Spring Equinox

Chapter 11

Albus Dumbledore returned to school about a week later. The Umbridge scandal, as it turned to be called by then, made the Minister reconsider, or at least – try to lower the flames, by letting the old wizard manage the school, giving his opponents and the press, which had somehow slipped from his control, less ammunition against him.

While Dumbledore was delighted to be free of Umbridge, he wasn't happy with most of the other changes. He didn't like Harry owning the school and having the last say in everything, if he only wanted to. He didn't like the fact that Harry was now soul bound to five of his best female students and least of all, the fact that his deputy was now Minerva Potter, Lady Peverell. This limited his ability to manipulate Harry, making it practically non-existent. Although he had Harry's best interest in mind, there were other matters he deemed more important. He was unsure about how to handle the new situation.

Harry didn't make it any easier for him either. "I need to approve any major decision concerning school matters and I may also change minor things I do not agree with," Harry stated plainly.

In a way, though, it was easier than handling the Board of Directors, where each member had a different agenda, yet Harry now possessed more power than the whole board. Albus thought it was too much of a burden and too great a responsibility for such a young man, but there was nothing he could do about it. He even seemed to have lost the respect he once had from Minerva. This bothered him greatly.

Still, there were some more urgent matters to handle. He needed a new DADA teacher – again – and he had to handle the worries of multiple parents, concerned about their daughters being possibly impregnated during the equinox celebration. This was quite worrisome, he had to admit, although Severus assured him that the potions he had handed to the heads of houses were enough to counteract the potions Umbridge had requested.

There was only one thing he liked about the new situation. Madam Bones made a public announcement, "The Minister's orders concerning Sirius Black are now canceled. I ask Mr. Black to present himself to the authorities and be put to the long overdue trial. I promise to do my best to let justice prevail."

She didn't say it plainly, but it was evident that she expected Sirius to be found innocent.

Sirius accepted the challenge. Two days later, accompanied by his godson, he floo'ed into the Leaky Cauldron, where Madam Bones and several aurors were expecting him. A few days later, after having his memories viewed in a pensive and being interrogated under veritaserum, Sirius was a free man again.

This also helped Dumbledore solve one problem. He offered Sirius the defense teacher position and Sirius agreed immediately, if only to stay close to his godson.

There was still another person who wasn't too happy about the changes. Severus Snape found himself in a situation he couldn't even dream of. One of his most abused students had become his boss. That was unthinkable! Yet, as an experienced spy, he kept his head low and hoped for the best, although he didn't have much hope at all.

A few weeks after the takeover, Severus was still at Hogwarts and was not even once called to speak with Minerva or Potter. He still knew he was on probation and could be sacked any moment. He thought of all the times he could have acted differently with Potter and even regretted a few. He only hoped that Lily's part would predominate in Harry's mind and not James' one.

Sacking Snape was actually one of the first things Harry had thought of after removing the toad. His wives prevented this. "We still need him as a spy against Voldemort," both Minerva and Hermione told him.

"He's not a pleasant person, but he is extremely knowledgeable and he owes you. Better keep him on a leash," Daphne told him.

Harry groaned. "He should know that his kind of behavior will no longer be tolerated. He must be fair to all. I don't mind if he is intolerant of fools and very harsh on his classes, but he must teach better and be fair, or he'll find himself out of here."

It was Ginny who decided to talk with Snape eventually. She stayed at her place when the class was dismissed.

"What is it, Weasley? Got stuck in your chair?" Snape asked.

"It's actually Potter, and I thought we needed to talk," she said, not being intimidated.

"You started this class as Weasley, so you'll always be Weasley to me, Potter. Now, what did you want to talk about?"

"I thought you should know that my husband is not going to sack you, at least not if you keep being fair to your students, the way you've been the last few weeks. He appreciates your knowledge but is not too fond of your temper."

Snape covered his surprise with a huff. "Is that all?"

Ginny was not deterred by his mannerism. "Basically. He doesn't expect you to tolerate mistakes or fools, and he only wants you to be equally fair with all your students."

"Isn't that how I've always acted?" he tried to save face.

"Only lately. Keep at it, and you'll be safe here." She didn't wait for an answer.

Like all the girls who took part in the equinox celebration, Harry's wives were also worried they might have become pregnant, despite Harry taking the temporary sterilization potion before. Some of the books about soul bonds even suggested that the bond was completed by fertilization. Luna was also worried that one of her rapers might have impregnated her, especially since she, unlike the other girls, had not taken the potion intended to counteract the magic of the celebration. Only Minerva was calm. At her age, more than twenty years after having had her last period, pregnancy was not something to bother about at all.

As time passed, each girl got her period, relieving the worries and the stress. Luna got it first, less than a week after the equinox. She just hugged them all in relief, although she regretted not being with Harry for a few days.

One by one, the others also got their periods. Harry found their unpredictable changes of mood quite disturbing, yet he had enough distraction from those not having their period at the time to keep him happy.

As expected, Hermione was the one closest to him. She usually had her way with him each night and some mornings as well. The others had to be satisfied with only once every two or three days, either at night or in the morning. Harry tried to be with all of them during the weekend.

He was surprised by his eldest wife, though. She seemed almost insatiable and he paid her attention each day, either in the morning or at night. He also thought she was looking younger, yet he attributed this to him getting accustomed to her in the most intimate ways.

Yet Minerva didn't feel too well a few weeks after the equinox. She would wake each morning with nausea, sometimes even needing to vomit, and it would pass before lunchtime. Had she been young, she would have attributed this to pregnancy, but at her age she was sure it was only some kind of allergy or infection. Still, when the symptoms persisted for more than a week, she decided to talk with Poppy.

"You look well; married life seems to become you," her friend greeted her.

