Albus Potter and the Prophesied Year

Ch 6 Confirming

Roger Davis called Harry Thursday October twentieth. "I have another recording of Bowman Flint and that witch that works for the Pirate Witch Queen, Harry. I think you want to listen to this one."

"Come to the Ministry," Harry replied.

"You might want Hermione and Minerva with you," Roger added.

"I will arrange it," Harry confirmed. "I am busy today, but I am sure we can meet tomorrow.

A day later they all met in Minerva's office at Hogwarts. They heard Bowman saying, "It is done. October first I saw that the spells and potions had worked."

"You are sure Cleo is pregnant with Scorpius's child?" the witch asked.

"The spell would not activate unless Cleopatra and Scorpius were holding hands, and no one else was touching them," Bowman insisted. "It could not activate before now because of the strong spells keeping underage witches from becoming pregnant, but there will be a number of pregnancies now, including Cleopatra with Scorpius's baby."

"We need Cleopatra back on the Island," the witch insisted. "When that happens you can get your reward. I should be able to get you a witch that you could f*** all day if you wanted to. Meanwhile they wash the bedding in this room after each visit, so you might as well f*** me. The Davis house elves will be expecting bodily fluids."

There was noise that indicated that the couple was in bed having sexual relations.

"It is not exactly making love," Hermione observed.

"It is a business transaction," Roger reflected. "There is nothing loving about it."

"How soon can you tell if a witch is pregnant?" Harry wondered.

"We have a very sensitive test that should be able to tell a week or two from conception," Minerva reflected. "There are strong laws forbidding an abortion three months after, and it is really discouraged after four weeks. Except in cases of rape, customs really discourage aborting a magical child no matter how young."

"Is that why there are so many Magi marrying young?" Hermione wondered.

"That and Magi do mature earlier, which is why seventeen instead of eighteen or twenty-one is the age of maturity," Minerva replied. "That is also why we have so many students eight year and above with families."

"There is not such a strong prohibition about aborting a Muggle child?" Hermione asked. "I've noticed a double standard in the laws."

"There is quite a double standard in how Magi treat pregnancies within our own communities and outside," Minerva agreed. "I will arrange for pregnancy tests for witches Saturday morning, starting with Cleopatra. I'd better do Rose as well. I think those two couples are often together."

"It sounds like you may want to examine all the witches who are over sixteen," Hermione suggested.

Minerva put her hands up to her face, and grimaced. "This could be bad," she reflected.

"Remember what happened three Saturdays' ago?" Harry asked Minerva. "You said there was an aphrodisiac spell on the castle and then everyone fell asleep."

"That is what I told you? That Saturday morning is hard to remember," Minerva admitted, her face looking tired and worn.

*

Friday night Cleo and Rose received messages asking them to come to the Infirmary right after breakfast Saturday morning, and to bring their boyfriends. Genevieve Swan asked them, "What happened Saturday October first? Do you remember anything unusual happening?"