Chapter 19

Pregnancies, Publicity, and Prophecies

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"Hermione, we can't just Apparate into the Ministry to tell Harry I'm pregnant! Especially not when he's right in the middle of an interview!"

Hermione thought about it for a moment.

"No, I suppose we can't. Well, what do you want to do? Tell Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked.

"No! No one knows until Harry knows. This is important and I won't have him finding out last of all." Ginny said severely.

Hermione smiled, trying to calm Ginny down.

"Ok! Well…fine. Oooh I know! Let's go back to The Burrow and visit your Mum!"

Ginny eyed Hermione suspiciously.

"If one word comes out of your mouth about this baby I swear I'll hurt you." Ginny threatened.

"I won't say anything, I promise. I'll only tell her about me."

"Oh, no you won't! You have to tell Ron first. I don't care how upset you are with him; this isn't just your baby. It's his as well and he deserves to know that it's a girl first. Oh, and he gets to help you name it." Ginny added.

Hermione's face fell.

"But Gin! He—I…okay fine! You win!" Hermione grabbed Ginny by the arm and spun on the spot Apparating them both back to the Burrow.

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Mrs. Weasley was sipping her morning tea when a loud popping noise in the living room announced the arrival of her youngest child and Hermione.

"Oh, Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley ran over to her daughter and enveloped her in a hug. Over her mother's shoulder, Ginny rolled her eyes at Hermione.

"She acts like I never come to see her, you know." Ginny said. Her mother let go of her at once.

"Well I don't! Ever since that husband of yours took you off…"

"Oh, so he's 'that husband' now is he? What happened to Harry?" Ginny asked, helping herself to some tea.

"Oh, let me be. I can't help it! You're my baby, Ginevra, and now you're off and married and living away from me and keeping secrets!" Mrs. Weasley narrowed her eyes and said the last two words with such force that Ginny jumped. Behind Mrs. Weasley Hermione's eyes had widened and she had a look of absolute terror on her face.

"What secrets, Mum?" Ginny asked, trying not to drop her cup.

Mrs. Weasley laughed.

"Oh, I don't know….maybe the fact that you and Hermione are sharing something in common nowadays…"

Hermione, getting suspicious, walked over to the counter where a copy of the Daily Prophet was sitting. She took one look at the front page and froze.

"Ginny." She whispered.

"What?" Ginny got up and Hermione handed it to her. There on the front page…

Harry Potter Jr.?

Harry Potter Jr.? The idea may seem ludicrous, but to this reporter, the dream is very much in reach. It appears that Mr. Potter and

Ginny Weasley, Potter's Hogwarts Sweetheart, have not only gotten

married, but are now expecting! An eyewitness saw Ms. Weasley

entering St. Mungo's this afternoon. 'I decided to follow her.' The

witness, who wishes to remain anonymous, recounts, 'She was with

that Granger girl, who I know for a fact is close with Potter. I was

standing right behind them when I heard Ms. Weasley request a

private consultation with a Healer. That set warning bells off at once.

So, I followed them and used a handy little product from the W.W.W

(Weasley's Wizard Wheezes) to gain information about Ms. Weasley's

health. I not only discovered that Ms. Weasley is now Mrs. Potter and

expecting a boy, but that Ms. Granger is unmarried and also expecting

a girl!' Well, well, well, what will this baby bring? Another hero? Another

hope for the Wizarding world? Or, perhaps, a child prodigy! Of course,

one must not only ask why the Potters are keeping their marriage and

child a secret, but also…just who IS the father of Ms. Granger's baby?

Dare we hope that a genius like never seen before shall come if Daddy

Harry is expecting two instead of one? We shall keep you informed.

Ginny sat there for a moment in complete shock.

"How…" She whispered.

"I don't know." Hermione said, coming up and placing a soothing hand on her best friend's shoulder.

"We didn't even come in the normal way! We went by Floo! Who could have possibly seen us go in?" Ginny turned to look at Hermione, who shrugged.

"So it's true then? You're having a baby and you've kept it from me? From your father?" Mrs. Weasley said shrilly.

"Mum, I only just found out!" Ginny said, starting to cry. "I only found out this morning and I wanted Harry to know first and—and now! Look what happened! I never should have gone! I knew it was risky, and now the entire world knows! I don't want to have to shy away from the public just because I'm expecting Harry's baby! Why can't they just leave us alone?" She sobbed.

"Ginevra Molly Potter, you are Harry Potter's wife. Harry saved our world; you have to expect some publicity!" Mrs. Weasley put a comforting arm around her daughter.

"But I don't want our son to have to go through it." Ginny sniffed.

"I'll see what your father can do, dear. Just concentrate on how to fix this mess."

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At the Ministry…

"Hey Potter! Potter!"

Harry had just finished testing to become an Auror and the last thing he wanted to see right then was a competitor running up behind him.

"Yeah?"

"What kind of a man are you anyways? I'd think that a man who just found out his wife's pregnant would pick a safer job than an Auror…but wait…you're Harry Potter! Mr. Tough Guy." The man sneered.

Harry stared at the man bewilderedly.

"What are you on about?" He asked angrily.

"Yeah, go on and act innocent. But remember, just because you're the Golden Boy doesn't mean you deserve this job." The man walked off before Harry could say another word. He was just entering an elevator shaft when a familiar voice called out to him. Turning, he saw Minerva McGonagall waving frantically at him.

"Professor McGonagall?" He stepped away from the elevator and walked over to his old Transfiguration teacher.

"Potter! I had to come and find you…it's about Sybil!" the professor seemed to be out of breath.

"Trelawney?" Harry said in surprise, "What is she dying or something?" He quickly masked his excitement as McGonagall shot him a glare.

