The Dog Too??? Chapter 13-14

CHAPTER 13

It wasn’t until several days later that Harry realized he had completely forgotten to ask Hagrid about Fang.  By that time, however, he was so busy with school work and spending his nights helping coach the Gryffendor team for their upcoming game.  

He still missed flying on his broomstick but Madame Pomphrey had strictly forbidden for him to fly since his fainting spell.  She did agree to let him watch practices and coach from the sidelines if he promised not to so much as touch a broom.  Harry had readily agreed, finding it more and more uncomfortable just to walk, stand and sit, let along straddle a fast moving broomstick.

Harry now had weekly checkups with Pomphrey, who spent most of the time going over lists of things he was and was not to do, was and was not to eat and how much sleep he should be getting.  Though he felt a little bullied by the strict regime he did notice that he now had more energy than in the prior months.

In fact, Harry felt all around better than he had since Christmas.  He loved to watch his baby grow inside him every day, feeling her move and respond to him when he spoke to her, which he often did whenever he had a moment by himself.  Ron, Hermione and Ginny were incredibly supportive, offering advise and chatting with him just like they used to.  The two girls were especially fascinated by his pregnancy and liked to talk to his baby also, Hermione had started reading poetry to it, which Harry found incredibly sweet and Ron found rather silly.

“It can’t even hear yet?”  Ron argued when Hermione was in the middle of a Shakespearean sonnet.

“Actually,”  Hermione corrected, “if you read any of those books I got Harry you would realize that the fetus can start hearing things outside the womb as early as eighteen weeks.”

“So that means it’s been listening to you gripe for the past three months.” Harry added, laughing.  The baby ran a hand over his rib cage, as if it was agreeing.

They didn’t get much time when they could gather together this way between all of they’re class work but the three spent many an evening or rainy weekend huddled in the necessary room, which had decked itself in comfy chairs and sofas for them.

Winter had faded into a cold and dreary spring so most of the students still spent their free time inside, Harry included.  Though he was beginning to feel a strange antsiness for spring to finally come into full bloom Harry had started going for walks whenever the rain broke for long enough that the sky could be seen through the clouds.  He used this time to think about the future, which was getting closer every day.  

After this year was over Harry would never again be able to call Hogwarts his home.  He had vowed never to return to the Dursley’s now that he no longer needed to since he’d turned eighteen.  Worst were the un-welcoming halls of his godfathers house, which had been bequeathed to Harry.  He really had nowhere to go after he graduated, no place that was a home for his child.

Ron and Ginny had invited him to come live with the Weasley’s, saying that their mother would love to have a baby to coo and coddle again.  Harry hadn’t refused but only said he hadn’t decided where he was going to go once the baby was born.  He was due shortly before final exams, but that still didn’t leave him much time to find a more permanent arrangement.

Money wasn’t a problem with the large pile he still had at Gringotts from his parents but it was so hard to consider finding a place he could call home.  He wanted to find somewhere that would be safe for both him and his child but with Voldemort still on the loose there was nowhere safe left for him save Hogwarts.  Harry considered asking Dumbledore if he could stay at Hogwarts while looking for a place to settle but realized by then everybody would have gone home for the summer, maybe even Dumbledore himself.

What Harry kept trying to deny for himself is what he had really wanted, to find somewhere to raise his child with Draco.  He’d often fantasized about getting a cozy cottage in the woods like his parents had, and settling down with Draco and their baby.  That would never happen now and Harry mourned the loss of the dream just as much as the loss of the man he loved.  Maybe more, because that dream had not been just for himself, but for his child also.

Harry had ruined any chance of a reconcile with Draco for good when he’d told him the baby was gone.  Even if he admitted the truth now he knew they would never be together again.  The child which finally gave Harry the family he’d always wanted had ripped away the one person her longed to share it with.

*****

Gryffendor won their next game, Ginny pulling off a beautiful catch of the snitch right in front of the other teams goals.  Harry helped the team celebrate along with the rest of the house, but found himself too exhausted to stay up very late.  He had been needing to go to bed earlier and earlier lately, finding that most exertion wore him out.

Once in bed though, Harry found it hard to sleep with the raucous celebrations in the common room.  He tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position but the baby wouldn’t shift where he wanted it to so he ended up lying flat on his back, the weight of his belly pushing him into the feather tick but still better than any other position he’d tried.

Harry finally subsided into a deep sleep, punctuated by a dream he had feared having for weeks.

*****

A smile spread across Voldemort’s pale face when he heard the door open and two people enter.

“I brought you the boy you wanted Master.  Dumbledore probably doesn’t even realize he’s missing.”  Harry could hear the glee in the servants voice but the two in the doorway were out of his line of sight.

