HLN ch 30 expected post date Mar 4, 2021

May 2006 The Babies are Here!

Snakey reappeared in the garden one nice day in early Spring. Mopsy, planting early blooming bulbs in the grid laid out for this year's design, spotted her right away, and took her straight to the greenhouse where Harry was working. This time Snakey didn't have to be carried. She recognized Mopsy and followed her.

"Speaker! Another message! The Great Mother invites you to the egg hatch!"

"Really? That's very unusual! Of course we will come! I will call the others!"

Within a few minutes a fair crowd was hurrying to Bulgaria. Harry and Ginny, Luna and Rolf, Fleur and Bill, and Draco with Astoria! Everyone had cameras. A few minutes later Hagrid turned up. "Am I late? I left me brother exercising the Abraxians. I couldn't miss this!"

Charlie was surprised when they arrived at the gate. "No one told us you were coming! Is everything all right?"

"The Great Mother, the Black, invited us to Norberta's egg hatching today. The same snake brought me the message as before."

"Really! It's today? I knew it was due soon, but the dragons have never told us when! Let's go! Guys – grab cameras! It's Norbertas egg hatch day!"

Soon everyone who could get free of other chores was hopping brooms and rushing toward Norbertas cave. When they arrived, they found the Black and quite a few smaller dragons clustered around the entrance. Many had brought gifts – deer, cattle, sheep, and bales of straw.

Charlie laughed when he saw the straw. "They've been bringing straw regularly ever since egg-day! Norberta has become quite spoiled with the soft bedding! The other pregnant Mums are also getting the same treatment, and they all love it! It's become the easiest way for us to tell which dragon is carrying eggs. The males bring them food, too. Normally the females chase off the males, but now they look forward to seeing them. It's made life around here much calmer!"

The Black hummed louder, and the smaller dragons quickly cleared the center so the humans could get close. Norberta was sitting up, with a small flame playing over the eggs. She was a very dark brown, with black edging her wings and tipping her spines. The rainbow of eggs interested Ginny.

"She's brown, almost black, which is a normal color for a Norwegian. Why are the eggs bright colors?"

Charlie knew that answer. "The babies will be dark brown, but each will have the wing edge and trim in the color of their egg when they grow up. Her egg was black – Ron told me! Usually the males are the brighter colors. Her mate, the father, is that red one over there. Look, it's cracking!"

The first egg, a large sky blue one, wobbled, fell over the edge of the stone nest, and a claw popped through the crack. The red Norwegian pushed forward, carrying a deer, which he laid next to the nest. With one claw he split it open and spread the body, tossing the grass filled intestine out. Norberta leaned over and flamed the innards, floating the scent of roasting meat. The baby struggled harder, fought loose of the shell, and tumbled into the body, where it immediately began feasting. A second egg cracked, and a third. Soon an entire row of roasted beasts were being devoured by baby dragons! The last egg, the small pink one, moved, wobbling around the bowl. It finally wedged against the debris, and cracked. The smallest dragonet any of them had ever seen, pale golden with pink tips, tumbled out onto a fresh sheep. Charlie and Rolf quickly claimed the shells before they were crushed.

As each baby became stuffed to capacity – easily twice the size it had been a few minutes ago – it would fall asleep. Norberta carefully lifted each, cleaned it of the egg membrane and meat juices, and tucked it back into the bowl. The tiny golden one was on top. Then she began to finish the carcasses. She nudged one to her mate, who was rather timid about taking it but did so, backing to the entrance to eat, one eye on her.

As they backed away from the family scene, Charlie was amazed! "The mother usually collects food for a day or so before – that's usually our first notice of an impending hatch. She will chase away any dragon nearby, and act aggressively to us. We don't see the babies for weeks!"

A large wing curled in front of them, stopping progress. Harry heard a voice on the wind. "Speaker. Tell Norbertas Father to go to her. She wants to show him her babies." An astonished Hagrid cautiously moved into the cave. He settled next to the nest bowl and carefully began handling each sleeping baby, amazed at how soft they were. When finished, he got up and walked to Norbertas head. He began scratching her eye ridges, as she began to hum. He leaned on her, mumbling small words of love, telling her how beautiful she was, and her beautiful babies.

