Before he could have hoped it was getting close to dinner. Five o'clock. Too close for his likings. He couldn't do it, but he had to. Harry kept telling himself that he had to do it, he owed everyone the truth.
"Who's at the door?" shouted Mrs. Weasley from the kitchen.
"I think it may be Hagrid. I'll go check mum." Ron was trying to keep a cool head about this all day. If Hagrid was coming over now, that meant that he, Hermione, Harry and Ginny all had important news for everyone.
"'Ello Ron. 'Ow are ya?" This didn't improve his thoughts.
"Hello Hagrid. I'm fine, you?"
"Couldn't be better."
"You want me to take your coat Hagrid? Everyone else is in the kitchen talking."
"Oh, naw I'm fine thanks. I'll 'ust make me way ter the kitchen then." With that Hagrid strode off toward the now roaring kitchen. Shortly after the door bell rang again. This time Harry answered it.
"Hello Mr. Potter, may I come in?" It was Minerva McGonagall. She had her hair in it's usual tight, high bun. Her cloaks were of hunter green, finely made. She wore rectangular spectacles, that framed her strict, yet soft face. She was a fairly tall woman, and very wise. Of course she was wise, she was the new Hogwarts Head-Mistress. As far as Harry knew, she had no family, it was only herself. He felt bad about that. Usually the professors would tell that class a bit about themselves, she never mentioned a family, as most of the others had. But strangely enough Harry had a feeling that there was something between her and Dumbledore. Something more than colleagues. He didn't dare ask though, he didn't want to be rude, or bring back that memory.
"Sure Minerva come in. How are you doing? Would you like me to take your cloak for you?" Harry always had good manners, and he didn't care to stop now, he had to set a good example as owner of the house.
"I'm quite alright, thank you. Oh please do Harry. How are you?"
Taking the cloak from her outstretched hand, Harry replied, "I'm great, thank you. Would you like to stay for dinner Minerva? Molly just started cooking, I could tell her there'll be one more."
"I'd love to Harry. I'm so sorry I came uninvited."
"Don't worry about it Minerva, the doors always welcome to visitors. Everyone's in the kitchen." Minerva nodded at Harry, and walked herself down in the direction if the vast noise. Harry took her cloak and hung in up in the front closet, by the door. Great he thought, one more person to tell. Then it hit him, did she already know? Minerva was very smart, she could sense when he did something wrong. Could she possibly know this now? Or had she just wanted to visit? Another thing that hit him, he would have to tell her and Hagrid anyway, why not in the comfort of his own home? So many unanswered questions hit him, he felt he had to doge them like he did back when Dudley would chase him at muggle school. He couldn't ask the questions without being questioned himself. He realized that he was being very paranoid about this. So eventually he walked himself into the kitchen. Just in time he thought, Molly has finished cooking, dinner would be over soon.
"There you are Harry. Come sit down, dinners ready." Ginny through herself at him. Great now Minerva can see there is something going on here.
Whispering into Harry's ear, Ginny said, "I thought you left me to tell everyone. No one's seen you since McGonagall showed up."
"I wouldn't leave you alone to tell everyone the news. I was just not feeling to well that's all. Don't worry I'm fine now, you're here."
Ginny smiled brightly up at him. In the way that always made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. The way two lovers would look at each other. Which he thought, they were. Now that Ginny was pregnant they really were lovers. Soon they would have a baby, and they'd be getting married. Next thing he'll have five kids, a happy marriage and a sixth on the way. That's all he ever wanted, a huge family. Even though he told Ginny it didn't matter how many kids they'd have, he desperately wanted more than four. And somehow he knew he would. Somehow he knew she wanted more than four also, after all she's one of seven kids, and the only girl. He desperately wanted a baby girl also, he'd do anything for a girl. However he'd also love some boys, to carry on the family name, as long as they could. Either way, he told himself he would love them forever.
After everyone had finished their three course meals, talk broke out amongst them. Harry knew it was his and Ginny's cue to tell everyone now. She nodded to him and they both stood up at the table. Tapping a glass with his fork, everyone stared up at them both. Still nervous, Harry spoke, "Everyone, Ginny and I have some really important news." no one said anything, there were a few nods from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, plus his own parents. Ron and Hermione agreed to make it look as a shock to them. Noting that he should continue, he squeezed Ginny's right hand in his own. "Ginny and I are going to have a baby." he said it. That wasn't as hard as he thought, the only thing was, the silence was killing him.
