Harry Potter and the Paradigm Shift
Chapter 13
By Kinsfire
"Are you sure about this?" Hermione asked with some worry in her voice. "You know what he’s become. Are you sure you’ll be safe with him in there?"
"Well, I’m a pretty good Occlumens now, so I think I can keep him out. Plus, by meeting him in his office in the Ministry, it’s harder for him to get away with some of what he’d be likely to try. This way, I’ve got people like Amelia Bones and Kingsley Shacklebolt to step in and at least make a note of what’s happened to me. Additionally, since I’ll be walking in there with no appointment in the middle of the business day, I’ll be catching him by surprise. He doesn’t like doing things on the fly. If I give him an excuse to wait until a later time at a more secluded location, he’ll take it."
"Why did you choose that particular location for the supposed Order meeting?" Tonks asked.
"I chose there because of a few things. First off, it’s not someplace we’ve ever really gone before. Second, it’s secluded, and innocents are much less likely to be hurt, as opposed to if we chose Hogsmeade or the like. Third, well, consider it a sense of rightness, or closure or the like. If I kill Voldemort in the place where he tried to kill me nineteen years ago, then it’s come full circle."
"Forgive us if we’re worried," Ginny said. "We love you."
"And I love you. I have something in mind to surprise Albus with if he tries anything in the Ministry. They won’t be able to hold me for long."
"Harry, be careful," Tonks said with intensity. "Be serious about this!"
He looked at the three ladies before him and lost all sense of playfulness. "Despite how I’m acting, I am serious about this. I love you all, and I want to spend the next few years fathering as many children as you want to bear. I want to be there hiding my sniffles as we watch our kids head off to school for the very first time, and doing it for every child. I want to hold my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren. And I want them to be from you ladies. There is not a word in the English language to describe how I feel about you. All I can fall back on is the pale thing called love."
He sighed. "I do this for you, and for our children. I want them to be in a Dark Lord free Europe."
The only sound was sniffling for a moment, and then a deep voice said, "What do you think, Remus? Run him for Minister for Magic when Dumbledore’s out? He certainly knows how to talk, and he has ideas on the right things to do to improve wizarding life in Britain."
"Sounds like an idea," said the other surviving Marauder. "Should we tell him about it before or after we put his name on the ballot?"
"After," Hermione said. "Harder to pull out from it then, especially if we all do the puppy dog eyes thing at him to get him to run." She laughed at the look on Harry’s face as he imagined them doing that.
He shook his head. "You have to admit that Remus and Sirius have the puppy dog look down to a science, though," he finally said, chuckling. His watch beeped. "Ah, it’s time. Be back in no more than three hours, people. That’s a guarantee."
He headed for the Underground, and took it to the necessary stop. As he walked to the eternally broken telephone box, he found himself thinking absently, Is that the same refuse in that skip as five years ago, or new?
After dialling six-two-four-four-two and informing the voice "Harry Potter to see the Minister for Magic," he dropped down into the Ministry building, and was quickly ushered into Dumbledore’s office. It was a far cry from either time he’d been here before.
"Harry," Albus Dumbledore said with a large smile, rising from behind the desk. The smile disappeared quickly. "Actually, given the mistake I made four years ago, I think you would perhaps prefer I not be quite so familiar. My apologies, Mister Potter."
Harry smiled back at him. "Honestly, sir, go ahead and call me Harry. I’m just glad I didn’t make that statement of mine an oath, or else I’d have some serious problems right now."
The smile returned to Dumbledore’s face. "Yes, I imagine you would. I suppose we should get right to business, however. As much as I would like to spend a large amount of time chatting with you and finding out how you are doing and how you spent these past four years, I now have even greater constraints on my time than I did as headmaster of Hogwarts."
"I’d imagine you hated giving up that job," Harry commiserated with him.
"Yes, I have always enjoyed teaching the next generation of students, in whatever small way I can, but when it became evident that someone that at least we knew to be a Death Eater was likely to become the new Minister for Magic, I had no choice but to accept the nomination."
"I can understand that," Harry said. "Either put Voldemort in office, or take the office yourself."
"Exactly. So, what is the nature of your request to speak with me?" Albus asked, his face showing sorrow that he had to drag this back to business.