"Harry, tell her those who helped before would like to examine the scars, to be sure she is well. We brought more help this time, to be sure." Harry relayed the message, and Norberta cooperated, rolling on her side and lifting her legs. Fleur, Luna, Draco and Astoria examined the scar and did scans to be sure everything had healed. It had, and they backed out as Harry told her she could relax, that she was fine.

"I don't know when we'll get Hagrid back. She seems to be introducing him to her mate. And LOOK at all those other dragons! They are acting like those dragonets are theirs!" Indeed they were, whirling eyes staring, and humming softly what might have been baby songs. A few flew off, coming back with fresh kills and settling in for what looked like a picnic!

The humans returned to their brooms and mounted, leaving the biggest one for Hagrid. They returned to the keeper complex and shared a meal with the still gobsmacked staff. "This has been the most amazing afternoon! We have learned things none of us knew. I'm sure there is still much to learn. The whole dragon culture seems to be shifting, at least in our group. Their behavior has changed in a major way. We're going to be writing papers and sharing pictures about things no one has ever seen."

Hagrid came in, stomping, brushing ash off, and besotted by dragons. "Please, could you use me brother and me here? I love Hogwarts, but I want to be here!"

"Of course! We will find a place for you! How big is your brother?"

"Oh, Grawp isn't very big for a giant. He is about twice as tall as I am. I live in a hut that used to be a small barn. Me first one was burned. Grawp lives in a cave I fixed up for him. He's used to mountains and will be happy here."

"We can deal with that. We have plenty of barns, and plenty of caves. We have time to make sure yours are warm before next Winter. Go file your papers and pack. I'll send your new employment Contracts right away. We'll pick you up when we deliver the school fertilizer order at the end of June."

Harry had an odd thought. "Hagrid, I may have something for you. Could you come with me to Diagon?"

Harry did have an idea. He had finally learned several languages, including Bulgarian, using the potions. He had met Hermione in the shop when he went to buy the potion for Russian. Now he understood what her weekend 'seminars' were. She was not doing any more while pregnant, instead doing more Astronomy reading. Now he took Hagrid, and set him up with Bulgarian, and as a later thought, French. They bought English and Bulgarian for Grawp. He did speak a useful amount of English now, but it was still pretty bad. Any improvement would be good.

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This was not a good year for the Harpies. Several, including Ginny, were pregnant. The increase in speed and faster reflexes were not enough. Management was shuffling through various combinations of players every game, and losing. Ginny spent more time every week in the Publicity Department, which was also under scrutiny. Being doubly useful was a good thing, when the Boss is looking for someone to fire! Half of the second string had been traded. She now wrote many of the Press Releases herself, always praising every player for something. This kept her in the good graces of the over-tense players, as well as the Owners.

Ginny was still unreasonably cold all the time. The Midwife, the OBGYN, and Andi were all suspecting a circulation problem even though she seemed in the best possible health. It was a cold, wet Spring, so spending more time in the warm office helped her rest.

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Harry found Ron in his Manor library, actually reading. "You? Reading? What has you so interested?" Harry maneuvered around as Ron tried to hide the cover of the book. "Isn't that the book Draco gave me last Summer?"

"Yeah." Ron gave up, closing the book and scratching the back of his very red neck. "I thought I ought to understand more of what she's going through. This is scary stuff!"

"She's going to be just fine! She has you going to the classes, right? I'm sure she's read every book in the library by now!"

"It's still scary! Worst is picking names! My mother has come up with some of the most awful names you ever heard of! You think 'Bilious' is the worst you ever heard? She's got some even worse! If it's a girl she wants to name her 'Muriel'!

Hermione says she's got it covered, but she won't tell me what she's chosen for a girl! I've chosen for a boy, 'Daniel John', after Remus, but we're sure this is a girl.. She says I would just tell Mum, and then there would be a big fight. She's probably right. Mum loves her Aunt Muriel! Hermione's going to tell me the girl name when she goes into labor. You had better be careful because Ginny will deliver right after Hermione."

"Why should I worry? I'm the Head of MY Family. I will name my children, though of course Ginny will help me choose. Molly can suggest, but we choose."

"That's what YOU think. There's an odd law/tradition/whatever. You have to be there to name the child, and the child must be named immediately. If you aren't there, and Ginny passes out without naming the child, anyone there can name the child and it WILL be their name by Magic. Doesn't matter what you call them, the legal name is the Magical one. Talk this over with Ginny so everyone knows what you have chosen."

