Hush Little Baby

Chapter 2

The Weasley's and Harry apparated to the Burrow where his best friends waited for him. He had expressly forbidden Hermione, Ron or even Ginny from participating. And as his friends, although protesting vehemently had agreed. And so there they waited. Waited for any news at all, hoping with all their might that everyone would make it through alright. Now they heard the unmistakable crack of apparition. As one the three of them stood up. Everyone appeared alright, although Mr. Weasley looked like he'd seen better days and the twins were cut up a bit. Bill and Charlie both obviously could use a bed, and a bath, they decided as the pungent odor of swear mixed with blood hit their noses. Then their eyes settled on Harry.

"HARRY!" They shouted again as one and hurriedly went to him.

Harry quickly put a finger to his lips and shushed them. He still held the Baby Voldemort, who was still snoozing peacefully, he wanted to keep it that way for at least another few hours. "Guys, quiet, please."

Hermione was the first to notice the reason for the quiet. "Awwww, who is this little guy? Don't tell me a child wandered into the battle. He could have been killed."

"Why did you bring him back?" Ron asked perplexed as Ron usually was.

"Well, this little guy as you put it, Hermione, is not any normal baby. This is believe it or not, this is Voldemort." He told them, deciding to put it simply.

All three jaws dropped.

"You mean, this….child…this kid is…." Ginny stammered. She remembered Tom Riddle quite well. Now he was in front of her again. True, he was asleep, sucking his thumb and only about two feet high, but it was difficult to forget what he did to her.

Harry nodded. At that point he decided he ought to take the little one up to the bedroom, once Percy's, that he was using until school began again. Placing the boy in the small, comfy bed, he did what he wished someone had done for him when he was that young, and tucked him in. Of course, he didn't really know why. He ought to just leave the kid to his own devices, perhaps send him to an orphanage. But he knew that he could never do that.

So he left the boy to his sleep and went downstairs where Mrs. Weasley had immediately gotten the occupants some much needed tea and hot chocolate.

"So, what are we to do with the little tyke?" pondered Mr. Weasley aloud as Harry sat between him and Ron, the only other seat available.

Harry looked at him. "What else? I'll have to take care of him?"

Many gasps reached his ears, none of them unexpected.

"Harry, you don't have to do that." Molly exclaimed. "We can easily take care of him here. Why we'll even apply for guardianship. You're just a child yourself, after all."

Harry shook his head. "No, Mrs. Weasley. I haven't been a child since I was a year old. Voldemort never got to have a childhood because of the early manifestation of his power, and his control over it. One of his needs to have one. And, I can take care of him. And I want to." He said these things to relieve them of their worry that he might be doing this out of an imagined obligation. But in truth, he didn't really want to. He would now be able to be a teenager, now that the war would be over. But, he was responsible for this mess, shouldn't he clean it up?

The conversation descended into how Harry would take care of him. What about school? What about money? What about this, what about that? Where would they live? Harry simply countered each one. He pointed out his parents' fortune was more than enough to care for a baby. School? Well, he was sure Headmistress McGonagall would have a solution to that. After all, surely the castle was big enough. And, as he also pointed out, he was seventeen, a legal adult in the wizarding. And with simply a flicking back of his messy hair to reveal his forehead, people would easily grant him his request to be the boy's legal guardian.

Not long after this decision, little Baby Voldemort awakened and trudged, although clumsily, through the upstairs hallway and down the stairs, holding onto the banister for dear life. When Ginny, being the first to hear the little pitter-patter of socked feet on the wood steps, saw this, she melted and inwardly she agreed with Harry's decision. "Harry, I think someone's awake." She said to him, gesturing to the stairs.

Harry looked up from his conversation with Mrs. Weasley on the care of toddlers. He saw the tot coming down the stairs, trying not to trip on the very big robes he was still wrapped in. He quickly noticed when he finally missed a step, and got tangled in the robes and fell the rest of the three steps down to the wood floor. And almost at once he was at the side of the wailing baby. "Oh, it's alright," He assured him, picking the boy up from the floor and taking him to the sofa. "Don't worry, I'll make it better." He rubbed the child's back. While he rocked the sobbing child he looked to Mrs. Weasley. "Do you know a way to figure how old he is right now?" He asked her.

Molly nodded. "Of course, it's a simple spell." She waved her wand at Baby Voldemort. "Hmmm, according to this, he's approximately two and a half."

AN: K, I'm ending this here for now, as it is time for me to go to bed, I have to work early tomorrow. Oh, I got a question regarding why I chose for him to be two years old again. In my opinion, two years old is the age of the greatest innocence in a child. I say this because from birth through age one, a baby is still trying to comprehend his world. A two year old understands, somewhat, and tries to continue making sense of it, which is where get their TERRIBLE TWO's stage. They aren't any less innocent through this, they just don't know better. I wanted Voldemort just cognizant enough to recognize various everyday objects and to draw conclusions of his own, like the idea that Harry is "papa" Hope you all enjoyed this chapter.

COMING SOON: I promise a shopping trip and a few friendly death eaters.