"Well, I was wondering about certain groups out there, and wondering if they’re still in business?" Harry gave the man a knowing look.
"The Order? While not an arm of the Ministry, they have at least been recognized for their efforts. Yes, they are still working for the downfall of Voldemort."
"Good. I need to meet with them. I came across some disturbing information while I was overseas, and I think the Order needs to be made aware of it."
"By all means, Harry. What is it?"
Harry grimaced apologetically. "For multiple reasons, sir, I’d rather not say here. I’ve already got a site in mind that isn’t likely to have a lot of traffic, and is not likely to have been previously charmed and trapped."
"All right. What are your reasons for not telling me here?"
"Well, we don’t know who all the Death Eaters are, and you may even have a secret one or two on your staff, who could have bugged the office." At Dumbledore’s puzzled look, he explained. "Sorry, a Mundane — Muggle term meaning that someone has put a listening device, or in this case spell somewhere in the room. This is sensitive enough that I feel I need to take a page from Moody’s book."
He shrugged. "That’s the first reason. The second one is related — quite similar, in fact. Basically, it’s not something I want overheard, even by someone reading lips, which is a possibility. Third — well, I’m sorry to say it sir, but you’re going to have to earn my trust again. I think the entire Order needs to know this, not just the ones you deem necessary."
"I understand, Harry, and while I am not happy with it, I do in fact understand and even support your reasoning. I was foolish four years ago, and allowed myself to do something that hurt you greatly. I wish to make up for that, and I know that the road to a renewed bond between us is a long one."
"Thank you for understanding, sir," Harry replied. "As for where to meet?" He borrowed a parchment and quill and simply scrawled, ‘Where lightning struck’ and sketched a decent copy of the scar on his forehead. Dumbledore’s eyebrows rose, and he cocked his head questioningly and pointed at the scar. Harry nodded.
"Understood. It will take a short amount of time to gather all the members. Shall we set the meeting for the eleventh?"
"Will noon work for your schedule, sir?"
"I think my noon schedule has just miraculously become clear, Mr. Potter. I look forward to the eleventh."
Harry stood and held out his hand. "Then I’ll let you back to your work, sir. I will admit that I hope that this is the beginnings of healing our rift."
"A hope I fervently share as well, Harry. To a new beginning." He escorted Harry back to the lobby before unwillingly turning back around and returning to his paperwork.
#####
Back at Grimmauld, Harry immediately headed for the shower. "Gah, I feel so dirty," he grumbled. "Having to play friendly to that old bastard was disgusting." Soon clouds of steam were filling the bathroom.
The door opened, admitting a burst of cooler air, and then he heard someone enter the shower behind him. He got a grin on his face as he felt himself already beginning to react, and said, "Here to scrub my back, and anything else you can reach?"
"Actually, yes," came Moira Cybelle’s voice. "I’m here with the blessing of Sirius and the girls."
Harry looked over his shoulder at her and then let out a noise that was embarrassingly like a squeak. "But you’re …"
"Naked? Yes, glad you noticed. So are you, and I plan on taking full advantage of that." She reached around him and took the soaped-up flannel from his suddenly boneless hand. "Oh, thank you for the compliment," she said, caressing him gently with it.
Harry panicked. With a sharp CRACK! he vanished from the shower stall. He reappeared in his bedroom, grabbed a robe, and stumbled out into the hall and then downstairs. He nearly fell into a chair, with soapsuds trailing down his legs at the table, and several pairs of eyes looked up in amusement. "Damn, Harry," Sirius said with a laugh, "I’ve heard of a quickie, but that’s ridiculous!"
Harry looked at him with shock in his eyes. "Sirius! Did you know she …" Sirius nodded, grinning. "She wanted to … and I … no!"
"Didn’t she tell you why she was there?"
"She made it bloody obvious!"
"No, about her vision!"
"I don’t care about any vision! I am not cheating on my three ladies for some damned vision. I am not going to disrespect the relationship you two have spent four years building. Destiny can just quit fucking over my private life!" He put his head in his hands. "Damn," he whispered. "Even thinking some of what I’m thinking feels like I’m cheating on the girls."
That brought conversation to a halt. "Do you mean to tell me that you won’t even allow yourself to think about another woman that way?" Ron asked. "What do you have to do now that you’ve contemplated shagging another woman — iron your ears or something?"
