(August 24th 1990) (Friday) (S.S. Office) (8th week of pregnancy)
The week had been a trial for his infamous temper. His colleagues somehow got the idea into their minds that simply because he was now married that it meant he was approachable. He made sure to correct their mistake. He hated how they were all talking about him and his young wife. He was glad the nosy parkers met in their quarters to do all of their gossiping because if he caught them he would give them all hell. He knew Minerva was guilty of it but she wasn't mad about Adrianna punching Sybil. Knowing the old tabby she was relieving the memory with glee.
He still wasn't sure what had possessed him to attack his wife the way he did. It had been a surprise to him as well as her. He just couldn't hold back. She defended him and their child from that jealous old fraud with a passion he had always wanted directed at him. He had been afraid of crossing a line with her until she had pulled him back for another kiss. While he was glad for it he was also terrified. No matter what though, he would kiss her again. He ran his fingers over his lips as they tingled with the thought of her. He was definitely going to do that again.
(August 24th – 26th) (Different POV's)
[Severus]
Lucius and Severus had gathered for drinks after dinner on Friday. Severus had been all too happy to share what happened to Trelawney. Lucius has laughed uproariously at the image Severus had painted. They had soon moved to much more interesting topics after that. Severus told Lucius the lie he and his wife had come up with. Lucius was gob smacked at his friends' luck of developing that kind of relationship with a Vega and never telling him. Severus was sure the blond didn't believe him when he told him the contraception spells must have failed. If he knew Lucius then his old friend was convinced he got his young wife pregnant on purpose.
[Lucius]
Narcissa had ended up getting the Snape's the perfect wedding gift. She had found a lovely two person outdoor chair that swayed. It had a built in parasol and loaded with charms and spells to make it a comfortable place to relax. It even matched the décor of their garden perfectly. They included a 'small' basket of picnic essentials to complete it since Lucius felt it wasn't enough. They had it wrapped elaborately and sent off with a parliament of their largest owls. They received a lovely thank you card the next day as well as an open ended invitation for a small garden party soon. Lucius was pleased and complimented Narcissa on finding the perfect gift for the newlyweds. His wife strangely didn't react like she normally did when he deigned to compliment her. This time she simply demurred and thanked him. Her usual response was to smile and act bashfully around him. There was now an almost cold reception whenever he interacted with her. He didn't care, so long as she didn't behave that way in public.
[Draco]
He had kept mostly to his rooms after his parents spoke to him about his manners. He hadn't meant to speak out of turn he was just so excited to finally have a baby around. Sure he wasn't too close to his godfather but now he would be. Draco arranged his little travel trunk once more with all of the toys he felt a baby would like to play with. He wasn't sure how long it would take for the baby to arrive but he hoped it was soon. It had already been a week, surely the baby was here already. Maybe he could have sleepovers. That would be perfect, that way they could keep playing in the morning. With those thoughts Draco hurried to his closet to pack his clothes.
[Narcissa]
She flicked her wrist delicately as she vented her anger. Of course she would have found the perfect gift, she wasn't inept. No one of her social standing would be incapable of getting the perfect gift for someone else. She would even bet she could get Molly Weasley the perfect as well. (Shudder) Another flick and her anger ebbed a little. It shouldn't surprise her after all these years with him, Lucius was fickle with his attentions. His eyes would return to her when he wanted his needs fulfilled. No doubt she knew just who would be staring in his thoughts. Two harsh flicks were the only outward appearance of her anger. The look of pure happiness on her darling child's face when he found out about the baby resurfaced in her mind. She stifled a sob as she held her stomach. One large swipe of her wand and a chorus of cries snapped her out of her thoughts. The elves were barely hanging on as they endured her anger therapy. Lucius was kind to only kick them or have them iron their body parts, she however was more creative. She was a Black after all, she grew up learning by punishing the little vermin. She dismissed them to allow them to heal themselves. They thanked her for her mercy and left quickly. She took a deep breath and put away her wand. Her garden needed her attention as well. She doubted Severus little bride even knew anything about maintaining a proper English garden.
[Albus]
He was sucking on his favorite candy as he contemplated the latest incident within the castle. He had not been prepared to see the young Vega heiress sucker punch his seer. It was inconvenient to have Sybil in a snit but as long as the Dark Lord wasn't currently active he could put off making nice with her. He would have to keep her temper in check. Now however he knew a weakness in her armor. Although the same could be said for any mother who reacts when her child is threatened or spoken ill of. Still, it was something to know. He did find it curious that she didn't use magic to handle Sybil. It didn't matter really, her reaction was telling enough. It also hadn't escaped his notice of how Peeves acted to the girl. He didn't know what Dark magic she used to get the unruly Poltergeist to behave but he would keep an eye out. He didn't need her to taint his castle with her Dark kind of magic. He worked too hard to banish anything he found remotely dark from England only to have her come in and bring it back. Yes, he would keep a very close eye on her. He popped another lemon drop in his mouth as he stroked his beard and contemplated the future.
In the corner Fawkes slumped in his perch as he sensed his bonded thoughts.
