CHAPTER 9:Screaming Pile of P-P and W-W

When Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny arrived back at The Burrow after their train ride, they were greeted by a round-table conference.

Bill, Charlie, Percy, Arthur and Molly were gathered around the table. Baby Teddy Lupin was asleep on a blanket on the floor.

"Ah, glad to see you back here," said Arthur. His voice sounded cheery enough, but it was clearly forced; there seemed to be lines there that hadn't been there two weeks earlier. "Come and sit down, Harry and Hermione. We're just discussing the funeral, and the baby." He gestured toward the baby on the floor, who Ron had only just noticed.

"Awww," cooed Ginny, scrambling for the carpet. She sat and gazed down at the baby. Hermione stayed and sat beside Ron at the table.

"We've decided," said Arthur, "to have the funeral next Friday. It's to be a private funeral. We don't want a circus act."

Ron nodded, glancing at his mother. She seemed completely hollow, like a light had switched off inside her. He felt sure he could guess what she was thinking, too. How guilty she felt for always criticising the twins, for always giving them a hard time about their studies and Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Now he was gone, and there was no way she could possibly make amends.

"As for this wee one over here," said Arthur, "we came up with an idea. Seeing as you're Teddy's godfather, Harry, and you'll be staying with us indefinitely – how would you feel – what I mean to say is – what do you think of us Weasleys adopting him?"

Hermione's mouth fell open as she stared at Harry.

"I – um – I mean…of course. Sounds like a good idea to me," said Harry. He felt somewhat relieved. The idea of being solely responsible for an orphaned infant was too much for him to bear right now.

"Right, then," said Arthur. "You lot go on upstairs to unpack, and the rest of us here will finish sorting out business."

"I hope Mum's not trying to get a replacement Fred," said Ron upstairs, watching his pyjamas and toothbrush fly back into their places. "That's not a good idea."

"Oh, let her be," said Hermione. "She's just lost her son. If she thinks Teddy will replace him somehow, and it makes her feel better – then why should it matter?"

"It's going to be a lot of fun, having a screaming, crying pile of poo-poos and wee-wees running round the house," said Ron bitterly. He threw the last of his clothes into his cupboard and pushed the door closed harder than he had intended.

"Nice to see your maturity shining through today, Ron," said Hermione, rolling her eyes.

"Well, don't get me wrong," said Ron. "It's a cute baby – as far as babies go. And – well – the fact that he's related to Lupin gives him double points. But me and babies? Putting up with Ginny when she was a baby was hard enough, blimey!"

A pillow flew from the corner of the room and hit Ron squarely in the nose.

"I think you deserved that," said Hermione. She, Harry and Ginny dissolved into peals of laughter and, after a few minutes, Ron joined in too.