Chapter 2
It was early November at Hogwarts. Already snow had fallen and it now covered every horizontal plane, and in some areas of the school grounds the vertical ones too. Students were enjoying the occasional snowball fight, the more advanced students didn't even need to pick up the snow anymore. Harry and Ron were of the latter variety, but they never wanted to use their wands for snowball fighting. "It's just so boring that way!" Ron had said. So they scrambled about in the grounds grabbing fistfuls of snow, packing them into balls and throwing them at one another. Hermione came down the steps towards them. She was wearing a white furry hat, cloak and flowing robes, she looked very warm. Her face was glowing. "Heya Hermione!" Ron called, lobbing a snowball playfully in her direction. Her arm stretched gracefully towards the icy missile, in her hand was her wand. "Incendus." She said, with a smile, and the snowball melted away like a meteor entering the ozone layer. "Aw, c'mon Herm' it was just a bit of fun." Ron whined. "I know, I smiled didn't I." she laughed and then walked off down the snow covered path. Harry tilted his head to one side as if trying to work something out. He thought he'd seen sadness in the depths of her eyes. "I've just remembered I've got to get my potions homework from Hermione. Sorry Ron, we can do this later alright?" Harry said hurriedly, dusting the snow from his coat and running away. "Err.sure!" Ron shouted at Harry's disappearing figure. "No problem." He sighed and walked indoors.
Harry caught up with Hermione further down the path, she'd walked very quickly. "Hermione." He panted, catching hold of her arm. "What's wrong?" She looked around to see if they were being observed, there was nothing but white grounds and the school. "Harry." she began, her breath misty curls in the crisp air. "We've been so stupid." "What do you mean love?" he asked as he took her hands in his. She looked at the floor, as though fascinated by the footprints in the snow. She looked up again, into his eyes, biting her lip she frowned with worry. "Hermione!" Harry was anxious. "Tell me what's wrong!" "We've been so blind." She sobbed, pulling away and running down the path towards the school. "Wait!!" he called after her and then gave chase. She stumbled in the snow, but didn't lose her footing. She reached the school and pounded up the stone steps into the building. Harry followed moments later, a few students turned to see what the fuss was. He slowed to a casual walk and tried not to seem worried. He caught up with her in the toilets, she was leaning on the large washing basins that had concealed the chamber of secrets all those years ago. "Hermione," he said sternly, "Please! Tell me what's the matter." She whispered her problems to the sink and turned away. "Look, I love you, you know I love you. There's nothing that can come between us." Harry pulled her towards him and held her shoulders. She still looked at the floor. "Nothing?" she whispered. He brushed his hand under her chin and lifted her head to look at him before her replied. Staring deep into her tearful eyes. "Nothing." He replied. She mouthed words silently, working things out in her head. He waited, his stomach in knots. "I'm pregnant." She exclaimed. Harry let go of her shoulders and stared at her, his mouth open and his eyes wide. "You see!" she shrieked, "I knew you'd hate me!" and she fled again. Harry didn't give chase; he leaned back against the wash basins staring blankly at the far wall. "Pregnant." he breathed. "Ooooh!" came a high pitched voice as Moaning Myrtle emerged from one of the stalls. She drifted to the ceiling and giggled. "Oh Harry Potter! You're awful!!" she tittered again. "Myrtle!" he growled, "Don't you dare tell a soul, living, dead or otherwise do you hear me!" "Why? What are you going to do? Throw a book at me??" she pouted. "Worse! I'll banish you!" he shouted. Myrtle squeaked with fright. "You.you wouldn't!" she moaned. "You dare tell anyone and I will!!" he yelled at her, slammed his foot on the floor and pounded out of the room. Myrtle's phantasmal essence quivered with shock.