[Harry]
The food was a little spicy and heavy for him at first but he was getting used to it. When his foster mother had found out he was having trouble eating it she had his meals altered to have lighter spiced meats in them. She told him to tell her should he need anything. She was there to take care of him, no matter how big or small the task. He had timidly agreed. His foster family was nice and invested in his wellbeing. He still wished it was Adrianna there taking care of him, he missed her, and her husband. The only downside he could find was all the studying he was doing. They wanted to catch him up with the other children his age and he had missed out on a lot of tutoring. He was behind on all magical knowledge as well as Estate Management classes. He was the next lord of his house after all. Thankfully the goblins had come up with a plan for that too. They had a time chamber he would go into for less than a week and come out having spent just under a month inside. They would do so every few weeks until he was caught up enough to resume regular tutoring. He hadn't liked the first time he went in. It had made him sad to feel like he had been away from the Snapes for a month so he had sent them a large letter package full of things. He didn't regret it, much. He had missed them after all.
The only other bad thing was what the healers found in his scar. He wasn't sure what was said but he knew swearing when he heard it regardless of the language it was spoken in. They had later told him that there was a piece of the Dark Lord soul in his scar. It was contained but it was still there. They had given him a necklace to help him guard his mind from other and the soul piece, he never took it off. While it was scary to have of piece of the man who murdered his parents in his head he wasn't very worried since nothing had ever happened and even the goblins weren't sure how it was contained. They told him they had theories but nothing solid. He still wished to know what they were. He wanted it gone as soon as possible.
Another thing he had learned was that the British magical world had a horrible view on him. He had been read all of the Harry Potter adventure books and seen some of the merchandise. He had laughed until he was made to understand what all of these things added up to. These people saw him as their hero and yet did nothing to save him. They never thought to look for him to make sure he was ok. They simply took the word of a man who was supposed to look after him. A man who had failed at his self appointed duty.
His mail had been warded and secured the same day he arrived. He now knew of how much mail should have been going to him. He didn't know what the headmasters plan was but he wanted everything that had ever been sent to him back. It all belonged to him. He could not wait until it was announced that he was now in the magical world and away from the Dursley's. The goblins had an air tight case ready to be delivered to the police as soon as they delivered his paperwork to the Ministry. They had an extensive network of humans working for them in many places ready to act as soon as word was given. They even had a team watching all three Dursley's in case someone tried to intervene. The goblin workers were getting ready for the rush of people to the bank once the story broke. He knew the goblins were excited for a fight to break out. They wanted blood.
The Director had even gone so far as to have a special newsprint made in order to be able to put out the information in an accurate non biased way. They would present the facts and the facts only. Everyone in the clan had been very excited about that and they had even asked Harry if he could make a statement so they could print it out. He had been scared to do so but his foster parents had told him why they were asking him to do so and how by doing it like this they could keep the reporters away because the information was coming from him and if he kept quiet then they would be clamoring to interview him. They would not allow anyone to come near him but they would release statements to calm the public and put pressure on the Ministry. It would also allow them to control the information. It took him a while to understand what was going on but in the end, after many explanations, he was on board. He wasn't happy when his parents will was shown to him thanks to his status in the bank. He was never supposed to go to the Dursley's. There was a list of three people he should have been placed with but it had never happened. He had been wronged and wanted them to pay. He remembered what Mrs. Snape had called them, child abusers. It had taken some time for him to try and come to terms with it but he was getting there with the help of the healers. He was not a freak. He was not wrong and everyone was going to know that.
(August 27th – 31st 1990) (9th week of pregnancy) (Two different POV's)
[Adrianna]
Nothing could bring Adrianna down from the cloud she was currently on. She gazed adoringly at the sonograms of her child with love. She was never happier with the doctors her father had procured for her until now. They used a mixture of mundane and magical techniques to give her the best of both worlds. A CD disk with a dozen sonogram photos was currently in the hands of her head of security that would upload them onto her home computer and back them up in an external hard drive for good measure. The photos were also to be sent to someone who would erase her medical information and add a tasteful border so the images could be printed and given to her immediate family members. The rest of the family would get a copy as soon as she passed the twelfth week mark.
Severus had his own print out of a sonogram from the clinic visit spelled to hell and back safely tucked into his pocket. He would deny it all he wanted to others but she knew he had cried as she had. He had held her hand as the doctors placed the odd looking Transducer Probe on her womb and watched as his child appeared on the screen. Granted their baby was only the size of an olive at the moment but it had still been magical. When they were told the sound they heard was their baby's heartbeat they had both needed a moment. It was the sweetest sound she had ever heard.
They wouldn't know the gender until she was at least twelve weeks so they still had that to look forward to. Severus had held her once they had gotten back to the castle. He had thanked her for giving him this child. She didn't think she had ever felt so happy. It was odd but ever since their visit Severus had been very attentive to her and her needs. He had begun to read some of the new books on pregnancy she had gotten from the mundane world and other magical communities. He had been prepared when her first bout of morning sickness had happened during the week and had given her his own improved version of the morning sickness potion. She took them every morning like clockwork to not end up puking her guts out. The fatigue she had to deal with on her own but Severus had helped by setting her up with a relaxation spot in their garden. The elves were instructed to ensure she never overdid it and the guards were to do most of the work as she continued to decorate Bromley Estate.
