Baby Mine
When the members of the Order of the Phoenix arrived at number 4 Privet Drive, the house seemed quiet on the outside. Inside, however, looked like a war zone. The bodies of the Dursley family lay in various rooms on the main floor. All had been tortured and beaten, before being killed. Upstairs, in a multi locked room lay the boy-who-lived. Harry Potter had been beaten, hexed, cursed, and raped. For some reason, though, he was not dead. For some reason the Deatheaters had left him alive, broken, but alive.
Professor Minerva McGonagall regained her senses and took charge. She picked up a discarded bed sheet from the floor and covered Harry's broken body with it while Kingsley Shacklebolt untied the boy's hands from the headboard.
"Kingsley, I'll take Potter to Poppy. He'll have more protection at Hogwarts than at St. Mungo's. Can you handle the rest here?" The large auror only nodded, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. Grabbing a book from off the floor, she turned into a portkey and placed it on Harry's chest. Placing her own hand on top of it she waited for the portkey to activate. Within moments she felt a tugging sensation around her middle.
Madam Pomphrey was shocked to see Minerva McGonagall appear in her domain with an unconscious Harry Potter. The boy looked like a bloody mess. Once the surprise was gone she set to work. For three hours she labored over the boy, bringing him back from the brink of death twice. She poured potion after potion down his throat, then cast several healing spells. Other members of the Order, including all the Weasley's, Ms. Granger, and Remus Lupin, had arrived but they were not allowed in and had to content themselves to waiting in the hallway. Only Minerva and Kingsley had been allowed to remain inside.
"I truly do not know how the boy survived. They broke nearly every bone in his body, only to repair them, badly, just to re-break them. I can't even begin to count the number of hexes and curses that were used on him, most of them dark in nature. I do know that several Crucio's were used. I have no idea if he will even be sane after that. He was also raped by at least eight different men. There was no sodamy of a foreign object and he was forced to have sex with at least three different women. I found traces of a lust potion as well as a fertility potion in his system. I will know in a few days if he is pregnant or not. If he is I will perform the abortion. It would be for the best. I doubt that his body could handle a pregnancy after all that it has been through. He need never know about it." Tears ran down her face as she looked at the broken boy-who-lived.
Unknown to all in the room Harry Potter heard every word that she had said. He learned a long time ago that if he pretended to still be asleep or unconscious, he could find out more about his injuries than what he was told. No one was going to destroy his baby. He drifted in and out of consciousness over the next few days. No one knew when he was awake since he never opened his eyes and he didn't alter his breathing. After a week of being in the hospital wing, Madam Pomphrey preformed the pregnancy spell. Harry heard her firecall Professor McGonagall.
"I'm afraid that he is pregnant, Minerva. I'll perform the abortion spell in the morning. He's stable enough now, but I feel that the morning would be better all around. I would rather do it while he is still unconscious."
"What ever you think is best Poppy. I'll be there first thing in the morning."
Madam Pomphrey did one final check on Harry and retired to her room, not knowing
that her patient wouldn't be there in the morning.
Finally they left him alone. There was no one there sitting beside him. No one pacing in the room. Silence filled the room. Harry Potter opened his eyes for the first time in a week. He waited until he heard the clock in the tower strike midnight. Carefully he sat up. His trunk had been placed at the end of his bed. Very slowly he found a set of clothes, his wand, the invisibility cloak, and the Marauders map. It took him half an hour to get dressed because of how stiff and sore he was. As soon as he was ready, he shrunk his trunk, put it in his pocket, put the cloak on, and made his way out of the hospital wing and down to the entrance hall. He was forced to stop several times because he got dizzy. Once he was outside the castle, the fresh air helped clear his head and he made faster time going across the grounds to the main gate.
At the gate Harry took off the cloak and put it in a pocket. He then flung out his wand, summoning the Knight Bus. He paid the new conductor and asked to be dropped off at the Leaky Cauldron. Once he arrived, Harry didn't go inside. Instead he went to a nearby alleyway and put his invisibility cloak back on. Then he went and stood outside the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron waiting for someone to enter. Luck was on his side as he saw a family approach. He followed them inside and was even luckier when they continued on out to the courtyard and open the archway. Not wanting to press his luck, Harry hurried into Gringotts.
In a dark corner, inside the bank, Harry took his cloak off and hurried over to stand in line for the next teller. The fast cart ride made him sick and dizzy. He had to take several deep breaths in order to try to calm his stomach down. At his vault he took half of what was inside and placed it in a Never Ending Pouch. Back upstairs, he exchanged several Galleons for pounds. He placed the cloak back on as he tried to calm his rolling stomach. He stopped in front of Florish and Blotts to rest. He placed a hand on his stomach, thinking of what he needed to do.
"I need to leave England, maybe even Europe. Perhaps America would be a good choice. That country is certainly large enough to hide me, while I'm pregnant and have the baby." There was no question in his mind that this was his baby, no matter how it was conceived or who the 'other' father was. No one was going to take his baby. He would die first. He had been without family for too long. He already loved the baby.
The bookshop opened and Harry snuck inside. He made his way to a hidden corner to rest. He hated being this weak. While he rested he thought about what he needed to do. He had the beginnings of a plan formed and he needed more information about wizard pregnancies, so a few books wouldn't hurt. He got up and browsed the bookshelves pulling out a book if it struck his fancy. He searched quite thoroughly in the charms section trying to find a charm that would make his magic untraceable. He was going to need his magic but he didn't want anyone to find him. He found one book that looked promising. He added it to the pile that included a book on wizarding childcare from infancy to age five. Another on pregnancy of a witch or wizard. He had found several defense books as well. As he headed towards the clerk he saw on a near by table, under an enchanted sign, a box of old books. The sign said that the entire box was five galleons or individual books for ten knuts. Harry opted for the entire box. Something told him to buy them all. Then he paid for his purchases quickly, shrunk the bag down and left the store. In a nearby alley Harry put the invisibility cloak on and went to wait near the archway. He waited nearly an hour before someone came along and opened the archway back to the Leaky Cauldron. Soon he was out into muggle London.