"I will talk to Ginny right away! Thank you for telling me!"

A week later Ron was shrieking into the pocket Floo,"On our way to St. Mungos!" He was gone almost as fast as he had appeared. Harry got dressed, woke Ginny so she would know, and took himself to the hospital. Ginny called her mother, and went back to bed.

At the hospital, he found Ron pacing, following the path thousands of fathers had traced on the lino. "The Nurse says I can't go in yet, even though I took the classes! They are getting her cleaned up and into a gown."

Harry considered this over the edge of the Styrofoam cup of murky brew. "Dobby." The elf, also sleepy looking, popped up beside him. "Ask whoever is in our kitchen to send us a full tea, or at least anything that is ready. We're going to be here a while! Send a night elf here to fetch anything we need later, and you go to bed!" A few pops later the table held a full tea spread for men, including an urn of tea, meat sandwiches and a plate of cake slices. Ron headed for it as though he were starving! Harry filled two large mugs with tea, including plenty of sugar and cream. A Potter elf, a young male in black, stood in the corner. "Sit down, this is going to be a long night! I'm sure more people will be coming, so keep the tea tray stocked and serve everyone."

Molly came first, hair flying and a sweater half pulled over her dress. She brought Emma Jean and Dan, who were thrilled. Dan was loaded with cameras. Arthur brought up the rear.

Another frazzled, half dressed man came in. Harry nodded at him, and the elf set him up. He also helped the man finish dressing, sorting out the miss-buttoned shirt and pulling the robes straight. The nurses in the hallway were clustered around his wife, moving her into a room. Another Nurse came for Ron, who was feeling better with some food in him. Molly and Emma Jean tried to follow, but the Nurse stopped them and said, "Just one right now, and she wants him. Rest. It will be a long night."

Finally they heard it – a wail down the hall! There was no stopping the grandparents then. They rushed down the hall to the doorway, where an exhausted Hermione was smiling at Ron. He held a tiny pink bundle. He turned to them and said with great pride, "Welcome Rose Jean Weasley!"

"When it was her turn to hold the baby, Molly murmured, "I can still call you 'Muriel' if I want to!" She was surprised when everyone in the room laughed!

Vicar Timothy was delighted to Baptize Rose in the same stone font where he had Baptized her mother. She wore the same Christening gown, too. Harry and Ginny were Godparents.

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Ginny was not due until August 15. The Midwife said so. The scans Andi ran said so. No one believed them. James had been early, possibly because Ginny was so athletic. So, when Harry was called to an emergency Wizengamot meeting on July 14, he refused to let Ginny stay home alone. Andi and Molly came to spend the afternoon, bringing the other cousins to play with Teddy and James. Aubrey and Angelina supervised the children on the playground. The elves set up the round playpen for Fabian and Gideon in a shady spot, complete with the same pile of stuffed toys James had used. One elf stayed to catch and return the tossed toys.

Andi, Molly and Hermione with Rose in a basket joined Ginny on the patio in the matching wicker chairs. Of course Ginny went into labor almost immediately. Andi sent for the OBGYN and the Midwife, who were on standby at the hospital. It was already too late to transport her, so they took her in to her own bedroom.

Harry came rushing into the bedroom not long after, still in his plum robes. "They didn't have a quorum, so they sent us home! Dobby met me at the door and brought me! Where's Ginny? Is the baby here?"

Ginny was on her bed, fast asleep. Molly, in the rocking chair, held a tiny blue bundle. "Here he is, Harry! Here's your son, 'Albus Severus Potter'!"

The Midwife handed him the papers to sign. Sure enough, 'Albus Severus Potter' was inscribed on them in large letters. "Who named him that? Ginny and I had picked out 'David Arthur Charlus Potter'. Didn't she tell you? How do I change it to what we wanted?"

"You can't. Yes, she told us but that's such a boring name! Albus and Severus were very important in your life, so that's why I chose them! They will be fine role models for him!" Molly was clearly pleased with herself!

"Did it occur to you to write out those initials?" Molly looked confused. "You just named my son 'ASP'. You named him 'snake'. He'll be a Lord someday, but you didn't even give him the right number of names." Harry reached down and scooped the bundle out of her arms. He walked away, cuddling his son. "Hmm, we'll have to do the best we can here. I think I'll call you 'Al'." A spike of black hair, and eyes that were already the same almond shape as his own, showed clearly this was his son.

