Dragon Blood

*Disclaimer: Harry Potter, and all the characters from it doesn’t belong to me, they belong to J. K. Rowling, I’m not gaining anything but fun from writing this.


Chapter 24. A Little Too Late for Explanations.

Harry walked along the corridor to the room that he had shared with Draco with his hands clenched. He was angry. He was beyond angry, he was furious! How dare they! How dare Dumbledore not told him about any of it! Granted, the curse that Regulus Black had unwisely cast would have prevented the old man to be specific, but he could have tried! He could have found a way to tell Harry something! The black-haired Gryffindor knew a lot of things now, some of them he would have preferred to never know.

He reached the right door and stood in front of it, glaring bloody murder at the portraits that were now awake and throwing questions at him. The portraits went silent as soon as they picked on his thunderous mood. Harry gave a deep breath and exhaled noisily. He was trying to process what had happened. After the ordeal outside Malfoy Manor, Snape had somehow taken him to the chamber, which could have not been too bad if not for the big commotion that had been taking place in it.

There had been around forty people there, trying to make sense of what exactly had happened. Harry had been put with a group of other eleven young persons as equally confused as him. He had found the twins and Charlie. They had been exited to see him and had told him about the dragons they had met. No one had known very well what was all about, Charlie had only mentioned that one of the instructors of the reserve where he had been working had looked out for him and had actually been baffled and joyous at the same time when the dragons had appeared. Then a woman called Alisha had come and explained the situation to them, along with a bit of what had been done to bring the dragons back.

Harry still couldn’t believe that Bellatrix had almost managed to screw up the entire wizarding world. Though he reasoned that it was not really surprising. It only confirmed that the bitch had been crazy way before ending in Azkaban. Fortunately, the ultimate demise of the wizarding world had been prevented, and now the bonded were busy trying to figure out how to deal with the resulting mess. Harry scoffed. It had been apparent that the people that had come from other countries had been reluctant to offer any help. They would just happily ignore Britain’s war with Voldemort, now that THEIR main problem was solved. The rest had been unsure of what to do.

Harry wondered how the wizarding world had survived the centuries, if all the wizards had always been so… self-centred. No one was willing to think about what the consequences of their “closed doors” policy could be. As Harry had understood it, everything would have been way easier if they had just joined forces and attacked Voldemort when the man had first discovered the Rainbow Dragons’ big secret. But of course no one had thought of asking for help! The rest of the world had remained practically oblivious to what had been happening as Voldemort had taken special care to eliminate the most powerful wizards before hand, and the few that had remained had either isolated themselves or had not been told the entire truth. The British wizards had seemed to want to resolve the problem without the meddling of other countries. It had been fortunate that Bellatrix had not had time to reveal everything to Voldemort before the curse had been cast, or there would have been absolutely no hope of survival.

Anyway, Harry was more than willing to leave the rest of the bonded to their petty politics and to resolve whatever issues they had with “getting involved.” What had really angered him had been to realize the role he and Draco had taken in the whole mess, along with some information of his past. Information courtesy of Snape, because he had been the only one willing to fully enlighten the boy, and Salamanca, because she had been pressed by Snape to do it. Everyone else had clearly stated that it was a bad idea to let the Gryffindor boy know more about himself!

It had turned out that when the last Rainbow Dragon had hid her dragonling, and everyone had been looking for it like crazy, the prophesy had come along. Snape had not heard part of it, he had actually listen to the entire prophesy. The reason for him to be out of the room was because he had wanted to tell Dumbledore about the people that Voldemort had suspected to be hiding the small dragon. The owner of the Hog had thought that he didn’t have anything to do there, but Snape had waited for Dumbledore outside the establishment and had talked with him. The whole group of the bonded residents of Britain had discussed the prophesy then and had actually agreed on Snape going back to Voldemort to tell him part of it. From the version that Snape was going to say, it could have been easily implied that the prophesy was speaking about the dragon’s vessel. They had been hoping to send Voldemort in a wild chase after the Potters and Longbottoms, both families had already been put into hiding under fidelius, while they would continue their own search and investigation of ways to undo what Voldemort had done and re-open the portal to the Dragon-realm.