Checking into a reasonable muggle motel, Harry contacted a muggle travel agent. He decided to travel to New York by cruise ship. He figured that it wasn't the normal mode of transport. Besides he could rest on the journey over. Unfortunately he had to wait for two weeks before he could leave. He spent most of the time reading and resting, leaving the room only to eat so that the maid could clean the room. The charms book that he bought, didn't help him in what he wanted. However one of the books from the box had exactly what he was looking for. The author was unknown but he found a spell, in Parseltongue no less, which removed all traces of magic use from the casters wand. Harry spent an entire day learning the complicated wand movement, then the enchantment.
When Harry felt confident enough to try the spell, he apparated to Privet Drive. He chose this location because he felt that he needed closure for what had happened and a sense of wanting to do magic in a place that he had been forbidden to. Quickly he started the wand movement and said the spell in Parseltongue. When it was completed he felt an ice cold sensation run from his head to his toes. A crack nearby told him that someone had just apparated in. Throwing on his invisibility cloak, Harry waited to see who it was. Percy Weasley came into view, along with six others, presumably aurors.
"Harry Potter was spotted by someone in the area. He is sick and delusional. Stun him if necessary, but try not to harm him in any other way."
Harry watched as they spread out and started searching. He cast a silent spell to muffle his feet and waited to see if it was noticed. Feeling the need to test his untraceable magic, Harry cast a spell that changed Percy's hair bright purple. Since Percy was behind all the others, no one noticed their leader's new hair. Harry grinned. He had just made himself harder to track. He apparated back to his motel. He waited tensely for over an hour, waiting to see if anyone would show up. No one did. The spell had worked very well. He could relax a little bit more.
The next step was to conjure fake muggle papers. Making a fake birth certificate and passport under the name of Harry James Evans, took a lot of energy and magic. Harry had to rest for two days afterwards. But the papers looked completely real. On the day of his departure, Harry apparated to Plymouth and boarded the ship. The next five days the other passengers hardly every saw the young man with the black messy hair and green eyes. He stayed in his cabin most of the time, even for meals. He rested and read, going out on to the deck only long enough for the cabin boy to clean his cabin.
Harry arrived in New York ready to begin his new life. Renting a furnished apartment for a month, he set out finding a more permanent place to live. A visit to Market Street, New York's version of Diagon Alley showed him that the entire wizarding world was looking for him. The Mage Chronicles, the American magical newspaper, headline stated that he was wanted for questioning by the British Ministry of Magic. This made him decide that he needed to hide in a muggle area. Someplace where he wouldn't be recognized. But also where there weren't a lot of people, so that he wouldn't have to explain his condition or wear a glamour very often. The book that he had gotten on pregnancy had said that wearing a glamour too much would hurt the baby. He wasn't going to do anything that would hurt his child.
Harry finally found what he had been looking for after three weeks of searching, using the internet. A piece of property, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, had come up for sale. According to the ad the property had a cabin already built and was set back away from the road. It had two bedrooms, one bath, a main room, and a kitchen. The nearest town was a place called Custer. He had to look the place up on a map. It seemed perfect, even if there were tourists around. He contacted the real estate agent and set up a meeting.
One week later Harry packed everything again, this time boarding a plane and flew to Rapid City, South Dakota. The moment he stepped off the plane Harry felt like he had come home. The real estate agent drove him out to the property and showed him around. It was exactly what Harry wanted. A cozy home, away from people, but still had some form of civilization nearby. The cabin needed some work but that could be done in a few days. He and the agent returned to the agent's office. Harry signed all the paperwork, went to a nearby bank, and opened an account, got a cashier's check for the entire amount needed, and returned to the agent's office and paid the owner for the property right then and there. The agent helped him get in contact with a local repair man, who fixed his cabin up and made sure that everything was in top form. While his cabin was being repaired, Harry took a crash course on how to drive a car. Five days later he had a muggle driver's license and a brand new truck. When the cabin was finished, Harry bought some furniture, which he had delivered, and loaded up on supplies. The moment he set foot in his new home he totally relaxed. The stress leaving his body, which was good for the baby. He was truly home.
Standing Wolf, shaman for the Lakota or Sioux tribe that lived nearby, was in a rare temper. The normally quiet man was now quite angry and everyone around him knew it. All had heard his yelling, as he found out that the piece of land that the Elders of the tribe had been trying to buy, had been boughten by someone else. That particular piece of land was very sacred to them and they had not been allowed to use it by the previous owner. It had been sold before any of them knew that it was even for sale. Standing Wolf tried to contact the new owner, making a very lucrative offer, but all of his letters were being returned unopened. All he had been able to find out, was that an H. J. Evans had bought the property and that he was English. Since this H. J. Evans refused to communicate by mail, Standing Wolf would go and talk to the man in person.
Riding a horse along a nearby trail, Standing Wolf felt the powerful magic surrounding the cabin. He was surprised at the strength off the wards and the shear volume of them. This was no ordinary Englishman. This H. J. Evans was a wizard, a very powerful one. He had never felt such a powerful one. Intrigued he tied his horse to the porch rail and made his way to the front door. About five minutes after his first knock a young man answered the door, looking extremely pale. Standing Wolf was surprised. With the amount of power that he felt, he had thought that the Englishman would have been much older. Maybe there was someone else in the cabin.
