"We probably should check back on them, keep them company, they obviously aren't old enough to truly be left on their own.", Narcissa reminded. "They got Dobby babysitting.", Waylon chuckled. "He's obviously done a pretty good job so far.".
Narcissa nods, "Fair enough..", with a smile, "Should we get some breakfast for them? Violet must be exhausted after all that delivery...".
Waylon smiles, "Read my mind, and besides, Badger is already a protective father and mate. He and Harry is stuck with them forever, and that's a good thing.".
"Agreed. Come on, they obviously want some alone time; they don't need Grandmum and Granddad watching their every move.", Narcissa chuckled as the two of them left. "Rest easy, you two.", Waylon said as he closed the door.
Sure enough, within the day passing on, Dalinda appeared after all the cubs are all fed and asleep, and it was a great reunion between Harry and Dalinda, with so much kissing, hugging, and all that jazz.
After much talking over the next couple days, they gave the cubs their human names even if they aren't to shift to human for some time yet. For Simba, he's given the human name of Jasper Waverly Potter-Jones-Black. For their only daughter, Midnight, she's given the human name of Rose Nyasia Potter-Jones-Black. And of course, for Obsidian, he's given the human name of Draco Scorpius Potter-Jones-Black.
Harry really just felt pain when Dalinda finally got around to explaining what had happened through her imprisonment and her journey to Hogwarts. Harry honestly had to fight to keep himself in control, hearing especially the moment that her own blood father tried to rape her before she escaped. That was one thing that Harry was going to stay eternally grateful for.
At the same time, Dalinda mostly just enjoyed the rest from the long exhausting journey she had to undertake, while also healing her shattered hand. Of course, Pomfrey had to rebreak it first since it was already starting to heal wrong, but thankfully a night in the medical wing at least solved that. And Harry never left her side for a moment.
And before they knew it, it was Halloween at last. Now, Halloween had been kind of good and bad for his first 10 years of Harry's life, and within Hogwarts, it's either a mix of grief or fighting mysteries like a troll and such. Today, on his 7th year, Harry was greeted with a peek into Voldemort's mind as he was so frantic and busy in planning his attack strategy on Hogwarts, and to his shock, he decided to do it today, on Halloween.
"Our forces are now in place.", Voldemort explained to the table at Malfoy Manor. "We've kept the Ministry well distracted to move the forces inward around Hogwarts.".
"I think a smart decision would be to drive out the Acromantula colony in the Forbidden Forest.", Macnair suggested. Aragog passed away last year, Harry knew through Hagrid, and his children obviously would be very restless. "Either direct them to the school or keep the Centaur tribe distracted.".
"The Giants, werewolves and Dementors are in place.", Rudolphus informed. "As well as some others we managed to sway to our cause.".
Voldemort nodded sharply, "Excellent.", with a cold expression, "As we all know, Greyback will lead the werewolves, I will lead the Dementors, Bellatrix will lead the Death Eaters, and the newbies will direct the Acromantula colony to the school, with Lucius leading the Giants to distract the Centaurs. And Lucius, this is your last chance to prove me that you are loyal to me, understand?".
The rest of the Death Eaters snickered and traded amused looks at each other as Lucius bowed his head, looking dreadful after spending a long time in the dungeons as punishment, "I understand crystal clear, my Lord.".
"There is a bit of an issue that I wanted to bring up with you, my Lord.", Yaxley spoke up. "As you know, you appointed me head of our attempt to infiltrate the Ministry and be in a proper position to commit a quick coup to gain control. I know I haven't been as fast or as successful as you ordered me, but I'm making good progress now.".
"You must use whom you've already had Imperiused and have them distract the Ministry while we launch our assault. All Hogwarts will have is Dumbledore, his pathetic Order and a few friends to try and help them along with whatever magical defenses the school has." Voldemort said. Yaxley was taken back by this decision.
"But, my Lord-", Yaxley started to speak. "The death of Dumbledore and Potter at my hands will bring an end to all this. Hogwarts will be wiped away and break the Ministry's resilience.", Voldemort growled with a warning hiss.
Of course, Harry knew the reason; revenge and desperately checking to see if the Diadem was still a Horcrux. Voldemort's plan obviously wasn't full proof. It was one thing to keep the Ministry distracted for as long as needed; but to also defeat Dumbledore head on and slaughter much of the Hogwarts staff and Order members... If anything went wrong, it would be disastrous for Voldemort even if he and Nagini escaped.
"My Lord... what of Snape?", Rudolphus asked. "I want him alive if possible. I want to truly break him for his deceit.", Voldemort lowly hissed.
Harry knew he had enough of the plan now, and pulled back, shutting up and pulling up his shields to full power...All the same, Nagini and Harry himself is the last chance to finish Voldemort's immortal, dangerous desire, and even if Harry wanted so badly to stay with Dalinda and their children...Merlin, she has to know now...He needs to save this world, and if he can't see their children grow up in a peaceful world, he would be at least in peace to know that they have Dalinda and the rest of the family and their friends to be part of it.
