"Awww...Hermione! What's her name?" Ginny cooed to the baby.
"I don't know yet. I gave Severus the job of naming her."
"That's so cute. I would never let Draco name a baby. With a Slytherin like him it would probably be called Serpentina or something." Ginny laughed as she took the baby from Hermione.
"All right. How are we going to do this?" Dumbledore asked the quartet in his office.
"I think I should take her to my mother." Hermione said, sighing, "I wish I could just forego this trip and spend it grieving for my friends and with my family and my new found daughter."
"By all means, do that, Miss Granger." Dumbledore said kindly.
"She's not going anywhere without me." Ginny said firmly, putting her arm around Hermione.
"You may go also Miss Weasley." Dumbledore said.
"There needs to be a naming ceremony soon, Hermione." Severus said.
"I know. There also has to be a funeral." She replied, putting her tired head in her hands.
"We can go ahead and have the naming ceremony, if you wish, before you leave." Dumbledore said.
"I think that would be best." The baby giggled, sending a smile Hermione's way.
"Who would you like to stand as the Godparents?" Severus asked.
"I'll have Ginny and Draco if they will. I would have loved to have had a brother and sister to do this, but I don't." Hermione said.
"Now that that is settled, lets ajourn this meeting until we get to the lake." Dumbledore said, "You might want to get ready, Hermione. I assume Severus will present the child with you?"
"I thought he would." Hermione said, looking up at Severus.
"Of course, love." he anwsered.
"I'm going to go on out now." Dumbledore said, leaving his own office.
"What is a naming ceremony like?" Hermione asked.
"The Godparents wear red, symbolizing their commitment. The parents wear black, symbolizing that they are not the ones being honored. The baby wears a white robe and is carried by the mother. The officiator, Dumbledore, will sprinkle water on the baby and say a spell to bind all five together. It's very short." Draco said, transfiguring Ginny's little yellow sundress red. Draco had already turned his pants and shirt red.
"Here, 'Mione." Severus said, transfiguring Hermione's outfit into black. His was already black.
"Come on, baby." Hermione said as she picked her up off of the overstuffed chair. She waved her wand and her little pink jumper turned white. "Do you have a name, Severus?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"
"You'll have to wait and see." Severus took the baby from Hermione and hugged it close to his chest.
"Awww." Ginny whispered to Draco, "Look at them. It's so adorable."
"I thought I'd never see the day where my potions master was holding a baby and looking at Hermione Granger."
"I know! Thats what makes it so wonderful."
"Lets go, people." Hermione said, taking her new daughter back. They walked out of the castle in silence and met Dumbledore at the edge of the Lake.
"Now that we are all here, we will begin." He said, "By the power in me, I begin this naming ceremony. (Brief pause) Who presents this child to be named a part of the wizarding world?"
"We do." Hermione and Severus said.
"Who are the Godparents, for when these two depart from this Earth, this child will have a new family."
"We are." Draco and Ginny replied.
"What is the name you have chosen for this member of society?"
"Aissa." Severus said (pronounced AHY-suh)
"Do you promise to keep her safe, and happy to the best of your extent?" Ginny, Draco, Severus and Hermione whispered Yes. "I now bond the five of you together into a bond of family." Dumbledore sprinkled some water and flower petals onto Aissa and she giggled. "Keep and raise this child with care." A shimmering white light surrounded the little gathering of people and started to grow. The circle grew until it encompassed the whole lake and Hogwarts and expanded until the group could no longer see it.
"Thank you." Hermione sobbed as she handed the baby to Dumbledore.
"Oh, Hermione." Ginny said, pulling her friend into a hug, "It will be ok. I promise."
"Damn, Severus. A new child by eleven in the morning." Draco said, chiding Severus.
"Damn, Draco. A new head to be regrown by noon." Severus made a joke.
"By gods man, you made a joke." Draco said.
"I can do that."
"I thought it was beyond all hope, sir."
"Nothing is beyond hope."
"What about Voldemort?"
"The war that is about to start is not very hopeful. But we still have hope."
"About to start? How badly?"
"So badly that we will need every person in the wizarding world trained to fight. But only one person can defeat Voldemort. You must know the prophecy of Harry Potter."
"Yes. So it's true." Draco breathed.
"Very true. And soon we are both going to have to fight to keep the women that we love safe." Severus said, looking at Ginny, Hermione and Aissa.
"Truly?" Draco said.
"Yes. But even then we will need both of them to be fighting with us. Hermione is one of the most powerful witches I've ever seen."
"May I speak to Ginny about this? So she knows it's coming?"
"We will all know when it is coming, Draco. There will be time to prepare."
"When will it come?"
"Before you graduate. I believe every student will be fighting when Voldemort tries to take Hogwarts. Fighting in their own way. But he will try to take Hogwarts."
"Us upper years, thats what this new combat class is for- isn't it?"
"Yes. We need as many people with the light as we can."
"What is this bloody world coming to?