"She’s my godfather’s fiancée, for God’s sake!" he said, looking up at them. "I’m sitting here with images running through my head of what I would have liked to have done to her. He’s my godfather! He’s the closest thing I have to a father now, ever since Voldemort killed my parents. So here I am contemplating screwing his intended."
"So you’re not even allowed to think about that sort of thing — fantasize about it?" Tonks asked quietly.
"Not when it involves hurting people who mean more to me than my own life — no!" he yelled, and rose from the table. As he left the room, he almost collided with Moira, who was wearing a towel around her torso, exposing the entirety of her rather impressive legs. He stared at her for a long second before he ran off again.
#####
The silence was palpable in the dining area as they let him escape for the moment. After several heavy moments, Remus murmured, "I think I need to make a trip to Surrey for the next full moon."
"No, Remus," Moira said. "You’d hate yourself in the morning. Not to mention having an upset stomach." She spun a chair around and straddled it, giving those near her quite the view. "I take it the reason I was abandoned in the shower is something we can lay solidly at the feet of those monsters that Dumbledore forced him to live with?"
Hermione scowled. "Well, let’s see — even thinking about doing what could have happened up there in the shower is cheating on the three of us, and disrespecting the relationship between you and Sirius. In his own way, he’s as bad as some of those religious fanatics we came across in the United States, and it’s all because of the Dursleys."
"We tell Petunia about this, I think," Ginny growled. "Make her prove that she’s serious about being the mother to Harry that she should have been. Help him work this thing through."
"What do we do in the meantime?" Moira said. "I didn’t get a chance to tell him about my vision and that we need to … well, this leads to problems."
Remus looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think I know why it needs to happen, Moira. We need to talk him into it, but all you saw in your vision was the shower and you two in the throes of passion — and the knowledge that it was important that this happen, but not why. I don’t think it’s adding a fourth person to the mix, or even turning this into a massively confusing love nest that’s the desired outcome." He turned to Sirius. "What would be your reaction if Moira’s first child was fathered by Harry?"
Sirius’s eyes widened. "Of course! Knowing there’s a new generation — he talks about having children, but he’ll fight all that much harder if he knows that one is already coming!" Sirius looked up at her. "I know he referred to you as my fiancée, which tells me that his ears are better than I thought, but I’d like to make it official, honey. Knowing what this crowd is trying for, and knowing that you aren’t exactly against the idea of being pressed up against a shower stall with my rather sexy godson, I am asking you in front of witnesses if you will marry me. Will you marry me after this Voldemort debacle is through?"
"Yes," she said simply, her face glowing.
Tonks snapped her fingers, a grin on her face. "Damn, he beat us to it!" she laughed.
Moira looked to Sirius, who nodded with a grin. Turning to Tonks, she said, "Well, if you can get Harry to agree to it, and the three of you are agreeable to it, then I see no reason why I can’t be part of your family as well. In fact, it might be an idea to set up our relationship along the lines of Robert Heinlein’s Long Family. We marry officially for the support of the children, but if love happens to exist between us, that’s wonderful. The family is for the children, though."
Everyone looked at each other for a long time as if asking each other wordlessly what they thought of the idea before Ron spoke up. "Well, I for one would be proud to be a member of the Potter family. I’m in."
Grins erupted around the table, and it was soon decided that the only person left was the one the family was to be named for. "That’s the difficult part," Tonks said. "You know how deep into himself he can get when he thinks he’s hurting the ones he loves."
Moira shrugged and flipped the towel off as she stood. "Well, it’s time to go talk to him. If he’s going to head a family, he really ought to be apprised of the situation."
She walked up the stairs to an appreciative audience — even Ron had to admit that she was pleasant to look at — and looked down at them from the top of the stairs. "Stop watching my ass and get up here," she laughed.
"But it’s worth watching," Ginny mock-whinged before bouncing up the stairs behind her.
"We’ll need to present a united front on this," Moira said. "He’s going to be resistant to it, you know that."
Tonks came to the fore. "Moira, let me talk to him first. I think he’ll take it better from me."
"All of us," Hermione said. "If we talk to him as a group, then he should accept it far better." She pulled out her wand and cast the Four Points Spell, which pointed them toward the master bedroom.