But James Potter had been convinced to change secret keepers at the last minute, and had neglected to inform anyone of such change. But even if he had had, no one would have opposed. Petigrew after all had been a good friend of the young man, and no one had known the identity of Voldemort’s spy, not even his inner circle. So, the Dark Lord had attacked the Potters with a double intention, to erase the danger and to get the dragon. He hadn’t been aware that the dragon was not in its physical form. He hadn’t know how exactly the creature had managed to hide. He had supposed that James would be able to summon it, or that the dragon would somehow sense the danger to its bonded. With little help from Bellatrix he had theorized that once the child was killed it would be easier to track the creature and made his own bond with it.

So, the Potters had been attacked. Harry had deflected the Avada Kedabra upon the caster and Voldemort had ceased to be a problem for the moment.

And that had created confusion among the bonded. They had wondered if perhaps it was possible that Harry actually had been the vessel. They had analyzed the events and had concluded that even if Lily had been a muggleborn, the mother dragon could have very well done a ritual that could ignore that fact, seeing that the bond had been with the unborn child and not the mother. Finally, it had been Dumbledore the one convinced that Harry was the child they had been looking for. He couldn’t think of any other cause that could have allowed Lily to summon the powerful ancient magic that had protected him, even if she had been a powerful witch herself. He had simply overlooked the fact that magic per se was not selective about who got to use what, if you had enough power, you can do it.

They all had ended up been convinced of the fact that Harry simply had to have the dragon. Some of them had even tried to get custody of him, but the reality was that he had surviving family, even if it was not magical, and Dumbledore had wanted to preserve the magic that Lily had managed to invoke. The Dursleys had been a necessity for the blood magic to be active. The bonded had been ready to do everything to keep the only Rainbow Dragon safe. Besides, the low level of magic in the muggle world would help to keep the bond dormant and Harry out of troubles while they had dealt with Bella, and the Death Eaters that had been told about the Rainbow Dragons.

From the moment Harry had started Hogwarts he had been closely watched by Dumbledore and Snape, waiting for signals that the bond had been activated. The old headmaster had insisted on seeing those signals in the sheer luck that Harry had to get out of troubles and his innate ability for flying. Snape had always been sceptical, pointing out all the help that the boy had had, emphasizing the one that the very headmaster had always provided. But Dumbledore would never listen. He never had considered the possibility that Harry may not be the dragon vessel, and so he had tried to give the boy a disguised training. He had known about the horcruxes from the beginning. Regulus had informed the rest of the bonded of his discovery, before being killed trying to destroy one. But Dumbledore had thought that Harry would need to find them himself, and that had included dealing with Slughorn. It was to be part of his training to fulfill the prophesy, which Dumbledore obviously had thought that the boy should do alone, thinking that he won’t need anybody else but his dragon.

It seemed that only Snape had always scoffed at the Headmaster’s obsession with Harry being the chosen one. The sour potions master simply had wanted a more solid proof than luck. He had gotten it the day that Harry had cast the sectumsempra on Draco, and actually had felt quite vindicated to prove that Dumbledore had been wrong. Harry really had powerful magic, and it had turned out that he should have killed the blond Slytherin with the sectumsempra, instead he had activated Draco’s bond. The magic had not retaliated with force, but it had protected Draco’s vital organs and saved him. Snape had immediately felt the bond, it had been still weak, but it had been there. The man actually had done little to cure Draco’s wounds as the boy’s magic had already been doing a nice job.

Draco had started to dream with dragons and crazy chases in the sky. He had only informed Snape of those dreams the first time he had had them, because he had thought that Potter had cursed him with something, but Severus had assured him that he had only been paranoid. Later on Snape had obliviated Draco, and so the blond had not remembered ever having strange dreams before arriving to Grimauld place.

