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Author: Musings Story: The New Professor Rating: Teens Setting: AU Status: WIP Reviews: 4 Words: 160,238
Author's Note, redux, 03/13/04: It's better now. It's one hell of a lot better, and it's because of Ahmie and Aibhinn. See if you can spot the changes…one of them is fairly major, but it takes this chapter to an entirely different level. Thank you, ladies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Harry stared at the parchment in his hand, the words leaping from the page and turning his stomach into ice. Molly's handwriting was scrawling and panicked, in no way resembling her usual elegant hand: H&G- Come quickly. Hermione in trouble. Portkey enclosed. Ginny knows password. PLEASE HURRY! Molly "Harry, what is it? Who is it from?" Ginny's voice reached him, but it seemed as though she were miles away. He blinked, clearing visions of Hermione – in pain…bleeding…dead – from his eyes. She held what appeared to be a small quill in her hand, worry stamped upon her features. Swallowing, he focused on her pale face. "It's from your mum, Gin…about Hermione," he said, feeling a cold sweat forming on the top of his upper lip. He handed her the note, the parchment rattling as his hand shook. "It doesn't look good." He watched as she read the note, tears forming in her chocolate eyes. "Harry, we need to go. Now." Ginny's voice cracked with emotion as she handed the letter back to him. "Get changed quickly and we'll activate the Portkey." "Never mind changing, Gin," Harry said fiercely. "Let's go now." "What's going on?" a voice asked. It was only then that Harry remembered they had an audience. "Family emergency, Cho – goodbye," he said dismissively, grabbing Ginny's free hand. "Let's go, Gin!" They ran towards a secluded section near the pitch and Ginny lost her footing as they skidded to a halt. Okay…okay…calm down, Potter…no sense getting both of you killed before you get there, he said to himself. Holding her steady, he clasped the free end of the quill between his fingers. "What's the password?" "V…vermillion," Ginny said, her voice trembling. Harry felt the familiar tug at his navel and a second later he was hurtling through the air. After what seemed like an eternity, his body began to slow down. His feet slammed into the pavement in front of Purge & Dowse Ltd., the clandestine entrance to St. Mungo's. He shuddered: all these years later and Portkey travel was still the most dismal mode of transportation he'd ever experienced. Ginny stumbled into him and he reached out, steadying her against his chest. "Easy now, Gin," he said softly, willing his heart to slow its panicked beating. "Let's go." They sprinted towards the crumbling brick façade, coming to a halt in front of a window display containing a hideous female dummy wearing the same green nylon pinafore dress she'd worn every other time he'd had the displeasure of being there. He leaned close to the window. "We're here to see Hermione Weasley," he hissed. The dummy's right hand twitched, beckoning them forward. Harry clasped Ginny's hand and, together, they stepped through the glass. It felt just as he'd remembered it – as though he were walking through a cascading waterfall. Reaching the other side, they stood in the reception area of a hospital emergency room filled with witches and wizards suffering from a myriad of maladies. Healers walked amongst the patients, taking notes and directing them towards the escalators. As Harry headed towards the floor map, Ginny tugged him in another direction. "Harry, come with me," Ginny said, striding towards a doorway off the main room. "We need to go over here." He looked up, reading the sign overhead: MATERNITY "Most witches opt to give birth at home," Ginny said as they walked swiftly down the corridor. "They set up this wing in the late 1800s as Muggle medical advances began to make strides away from their barbarous roots. Many medical wizards and Healers train in the Muggle medical arts, to partner those skills with their magical abilities. While we still rely on Healing Charms, sometimes it's good to have a little Muggle know-how, especially when it involves the complications that can happen with births." Harry nodded dumbly, panic clawing at his insides. "How far do we have to go?" "Not far at all," she said as they turned the corner. There, assembled before Harry's eyes, was a tableau of his past. His family. Hermione's parents, Rupert and Emma, stood with their heads close, lips moving quickly as urgent words flew between them. Harry's eyes moved slowly towards where Molly and Arthur stood, flanking Ron. Harry's chest tightened; the emotions from seeing the three of them there, within his reach, were almost too much to bear. Molly's hair had lost some of its vivid color, snow-white strands now woven amidst the red. Arthur's hair was almost completely gone now and a comfortable paunch rested around his middle. Harry's eyes shifted to Ron, whose posture alone transmitted waves of anguish palpable even from thirty feet away. I shouldn't be here, Harry thought to himself. What on earth could I say to any of them right now? I'm just an intruder here, especially given the circumstances. I've MADE myself an intruder here. As he dug in his heels, Harry felt Ginny tug on his hand. "Harry? Come on, we've got to go," Ginny said, looking into his eyes. "It's okay. It's going to be okay." "GINNY!" Both Harry and Ginny looked down the hallway to see Molly rocketing towards them, crushing them in an embrace filled with both joy and terror. "Oh Ginny, I'm so glad you're here! And you've brought Harry!" He felt her arms tighten even more, his throat closing with emotion. She released them, raising her eyes to gaze into both of their faces, lingering the longest upon