Ch 52 A Quiet Winter into Spring.
It was a beautiful spring day the end of April twenty-twenty-four. Albus and Harry were outside on a balcony connected to Albus and Cleo's quarters. The temperature was brisk, but the sun was shining on the balcony, and the slight breeze did not chill them. The smell of spring was in the air and there was a riot of spring colors.
The front of the palace faced the plaza. The rear of the palace was where Albus and Cleo's private quarters were, starting at the sub-basement. The quarters went from the atrium on the inside to the outside of the castle, and the balcony was on floor minus three, outside a large formal meeting room that was two stories high.
Albus had to admit that the numbering of floors could be very confusing. The floor on the level of the plaza was by design and appearance the main floor, and there were two floors above the main floor. There were ten floors below the main floor, which is why they were called "minus" floors, but three of the four sides were exposed, with plenty of windows, and only one side of the castle below the main floor was built into the mountain. The rooms on that one side of the castle, built into the mountain, could feel very underground, but the rooms on the other sides, with their windows, did not.
The lowest floor contained stables, and it just didn't feel like the main floor of a castle in any sense.
On three sides the mountains rose above the valley, each side full of the buildings of the Magi, work that had been going on for over three-thousand years. The crops and farmland were almost always close to the mountains, since the barns and homes of the farmers were built into and on the mountainsides. Directly across from the palace was a more moderate slope, no less high, with grass, forest, and farmland rising over halfway to the top of the mountain.
"Beautiful, isn't it," Albus told his father.
"Very different than England, or even Scotland," Harry replied. "but yes, it is beautiful." He put his hand on his middle son's shoulder and squeezed.
"There is a lake in the middle of the valley," Albus told his father, pointing in the general direction. "It drains through some hidden drains to the outside of the valley. Even in the heaviest rain it does not get more than half a meter higher, and even in the driest part of the year it doesn't get more than half a meter lower.
"There are cisterns that supply water to most of the valley. The valley has had running water of some sort for well over two-thousand years, thanks to Magi who learned Roman engineering. The valley is really a marvel."
"You love this valley," Harry observed.
"I am very content to live here," Albus replied. "Cleo loves the valley. She loves going to Resort Cleo, but she could never see living there. This really is home.
"I'm very ready for no more adventures, dad. Did you feel that way after you defeated Tom Riddle?"
"I remember thinking that I had experienced enough trouble for a lifetime," Harry answered, he leaned his elbows on the balcony as he looked out over the picturesque scenery. "I think I could have retired right then and there, except that Great Britain needed me. I didn't really get a vacation for a year."
"I feel the same way," Albus reflected. "I'm glad we went to Resort Cleo for two weeks, and that was mostly a vacation. I'm finding that with this, I guess you would call it a job, it is more than just a job, you never totally get away from your responsibilities."
"It is important not to let your responsibilities overwhelm you," Harry told his son. "There comes a time when you have to take care of yourself, and your family."
"How is mum?" Albus wondered, he leaned on the balcony, his voice filled with concern.
"Tired," Harry replied. "Terrified that Monica will die, but aware that she is not getting better. It is a very difficult situation. I hate to say it, but I'm not sure how much longer Monica will live, and every day she does it is very hard on your mother. Losing Monica would be hard too. No good, easy answers."
"I'm sorry," Albus replied, Harry hugged his son with one arm, his gaze resolutely forward, both ignoring the tears that fell from their eyes.
Albus reflected, as April turned into May of twenty-twenty-four, that the last five months had been very productive, without much excitement. Good governing and slow but steady progress wasn't anything to write about if you wanted an adventure tale, and twenty-twenty-three had been enough excitement for a lifetime.
His father had told him that after he killed Tom Riddle he figured he had experienced enough excitement for a lifetime, except he couldn't just hide and let others deal with the problems of the world of the Magi. That was what Albus and Cleo were facing right now. Prophesies that foretold one more big battle, but by being careful no attacks against them or their family.
May first Ginny looked at her two babies. At seven and a half months Gregory was working on crawling, only sometimes successfully. He was a good, patient baby.