"Can I help you?"
"Mr. H. J. Evans?" The young man nodded.
"My name is Standing Wolf and I represent the tribe of Sioux Indians that live near by. I have been trying to contact you about purchasing your property. This particular piece of land is very sacred to us and we have not been allowed to use it for our special and sacred ceremonies in a very long time. We would be glad to compensate you in addition to the amount that you paid for the property."
"I'm sorry but I have no intention of selling. However you may use the property whenever you want as long as you stay away from the cabin. I just want to be left alone."
"My tribe and I thank you" said Standing Wolf, watching the young man get paler and paler. "How much will the rent be?"
"None, just straighten up before you leave." With that said the young man fell forward. Standing Wolf caught him before he hit the floor. Looking around he levitated the young man to the sofa.
Several diagnostic spells later revealed a great deal about the young man. He had had some very nasty hexes and curses placed upon him recently and he was pregnant. Standing Wolf had heard of male pregnancies from the legends of old, but not of one within the last two hundred years. As he placed a cool cloth on the young man's forehead, he saw the scar. A most famous lightening bolt scar. Surprise was an understatement for what Standing Wolf was feeling. On every continent, witches and wizards were searching for the missing Harry Potter. While his arch enemy Lord Voldemort was claiming victory over Britain, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland and placing them within his iron fist. Many were sending family members out of harms way into other countries. Now he had discovered where Harry Potter had been hiding. So many things made sense now.
Emerald eyes snapped open. "Lie still, you fainted." Standing Wolf gently pushed Harry back so the he was lying down again. "Have you seen a magical healer recently?"
Now it was Harry's turn to be surprised. "How do you know about magic?"
"I'm a shaman. Medicine man and spiritual healer for my tribe. Most of us that have such callings are what you call wizards, Harry Potter."
"You know who I am?"
"Who in our world doesn't?"
Hermione Granger was hiding out at Grimmauld Place. The British Wizarding World was in disarray with Harry having gone missing. Voldemort was claiming victory stating that he had killed Harry and was now the ruler of them all. Many were trying to flee but all magical transportation had been stopped or forbidden. Those members of the Order that had survived were now holed up together at Grimmauld Place. She personally had obvilitated her parents, sending them to Australia, so that they wouldn't be caught up in the war. Professor McGonagall had told all of them what had happened to Harry and it was hers and Madam Pomphrey's belief that Harry was unstable and needed to be found.
They knew for certain that Harry had caught the Knight Bus to the Leaky Cauldron, but Tom the barman never saw him. Someone had seen him in Gringotts and in Florish and Blotts, but no one saw him leave. Then there was a sighting in Surrey, at his old home. Aurors had traced his magical signature there, but couldn't find him or pick up his magic again. Since then there was no sign of him, physical or magical. It was like Harry had dropped off the face of the earth. She and several others had tried using tracking spells to find him. Either he was covering up his magic, not using his magic, or he was dead.
Hermione then started looking at muggle means. Using a laptop computer that she had adapted to use in a magical environment, she set about trying to find a trace of her friend. Ron thought that she was being stupid and had given up, telling everyone that Harry had to be dead because otherwise he would be there with them. Ginny went into mourning and so far had refused to be comforted. She, too, felt that Harry was dead. Hermione didn't. He was broken, for want of another word, but not dead and she was going to find him.
Unfortunately, she, the Weasley, and the rest of the Order were on Voldemort's hit list. The Deatheaters were actively searching for them so that they might be made examples of. For that reason, leaving the house was dangerous.
For a month Hermione searched. She had ruled out his using an airplane to fly out or the tunnel train to go to France. Several searches, by the Ministry and the Deatheaters, around all of Harry's properties had produced nothing. He had no passport with his name on it and she was beginning to wonder if he hadn't used an alias. Bill had confirmed that Harry had removed about half of his money from his trust vault and had exchanged some galleons for pounds.
She set to work using the several aliases that she thought that he might have used but was coming up short. "Okay Hermione think. If you were Harry, hurt, pregnant, and alone, how would you travel, if you had never traveled before?" With more determination she started once more.
Twelve hours later she finally had a glimmer. She found that a Harry J. Evans left Plymouth on a cruise ship heading for New York. He had paid for the trip in cash and had departed two weeks after Harry's last sighting. She found the name again on a piece of real estate in South Dakota USA. She knew that Harry had wanted to live in the country. It was too much of a coincidence. The timing was almost perfect. If it was Harry then he had covered himself really well. The average wizard would never have found him but she was not the average wizard. Now all she had to do was see if this was really Harry or not. For that she was going to need money, and she had very little of that along with everyone else in the order. She racked her brain trying to think of something when it came to her. Something very simple.
Hermione ran into the room that she shared with Ginny and pulled out a wooden box from her dresser drawer. Inside she found the small velvet box that Harry had given her for safe keeping, telling her if anything happened to him that it was hers. Inside was a breath taking diamond ring that had belonged to Harry's mother. It had been worn by all of the Potter brides for the last three hundred years. With this on her finger, she could claim that she was Harry's fiancée and have access to his vault. She hoped that Harry would understand and not yell too loudly when she showed up. Now to get to Gringotts unnoticed.
Harry and Standing Wolf came to an understanding. For the use of Harry's land, Standing Wolf became Harry's healer. The shaman did weekly checkups on the young wizard, bringing supplies so that he didn't have to leave the house , as well as providing some companionship. Not once did he think to reveal that he knew where Harry Potter was, for which Harry was eternally grateful. They learned a great deal from each other as well. Harry learned to control his mind and how to meditate, as well as the Sioux culture. Standing Wolf made him attend every festival and ceremony that was held on the property. Many accepted the young man as a friend to their shaman and were happy to answer any questions that he had. Standing Wolf learned a great deal about the European culture and about the Dark Lord. The vast amount of knowledge that the young wizard had was amazing. He learned more about defense then he thought was possible. Together they worked through Harry's attack and all that was done to him. Standing Wolf knew that Harry was missing his old friends, one in particular, a young woman.
