Chapter 62 – Birth

"I don't know how I let you do this to me Potter," Ginny shrieked as she reached out and grabbed Harry's hair. She was ready to have the baby. Anna and Lupin had been told to leave and the last thing they saw was Harry trying to free his hair from Ginny's grip.

"Merlin I hope it doesn't hurt as much as Ginny is making out to," Anna said as Lupin carried her up the stairs. Her hand was playing with his hair. Lupin suddenly looked scared.

"What do you mean we haven't… I mean you haven't with someone else—"

"Don't be stupid. I meant in the future not now," Anna said rolling her eyes. "And besides I can't do that yet."

"Why not," Lupin asked he looked a little put out.

"Um… well the thing is you know the potion I am trying to make. It can only work if the person Voldemorts soul goes into a pure soul's body." They had gotten back to Anna's ward and Lupin and put her back on the bed.

"Yeah but what has—" he stopped. Comprehension dawned on his face. "No you can't—"

"I have to," Anna said.

"No… it has to be someone else… you can find someone else to do it," he started. He looked at her as though seeing her for the first time. "No I won't—" he stopped as he saw Anna grab her head and moan in pain.

"I have to go back," Anna said suddenly looking up at him.

"Don't change the subject, we can't go back," Lupin said still angry at her.

"Lupin I am not kidding I have to go back. Take me back to Ginny's room, now," Anna said, urgently. He didn't move. She grabbed her wand.

"Don't make me use it Romulus," she said. Lupin sensed she was serious and not in the mood for games. He turned on the stairs and they quickly made their way back to Ginny's room. Anna had to stop twice because the pain was so unbearable. They came to the room and Lupin put Anna down she took a deep breath and tried to push the pain and headache away. She opened the door and went in. It was chaos, Ginny was screaming and the Healers were running around like headless chickens. No one realized she was there until she asked her father what was wrong.

"Anna get out, this is no place for you," Harry said.

"Dad that's my little brother in there, tell me what is wrong!" Anna shouted. Harry didn't say anything. One of the Healers came up to them and told her.

"There are complications, Ginny is not going to be able to give birth to the baby by herself, and I don't want to use spells as complex as we might have to on a pregnant woman."

Anna finally knew what the dream meant she had at the beginning of the year, she had to help. She walked over to Ginny's side and Ginny looked up at her through the tears.

"I know you can help me."

Anna closed her eyes and tried to focus on a spell that would work. She raised her left hand and her right, she felt her feet tingle and it rose up through her like fire. She opened her eyes and placed her left hand over Ginny's stomach, her wand pointed at he same place. Ginny opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out, she didn't seem to be breathing. Anna took her hands away and Ginny slumped down on the bed. No, Anna thought, no she isn't going to die. Oh Merlin no. There was a long painful pause before Ginny opened her eyes, her red hair sticking to her face.

"It's coming," she said quietly. Some Healers rushed to her and prepared to deliver the baby.

"Anna, there's something wrong," Harry said sitting down next to Anna. It had been 15 hours since Ginny had been bought into the hospital. She had given birth only ½ hour ago.

"Is it Ginny is she ok?" Anna said suddenly panicking. She had been feeling ill all day and her stomach pains had worsened even after the birth.

"You know Ginny had to have the anti blood clotting stuff? Well the baby ruptured a blood vessel, inside Ginny, and it didn't stop bleeding for a long while. That's what happened this morning, I know you saved her and the baby, and you have no idea who much we love you for that, but--"

"Oh Merlin," Anna said tears forming in her eyes, she didn't like it when people said but.

"She's ok now, and so is the baby, but… she can't have anymore children," Harry said tears running down his face.

"Oh dad, I tried I really did but I am not that good, I couldn't save her as well," Anna said and they clung to each other until there were no more tears.

"It's not your fault, you did everything you could," Harry soothed.

Later that same day Harry was sitting next to Ginny who was asleep in her bed. He looked down at the baby in his arms. Anna came in the room and Harry put a finger to his mouth as Anna opened hers. Harry put the baby in Anna's arms. She looked down into the bright greens eyes that were just like her own. There was a tuff of ginger hair on the babies head.

"It's a boy, his name is Joshua James Potter."

"Josh, I like it. Hi Josh." She said and the baby lifted up one of his hands and tried to grab a piece of hair that had fallen out of Anna's ponytail. Anna and Harry went to the furthest corner of the room. Harry spoke to Anna quietly not to wake Ginny.

"Sorry about this morning I really didn't mean to shout. I was worried, I mean now I can see you all the time. I guess it's more worrying now than before."

"It's ok dad. I understand," Anna replied.

"Oh, I wanted to tell you yesterday we fed Jones false information yesterday and the Death Eaters followed it. We got there before they realized it was wrong and the left. It's given me an idea for when you have finished the potion. We have to let Voldemort catch us. Oh and what's with the ring?" Harry added as an afterthought.

"Dad I don't know… it could be dangerous."

"Anna this whole thing is dangerous. Then when you have the potion done we can go straight away and I can defeat Voldemort once and for all." Anna hesitated, he didn't realize yet. Not that it was his fault. She hadn't told him… not that she was going to anytime soon.

"Yeah that would work I think."

"The ring?" he asked again.

"It's a promise ring, he gave it to me on Valentines Day," Anna explained.

"Stay here," Harry said and left the room. Anna rolled her eyes. She knew he was going to talk to Lupin.