The word was spread quickly. Harry informed Dumbledore and the plans that the Order and Hogwarts had made were ready to be performed. However, the students weren't being evacuated yet. If the Order moved in and the school emptied too early, Voldemort would realize that he had been found out and might either call off the attack or just simply stay safe away. This might be the Wizarding World's best chance to end him once and for all and another might not ever come.
It was getting late in the afternoon as everyone was on edge, those willing to stay and fight, as Harry walked through the halls before heading into the ROR where he asked Dalinda to wait for him.
Their cubs are still blind and deaf, and asleep after a feeding, watched over by Winky while Narcissa and Waylon is trying to distract their twins by playing with them deep in their rooms.
Harry took a deep breath, looking at Dalinda, sweeping his eyes over her as if he's taking every piece of her to memory, seeing her resting on a loveseat, "I know that look, Harry. This is a serious talk...What's wrong?", as Harry slowly went to join her...
Harry sat down next to her as he just rubbed his hands against her and sighed, "Somedays I often wonder what I did to deserve a wonderful young woman like yourself.".
She chuckled, "I could ask the same about you.". She slowly stopped as she just saw that sadness and regret in his eyes. "Harry, I know we're all afraid about what's coming; that the risks we're taking and putting our lives in danger, but there's something more, isn't there?".
Harry gave a small nod. "That night... in the cave, when I saw Uncle Regulus's spirit and all... I learned something that Dumbledore had been keeping from me... and I think you might have guessed for some time yourself.".
Dalinda frowned softly before blinking, "Oh, don't tell me that there's one more horcrux out there! I'd be glad to help you search and everything, but we got the cubs to think about, and gosh, Voldemort...is he really suspicious lately?".
Harry sighed heavily, "We don't have to search anywhere, Dali...But there's actually one more Horcrux...something Voldemort did unknowingly that night, that night he attacked my parents...", looking at her with pain...
Dalinda looked at him before it hit her. She was sure she just got shot in the heart somehow as it had clicked, "No..."
"There's a reason why I can feel them... the Horcruxes... why I can speak Parseltongue, see into Voldemort's mind... because I'm part of him... I'm the seventh Horcrux.", Harry spoke in an almost-loud whisper.
Dalinda shook her head, "That can't be true! It can't, it can't!", sobbing as she slammed her hands on Harry's chest.
"It is...", Harry whispered as he wrapped his arms around her tight. "I really wish it wasn't... but it is the truth. Do you honestly think I would deceive you about this?". She shook her head as she kept sobbing. He would never say something like this unless it was the complete truth. "I'm sorry, Dalinda... I really wish it wasn't...", he started to tear up.
Dalinda whispered weakly, "You love me always and forever, Harry?", and Harry shed tears as he whispered firmly, "I always will love you, and nothing will ever change that. You are the soul of my heart, and I will wait for you forever and ever.".
Looking up at Harry, tears falling, "I would never forget our love, Harry...Our cubs...", and Harry heaved deeply with a sob, "You are the strongest woman I ever knew. Take care of them for me, okay?".
Dalinda nodded, "That, I solemnly promise, Harry James Potter. Our cubs, our children will always know their father, not the legend of the Boy Who Lived, but the true self of a young man I treasured in growing up with, falling in love with, and most of all, sharing our lives together...".
Harry smiled tearfully, "Thank you, Dali...Tell them to be their own people in time...", and Dalinda sniffed, "I will...Harry, before the battle comes...will you make love with me one last time, please?", deeply relieved that she took the monthly potion after her hand was fixed, for she knows three children is enough to spread love and family bonds with.
"I would do it forever if I could.", Harry whispered back to her as he slowly started to help her out of her clothes while she did the same to him. The two of them were going to enjoy the last connection they might ever have; no matter what happens this coming night. For a few fleeting moments, the two of them were all that existed in the world.
The hour they spent felt too short, and then eventually, when they heard Dumbledore's voice boom over the magical speakers, calling for positions to start, they realized that the battle is finally coming, with Voldemort, Nagini, his army..
Harry and Dalinda shared one last kiss after Violet and Badger nuzzled each other one last time, and Dalinda, with tears falling, went one way to her children, to look after them and protect them while Harry, with a weary, determined sigh, went another way to lead the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor 7th years, to begin their part of the defense strategy plan to protect Hogwarts and fight the Dark side.
All the plans that had been prepared for the past few months; it would be put to the test as many of the Order, their friends and family, close allies, even a few from the Ministry like Mad-Eye and Shacklebolt, came to the school's defense and was prepared to fight and even die, if it mean victory once and for all. Some Goblins from Gringotts showed up too, willing to serve out their final favor to Dumbledore and Hogwarts since a future under Voldemort was no future at all for any.
