Standard Disclaimers Apply

Chapter 8: Late Night Snacks and Surprises

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

School Kitchens

November 16, 2003

0140 Zulu

AJ led the band of men on a hunting mission. Clay, Mic, Harm, Charlie and Bud followed behind. Fred and George had been dispatched through the secret tunnel to get sweets and Butterbeer. Arriving at the fruit painting, AJ tickled the pear on the painting. Harm stared at it as it giggled and became a door handle. The thought that crossed his mind caused him to shiver.

"Cold?" AJ inquired.

"No, just thinking. It reminded me of Scrooge's doorknocker in A Christmas Carol. It always scared me when I was a kid."

AJ nodded. "Actually, the door they used for that scene of the movie version is in Hogsmeade, the town at the foot of the hill. I'll take you down there for a visit if you promise not to freak out on me. I made the mistake of taking Francesca when she was about seven. Marcella wouldn't let her visit me for almost a year after that."

Bud spoke up. "Harriet would love to see that. She's a real Christmas Carol buff."

"Ok, we'll organize an outing when this is all over." With that he pulled open the door.

"Well, look who else wants a midnight snack. Could you gentlemen hold the door?" Mac laughed. The women were on their way out with loaded trays of snacks. AJ noticed that Jen and Ginny were missing. 'Bet the twins run into them at Honeyduke's,' he thought.

His thoughts were interrupted by a house elf. "If your tastes are the same as they were when you were a seventh year and sneaking down here with that cloak of yours, I don't even have to ask what you want – Adalbert."

"Arielle?"

"Yes, its me. Not your adorable little baby house elf anymore, that's for sure." She turned to the others. "You see, Al here raised me on a bottle after some gits in his Care of Magical Creatures class tortured my mother to death."

Hermione spoke up urgently. "Do you know their names? I have a case coming up for the CAROMC review of two men who are charged with torturing magical creatures. If they are the same people – and I know one of them was expelled from Hogwarts for magical creature abuse, so it's likely – I will make sure they go to Azkaban," she said vehemently."

"Julius Truptor and Isador Borch?" AJ inquired darkly.

"Yes, that's them." Hermione answered softly. "May I call you to testify – or if you can't, can you put me in touch with your classmates?"

"I'll testify if you can get a continuance until this case is over; and I'll give you names and contact information for the others. Bud and Harriet can pick them up when they Floo back to the States tomorrow."

"Sir?" Bud was obviously confused.

"Tomorrow's the 17th, Bud. You and Harriet are going to visit Baby Sarah. I took the liberty of asking Professor Sprout to cut a bouquet of English roses to take with you."

"Thank you, Sir." Bud replied. "Where is Harriet anyway?"

"She's upstairs with a cup of tea, pouring her heart out to Molly. We didn't really need all of us to get these snacks, but we thought we'd give them some privacy."

Just then Arielle's small voice intruded. "Excuse me, Sirs, your food is ready." AJ leaned down, kissed her leathery brown cheek and then took the tray.

The party trooped upstairs to the common room, while Bud went in search of his wife, Dobby and Winky came downstairs by way of the other staircase. "The little ones are asleep," they reported.

"Thank you, now let the fun begin."

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Visitor's Tower Common Room

November 16, 2003

0400 Zulu

"Bud, if I didn't know better, I'd think you had been born a Wizard." Harm watched in awe as the chess pieces moved easily for him. Whenever Harm had tried, the knight had simply stuck its tongue out at him. The pawn, lacking the social graces of the higher-class pieces, simply dropped his trousers and mooned him.

"Believe me, it took a lot of practice and threatening my pieces on Harriet's part. She had to threaten the queen with a meat tenderizer to get her to cooperate."

Just then a red-eyed Harriet came down the stairs. "Bud.." was all she said, holding out a small bowl with red liquid.

"Harriet? Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes, it seems maybe the decision not to try to have any more kids may already be decided. I haven't had the nerve to take the test yet." Just then Jen came down the stairs, tried to squeeze past Harriet and jostled the bowl, which dumped the liquid all over Harriet's midsection. As Jen apologized profusely, the substance immediately began to glow lavender and emit a soft pink smoke that was twisting itself into letters.

"Con-gr-atul-a-tions" Harm read. "Wow! That is some test!"

"And a girl, too!" Bud said happily. Now Harm looked confused.

"The color of the writing is the sex of the baby, Harm." Bud explained, turning around and hugging Harriet. Any of the substance that touched Bud immediately turned green.

"That would be the negative result." Mac quipped as she approached with a towel. Just as she did, Bud hugged Harriet again, sending the bowl flying. Mac caught it expertly and then dropped it in shock. "Umm....Clay?"

He looked at her and dropped his chess piece, which swore at him and tried to stab his finger. He paid it no attention, because he was staring at Mac like everyone else in the room. The portion of the potion that landed on Mac had turned lavender, and soft blue smoke was spelling out an identical message to Harriet's. She finally found her voice "Well, Spyboy, I guess our methods of birth control weren't as effective as we thought."

"Must have been during that last trip home – oh, this is FANTASTIC! I love you so much!" He picked Mac up and held her as if to spin her around, but kissed her senseless instead, shocking everyone else in the room. The tin man had definitely made it to Oz and gotten a heart.

Now everybody was staring at Webb. "Mac – since when did you two – I mean, I know you were casually dating, but...never mind, I don't want to know." Harm questioned softly, so low that nobody else could hear.

"We have been serious for about six months." Mac answered him. "But with Clay gone so much, he seemed to be gone whenever there was a social event. So nobody else really knew."

"And did you know Clay was a wizard? You seemed as shocked as everyone else."

"Yes, I knew. I was shocked by the news that he was related to Harriet – and the Admiral, and Mic, and... well, you get the point."

"On that note, I suggest we all try to get a little sleep. Mac, Harriet, you have to get up, or just stay up. We're Flooing to St. Mungo's this morning, because there's no way I am letting you two do anything dangerous now, and I won't be comfortable until we know you are ok." AJ spoke firmly and paternally. "However, I think the fathers to be could use a shot of something, they both look like they are going to faint."

He quickly crossed to the bar and magicked up some drinks, plus some champagne flutes of juice for the expectant mothers. "A toast – to the new members of the JAG family."

After downing their drinks, they all climbed to their respective rooms to go to bed.