Dumbledore had been disappointed that Harry was not the dragon-vessel, but still had continued with his plan, reasoning that even if the Gryffindor wasn’t the bonded child, he still had a prophesy to fulfill. Besides, Draco was going to need protection. Apparently the headmaster had not been ready to deposit in a Malfoy the trust he had had in the Gryffindor boy. No one had objected him. There had been no doubt that Harry would grow to be powerful, and they still had needed another one to help Draco to fulfill the requirements of the ritual.

Harry started to curse. He felt betrayed and used. Everything that had happened had been a set up so Draco could have the mere possibility of giving birth to a baby that could be a potential bonded! That had been the best they could have found! They had used him to get Draco pregnant! He could have expected this treachery from Snape, but Dumbledore… He had trusted Dumbledore! He had almost idolized the old headmaster, and now…! Harry couldn’t help but feel like he had always been just an instrument. The masterpiece that was necessary for someone’s plans to be fulfilled.

Salamanca had tried to calm him down, but he had not wanted to have anything with anyone. Funny enough, Snape had been the only one that had not tried to sugar-coat things for him. The man had been concrete and practical. The entire problem had been reduced to one thing for him: without Rainbow Dragons there was no wizarding world. Snape had been ready to do anything, even if at sometime it would have meant his own death, to bring the creatures back. To hurt Harry’s or Draco’s feelings in the process was, in his opinion, a very small prize to pay.

Harry cursed Snape and his god-dammed rationality. He looked at the door, fearing to open it. How was he supposed to face Draco now? It all had been a lie. The Gryffindor screamed and ran his hands through his hair in desperation. He didn’t know what to do. Until that morning he had been considering that maybe he was falling in love for the blond. He had wanted to protect him, to know him better and to spend life with him. And everything had been a cruel lie!

The black-haired boy let out a coarse laugh. He should have known that it was too good to be true. It was impossible that Malfoy would ever had wanted anything to do with him, much less feel something other than hate towards him. He had been forced by the circumstances and the very real need to bring the dragons back. “For the greater good” as Dumbledore had liked to say. The old man would have been satisfied.

He almost turned around and left. Maybe it was better if they never saw each other again. They had done their task and Draco didn’t need to be protected any more. Harry was just too bitter to think about how the blond boy must be feeling. He had not really asked anything about the Slytherin or the child.

Suddenly Harry paused. Merlin, they had a child! He closed his eyes and groaned as if he was in pain. The child had been borne. That had been the reason for the portal to the Dragon’s realm to open again. Harry had not really assimilated that bit of information until then. He exhaled noisily and then remembered Malfoy’s face when the boy had told him about his uncharacteristic pregnancy. Draco had been really afraid then. He had feared for his child enough to make Harry promise that the baby would be taken care of, even if the Gryffindor wouldn’t want to do it himself.

Harry opened his eyes and huffed. Then, he raised his hands and tugged at his hair, unsure about what to do. He didn’t want to see Draco. He was sure that he would scream and punch the boy’s nose as soon as he saw him. But he wanted to see his daughter, to make sure that she was allright and wouldn’t need him. Surely Malfoy wouldn’t want him around, he thought bitterly, remembering how hard the blond had tried to keep Harry emotionally at bay, not accepting when the Gryffindor had spoken about his feelings, must be because he had known that those feelings were not real. But Harry had promised that he would see to his child’s well-being, and frankly, after seeing the people downstairs interact for a while he wouldn’t trust them to have a newborn’s needs in mind.

Finally he made a decision. He would see his girl, he’d make sure she was properly cared for, and he’d offer Malfoy help to provide for her. He was sure that the blond was going to refuse his help, but he’d be at peace with his daughter. He opened the door still hesitantly and peered into the room.

He nearly pulled out and stayed outside. The room was bigger than before, and inundated in soothing light. Harry gulped and quietly closed the door behind him, not wanting to startle the big creature at the bed’s end. A sense of curiosity invaded him. This was the creature Draco had grown up with. He tried to get his mind around the fact that the dragon had technically lived inside Draco’s head. It was so strange.

