dozen pushes, Bowen Arthur Weasley entered the world.

Ginny cried when he was placed in her arms, all her earlier curses and promises forgotten. He was swathed in a fuzzy blue blanket with the Hogwarts crest stamped on it. He was wrinkly and pink. He already had a swath of messy black hair and his eyes, though the normal blue of newborns, already had a small ring of brown around the iris. He had ten tiny little toes and ten tiny little fingers. And, when he opened his mouth to wail for milk, they deduced he had the lungs of a Weasley.

Ginny nuzzled him close as she finished feeding him, a grin lighting her face as the room suddenly filled with her friends and family. Laughing, she allowed her boy to be passed around, her eyes filled with joy as she pushed thoughts of Harry from her heart for just this moment.

And when her hand tingled with pain, she simply took a shot of pain potion, remembering the strength with which she'd gripped her mother's hand earlier. She forgot she'd used the other hand to grip her mother's.
XoXoXoXo

A/N I know, I know, you all hate me. I hate me too somedays, so just go right ahead :D. I tried to get this up sooner, but I've been picking up more shifts at work while I can-Have you seen college tuition these days? You need to be an assassin to have the money! Anyway, I thought this would be nice for all you others who attend school and have to return tomorrow :S Blech! I'd rather spend the day sitting around writing, but what can you do, right? Ahh…well…

Anyway, aren't you excited about Bo? I'm so happy I got to finally bring him into the world! Actually, I'm really excited to figure out a way for Harry to find out Bo is his…any ideas:D And for those of you who even know my writing, you must have been expecting Snape to get along with Harry-he always does :D I love Snape, he's such a sick character to play with. Anyway, I better go, you just read the chapter, you don't really need a recap, but reviews are MANDATORY!...please:D

'My love,

Red