Chapter 40

Harry struggled to get to his feet, he was bleeding freely from a cut in his eye, and his whole body felt like one giant bruise. Zorin stood before him looking remorseful, wiping Harry's blood off her knuckle. Harry was training himself to withstand and recover from physical attacks, and he'd essentially asked Zorin to knock him around to facilitate that. She'd been excited at first at the chance of testing herself against him, however as time went on, and Harry began accumulating cuts and bruises, and the occasional broken bone which Harry easily fixed, she felt awful. Harry looked up at her, and pondered for a moment before coming to a decision.

"We'll stop." Harry said.

"Thanks, I just hate hurting you. Tomorrow we can..." Zorin said but was interrupted.

"No, no more. This is hurting you. I'll find another way." Harry said. Zorin looked at him, stunned.

"But you said you wanted to get stronger." Zorin said.

"Not at the cost of hurting my loved ones. I'm sorry, I didn't realize how this would affect you." Harry said. Zorin smiled and hugged him.

"It's ok Harry. I can still help you with strength and agility training." Zorin said.

"Aww come on!" Harry whined, and then ran off yelling theatrically. Zorin laughed. She knew Harry was just joking with her, she'd never seen someone so determined as her best friend. When she caught up with him, she insisted he sit on a bench so she could tend to his injuries. She could not use healing magic, but she had become adept at muggle first aid as well as the application of potions and poultices from Harry's medical stores.

As she dabbed at an ugly cut above his eyebrow, an image of a much younger Harry flashed before her eyes. He was about twelve and was sewing a gash above his eyebrow shut with a stolen sewing kit. Tears streamed down his eyes, but that was the only indication he was in any distress.

"You ok?" Harry asked.

"I'm fine.. Just.. it's nothing." Zorin said. She reached for a bottle of rubbing alcohol and soaked a cotton ball with it before pressing it against the cut. Harry didn't even flinch.

"What's wrong Zorin? Seriously.." Harry asked. Zorin sighed.

"Just remembering one of your memories, one that I saw when I possessed you." Zorin admitted. Harry cursed.

"Fuck, it was bad enough I had to come to terms with that now you and Rip are going through it." Harry spat.

"Save it Harry we knew what we were getting into." Zorin reminded him. He deflated.

"Which one?" Harry asked.

"You're about twelve, sewing a gash over your eyebrow up in front of a mirror." Zorin said.

"Ah yeah, that was about a week after I got back from my first year of Hogwarts. I fell out of practice, not cooking for nine months, burned his scones." Harry said. Zorin growled.

"Easy, love. He's dead. Besides it can't be worse than what Mengele did to you guys." Harry observed. Zorin jerked, and stared at him, shocked.

"How much do you know? Did you read my mind while I was in there?" Zorin asked. Harry raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"You've made a few comments here and there that are drawing a really ugly picture in my mind, and that reaction all but confrimed it." Harry said softly.

"Damn." Zorin said.

"Sorry. I pick up a lot of little details nowadays." Harry said.

"No it's fine. We share our burdens remember?" Zorin said, looking distracted.

"That we do, but only when we're ready to. I'll never pressure but when you're ready I'm ready to listen." Harry said, taking her hands and squeezing them. Harry stood and pulled Zorin up with him, she marveled as she saw the bruises begin to fade before her eyes.

"Come on, let's go do something fun." Harry said. Zorin nodded and grinned, following when Harry took off still holding one of her hands. Somewhere between the training area and the Hellsing building, Harry apparated them and with little warning they appeared, still running at a full sprint, on the shores of the Black Lake. The grounds were basically deserted, as there was still a week or so left of summer holiday.

"What are we doing, Harry?" Zorin asked, laughing.

"I just realized I never properly introduced you to Hagrid. He was my first human friend... well kinda human." Harry said with a grin, dragging Zorin over to Hagrid's hut. Harry approached and knocked on the door. His knuckles barely hit the door a second time before the door burst open and Hagrid rushed forward lifting Harry several feet off the ground, gathering him in a hug.

"Good to see ya Harry!" Hagrid said. Zorin winced when she heard the bones in his spine shifting as Hagrid crushed him.

"Air... Can't... breathe!" Harry gasped out. Hagrid dropped him and blushed.

"Sorry 'bout that... Hey, you're Harry's friend, Zorin right?" Hagrid asked extending a hand to Zorin who took and shook it. She looked up into his eyes and grinned. It was a novel thing for her to have to look up at someone to meet their gaze.