It had taken Hermione nearly a month to get everything ready to leave and not arouse suspicion as to what she was doing. No one in the Order really wanted to help, save Remus, and he was busy with Tonks and trying not to get caught. The Ministry had issued an arrest warrant for Harry saying that he was insane and needed to be questioned on some charges. Most bought the story except those that knew him anyway. Hermione didn't believe that he was crazy or dead, and when she said as much, most thought that she was slightly crazy with grief herself. Gringotts had helped a great deal, once they saw that she was wearing the Potter diamond ring. They allowed her access to Harry's vaults, all of them. The goblin in charge of the Potter account had told her that Harry had been there and had withdrawn about half of his trust fund account but since he hadn't been of age at that time he had no way of knowing about the rest of the money. They, too, believed that there was nothing wrong with Harry, but all communication to the wizard by owl post refused to be delivered. It was as if he had removed his magic, which Hermione knew that he wouldn't do. So he must have found a way of masking it or making it untraceable.
The goblins also helped her so that she could leave the country without anyone knowing. Arrangements were made and Hermione returned to Grimmauld Place to await word from the goblins. During her wait she read every book that she could find about making your magic untraceable. She still hadn't figured out how Harry had done it, for she knew in her heart that is what he had done. Finally word arrived that she was to leave and Hermione began to pack. She packed as light as she could but didn't want to leave anything behind. She didn't know when she would be able to come back. At one am a Goblin arrived to escort her to her transportation, an enclosed flying carpet.
It was a ride that Hermione would never forget. Terrifying yet thrilling all at once. The enclosure helped her stay warm and dry as well as not letting her fall off the edge. It took her nearly three hours to figure that out since the goblin driving hadn't said a word. Finally at sunrise they reached their destination. Custer, South Dakota. She truly hoped that Harry was here.
Harry woke up just after sunrise needing to use the loo. After using the loo he opted for a shower. He noticed, when looking in the mirror as he dressed, that he was starting to show. Odd as he was only a few of months along, about three and a half. The baby was hungry, so breakfast was next, hoping that he could at least keep this one down. Morning sickness had hit Harry with a vengeance. Forgoing his normal dry toast and tea, Harry decided that an omelet was just the thing and made a huge one. Just as he was about to take the first bite there was a knock on the door. Frowning slightly he wondered why Standing Wolf was here so early. Opening the door Harry saw that it wasn't Standing Wolf at all, but one of his best friends, Hermione Granger. He stood there with his mouth hanging open.
"Aren't you going to invite me in?"
"What the hell are you doing here and how did you find me?!"
"I'll explain, if you'll let me in."
"Not until I know it's you."
"Ask me a question that only I would know then."
Harry thought for a moment. "How was Sirius rescued?"
"We rescued Buckbeak first then flew Buckbeak up to the tower that they had placed Sirius in. I used Bombarda on the door."
Harry moved out of the way so that she could come in. He watched as she removed her cloak and hung it on the coat tree by the door. He couldn't believe that she had found him, yet he was so happy to see her. Just as he was going to repeat his earlier question his stomach rumbled.
"Hungry?"
Harry scowled at her and led the way back to the kitchen. He pulled another plate from the cupboard and split the omelet in half and sat down. Hermione slid into the opposite chair and slowly ate. She found that it was surprisingly good and set a fast pace in eating it, making herself look like Ron. Harry just stared at her in surprise. Hermione blushed.
"It's very good, alright?"
"Thanks, but I don't think I have ever seen you eat like that before. Are you sure that you aren't Ron in disguise?" A giggle escaped the witch. "Now that you have been fed and I'm about to be, you want to explain how you found me."
Hermione told him everything. How she researched using the internet and how the Goblins had helped her thinking that she was Harry's fiancée. Harry ate and listened until she came to that part. Then he simply stared at her like she was crazy or something.
"I didn't tell anyone what I had found. No one wanted to listen to me anyway. But I had to do something. You're my best friend and I love you too much to let you go."
Before Harry could say anything, they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Harry got up to answer it and Hermione cleaned up the kitchen. This time it was Standing Wolf. The shaman was very surprised to see the young woman in Harry's cabin. Harry invited the shaman in.
"Standing Wolf, this is Hermione Granger, one of my best friends. Hermione, this is Standing Wolf, Shaman for the Sioux tribe that uses this land as a sacred meeting place, and he's a wizard and my healer."
Harry could see that both were shocked to learn about the other.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. Bolt has mentioned you a few times."
"Bolt?"
"It's a name that Standing Wolf gave me when I started attending the festivals and ceremonies that the Sioux hold here."
"Yes, his whole name in Lighting Bolt From The Sky."
"Interesting name" she said with a giggle.
"Whatever works." Harry turned to Standing Wolf. "Did you bring the stone?"
"Yes. Now go lay down on the couch so that I can due a check-up first." Harry did as he was told. Hermione watched as the shaman ran his tests. She was dying to ask about what they were talking about. When she saw that the tests were done she asked, "What stone?"
Standing Wolf held up a granite stone that resembled the shape of a potato. The entire surface looked smooth but had some lumps here and there. "It's called a 'Revealing Stone'. It has been used for over two hundred years by my family. It reveals the one who has raped and /or impregnates a woman. I hope that it will reveal the other father."
"Are you sure that you want to know, Harry?"