Monica was seven pounds (3.17 kg) a month ago when they were at Mayo Magical Medical, but Ginny was sure she had lost weight. She did not look emaciated like photographs of starving babies, but she looked noticeably thinner and less healthy. She still slept most of the time, and Ginny was not sure how much she was aware when she was awake. They still had not gone more than a week between spells of her breathing stopping, although they had been able to have her start breathing quickly enough. The healers told Ginny that they had not detected any evidence that her heart had stopped, but the baby still just didn't always breathe.
Ginny guessed it was quickly enough. No one could tell her if Monica's spells were causing damage to the baby. She was back on oxygen, which worried Ginny.
May third they were going to be flying to Mayo Magical Medical. The would actually leave the evening of May second and sleep on the airplane. It was easier to take Monica in the DPW airplane than try and walk her with her oxygen concentrator through the Floo and Closet networks. It was easier nursing the two babies in the airplane than dealing with them while traveling by Floo and Closet.
Ginny was tired, exhausted. And she felt guilty that Monica had made her so tired. And she felt guilty that she was grateful for Lily's help, because the only reason that Lily was so helpful is that Lily had become pregnant the summer she turned sixteen.
So far twenty-twenty-four was not a good year for Ginny.
Harry woke up in the middle of the night, and with help had Ginny and the babies, plus Mitzi who wanted to come, and other help, at the airport in the middle of the night. One advantage of owning a private plane was the accommodations, with beds so he and Ginny and others could get a good night's sleep with what was left of the night.
"We are almost there," Harry told Ginny, waking her. "We need to get into our seats and fasten our seat belts. The airplane is getting ready to land."
Ginny moved from the bed to a seat and buckled up.
A car was waiting for them, and they were whisked away to the building at the Mayo Magical Medical complex that dealt with infants and children, on the original Mayo campus and not downtown where most of the new buildings were.
After what seemed like a world of tests, Harry and Ginny met the team of doctors. Ginny was holding Monica, but other members of the staff that had accompanied Harry and Ginny waited outside, and they were watching Gregory.
The head healer looked sad. "Monica has lost a significant amount of weight, and some of her organs are starting to show signs of failing," he said.
"What do we do?" Ginny wondered, looking down at her baby, trying not to cry. Harry pulled her head to his shoulder as they both turned desperate eyes to the doctors.
The healers all looked at each other. Finally, the head healer told the couple, "We are out of ways to help Monica.
"We see situations like this too often. In my experience the best thing to do is to leave the garment that wails every time she stops breathing off, and let her quietly die. She will die anyway, and wearing the garment may just make her die while people are frantically trying to revive her, something that will not help her or you."
"Let her die?" Ginny said, speaking so softly she was almost mouthing the words instead of saying them.
"Monica is dying," the healer repeated, crouching down to be at eye level with Ginny. Ginny could see genuine grief in the healer's eyes. "We do not think there is anything we can do to keep her from dying. Keep taking care of her until she dies, but when she is ready to go let her go."
"Keep nursing her?" Ginny asked, looking sadly at the baby, her eyes gradually filling with tears.
"If she wants to," the healer answered. "If you cannot get her to nurse, then don't. One thing that can happen when a body is shutting down is that the person just doesn't want to eat. Eat or drink at times. Sometimes she may take a little water even if she doesn't want to nurse."
"How long?" Ginny wondered. "How long before she …" Ginny couldn't say it, couldn't say 'dies.' She burst into tears, holding and rocking Monica.
"Days, a couple of weeks at the most," the healer replied. "Any time, actually, although I would guess not today."
Ginny nodded, still crying. She looked sadly at Monica Jane. "I'm sorry, little girl," she sobbed. "We did all that we could. I'm sorry we couldn't make you better."
Harry did what he always did when faced with a difficult situation. He went into his 'what do I have to do now' mode. He was worried about Ginny, and his first job was to do what he needed to do to protect her. And the first thing he needed to do was to give her time with Monica, to allow her to grieve and hold the little baby until the time came when she was no longer with them. And that meant having Lily take care of the Quidditch column.
"I will tell Lily she is in charge of the Quidditch column this weekend," Harry told Ginny.
Ginny nodded yes, as she lovingly patted Monica's back.
So Harry called Lily. "Hello, Lily."
"Hello, father. How are you? How are mum and Monica?"
"It is real tough here right now. Lily, the healers have told us that Monica is dying, doesn't have much more time to live. Your mother is crying right now, and I do not think there is any way she can help with the Quidditch column this weekend."
