AN: We are getting close! I hope everyone is enjoying my posts! Let me know in the reviews!

Chapter 41: Life Altering Choices

Harry woke up the next day tired but determined. He was going to do something brave and reckless. Basically, he was going to do things normally. Harry snuck out of bed, the sun having already risen, and crept downstairs after dressing himself.

"Kreacher." Harry said and Kreacher appeared, bowing. "I was wondering if you could turn Charlie's old room into a nursery?"

Kreacher's mouth dropped.

"Is Master Potter saying..."

"Kreacher, there is a strong possibility that there will be a baby in this house in the next week, if I can manage it. I give you control over enough money to buy the best baby materials we would need. Use the other House Elves if you want, since you are Head HouseElf." Harry said and Kreacher bowed, a smile playing on his lips.

Harry was going to leave but before he did, he heard a small hissing voice.

"Where have you been?" Hadi said as he slithered up Harry's leg and perched himself on Harry's right shoulder.

"Sorry about leaving you. Had to deal with some Drakes and what not." Harry hissed back.

"Well that is fine then. Where are you going now?" Hadi asked.

"I am going to go to Diagon Alley. I am looking for something specific. Do you wish to come?"

"I am sure I can manage." and Hadi turned invisible.

'Right, now to something I thought would never happen.' Harry thought as he apparated to Diagon Alley, quickly ducking into the shop he was looking for before anyone stopped him.

"Where are we?" Hadi hissed.

"Jewelry store." Harry whispered hissed backed.

Harry looked around and saw that the store had not changed since he had last been there. Harry went immediately to the section he was looking for and began his search for what he needed. It had to be perfect and nothing was going to stop him from finding it.

An hour later, Harry left the shop, bag in hand.

"He will like it." Hadi hissed in his ear.

"I know. It is perfect." Harry said, very proud of his accomplished. "Now to see the Minister."

Harry apparated back to the house and hid his bag in his trunk. As he was leaving his room, Charlie stepped out of the shower.

"Where did you go?" Charlie asked as he toweled his hair.

"Oh just checked some finances at Gringotts, to make sure that Kreacher had enough money."

"Enough money to do what?" Charlie asked.

"Well... you know that baby right?" Harry asked, gulping loudly. This was the first major hurdle they had to get passed.

"Yeah of course. I take it that you want to adopt but don't know how I will take it, sharing a house with you and a baby." Charlie said and Harry's mouth dropped. "After living with you for so many years, I know you pretty well, Harry Potter, and I would question you if you did not want that baby. You and Teddy get along so well and I am sure you would make a great dad." Charlie said with a smile. "Of course, this means you can't do Quidditch."

Harry sighed, more relieved than anything.

"Yeah I know. Thing is, I do not want to stay home and raise him. I think, if I can get him, I am going to take up a job at Hogwarts. Minerva would surely want me to teach DADA. First thing first, I have to go see the Minister." Harry's voice died here. It took him a moment to speak again "You... don't mind me adopting him? I mean... you would be here taking care of him too."

"We share everything Harry. I think we would make great parents." Charlie said, getting close to Harry and kissing him deeply.

Harry returned the kiss and they almost ended in bed. However, Harry pulled back, panting heavily.

"I got to go see the Minister. Otherwise, I would love to come to bed."

Harry let Hadi down his arm and then used the floo to get to the Minister's office. He was there, as always, working hard on paperwork.

"Harry! I wanted to let you know that the baby from Germany is safe and sound in your orphanage. I talked to the German Prime Minister and they agreed. The baby's parents were Mr and Mrs Herrmann. Apparently their last name meant warrior and the mother was an auror. The Minister said it was a devastating loss to the department. She was an extremely gifted duelist."

"Minister, I wanted to make a request."

"What is it?"

"I want to adopt the baby. He needs a loving home and a name. That woman told me to take care of him and I want to." Harry said, feeling courageous but nervous.

"Sense the baby has been moved to the orphanage, why don't you visit and adopt him from your own organization?"

Harry blinked. He was so used to getting permission from others that he had completly spaced this.

"Oh... well that is what I will do. Tell the German Minister that the little boy is going to be safe. Also... did the boy have a name?"

"No he does not. The family was waiting. Give him a good one." Kingsley said with a smile.

His trip to see the Minister was only part of his mission at the Ministry.

"Do you know if Mr Weasley is in his office?"

"He is just down the hall to the right."

Harry strode to the office and found that the door leading to Mr Weasley's office clearly said "Arthur Weasley- Head of the Department of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts" Harry knocked and was told to come in.

"Mr Weasley." Harr ysaid as he looked around.

Mr. Weasley's office was stren with muggle artifacts doing odd things. Spark plugs occasionally hiccuped fire, a toaster was growling in a corner, and a bag of marshmallows was, one by one, coming to life and throwing themselves in the roaring fire.

"Harry! What brings you here?" Mr Weasley asked in astonishment.

"Well, I came to tell you two things... Rather, one fact and one questions." Harry said, starting to get nervous.

"Well go on then." Mr Weasley said with a smile.

"Well First off, I am here to say that I am adopting a baby that I saved in Germany."

"Are you sure Harry? I know you play Quidditch and the team is tough to stay on." Mr Weasley said.

