The Last Man on Earth

The Last Man on Earth

I had a reviewer recently that wanted to know the ages of Katie and Marcus in this story. I know Katie should be fourteen but in this story she is sixteen verging on seventeen. Marcus is nearly nineteen.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter. If I did I would be chained to computer writing the next book and idly flipping through my millions in my spare time.

Chapter 35: Practical magic

Friday

Early the next morning, Adrian tried to wake Marcus up. He did so reluctantly. Terry was no where to be seen and Marcus was going to be late for class. He had already missed breakfast. Unfortunately, Marcus was not a morning person. Adrian gritted his teeth and pushed at Marcus’s prone body.

“Katie,” said Marcus indistinctly.

“I’m not your Gryffindor, you lazy git,” said Adrian as he shook Marcus harder.

“Katie,” murmured Marcus. “Leave off love. I’m tired. Let me sleep, you insatiable witch.”

“I can’t believe I just heard Marcus Flint turn down a shag,” said Adrian gleefully as he finally just rolled Marcus off the bed.

“What!?!” sputtered a bleary eyed Marcus as he lay on the floor amidst his scattered bedclothes. “What the hell do you think you’re doing Pucey?”

“Marcus, you ungrateful git,” said Adrian with his hands on his hips. “Class starts in eight minutes.”

“Bloody hell,” said Marcus as he sprang to his feet. He ran into the bathroom and emerged four minutes later with wet hair. Adrian held Marcus’s bookbag as he dressed.

“Adrian,” said an annoyed Marcus. “Why didn’t you wake me up? Some friend you are.”

“I tried,” said Adrian as they headed towards Advanced Herbology. “But you were to busy moaning Bell’s name and asking her to stop.”

“What?” sputtered Marcus.

“I know,” said Adrian with a grin. “ Is your Gryffindor wildcat a little too much for you to handle, mate?”

“Hell no, Adrian,” said a now grinning Marcus. “But I swear, she nearly wore me out yesterday. Not that I am complaining.”

“That’s why you slept in,” asked Adrian as they swiftly made their way into the class.

“Yes,” said Marcus with a sigh as his stomach growled plaintively. “I’m absolutely starving too.”

Sixth Year Potions:

As Katie chopped gillyweed, her stomach gave a protesting audible growl.

“Merlin Katie,” whispered Alicia. “Is that your stomach?”

“Yes,” moaned Katie. “I got up late today and missed breakfast. Lately, I haven’t been so hungry in the mornings but today, I’m starving.”

“I can see you were busy,” teased Alicia as she gave Katie’s neck a knowing look.

Katie slapped a hand over her neck and blushed. “What is it?” asked Katie.

“Nothing,” said Alicia airily. “Except for those marks on your throat. I bet those indentations match up perfectly to Marcus Flint’s teeth.”

“Maybe,” said Katie cagily. She shifted the neck of her uniform up higher.

“You and the Slytherin were up to no good last night?” asked Alicia with a raised eyebrow.

“Do you mean my Slytherin,” asked Katie slyly. “Or yours?”

“How did you know?” asked Alicia as her face flushed.

“You know that alcove by the entrance to the Tower,” asked Katie with a grin.

“Yes,” said Alicia apprehensively.

“It’s not as well hidden as you think,” said Katie. “Angelina saw you and Higgs snogging before dinner two nights ago. Are you two back together?”

“I’m not sure,” said Alicia as she stirred the cauldron.

“Your lips seem to be sure,” said Katie from the corner of her mouth as Snape glided by.

“I don’t know if I can trust him,” said Alicia after Snape moved out of earshot.

“Marcus says Terrence has a strong sense of family obligation,” said Katie carefully after a few minutes of thinking over Alicia’s statement. “He’s known Higgs all his life. He says that the family is pressuring Terry to marry one of his French cousins.”

“I know,” said Alicia. “He dumped me the first time because he said he didn’t want to get attached.”

“What changed?”

“He said it was too late,” said Alicia with a rueful smile. “He was already attached.”

“Be careful love,” said Katie seriously.

“I will,” said Alicia. “Merlin, I just heard your stomach again Katie. Good thing lunch is just around the corner.”

Seventh Year Charms: afternoon:

“Terry,” whispered Marcus as the lecture hall filled with seventh year students. “I thought you had Ancient Runes.”

“I thought I would come slum with the jocks in Charms for a period,” teased Terrence.

“Merlin,” said Bole. “Why is this room seem bigger all of a sudden?”

“Because it has gotten bigger,” said Adrian as he looked around. “Where did all the girls go?”

“Adrian,” said Marcus with a grin. “Only you would notice immediately if a room emptied of girls.”

“Wait one second,’ said Alec as he straightened up. “Marcus, you git. You should have warned us!”

“Please,” said Marcus. “I was only concerned with eating this morning. I forgot.”