Anny loved all of his attention. She knew she would lose most of it as soon as the students arrived so she took advantage of it now. He checked in on her while he went about preparing everything for the arrival of the students. She would have to see how she could get a list of all of his duties and how much he is paid. Head of house, Potions professor for all seven years and the sole brewer for the infirmary, no he needs help. Maybe she could convince him to take on an apprentice. While it was more work in theory she had no doubt he would use it to pawn off most of his workload on his apprentice and relieve his work load. If not then she would still hire an assistant who would do all his paperwork and pay for him herself. As if she would hire a female to work closely to her husband.
[Severus]
It had become a habit to pull out the sonogram whenever he had a moment of privacy. It was now always on him. He had gotten a tasteful photograph from the ones they sent out to be modified. It now had a place of pride on his nightstand. It was actually that picture that had inspired his wife to getting them to take photographs done of them as a married couple. He had only agreed because she had looked so miserable after her bout of morning sickness and couldn't deny her request if it would make her happy. She had taken only one day to get everything together, including their wardrobe, and set up multiple photo backdrops in their garden. One used the garden itself as a background, the second used a tasteful black cloth backdrop while the last held a bright green screen that she explained would help them add any backdrop they wished. He did not know how that was possible but took her word on it.
They had multiple clothing changes but he never complained. His little wife showed him her skill at subterfuge because their garden had been overrun with people he was never told would be coming over until the last minute. A photographer, two makeup artists, a hair stylist, a wardrobe person and a hired hand all arrive just after nine in the morning. She assured him that Minerva had been made aware that they had guests so no one would come knocking.
Magic was used liberally to help achieve any desired effect. The first photos were among his favorite since she wore an elegant mermaid style wedding dress while he wore a full suit. Matching cloaks were added on later to make them look more traditional. She had looked radiant. He felt like he robbed her of a wedding day. The second had them dressed up as if they were going out to a gala. His robes were changed and she was put in a low back satin red dress with a small train. He forgot about his complaints when he saw her. Her makeup had been changed to a darker look that had him wanting to take her to his room. A large regal looking wingback chair was used to set them up in different poses. The last had them in more casual clothes than he expected. He had on a simple button up green shirt with a vest on while she had a black and green knee length short sleeved dress on. They were given 'walls' and 'railings' to lean on as they were posed. The oddest to him was when he was posed with Adrianna against a bright green wall with him with one arm over her on the wall and the other tilting her head up to look at him. The pose was very intimate and he was curious as to what they would do with the image.
As it was he would have to wait for the images to be done which he was told would be in under a month. It was outrages but he held his peace. Adrianna had said they were getting a very labor intensive package and he relented. Thankfully they would get multiple copies, digital copies, and both mundane and magical photographs. Still he hated not being able to get things immediately. For now he would simply distract himself with tending to his wife and getting everything ready for the dunderheads' arrival.
(August 31st 1990) (Gringotts Bank)
The clan had gathered together earlier and gone over everything one last time as they prepared to release the information that would shake up the British magical community. Many of them were hoping for some foolish wizards to attempt to use magic against them and start a war. Still once their plans had been double checked they moved on to ensuring the defenses of the bank itself. Many of their human employees working in the bank had noticed the stir and were cautious around them.
Their key people were already in place to simultaneously deliver the news to the masses. A gargantuan parliament of owls was standing by to deliver the small newsprint to all of their customers. The first would be free and if they wanted to receive more newsprints from them then they would have to subscribe for a small fee. It wasn't like them to do things for free but in this case they knew it would pay off. As soon as the Hogwarts express was halfway to its destination then they would act Ensuring they were acting during the time many workers would be heading home. All the papers would go out, then their people would begin their many deliveries such as the lawsuit to the ministry, the surrey police station, the surrey social services, the people profiting from all Harry Potter merchandise and lastly of all Dumbledore.
A special morning edition of their newsletter would be sent out to their subscribers while a small stand would be placed inside the bank for those who did not subscribe the evening before, at double the price of course. Harry Potter's statement would be front page and center for the masses to devour.
The Goblin Nation had not been in such high spirits for centuries. They had been waiting for a day like this.
The fates laughed gaily as they watched the threads solidify for the next chapter in their planned path for their champion. There would be no stopping what was about to come. The world would never be the same after this. The old meddler was about to have his world shaken.
They watched in glee as chaos perched over the British Isles.
Next chapter will have the first of September. The next few chapters will be about the same first days since I have to cover many perspectives and show all of the drama. I could rush through it but I want to show it all. I want you all to feel the chaos as the truth is reveled. I do hope you all like it though. After that it will simply touch on the lives of the main characters and skip forward until I feel I should address something. I don't want to do all seven years since that would be too much work and this would end up being like 200+ chapters and no one wants that.
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