He wondered if it was safe to approach the bed, noticing the basinet that was beside it. He was about to try a couple of steps when the dragon moved. Harry froze in his spot and looked as two brilliant yellow eyes focused him and the dragon raised its elegant neck just enough so turning its head around wouldn’t be difficult. Harry was enthralled by the intensity of the creature’s stare, almost as if it was piercing his very soul. It was considerably smaller than his own dragon, but still very much impressive.

He asked himself what would be an appropriate way to act. The dragon in front of him was the cause of Draco’s deception, but it was not as if either one of them had actually had any other choice. Maybe it was wrong for Harry to feel so resentful, but he just couldn’t help it. The dragon seemed to feel his unease and inclined its head a bit to the side.

You can come and be with them. Draco needs you right now.

Harry scoffed.

“He doesn’t need me anymore. There are plenty of people that would help him, and he’s Lord Malfoy now, he has a place to go.”

The dragon looked nonplussed.

What he needs is not people, and any place is in essence the same. What he needs is his mate by his side.

Harry resisted the impulse to gape at the creature and shook his head instead.

“I’m not any kind of mate to him. We have despised each other for years. If this whole mess had never happened he’d certainly keep himself from even touch me. You should know what really happened!”

Harry’s eyes hardened and looked accusingly at the creature, not stopping to consider that it might be a bad idea to disagree with a dragon, no matter how young it was.

“As I understand it, you caused Draco to change so he was able to carry a child, and you did the spell so I felt attracted to him. None of that would have happened otherwise!”

The dragon made a noise, almost as if it was huffing.

The spell was a necessity. There was so little time. It was imperative that his pregnancy ended before mother’s magic ran out.

“And you picked me up because you found me convenient, I get it.”

I didn’t choose you. Draco did, and the magic of the bond agreed with him.

Harry blinked, not really understanding what the Dragon was saying. Sally continued.

Mother knew that my vessel would need protection and someone with strong magic to help him. She was not sure if there would be anyone alive that could find a way to reopen the portal, so she trusted that I’ll compel Draco to find a way to do it and set the spell that joined us in such a way that it would attract the people more suited to help us. It was dormant many years. When it was activated, I was able to control the magic. I pried into Draco’s mind and feelings, knowing that he would be more aware of who’d be a potential ally. You were already a strong presence in his mind and hearth. You were everywhere. Every important success of his school years seemed to bring forth an image of you. He compared himself with you in every step, and behind every memory of you there was longing and sadness. Draco had wanted to get closer to you for so long, and the magic as well as his memories told me that you were strong and able to fight. I brought Draco to you and helped him to initiate contact. It’s a pity that things had to be forced to go faster than normal, but nonetheless you both managed to establish a very strong bond.

Harry swallowed hard. He felt dizzy. He didn’t know if he should believe what the dragon was saying. But anyway, that didn’t change things really.

“I only got closer to him because of your magic. Now that he has given birth, our ‘bond’ surely has ended. He doesn’t need my magic anymore. And anyway, all the protectiveness I felt, along with everything else, wasn’t real. My feelings were only provoked by your spell.”

You are not very familiar with magic if you think that. The spell was to pull the two of you together sooner, using lust as a catalyst, but it can’t create feelings. It works with what you already have in your mind. The strongest your feelings, the more powerful the attraction. But the spell ended the moment that Draco conceived, as mating between the two of you was no longer needed. You however remained by his side, and your magic continued to surround him, and he responded and pulled that magic into himself. The interchange was also necessary, but you didn’t need to show any care for him. Your close proximity would have been enough for Draco’s core to continue feeding from you, as it was doing from everybody else without any of you being aware of it, sometimes not even him.

Harry looked at his feet, still dubious.

“How can I know that what you’re saying is true? Everyone insist on keeping things from me!”

You can ask your dragon. You have one now, don’t you? He or she can tell you the truth, and will never lie to you.

“Never?”

It is not in our nature to lie. That seems to be a human thing.