"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Hagrid." Zorin said.

"My friends call me Hagrid, and if you're one of Harry's friends, then you're one of mine! Come on in! I just put a kettle on." Hagrid said, ushering them into his hut. For the first time In a long time, Zorin didn't have to duck to enter someone else's home.

"Have a seat I'll just be two seconds." Hagrid said, going to take the now whistling kettle off the fire. Harry and Zorin sat, and soon were sipping piping hot tea. Hagrid turned a bit green when Harry nicked his finger to bleed into Zorin's but after a quick explanation he understood.

"So what brings you 'round here, Boss?" Hagrid said with a laugh. Harry grinned.

"Zorin and I were talking about something unpleasant, we needed a distraction, and I remembered I never properly introduced you two." Harry said. Hagrid nodded.

"Saw you at his birthday, but never got 'round to saying Hi." Hagrid said.

"Hey how is Grawp doing?" Harry asked.

"He's doing well! A bit lonely mind you, he is the last full blooded giant." Hagrid explained. Harry frowned.

"What a waste that was." Harry said.

"Couldn't be helped, Harry, we talked about this. They threw their lot in with You Know Who, they made their bed." Hagrid said.

"Still feels bad being responsible for another species' extinction." Harry said.

"What's that about" Zorin asked, sipping her tea.

"During the Voldemort war. He sent death eaters out to parlay with the Giants and they chose to side with him. Unfortunately at the time there were less than a hundred giants in the world, and they all descended upon Britain. After the battle, the few that survived were running basically feral in the wilderness, and we had to find them and... well." Harry said, looking sad.

"It was a mercy killin' Harry. I don't blame you, even Grawpy don't blame you. The Giants were dyin' off before the war, it was inevitable." Hagrid said. Harry nodded

"Oh we should introduce Schrodinger to Grawp, I bet they'd be great friends." Harry said.

"That's a great idea! Come back with Schrodinger day after tomorrow, Grawp will be here to help me clear a bit of forest that's overgrown." Hagrid said.

"Sounds good." Harry said.

"God I can't believe he'll be gone in just a few days." Zorin said. Harry grasped her shoulder.

"The portal center will be done before then." Harry explained.

"Portal center?" Hagrid asked. Harry grinned.

"Those portals I came up with? It's going to be a secret so don't let it out to the students, but there's a bit of unused basement under the potions lab, I'm putting in a bunch of portals down there to bring people all around the UK and bits of India. It'll be useful for field trips, as well as homesick students popping home for dinner with their families every now and then." Harry said.

"Why India?" Zorin asked.

"Two of my friends, Padma and Pravati Patil's grandmother lived in India and they could only visit her a couple of times while they were at Hogwarts. Lots of our students have family in India, so I have portals leading to three major floo hubs there." Harry explained.

"Things are so much better 'round here since you took over Harry. Never seen the teachers more motivated. Even Argus has been walkin' around with a pep in his step." Hagrid said. Harry grinned

"That reminds me, Zorin you should talk to Argus Filch here, he fought in the second world war, he's got TONS of stories about killing nazis. He could probably use a few pointers on those new rifles I gave him." Harry said

"You gave Argus Filch guns? Minerva will lose her mind!" Hagrid said

"Minerva's aware, and fully supports it. Things are safer than they've been in ages, Hagrid, but Millennium is still out there, probably stronger than ever. You and the rest of the staff will be one of the last lines of defense if the military can't contain them, Hogwarts is going to serve as a sanctuary if they attack any more settlements." Harry explains.

"Makes sense, I guess. Still, I hate that we have a military now." Hagrid said. Harry shrugged

"If we're going to charge people with authority and the lethal power to enforce it, at least this way we have them trained and lead properly." Harry said.

"Now will Amelia be in charge of the military as well?" Zorin asked. Harry shook his head.

"Amelia will be in charge of domestic law enforcement and national security. I haven't found someone to lead the Military. Shame I don't know too many people with combat exp... Holy shit!" Harry said, shouting as he came to a realization.

"Stay here!" Harry said, before twisting on the spot and disappearing.

"He does that a lot now don't he?" Hagrid asked Zorin. She grinned and nodded. Across the grounds, Argus Filch hummed as he tended a small garden up against the castle underneath the now repaired Astronomy tower when he looked over his shoulder hearing the quiet telltale pop of Harry's apparition.

"Good morning, Potter." Filch said, standing and dusting his hands off.

"Morning Argus. How's things?" Harry asked.

