A Long Nine Months

Prologue

It was mid-August of 2006. Ginny Potter had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of her second child for a while now. She sat on an examination table at St. Mungo's, ready for one of her weekly checkups. Healer Shanti Willis, who had delivered James just under a year ago, came in with Ginny's file, sat down, and thumbed through it.

"So how are you doing today, Ginny?" she asked conversationally.

"I'm ready for Albus to get here, but I can wait another three weeks."

Shanti proceeded with the usual tests and spells, and everything seemed to be in good shape until she performed the ultrasound and discovered that baby Albus was in distress.

"Looks like the cord is wrapped around his neck," she informed Ginny. "I'm going to have to perform a cesarean. Let's get you set up."

One of Shanti's nurses came in and escorted Ginny to the maternity ward. Once she was set up in a room, she sent a Patronus to her mother, Molly, who promptly showed up five minutes later in a panic, plus one more to her husband, Harry.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Harry!"

Twenty-six-year-old Harry Potter looked up from his paperwork as his brother-in-law, Ron Weasley, came bursting through the door to his office.

"They're calling a meeting in the conference room," the redhead informed him. "Another Death Eater's been captured and is awaiting..."

Before he could finish, though, a silver doe entered the office. Harry wasn't prepared for what the Patronus was about to say.

"Harry, you need to come to St. Mungo's. NOW. Something's wrong with Albus!"

And the doe dissipated, leaving Harry staring white as a sheet as the fine mist vanished. It took him a moment to register the fact that Ron was watching him with concern. He shook himself and composed himself enough to say, "I'm going to St. Mungo's. Tell Robards I'm sorry, but I need to go."

After giving some extra instructions to Ron, he took off to the Floo that was connected to St. Mungo's and arrived in a stumbling, sooty mess. He vanished the soot from his clothes and hair as he ran full-pelt past his family in the waiting room and up the stairs to the maternity ward. He stopped when he found Shanti.

"How is she?" he asked, panting for breath.

"We're going to have to do a cesarean," Shanti explained. "The cord is wrapped around Albus's neck, but he'll be fine once we get him out."

Harry nodded and entered the room where his wife lay.

"Harry, I thought you weren't going to come! I'm sorry, I know you've been busy lately and I wasn't sure if my Patronus would even make it to – "

Harry kissed her to cut her off. "You're more important," he said.

Shanti returned and handed Harry scrubs to put on and in moments they were on their way to the delivery room. Shanti began the cesarean, worried that if they waited any longer Albus would be stillborn. It took her a while, but she finally located Albus and started to pull him out. She untangled the cord around his neck and he let out an almighty cry as if to say, "I'm here!"

Some of the color returned to Harry's face as he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Hello, Albus, I'm Mummy," Ginny said once Shanti had cleaned him up and handed him over to her. She held him for some time before handing him off to Harry.

"Ah! You look just like me!" Harry remarked as he handed Albus to the nurse to take him to the nursery. "Poor thing..."

"Harry, we need you to go with Albus and see to him while we're fixing Ginny up."