Harry rolled his eyes in amusement. He finally sighed and looked at the basinet and the bed. He was starting to wonder why Draco hadn’t made a sound yet when the room’s door opened and the man named Paraximedes entered.

“Oh, Mr. Potter you are here. I noticed that you were too distraught downstairs.”

“Yeah, well not everyday you get to know that people you trusted had lied to you your entire life.” He said sarcastically. The man simply shrugged.

“Most of it couldn’t be helped. But I agree that Albus could be unreasonable sometimes. He was never the same after he lost his dragon.”

Paraximedes proceeded to the basinet and Harry followed him. The dragon looked at them for a moment and then it stood and effortlessly flapped its wings and rose. Harry looked in astonishment as the figure disappeared through the ceiling. Paraximedes didn’t seem concerned, so the boy decided to let it go and put attention at the mediwizard again.

The Gryffindor refused to look at the bed, focusing his eyesight on the basinet and the small figure in it. His baby girl. There was some kind of blue bubble around her and he immediately asked what it was. The mediwizard explained that it was a warm and healing bubble. As she had to be borne before time, her lungs had not yet finished to mature and her immune system was technically non-existent. She’d had to stay in the bubble for at least a week, it was only safe to get her out of it for small periods of time to feed her and change her nappies.

Harry looked worriedly at the baby while the mediwizard did his check up. She was so tiny and pink, with only a brush of light hair on her head. She seemed to be lost among the blankets that covered her. Harry wasn’t sure of her size because all he could really see of her was her small face and tiny fists; the skin was a bit wrinkled. He ached to touch her, but the mediwizard said that he could not disrupt the bubble. Paraximedes finished his checking up and informed Harry that his baby would be ready to be feed in half an hour, and then he turned to the bed to start on Draco.

The black-haired Gryffindor kept looking at his daughter for a moment. He was unsure of what he would feel when he’d saw the blond Slytherin. He berated himself that he was being childish, he’d have to confront Draco sooner or later. Besides it was probable that the boy was still asleep, seeing that he had been unnaturally quiet the entire time. With that in mind he turned around to see what the mediwizard was doing, and immediately wished he hadn’t.

Draco was lying under the bed covers, unmoving and seemingly unresponsive. His skin was as white as the blankets, and for a terrifying moment Harry would have swore that he wasn’t breathing. He hurried to the mediwizard’s side and hovered worriedly over the man’s shoulder, trying to see what he was doing to Draco. Paraximedes only cast a couple of spells and then required Harry’s help to give the blond boy some potions and make him swallow them. That implied a combination of holding Draco’s body up, force his mouth open, and cast a spell that would help the potion to pass smoothly down the boy’s throat without risk of suffocation.

Harry helped, and cringed when he felt how unnaturally rigid and cold Draco was. He waited until the mediwizard was finished to ask what was wrong with Malfoy. Paraximedes sighed and started to explain while tucking the unmoving form in the bed covers again.

“Well, it was a lot for him to take. The birth was not easy and his body and magical core were already under so much stress. He had forced them to their limits. When his bond with his dragon went dormant again, the sudden lack of magic damaged his core and it spread to his entire body. He could no longer sustain a pregnancy, so the child had to either be borne or be lost. He preferred to give birth and put every ounce of strength he still had on the act. Very brave, but he’s paying the consequences now.”

“But, he’s going to recover, right?”

“I sincerely don’t know. He’s too weak and his core had stopped to pull on the surrounding magic. I have done everything I can for him, but he’s not responding to the healing spells or the potions. I’m afraid that it’s only a matter of time before his body surrenders entirely.”

Harry felt suddenly ill. He barely registered a chair close by and sat heavily on it. He focused his eyes on Draco’s pale face and gulped. No. No, this could not be happening! He had been fully prepared to be angry with Malfoy, to rage, and complain, and fight with him, and have him hate his guts again, and to never talk to the prissy prat again. But, this? He didn’t want this! He wanted Draco to tell him to get lost, to say that it had all been a necessity, that he wasn’t needed anymore because he actually had never felt anything for him. He wanted Draco to be alive and say all those things to him. Not dead. Malfoy couldn’t die, he didn’t have the right to die and leave Harry and their daughter behind! He was supposed to go back to act like the spoiled brat he was before this whole ordeal began! He was supposed to talk with Harry damnit! There was so much that they had to set right! He was not supposed to die!