"I am positive. I have been helping raise Teddy." Harry said, too nervous to get angry. "And the question I am wondering is... Iwouldliketomarryyourson."

"Excuse me?" Mr Weasley said, slightly worried about Harry's sudden speech problem.

"I.. I want to know... Bollocks what I am asking is... do you mind if I marry Charlie?" Harry said, his eyes looking everywhere but Mr Weasley's face.

"Ah, so you are actually asking me? I thought you two would run off. I suppose you should be calling me dad or at least Arthur from now own, that is if he says yes." Arthur said with a smile and it took a few seconds before he realized what he had said. Harry ran over to Mr Weasley and hugged him deeply.

"Thank you so much Mr Weasley! I have been ring shopping and I found the perfect thing. Now if you excuse me, I must be off to the Orphanage. See you later Mr W... Arthur." Harry said with a smile. Arthur waved him off.

Harry used the floo to go to his Orphanage. The multistory Orphanage was very busy, but Harry went directly to the nursery section of the hospital and he was met by a healer.

"Mr. Potter! What are you doing here?" Macy said, her name coming into view on her chest. She was a little taller than Harry and she carried a little girth. Her black hair was pulled up in a tight bun and her light green Healer robes swirled around her.

"A baby came in here not too long ago from Germany? Where is the baby?"

"Oh the little hon with the mark on his cheek? Over here. He is a kicking little thing. Confused more than likely and that scar won't ever go away." Macy said as she lead Harry to a viewing glass.

Harry gazed into the room to see plenty of babies but Harry's eyes quickly found the baby he was looking for. The mark was still there but looked less was almost dead center of his left cheek.

"I want to adopt him." Harry said and Macy seemed stunned.

"You.. what?" she spluttered. "I mean... you are so young and I know you are a celebrity but... really?"

Harry's anger rose to the surface.

"For your information, I have been raising my godson since he was a baby. I also have a magnificent partner who will help raise him. I easily have enough money to buy an army of house elfs if I so desired, but that baby in there will be adopted by me, today, and will help carry on the Potter line. Do you have a problem with that?" Harry said, his voice straining to keep quiet.

"Right you are. I am so sorry. Of course. Here, all you need to do is sign your name and tap the parchment with your wand and he will be yours. Your account will be charged in a few minutes. Expect someone checking in on the baby every couple of weeks for the first 6 months. If the baby is deemed to be not doing well, we can take him back." Macy said in a trained voice and Harry quickly signed the parchment and tapped it with his wand. The parchment glowed and under the name section of the parchment, the last name section changed to Potter. "Now I think you need to hold your new son."

She waved for another healer to carry out the baby and Harry once again was holding that little one that fate had deemed to save. It hit Harry as he gazed into those brown eyes ,that this baby was now his. A million pictures flashed through his mind, about teaching him magic, about teaching him to ride a broom, Charlie teaching him about dragons, sending him to Hogwarts, watching him graduate. This was all in store and Harry was going to give him the best life he could.

Harry found himself home before he knew where his feet were taking him. As Harry stepped out of the fire, Harry was met by Charlie and Kreacher, both looking anxious.

"Welcome home baby Potter." Charlie said, stroking the cheek of the new baby.

"Kreacher, is the room ready?"

"Room is ready master. Master Weasley helped." Kreacher said as he led them to a room just down the hall from the master bedroom where Harry and Charlie were sleeping.

Harry entered the room and had to laugh. The crib was dead center of the room and on each wall, was a small painting of a dragons were not drawn to be fierce looking , but cute and looked more like the serpents down in the windowsill, a few plants stood in flower plots. There was a small toy box full of toys, and there was even a changing station built into the room. The overall color scheme of the room was a deep forest green and Harry could not deny that Charlie had helped a lot.

"It is perfect." Harry said, laying little baby Potter down in the crib, where he was looking around, getting used to the surroundings. "You both did really well."

Harry reached over to where a small plush teddy laid and gave it to his son. He looked at it and proceeded to grab it experimentally.

"So cute." Charlie said "Any idea what you are going to name him?"

"No clue..." Harry said, his mouth going dry "Of course, his last name may need changed first."

"Oh?" Charlie said "You mean he still has his biological parent's name?"

"I mean... well... come to the room in a minute ok?"

"Harry ran to their room and quickly found his bag. He took the box out of the bag and turned just as Charlie followed him, looking perplexed.

"What is..."

""Charlie Weasley, I love you. Ever since we started travelling together, I have got to know you so well and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You complete me and I could not imagine my life without you. Will you marry me Charles Weasley?" and Harry got down on one knee and opened the box.

In the box were two golden rings. Each ring was styled like a miniature dragon. The only difference was that for each pair of eyes, the color of gem was different; one had emeralds and the other had sapphires. Harry took out the one with green eyes and held it up to Charlie, an anxious look on his face.

"Harry! What... I mean..."

Of course, it was then that they heard a crash down stairs. Harry shoved the ring in their box and shoved the box into his pants. They both jumped down stairs and saw Percy lying on teh floor, blood smeared on his hands and robes.

"Percy! What..." Charlie yelled but before he could finish, twin roars pierced the air and Harry knew, somehow, that this was the final fight.