Harry Potter and the Fateful Year

Harry Potter and the Fateful Year

Sequel to: Harry Potter and the Fateful Afternoon

Harry Potter looked around the library and sighed. He hadn't had the time earlier in the week to explain his whole situation to his friends about the volatile meeting he's had with Mr. Lovegood, and he knew they were curious about it, but having to relive it was exhausting.

"So, Luna's dad isn't angry at you anymore?" Ron asked tentatively.

"Oh, he's still angry," Harry admitted. "He was more disappointed with us for being so stupid, I think. I can't blame him for that. It was stupid."

"But I thought he told Luna he didn't want to see her anymore," Ginny said. "That's what everyone at home was saying. How did you talk him around?"

"I just gave him a chance to say he didn't mean it. He loves Luna. She's all he has, but he was angry and they were both being so stubborn that they had to back off and cool down," Harry explained. "When I got back into the picture, they were both more than ready to deal."

Harry glanced up as Madam Pince pulled a second-year boy away from the Restricted Section, trying to remember when his life had been that simple.

"I think he probably appreciated that you went and faced him man to man," Hermione offered. "He probably thought Luna had gotten mixed up with some idiot who had ditched her."

"I'd never do that!" Harry exclaimed, scandalized.

"We know, Harry," Neville Longbottom said firmly. "So what are you going to do next?"

"Mr. Lovegood is going to stay in Diagon Alley. He's wanted to move there for ages, because of his business, but Luna didn't want to leave the cottage in the country. She likes the outdoors and I think it reminds her of her mother. As long as I can pay the upkeep, Luna and I can stay in the cottage. Professor Dumbledore's letting me floo to school so I can finish out the year. I have to give up Quidditch, though. The practices take up too much time. I don't feel right about leaving Luna home alone so much."

"But Harry," Ron wailed, "we need you! And Puddlemere United was ready to sign you on. Oliver Wood told me he couldn't wait to play with you again."

"I think," Hermione said severely, "that Harry will have more on his mind next year than playing Quidditch with Wood!"

"Luna and I are getting married after I graduate. That's as far ahead as I can think." Harry stood up and pushed in his chair. "I'll see you all on Monday."

Harry headed home. He had been terrified that once he and Luna were living together that they would find they had nothing in common, and that they would be miserable. To his relief, he'd found that living together in itself gave them something in common. He liked sitting down with her and talking about everything that crossed his mind.

Most of all, he enjoyed talking about the baby. They talked a lot about the baby. Harry had come after Luna because he had felt a responsibility to her personally. He had felt he owed it to her, but once he had gotten over the initial shock, he's begun to want the responsibility for the baby just as much. It was beginning to mean something to Harry. Maybe it was because he had never had a family, but it was beginning to mean a lot.

Luna's father had dropped in one day when Harry had been painting the nursery. Harry was sweating, and had spots of paint all over his glasses, and in his hair, and Mr. Lovegood had shaken his head in disbelief.

"Good grief, boy! You know perfectly well that you could have cast a charm to change the color of that paint and not had all of this mess! Do you know how much time you could have saved?"

"Saving time was never the point, Dad," Luna had said dryly, leading him away for a cup of tea. When Mr., Lovegood had gone, and Luna had come back up the stairs, Harry had grinned at her.

"Thanks for getting it, Lu."

"You wanted to actually DO something. That's not so hard to understand. It's one of the things I love most about you, but if you really feel the need for helpful activity, go wash your face. I have a sudden urge to walk into the village for a chocolate ice cream, and I could use some company."

"Ice cream is your answer for everything nowadays." Harry grinned again.

"Now you really have got it," Luna replied serenely.

We're really all right together, Harry had thought, relieved.

When he came home from school that day, however, Luna seemed sad.

"Are you feeling all right?" Harry brushed his hand across her cheek, and she hugged him extra hard.

"Dad was here again. He finally told me the little details about the meeting you had about how to get back into school. He even told me about the Quidditch."

"Oh, that." Harry spread his hands in a "so what" gesture.

"It made me feel terrible, Harry. Don't tell me it didn't make you feel terrible, too."