"Far from it, Potter. I need you to come with me…there's something you should know."

"Professor…I need to get home to Ginny…can't this wait?" Harry looked longingly at the elevator shaft.

"No, Potter, you need to come with me, NOW."

McGonagall grabbed his arm and Apparated him to just outside Hogwarts's gates. She waved her wand at them and they opened instantly. She hurried him through the school and up to her office. The minute Harry entered his eyes immediately went to the portrait of his inspiration. Dumbledore was sleeping, but his eyes fluttered as McGonagall spoke.

"Sybil made a very interesting and startlingly real prediction today, Potter. There's been a prophecy made."

Harry's insides turned to ice.

"About what?" He asked, his voice shaking.

Not me, please not me.

"That's why I'm telling you…it doesn't say who yet. The…the full prediction is in here." McGonagall stepped over to the Pensieve.

"If it's not about me, then why do I need to hear it?" Harry asked testily. He'd had enough with prophecies to last him a lifetime.

McGonagall hesitated.

"Just listen, Potter."

She waved her wand at the silvery substance and Sybil Trelawney rose out of its depths, speaking in her ethereal voice…the voice Harry had heard twice before.

'At the end of the tenth month the two who together have the power to save the world from darkness will be born……one born of fire and emeralds…the other from fire and wisdom……and they must truthfully unite in the face of evil before both have passed their ten and seventh year or all will be lost to darkness and He will rise again………'

As Trelawney sank back into her shimmering depths, Harry turned to his old professor, entirely nonplussed.

"Professor, what does this have to do with me?" Harry asked. "I'm already born, so I really don't think—"

"Potter, it's not about you entirely." McGonagall snapped. "Honestly, for a father I'd have thought you would think about your child but—"

"What do you mean my child? Professor, I don't have a child!" Harry was getting worried. This was the second time someone had made a reference to him having a baby.

"You…" a peculiar expression came over Professor McGonagall's face, "You don't know?"

"Know what?" Harry was feeling deeply annoyed at this point.

"I really don't think I should be the one to tell you this Potter, but you're going to be a father. Here, read this if you don't believe me."

McGonagall thrust a copy of the afternoon Daily Prophet into Harry's hands. He stared down at it blankly, scanning the article. He felt his knees go weak, and McGonagall quickly flicked her wand, drawing a chair beneath him.

"I…Ginny…she never said…" He stuttered.

"I'm sure she had a reason, Potter, but that's not important right now. What's important is this prophecy. Do you not see the signs?"

Harry shook his head. He was beginning to feel quite ill.

Why wouldn't Ginny tell me this?

"Professor Dumbledore, you've had much more experience in these things than I have. Perhaps you ought to explain this one to Potter."

Harry turned to look at Dumbledore's portrait. The old man was no longer sleeping.

"Certainly Minerva. Harry, this prophecy describes startling features of not only yourself and Ms. Weasley, forgive me, Mrs. Potter, but also Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger. The fire I believe describes Mr. Weasley and your wife's hair, Ms. Granger is wisdom personified, and the emeralds—"

"My eyes." Harry whispered.

"Yes. Your eyes. It is now nearing the end of January, and in nine months, at the end of October, you and Mr. Weasley will become fathers. I do not know if there are any other likely candidates that this prophecy could apply to, but the four of you seem very likely indeed."

Harry sat there in shock.

"I—I don't…I don't want this." He said suddenly.

McGonagall looked taken aback, but Dumbledore seemed saddened.

"It isn't fair that you have to deal with so many expectations in your young life, but I am afraid that it is not so much you with whom this prophecy deals with as you think. You see, this prophecy deals with your son. Let me put it into simpler terms for you, Harry. Essentially, what the prophecy entails is your son and Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger's daughter must marry."

Harry sputtered indignantly.

"As I was saying, the two must marry before they both pass their seventeenth birthday, or the world that you worked so very hard to rebuild will collapse and Voldemort will rise again."

Harry paused.

"How can he rise again, sir? He's dead."

"Harry, never underestimate the power of what an unfulfilled prophecy can do."

Harry slumped back in his seat.

"They don't get a chance at all, sir? They have to marry? What good will their marriage do?"

Dumbledore smiled sadly.

"I'm afraid it is a bit more complicated than that, Harry. They must be in love in order for them to be married." The old man sighed, "Love…ah what a weapon it can be. It is also a weakness, Harry. Voldemort's weakness. He underestimates love, and in the end, it was, and still is, the thing that ended him. Yes, your son, and Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger's daughter must fall in love before they will be allowed to marry."

"Who can stop them from marrying even if they aren't in love, sir?" Harry asked, beginning to see a loophole. Or so he thought.

"The prophecy. These prophecies have an amazing hold over magic used today. An amazing hold. It will detect their love and allow the marriage, but if they aren't in love and try to force a marriage, I really am quite afraid of what would happen."

"What would happen?" Harry asked, his heart sinking.

"Death, I think." Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Yes, death. Love's contrary I do believe."

"I thought love's contrary was hate, sir."

"So it is, Harry. And is it not hate that so often causes death?"

Harry nodded glumly.

Dumbledore seemed to sense that Harry was tired and growing full of information.

"That is all for tonight, Harry. I suggest that you go home to your wife and tell her this. Oh, and it wouldn't hurt to tell Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger either."

Harry got up and opened the door to McGonagall's office but paused on his way out.

"Professor, I think I rather liked you in person better than portrait." Harry said.

The portrait Dumbledore smiled.

"As did I, Harry…as did I."

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A/N: There you go! Five pages on Microsoft word…so ten on fanfiction. I really could have kept going but the next part needs to happen in another chapter, so…oh well. I'll update soon.