"Never better. Can't believe how smoothly things are going around here." Filch said.

"Still looking for a replacement?" Harry asked. Filch nodded

"I love my job, but my back ain't gonna take much more of this." Filch said, gesturing at the ground.

"I might have another opportunity for you..." Harry said.

"I'm listening." Filch said.

Twenty minutes later, Harry, Zorin and Filch were standing in Minerva's office. Filch had just given Minerva his letter of resignation, a move she'd been anticipating for months now, but not the reasoning behind it.

"I'm sad to see you go Argus. Hogwarts won't be the same without you." Minerva said.

"Don't you worry, Minerva. I'll get my replacement trained up before I go." Argus said.

"You'll always be welcome within the halls of Hogwarts, Argus." Minerva said, standing and shaking Argus' hand.

Section Break because the sites like to erase the hyphens I was using

"You're mental, mate." Ron said, sitting across from Harry at Florean Fortescue's, bouncing Daniel on his knee while Gideon slept in his pram.

"It makes sense, if you think about it. Filch spent decades in the military, a good chunk of that killing nazis." Harry said.

"The only good nazi is a dead one." Luna chimed in, holding her arms out. Ron passed Daniel over to her and he giggled as she looked up and saw his honorary auntie Luna.

"Luna!" Ron cried.

"What?" Luna asked. Ron paused.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Ron said. Harry grinned.

"Hopefully there won't be any nazis left to kill when these guys grow up." Harry said. Gideon yawned, and Ron was prepared already with a bottle which he was warming with magic.

"Mate I'm gonna need some pointers in the next few months." Harry said.

"Wha?" Ron asked, expertly extracting Gideon with one hand while he warmed the bottle with the other.

"You're like ultra dad." Harry said, pointing at him. Ron blushed.

"I dunno mate, it just comes naturally you know?" Ron said.

"I would expect nothing less from the son of Arthur and Molly Weasley." Harry said. Ron smiled and then offered Gideon the bottle which he took automatically.

"Hermione's already thinking about another." Ron said.

"Good. This world needs more Weasleys." Harry said.

"There's loads of us!" Ron exclaimed.

"There is no such thing as enough Weasleys." Harry said.

"Well someone's gotta compete with the horde you're building." Luna chimed in, gesturing at Zorin.

"What?" Zorin asked, confused.

"Oh! You don't know yet." Luna said. Harry's eyes widened. He looked downward at Zorin's abdomen and grinned.

"What are you on about?" Zorin asked.

"Nothing! Forget I asked!" Luna said, standing and skipping away into the back room.

"Is she ok?" Zorin asked. Ron gave Harry a knowing look and wink.

"We should probably get going. There's something I need to talk to you, Rip and Schrodinger about.

"Ok I guess.." Zorin said. Harry paid their tab, hugged the babies and Ron, and lead Zorin away to the Bank where he used the portal to get to his house, and then through that the one in Schrodinger's room to get to Zorin and Rip's house. They made their way into the Kitchen where Rip was reading, and Zorin, on autopilot started making coffee. While she was concentrating on that, Harry went over and whispered in Rip's ear. She gaped at him then looked over at Zorin, before tears gathered in her eyes and she smiled widely.

Zorin took three cups and poured coffee into two of them, but stopped when Harry held his hand over hers.

"You might not want to drink that.." Harry said.

"Why? Rip, what's going on?" Zorin said when she looked and saw that Rip was smiling and tears were streaming down her eyes. Harry slid a small, long box towards Zorin. She looked down and gasped, dropping the coffee pot, ignoring the splash of hot coffee that would have burned a human on her leg. On the table in front of her was a pregnancy test.

"I had one of Seras' spares." Harry said

"Come on!" rip cried, taking her hand and running towards the bathroom. Harry grinned, wiping away his own happy tears. He knew it was a foregone conclusion, he saw the magic gathering over Zorin's womb. He'd only missed it with Seras because at the time he didn't know what to look for. When Poppy had examined Seras she showed him how to check on the baby's magic, since a fluctuation in that would be the first indication of a problem.

"YES!" Zorin cried before audibly sobbing.

"Harry come here!" Rip cried. Harry walked over, careful to bring the coffee along, there's no way he was letting Zorin's magic coffee go to waste. He walked through the door and struggled not to turn around when he saw Zorin was still sitting on the toilet, her pants around her ankles, crying like a baby.

"It's positive!" Zorin managed between sobs.

"I'll call Poppy." Harry said with a grin, before sipping from his cup.