Hermione was missing. No one realized until tea time, no one apart from Harry. Even he didn't know how missing she was. They couldn't find her anywhere. As dusk drew a blanket over the school the teachers gathered together with lanterns to search the grounds. The school itself was being searched by students for the third time that evening. Harry ran to find Professor Dumbledore before they left for the Dark Forest. "Sir" he gasped finally reaching him. "Get back to school Harry and help the others look for Hermione." The old wizard spoke sternly. "No sir, I..." "No?" Professor Dumbledore's eyes opened wide, "What do you mean, no?" "I want to come with you, I need to find Hermione, it's very important!" Harry exclaimed. "Of course it is Harry, she's your friend, but the Dark Forest is a dangerous place." "I know!" Harry's voice cracked with worry, tears brimmed in his eyes, "I've got to find her Professor!! I have to!!" he began to cry. "Harry," the Dumbledore squeezed Harry's shoulder sympathetically. "Don't worry lad, we'll find her safe and sound.is there something we should know?" he added as he looked at Harry's frightened tearful face. "I care about her; I don't want her to get hurt." Harry exclaimed, "that's.all." "Best get going then hadn't we." Dumbledore smiled holding his lantern in the direction of the ominous forest. "You mean I can come with you?" Harry stood tall, momentarily happy in the midst of his fear. "Well, you are eighteen, you're a man Harry. I have no right to stop you." Dumbledore said, as he set off, following the flickering lights of the other members of staff. They charged through the forest calling as they went. "Hermione!! Hermione!!" Harry's voice was almost louder than Hagrid's. They walked the forests until gone midnight. Their voices were hoarse and their lights were dimming, they returned to the school again. "I can't go back!" Harry pleaded. "We have to find her." "I know Harry." Dumbledore nodded. Harry pulled out his wand. "Illuminus!" he shouted and the tip of his wand glowed brightly shining off the surrounding trees. Dumbledore took out his wand and shook it. "I should have tried this earlier." He muttered. "Proctus invectus lost and found, search them, discover them, light and sound." From the end of his wand a blue light jumped and hovered in front of them jingling like a Christmas bell. After a short pause it shot off towards the school. "Quickly Harry!" Dumbledore called chasing after the blue light, "It's found her!" Harry stumbled over bushes and roots pulling his rode up around his knees, following the old professor as fast as he could. The light shot through the door way of the school and down the main corridor. Dumbledore was in pursuit. It zipped up a staircase and another one, and then it paused so it could be caught up with. Harry was now in the front, a determined look in his eyes, storming up stair after stair. The light came to rest in front of a wood panelled wall, it bobbed restlessly left and right. Dumbledore caught up with them both, he was out of breath. "Hmmm," he frowned. "Is it broken?" Harry asked, worried again. "No, no my boy." Dumbledore said as he started pushing the wall. "I just.need to remember.ah ha!" he pushed and there was a click. The panel slid to one side revealing yet another flight of stairs disappearing into inky blackness. Harry didn't waste a moment, he charged up into the darkness following the blue light. He finally came to a small room at the top of the stairs. It was dark and dusty, with wooden rafters and cobwebs. The light darted forward to a lumpy blanket in the corner and jingled like it had never jingled before. Hermione sat bolt upright and winced at the light in her face. She batted it with her hand and the room was swallowed by darkness again. As she lay back down and arm swooped under her back and she shrieked with fright. Gentle lips kissed hers and she kissed back. "Harry! I'm so sorry I ran away. I felt rotten!" she hugged him close. "It's just that, you looked so horrified when I told you I was pregnant." A sharp intake of breath from the other end of the room startled her even more. "Oh no." she hissed. "Someone's here Harry!" Harry hadn't had a chance to tell her to stop talking. "I know." Was all he could think of to say. Hermione got slowly to her feet. "Who's there?" she called out shakily. A cough answered her, followed by a flick of a wand and the room was illuminated. Professor Dumbledore walked towards them. Hermione looked sick with worry. Harry hugged her to his side as they faced their headmaster. "Well." he began. "This is unexpected." "Will we be expelled??" Hermione stammered. "I shall have to discuss this with Professor McGonagall of course, this is a serious matter." Dumbledore shook his head solemnly. "Very serious. Come on." They all walked back downstairs to the school. Harry never left her side, his arm around her. Hermione's long robes swished quietly as the made their way to Dumbledore's office. "That's why you've been wearing that." Harry realized. Hermione nodded sadly. She pulled the front of her robes tightly around her so Harry could see the swollen stomach of two months pregnancy. Not very noticeable if you wore bigger clothes.