"I need to know, Hermione. If this baby is magical, I need to know how powerful the other father is. Besides then I'll know who I have to hurt."
"Professor Lupin has a list of the offenders that Madam Pomphrey gave him. I made a duplicate." She handed Harry the list. He read the names of Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, Marcus Flint, Rebastian LeStrange, Charles Nott, Adam Goyle, Percy Weasley, Pansy Parkinson, Bellatrix LeStrange, and Delores Umbridge. Harry's hands were shaking by the time he finished reading. He looked into Hermione's eyes asking the unspoken question.
"The Weasleys don't know yet. No one has the heart to tell them." Harry shook his head to indicate that he understood. Standing Wolf said the spell in Lakota, using the stone as a wand. Shortly three blue bubbles appeared over Harry's stomach. Each had a name in it: Snape, Malfoy, and Weasley. The three 'other' fathers, for it now revealed that Harry was having triplets.
"Three separate signatures, three different fathers for three babies, all boys."
"I'm having THREE babies?!"
"Yes three, all with different fathers." Harry fainted. "I had a feeling that he was going to do this." Standing wolf levitated Harry into his bedroom. "Let him come out of it on his own. I'll be back in couple of days. I am very glad to meet you and very glad that you are here for Bolt."
"I'm glad to be here as well, Standing Wolf."
Harry remained unconscious until dinner time. His eyes snapped open. He couldn't figure out how he had gotten into his bedroom. The last thing that he remembered was Standing Wolf using the Revealing Stone. The memories came rushing back. He was having triplets, by three different men. Someone out there really hated him and was getting its jollies from it. Only he, Harry Potter, could accomplish what no other wizard had done before. He heard a noise coming from the direction of the kitchen. Figuring that it was Hermione, he got up. He hoped that she cooked something, not that he wouldn't, but he was starving and really didn't want to want to cook something in order to eat it. He went to the loo first. It seemed that the babies wanted him to pee every half hour or so.
Much to his and his stomach's joy, Hermione was cooking something when Harry entered the kitchen, humming to herself. Harry stood in the doorway and simply watched as she prepared the meal both in the muggle and magical ways. Rarely had he seen her so calm.
Without turning her head towards him, Hermione asked, "Did you sleep well?"
"If you call fainting sleeping", he snorted.
"Standing Wolf put you into a healing sleep after your shock." Harry could hear the smile in her voice. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."
"It smells really good."
"Thank you."
Harry sat down at the already set table as Hermione pulled the Sheppard's pie from the oven. A salad was already on the table with a basket of warm rolls. Harry's stomach rumbled.
"Hungry?"
"Yes."
"Well then let's feed you and those little ones."
Dinner was eaten in almost complete silence. Hermione watched with amusement as Harry devoured his dinner, eating two platefuls of the Sheppard's pie. It was during dessert that Harry noticed that Hermione was still wearing the Potter diamond ring.
Seeing where Harry's eyes were looking she said, "I'm sorry. I've tried everything I know to get it to come off. It just won't budge."
"It's alright, Hermione. Leave it on. I want you to have it."
Hermione gave Harry a surprised look. "You realize that it will make people think that we are engaged."
"Would that be so bad?"
Hermione now stared at Harry, gobsmacked. That was not the answer she had expected. "What? Why?"
Harry sighed. That wasn't how he had planned it. "Hermione, I need to ask you something first. Do you really love Ron? I mean as a potential husband or lover? I need an honest answer."
It was a good thing that she was sitting down. She had never expected these types of questions. "Honestly?" Harry nodded. "No, I never really considered Ron in that way. I know that is what he wants, especially with a great deal of encouragement from his mother, but I don't think that I could even kiss him. I don't want him or love him in that way."
Harry nodded his head in understanding. "But do you have those feelings and wants for someone else?" He watched as she turned bright red. "You do, don't you?" She nodded. Harry took a deep breath. He had to ask the question that had been bothering him since she had arrived. "Is it me?" Hermione stood up, extremely fast and tried to leave the room, but Harry's seeker reflexes kicked in and he grabbed he arm before she got too far. "I didn't mean to embarrass or upset you. I would never do that. I just needed to know if you felt the same for me as I do for you. I have loved you for so long that I was starting to crack. I didn't want you seeing me like this but I also wanted you here to share the experience with me. What I'm trying to say is that I love you and have for almost as long as I have known you."
Hermione sat back down in shock. "I thought that you were in love with Ginny."
"I had thought so too. At least that's what I told myself. I think that I went out with Ginny to see if I had feelings for her or if my feelings for you were true. Plus I didn't want to get in the way if you did want Ron, so I guess Ginny was my back-up. Something else is that Ginny wanted the Boy-Who-Lived Harry Potter, not the man Harry Potter. You, who have known me since we were eleven, known why I was famous before I truly understood it myself, became a true friend through everything. You have gotten hurt because of that friendship, and were the only one to come looking for me after I was attacked and had left everything else behind. Everyone else thinks I'm dead. That's why I know that you are my true soulmate and why I love you so much."
His words filled Hermione's heart and soul to almost brimming with love. But a small part still held some doubt. "Are you sure that it's me that you want. I couldn't handle it if you led me along and then left me for Ginny. I really thought that you and Ginny were destined to be together."
"I want you in my life, not Ginny. To be honest I did review what Ginny and I had. I found that we didn't have a lot in common and I really can't see her accepting all that has happened to me. She would probably want me to give up the babies. I can't do that, Hermione, No matter who the other fathers' are, I can't give up my family. When I heard Madam Pomphrey telling Professor McGonagall that I was pregnant and that she was going to perform the abortion spell the next morning, I knew that I had to leave. I couldn't let them kill my family. Too many people have died already because of me. I couldn't let anyone else die if I could help it, so I left."