Fred and George looked at each other, then Ron, clearly expecting a break-down. But instead they got. "Congratulations you two!" Definitely not what they were expecting.
Lupin looked from Harry to Lily and James, both of whom nodded. Lupin rose from his seat to address them. "Well, nothing better to say than that. Congratulations, both of you!"
Harry never felt so close to Lupin before. He now knew how he had felt when Tonks was pregnant, minus the wanting to leave her part. He was going to be a father. Sure the timing was off, but it was going to be his child, his son or daughter, maybe even twins. Soon enough everyone was congratulating them. Bill and Fleur were the last to say something. Harry wondered if it was because they've been married for a year and their not having a baby. Whereas Harry and Ginny hadn't planned this, and their not even engaged, as far as everyone else is concerned.
"Mr. Potter, we will continue this conversation at Hogwarts. We will need to figure out how we are going to handle this situation. Now if you'd please excuse me, I really must be going." Minerva stood herself up from her seat, and started to make her way to the door.
"Let me get your cloak, I'll walk you out." Harry figured that this is what she wanted all along, to talk to him privately.
"Thank You, Mr. Potter." Grabbing her cloak from Harry's hand, and waving good-bye to the others, they made their way to the door. Harry being the gentleman he is, held the door open for Minerva. Once over the threshold she felt she could speak freely.
"Mr. Potter, when Mr. Weasley contacted me about giving you two time together I didn't expect to get this news the same day the letter was sent out. I'd assume that this wasn't planned?"
"No not completely. We were talking about starting a family, just not now." He couldn't lie to her, she would figure it out too easily.
"Well, we will have to tell the other professors once at Hogwarts. You two do know that right? They all have to know in-case something were to happen. And I can honestly say we've never had a Hogwarts professor and a student expect a baby, this will surely be the first and last time of that."
"We fully understand that they will all have to know. We want them to know, just in-case. I seem to be a record breaker of a lot of things."
"Some you should be really proud of, this I'm not sure, given your position. But it is a really great thing to have happen to anyone. Congratulations."
"Thank You Minerva, it really means a lot to me, to us both." Just after saying this Harry heard a voice. Minerva must have heard it also, for she was craning her neck looking for the source of the sound. At once Harry knew it was a little child.
"Mommy? Daddy? Were are you?"
"Hey, are you lost?" Harry was trying to be polite and help the little boy, but the second he spoke the little boy withdrew from him.
"Your not my daddy."
"No, no I'm not, but I can help you find him. My name is Harry, what's yours?"
"Nick. But my mommy and daddy told me not to talk to strangers."
"I see, but I told you my name, I'm not a stranger anymore. Do you know your mommy's or your daddy's names?"
"No, I just call them mommy and daddy." The poor little boy was shivering, whether from fright or legitimately being cold Harry couldn't tell.
"Are you cold Nick?" The little boy just shook his head, 'yes'. Harry took off his coat and wrapped it around Nick.
"Here it's kinda big, but you'll stay warm." From the distance Harry could hear footsteps. He figured it was the boys parents.
"Nick! Nick, were are you?" That voice Harry thought, why was it so familiar. The deep, slow voice he had heard so many times before.
"Kinsley? Is that you?"
"Harry? What are you doing out so late?"
"Well I could ask you the same, but it looks like I've already answered that." Kinsley came closer and saw that Harry was holding his son, Nick, who was wrapped in Harry's coat. Minerva standing closely by him.
"You found him! Thank you so much Harry, he's been gone for hours."
"Well he found me, actually."
"Daddy!" Nick was holding his arms out to his father, who reached out and grabbed him. "Harry said he'd help me find you, and he did!"
"Did you thank him?"
"Ops, Thank you Harry."
"Your Welcome Nick. So why didn't you tell me you lived here too?"
"We just moved here actually. I was hoping someone we knew would find him."
"Welcome to the neighbourhood! I'm glad I came outside when I did, with Minerva."
"Yes, I'm glad also. So what brings you two out anyway?"
"Well Mr. Potter and I were discussing the upcoming year at Hogwarts, as he was seeing me safely home."