They reached Dumbledore's office finally and were made to sit down. Dumbledore also took a seat and the looked at each other in silence for a moment. "What can I say." The old wizard said eventually. "You are the father I presume Harry?" "Yes sir." Harry murmured. "Well I never.not in all my years." Dumbledore was lost for words. He stood up and paced his office. He stopped pacing and faced the anxious pair. "Will this affect your studies?" he asked bluntly. "No sir." Hermione piped up. "I adore school.please don't expel us." "Never mind that now." Dumbledore shook his head, Hermione gulped. "We love each other!" Harry exclaimed valiantly, leaping to his feet. "We have done for a long time sir.we can accept this responsibility.we weren't prepared! But that doesn't mean we're utterly incompetent. We're both responsible adults now sir. You said so yourself earlier tonight. We're good students too. We won't let you down, you know we won't. We.I." Harry ran out of steam and sat back down. "Yes Harry, I know all that. But what about the other students, aren't you worried about what they may say. And Hermione is going to have a lot to go through, especially later on next year." Dumbledore sighed. "Well.I don't see what expelling you will do. You need your friends around you. I'll let you inform your families in your own time, but I do expect you to inform them soon. As you said Harry, you're adults now. You have to accept your responsibilities." "Yes sir." Harry and Hermione chorused. "You may return to your rooms now." Dumbledore smiled affectionately at them both. They turned to leave, then Hermione turned back towards Dumbledore. "Professor," she said "I'd be honoured if you would consider being the Godfather to my baby." "Why Hermione!" Dumbledore gasped, "Thank you, I'd love to." She ran forward and hugged the old man. Then she took Harry's outstretched hand and they walked out of the room together.
It was early November at Hogwarts. Already snow had fallen and it now covered every horizontal plane, and in some areas of the school grounds the vertical ones too. Students were enjoying the occasional snowball fight, the more advanced students didn't even need to pick up the snow anymore. Harry and Ron were of the latter variety, but they never wanted to use their wands for snowball fighting. "It's just so boring that way!" Ron had said. So they scrambled about in the grounds grabbing fistfuls of snow, packing them into balls and throwing them at one another. Hermione came down the steps towards them. She was wearing a white furry hat, cloak and flowing robes, she looked very warm. Her face was glowing. "Heya Hermione!" Ron called, lobbing a snowball playfully in her direction. Her arm stretched gracefully towards the icy missile, in her hand was her wand. "Incendus." She said, with a smile, and the snowball melted away like a meteor entering the ozone layer. "Aw, c'mon Herm' it was just a bit of fun." Ron whined. "I know, I smiled didn't I." she laughed and then walked off down the snow covered path. Harry tilted his head to one side as if trying to work something out. He thought he'd seen sadness in the depths of her eyes. "I've just remembered I've got to get my potions homework from Hermione. Sorry Ron, we can do this later alright?" Harry said hurriedly, dusting the snow from his coat and running away. "Err.sure!" Ron shouted at Harry's disappearing figure. "No problem." He sighed and walked indoors.
