oooOOOoooOOOooo Chapter 5
Julius, or maybe Jameson, was screaming his bloody head off. How his brother could manage to sleep through the loud, incessant crying was beyond Harry. They hadn't even left the suite yet and this trip was already a disaster. Harry hadn't really thought about it until this morning, but the babies would need things while they were shopping, too. The trunk that had come with the babies had a few outfits, a few bottles that self refilled, and a pack of nappies.
There was no crib, no toys, hardly any clothes. Harry suddenly needed a full kit for a baby times two! The basket was big enough for both babies to sleep in for now but that would end in a month or two. He hadn't thought about how he was supposed to shop when he needed both hands to hold babies. He probably needed a stroller and baby swings and who knew what else! Harry almost broke down crying right there.
"Don't worry, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby can be helping," the little elf said. He conjured a couple of pieces of cloth and wrapped them around Harry in some unforeseen fashion. He slipped a baby in on each side and Harry somehow had a baby sling on both sides of his body. He was amazed at what Dobby had managed. Both babies quietened right down once they were being held. Dobby showed Harry how to grab a bottle in each hand to feed both babies at once. Quick as could be, Dobby slipped a baby bag over Harry's head to rest under the baby on the right side and they were off.
Harry entered the common room and everyone froze. Around 20 young witches and wizards stared at the baby-laden boy. Harry blushed and hurried through the common room. Hermione chased after him, scowling at the rest of the room as she ran.
"Wait! Harry! Do you need any help?" Hermione asked, carrying only her purse that had a magical expansion charm on it.
Harry turned to look at her. Neville came running up too, puffing a little at the exertion.
"Wait," Neville puffed. "Let me help, too."
Harry relaxed to see his friends. "I'd love the help but don't know how you could give it. Dobby did some kind of magic and created these baby hammocks for me. I don't know how to move them."
Hermione laughed. "It's called a baby sling, Harry. Here. I'll take one, and you keep one. Neville, grab the bag. We'll have to find you a better bag than that one, Harry. It's gigantic. With magic, we should be able to slim that down considerably."
Harry carefully lifted the bag over his head and handed it to Neville. He stood very still and held the babies as Hermione unwound one of the babies from around Harry's body. She did some crazy shimmy and tied the thing around herself in a flash. Harry handed over Jameson and held onto Julius. Jameson was the blue baby and Julius was the aquamarine baby. Harry was trying hard to keep track.
The trio walked towards the Great Hall to grab breakfast before they headed to Hogsmeade for the last weekend before classes started. They made it to their seats at Gryffindor table and started to load up their plates.
They heard the obnoxious voice before they saw the owner of it. "Precious Potter couldn't wait to bring his filthy progeny into our presence. Despicable. At least their mother is supposedly a pureblood, though I highly doubt the truth of it."
Harry spun around, spoiling for a fight when he felt the baby in his arms. He took a deep breath and slowly turned back around.
"Get lost, Malfoy," Neville said, realizing that he was the only one without a baby in his arms. His voice shook as he told the other boy off. "No one wants to hear your tripe today."
"Is that a baby crying or a big, fat cry baby I hear?" Malfoy asked. Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind him.
"Leave us alone, Malfoy," Hermione said, ready to kill to protect Harry's precious babies.
"Make me, mudblood," Malfoy sneered. McGonagall heard that last comment as she came to a stop beside what she expected would soon be fighting teens. She made it just in time to stop the fireworks.
"That'll be 20 points from Slytherin and a detention today, Mr. Malfoy. That term is fully unacceptable in this institution. The number of points you've lost for its use should have clued you in by now," McGonagall snapped.
"Just so you know, if I see one fist fall or spell fly around those babies, it will be expulsion. I will not jest while the safety of an innocent child is at risk," she said, in a quiet, vicious tone. "Do not test me."
Malfoy skulked away, headed for the Slytherin table. McGonagall turned to Harry and gave him a look. "You have more important things to worry about than that … boy, Mr. Potter." She doted on the babies for a moment and then moved along, back towards the Head Table. Harry looked up and saw that Dumbledore looked even worse today. His wrist was black now as well as his hand.
"Do you think Dumbledore will be alright?" Harry asked. Hermione looked at the old man, perturbed.
"Something is definitely not right. Is his hand worse than yesterday?" Hermione asked.
"I think so," Harry responded. Neville looked up at the head table, trying to see what was wrong.
"What's that?" Neville asked, spotting Dumbledore's black hand.
"Don't know but it can't be good," said a disturbed Hermione.
The three friends finished eating and stood to leave, only to run into more loud-mouthed trouble.
"It's disgusting the special treatment some people get. No one else here has a baby. What makes it okay for you to have one, Potter?" Ron spit at Harry as they passed one another at the entrance to the Great Hall.
Harry's face turned red from anger but he kept walking. The weight of the baby against his arm had him walking faster. He needed to get out of here before the need to punch that bugger in the face overcame him.
"Run away, Potter. Go ahead. With no one here to pay special attention to you, you need to run, don't you?" Ron said, pulling his wand, fully intending to shoot Potter in his cowardly back with a spell. Ginny ripped the wand from his hand.
"Don't you dare! You could hurt the baby. Potter is worthless, cheating garbage but the baby is innocent. If mum hears you even thought of shooting a spell at a person holding a baby, you're toast," Ginny warned. "Wait until he's in class without them," she sneered. She was still very hurt that Harry had slept with someone else. Had let someone else bare his children. Didn't he know he was supposed to wait for her?
"That is uncalled for!" Hermione shouted at the two redheads, who just sneered back at her but not for long. A loud thwak sound echoed in the hall. The two youngest Weasley had just been head smacked by their older brothers, Fred and George.
"You two berks…"
"Had best bugger off."
"Mum isn't the only one you …"
"Have to worry about." The twins threatened.
"Leave little Harrykins and his babykins out of this," the person that was probably Fred said.
"If mum and dad don't wallop you, we certainly will," the person that was probably George said.
"You should be ashamed, Ginny. It was just two years ago that Harry saved your miserable life," Gred said.
"And just a week ago, Harry was your best friend, Ron," Forge said.
The twins jumped over and gently squeezed Harry between them, messing up his hair. "You don't deserve this treasure!" the twins said together.
"Geroff," Harry said, not bothering to try to fix his impossible hair. The twins laughed and bounced away.
"You tossers! How can you take his side?" Ron yelled.
"I'm telling mum," Ginny screamed, running for the owlery.
"Go! Tell her Harry got trapped and you guys turned against him!" Scoffed Fred.
"Mum will love her new grandchildren and will smack you both down!" laughed George.
They turned to Harry and Hermione and grinned. "They're about to make a big mistake!"
"Big! Mum will definitely be on your side. Any chance you had of mum not adopting you is gone now, mate," Fred said, putting his arm around Harry.
"Yup. She'll ditch them for new babies in a second," George said, making faces at Julius.
"Don't worry, little one's, we'll teach you the ways of becoming twin terrors," Fred said, gently tickling Jameson.
Hermione couldn't help but smile at the exasperating duo. "You two," Hermione said, shaking her head.
"I'd kick your arses if I didn't love you so much," Harry said, patting George's shoulder, probably.
Everyone laughed and walked to Hogsmeade together.