When Ginny woke up later, she rubbed sleep out of her eyes and said, "I sure had a nightmare! I dreamed my mother ignored our wishes and named our son 'Albus Severus'!" She sipped tea, thirsty.

Harry was in the rocker with the sleeping baby. The rest of the family was out in the hall, engaged in a massive Weasley argument in voices as hushed as a Weasley could get. Only a few words distinguished themselves in the whisper. They all seemed to be explaining something to Molly, all of them whispering at the top of their lungs. Molly was answering just as loudly. They were silenced by Ginny launching her flaming teacup out the doorway. It bounced down the hall, ringing like a bell on the marble flooring. The drips flamed up, following.

"She did what? You have to be pranking me! Mum wouldn't DO that!", followed by tears.

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On a return visit to the 'Traveler's Companion' near Yule, Harry talked to the manager. "How do you take the memories of the languages? I understand that the memory fluid is different, but the copying of the languages must be, too. Languages are spread through your mind, not just single memories."

"True. We have the donor reading or reciting something in the desired language, and our spells pull out the entire web of related memory. Sometimes this includes books they have read, if books are important to them. Reading those same books as the memories settle will help the process. We have most of those books listed by now, and give you the appropriate list with the potion. Sometimes they include events the donor lived through, where something in that language was important. If you find one of those included, we like to take copies because we have Historians who want them."

"What about genetic, inherited languages?"

"I wondered when you would think to ask about that! We know what you are, after all. Some people think you were given the language by the dark one. Some think you inherited it, probably through some squib ancestry of your mother. Shall we find out? We would love to have that language on our shelves. I'm sure it would be a best-seller."

"Really? I don't talk to snakes THAT much! They don't have much to say and they would rather be left alone. I know people CAN learn it. Ron learned several words when we were in school, and they came in handy for the War."

"Ah, but you also talk to dragons! And there is Parsel-Magic, which would be of great interest to Healers! You know that is where the name Parsel came from? Paracelsus was a famous Swiss Healer, and his symbol is a staff with two Asclepian Snakes. That's also a symbol of Hermes. I've been told the medical schools, like St. Mungos, have a large number of texts attributed to Paracelsus, but no one can read them! Oh, yes, I am quite sure I could sell it!"

Harry turned out to have TWO versions. One was from the dark one, full of terrible memories and events. Harry left a copy of that one for the Unspeakables, for History and spell research. They called that the 'Gaunt' copy, since it clearly came through Merope.

The second copy was genetic, and clearly through his mother, which meant his sons would not inherit it but a daughter would. It was also 'clean', untouched by any magic at all. His mother probably had not known she carried it. Harry left a dozen copies and took a dozen with him for gifts. He would stop by the shop every so often to leave more, earning himself free choices.

Harry gave two of the Potions to Draco and Astoria, and one to Theo. They were very excited, and rushed to St. Mungos Library to see if they could read the rare texts. They could! Soon they were copying and translating medical papers and potions recipes no one had seen for hundreds of years. The Hospital immediately ordered the potions for all of their Researchers. Many other medical staff also took them. Theo was so fascinated that he diverted from becoming a surgeon, and was rarely seen outside the Library again. (He did continue to attend the Auxiliary class and Karate.)

In gratitude, Harry was given free access to the Library. He sent Zany to copy all of the Parsel texts and translations for the Potter Library. While he would read some of them, he wasn't a Healer. He was simply thinking ahead, for a future Potter who would be.

Three of the potions went to Romania, for Charlie, Hagrid, and Grawp. When their Supervisor saw this, he immediately ordered every member of the staff to go to England on their next rotation week, and take the potion. The word spread to other Reserves very quickly! It was a huge topic of conversation at every convention, and the letters sections of the magazines were soon full of first-person reports.

Two potions went to Ron and Hermione, simply because they had been there from the beginning. Rolf and Luna bought them before Harry saw them again. Fleur and Bill were delighted with theirs.

