Hey everyone,
This chapter is going to be GREAT! It will have a confrontation in it, but it will also establish Harry's core group; the people he will trust with his life through the rest of the story. Of course his mate and mate's friends will be added to that group, but that won't happen for a few more chapters. Also, I was originally planning to bring one of my OC's into the last chapter alongside Albus, Harry and Poppy but – Ron and Percy happened.
Oh well, no loss,

Venquine1990


Chapter 04
Common Rooms and Private Chambers

27th of September 1995
Gryffindor Common Room
Harry's POV

Getting pregnant was definitely the last thing I ever thought could happen to me – well, bar the few times I was being incredibly cynical and believed that, with magic and my luck, the impossible was actually possible – but now, after the last two confrontations, does it seem as if this crazy development has caused for a positive change to the situation I am finding myself in. While ridiculed for the last month, does all of Gryffindor now seem behind me again.
Just like last year, when I was Chosen as one of the Champions for the Tri-Wizard Tournament, is a huge party going on inside the common room, everyone making full use of the fact that they have the day off of classes to party and the House Elves having outdone themselves on the snacks and beverages that they provided. Everyone is happy for me, slapping me on the back and asking me questions about the life growing within me.
And the few that ask if they can get a feel that I ask them not to as I barely know them genuinely accept this, yet Parvati Patil, my date to the Yule Ball last year and Lavender Brown, who is her dorm mate and best friend, constantly come back to have another feel, giggling and squealing to each other every time they get a try. Even the portraits in the frames around the room are celebrating, joining in the large one hanging over the fireplace.

I am laughing along, loving how everyone seems to support me, how even Seamus seems too happy to care for the fact that we are still in disagreement on Voldemort's return and try not to care myself for the fact that I only get to feel like this, this united with the rest of my House – my family, as McGonagall calls it – at rare times and am taking a huge gulp of my Butterbeer when I hear someone shout: "HOORAY FOR THE NEXT BOY-WHO-LIVED!"
And that title shocks me so much I gulp down too much of the drink, choking and coughing in an effort to get the fluid out of my throat. Instantly Angelina and Alicia, my fellow Quidditch team members and Chasers for the team, are beside me, holding my sides and patting me on the back to help me clear my air-supply. I manage to gulp down the extra bit of liquid and take a few deep breaths, noticing how the whole room has fallen silent.
"What – what did you just – what did you just call – call my child? My potential daughter?" At this the lad, who is actually in Fred and George's year, but who I rarely see as he hardly ever hangs around either them or Lee Jordan, their best friend, cringes and says: "Right, didn't think of that. Guess I should have said Boy or Girl-Who-Lived, huh?" But this just infuriates me even more and I ask: "And what makes you so sure of that, huh?
What makes you so sure, already, on the day of my child being created, that he or she will be a hero? An orphan!" I yell in the end and the lad retorts: "Wow, wow, wow! I never said that!" And finally it clicks, the realization taking away all of the happy euphoria I was feeling only minutes before. "You – you – you lot really – really don't realize it. You really don't care, do you? It really means nothing to you, doesn't it?"

"What on earth are you rambling about? Do pregnant people start rambling this early or is this –?" But then Ron proves that he has yet to let go of the rage he felt over Percy during the confrontation earlier as he angrily aims his wand at the girl who is in Sixth. I myself look around, spotting a few looks of understanding in a sea of confusion. This both horribly hurts me and infuriates me and I snarl: "Allow me to give you a history lesson."
This makes a lot of those around me share looks of disbelief, but I no longer care, I am done caring. "The night I became famous, a night I remember every single bloody time I look in a mirror or a reflective window or any sort of similar kind of surface, is also the night James and Lily Potter, my parents were killed. Does anyone perhaps remember that? Or is my famous title too important to you lot to bloody care?"
"You never cared!" Seamus is actually the one to snarl this, but this is replied by several wands aimed at his face, not just mine but that of every Weasley present as well as Neville, the Chasers and Lee. The lad whitens as he sees this and I angrily hiss: "I do care, Finnegan. I just thought you sorry lot had enough decency, common sense, logic and empathy that I wouldn't need to state the bloody obvious. Too bad it took me four years to realize I'm wrong."