“Good, that’s very good to hear.  Not that it matters anyway.”  Voldemort stood up, moving to examine the limp body on the floor next to his servant.

“Wake up boy, I have some questions to ask you.”  When the boy didn’t move the servant kicked him hard in the stomach, getting an “oof” in response.

“Didn’t you hear the Dark Lord?  WAKE UP!!”

The boy moved slightly, but didn’t look up.  He slowly rose onto one elbow, his movement obviously causing some amount of pain.  Harry still couldn’t see enough to recognize who the boy was but waited to what they would do to him next.

“Did you do what I asked you to do boy?”  Voldemort leaned down to pull the boys head up, his fingers curling into an unruly mane of blond hair.

“Yes master, I did everything you wanted me to do.  But it doesn’t matter anymore because the baby died.”  Draco’s eyes were fiery with anger and remorse.

“Oh no it didn’t.”  Voldemort leered into Draco’s face.  “You think I would trust you to this without giving myself some insurance?”

“Insurance?”  Draco asked, shock written in his eyes.

“Yes, that's why I have the dog.  It tells me that Potter’s baby is very much alive in his belly.  Now the only thing I have to do is wait, and that baby will be mine.”

Harry could barely suppress his fear, and Voldemort turned suddenly, scanning the room.  He had sensed him and Harry felt himself suddenly thrown out of the room and dream, but not before he heard Voldemort’s final words.  “And this is for trying to lie to me.”  Which was followed by Malfoy’s anguished screams.

Harry woke up screaming Draco’s name.

CHAPTER 14

“What is it Harry?  What about Draco?  HARRY!!!  Can you hear me?”  Harry didn’t know how long Ron had been shaking him but when he opened his eyes Ron, Dean, Seamus and Neville were all standing over him.  

“Draco...it’s Draco?”  Harry knew he must not be making sense but he felt frantic as he shoved Ron aside and got out of bed, already heading for the door by the time his friend caught up with him.

“What about Draco, Harry?”  Ron asked, grabbing Harry’s arm to stop him from running out of the room in his pajamas.

“He has him.  Draco is gone.”  The panic made Harry’s voice high and sharp.

“Who has Draco, what are you talking about?”  Neville asked, looking very confused.

“I don’t have time for this. I have to get to Dumbledore before it’s too late.”  Harry pulled free of Ron and started for the door again.

“Too late for what Harry?”  Dean said, running in front of him and blocking the door.

“Don’t try to stop me Dean.  Draco is in danger and its all my fault.”  Harry tried to shove Dean aside but the larger boy wouldn’t move.

“No Harry, it’s the middle of the night, you can’t go barging off to look for Dumbledore.”  Dean said, staring him down.

“Yah, you’ve already woken the four of us up, we’re not going to let you wake up the rest of the school too.”  Seamus said, joining Dean at the door.

“Why do you suddenly care what happens to Draco anyway?”  Neville asked.

“Because he’s the boy, the boy that Voldemort wanted.  And now he has him and it’s all my fault.”  Harry broke down, tears of fear streaming down his eyes.

“How do you know you-know-who has Draco?”  Seamus looked mildly uncomfortable asking the question.

“Because I’ve been having dreams about him again.”

“About Draco?”  Neville asked, shocked.

“No, about Voldemort.  I can see him sometimes in my dreams.  I thought I had stopped them but they started again when I found out I was...recently.”  Harry couldn’t believe he’d almost let it slip out that he was pregnant, he was so shaken from the dream and seeing Draco with Voldemort that he couldn’t think straight.

“So these dreams you have, do they come true?  Are they things that are going to happen?”  Neville asked curiously.

“No, don’t you understand?  I see what HE sees, when it happens.  Voldemort has Draco and we have to find them before anything happens to them.”  Harry wanted to scream with frustration, not argue about his dreams.

“Them who?  I thought it was just Draco in you dream.”  Dean asked.

“He has Fang too, Hagrid’s dog.  I don’t know what he wants them for but it has something to do with my... with me.”  Again, he’d almost said baby.  How could he come so close to giving up his secret when he’d so carefully hidden it for months?

“Harry, what are you going to do?  We don’t know where the Dark Lord is and neither does Dumbledore.  How will you telling him about your dream right now do anything?”  Ron grabbed Harry’s shoulders and looked into his friends terrified eyes as he spoke.

“I have to do SOMETHING Ron.  He KNOWS.”  Harry was almost at the end of his rope, he didn’t know how much more guilt he could take.

