Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley stood in front of the door to Hagrid's small hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Hermione knocked politely, while Harry called out, "Hey, Hagrid!"
The gameskeeper, and one of Harry's favorite people, opened the door with a wide smile, "'Ello, c'mon in." They did and took they usual seats around his coffee table. Hagrid hurried into the kitchen area, then came back with a plateful of rockcakes, which he placed in the center of the table between them. "Eat up," he invited. Reluctantly, each of the three Gryffindors took one. "I'm glad you came out. There's some'at I wanted to tell yeh all."
"What is it, Hagrid?" Hermionine asked, lowering her rock cake to her lap without tasting it. At her worried tone, Harry and Ron lowered theirs as well. Not that they needed a lot of excuse.
"I migh' have t' have a sub in my class fer a few months or weeks a' the end o' next term."
"Why?" Hermione asked while the other two nodded their agreement that Hagrid should answer this question.
Solemnity fought with embarrassment which fought with joy. Joy eventually won out and he beamed at them, "I'm gonna be a daddy."
Three joyful shouts congradulated him, wished him luck, told him to contact Mrs. Weasley if he had any questions, and otherwise told him this was great news. Then Hermione asked entirely the wrong question, "Who's the mother, Hagrid?"
The wide smile disappeared as if it had never been. "Well, tha's the trouble, see, I am."
The three students exchanged looks of confusion. Hesitantly, Hermione asked, "Who's the father?"
"I doan know, there migh' not be one, or i' migh' be Prof'sor Snape."
"Ugh," Ron couldn't stifle the sould of disgust. "Snape's?"
"You don't know?" Hermione asked, seeking data before making her opinion on the subject.
"'E made the potion Fang knocked ont' me, 'cording t' Prof'sor Dumbledore."
"Fang?" Harry repeated in alarm.
"Pomfrey says it's not par' dog," Hagrid quickly assured him. "Fully human-giant mix."
"And if it's Snape's?"
"Prof'sor Dumbledore says 'e wants nothin' t' do with 'im - It's gonna be a boy," he added, some of his happiness returning.
Another round of congradulations, then Ron commented, "It's just as well that greasy bat doesn't want him. Can you see him with a kid?"
"He is a teacher," Hermione pointed out.
"Who hates all his students," Ron countered.
"Except Malfoy," Harry added. "And who'd want their kid to turn out like him?"
Even Hermione joined Ron in agreement with Harry. Hagrid cleared his throat, and the three students blushed faintly. "Sorry, Hagrid, we just think you're better off without him," Harry apologized. The other two nodded, though Hermione was a bit reluctant at it.
"Thanks," Hagrid accepted their support. "I jus' doan know if I ken do this by meself."
"My mum would be glad to help," Ron assured him, without consulting his mother.
"And we can be like uncles or step brothers, or whatever," Harry added, sounding almost as excited about this prospect as he was about Hagrid being a parent.
Hagrid's smile widened at this offer of family for his son.
"Do you know what you're going to call him yet?" Hermione asked before he could comment on it.
"'Aven't decided yet."
------------------------------------Time Passes--------------------------------------
The rumour spread through Hogwarts like wildfire. Hagrid was having a baby boy, other parent unknown or non-existant. Harry, Hermione, and Ron weren't quite sure who had overheard them talking about possible names the Care of Magical Creature professor might choose, but there was no stopping it. They refused to answer questions, which didn't stop half the school from asking anyway.
Hagrid happily informed his classes that he was going to be a daddy, admitted he was pregnant, and told them a potion was the father.
Snape grudingly answered Slytherins' questions. The potion was brewed to impregnate the dugbog. Hagrid's idiot dog Fang spilt it on the gamekeeper. No, the child was not going to be either a dog or a dugbog, though even if it was, Hagrid had an unhealthy fondness for rare and dangerous beasts. After this remark, Ron leaned over to Harry and mentioned that a Snape was a dangerous beast, so Hagrid would probably be happy with a half-Snape for a son after all.
Both Harry and Ron got a detention and lost five points each for laughing in class.
End of fall term came, and Hagrid didn't look any bigger but it was only four months since conception, and he was fairly large to begin with. Alone, Snape stood in front of his mirror, and frowned at the obvious expansion of his waist. There was no doubt he was pregnant. We conceived at the same time, why isn't Hagrid this big? he questioned himself, but he had no answer.
Christmas Eve, and another Death Eater Meeting, Snape falls under yet another crutacious, but this time, as he writhes on the ground, refusing to scream, he hears an agonized cry in his head. He knows that if he had conceived with any other potion than the one he had, his son would be beyond dead right now, but the child's mental scream into his mother's head continues.
Christmas Morning, Hagrid greets Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who had stayed at Hogwarts over break. They laugh and joke, and break their teeth on red and green rock cakes.
Christmas Morning, Snape sits alone in his bed, hugging his stomach as if it were an already born child. Two tears track slowly down his cheeks as he speaks softly to the still alive, but very afraid fetus within him. The mind link created during extreme stress and pain has not completely disappeared, and he uses it to pass soothing, it's-safe-now feelings toward his child. Another tear follows the wet track along his face as he begins to apologize, but cannot promise it will never happen again. Both he and his child still shake with the after-effects of the curse. He calls the child by name, Severin. Severin Sheldon Snape. Adoption is no longer an option.
Spring term begins, and students and staff begin to comment that they can almost see the bulge begin to show under Hagrid's moleskin jacket. Severus studies his profile again in the privacy in his room, and worries that he looks far bigger than the pictures in his book say he should. A concealment charm slims him down to his size at two months.
February. A second year Hufflepuff runs down the hall, and crashes into Professor Snape, but as the tall, skinny professor chews her out for running indoors, and deducts house points, she can't help wondering why, when she had crashed into him, his stomach had felt so round. Not wanting a trip to St. Mungo's, she decides to keep this observation to herself and soon forgets the whole incident. Professor Snape finds a quiet alcove, and calms the startled fetus.
March. Hagrid is definitely showing now, and he waddles about his outdoor classroom as he explains the care of week old dugbogs. Snape rarely leaves the teacher's chair while in his classroom. He eats mostly in his rooms. He does not stalk the halls at night. He sleeps more and more, and has fallen far behind in grading. Albus watches him worriedly, but he does not faint again. Hagrid decides, with the three Gryffindor's approval, that his son's name will be Charles Rubeus Hagrid. Charlie Weasley, the boy's namesake, accepted the position of Godfather. Poppy Pomphrey was delighted to agree to be Godmother.
Early April. Snape stands in front of his mirror, his ankles already killing him and he's barely stood there for one minute. He studies he profile and knows that his son is not going to be able to get out without surgery. But surgery requires someone else to know, and he dares not tell until the birth is imminent. Snape has realized the problem. The boy's father was a half-giant. The kid must have gotten every last giant gene Hagrid had.
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