And while only one or two students around me seem to feel slightly guilty about this, do others just glare at me. But while the ones that aimed their wands alongside me come to stand around me, forming a protective circle that makes me smile at them, do I then decide to just let it all out; including the snarky side that I have been hiding more often than not. "Tell me, how many times do I need to prove your sorry asses wrong?" I ask cynically.
"What are you talking about?" Lavender shrieks at me, but I just glare at her and snarl: "I had to end up in the Hospital Wing before you lot started considering me your hero again. Hermione had to get Petrified before you all realized that she was my best friend and Muggleborn. I had to outfly a dragon before you realized how dangerous that Tournament was. What? Do I need to lose one of these people around me before you realize I'm not lying?
Voldemort is back! Why would I want the man who took me the only family I ever had back in my life to take either my life or that of my unborn child or even my friends? Wasn't Cedric enough for your sorry lot? Are you all really that pathetic that you would rather judge someone traumatized by death than do research and track a Magical Signature?
How many times do you need a reality check before you realize that, unlike you, I am courageous enough to do what's right, smart enough to recognize a dangerous situation and how to escape it, loyal enough to fight for those who can't fight for themselves and ambitious enough to take up a challenge even when I might not be able to beat it?" And then, just for good measure, I ask: "Why are you lot so disgusting you would disgrace the reason my parents sacrificed themselves? Why are you trying to continue – where Voldemort left off?"

And this causes for an enormous and almost oppressing sense of silence to fall over the common room, everyone bar those around me gaping at me as if they have never seen me before. I however ignore it as I remember Madam Pomfrey's words. I turn to look at all those around me, catching their eye and motioning for them all with my head to follow me. And while making sure to avoid every Lion in the Den, do I leave the common room.
"Harry." I hear a voice behind me and turn around, spotting Dean Thomas, Seamus' best friend, standing in the portrait hole. "Stay, Dean. I know you're not like the rest of that lot, but I don't want Seamus to end up by himself either." Dean looks at me shocked over this, but then frowns and says: "He doesn't deserve your kindness." To which I shrug and say: "No one deserves to be alone. Your House is like your family – and I have mine right here.
Though, we're still friends, right?" And Dean's smile says it all, making me smile back at him. "Keep the other Fifth Years away from me, would you Dean? And if either Patil or Brown try anything, tell them this. Harry knows about Third. He never said anything, but he knows. Trust me, that's something they don't want me to know." Dean nods, his eyes proving both his curiosity and his acceptance and then the portrait closes.

I walk away a little, but then spot Professor McGonagall. And the fact that she is standing still in front of a portrait says it all. I grimace and step back, making sure she can't see me. "What's wrong?" Hermione asks and I mutter: "McGonagall. She's guarding the portrait Pomfrey mentioned, the one she originally planned to guard my private chambers. She's probably planning to confront me about Dumbledore's plans."
"Where are your new private chambers, Harry?" The twins ask and I answer: "One floor below hers, five portraits to the right of the Fat Lady on the wall opposite her own.""Got it. We know a short-cut to there, one that goes around the Sixth Floor staircases. Come on, it's this way." George says and we all gratefully follow him and his brother. And as we walk, do I conduct a plan of action, one to ensure that my privacy remains my own right.
We reach the portrait I described, me looking up to make sure that it is indeed five portraits to the right of where the Fat Lady is stationed and on the other side of the Grand Staircase before I move over to stand almost nose to nose with the portrait. And while the fair maiden within moves to crouch down near me, do I whisper: "Mischief on the First." The memory of the night my parents were murdered still very fresh on my mind.

The portrait opens, showing us a long hallway that obviously leads to a room in the back and we step through, Neville silently telling Hermione to keep quiet. They all step through and I climb in myself, but then ask: "Excuse me, are you perhaps capable of registering magical signatures?" The Maiden answers: "Yes, my good sir. If one were to lie their hand on my frame, the magic will register their signature, if so desired."
I nod, step through and allow her to close before I say: "Look, I trust you guys, but I've been proven today that, bar Madam Pomfrey, you guys are the only ones in this castle that I can trust. Dumbledore basically betrayed me, McGonagall's going to side with him regardless of what I say and the other teachers are just as much sheep that follow the herd as the students are. There might be other students out there, but I doubt there are many.
And because we rarely pass this wall, do I not feel sure if I can trust the other portraits. So I came up with a plan. You guys will all get your magical signatures registered when you leave and will only come here during breaks or after dinner or if we all have a free hour or something. I will provide an emergency password, but will keep the original to myself. That way, if you want to visit, I will be the one to open up for you guys."

At this Hermione wants to object, but then Fred says: "Swell idea, mate." And George goes: "Yeah, especially considering that we already sold a dozen or two Extendable Ears." And they chorus: "This makes using those to spy on you completely impossible." And while Hermione's eyes widen at this, does Ron hum and say: "That's definitely a good point. Besides, with you being the only one to know the password, you can decide for yourself when you need your space or want to hang with us or something. You definitely deserve that."
I smile at my best friend, grateful beyond words for his understanding and ask: "So, how am I able to be pregnant? Dumbledore got ahead of Pomfrey and he only told me that I was and that it had something to do with my soul mate being like really far away. But then he made the ridiculous mistake of thinking he could tell me I should consider putting my child up for adoption and I just lost it with him. And Fudge kept Pomfrey from explaining after that."
"Dumbledore wanted you to do what NOW?" Everyone bar Ron and Hermione shriek and yell and I nod at them as I say: "Yeah. He was hinting at it after telling me I was pregnant. He wouldn't even let me run my hands over my stomach after telling me, tried to stop me from doing so. He even already contacted several witches, though they don't know it's about me, just that it's about something big. Your mum, Alicia, and yours as well."