She had been wondering why Harry had never explained the reason he had run off in the first place. It was proof of his love and friendship that he had told her the true reason. Tears fell down her cheeks. She suddenly found herself cradled against Harry's chest, her stomach being kicked by the little ones.
"Shh, I didn't mean to make you cry. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you."
"You haven't hurt me. These are tears of joy. People do cry for happy moments too."
"I know they do, but I have a hard time figuring out which are which sometimes."
Hermione lifted her face and stared into Harry's eyes. She saw all the love, desire, and passion that he held for her. A gentle kiss followed. "So will you stay and be mine?"
"I would love nothing more than to stay and help you raise these three." she placed her hand on his active stomach "and make a few of our own."
"Then leave the ring on." Harry leaned in and kissed her again. The three babies seemed to accept her as their new mother if the activity in Harry's stomach was any indication.
The next few weeks saw Harry and Hermione testing the boundaries of their relationship. Many tribe members that visited the cabin found the change in the serious young man for the better. The inquisitive witch was a breath of fresh air. She asked several questions to anyone who was around her. Many elders found themselves under her 'spell' and began relating several legends and stories of old, as well as language lessons and cultural lessons to the young witch. Nothing was out of reach for her and she understood the significance of their history and culture that very few could. Standing Wolf gave her the name of Swirling Waters. She was given that name was she seemed to be everywhere at once, causing a whirlpool in her mist, but was steady as the water flow, finding its way home. Harry agreed that name suited her. She was HIS Swirling Waters.
In the same book that he had found the Untraceable magic spell, which Hermione cast upon herself after being there a week, Harry found an Ability Exchange spell, also in Parseltongue. Harry finally convinced Hermione and Standing Wolf to do the spell. The three of them stood in a stand of trees behind the cabin that Standing Wolf used for his special rites. Harry stood between them, holding one of the others hands. Hermione held her wand, as Harry said the spell Hermione did the wand movement. A bright purple light engulfed them as the book had said it would and gradually began to dissipate. It took several days before they figured out who got what. Harry had given both Hermione and Standing Wolf the ability to speak in Parseltongue. They discovered this when the two men heard Hermione talking to a snake outside during Harry's check-up. Both men understood what she was saying to the snake. From Hermione the two men received her ability to retain information, an almost photographic memory. Harry made that discovery while looking up a recipe and remembering it as well as several others that he only had glanced at. From Standing Wolf the young couple received his vast knowledge of healing and herbal remedies that had been passed down from shaman to shaman. Hermione made that discovery when she had cut her finger, quite deep, one day and healed it herself. It took her several minutes to discover that she had not know how to before.
It was Standing Wolf that suggested that they get married before Harry got any bigger. To test her untraceable magic even further, Hermione apparated the two of them to Las Vegas and they eloped. Harry said that she simply wanted to sweep him off his feet. When they returned the tribe held a wedding feast and Standing Wolf gave them his blessing as a shaman in a more personal ceremony.
It had been nearly a year since Harry Potter had disappeared and almost eight months since Hermione had disappeared to find him. The occupants of number 12 Grimmauld Place tried to keep up their spirits up during that time, but it was getting harder and harder to do as hope began to fade in their hearts. Voldemort had the wizarding community in chaos. He had even taken over the one thing he hadn't been able to the last time, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Deatheaters were ordered to gather all eligible students so that they may attend classes. Those that refused or resisted were punished and their parents placed into Azkaban. Those that had attended before, were now found unworthy to attend, due to Voldemort's new purity of blood guidelines. If caught, they were forced to have their magic removed permanently. A warrant for Hermione had been issued on September 1st for refusing to report to the Pureblood Protection Office and having her magic removed. The ministry itself was confused, as they had lost her magical signature, like they had with Harry Potter's. They refused to acknowledge that they had no idea where the two were and had declared Harry dead and tried to seize his Gringotts vaults. The goblins refused, saying that Harry wasn't dead as his will had not activated. The average witch or wizard knew none of this, as the Ministry didn't want to start a riot or uprising in Harry's name.
Remus Lupin was awakened by the wards that surrounded Grimmauld Place. Whoever was about to enter, the wards had accepted. He found it strange since all that knew of the place were already there, except Snape of course. Even Severus couldn't give the exact location due to Dumbledore's protection. Remus got out of bed and put on his robe. Grabbing his wand, he silently made his way to the kitchen, where the only floo connection was still in place. He heard the roar of flames as someone stepped through. Watching from the doorway, Remus trained his wand on the intruder, who was placing two baskets on the table. The person then turned and reached back into the flames and pulled out a third basket. A second, shorter person then stepped through and then the flames died, sealing the floo from invasion.
"Moony, I appreciate that you are vigilant like Moody, but I really don't like a wand pulled on me in my own house" said the taller of the two. To say that Remus was surprised was an understatement.
"I think that you have confused him, dear", the smaller one said. Remus shook himself. These two sounded familiar but even more so smelt familiar. Three other scents were coming from the baskets. With a wave of the taller one's hand the candles all lit up. Both lowered their hoods and Remus saw Harry and Hermione standing there.
"Cub?" Remus' voice was gruff with emotion. His cub had returned to the pack.
"Yeah, Moony, it's me." Harry couldn't say any more as the older man engulfed him in a hug that would have broken a hippogriff's back. Closer inspection showed that Harry looked a great deal like James, even more so than before, but he still had his mother's eyes. Remus then turned and wrapped Hermione in a similar hug. She had changed as well. Not in looks but in maturity and strength. She was also pregnant.
Still looking at the witch he said to Harry "You have a lot of explaining to do cub".