"Oh Boggarts. That's not good. That's HORRIBLE! Dad! What do we do?"
"What you can do is take care of the Quidditch column, Lily. Let your mother grieve, and spend what time is left with Monica, and you take care of the Quidditch column."
"Should I tell anyone why? Dad, are you going to tell people? What do we DO?"
"You can tell people, if they ask, that Monica is very sick and is not expected to survive, and that your mother is going to be with Monica for the next week or two. And Lily, thank you. It may be hard for you to concentrate the next few days, but by doing a good job on the column you are giving your mother the best present you possible could during this difficult time."
"I will, dad. I will do my best. Oh crap, Boggarts. I'll do the best I can for you and mum."
"Thank you, Lily. Bye."
"Bye."
"Lily will take care of the Quidditch column this weekend," Harry told Ginny.
"Thank you," Ginny told Harry.
Ginny sat there for several more minutes, and finally Harry decided that they had better go home.
"It is time to go home, Ginny," Harry told Ginny.
"Time to go home," Mitzi, who had been with Ginny the whole time, repeated.
Harry helped Ginny to her feet, and Mitzi walked alongside her as she usually did, as a rather unsteady Ginny left the conference room where they had met with the healers.
Everyone outside the room looked concerned as Ginny and Harry appeared, evidence of their sorrow heavy on their faces.
Harry volunteered, working hard to hold back his tears, "Monica is dying. The next time she stops breathing we are not going to try and revive her, since that will only prolong the inevitable. Letting her just go to sleep and die is better than frantically trying to revive her."
Everyone accompanying Harry and Ginny were sorry, although to be honest few were surprised.
Harry called Molly, and Molly indicated that she would tell the family that Monica Jane was dying.
Saturday morning Monica had nursed a little, but Ginny didn't think she had much to eat, and the baby had taken a little water as well. Gregory, as usual, had drained Ginny, and was now wide awake. Ginny went back to sleep. Harry was not sure how well Ginny had slept last night, but she was tired, and just looked worn out.
Mitzi appeared. "I will tell you when Ginny is awake," the little Elf told Harry.
Harry carried Gregory down the stairs
"Your little sister isn't doing very well," Harry told his little son.
"Aaawwww?" Gregory replied, "Bebebe?"
Harry was not sure how much Gregory understood, but he was aware of his little sister. He had gently touched her this morning, and looked a little concerned.
Harry put Gregory in his high chair, gave him a few "O" cereals, and did the spell that would confine them so they did not end up all over the floor. Gregory proceeded to play with them, getting a few into his mouth, babbling away. Harry replied as well as he could, being reasonably fluent at baby talk.
Harry looked at his mobile. His mother-in-law was calling.
"Good morning, mum," Harry answered.
"Good morning, Harry. Do you mind if I come over? Minerva would like to come home."
"Please," Harry replied.
A short time later Molly came through the Floo, Minerva accompanying her.
"How is Ginny?" Molly wondered, pulling her son-in-love into a gentle hug.
"Grieving," Harry replied. "Trying to love Monica and be the best mum she can be for these last days and hours. She is sleeping now; Mitzi said she would tell me when Ginny was awake."
"How are you doing, Harry?"
"Trying to hold it together, for Ginny and Gregory and … I don't know. I need to let Ginny grieve. She has dedicated almost all of the last eight months trying to do her best for Monica Jane, and take care of Gregory, and be a mother and wife to the rest of us, and she is just worn out. I need to be strong for her."
"You need to grieve too, Harry," Molly told her son-in-law, as she fussily busily began preparing tea, needing something to do with her hands.
"I am," Harry replied. "It is just different for me. I think once Ginny has had a chance, once the baby is dead and we have come to terms with it, maybe I can … I don't know. It is not like it is not hard on me. You just have to keep on living."
"I want to hold Ginny in my arms and tell her that everything is going to be fine," Molly told Harry. "But everything is not going to be fine, and there is nothing I can do to make it better."
"Mmmmm!" Gregory exclaimed as he held out his arms.
Molly picked him up, planting a kiss on his cheeks with a raspberry making him squeal, and held him.
Gregory proceed to put Molly's dress in his mouth, slobbering all over the garment.