Harry caught up with Hermione further down the path, she'd walked very quickly. "Hermione." He panted, catching hold of her arm. "What's wrong?" She looked around to see if they were being observed, there was nothing but white grounds and the school. "Harry." she began, her breath misty curls in the crisp air. "We've been so stupid." "What do you mean love?" he asked as he took her hands in his. She looked at the floor, as though fascinated by the footprints in the snow. She looked up again, into his eyes, biting her lip she frowned with worry. "Hermione!" Harry was anxious. "Tell me what's wrong!" "We've been so blind." She sobbed, pulling away and running down the path towards the school. "Wait!!" he called after her and then gave chase. She stumbled in the snow, but didn't lose her footing. She reached the school and pounded up the stone steps into the building. Harry followed moments later, a few students turned to see what the fuss was. He slowed to a casual walk and tried not to seem worried. He caught up with her in the toilets, she was leaning on the large washing basins that had concealed the chamber of secrets all those years ago. "Hermione," he said sternly, "Please! Tell me what's the matter." She whispered her problems to the sink and turned away. "Look, I love you, you know I love you. There's nothing that can come between us." Harry pulled her towards him and held her shoulders. She still looked at the floor. "Nothing?" she whispered. He brushed his hand under her chin and lifted her head to look at him before her replied. Staring deep into her tearful eyes. "Nothing." He replied. She mouthed words silently, working things out in her head. He waited, his stomach in knots. "I'm pregnant." She exclaimed. Harry let go of her shoulders and stared at her, his mouth open and his eyes wide. "You see!" she shrieked, "I knew you'd hate me!" and she fled again. Harry didn't give chase; he leaned back against the wash basins staring blankly at the far wall. "Pregnant." he breathed. "Ooooh!" came a high pitched voice as Moaning Myrtle emerged from one of the stalls. She drifted to the ceiling and giggled. "Oh Harry Potter! You're awful!!" she tittered again. "Myrtle!" he growled, "Don't you dare tell a soul, living, dead or otherwise do you hear me!" "Why? What are you going to do? Throw a book at me??" she pouted. "Worse! I'll banish you!" he shouted. Myrtle squeaked with fright. "You.you wouldn't!" she moaned. "You dare tell anyone and I will!!" he yelled at her, slammed his foot on the floor and pounded out of the room. Myrtle's phantasmal essence quivered with shock.
Hermione was missing. No one realized until tea time, no one apart from Harry. Even he didn't know how missing she was. They couldn't find her anywhere. As dusk drew a blanket over the school the teachers gathered together with lanterns to search the grounds. The school itself was being searched by students for the third time that evening. Harry ran to find Professor Dumbledore before they left for the Dark Forest. "Sir" he gasped finally reaching him. "Get back to school Harry and help the others look for Hermione." The old wizard spoke sternly. "No sir, I..." "No?" Professor Dumbledore's eyes opened wide, "What do you mean, no?" "I want to come with you, I need to find Hermione, it's very important!" Harry exclaimed. "Of course it is Harry, she's your friend, but the Dark Forest is a dangerous place." "I know!" Harry's voice cracked with worry, tears brimmed in his eyes, "I've got to find her Professor!! I have to!!" he began to cry. "Harry," the Dumbledore squeezed Harry's shoulder sympathetically. "Don't worry lad, we'll find her safe and sound.is there something we should know?" he added as he looked at Harry's frightened tearful face. "I care about her; I don't want her to get hurt." Harry exclaimed, "that's.all." "Best get going then hadn't we." Dumbledore smiled holding his lantern in the direction of the ominous forest. "You mean I can come with you?" Harry stood tall, momentarily happy in the midst of his fear. "Well, you are eighteen, you're a man Harry. I have no right to stop you." Dumbledore said, as he set off, following the flickering lights of the other members of staff. They charged through the forest calling as they went. "Hermione!! Hermione!!" Harry's voice was almost louder than Hagrid's. They walked the forests until gone midnight. Their voices were hoarse and their lights were dimming, they returned to the school again. "I can't go back!" Harry pleaded. "We have to find her." "I know Harry." Dumbledore nodded. Harry pulled out his wand. "Illuminus!" he shouted and the tip of his wand glowed brightly shining off the surrounding trees. Dumbledore took out his wand and shook it. "I should have tried this earlier." He muttered. "Proctus invectus lost and found, search them, discover them, light and sound." From the end of