No one knew if the language would become genetic in other lines, so everyone also bought extras to give the children when they were older. The shop suggested one language a year for Ravenclaw students, which seemed safe enough. Adults could take one a month, but few actually did. None of those human languages became genetic, but none of those started that way. It was new territory. Everyone who learned Parsel also became a regular donor, so Harry was not the only source. It was a good thing, as demand would grow rapidly. The shopkeeper was correct in his expectations.

Ginny thought talking to snakes was creepy, and really wasn't interested in Dragons or Healing, She took it anyhow, because she didn't like being left out. She wanted to understand what was said around her. She began taking a language or two every Summer, when her weekends were free. Knowing more languages made her more useful to the team, and enhanced her Journalism career.

Andromeda took Harry's last bottle as an extra way of protecting Teddy, and agreed that the boys should take it when they were ready for Hogwarts. They ought to be able to handle it then.

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Some years later, Bill was supervising the opening of a new tomb in Egypt. This wasn't 'his' site, but the Goblins liked to have a Senior Cursebreaker on hand when a new site was breached. This time, as the doorway crumbled, a mixed hiss drifted out of the darkness with the dust. Bill stiffened! "STOP!"

When any cursebreaker says 'stop', everyone freezes! Bill moved forward very carefully, and hissed back, "Who is in there? We do not want to hurt you! May we bring lights?"

"Yess. We do not mind lights. I cannot see you, but the young ones can. They come and go through the cracks, bringing me mice. Do you have any mice?"

Bill ordered behind him, "Bring up the lights and shine them in. Sends someone to summon and stun many mice!" The lights revealed the richest tomb found in years, clearly untouched, though there were a couple of skeletons on the floor. Mixed with the bones and pots were years of eggshells – and fresh nests of eggs, each with a hissing cobra on it. Curled on top of the gold-and-blue sarcophagus was the largest cobra anyone had ever seen. He was pure white, with gold 'glasses' displayed on his wide hood. Even his eyes were pure white, declaring him blind. Snakes were slipping in and out cracks in the walls. Someone nudged Bill's arm, offering a cardboard box of mice. "We have mice for you. May I bring them in?"

"NO. Do not enter, clumsy one. Set them on the floor in the opening." Bill did, and snakes grabbed a mouse apiece, carrying them to the blind one. He ate two dozen, then hissed, and the females on nests were fed the rest.

"What do you want? Why are you disturbing our nest?"

"We did not know you were here. We seek the cold things you have no use for. We seek the paintings on the walls of the ones who came before. We seek more hidden doors and rooms."

"There are no more doors or rooms (nests). The cracks are too small for you, and only lead outside. You may take the cold things if you do not enter the nest. You may look at the pictures from where you stand."

"We can do all of that from here. We can pick each of you up without touching you, and set you down carefully. We will not hurt the eggs. We can bring another box of mice each day. When we are done, we can bring back rocks from outside for you to perch on. We can also drill a hole big enough for you to go outside and sit in the sun. Then we can fill this opening back up, and put a warning on it so that no one opens it again."

So it was agreed. When Bill explained to the others, so it was done. When Bill's Report got back to Gringotts it set off shock waves. The fallout was that every Senior Curse breaker was required to take the Parsel Potion. The requirement, and the story behind it, were passed down the ranks. Very soon every cursebreaker and archaeologist in the Bank, even trainees and Goblins, was a Parselmouth. The number of snakebites fell to almost zero.

The Goblins also discovered they could now speak with the dragons which guarded the Vaults. The dragons, having it explained to them that they were helping guard Hoards of gold and other treasures, became cooperative so that chains and clankers were not needed. The Goblins were able to take better care of them, oiling dry scales to keep mites out, trimming nails and spines, improving their diets, and arranging 'vacations' at the Dragon Reserves. Wizards realizing the Goblins really did have dragons in the Deep became more respectful as well as extremely polite. Somehow it was very intimidating to see the Bank roof panels opened and dragons sunning themselves on the towers.

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AN – I hope it's a good chapter? There aren't many reviews, so I have little idea of what you do or don't like (except Ginny.) I do have a plan and the things that happen have a purpose. I've tried to include some fun characters and events. If you would like to see what's going on somewhere else, or TO someone else, you may ask. I'm not a dragon – I don't bite!

While this chapter covers most of a year, it isn't everything that happens. In fact, the next chapter will cover more events of this same year! I couldn't figure out how to fit them together, so I split them by topic. N

HLN CH 31 expected to post March 18, 2021