"Have you ever seen one of Fleur's garments with slobber all over it?" Harry wondered.
Molly made a face and shook her head 'no'. "Veela magic. Dominique is the same way. Babies are not the neatest of creatures," Molly observed.
"Is Monica going to die?" Minerva tried to confirm.
"Yes, rather soon," Harry told his daughter. Minerva looked close to tears, but didn't say anything else. Harry opened his arms and took his daughter into his arms. "It is a really sad time for us, Minerva," he told his daughter, as Minerva started to gently cry. Minerva hugged her dad some more, before letting go. She looked at her grandmother Molly and went into her arms, and Molly hugged her granddaughter, trying to comfort her.
"It is just not fair!" Minerva bawled, the tears wetting Molly's dress. "Mummy has worked so hard to take care of Monica Jane, and it is just not fair that she is dying."
"Life is not always fair," Harry told his daughter, fighting back tears himself. "We all did the best we could."
Harry, Molly, Minerva, and Gregory went upstairs to the drawing room, and for a while Molly held Gregory as they played and babbled at each other. Eventually Mitzi appeared and told them, "Mistress is awake."
"I will go up to see her, if you do not mind," Molly told Harry.
"Please," Harry told Molly. Harry took Gregory, who was beginning to tire, and held him, walkingback and forth and patting his back as the toddler fell asleep. Minerva had found a chapter book to read in the library, and was sitting in a chair deep into the book.
Molly went into Harry and Ginny's bedroom to see Ginny dressed, sitting on their bed, looking sorrowfully at the little cot that held Monica. Molly went over to Ginny, and Ginny stood up and went into her mother's arms. Ginny started to bawl, letting the tears flow, as Molly patted her on the back and held her. Eventually Ginny calmed down and the two witches sat on the edge of the bed.
"It is just hard, knowing that Monica is going to die, and there is nothing I can do about it," Ginny told her mother. "Trying to frantically revive her will not help either of us; I've accepted that, but it is hard."
"Losing a child is one of the hardest things a mother will every have to experience," Molly told her daughter. "You always expect that you will die before your children, that they will outlive you. Grieve now, while you can. It does get better with time, but you never forget."
"I'm sorry for you, mum," Ginny told her mother. "You have suffered your own losses."
"That is why I know that the next days will be hard, but it will get better," Molly replied. "You have a loving family that will help you go through this."
Molly spent the rest of the day with Harry and Ginny as various people appeared to try and comfort Harry and Ginny.
A frantic and very pregnant Lily appeared just after dinner. "Too many of the games were long, and one is still going on," Lily told Harry, holding on to several parchments. "I wish all of the stringers used tablets. I need to transcribe all of this, and get it ready to send to the Prophet.
"Dad, the Cannons won again. James and Jake are holding a team meeting before letting the players go. It has to do with some of the new tactics that seemed to work well. They also want to take a promotional photograph, and all the players will share in the proceeds if it sells well.
"Send Billy up to the office if he comes through the Floo.
"How is mum? How is Monica?"
Harry told his daughter, "Mum is grieving, and Monica is alive but slipping away. I will let you know when Monica dies."
Lily felt down to where her baby was growing inside her. "I cannot imagine what it would be like to lose a child, after having it grow inside you. Once the baby starts to move in you it is not just a pregnancy, it is a person!" Lily sniffed. "I need to get the Quidditch column done, before I start to bawl," she said as she hurried upstairs.
It looked to Harry like the baby had dropped. He wondered if Lily would be able to finish the Quidditch Column before having her baby.
A couple of hours later a very tired Billy Lionheart came through the Floo.
"Is Lily still upstairs?" Billy asked Harry.
"One of the games is still going on, and she is waiting until the last moment to send the column in," Harry replied. "She is rather disgusted that she cannot finish the column, but there is nothing she can do."
"Once in a while a column says that a certain game was still going on when the column was submitted," Billy noted. "I will stay with her until the column is sent to the Prophet, and then we will go home.
"Mrs. Potter and Monica still the same?"
"Pretty much," Harry agreed. "Lily looks like she could have the baby at any time."
"Lily insists she will know when her practice contractions become the real thing, but they worry me," Bill told his father-in-law. "She is just a little overdue, but I'm worried."