McGonagall awoke the statues as they took their places on the main bridge and the courtyard, an early line of defense and more than willing to be expendable in order to fulfill their oath to defend the school. Other holes in the defense were being quickly patched up as fast as they could. For example, Dumbledore ordered the wooden bridge to be destroyed, led by Edward and Seamus who set charges the young wizard designed; to try and funnel in Voldemort's forces that couldn't fly over like his Death Eaters. Hagrid ran off into the woods, to hopefully get Firenze and the other Centaurs rallied to assist. The bridge would cut them off, but it led their only other path back around to hopefully hit Voldemort's forces in the rear in a pincer attack.
And of course, the younger years got evacuated by the Hogwarts elves, transporting them to the Chamber of Secrets where Snape stood by with their addresses, and then after a check on the family houses of the students to make sure that there's no Death Eaters anywhere else besides Hogwarts, they then took them home to stay with their families, to be safe from the dangers of battle.
Ron, as Chief, has talked to Buckbeak, the leader of the Hippogriffs, and now they are hiding within the courtyards, waiting for the signal to drop their boulders and battle-specific Quaffles on the army, and Cedric is assigning his co-leaders to stay with their own squadrons to wait and hide in the top of the towers like the Astronomy Tower, the Headmaster's Tower, Gryffindor Tower, etc, on their brooms, having bottomless bags of the Weasley Twins's battle inventions.
It would be a strong defense, and against just Voldemort and his Death Eaters, it would be almost one sided for the good guys even with the Dark Lord... but Voldemort, despite his insanity of splitting his soul and his lust for power and immortality, still could be coldly calculating and he certainly leveled the playing field and surpassed it with the army he had gathered around. The sun began to set as the teachers and others sent wave after wave of differing spells to create a massive shield around the grounds of the school; to at least make it look like they were trying to keep Voldemort out and delay him. In fact, delaying was part of the plan, more time for the Ministry to gather its own reinforcements when Minister Bones could spare them as she was dealing with Yaxley's... one would call, half-assed coup attempt.
For communication far and wide, they have the HDA coins as it was far easier to copy than a runes-running communication mirror like Sirius and Harry has. They could waste time with Patronus messages, so that's out as for like Dumbledore said; one minute wasted, one life lost. Elves could be used as emergencies in case if the Portkeys gets broken or destroyed.
Harry, and he knew the sentiment shared by everyone else, would be that all the planning would be enough. But the main goal was to kill Nagini as soon as possible. Then Harry knew he would need to confront Voldemort. Dumbledore quickly told him that it would be essential to Voldemort's defeat for him to destroy his own Horcrux, especially since he didn't know about it. Harry agreed; he had accepted his fate for the past few days, and only confirmed it earlier when he confessed to Dalinda.
Any other time, Harry would be over the moon, cuddling with Dalinda and feeling awed over the cubs with eyes never straying off them, delighting in every motion they did from suckling Violet's teats, making sounds, and trying to wrestle a sibling, and using touch to sniff and paw Harry's face...But today, Harry's holding them so close to his heart while he fights in this much-awaited battle. He won't allow Voldemort to put harm anywhere near his beloved wife or children.
Jasper, Rose, and Draco deserve to have their lives, and if Harry has to sacrifice himself to give his children peace and happiness, so be it. He hears familiar voices, and he turns around the corner to see his fellow schoolmates, taking in every face he knows to heart. He knew that there will be death and trauma in this battle as it often is during so many wars...
Harry took a deep breath as he looked out far ahead to see on one of the hills, a large group of Death Eaters, gathered and overlooking their early command post before parting to reveal Voldemort. Harry was thankful for Badger's eyes there since he was able to at least better make out what was almost nearly a whole mile away.
"He's really planning on attacking, ain't he, Potter?", Harry glanced over to see Peeves who was hovering next to him. "Yeah, you'll certainly give him a warm welcome, won't you?", Harry smirked.
"Oh, I've got a few pranks they'll just be 'dying' to see.", the poltergeist chuckled. "Thought... I wonder what he's waiting for...".
"Probably making an announcement. Try to use psychological warfare.", Harry answered, looking back to the other defenders who were with him.
Harry took a deep breath as he looked at them, "Ladies and gentlemen, on this day, our lives will change for the better or the worst, and we must fight to protect Hogwarts, our beloved school, our wonderful home for 9 months out of our seven years. I cannot lie to say that there will be blood, pain, trauma, grief, and much more than we could imagine. But Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors, this is your time to shine like the stars you are. Remember why we are doing this. Our families, our friends, our world are part of us. We are not students, but wizards and witches, and we have magic on our side. So, I ask you this. Will you save Hogwarts and show our enemies no mercy?".