Harry's. "Mum, we came as soon as we could," Ginny said, her voice crisp. Where does she find the calm? he wondered. "Tell me what's happened." "Hermione's been in there for the past hour," Molly said, her hands twisting a handkerchief. "Ron can give you a better idea of what happened before they got here." The three of them walked as a unit over to where Ron sat. "Ron, sweetheart, Ginny's here." Ron raised his tear-streaked face in the direction of his mother's voice. Another wave of guilt trembled through Harry as Ron's eyes looked through him to connect with Ginny's. "Gin," Ron said, standing to take Ginny into his arms. "What happened, Ron?" Ginny said softly. He heaved a breath. "She slipped in the loo this morning after her shower and twisted her side. At first, she didn't think anything of it – she's been feeling about as graceful as a three-footed rhino lately." He paused, his chuckle sounding more like a sob. "About an hour later, her water broke…there was blood in the fluid, Gin…so much blood." Ron raised his hands, running his fingers through his hair and creating wild pathways which, under happier circumstances, would have reminded Harry of his own crazy locks. Ginny slid her trembling hand into Harry's again, lacing their fingers together. Ron's hands dropped back into his lap and he raised his eyes to meet Ginny's once again. "It just wouldn't stop! I picked her up, put her in the car and tore over here as quickly as I could. She's been asking for you ever since we arrived. Please say you'll help!" Icy fear began to clench at Harry's insides. Hermione's bleeding? What if they can't stop it? What if…he shook his head, clearing the images that had crept into his mind. You can't think like this, not now. Suddenly, the doors of the ward burst open and a white-clad witch strode towards them, her pace quickening as her eyes found Ginny. "Ginny, thank Merlin you're here," she said, touching Ginny on the arm. "Hello, Dana," Ginny said, nodding. "What's happening in there?" "She's experiencing some bleeding, so any help you could give us would be wonderful," Dana said briskly. "Please come with me." Harry watched as emotions chased across Ginny's face. As she nodded at Dana, he gave her hand a squeeze of encouragement. She turned to face him. "Gin, do whatever you can." She nodded, rising on tiptoe to brush a kiss across his cheek. "Say a prayer, Harry," she whispered in his ear. As she pulled away, the fear he saw in her eyes chilled him to the bone. Slipping from his arms, she gave Ron a hug and ran into the delivery room, leaving Harry alone with the family. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Arthur watched as his youngest child disappeared behind the delivery room doors, pride warring with the sheer panic that raged in his heart. He'd been in his work shed, tinkering on a mobile that he'd wanted to set up in the nursery when the coin had burned hot in his pocket. It wasn't until he'd reached the kitchen to find Molly, her fist clenched between her teeth, tears streaming down her face, that he'd experienced the first taste of fear. After scribbling notes to the rest of the family, they'd bundled up and Apparated to the hospital. Upon their arrival, they'd found Ron, standing alone and terrified, outside of the delivery room. Arthur had embraced his son, letting him sob out his fear on his shoulder, then joined the silent vigil. It wasn't until he'd heard Molly cry out Ginny's name that his knees had turned to jelly. Harry was here. He'd looked like a man heading into battle, his Quidditch robes and gear making him seem twice as large as Arthur had remembered him. The eyes, however, were the same – filled with the same insecurities and doubt as they had been the first time he'd seen them over his breakfast table. Arthur glanced up to see Harry walking towards the doors Ginny had walked through, his soulful green eyes reflected in the glass window as he watched her retreating figure. Harry seemed oblivious to his surroundings as Arthur walked over to join him by the door and jumped when the older man placed a hand on his shoulder. Arthur detected another emotion in the young man's eyes, one he'd never seen there before: shame. His throat closing, Arthur took him into his arms. "It's good to see you, Harry," he said, his voice rough with emotion. He felt Harry stiffen slightly for a moment before returning the embrace. Whatever sadness may come this day, here is a moment of joy I will cherish forever. "Hello, Mr. Weasley," Harry said tentatively, pulling back from their embrace. "Now, what's all this? It's Arthur, Harry," he said, patting him on his shoulder. "I just…I mean I'm not," Harry said softly, stumbling over his words. "I'm so sorry for coming here, intruding…" "Codswollop, young man!" Arthur said firmly. "You're a part of this family, Harry Potter." "I haven't been a very good member in recent years," Harry said bitterly. "Well, now is not the time to re-hash the past. You've always been welcome in our home, in our family, Harry. It's never an intrusion, you understand?" Harry nodded slowly. Still not convinced, Arthur thought to himself. But we'll remedy that soon enough. He cocked a brow at Harry. "You do look better prepared for a tussle with Ron, though." "Oh God," Harry muttered. "I should Apparate back and change. We'd just finished the match when we got the note. I'm sorry!" Arthur clapped him on the shoulder. "No apologies needed, my boy. Now, if you would be more comfortable out of all of that gear, I'm sure the hospital staff could find something else for you to wear." "No, it's okay," Harry said, unbuckling his arm guards and removing his gloves. "I'll shrink all of this stuff down for now – can't Apparate back with it that way, it won't re-form properly – but I can stow it