"Good for you, worrying about your wife," Harry told his son-in-law. "Let me know if you need any help."
"I think my mother will be there for us," Bill replied. "You need to be there for your wife and babies."
"I couldn't get Monica to eat or drink anything last night," Ginny told Harry Sunday morning as she finished feeding Gregory. "I'm not even going to try again. It is like she is barely there." Ginny gave a big sigh. "I don't think it will be long now." Ginny looked at Harry. "I can accept that. Maybe I'm grieved out, but it doesn't make much sense to pretend."
Harry gave Ginny a big hug. Ginny sniffed a little, but did not bawl.
They went down to the breakfast room. Minerva was there, as were Hermione and Ron.
"I thought we should have breakfast with you like we usually do Sunday morning," Hermione told the Potters.
Harry looked at Ginny, and then said, "You are most welcome to be here."
Hermione gave Harry a look that indicated she wanted to know what was going on, without saying anything.
Harry told the Granger-Weasley's, "Monica has stopped eating or drinking. We are just waiting now."
"We might as well go over to mum's," Ginny added. "I don't want to just stay here and stare at the baby, and Minerva should have a chance to play with her cousins."
"I see them every day almost for classes," Minerva observed. "Sunday is different, though. Sometimes there are more people there, and we don't have lessons."
It was a dreary, cold rainy Sunday afternoon. The men and the older children, all but the babies at the breast, were banished to Potter's New Burrow. Harry had turned the living room of Potter's New Burrow into a play room with a few waves of his wand. The carpet now had a very low nap, and had on it roads and other scenes of an English countryside.
The joke was that Harry was making up for not having any toys to play with as he was growing up, and there was a fair amount of truth in that observation. There was never a lack of toys at Grimmauld Place, Potter's New Burrow, nor outside at the pond, and a rather large number of them seemed to be "Uncle Harry's toys."
The smallest of the children were in one area, playing with toys appropriate to their age, as a group of fathers played with them.
In one corner of the room was a playhouse area, with three play kitchens in a row, two toddler sized tables, several dolls in little high chairs and dolls in cots. Grandpa Weasley was sitting down, acting as a referee of sorts as the little girls bargained over who would be Grandmum Weasley, who would play Victoire, and the like. Little girl playing seemed to involve a tremendous amount of discussion. Most of the controversy had been settled, and a play meal was being served, interrupted by dolls needing to nurse, dolls needing to have their nappies changed, and other scenes of domestic life.
Meanwhile in another corner of the room a chair seemed to have been turned into a play raging inferno. It was surrounded by fire trucks and other vehicles, and there was much shouting, boys not being noted for playing quietly. Harry and Teddy were holding figures of women, and two firemen with brooms seemed to be saving them from the fire, when Mitzi appeared. Harry allowed his figure to be saved, and left with Mitzi.
"James can be a little naïve," Erica told the women. "He thought that all the relationship drama of boyfriends and girlfriends he had to contend with on the Hogwarts Quidditch team would be over with once he was dealing with adults."
"What is going on now?" Ginny asked, always ready for a little gossip.
"The second string seeker isn't all that good," Erica responded. "What she is is very pretty, and she knows it. One of the beaters talks to her a little too often, and she seems to encourage it. The problem is that he is married, and his wife is jealous. I don't know if anything is going on, but the wife is becoming a bit of a problem."
"So," Lily interrupted, "about once a week the three couples have a business dinner, talking about a lot but personal and personnel issues always come up. That is James and Erica, Billy and me, and Mrs. Jake Paganelli and her husband Mickie. Mr. P is a house husband sort of. He raised their two children, and still helps teach and watch other children too young to go to Hogwarts. He does all of the cooking and cleaning. He also expanded their house once, and Griffin and Grunt hire him sometimes when they need extra help.
"So we are talking about the drama surrounding our pretty seeker, and James says something about not being able to think of anything harder to deal with than a love triangle, and Mrs. P says a heterosexual love triangle is not as bad as a homosexual love triangle. She described what happened when one of the wizards with a wizard partner is on one of her teams, and another wizard joins the team and starts to make a play for the other wizard. It was quite a story. And poor James became redder and redder. Erica is right. He is a little naïve at times."
Ginny laughed, and looked down. The band on Monica's wrist was beginning to turn from green to red. The baby had not noticeably moved for some time, but this was a different kind of stillness.