"I know I do, Moony, but I would rather explain it to everyone at once instead of several times over and over."
"I'll go wake everyone up. The Burrow was destroyed in a raid by the Deatheaters posing as Ministry officials. The others are simply hiding from getting arrested. "
"Moony, I need to know, is Percy here?"
"No, why?"
Harry sighed. "Did you tell the Weasley's about him being a Deatheater and that he was part of the attack on me?"
"Arthur, Bill, Charlie, and the twins know. We agreed that Ron couldn't keep his mouth shut or control his temper and we had no idea how it would effect Ginny. Arthur himself asked to tell Molly. I don't know if he did or didn't. Why?"
"It's part of what I will tell everyone. I need to know how to break something to the Weasleys."
"Whatever it is, cub, they will appreciate the honesty no matter what."
Remus left to awaken the house. Soon sounds of irate and excited people were heard coming from upstairs. The kitchen was soon filled with former Order members, all in pajamas and robes. Many saw Harry and soon he was wrapped in hugs. Once Mrs. Weasley latched on to him, she refused to let him go. It took Mr. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie to pry her off, only to have her latch herself on to Hermione. Finally they got Mrs. Weasley to calm down, so that they all could find out what had happened to Harry.
Harry stood at the head of the table and explained everything that had happened to him, without saying the names of his attackers. He talked about going to America and hiding there. About how Hermione had tracked him down and the decision to return to England.
"We discovered a way to destroy Voldemort, in part, from where we were at. An old book that I had found in Florish and Blotts, before leaving the country. It had a spell in it that could gather what remained of Voldemort's soul and gather it together so that he would now be mortal. Only until that was done could I even attempt to return to destroy him. It took myself, Hermione, and a friend of mine, combined to pull it off."
Then he told them about the babies. Everyone showed surprise at that announcement. Even those that had known that he had been pregnant, all had thought that he would have lost it. Not carry it to term and end up with three of them. It showed just how powerful Harry was.
Harry levitated the three baskets onto the table. The blankets were gently removed from the babies' faces. Many were shocked to see that the three babies each had a different color of hair, one red, one blonde, and one black. No one said a word for a minute then several whispers broke out, waking the three boys. All had identical emerald green eyes, just like their daddy. Crying soon started and Harry and Hermione went into action. Within ten minutes all three boys had been changed and were currently being fed a bottle, with Mrs. Weasley holding the red headed one.
"This one is Sirius Frederick" said Harry, indicating the blonde baby that he was holding "That one is James Albus", indicating to the one that Hermione was holding. "And the other is George Remus."
"Why do they all have different hair color, Harry?" asked a confused Ron.
"Because they each have a different 'other' father."
"What!?" several people asked.
"Sirius' father is Lucius Malfoys and James' is Snape's."
"What about George's?" asked Mr. Weasley, already knowing the answer.
Harry looked directly at Mrs. Weasley and said "George is Percy's son." The stunned look on Mrs. Weasley's face was almost too much for Harry.
"No." she whispered. "No! My Percy couldn't do something like that. He wouldn't." But the men of the Weasley family knew better. Harry pulled out George's magical birth certificate and handed it to Mr. Weasley. There, for all to see, listed Percy as the father and Harry as the 'mother'. There was no way to forge a magical document, especially when a drop of the baby's blood was used.
"Yes, Molly, he can and did. Percy's been a Deatheater for sometime now. Harry's wasn't the first attack that he's been a part of", answered Mr. Weasley.
By this time the three babies had finished their meal, had been burped, and were currently going back to sleep. "I think that it's best if we all go back to bed and discuss this later in the morning."
Molly shook herself back to the situation at hand. "Yes. I'm sure that you and Hermione are tired and these little ones are already back to sleep. Hermione, you can stay in the same room as before, with Ginny. Harry, the room that you shared with Ron is clean. It will be a tight fit with you, Ron, and the babies, but I'm sure that we'll figure it out."
"Um, Mrs. Weasley? Hermione and I are married now and expecting our own baby in about seven months." Silence filled the room at that statement. Ginny, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley all looked like they wanted to explode. Harry turned his attention to Remus. "Has anyone taken Sirius' room?"
"No, but it needs cleaned."
Handing baby Sirius to Remus, Harry went upstairs and magically cleaned Sirius' room and enlarged it to fit the three cots, changing table and other things that had been shrunk down to bring back. Harry returned and took young George from Mrs. Weasley and indicated to Remus to follow him. Hermione quietly said good night and followed.
Later that morning, after every one had had a chance to calm down and think about everything that Harry had said, all gathered in the drawing room to discuss what would happen next. The babies had also been brought down. Harry had pulled Remus, Fred, and George aside and asked them each to be a godfather to one of his boys. George as James', Fred as Sirius', and Remus as young George's. His reasoning was that as uncles to young George, the twins would look out for him no matter what, so he wanted Remus to have the role of guardian if anything happened to himself and Hermione. All three men were surprised that Harry had asked them. "If I don't make it, I want you to train them as future marauders. You, Moony, are the only original Marauder left, and I have always felt that Fred and George were unofficial Marauders."
"Now tell me what has Voldemort been up to since I left?" asked Harry. Each told him of how Voldemort had taken over the Ministry and now Hogwarts, where he was now staying. They told him that he had been declared dead by the Ministry and that the goblins refused to hand over his money, when the Ministry went to claim it. They also mentioned Hermione's arrest warrant for not reporting to have her magic removed. They also told him all those that had had their magic removed, were killed, or forced to return to Hogwarts. Now was the time to plan.
After the meeting Ron asked Harry to join him in the kitchen. Harry wasn't surprised to see Mrs. Weasley and Ginny in there as well.