"Why feel terrible? We've got to do what we've got to do."

"The team wasn't expecting you to try out until August. The baby will be almost six months old by then. Maybe we could work something out."

"Lu, are you mad? We've been through all of this. I don't want you here alone. I really don't want you here alone with a new baby, unless you're trying to get rid of me already. Is that what you want?"

"Of course not!"

"Then forget about it."

The autumn passed slowly and winter came. Molly Weasley insisted on throwing Luna a baby shower over the Christmas holiday. Being enthroned in a room full of people she did not know well, and having to think of something appreciative to say about each little outfit or stuffed animal that came along made Luna miserably uncomfortable. Molly had invited all of the women in the Order, with Hermione and Ginny there as ballast. Even Harry's old neighbor, Mrs. Figg came, She hugged Harry, and dabbed at her eyes. She hadn't seen him in a long time, and acted rather as if he's been in prison and she was surprised to see him well and whole.

Harry looked somewhat embarrassed, but pleased by the hug at the same time. "This is Luna. I want you to meet her," he had said, with pride in his voice. Luna liked the way that made her feel, but she still felt an awful lot like a cheat.

"I just don't see what I've done to deserve a party in my honor," she whispered to Harry. "I just can't get into the proper spirit."

"Don't worry about it," Harry answered. "Everyone's having a good time. They've all picked up enough gossip over the punchbowl alone to make this a success. I just can't picture Professor McGonagall buying a pink and blue stuffed dragon. Can you?"

Luna giggled, feeling a lot better.

After Christmas Harry started studying like mad, hoping to do well on his N.E.W.T.s. As he left the library one afternoon he noticed Pansy Parkinson watching at him from behind two stacks of books. She was holding several heavy, elaborately tooled tomes. Harry was used to people staring at him, but Pansy's expression was odd. She had an almost appraising look in her eyes. Harry shrugged it off and headed home.

He and Luna were just finishing dinner when Harry remembered what had happened. "Guess who was giving me the evil eye in the library today?"

"The evil eye is nothing to joke about," Luna said, kicking him under the table, "but who?"

"Pansy Parkinson. Maybe it wasn't evil, but it was odd."

"She was probably trying to decide how miserable and bedraggled you looked so she could report back to Malfoy. I'll bet he's had a lot of enjoyment at our expense lately," Luna said simply.

"The hell with the both of them. They deserve each other," Harry answered, but he soon found himself thinking that not even Pansy Parkinson deserved Draco Malfoy.

He was walking down the corridor at Hogwarts the next day, when an arm reached out from behind a tapestry and hauled him into a hidden room.

"What the hell?"

Harry found himself staring into Pansy's eyes, which were puffy and bloodshot.

"Shut up, Potter," Pansy hissed. "I don't want anyone to overhear us in here. Do you?"

"Certainly not! But what do you want? Did Draco Malfoy send you to make some snide remarks about my domestic situation?"

"That bastard! I could kill him with my bare hands. I wouldn't even need a wand!"

Still confused, Harry ventured a hoarse, "Who?"

"Draco, of course! That rat-tailed son of a basilisk!"

"You've had a row, I take it?"

"Not yet," Pansy snapped, "but we'll probably have to. He has trapped me! Hello, slavery! I just found out I'm pregnant."

"Yeah, well, there's a lot of that going around!" Harry's head spun. He was afraid to ask her for any details. "Maybe the Malfoys won't be as bad as Mr. Lovegood was. They seem like the type of people who could really get into the idea of having an heir for the manor."

"For Salazar's sake, Potter, you don't actually think I'm going to have it, do you? What do you think I want you for? I know Luna wanted that kid of yours. Everyone knows old man Lovegood told her she didn't have to go through with it, and she wouldn't give it up, but where was she going to go? What were they gong to use? Is it a potion? A spell? A medical thing like with the Muggles? I need to know, and quick."

Harry was appalled. "I have no idea. Is this what Draco wants you to do?"

"He doesn't know. I haven't told him and I'm hoping I don't have to."