The other witches, one by one, looked at Ginny and became silent. Ginny took Monica out of her carrier and put her on her lap, her concern and sorrow showing.
Victoire came over and examined Monica with her wand. She reached into a pocket and took out a stethoscope designed to listen to children, and examined the baby. Victoire was close to tears as she told Ginny, "She almost gone."
Ginny picked up the baby and rocked her briefly, tears not quite coming, and held her close, watching in horror as the band turned to a bright red. The baby shuddered one last time, and then was still.
Ginny burst into tears, rocking back and forth, holding the little baby.
Victoire used her wand to examine Monica, and told Ginny, "It is all over."
"I'd better let Harry know," she quietly said through her sobs.
"I will get him," Mitzi told Ginny, and she quietly disappeared.
"I will put a coroner's charm on her," Victoire announced. "That way you do not have to worry about what to do with the body right away."
"Please," Ginny replied, tears running down.
Harry quietly walked in just as Victoire was doing the coroner's charm. He went over to his wife.
"She died in my arms," Ginny sobbed, still holding the body. She stood up, and the two hugged hard for a few moments, as Ginny's sobs gradually diminished.
Victoire waved her wand, finishing the coroner's charm and gave a sorrow filled look to the parents who, once Ginny had stopped sobbing, both kissed their daughter and whispered goodbye.
Ginny sat down and looked sadly at Monica, who was in her lap. "I think I'm grieved out," she sniffed. "The hardest part was waiting for her to die. She never lived, really, and she is at peace now."
Ginny looked up at Harry, waiting for him to say or do something, looking very lost.
"When we contributed to the columbarium at St. Merlin and Mungo's they included a niche for us," Harry reminded Ginny. "Do you want them to add Monica's name and put her remains in there with us?"
Ginny nodded 'yes.'
Harry and Ginny looked around, not quite sure what to do next.
Molly arose, went over and hugged them both. She put Monica on a table next to Ginny and kissed the dead baby.
One by one all of the other witches did the same, as Ginny stared at the body of her daughter.
Someone had told the wizards, and they came in, each child holding the hands of one of the men. All the men went up to comfort Ginny and Harry. There was much family discussion as parents tried to explain to their children about death, and that Monica had died.
As people were getting ready to leave Victoire looked at the dead baby, and then asked Monica's parents, "What do you want to do with the body?"
"What do they do in cases like this?" Harry wondered.
Victoire volunteered, "I can take Monica's body to St. Mungo's. There is some paperwork to fill out, but I can do that for you. I can also have one of the healers who does this type of thing do the cremation charms. You should have her ashes tomorrow afternoon."
Harry looked at Ginny for confirmation, and then told Victoire, "I think that would be best. It seems morbid to bring a dead body back to the house."
Minerva had stayed close to her parents from the time she first came back to the New Burrow, looking back and forth between her parents and the dead baby, grieving but not knowing what to do. Listening, watching, staying close.
Harry looked over to Minerva, who was staring at the body of Monica. Minerva arose and went over, and stared at the body. She looked at Victoire. "We won't see her again?"
"She has died, Minerva," Victoire gently replied.
"She isn't really there anymore," Minerva admitted. "I'm not sure how much she was ever there. Have you ever seen a baby die before?"
"Only once, but it was very hard, Minerva," a sorrowful looking Victoire told her young cousin. "It was one of the hardest and saddest things I experienced while I was training to be a healer."
Minerva hugged Victoire, and Victoire hugged her back, both of them crying.
Victoire picked up the body and left for St. Mungo's.
It was a difficult afternoon. Everyone went to their own homes for dinner, needing time alone with just their family.
Albus and Cleo and their two were there, but they left the same time as the others left.
Harry contacted Cindy Base Hudson, and they prepared a news release.
Monica Jane Potter, the infant daughter of Harry and Ginny Potter, died Sunday May fifth. The baby was born small, and was unhealthy her entire life. She is survived by her parents, brothers and sisters, Weasley grandparents, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. There will be a private family funeral.
Of course the news that Harry and Ginny Potter's daughter had died was news all over the world of the Magi, and front page news in the Daily Prophet. And of course there were news articles about the entire Weasley and Potter families.
2023