Ao3 – Once_Upon_A_Potter

A/N I Own Nothing

January 1st, 2005

Ginevra Potter storms from Holyhead Harpies tent, fighting heard from within
November 20
th, 2004
By Violet Brown, Reporter for the Daily Prophet

Yesterday afternoon, Holyhead Harpies Chaser, Ginevra Potter was seen storming from the Holyhead Harpies tent just moments before the team was meant to play against Puddlemore United.

The question on everyone's mind was the same.

Why?

Why had Ginevra left so suddenly and in the fashion she had done so?

Well, this reporter decided to get the answers.

Just moments after Ginevra's departure, I approached the Holyhead Harpies' tent.

Before I had even announced myself, I could already hear the pandemonium Ginevra had left in her wake.

Team Captain and Beater Gwenog Jones was raging. I couldn't quite make out what about. Had, perhaps, Ginevra been kicked off the team?

"If this is how you treat members of your team during a family emergency," I could hear Seeker reserve Gianna Hoffman speaking with venom in her voice, "Then I want no part of it."

I knew it was rather unprofessional of me, but I couldn't help but linger, trying to catch what they were saying to each other.

"Don't expect me to come back next year." Chaser Eleanor Chapman, I couldn't help but to sneak a peek through a gap in their tent, seeing Gwenog Jones, someone that I had looked up to as I entered the reporting profession, had interviewed many times. Seeing her surrounded by now hostile teammates, it sent my stomach flipping.

"You asked her if she would not be needing her time off." Beater Ines Castro, in her broken English, I could see her pacing, brown eyes wide, and deep brown hair swishing in its ponytail. "If I were having miscarriages would you be asking me if I would be coming back sooner?"

I reeled at the sudden mention of miscarriages, I myself had suffered a miscarriage, back in 1978, just before my beautiful daughter Lavender was born. I could sympathize with another soul who was going through what I had.

"I'm married to a bearer myself, Gwen!" Gwenog Jones' own reserve, Beater Maeve O'Connor. "He's also pregnant, you know that he's also pregnant, giving birth any day now. If I got a phone call, telling me he was having a miscarriage, that something was wrong with him or our baby, would you expect me to be able to stay and play a game? Give it my all?"

I gasped at the mention of male bearers, an image of what was happening forming in my head. Was Harry Potter having a miscarriage, similar to what I had gone through in 1978? If so, it came as a shock to this reporter, given that I hadn't a clue he had been pregnant in the first place.

"I have given this team everything!" Gwenog Jones snapped, I quickly peeked through the gap again, seeing that there was now a noticeable split in the team, with Gwenog being separated from the team. "Is it really so much to ask that the team gives back?"

"I have been on this team years before you were even through school." Keeper Celeste Wood, elder sister to renowned Hogwarts Gryffindor Captain and Keeper Oliver Wood, "We have never. Never, denied a woman her right to go home to her family. Especially not when it comes to her family's health, whether that be her child, her partner, parent, sibling. Whether it be a hospital situation, flu, a cold, morning sickness, birth, miscarriage. We have a reserve team for a reason, Gwenog."

I found myself nodding, though no one else would see it, as long as I have had an interest in Quidditch, the Holyhead Harpies were always a team proud to have their reserves, to be able to let teammates leave if necessary. Previous captains always seemed to look at it as a moment to show they had been able to successfully train two teams, some wild times, especially during the dragon pox outbreak of 1980, even more than just the two teams.

"I am with Ginny, and I am with Eleanor and Gianna," Celeste Wood continued, "By the end of the season, if you are still on this team, then I am off of it."

I could see the rest of the team nodding in agreement, the ultimatum had been put out. The Holyhead Harpies would either be losing Gwenog Jones, or the entire team other than Gwenog. How had the captain been treating her team for them to all turn on her like so?

Unfortunately, I couldn't spend anymore time listening, the coach was headed over to bring the team out for the game. I had to make haste as to not be caught listening in.

Passing the coach on my way back to my seat, I could tell he hadn't a clue what had gone on that afternoon. I pitied the man, for what he would have to go through, just to get the team out of their tent.

If the conclusions I came to are in any way correct, if Ginevra and Harry Potter did actually suffer a miscarriage as I think, then they have my deepest condolences.

I wouldn't wish the pain of a pregnancy loss on my worst enemy.

Captain and Beater Gwenog Jones announces resignment, won't be returning for 2005 – 2006 season
January 1st, 2005
By Marietta Edgecombe

I think, by now, it's safe to say most Quidditch fanatics and even casual Quidditch fans have read the Daily Prophets' article on the Holyhead Harpies from November of 2004...

January 5th, 2005

"Good job leading the raid today." Robards commented, resting his hand on Harry's shoulder, they stood outside the Goyle manor, waiting for all Auror's to vacate before they themselves left, "All that's left for this one is the paperwork."

Harry chuckled, "There's a lot, isn't there?"

Robards whistled, taking his hand off of Harry's shoulder, "Oh you can bet your arse there is."

"Ron was the last out," Harry commented, "That's all twenty."

"Right again," Robards told him, "Keep up the good work and we may just make a Head Auror out of you after all." He teased.

Harry huffed, looking up at the older man.

"Can I trust you to make your way back to the office?" Robards asked, eyebrow raised.

Harry gave a single nod. "Of course."

"Then I'll see you back at the office." Robards told him, just before apparating away himself.

Harry glanced around, having the odd feeling of eyes on him, despite now being alone. He turned on heel, intending to apparate, only to see bright blue eyes looking at him from the darkness of the distant tree line.

He froze, making eye contact for a long moment, having an odd feeling of déjà vu.

"Hello?" He called out, immediately feeling foolish for doing so, and took a step forward.