“Forgot what?” asked Bole.

“It’s the seventh year Practical Magic talk,” said Marcus.

“The sex talk?” whispered Terry.

Adrian made a move to raise his hand. “I best ask Flitwick if I could be excused. I think I am pretty well up on what I need to know.”

“Yes,” snickered Bole as the rest of the Slytherin seventh year boys started to laugh. “Just ask Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor House.”

“Please,” drawled Adrian. “Include Slytherin as well. I don’t discriminate between the houses.”

“What’s on the agenda,” asked Alec, ever the good student.

“Not a clue,” said Marcus. “I slept through it last year.”

A pained Severus Snape swept into the lecture hall to stand beside the diminutive Flitwick. He cleared his throat and the hall grew quiet.

“This is the annual Practical magic talk that I am sure is legend at Hogwarts,” said Flitwick good-naturedly. “Today, we will take questions after Professor Snape and I outline what practical magic entails.”

Marcus stayed awake this time as both Professor Flitwick and Snape outlined the basics of sexually based magic for the next hour.

With a sigh, Snape began to list potions on one side of a blackboard and Flitwick listed charms down another.

“Listen carefully gentlemen,” said Snape as he turned. “I am only going to say this once. Magical birth control has many pros and cons. Charms, for example, are only 98% effective in preventing pregnancies.”

“What?” gasped Adrian as a rustle went through the assembled boys.

“I’m sure that many of you did not know that,” said Snape with a malicious grin at the somewhat pale faces in the audiences. “But Madame Pomfrey assures me that none of the students here at Hogwarts have learnt that lesson the hard way, this year at least.”

“The list of charms on the board,” continued Snape. “Are ranked from the most effective to the least. Please copy this information down. Also be advised that mispronouncing a charm will nullify the effects of that charm. For example, a common error is saying Conceptus instead of Contraceptus. Nine months later, I do believe the error becomes clear.”

“The first three potions listed are the safest and most effective contraceptive potions available,” said Flitwick. “They are 100% effective.”

A flutter of relief went through the group.

“However,” said Flitwick. “The potions listed underneath the three nullify the effects of the contraceptive potions. Please be careful as two of the potions are very common.”

The rustle of scribbling quills was audible. Marcus stared at his parchment in surprise and dawning horror.

“We will now take questions,” said Snape.

Both professors answered a few inquiries about earth based sexual magic from all the houses. Adrian fidgeted then raised his hand when those questions petered out.

“What’s this about Contraceptus not being 100% effective, “ said a slightly outraged Adrian. “Shouldn’t we have been told something this important?”

“Mr. Pucey,” chided Flitwick. “You are being taught that, today. After all, sexual activity is not permitted at Hogwarts.”

“Like that stops anyone,” grumbled Bole quietly.

“Professor Snape,” said Flint casually. “Why do some of those
Potions interfere with contraceptive ones.”

“Yes,” said Alec. “I mean pepper up potion is very common.”

“The magical qualities of some potions do not complement other potions at times,” said Snape smoothly. “As a result, we have this special lecture to inform graduating students on the pitfalls of combining certain potions.”

A tense silence fell on the assembled students as they digested this information.

“If there are no more questions,” said a slightly relieved Snape.

“Hell,” thought Adrian. “I’ll ask what everyone here is dying to ask.”

“Professor Snape,” said Adrian.

“Yes Mr. Pucey,’ said Snape with a sigh.

“How could you tell if a girl is pregnant or not?” asked Adrian bluntly.

Every eye in the room turned to Snape.

“Merlin,” thought Snape. “Trust Pucey to ask. Granted though, I know he has the most cause to worry about getting a girl in trouble.”

“There are several symptoms,” said Snape. “The physical ones are straight forward. Unlike Muggles, even the thickest witch will realize they are pregnant by the second month. Most experienced witches can tell straight away.”

“How?” asked Alec.

“Earth magic,” said Flitwick. “If the wizard and witch are connected in any magical or spiritual way, they will know.”

“How?” asked Oliver Wood.

“It will look like fireworks,” said Flitwick. “And I dare say feel that way as well.”

Marcus paled.

“Physically, the symptoms will include nausea, increased or decreased appetite, strange cravings, tenderness in the breasts,” said Snape. “Among a myriad of other symptoms. Each pregnancy is different.”

Snape and Flitwick’s voices faded as Marcus sat in his chair stunned. Katie had strange cravings, tender breasts and an increased appetite. At lunch today, she had actually eaten more than he did.

Marcus could feel his heart start to pound. His head swam and he took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. He frantically tried to think of when was the last time Katie had her menses. He tried but he could not remember the last time. But he did remember that morning in his room and the fireworks that had gone off behind his eyelids and throughout his body. His heart lurched as his mind wrapped around an undeniable fact – Katie was pregnant with his child.