Harry wasn’t aware of the mediwizard moving until a hand rested on his shoulder. He didn’t look up. He didn’t dare to take his eyes away from Draco. The man at his side sighed.

“I understand that it’s hard to accept. But it would not do you any good to worry yourself sick over it. Whatever happens you are not alone to face it.”

That wasn’t really very comforting. Harry felt suddenly angry with the man.

“He’s not dead yet.”

“I know. But I had learned to detach myself and see the facts rather than what I want to see. Right now it is very improbable that Mr. Malfoy recovers. And you can’t afford to feel guilty for something that is not within your power to prevent. Right now it is your daughter the one that needs you the most Mr. Potter.”

Harry glared at the mediwizard, and then turned to look at the bassinet. He thought about raising his child alone, and could not stand it. Draco couldn’t do this to him!

“No. She would need both of us. Draco has to be there for her too. He’s not dead yet, do not treat him as if he was!”

Paraximedes sighed again, but decided to not argue with the young man. It was time to feed the baby anyway, so the mediwizard instructed Harry on how to do it, and took care to leave the little girl properly tucked inside her bubble again before exiting the room.

&&&&&&&&

Harry didn’t leave Draco’s side for the following hours. He put some wards on the door that should have made quite clear that he didn’t want to see anyone. However, at the end of the day Snape entered the room, without knocking, and without consideration to the wards that Harry had erected for privacy. The boy glared bloody murder at him, but his ex-professor was nonplussed. The potions master went straight to the blond Slytherin and cast his own diagnostic spells, just to be sure that the mediwizard had not overseen something.

Harry rolled his eyes. Trust Severus Snape to not take a fully trained medizard’s diagnosis without checking it himself. The professor frowned when he was finished, and for a moment looked at the boy’s form with an emotion that Harry thought could be regret. A bit late for that. He continued glaring at the older man and asked resentfully.

“Was it worth it professor?”

“Explain yourself Potter.”

“Everything that happened. The lies, the pressure… Having forced Draco to do this, knowing that you may as well have killed him. Was it worth it?”

“Let me ask you something Potter. If a month ago Dumbledore would have come to you, and informed you that in order to destroy the Dark Lord once and for all, and save the wizarding and muggle world you needed to sacrifice yourself and die. What would you have done?”

Harry clenched his fists, not liking the analogy at all.

“That’s different! To stop Voldemort would save thousands of innocent lives!”

“And what do you think was at stake here Potter?”

“If a wizard is left without magic, he doesn’t die! Sure, things would be harder, but eventually we’d only have to blend with the muggles. Live like them. Be just humans!”

“Is that so? And what about the house-elves that your muggleborn friend is so fond of? The Goblins that keep Gringots working? The various others species of dragons that Weasley study? Centaurs and Unicorns are only a few examples of the many creatures that inhabit the forbidden forest around Hogwarts; did you know that Hagrid actually knows them all? And the werewolves, like your friend Lupin? Are their lives not worth the same than a wizard’s?”

“… Oh…”

Harry averted his eyes in shame. Why he always had to appear stupid in front of Snape of all people?!

“Think for a moment Potter, instead of trying to pass out as one of those ignoramus who believe that the magical world is restricted to wizards and their way of life! Of course, for the majority of the population, which consist of muggles, nothing would have been lost. They’ll continue their existence without any notion that something is lacking from the world. After all, one who had never seen a unicorn cannot miss it.”

Harry looked at Draco quietly. He also understood what Snape had not said. For one who had lived with magic all his life, a world without it would be unbearable. The potions master seemed to be satisfied with his quiet understanding and softly took the blonde’s boy right hand to put the Malfoy’s family ring on his middle finger. Then, he turned around to depart. He had only entered the room to be certain that nothing could be done about Draco’s condition, and he had already confirmed it.