"Ah yes, I forgot you'll be working at Hogwarts. What a year it will be then. The famous Harry Potter was Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
"It definitely will be Kinsley. Well I must be going, good-night Potter, Kinsley." At that she swept from the spot with a loud crack!
"Let me walk you two home, please."
"Alright can't say no to that then. Anything new around your parts Harry?"
"Actually yes, Ginny and I are having a baby."
"Really? That's great news! How'd Arthur and Molly take it?"
"Alright after we talked to them a bit. My parents took it pretty well too."
"That's right, I forgot, they're back too. Of course they'd be happy just to know how well you've done thus far. A baby would just make it seem all the better to them."
"It definitely did. We just found out. And the whole family already knows."
"That would explain Minerva's sudden appearance then."
"Yeah I was kinda wondering how she knew before we told everyone. She just showed up before dinner, as if she expected to here about it."
"Well it is Minerva, I wouldn't put it past her to know something when others don't. Something she must have picked up from Albus, I suppose."
"Yeah I guess so. Then again even I've picked up a lot from him too."
"Yes you have Harry, and that's a good thing. Don't let anyone tell you different, not even your granddad."
"How'd you know about that?"
"Your granddad and Albus never liked each other. It goes way back to their days at Hogwarts. Your granddad was younger, and completely hated the attention Albus was getting. He was the same way when James got close to him through the years. At one point the wanted to disown James from the family name, but couldn't bring himself to do it. And after what happened, he suggested it was all Albus's fault. He was the one who told them to go into hiding and have a secret keeper. And as result they still ended up dead."
"But it wasn't anywhere near Dumbledore's fault. Snape started it, by playing back the prophecy and Pettigrew finished it off with telling Lord Voldemort their hiding place!"
"I know Harry, but that's how your granddad though of it. When he heard that you were 'Dumbledore's man through and through' that enraged him even more. He had figured you wouldn't become close to him after what happened. The opposite happened instead, you became close to him after knowing the truth."
"So that explains it. I literally had to yell at my granddad for talking bad about Dumbledore, in my house."
"All because of a childhood grudge. Sometimes things never make sense do they?"
"No they don't."
"Well here we are. And here's your coat back Harry. Thank You so much for finding him for us. We were getting really worried, that something bad had happened." Handing Harry his coat and nodding in furious thanks.
"No problem Kinsley, glad to help. Good-night."
"Good-night Harry, if I don't see you before you leave, have a good year at Hogwarts."
"Thank You." At that Harry apperated back home. Landing himself in front of the fireplace. Many of the guests had already went to sleep, or home. The only ones left in the kitchen were, Molly, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Lupin, Lily and James.
"There you are. What took you so long?" Ginny looked ashen from worry. Her face softened at his smile though.
"Helped Kinsley's son back home. Poor kid got himself lost."
"Wait, Kinsley lives here? Since when?"
"Just moved in. His son, Nick was missing for hours. He came across Minerva and I."
"That was very kind of you Harry. What would you have done, if you didn't find Kinsley?"
"I would have taken him back here for the night. He was cold and hungry."
"What if Kinsley wasn't his father Harry? You would have brought an unknown child into a house of wizards!" Hermione was now outraged with Harry's lack of thinking again.
"So, what would you do. Leave him out in the cold all night, starving?"
"Well no I wouldn't. But I wouldn't have brought him back here."
Harry could see the lines of sympathy on Hermione's face. Even though she said she wouldn't, Harry knew she would bring him back. Ginny was positively beaming up at him, from her seat, not daring to move. Ron was playing a game of wizard chess with Lupin, not wanting to get dragged into the conversation. Harry was amazed at how homey it was here now. However in two days he would be at Hogwarts again, with Lupin, Luna, and Ginny. None of his close friends from his year would be there, leaving a bit of loneliness to him. Then it hit him, hadn't Minerva said that Professor Sprout retired? He could only think of one person right for the job, Neville Longbottom! His fellow Gryffindor, and old roommate.