"Well, I think you should! Good grief, Pansy! It's his baby, too. Maybe he'll really want it."

"Oh, Potter, you are just too noble to be true! Yeah, he'll want it. He'll get to strut around bragging about what a big man he is, while I get sick, pass out and swell up. He can afford to get off on the idea. What does he know about kids? I'll wind up stuck in that old pile of a manor, and he'll be out on the trees before that kid can walk. I won't do it, I tell you!"

"I can't help you, Pansy. I'm sorry." Harry backed away slowly. Pansy flopped down on a chair, and pushed back a stray wisp of hair. She looked so miserable that Harry hesitated, his hand on the doorknob. If you ever need someone to talk to, though, let me know."

"Thanks, Potter. I'd tell you not to go spreading this around, but I already know you won't."

"Of course I won't."

At the cottage that night, Harry did tell Luna, though. She was silent for so long, that Harry nervously admitted something he'd never thought he would.

"I guess you knew I might have been pushed into something like that in the beginning. That's partly why you didn't tell me when your dad brought it up, isn't it? But not now! Absolutely not! I'm so glad you never even considered it."

"I know. I'm just worried about Pansy going through with it. If Draco ever finds out, he'll kill her. He'd take it as a personal affront to his family."

"Maybe," Harry offered, "she'll change her mind."

Harry and Luna went to the Gryffindor/Slytherin Quidditch match a few weeks later, but as they were walking from the castle to the stands, Pansy Parkinson called to them from behind a hedge. They ducked behind it, out of sight of the path.

"How are you, Pansy?" Luna asked, with concern.

"Smashing! I've found someone in the business, and everything is all set. I'm going next Saturday."

"Oh, Pansy, you shouldn't. You really shouldn't. If you should ever be sorry, you'll be sorry forever." Luna took Pansy's hand and squeezed it, but Pansy pulled away.

"No lectures, please. I mean, I'm really happy for you two. You'll be great at this," Pansy said, eyeing Luna's protruding belly, "but Draco and me? Forget it."

"Where is this place you're going?" Harry asked.

"I'm not allowed to say. I'm not allowed to tell anyone at all, but I'll let you know how it goes." She started to turn away, then looked back at Luna wistfully. "Not much longer until Junior gets here, is it?"

"About a month," Luna answered.

"Tell me the truth. This baby you're having...did you want it from the start?"

"That's not a fair question," Luna said calmly. "Not for this time, and not in this place."

"Answer me anyway," Pansy replied.

"I want it now. That's all that matters. I very much want it now." Luna gripped Harry's hand hard as she spoke.

Pansy smiled crookedly at him. "Which means you weren't exactly thrilled when you found out."

"Things change," Harry said, staring her down.

"Thanks a lot," Pansy answered bitterly.

"I'm sorry," Harry replied, "but you shouldn't have asked."

Luna was very depressed when they got home, and Harry thought she was just worried about Pansy, but then she began to complain about her back hurting. Harry knew that all that extra weight on Luna's small frame had to be hard to handle, but when she couldn't eat any dinner, he began to worry. He checked on the emergency portkey to St. Mungo's that they had been given, and felt better knowing it was right in his pocket. She finally said she was going into the kitchen to make a cup of tea, and he was encouraged, but when she didn't come back, he went to check on her.

Harry almost fainted. She was lying on the floor in a puddle of blood, her teeth chattering. Harry was convinced she was dying. No one could lose that much blood and not. He scooped her up and took her straight to the hospital where a healer took them straight to an examining room.

Luna looked up at the woman. "I think it's stopped."

"What's stopped?" Harry squeaked.

"The bleeding. My back still hurts but I feel better. I can still feel the baby."

"Well, naturally," the healer said, amused.

"Moving, I mean...alive and kicking. Am I having the baby?"

"We'll have to see," the healer started to say, but then Luna had another hemorrhage, and after that things moved so quickly that everything seemed hazy to Harry. They let him stay with Luna. He was there when they took the baby, and Harry heard his first cry,

"It's a boy," the healer told him, "and so far, so good."