"Well, I'm happy to be married again, even if I have to share my husband with five much younger wives. I believe we're getting along quite well, despite the age difference."

"You actually look a bit younger now. It looks like your husband is treating you very well," Poppy teased her.

"Yet I don't feel so well lately." She then told her friend about how she felt.

"That's weird, but let's try the diagnostics I'm using on girls who come with similar symptoms."

Poppy had Minerva lie down on a bed and waved her wand, saying some spells. Various hazy forms appeared momentarily as a result. Poppy kept her face neutral and Minerva was unsure what all of this meant. Finally Poppy sat back down.

"Well?" Minerva could not wait any longer.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Potter! You are expecting a daughter."

Minerva was thankful for not standing at that moment. She was unsure if her legs could have carried her after hearing the news. "That's impossible!" she exclaimed faintly, as if unwilling to accept it.

Poppy smiled. "Had your husband been anybody else, I would have agreed with you, but with Harry as your husband – nothing seems impossible."

She let her friend calm down a bit. "Now, I'd like to give you a general health check. I normally do it with every pregnancy I find, but I believe it is of greater importance in your case."

Ten minutes later, both looked more puzzled. "Your body seems to have returned to age forty, and your face seems to change as well, although at a slower rate. It also doesn't look like the process is going to stop there. I won't be surprised if you finish looking as you did in your thirties or maybe even in your twenties, although I can find no explanation for that."

Minerva sighed. Just when she thought she was over all the problems of youth, they seemed to return all at once. "Would you like to come and visit us tonight, shortly after dinner? I'd like the whole family to be able to hear this from you. Maybe that will help us understand."

Poppy joined them after dinner. Some of the girls didn't seem to like it, as her visit was interfering either with their homework or their "Harry time", yet none commented. As they all settled in the common room, with Hermione sitting at Harry's side and Minerva at the other, as was becoming customary, Poppy started talking.

"Harry, you should know that I've been Minerva's close friend for more than thirty years and I've never seen her as happy as she is since bonding in marriage with you. She seems to get younger each day and more in love with her husband."

Harry blushed at her praise. He didn't feel he was doing anything special. He was just treating Minerva the way he was treating his other wives.

Poppy continued, noticing Harry's blushing. "I was a bit worried when Minerva came to me earlier, complaining about some health problems. I checked her over most methodically, I assure you."

Harry looked worried now. "Is everything okay?"

Poppy smiled at him. It was refreshing to see somebody care for her friend in such a way. "She is fine, I assure you, although I found some unexpected results." This didn't help diminish Harry's worries. "You see, my friend has always had her readings close to the norm for her age, but now her readings are those of a woman much younger than her age."

Harry looked confused. "Is it bad?" he asked.

"No. That seems to be good, but quite confusing. You see, according to her readings, I believe she's been getting younger since the bonding. By now, her body is acting as if she was in her early forties, an age young enough to get pregnant."

Hermione gasped at hearing this, as did Daphne. It took Harry only a second later to act similarly. "Do you mean to say that Minerva is pregnant?"

"Yes, Lord Potter. Congratulations. You're going to have a daughter."

If it wasn't for both wives holding him in place, Harry would have slid to the floor, as he fainted promptly. Poppy smiled and waved her wand, bringing him back to conscience. It took him a few more minutes to calm down and come to terms with this new knowledge. 'Congratulate her and kiss her,' he heard Hermione in his mind.

Harry turned to his eldest wife. "I believe I should call you Minnie from now on, only in private, of course." Minnie smiled. Her childhood friends called her that name as well. "So, Minnie, I'm really happy to have given you this unexpected present and I hope you are happy with it as well."

The smile he got in response was dazzling. Harry forgot her age. He pressed forward, bringing their lips together in a passionate kiss, to which Minnie responded just as passionately. Had Poppy not been present, this could easily turn into some more love making, yet they parted hesitantly after a while. Minnie seemed to have turned a bit younger during the kiss.

The girls all came to congratulate her. Minerva felt herself blushing like a young girl and wondered if she would eventually become as young as them. She was unsure if she really wanted that to happen.

As they calmed down, Minnie slid her hand into Harry's, feeling finally content with her new situation. She would try to be a good mother to the daughter growing in her womb, using all the knowledge that came with old age along with the abilities her rejuvenated body would give her.

Hermione needed to know some more, though. "How could this happen?" she asked what they all had in mind.

"The simple answer is 'Magic,' as you would expect. Yet magic is based on intent and we should try to find some intent that could cause this change." She now turned to Minerva. "What were you thinking that first time, when you bonded?"

The older woman blushed. "At first I only wanted to save Harry from Umbridge. I knew that whatever she wanted from him, he wouldn't like it. Then, when we were together, I thought that he deserved to be with a much younger woman, that he would have probably liked it better if I still looked the way I was in my twenties. Then, as our actions intensified, I only thought it was wonderful to feel young again in his arms."

Poppy nodded in understanding. "And you, Harry, what did you think at the time?"

"I didn't really know what to think. I've never thought of Minnie in that way before, although I noticed how shapely she was when the celebration started. I then thought that she must have been very attractive in her youth."

"That's all?"

Harry blushed a bit more. "When we were finally together, I tried to imagine her the way she looked when she was much younger, thinking it would help me make her enjoy our togetherness and help me as well."

Poppy smiled. "Dear Harry, you are much more powerful than anyone I know. I don't think even Dumbledore could achieve such a feat, and you didn't even try it consciously. I only hope you can use this power for the good."

They were all silent for a while, needing to think some more about what had been said.

"I don't think we should tell Dumbledore for now," Minerva said. "It won't show before the end of the year and we don't yet know about next year."

Harry hugged her. "It's your decision to make. We will support you, whatever you decide."