Albus Potter and the Prophesied Year

Ch 48 Still more babies.

Ginny walked down from their bedroom to the drawing room. It was September fifteenth, her due date, but the healers had given her potions to keep her from going into labor early, and she was just starting to have contractions, not 'real labor is starting' contractions but just the tightening that some called practice contractions.

Monica was still too small, but with care there was a good chance she could survive. And the healers said the baby just couldn't stay in her womb much longer.

Breakfast was brought up to her, and her laptop and some material for her Quidditch column was there from last night. She felt like a large lorry at the moment. She wasn't on bed rest, but she was supposed to be very careful about where she went, and how.

The babies had started to be born. She had a partial list, mostly of family.

Bellatrix Malfoy had been born first, September twenty-eight. Astoria had apparently named the baby, filing out all the proper paperwork. Once all the parchments had been filled in and filed with the Ministry it was very difficult to change a child's name, especially for anyone but the parent. So she was Bellatrix Malfoy, actually Bellatrix Lestrange Malfoy, although Ginny knew that Rose, Scorpius and Narcissa were going try and ignore the middle name.

Ginny didn't know exactly what had transpired over the week after Bella was born, but it must have been very tense. Within the week Astoria had moved back to her parents' house, which was a relief to the rest of the members of the household. Astoria never formally relinquished custody of Bella, however, which made the child's situation rather awkward.

It took well over a week for Rose to get comfortable nursing both babies. Hermione had told Ginny that the first few days with both babies were pretty rough, but things were better now. Rose was determined to be the primary caregiver of both babies, although she gratefully accepted all the help she was offered, including help from great-grandmother Molly as well as from her mother-in-law Narcissa.

Luna and Rolf had triplets, two girls, Igraine and Morgause, and a boy, Lancelot, September third. All the babies were healthy. Luna had told Ginny that nursing three babies was easily twice as hard as nursing two. With potions and some household help she was able to do it, but she wasn't going to be leaving the house for some weeks.

Hanna had a boy, Brandon Ian, just yesterday.

Ginny was just getting comfortable when she received a call on her mobile from Genevieve Swan, the Matron at Hogwarts.

"Hello, Ginny. Can you still travel? Could you come to Hogwarts? It is about Lily, and I think you would want to be here. She is not sick, exactly, but we need to talk to you. I've already contacted Harry."

"Yes," Ginny responded. She had traveled to St. Mungo's, and using the Closet network she could rather easily get to Hogwarts. "Please have the Closet open. I will be there in about half an hour."

Ginny arose, used the loo, something you seemed to always be doing this late in her pregnancy, and then she and Mitzi slowly made their way down to the Closet that they had installed in the kitchen and took it to Hogwarts.

The Hogwarts Closet was guarded, and only opened when needed. It was on the main floor, and Ginny slowly climbed the stairs to the infirmary. Waiting just outside the door to the infirmary were Harry and Minerva McGonagall. The three entered the infirmary together.

Sitting on a bed was Lily, looking worried. Standing next to her, looking just as worried, was Billy Lionheart. Donna Lionheart was there, standing next to her son.

There was a transparent bottle with a clear potion, and Ginny thought she knew what that was.

"She's pregnant," Ginny sighed. "That's the only reason both families would be called like this."