“There isn’t anything you can do tonight.  You have to take care of yourself right now.  Running around in the castle in the middle of the night is not going to help either of you.”  Ron was careful not to say Harry and his baby, hoping that the others would assume he meant Draco.  “Your health should be your number one priority, not that sod Draco.”

“But Ron, you don’t understand, I can’t let Voldemort hurt Draco.”  Already Harry was having trouble seeing through the tears that filled his eyes endlessly with despair.

“Why Harry?”  Ron’s voice was low and quiet as he pulled Harry into a hug, whispering into his ear so the other boys wouldn’t be able to hear would he said next.  “Why when you have something so much more precious to live for right now.”

“But, Ron, Draco’s a part of it all.  He’s everything.”  Harry sobbed quietly, holding onto his friend as if his life depended on it.

“What do you mean Harry?”  Ron pulled back, his eyes suspicious.

“I didn’t want to tell you, I promised myself I’d never tell anyone.”  Harry placed his hand protectively over his child.  Ron’s eyes watched the movement and let go of Harry instantly.

“You didn’t.  With Draco?”  Ron’s voice held pure disgust.

Harry just nodded, no longer able meet his friends eyes.

“You mean after everything that he’s done to us over the years, everything him and his father have put you through you slept with that git?”  Ron’s voice got higher the longer he spoke, his anger bubbling up to the surface in moments.  The other boys exchanged looks of surprise and shock.

“You had sex?  With Draco?”  Seamus asked, his voice squeaky.

“Man, that’s just...gross.”  Dean shuddered.

Neville was the only one who remained silent.

“He’s not like that really.”  Harry tried to explain.  “In private he’s so different, so caring, sweet-”

“Don’t Harry, that’s not something I want to hear about.”  Ron said.

They stood in an awkward silence for several moments.  Ron and Harry wouldn’t look at each other, Neville still seemed shocked and Seamus and Dean exchanged looks of amusement.

“I’m sorry.  I never meant for anyone to known.” Harry could feel his child moving within him but it gave little comfort.

“I wish you had kept that secret to yourself Harry.”  Ron’s voice was soft with cold anger.

“It seems I can’t keep anything secret anymore.”  Harry shook with pent up emotions, feeling as if he might explode if one more thing happened to him and those he loved.

“What is he talking about?”  Dean asked.

“If you really want to know that you’d better ask Harry yourself.  I don’t care anymore.”  Ron walked towards the door, not knowing where he was really going to, Seamus and Dean moved aside silently.

Harry couldn’t even look up when he heard the door closed, he wrapped his arms around his child, no longer caring what it looked like to the others.  Right now he needed the one comfort he had left to him, his child.

“Harry, please tell us what's going on?  We’re your friends too, at least I thought we were.”  Neville said, his voice coming from just behind Harry.

“No Neville, I can’t.  I have already put too many people in danger by my secrets.”  Harry turned to look at Neville, seeing the open honesty in his eyes that had always been there.  And something else he’d never noticed before, jealousy.

“Stop protecting us Harry, we’re big boys too.”  Dean growled, obviously holding resentment for being left out again.  “You may not have seen it because you’ve always been so wrapped up in your own problems, but we’ve been growing up along side you.”

“If only you knew what the past nine years have been for me.”  Harry yelled, turning to look at Dean with anger.  “You got to grow up blissfully unaware of all the things Voldemort has done.  Not only does he try to kill me on a regular basis but I’ve seen things I never should have, in my dreams.  It’s like no matter how hard I try to block him out, to fight him, he’s always there, trying to destroy my life even more than he already has.”

“His evil has touched all of our lives too Harry.”  Seamus said.

“He’s tried to destroy more than just your life.”  Neville’s voice was cracked with unspoken pain.

“I know, but he hasn’t ripped away almost every shred of happiness you’ve ever had.  Every time I find someone, or something that makes me feel complete he takes it away.”  Harry’s voice was growing high and loud again, he could feel his emotional barrier shattering.  “And now...and now he wants to take my baby too.”

All three boys looked in complete shock, they just stared at Harry who had broken down completely collapsing to the floor in a emotional heap.  He was rocking back and forth, sobs threatening to break his chest apart as he wrapped his arms protectively over his unborn child.

“You’re baby?”  Neville finally asked, his voice strangely brittle.

*****

It was nearly dawn by the time Neville, Dean and Seamus were able to get Harry calmed down enough to sleep.  They didn’t ask any more questions about Draco, Voldemort or the baby.  An unspoken agreement had passed between the boys that it would be better if they didn’t.

By the time Harry drifted off into an uneasy sleep Ron still hadn’t returned.

Harry woke up several hours later and was surprised to find himself again in the curtained walls of the infirmary bed.  His throat was raw and his head rather fuzzy but otherwise he felt well rested, he wondered if maybe someone had helped him to sleep more soundly.