"I think that you owe us an explanation" said Ginny.
"What do you mean? I don't owe any of you anything."
"Harry, maybe you and Hermione got slightly confused or cursed. You should have never married each other. I realize that having three little ones is a huge responsibility and that you need help, but I don't think Hermione is right for you in this instance. I understand that emotions run high and things happen, but is it enough to start a marriage with? Perhaps you should quietly divorce her and marry someone that can handle that kind of stress. Someone like Ginny."
"Don't worry about Hermione mate, I'll take care of her. She's better off with me anyway."
Harry was having a hard time holding on to his temper. Never had he been so insulted. "I can't believe all of you. You act as if I were under a spell or something. I assure you that I am not. I happen to love Hermione. She has accepted what happened to me and my children and is having MY baby. If this subject EVER comes up again, I will not hesitate in retaliating. You are one of my sons' family, something that I hold precious, but if you continue on this subject you will NEVER see him again." He turned to walk out the door but stopped to issue one final warning. "If any of you say anything about this to Hermione, I'll make Voldemort look like a saint."
Lord Voldemort, aka Tom Riddle, was sitting on top of the world, at least in his eyes. He had practically destroyed Harry Potter and now ruled the wizarding world. His Deatheaters were enjoying themselves, causing terror and mayhem. Little did he know that his world would be shaken to its foundations in little under an hour.
Harry and most of the members of the Order apparated into Hogsmeade, just after sunset. He had persuaded Hermione to stay at Grimmauld place for the baby's sake. He didn't want her there incase he failed. Using the secret tunnel from Honeydukes, they made their way into the school. Harry had disabled several detectors along the way, so that they would have the element of surprise. It was dinner time in the Great Hall and Voldemort was seated at the head table. Harry burst through the Hall doors causing several students to jump. Seated up, at the head table, along with Voldemort were the three that Harry had to deal with as well. All the rest of the Order knew that Harry wanted his revenge with the fathers' of his children. They could capture and hurt them but were to try and not kill them, until Harry got a chance to talk with them. It was only fair.
"Harry Potter, you have decided to show your face and die like the coward you are."
"No Tom, I had to destroy the 'pieces' that you left lying around. Felt any different lately?"
Only Harry saw the fear enter Voldemort's eyes, real fear. The bad guy understood that his immortality was now gone. "ENOUGH OF THIS POTTER! I, LORD VOLDEMORT, WILL TEACH YOU YOUR PLACE BEFORE I KILL YOU."
"You can try Tom, you can defiantly try."
As Harry faced off against Voldemort, the other's picked their targets. Remus chose Snape. Mr. Weasley went after Percy, feeling that it was his duty as a father. The twins chose Lucius Malfoy. Several Gryffindor's, Ravenclaw's, and a few Hufflepuffs took on the Slytherin's, led by Draco Malfoy. A full scale battle started. Neville was seen protecting several first and second years as they escaped the Great Hall, no matter what house they were in. Dean and Seamus took over for him as he saw Bellatrix LeStrange trying to sneak up on Harry.
"Expelliarmus. Diffindo. Progeto." Neville said the spells back to back. He watched in horror as his spells hit their target, decapitating the witch's head from her body before she could defend herself. He hadn't meant to kill her; he just wanted to avenge his parents.
Harry was unaware of what was going on around him. His focus was solely on Voldemort. The evil wizard sent curse after curse Harry's way, including all three Unforgivables. His personal shield that he and Hermione had perfected had worked. Now he just had to maintain it. He needed to end the fight soon. He had never lasted longer than fifteen minutes, before his magic was exhausted. Silently he sent seven spells at Voldemort, each hitting their target, causing Voldemort to stagger back in surprise and pain. One of the spells had drained all of Voldemort's magic only the older wizard hadn't realized it yet.
"Time to end this Potter. I don't know how you blocked the killing curse before but your luck has run out. Avada Kedava! " The entire Hall stopped what they were doing and watched, but nothing happened. No bright green light. No dead Potter. In fact Harry Potter was standing there, grinning like a fool.
"Problem, Tom?"
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!?"
"Just a little spell that I found in an old book. I simply took your magic away, permanently. You, Tom Riddle, Heir to Salazar Slytherin, are now a squib."
"NO! I still have my power! Nothing can take that away. Noth….." Harry, tired of the tantrum, bound and gagged the former Dark Lord. The Deatheaters soon followed.
In the weeks that followed the wizarding world got back on its feet. Voldemort and his followers were put on trial and convicted. All were sent to Azkaban, without their magic, courtesy of Harry Potter. He met with each of the 'other' fathers telling them everything about their child. The Ministry, thanks to new Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt, had all of Snape's, Malfoy's, and Percy's assets seized and gave them in trust to Harry for his sons. Harry was asked to join the Aurors but he refused. Instead he took the DADA teaching position. Hermione was offered several different positions, but she turned them down saying that she needed to raise her family. Instead she helped Harry by grading his papers and helping plan his lessons. The Potter family was soon increased by two. Twin girls, named Leia and Leila, were born during the early morning hours of the Spring Equinox. Their Daddy was the proudest daddy around, although their brothers ran him ragged.
The Weasley's came to accept Harry and Hermione's marriage, namely Ron, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley. All of them doted on the boys and when the girls were born they were in danger of being spoiled. A surprised Ron and Ginny were asked to be the girls' godparents. Standing Wolf made a visit to the Potter's at Hogwarts to offer the blessing that he had given to the boys when they were born. Harry had already told him that the family planned to spend the summer months at the cabin, perhaps with the Weasleys as well. Family gatherings were now required of the Potters at the Burrow. Harry was glad that he did what he had to. He couldn't picture his life any other way.