Tonks gently opened the door and walked inside. Moira stayed by the door, seeing a profoundly unhappy man. How is someone who looks that pained over this scenario going to save the world because of it? I may have the visions, but I certainly do not understand them.
"Beloved?" Tonks said quietly.
He looked up, and Moira was surprised to see that he had been crying. "What’s wrong with me, Tonks?" he asked. "A woman who is as beautiful and sexy as you walks into my shower, and all I can do is think about what kind of vile and disgusting beast I must be for wanting to break the sacred bond between us, and the one between them."
"Harry, we’re not married," Tonks said quietly, but with a smile.
"In here we are," he said, tapping his own chest. "I swore to myself that I’d never cheat on you. Since you three made it rather obvious that it was a package deal, I wasn’t exactly complaining, since I love all of you anyway." He sighed. "Did Ginny tell you about the proposal in the shower the other day? I intend to propose to all three of you, and use the notoriety from killing Voldemort to get special dispensation to marry you three — legally."
Hermione came up beside him. "I accept, Harry," she said and kissed him on the cheek.
Ginny spoke up next. "We were talking downstairs after you came up here. This is going to sound a little odd, but have you ever read anything by Robert Heinlein? Especially something called Time Enough For Love?"
He looked up and nodded. "I always have tears in my eyes at the end of the story about Dora."
"Remember the family set-up they had at the end of that book, what they called the Long Family?" He nodded, and Ginny continued. "We were thinking of starting that, with the Patriarch of the Family being you. You are the glue that keeps us all together, Harry. For you, we moved three thousand miles. For you, we gave up the lives we might have had if we’d stayed at Hogwarts, and don’t you dare apologize," she interrupted as she saw his mouth open, "because life wouldn’t have meant anything knowing you were elsewhere. It was hard enough as it was, being elsewhere from you for your protection, but we always had in mind to find you again. To all of us, the idea of staying in England would have been the same as saying ‘Well, it was nice while it lasted, but goodbye.’ We were damned if we were going to say goodbye to the man we love." She knelt and kissed his other cheek. "For you, Harry, we saved our virginity until we could find you again. We love you, Harry James Potter, and I for one look forward to being Ginevra Molly Weasley Potter right alongside Hermione Jane Granger Potter."
"Let’s not forget Nymphadora Marie Tonks Potter," Tonks said with a smile, motioning the others inside the room.
Remus spoke first. "Harry, if you’ll have me, I’ll join this Family they speak of. I can’t think of anything that would make me prouder than to be able to call myself a Potter."
"Your dad’s family took me in when I ran away from that bitch whose painting we destroyed. In all but name, I already was a Potter, so why not make it official?"
Harry was stunned, to say the least. He found his eyes sliding to Moira again, and cursing his reaction to her nudity. It showed on his face, and Sirius said, "Harry, we all love you. Moira was the one who suggested the Potter Family solution." He walked over to his godson and said, "If you happen to find my future wife sexy and want to pin her to that shower wall, I’m not going to complain." He snorted. "May conjure a chair and some popcorn and see if an old dog like me can learn a few new tricks, though."
Harry was looking bewildered, and it was obvious. "Why? What reason … how … what is leading to this decision? Is this vision so important that …." He stopped, unable to find the words.
Moira spoke up. "Harry, I had a vision showing the two of us making the Beast with Two Backs in that shower. That’s all. I don’t know why it’s important, but it is." Harry’s eyes widened. "And no, before you start beating yourself up over it, it’s not too late yet. But it should be sometime today, if it’s going to happen at all. But before you start wondering if I’m nobly sacrificing myself to the vision and expecting you to do the same, I’ll tell you I’m not. I’ve been thinking about this for weeks. Months, even. In general, I mean, not this specific thing. Just because I was your teacher at one time doesn’t mean that I can’t have been waiting for you to turn eighteen, sexy," she said with a laugh.
She knelt in front of him after the other girls parted to allow her space. "I’ve known about Remus for a long time — Sirius told me about him before we ever got intimate for the first time." She grinned suddenly. "Doggie style, in case you’re curious." Harry snorted his laughter at her sudden impudent tone. "Be that as it may, when we were having those long talks about our histories, and the fact that Sirius loves Remus so much he’d have actually given me up came to light, I told him that I was harbouring more than a little feeling for a certain student of mine who had the sexiest Animagus godfather. I understand how Tonks fell for you, and how Ginny and Hermione did as well, because I did as well. It was obvious, though, that these three had your heart, and until you were reunited with them, there’d never be room for anyone else in there."