He paused at the door and gave Potter a last minute message.

“By the way, tomorrow we are trying the ritual to give Hogwarts a new Headmaster. We should be able to get into the castle by the afternoon. I’m sure that those problematic friends of you are getting over themselves with worry. It would be in our best interest to not make them wait too much longer.”

Harry gritted his teeth at the derisive tone in the potions master’s voice, but decided to ignore it and instead ask.

“Who’s going to be proposed?”

“That would be me, Potter.”

Harry widened his eyes in surprise.

“But, I thought that professor McGonagall…”

“As strong as Minerva is, she is not bonded to a Rainbow Dragon. Therefore she cannot have the burden of the castle. Without a Dragon, the ancient magic will consume her. Albus left her a pensieve detailing the reasons for my supposed betrayal, and also instructing that it is I who should be the next Headmaster. There shouldn’t be any troubles in that aspect.”

Harry fumed. A pensieve. McGonagall had always had known what had really happened between the old Headmaster and Snape! Yet another bit of information that he had not been privy to. He couldn’t help but feel bitter about it. If he was so untrustworthy that he didn’t deserve to be notified of the important things, then why in the nine hells had the headmaster had faith in that he was going to fulfil the prophesy?! Speaking of which…

“What about Voldemort? Have you people finally decided if the war is important enough for you to get involved in it?” He said sarcastically. For his surprise Snape smirked.

“There are some that would content themselves with hunt down Bellatrix and have their revenge only on her. Specially those of other countries. The Dragons, however, are not so forgiving. They want the one that had the temerity of closing the portal between worlds. They would not be satisfied until such a dangerous individual is dead.”

Harry couldn’t help but share Snape’s smirk. Yes. Voldemort would have what was coming to him.

&&&&&&&&

The castle seemed to be humming with magic. Harry was surprised at how well he could feel it. Everything seemed more alive than ever. Well except the ghosts, but that was an understatement. He waited in the hospital wing for his friends, despite Snape’s sarcastic comments that Draco was not going to disappear if left alone for a few minutes. Harry simply could not make himself go away from the blonde’s and his baby’s side yet if it was not necessary. For all his doubts about whether or not his feelings had been real, the worry and protectiveness felt pretty much like the real thing at the moment.

He looked as his daughter sucked her tiny fist, and noticed for the first time that her eyes were blue. He was enthralled by the sight, and was wondering if he could be a good father for her, when a slight cough called his attention. He turned around to find Hermione looking at him in wonder, behind her hovered the twins, Bill and Fleur. He smiled and got a few paces away from the basinet in order to greet his friends. Hermione approached cautiously and hugged him fiercely.

“Oh Harry! We’ve been so worried!”

“Yeah, I’m sorry Herm. It was very awkward for me too.”

He cursed Regulus Black once more. Damn the man. He’d like so much to explain to Hermione what exactly had been going on! She sure as hell would have enjoyed the mystery, as well as the opportunity to know more about the wizarding world. As it was, he had to content himself with giving vague information about a rebel group, that Dumbledore had also been part of, which had helped him. Hermione was half-listening to him. She was distracted by the basinet, and the small bundle inside it.

“Oh Harry! Your child is borne! But…”

“Yeah, Draco had some… complications. He had to give birth or risk loosing her.”

“’s a girl fhen.” Said Fleur, who had approached the basinet and was peering inside. “Oh, Harry! Sh’s so feautiful! Fuat es her name?”

“Lillian Berenice.”

Everyone wanted to look into the basinet then, and Harry had to put himself between his friends and his daughter, fearing that they would accidentally harm her. One of the twins asked.

“Hey mate, what’s with the bubble?”

“Well, as she had to be borne early she has to stay inside it, so she could get stronger.”

Everyone nodded in comprehension, and then retreated a bit from the basinet. Hermione turned to the bed and gasped in surprise when she noticed the way Draco looked.