He said his good-nights to the remaining group in the kitchen and headed upstairs. What a day he thought? This morning he woke up, and found out he was going to be a dad. Ron asked Hermione to marry him. Kinsley's lost son found him in the dead of night. And Neville was possibly the new Herbology professor. While in the middle of his thoughts the door suddenly opened. Ginny stood in the doorway, wearing her silk pajamas. Her hair was down, floating over her shoulders. Her face, slightly pink as she stood there. Harry got up quickly and swiftly walked toward her. He picked her up from the wait and hoisted her into the air. Now her hair floated all around her. Setting her back down, he embraced her in a hug. Which she turned into a kiss. Standing in the doorway as if nothing could ruin his day, kissing his soon-to-be-wife and his soon-to-be-mother-of-his-child, all his thoughts left him.
Waking up the next morning, Harry felt a strange twinge in his stomach. Today he was handing over his title as Minister of Magic. Tomorrow he was leaving for Hogwarts, leaving Ginny. Luckily he'd see her at Hogwarts, but as a student. That would surely change things. He had other students to make sure didn't find out; he had other students. Had he rushed into this teaching thing? Had he said yes without sincerely thinking about it? Just to get Lupin a job? To help out his fathers friend? So he wouldn't be alone on those nights of a full moon? So he had someone to whom he could relate with? No, he wanted to do this for himself. Wait he thought, hadn't Riddle wanted the same thing? Hadn't he wanted to teach at Hogwarts? Yes, he did, but he hadn't succeeded. Harry did. And he really wanted it to help students, not to gain power, and followers. He sincerely wanted to pass on his knowledge to younger wizards. Hold on, some of his own students would be his age. Weird, he thought that hadn't occurred to him before now.
Would he be a good professor? Would he even enjoy teaching? Surely he would, he taught Dumbledore's Army, hadn't he. Was this really any different? It would be the same stuff, jinxes, spells, counter-jinxes, hexes everything he knew really well. Everything he had taught all his friends a few years ago, but also some more. And hadn't he enjoyed that? He had gotten a rush knowing he was helping others. He did make a difference doing it too, and isn't that what teachers did?
After eating an early breakfast, Harry and Mr. Weasley left for the Ministry, to hand over the title of Minister of Magic. Great, Harry thought, one responsibility less on his part now. He wouldn't have to answer all these strange questions at the Misuse of Magic Office, or ad-hear to anymore trials. Though he thought he was now an Order of Merlin First Class and a judge on the Wizengamot. Such things weren't usually handed to such a young wizard, but Harry's case was special. And the case load would be easier for him now than before.
Once at the Ministry, Harry was clapped on the back by several former colleagues. Most of whom where sad to see him go so soon, others acknowledging him, for his new post. "Such a old, brave wizard could not have done half the stuff Mr. Potter has done this past year." And the speeches started, firstly given by Kinsley. "Many of us have suffered these past few years, and most of us never thought we'd get out without bowing down to Lord Voldemort. However this very young, courageous man to my left changed that. He sent out to see an end to our sufferings, and to bring peace back once again. It's because of him that any of us are free to speak as we are, to do daily tasks without being afraid. Many before him would not have been able to do it. Many have tried, and failed. We remember them also, as ones who risked their lives to change ours. I know for sure that Lily and James Potter would be extremely proud of their son, and all he's gone through. If you please, raise your glasses to a toast." Everyone did as Kinsley said, and raised their glasses. "To Professor Harry Potter, and a good year that follows. May we always remember his courageousness, bravery, and unforgivable strength!" Everyone raised their glasses, nodded their heads and drank. Some sobbed, others cheered, and the next speaker stepped up to the podium.
"Thank You Kinsley, for those profound words. I'd like to say on behalf of everyone here, and those who are not, this has been the best year in Wizarding history. We always feared some evil, powerful wizard would rise, and it happened. We thought we had gotten rid of him, indeed we had not. Then this year, we did, well I should say Mr. Potter did. However as he himself would say, he had to, it was foretold before any of this." Mr. Weasley started to tear during his speech. Harry was truly glad Ginny, Hermione and everyone else stayed home for this. "I personally am glad to have gotten to know Mr. Potter over the years. My son being his best mate, my wife his mother. He always went around seeing the best in everything and everyone. Doing his best to keep those around him safe and unharmed. My whole family, including myself are forever in his dept, for he has truly saved us all, on more than one occasion. We will never forget him, nor will the future generations of our world. Our children's children will know his name. If you please," Mr. Weasley raising his own glass, taking a long drought from it, and leaving the podium.
