Miracle of Deliverance

Part VIII

A week ago, Grimmauld Place' 12.

Hermione was overjoyed, when she accidentally overheard Dumbledore making a fire-call to Madame Pomfrey asking her to come quickly, because Harry appeared on the doorstep of the Order Headquarters and needed her assistance.

Thinking that she might learn something useful in the area of wizarding magic, if she listen on the medi-witch healing Harry, and of course terribly worried for her friend, Hermione made a tough but necessary decision.

So now she was lying with her ear pressed to the floor in the room above the one, to the which Dumbledore took Harry after his arrival. Thanks to one of the Weasley Twins inventions, she could clearly hear most of the spells Madame Pomfrey used, as well as hear their talk with Harry.

Little did she knew that there was two more people shamelessly listening on the same talk, hiding under the staircase half a floor lower than the one with the room serving as a temporary hospital.

Ginny was dusting a windowsill in one of the upper-floor rooms, when she accidentally glanced outside at the space in front of the threshold of the house. Seeing a glimpse of a familiar figure there, she rushed from a room and ran downstairs, but her Harry had nowhere to be seen. Ginny caught site of her bewildered-looking older brother and took Ron under the stairs to her favorite hiding spot. Ron was white as sheet, as if he'd seen a ghost and stuttering something suspiciously sounding like "Harry's back!" pointing a trembling finger either to the front door or to the room, where Dumbledore had led their friend.

~*~*~*~

The two youngest Weasleys thought it was rather strange, that the Headmaster hadn't announced Harry's arrival to everyone concerned, who had been in the house at the moment, so they took it upon themselves to solve the puzzle and perused the same Weasley Twins invention, as Hermione, to listen on the same talks.

~*~*~*~

Hermione pressed her ear closer to the hard wood, finally hearing Dumbledore's voice after almost three hours of only random medical terms and spells reaching her from the room below.

"What is it, Poppy? Something's wrong?" Headmaster inquired worriedly.

"What's wrong?" echoed Harry's agitated voice with even more worry.

" Harry, did they do anything to you? Aside from t-torture, I mean," the nurse asked.

"Do to me? Like wha–?" Harry wondered.

Hermione strained her ears to catch what the medi-witch whispered:

"Raped. You were raped."

Hermione gasped and brought a hand to her mouth in shock:

"Oh, Harry!" she mumbled, tears blurring her gaze.

"It was an accident," Hermione heard Harry mumble. "Not a r-rape."

"Harry," Madame Pomfrey called, "you don't need to hide. It was not your fault, dear, I'm sure. No need to feel ashamed."

Hermione sniffled quietly. Her poor friend! he'd already suffered through a lot during these years and now this!

"Harry, do you know, who – ?" the mediwitch asked carefully.

"Why? Why does it matter?"

"Harry, it should be a real shock to you, and I don't know how to say it, but – "

"What is it?"

"You are pregnant, dear!" Madame Pomfrey deadpanned.

Hermione's eyes widened. That was not possible, Harry was a man, and men do not get pregnant! Madame Pomfrey must have said something else –