He tried to remember why he might be in the infirmary but for some reason that last few hours were a blur.  Something kept nagging him though, as if he should remember something very important.

“Good to see you awake Mr. Potter.”  Madame Pomphrey smiled at him as she entered the little room.

“Why am I here?”  He asked as she began to examine him, pulling his eyes open one at a time.

“You had quite a fit least night and your friends thought you might be better here where I could keep on your eye.  They are worried about you.”

“Who brought me here?”

“Well actually, I did, but Mr. Finnigan was the one who come to get me around dawn.  Mr’s Longbottom and Thomas stayed with you while he was getting me.”  She handed Harry a glass of juice.

“Seamus?  Neville?  Dean?”  He nearly spit out the juice.  “Why don’t I remember any of this?”

“You probably are just blocking it.  They told me that you were in quite a state over something.”

Harry was beginning to think Pomphrey was hiding something from him.

“What was it, why was I so upset?”  He could feel the panic rising.

“Now, Mr. Potter I don’t want you upsetting yourself again.  It’s not good for either you are your baby.”  She said firmly.  “Drink that juice and relax, I’m sure you’ll remember when the time is right.”

Harry spent the rest of the afternoon scouring his memory for any hint of what had happened the night before until his head ached, but there was only a big blank spot after he left the celebration in the common room. He could remember being tired and going to bed early but not falling asleep or anything after that until the moment he woke up in the infirmary.

When Madame Pomphrey came in that evening he tried to ask her about it again but she remained firm in her denial.

“Your friends did come by to see how you were but I didn’t think they should bother you so I sent them away.”

“Why did you do that?  I feel fine, better than I have in days in fact.”  He smiled at Pomphrey sweetly.

“Now don’t try that on me Mr. Potter, it won’t work.  While your in my infirmary I get to decide who comes to see you.  And if I think that person might upset my patient more than is safe I have the right to turn them away.”  She wagged her finger at him.

“When do I get to leave then?”  He asked.

“I think you can go tomorrow morning.  I’m sure you want to miss as little class work as possible with exams just a month away.”

Harry groaned.  “Don’t remind me.”  That also meant he had less than a month before his baby was due in the middle of May.

Madame Pomphrey smiled knowingly.  “Don’t add burdens you don’t need Harry, you’ll have plenty of them soon enough.”

*****

When Harry left the next morning he still hadn’t remembered the previous night and was beginning to feel more calm about it.  If he couldn’t force his memory to come back then he would have to let it return on it’s own.

Harry kept getting funny looks as he walked back to the tower, and several students would stop talking the moment he came near only to return to their conversation when he was out of earshot.  He checked his diception spell but his belly still looked very flat, so he shrugged it off.  Several sixth year girls began to giggle when he looked at them.  Harry just smiled.  This only made them giggle harder and begin to whisper to each other.  Some of the younger students just stared at him and Harry was beginning to wonder if he had a sign on his chest or ink all over his face.  

He ducked into the next boys bathroom he saw and examined himself in the sink.  Other than his hair being rather tousled from laying in bed for a day he didn’t see anything unusual.  Harry was about to leave when he heard a voice coming from one of the stalls.

“Did you hear about Potter?”

“Yes.  It’s gotta be a new level of weird for him.”  Harry could hear the disgust in the second boys voice.

“I don’t know, I always suspected he’d get into big trouble someday.”

“But getting knocked up?”

Harry gasped, then covered his mouth, hoping the boys hadn’t heard him.

“And by that Malfoy boy no less.”  The boy shuddered audibly.

“I just can’t believe the teachers have been covering up for him for so long.  I heard Snape makes a potion for him to drink every day so nobody can see his gut.”

“I heard it was McGonigal that transformed the baby into a mouse baby instead.”

They both laughed and Harry heard the sound of the toilets flushing so he ducked out the door, his face suddenly bright red.

How had the students found out about his pregnancy?

Harry raced back to Gryffendor to get his books for his first class of the day, on automatic pilot because he couldn’t think straight anymore.  He ignored the strange looks he got, now knowing what they meant.

Something must have happened in the few hours that he couldn’t remember that had let his secrets out, but what?  His head ached from trying to force the memories out but they remained stubbornly locked.  Harry broke down and sat on his bed the moment he reached the Ninth year boys room.  Nobody else was there but the room could have been full of people for all Harry cared.

What was he going to do now?  How long before Voldemort found out?  How long before Voldemort came to get him and his baby?  Questions raced through Harry’s mind, questions without answers.  He was afraid he already knew the answers though, and they were locked away in his memory.