his wand a blue light jumped and hovered in front of them jingling like a Christmas bell. After a short pause it shot off towards the school. "Quickly Harry!" Dumbledore called chasing after the blue light, "It's found her!" Harry stumbled over bushes and roots pulling his rode up around his knees, following the old professor as fast as he could. The light shot through the door way of the school and down the main corridor. Dumbledore was in pursuit. It zipped up a staircase and another one, and then it paused so it could be caught up with. Harry was now in the front, a determined look in his eyes, storming up stair after stair. The light came to rest in front of a wood panelled wall, it bobbed restlessly left and right. Dumbledore caught up with them both, he was out of breath. "Hmmm," he frowned. "Is it broken?" Harry asked, worried again. "No, no my boy." Dumbledore said as he started pushing the wall. "I just.need to remember.ah ha!" he pushed and there was a click. The panel slid to one side revealing yet another flight of stairs disappearing into inky blackness. Harry didn't waste a moment, he charged up into the darkness following the blue light. He finally came to a small room at the top of the stairs. It was dark and dusty, with wooden rafters and cobwebs. The light darted forward to a lumpy blanket in the corner and jingled like it had never jingled before. Hermione sat bolt upright and winced at the light in her face. She batted it with her hand and the room was swallowed by darkness again. As she lay back down and arm swooped under her back and she shrieked with fright. Gentle lips kissed hers and she kissed back. "Harry! I'm so sorry I ran away. I felt rotten!" she hugged him close. "It's just that, you looked so horrified when I told you I was pregnant." A sharp intake of breath from the other end of the room startled her even more. "Oh no." she hissed. "Someone's here Harry!" Harry hadn't had a chance to tell her to stop talking. "I know." Was all he could think of to say. Hermione got slowly to her feet. "Who's there?" she called out shakily. A cough answered her, followed by a flick of a wand and the room was illuminated. Professor Dumbledore walked towards them. Hermione looked sick with worry. Harry hugged her to his side as they faced their headmaster. "Well." he began. "This is unexpected." "Will we be expelled??" Hermione stammered. "I shall have to discuss this with Professor McGonagall of course, this is a serious matter." Dumbledore shook his head solemnly. "Very serious. Come on." They all walked back downstairs to the school. Harry never left her side, his arm around her. Hermione's long robes swished quietly as the made their way to Dumbledore's office. "That's why you've been wearing that." Harry realized. Hermione nodded sadly. She pulled the front of her robes tightly around her so Harry could see the swollen stomach of two months pregnancy. Not very noticeable if you wore bigger clothes.
They reached Dumbledore's office finally and were made to sit down. Dumbledore also took a seat and the looked at each other in silence for a moment. "What can I say." The old wizard said eventually. "You are the father I presume Harry?" "Yes sir." Harry murmured. "Well I never.not in all my years." Dumbledore was lost for words. He stood up and paced his office. He stopped pacing and faced the anxious pair. "Will this affect your studies?" he asked bluntly. "No sir." Hermione piped up. "I adore school.please don't expel us." "Never mind that now." Dumbledore shook his head, Hermione gulped. "We love each other!" Harry exclaimed valiantly, leaping to his feet. "We have done for a long time sir.we can accept this responsibility.we weren't prepared! But that doesn't mean we're utterly incompetent. We're both responsible adults now sir. You said so yourself earlier tonight. We're good students too. We won't let you down, you know we won't. We.I." Harry ran out of steam and sat back down. "Yes Harry, I know all that. But what about the other students, aren't you worried about what they may say. And Hermione is going to have a lot to go through, especially later on next year." Dumbledore sighed. "Well.I don't see what expelling you will do. You need your friends around you. I'll let you inform your families in your own time, but I do expect you to inform them soon. As you said Harry, you're adults now. You have to accept your responsibilities." "Yes sir." Harry and Hermione chorused. "You may return to your rooms now." Dumbledore smiled affectionately at them both. They turned to leave, then Hermione turned back towards Dumbledore. "Professor," she said "I'd be honoured if you would consider being the Godfather to my baby." "Why Hermione!" Dumbledore gasped, "Thank you, I'd love to." She ran forward and hugged the old man. Then she took Harry's outstretched hand and they walked out of the room together.