They cleaned the baby up and put him in a kind of plastic case, and while Luna was sleeping, Harry got to see him. He was very small, but he looked perfectly normal, with dark fuzzy hair and faintly pink skin. Harry sent word to Mr. Lovegood, who came at once to see his new grandson.

"What happened?" he asked Harry anxiously. "Why so early?"

"I don't know, but he's holding his own. Everyone seems to think he'll be fine."

They went to see Luna. She was still very groggy, but happy to have the whole thing over. She had a permanent smile on her face, like someone posing for a photograph. "Harry, you look awful. You look worse than I feel. That's definitely the worst I've ever seen your hair, and that's saying a lot."

"Oh, nice. First you scare the hell out of me, then you make fun of me."

Luna laughed, and looked at her father. "Have you seen the baby, Dad? What do you think of him?"

"He's pretty darned cute," Mr. Lovegood said, "what there is of him. He's a stubborn little thing, apparently. What are you going to call him?"

"I think Pansy was right," Luna said, looking serious for a moment. "He's a Junior."

"Oh, wow," Harry said. "This has been the most amazing year of my life."

It was a few days before Luna and the baby could leave St. Mungo's, and Harry stayed out of school until Luna got her strength back. When things got back to normal, Harry realized that he hadn't seen Pansy since the Quidditch match, and he started to worry. Coming around the greenhouses one day, he caught sight of her. She was wearing Muggle clothes and sitting on her trunk at the end of the driveway. He walked down to the gates.

"Pansy? What are you doing?"

"Trying to catch the bus, but the damned thing is half an hour late. Madam March must have heaved in the aisle again. I'm going to London. From there I'm going to get a floo hub to the States. I'm going to the Salem Institute. New faces...new scenery. You know how it is." She looked up at him and he saw a large bruise on her right cheek.

"What does Draco think of that?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Who cares? He found out about the operation. I don't know who snitched. He called me a murderess. He said I'd cheated him. He said he was going to kill me." She put her hand up to her cheek. "He'd probably get over it eventually, if I promised to make it up to him...his forgiveness for my freedom, but it's too late for that. I think it's time for a clean break."

The Knight bus pulled up and Harry helped Pansy carry her trunk on board. "Congratulations on Junior, Potter. I'm glad everything went all right. I'll keep in touch. How's that?"

"Good luck, Pansy," Harry said softly as the bus pulled away with a bang.

He and Luna wondered at first how Pansy was doing, but Luna was so busy with the baby, and Harry was so busy trying to catch up on the schoolwork he'd missed that they forgot about her.

Then they got a letter:

Hey!

I was just thinking about you two and counting my blessings. Hope Junior's not too hard to handle. Better you than me!

I haven't written before because I haven't had a minute to spare since I landed here. It's everything I hoped for and more. There are all kinds of people doing all kinds of things! At first it was tough going, but now I've made a lot of new friends.

One of those meddling Slytherin brats told Draco where I was, and he wrote to me asking me to come back. He said things would be different if I did. I wrote him a long letter saying that I would, but I came to my senses and tore it up when I was done. I miss him sometimes, but it's too late for us. It would be fine for awhile, but then I'd start thinking about all the things I'd have to do, and it would all fall apart.

I guess this just proves that things always work out for the best,

As ever,

P.

Luna believed that. She believed things had worked out for the best, and continued to believe it as time passed. There was one very difficult moment. It was at Ron and Hermione's wedding. She was sitting in the back row, trying to keep her squirming toddler from running down the aisle to his daddy, who was standing next to Ron, smiling happily as Hermione came down the aisle.

Luna was also happy for Ron and Hermione, but she had still been dreading this wedding. All of the bridal showers, the white satin, the china and silver, and the boutonnieres were spread out before her like a look into Neverland. It was what might have been that got to her.

Then she noticed something. Harry was not looking at Ron, or at Hermione. He was looking at her. He was smiling at her and their son. The smile on her husband's face was familiar, and beloved. It was a look of joy, and Luna knew, smiling back at him, that she wouldn't take back a moment of her time with him. Dumbledore had been right all along. It was their choices that had mattered the most.