The eyes disappeared and Harry could hear the rustling of leaves that had yet to be picked up.

A whining sound came from the tree line, making Harry reach for his wand, and with a soft "Lumos." The tree line was shrouded in light. Harry looked down and met the bright blue eyes of a black Labrador retriever puppy.

"Hey." He whispered, crouching down and holding his hand out, hoping to encourage the pup to approach. It did, slowly and hesitantly, but it did, coming up to Harry's hand and sniffing.

"Hi." Harry whispered again, reaching out and running his fingers on the pup's head, and down its back. Harry looked around, there weren't any muggles living in the area, and the Goyle's weren't the type to have any nonmagical pets. And the dog was obviously skin and bones, Harry noted, running his fingers down its back once again, and feeling the ridges of the dog's spine.

Knowing he needed to make his way back to the office, Harry made a split-second decision, "You want to come home with me? I don't see Gin having anything against it. As long as you can get along with our sons… And you're not an animagus in disguise."

The pup yipped, tugging on Harry's sleeve.

"I'm going to take that as a yes." Harry told it, scooping it up into his arms, before apparating away.

xXx

"Harry!" Ron called, when Harry apparated into the lobby, "What took you so lo- Why do you have a dog?"

Harry slowly turned to face Ron, "I found it just off the Goyle's property. Not exactly like I could leave it there."

Ron sighed, studying the dog from were it lay in Harry's arms, "Have you even checked to make sure it's not an animagus?"

"…not yet." Harry admitted.

"Bring her to my office." Ron told Harry, gesturing in the direction of his office.

"Her?" Harry asked, looking down at the pup in his arms.

"Yes." Ron confirmed, leading his brother-in-law to his office, "Her."

xXx

"Harry." Ginny started, when Harry stepped out of the floo in their living room, "Why exactly, do you have a dog?"

"…Why don't you have a dog?" Harry asked, holding the pup to his chest.

"I'm being serious, Harry." Ginny told him, crossing her arms, as she leaned against the doorway into the kitchen.

"I- I found her after a raid, okay?" Harry stuttered, "She was just lying there, watching me. And when I got closer she actually came to me, and I mean, look at her!" Harry exclaimed, gesturing best he could, "I couldn't just leave her there."

Ginny sighed, the pup honestly reminded her of Sirius Black's animagus form, in general with her being a black lab, but even more so with her bright blue eyes. "She's not an animagus, is she?"

Harry shook his head, "Ron checked."

"And, I assume you guys checked to make sure she wasn't someone else's?"

"Uh, of course. She didn't have a collar either." Harry told her, "And I mean, look at her." He said, holding the pup out slightly.

Ginny's lips twitched, as she reached out and scratched behind one of the pup's ears. "I guess she is a cutie…"

"We can keep her, then?"

Ginny looked around their living room, it wasn't like they didn't have the space, and hadn't they talked about getting a dog, before James was born?

"Does she have a name?" Ginny asked, already taking a guess at the answer.

Harry mumbled something Ginny couldn't quite make out.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Ginny asked.

"Snuffles." Harry said, just loud enough for Ginny to hear.

"You named her after your godfather." Ginny stated, she could see it.

Harry nodded.

"If she's good with James and Teddy." Ginny sighed, "Then, I suppose we could give it a try."

January 13th, 2005

"Snuffles!" James called, as he was led to his room for bedtime. The pup perked up, running over from where she was lying next to the couch, following them up the stairs. It was quickly becoming a normal sight to see the pup guarding James' bed at night, lying at the foot.

"They love her." Harry told Ginny, as he, James, and Snuffles made their way up the stairs.

Ginny rolled her eyes good naturedly, "I never doubted that!" she called back, she already knew, from the second she had seen the pup, that they would ultimately end up keeping her, honestly, she was rather attached herself at this point, she and Harry being primary caregivers, with James and Teddy occasionally helping with feeding and playing with her.

January 21st, 2005

"Mummy!" James exclaimed, running toward her, leaving the daycare worker behind.

"Hey, buddy!" Ginny cried, crouching to catch him. One thing she loved about her current job, she was able to help with dropping James and Teddy off in the mornings and picking them up in the afternoons.

January 25th, 2005

"So, why do you work here anyway?" Ginny finally asked Astoria, as the younger girl worked on making some French vanilla drink.

Astoria sighed, "Because I wanted to. My family isn't as much into the whole pureblood thing as most, well purebloods are."

"But yet, you still have a 'duty' to your family?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, well, that part we think, we just don't think muggles are below us." Astoria shrugged, snapping the lid onto the to-go cup she was working with. "My father actually seemed to think this would be good for me." Astoria couldn't exactly say she disagreed with him, either. If only her fiancé and his family would agree.

"What about after you get married?" Ginny asked, not wanting to lose the closest thing she has to a friend at this job. "Will you still work here?"

Astoria shrugged, "If it were up to me? Most likely. But it won't be up to me, it'll be up to Draco."

"That's not…" Ginny started.

"It's just how things are done, Ginevra." Astoria told her. "Not much I can do about it."

"What if you could do something, though?"

Astoria shook her head. "There's nothing."

"Sure there is!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Ginevra…" Astoria started, as she took the cup to the counter then called the customer's name.

"You walk up to Draco, and you tell him that you have rights too." Ginny encouraged.

"I don't know…" Astoria murmured.

"Astoria, you make that boy hear you."

January 30th, 2005

"I want to run for minister." Hermione announced at the last Sunday lunch of the month.

"Oh, Hermione, you'd be wonderful!" Molly gushed.

"What do you need?" Harry asked, leaning back and giving Hermione a calculative glance over.

Hermione grinned like the Cheshire cat. "I'm glad you asked."