“Oh my God! Harry, is he gonna be allright?”

The Gryffindor boy sighed and approached the bed to gingerly take one of Draco’s hands on his.

“I don’t know. He’s not responding to anything the mediwizard had given him. Not even to Snape’s potions.”

Everyone except the twins moved uncomfortably at the mention of Snape, but Harry ignored it. He knew that Moody should have warned them before hand of the potions master’s true role in the war. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned his head a bit to the side to give a glance at Bill.

“Whatever happens mate, you know we’ll be here with you.”

The rest nodded in agreement, and Harry couldn’t help a smile.

“Thanks guys.” He returned to look at Draco’s pale face, and took comfort in the fact that his skin didn’t feel so cold as the previous day. “But he’s gonna make it. He better do, or I’m gonna be pretty mad with him.”

His friends agreed with him, and gave him their support. They stayed in the hospital wing for a while until Madam Pomfrey arrived and kicked all of them out. Harry had to be forcefully dragged to the Great Hall, complaining loudly that he wasn’t bothering anyone in the hospital wing. Hermione convinced him that Madam Pomfrey needed to check Draco and the baby and she’d work better alone, besides, they had to attend the meeting between the Order and this rebel group Moody and he were talking about. Harry finally agreed ruefully, after all, they needed to be prepared for the reaction that the recent events would surely provoke from Voldemort.

They arrived at the Great Hall and walked straight to the group of people that consisted of Remus, McGonagall, Mrs. Weasley and a few other members of the order. There were more people present, but Harry decided to ignore everyone but his surrogate family. Molly pulled him into a tight hug as soon as she put her eyes on him. Harry returned the hug wholeheartedly.

“Oh Harry! How wonderful that you’re ok! Where’s Draco?”

Mrs. Weasley lifted her head, looking for the blond head among the rest of the teenagers. She got embarrassed looks from everyone in return. She scowled at them.

“Has something happened?”

Harry answered her with a bit of discomfort.

“Draco is in the Hospital wing Mrs. Weasley. The baby had to be borne early.”

There were surprised gasps and adequately worried questions. Harry explained the abbreviated version of the situation and accepted again his family’s support. He was in the process of assuring Mrs. Weasley that his daughter had been properly taken care of, when the door that was behind the high table opened and Snape entered, followed by Salamanca and Moody. McGonagall’s face became serious then and she walked decidedly to the potions master, followed by the rest of the Order.

Harry stayed back. He figured that they were going to have endless conversations about loyalty and other such things. The Weasley twins and Hermione stayed with him, looking curiously at the gathering taking place at the front of the Great Hall. Hermione frowned in worry, some of the Order members had not been really happy with the news that Snape was going to be Hogwarts’ Headmaster. She feared a less than amiable confrontation and hoped that McGonagall and Mad Eye could keep the Order quiet.

Minerva stood in front of Snape and looked intensely at him for a few moments. Then, unexpectedly, she pulled back her hand and slapped him. Everyone stayed gaping at her, too surprised to say or do anything before she started to yell.

“You fool! Both you and Dumbledore! Do you have any idea what the rest of us went through? Where is that old conniving bastard’s portrait? I’m going to give him a piece of my mind! How dare you both concoct such a stupidity is beyond me! You of all people should have dissuaded him! You have more sense than this Severus! And I know you could have found another solution that didn’t involve killing!”

Everyone watched in various states of shock as McGonagall vented her anger. She continued her rant for another good minute before anyone thought about stopping her. Finally Remus came out of his shock and tried to gently pull her away from a baffled Snape. The werewolf procured to calm the upset witch down, saying that surely everything had an explanation, and that she must keep a leveled head for the sake of everyone. Harry took a deep breath, and looked at Hermione’s incredulous face. The twins were laughing their brains out, but had had the sense of erecting a privacy shield around them so no one could hear their mirth.

Once the entire assembly recovered enough to talk, and explanations were given and accepted, they finally put themselves to work on a strategy to finish the Dark Lord’s reign.