The Savior and the Scourge

Chapter 8

The rumors had spread throughout the school but so far no one had yet gotten brave enough to question him. Harry knew that would change today. He sat at breakfast Wednesday toying with his food and watching the other students stealing covert glances at him.

He stiffened as the post owls entered the hall and he had to force himself to relax, he wanted to leave but Dumbledore had made him promise to stay.

Hermione dutifully opened the Daily Prophet within moments of it landing next to her. Two minutes later the Witch had dropped the paper and was staring at him. Harry reached across the table and casually took the abandoned paper, nervous about what he'd find. As he read, he noticed the noise level drop substantially throughout the hall.

The article was short and to the point. Dumbledore hadn't sent it to the paper until right before the print deadline so the 'journalists' at the Prophet hadn't had time to embellish it.

Boy-Who-Lived A Bearer!

Just before press time this morning, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School ofWitchcraft and Wizardry made the Daily Prophet aware that Harry James Potter, the only person to ever survive the Killing Curse and the boy responsible for the first fall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has been tested and found to be a Bearer!

As you may or may not know, a Bearer is a Wizard capable of becoming pregnant with another male. The children of such unorthodox unions are always incredibly powerful. It is reported that all four of the Founders of Hogwarts and even Merlin himself were the children of Bearers and indeed there hasn't been another recorded case of a Bearer since the Founder's time.

Tradition states that a great competition should now be held to choose a father for young Mister Potter's children, but Headmaster Dumbledore also states that a father has been chosen and that our Savior is already with child!

When questioned, the Headmaster refused to release the name of the other father, citing safety reasons in this time of unrest. While this reporter is unhappy about the breach of tradition, safety for the new family is indeed paramount. The Hogwarts staff will certainly have their work cut out for them as the other father is no doubt a student as well.

Harry was pleased really. The reporter had been sympathetic and tasteful – for the Prophet and Dumbledore had neatly side stepped the issue of naming the father which amused him.

"Harry..."

"Yeah, Ron?"

Looking up at the redhead, Harry realized that everyone was looking at him.

"Mate...how long have you liked blokes?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Voldemort rubbed his hands together in satisfaction as the hulking, robed figure left the throne room. This summer's negotiations had gone well, very well indeed.

Of course his plans had changed a bit with the revelation of the Potter boy's Bearer status. He had already decided to spare the boy, to seduce him to their side, but now his task would be so much simpler.

Harry was such a sentimental boy; he would never be able to bring himself to harm the father of his children. Voldemort would keep the boy barefoot and pregnant, confined to the mansion producing a small army of Dark Princes and Princesses with Killing Curse green eyes.

The fact that he would not be the first irritated him but he could use that to his advantage. Once he found out who the other boy was he could arrange for Harry to be 'abandoned' by the youth at an emotionally crippling time, making his manipulation of his future husband all the easier.

Oh yes, that beautiful boy would be his. He had only to apply the proper persuasion...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Saturday Harry sat outside the Shrieking Shack enjoying the solitude provided by the supposedly haunted house. He'd spent most of the Hogsmeade visit with Ron and Hermione in an attempt to make up for the way he'd ignored them the first week of school, but had finally slipped away.

Speculation had run wild at the school about who the other father was. Harry was questioned constantly by the students and the staff; he'd received no less than two lectures just this week from Dumbledore on the necessity of them knowing who it was but Harry wasn't telling. He knew it would come out eventually but he was enjoying their frustration. Quite frankly it was about time he knew something they didn't.

The students were rather rabid over the whole thing, questioning his dorm mates mercilessly. Theories ran the gamut from a summer fling with a Muggle to a Death Eater rape. In between the two extremes were the names of virtually every male at the school from fifth year up, including Draco Malfoy and interestingly, Blaise Zibini which had made Harry laugh his arse off when he'd heard.

He'd had a checkup with Madam Pomphrey who'd been very informative about his situation. While Bearers were ridiculously rare, male pregnancy was not thanks to certain high level potions, so thankfully there was quite a bit of literature to study, which he was actually reading to Hermione's delight. The Nurse had given him three books as a gift and he'd ordered a few more on her recommendation which William had been reading.

He now knew that since his pregnancy was 'magically facilitated', it was also magically accelerated which meant that while by the calendar he was only two weeks along, in actuality he was a full month. Males were obviously not built to bear babies so the Magic cut the gestation period in half. There were side effects, however. Harry would become increasingly tired until the last month where he would almost be hibernating. His meals were already being supplemented with nutrition potions and those would only increase until they were his meals.

The boy sighed, kicking at the twigs under his feet; he'd have to admit who the father was before then because there was no one else he trusted to look after him during that last month. Pomphrey told him to just expect to spend it in bed as he'd only wake up to eat anyway.

He'd found out that the scent he'd started to exude was the primary indication of his bearer ability. It was his physical body coping with the magical influences and trying to attract him a capable mate. According to one of the books Pomphrey had given him, the smell would normally grow until the Bearer attracted a mate strong enough to impregnate them. Harry had gotten pregnant so quickly that only his dorm mates had picked up on the smell.

A twig snapped behind him.

Harry exhaled softly trying to be calm as he eased his wand from the holster Mad-Eye Moody had given him for his birthday. It was probably just one of his Order member bodyguards – but still...

Someone was approaching now, quietly but not quietly enough and Harry slowly turned his head. He screamed and lurched forward, away from the....creatures. He landed on his knees before stumbling to his feet and running towards the shack. The creatures were huge, easily over seven feet and the secret tunnel to Hogwarts was tiny. He only prayed it was tiny enough to keep them from following.

Clambering up the rickety front steps he grabbed the doorknob – and it didn't open. Wriggling it frantically he rammed the creaky door with his shoulder. Looking behind him he found the three hulking and horned figures nearly within reach.

"Open!" he yelled giving the knob a vicious jerk. The door finally gave and Harry fell into the room – and into a warm body.

"Harry!"

"Remus?" Looking up at his former professor, the only other thing he could get out was, "Run!"

Remus' head shot up and seeing the danger shoved Harry to the already open trap door. Harry heard the man casting spells behind him as he jumped into the tunnel and almost onto another man.

"Whoa there," the man said steadying him. Harry couldn't really see him but if he was with Remus.... He pulled out his wand and pushed himself against the wall away from the figure anyway.

Crashing sounded from above as the creatures battered against the shack. Remus joined them in the tunnel and pulled down the trapdoor, sealing it with locking charms.

"Harry meet Oz, Oz this is Harry. Now let's get back to the school, shall we?"

Still panting Harry grinned.