"Harry, I can understand if you don’t want to do it because of the vision or destiny or whatever. Especially when it’s so nebulous. But I just want you to know that I’m not in it just for a one-night stand. This is just a window of opportunity for something, I don’t know what. But if we do start this, I’m in it for the long haul. Because I love you as much as everyone else in this room, even if I haven’t known you as long."
Harry still looked troubled. "I still won’t cheat on-"
"It’s not cheating if we approve," said Tonks. "If you want, we can sit in the hot tub with Sirius and wait for you two to finish, then make it a mad party to celebrate the beginning of the Potter Family," Tonks said with a smile. "Hell, I think we ought to do that anyway."
"Um, this place doesn’t have a hot tub," Harry said quietly.
"It will when we’re done," Ron said with a chuckle. "What do you say to Tonks and the girls enlarging the bathroom, Remus and I making the popcorn, and Sirius making sure we have enough towels? While we’re all doing those tasks, you two can get to nuzzling each other, and maybe take another shower."
"Aren’t normal people supposed to be bothered by what we’re talking about here?" Harry asked, obviously feeling out of his element.
"Normal people aren’t geniuses charged with saving the world," Hermione said simply. "Geniuses make their own rules about everything, including sex. And I remember you saying that one of the things you found sexy about each of us is our intelligence. We’re all well above average intelligence, so we decided to do what works for us." She shrugged, and Harry was back to himself enough to enjoy the sight this time.
"So the general consensus here is that I should listen to my hormones and enjoy what Moira was offering?" Harry asked quietly.
"Only if you want to," Tonks replied as quietly. "Don’t go in there and fuck her because you think we want you to. Go in there and make love to her."
He nodded at the distinction, and Moira could tell that he understood it. He closed his eyes for a long moment, and when he opened them again, Moira chuckled to herself. His eyes held a fire she’d gotten used to seeing since these people had arrived in his life again, and for once it seemed to be aimed at her. She was surprised to feel her pulse pick up as he stood and took her hands, helping her to her feet. "We had a conversation rudely interrupted by me," he said, motioning her toward the bathroom. "Can you forgive me, and perhaps permit me to pick up the conversation where we left off?"
"A gentleman," she said, surprised that her voice was quavering slightly. "Of course we can pick the conversation up where we left it, if you’re up to it," she finished, smirking at the double entendre.
"Around you ladies, being ‘up to it’ is the least worry any of you will ever have,’ he replied as they entered the bath.
#####
An hour later, Harry carried Moira out of the bath and set her on the big bed. She was grinning widely. "She was having a little trouble walking afterwards," Harry said a little bashfully.
"I’m not surprised," Hermione said. "I think we heard at least five separate orgasms from her. How many for you?"
"Only one," Moira said, "but that was enough." She pulled Harry down to her and kissed him rather thoroughly. "I’m marrying your godfather, but if you’ll have me, I’ll join the Potter family."
Everyone in the room could see the comment arriving, if only in the grin that crossed Harry face. "I’d say that I already had you, Moira. It certainly sounded like it in there."
"If I had the strength to sit up …" she said. In answer, he leaned down to her. She threw her arms around him and kissed him rather thoroughly. "Thank you," she whispered after releasing him. "I look forward to further conversations like that."
"I shall endeavour to be as engaging a conversationalist as I was," he grinned back. "Think we’ll ever know why that enjoyable interlude that I fought so hard against was necessary to save the world?"
Remus winced. "My suggestion was that … well, you may have just fathered the first Potter heir."
Harry blinked and stood up. "You all knew this before walking into this situation, right?" he asked, worried.
Tonks kissed him. "Yep. It’s part of what drove us to make sure you knew we were okay with it."
Sirius walked over. "Harry, as far as the world will be concerned, if you’re worried about this, the baby will be mine. But I have no problem with my future wife carrying your child."
"How long before we’ll know?" Harry asked.
"A few hours," Hermione answered.
"Yeah, need to give the little wigglers a chance to find their target," Sirius chuckled.