"What? You never even met my mum! What was Dumbledore thinking? Ugh, don't answer, just leave this to me. I'll go talk to her." Alicia grumbles in the end, but to this Hermione says: "You can't! Fudge is having the Fireplaces watched! We found out while in the Hospital Wing." Yet at this the tanned girl rolls her eyes and says: "Don't worry about that. I don't need the Floo to contact my mum. Hardly anyone does."
This confuses and intrigues me and while we all start to move through the hallway and into a really lavish looking common room with warm tones of soft red and dark brown all over the floor and walls and small hints of gold here and there in the furniture, does the girl pull a small, compact mirror from her pocket and ask it: "Mum, are you there? I need to talk with you." And just like the broch does the mirror change its reflection.
And even from where I'm standing, slightly behind the girl, can I see her mother in the mirror, Alicia having the older woman's eyes and the shape of her nose. "Hey honey, what's wrong?""Has Headmaster Dumbledore come to see you?""Why yes, but he said he would be back later. Why?" "Because he wants to ask you something he doesn't have a right to. Mum, Harry has a soul mate, one who is really far away.
He got pregnant earlier today, but Dumbledore seems against this for some reason. So while Harry was out cold to recover from the pain of growing a womb and the soul magic growing the child within him, Dumbledore contacted you in the hopes that Harry would consider you one of the mothers he would give his child to for adoption upon birth. Mum, Harry was told, in the same conversation, that he was pregnant and should give up the child."

Her mother looks at her shocked, but doesn't need much time to recover. She turns to me and says: "Harry, I am –." But I shake my head and say: "Don't apologize, Mrs. Spinnet. Just promise me that, when Dumbledore comes to convince you of going along with his plans, which I am just sure he will, you will refuse him. Dumbledore proved me, today, that he still thinks me that helpless infant he saved from the wreckage of my home, nothing more.
I am done with him. I am done listening to him and I will fight him every step of the way until my baby is my age or older. I don't care what I have to sacrifice to see this happen, I will. And –." I look around, seeing all of those in the room with me smiling at me and say: "And I know that everyone here will help me see that through. That they are done listening to Dumbledore as well, at least about this, and that they will help me stand against him.
I wish I didn't have to, but – I know Dumbledore and I know he's not just going to go and accept this, accept the fact that I am making my own decisions regarding this. And I know I have a long way ahead of me before I can convince him that he has no choice, that it's not up to him." The woman nods and says: "And if he comes here first, I will make sure to set the first steps on that, to let him know it's not just students who he will have to face about this."

At this I smile at her and then Alicia says: "Mum, the fireplaces are being watched. Can you go meet with Andrew in the Department of Magical Transportation and see what he thinks about that? If he's aware of it? I'm sure he isn't, but –." Her mother nods and Alicia clicks the mirror closed in its casket before Hermione asks: "Andrew?" And Angelina answers: "My older brother. Alicia's boyfriend." Which makes me turn to George in shock.
The redhead shrugs and says: "He's four years older than us, graduated in Charlie's year. Alicia and him have a pretty good deal and they already knew about the Yule Ball. Andrew also knew about this task he needed to do on that night, so he told Alicia to go with someone else, as a friend. She and I did exactly that." At which I smile, even while I wonder what job someone who works for the Department of Magical Transportation could have on Christmas.
"What, is he supposed to make sure that the right Christmas presents get delivered in the right homes or something?" I think to myself, having never believed in Santa after years of never getting anything even remotely like a Christmas gift in my youth. Yet this reminds me of the life growing within me and I whisper: "Things will be different for you. I promise. You'll want for nothing. I won't spoil you, but I won't neglect you either."
And while this makes everyone around me smile, does Neville then suddenly say: "I hate it that I didn't do this sooner as I didn't want McGonagall to hear us, but – we're being followed." And instantly, as the boy aims a finger at the wall behind me, do I turn around, my wand in hand. And from the shadow a young woman steps out.


Wait, who's she?
My OC and the start of things taking a turn for the better. Another OC has also been introduced in this chapter, or at least named, and he's going to also play a pretty good role in this story. But it won't just be the OC who will play a role in the upcoming chapter. Sirius, Molly, Dumbledore and Lupin will as well. And a few more lines will be drawn, sides chosen and tempers spiked. Yep, another confrontation is underway.
How fun,

Venquine1990