"Can I assume that someone here knows the charm to find out, or do we need to go to St. Mungo’s?"
Hermione laughed. "It’s really a simple charm," she said, and pulled her wand. After a simple pass or two, she held it in front of her own stomach. "See the pale white glow? It means that the person isn’t pregnant. If the glow changes to a bright gold, then we have a pregnant woman."
"Is it a single person spell, or …" Harry started to ask.
"No, it stays up as long as I concentrate even a little. See?" she asked, waving it in front of Tonks. It stayed a pale white glow. As her hand came back toward the bed, Ginny came closer to her, and the glow flared gold for a second. Everyone’s eyebrows rose for a moment, and Hermione brought the wand back before Ginny’s abdomen. The wand glowed a brilliant gold.
Ginny’s eyes went wide, and she looked at Harry, some fear evident in her eyes. His response was, "Ginny? Do you want this child?"
"Do you?" she asked in a very small voice.
"Right now, Ginny, I want to talk you in my arms, spin you around, and scream to the world that I’m going to be a father. But you have to …" He stopped speaking as he saw her relax. "You were worried that I didn’t want the baby, weren’t you?" She nodded a small nod, which he responded to by putting his arms around her waist, picking her up and spinning her around as he said he wanted to, and shouting into the room, "I’m gonna be a daddy!"
"That sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it?" sniffed Sirius.
"That it does, Padfoot. That it does," Remus replied.
Ron walked over to Harry. "Potter, that’s my sister you just got pregnant," he said in a stern voice.
Harry gulped. "Ron, I love your sister very much, and …"
"Shut up," Ron said. He jabbed his finger into Harry chest before saying, "Thanks for making me an uncle." He threw his arms around Harry, who stood there stunned for a moment before realizing that he’d been ‘gotten’ and returning the back-slapping hug.
Sirius walked over to Moira and sat down next to her. "I’m glad of this. Whether or not he managed to get you pregnant, he’ll fight better now. He knows he’s got future generations ahead of him that need to know their daddy."
"I’m pretty sure that I’m pregnant too, or will be, but this was what he needed. How likely would it have been for anyone to check without this … well, explosion is a good word, I guess?"
"Probably not until Ginny missed her next couple cycles," Remus said, joining them. "Stress does things to the cycle, I understand." He received an understanding nod from Moira.
"So where do we go from here?" Ginny said. "You have to meet Dumbledore on my birthday, in Godric’s Hollow. I’m worried for you."
"I’m a little worried too, but that’s why I’m hiding you guys around the place that day. My own personal Order of the Phoenix will be sitting around with members of Dumbledore’s Order, and you guys will all have those wizarding PDAs I built. I’ll be broadcasting the conversations, including the one I expect to have with Dumbledore."
He sighed. "Maybe I’m a seer myself or something, but this is going to get ugly on the eleventh. I chose that place because I’m positive that Dumbledore is going to go to Voldemort and tell him, which means that I’m likely to see Voldie on that day. I’m going to kill him, pure and simple, and then do what needs to be done with Dumbledore."
"Will you kill him?" Hermione asked, worried.
"Possibly. I won’t have the little ‘in’ that I’ll have with Tom. That blood connection we have has been good for him, but it’s going to kill him on the eleventh." At the look of horror on everyone’s faces, he added, "I have no idea what you all are thinking, but I have every intention of raising this child." He placed his hand on Ginny’s stomach. "I’m not abandoning this child. I will survive to be a father to this baby." A slight flare of magic shot from his hand into Ginny’s stomach. "Damn. We’ve had oaths flying left and right around here recently," he said with a shaky laugh.
He shook his head. "Well, Remus, I think that I need to ask you to find the others, like Molly and Arthur, and get them ready for this. I’m predicting Dumbledore won’t actually be contacting anybody — he doesn’t even know I’ve been in contact with you, so if you don’t hear from him telling you I’m back, then that’s the final confirmation of everything we’ve guessed. But I want all the other Order members there on the eleventh." Remus nodded and left. Harry walked over to Moira and leaned down and kissed her again. "If I were crass enough to say anything, my fellow students would be damned jealous."
"As well, they should be," Sirius laughed. "Now go — you’ve got to make sure you’ve got everything ready for four days from now." Harry nodded and headed downstairs to the room he’d set up in the basement as his armoury.