in a pocket until it's time to leave. Excuse me for a moment?" Arthur nodded and Harry left his side for the nearby loo. "Arthur?" Molly's voice came from behind him. He turned to see his wife, her chocolate-brown eyes care-worn with worry. "Is he all right?" "Fine, dear," Arthur said. "Just feeling a bit awkward. He'll be back in a moment. How's Ron doing?" "Oh, Arthur, he looks hollow," she said, casting a glance towards their son, who was seated near the delivery room door with his face in his hands. "If anything happens to Hermione or their little one, I don't know what it will do to him." "Molly, dear, don't worry so," Arthur said, taking her in his arms and rocking her where they stood. "She's getting the best care available. They'll both be fine." The main doors to the ward burst open and the twins tore through the doorway, followed close behind by Bill and Fleur. "Dad, we got here as soon as we could," Bill said, out of breath. "The owl took a while to find us in Hogsmeade. What's going on?" Arthur spent the next few moments bringing them up to speed and was just finishing up when Harry came out of the loo sans protective gear, his robe folded over his arm. The twins turned to face Harry and Arthur noticed the same look of insecurity flicker in Harry's eyes at the new arrivals. Arthur nodded towards Harry, trying to give him a look of encouragement. Harry's nod in return was nearly imperceptible as he started towards the twins and Bill. You can do this, son, Arthur thought to himself. I know you can. "Fred, George…Bill," Harry said, walking slowly up to them. "If you don't want me here, just say the word and I'll wait outside." Noble to a fault. "Hermione wanted you here, Harry," Arthur said firmly. "Ginny wants you here –" "And we want you here," Molly said, her hand slipping into Arthur's. He smiled as he watched his wife turn her gaze to her three tardy sons. "Now I know that we all need to have a talk at some point, but now is not the time. We have to stand united for Ron and Hermione right now, and they were the ones who asked Harry to be a part of this day." Bill grimaced. "We understand, Mum." He turned to look at Harry through shuttered eyes. "Your mother is right, boys," Arthur said softly. "We're not going to make any trouble," Fred said, glancing at Bill and George. "But we will want to have a talk with you, Harry, once this is all over," George said. Fred and Bill nodded in agreement. "Fair enough," Harry nodded. "You all deserve an explanation, and once this is all over, I give you my word that you'll get one. But for now, the person I need to talk with is Ron. If you'll excuse me?" All three of the young men nodded. Arthur placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Good luck, son." Harry nodded and, with a swallow, walked to where Ron sat. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ron's stomach rolled. The day had started out perfectly. Matty had gone over to Percy and Penelope's the afternoon before to spend the night with his little cousins, giving Ron and Hermione an evening to themselves for the first time in months. They'd spent the evening watching movies and snuggling before going to bed, spooning together and gazing at the tiny bassinet they'd placed nearby. After she'd drifted to sleep, he'd lain awake most of the night, watching her breathe and feeling the stretching movements of their child in her womb. She'd had such a hard pregnancy, the last two months of which she'd been house-bound and told to keep off her feet as much as possible. He'd woken that morning hoping that it would all be over by the end of the day. Little did he know how prophetic his thoughts would turn out to be. He would remember the sound of her scream his entire life. He'd raced to the kitchen to find her standing with a pool of fluid at her feet; fluid that had run scarlet with blood. Too much blood. Her eyes, ordinarily so full of assurance, had been filled with fear and pain. She'd cried out as the contraction had ripped through her, her hand gripped her abdomen. He'd picked her up and carried her to the living room, hurling a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace, shrieking "The Burrow!" as loudly as he'd been able to. After sticking his head into the green flames long enough to give his parents the details, he'd bundled her up in one of the afghans she'd knitted and carried her to their car. The trip to St. Mungo's had been a blur. How he'd managed to get them there in one piece had been nothing short of a miracle, and the wait outside of the delivery room before his family arrived had been torture. Thoughts of the worst-case scenarios had ricocheted through his mind until he'd felt the warm hand of his father upon the back of his neck. Then he'd given in to his fears and wept until his eyes had run dry. It was only when Ginny had arrived that he'd started to feel an inkling of hope return to his soul. He raised his head to see Harry standing next to his parents. His emotions roiled within him: memories of the hurt from the past warred with the unmitigated joy he'd experienced when Harry had strode, warrior-like, through the doors of the ward. When Hermione had told him of her desire to have Harry named as their child's godfather, it had taken him a week to get used to the idea and even then he'd only agreed because it had been clear how much it meant to her. Then, on All Saint's Day, he'd received Harry's letter, which had explained a great deal about his friend's behaviour in the months following the end of the war: his distant moods; his jumpiness; the guilt that had never made any sense until now. After reading it through twice, he'd given it to Hermione and watched as tears filled her eyes. It was those tears of understanding that soothed his heart like a balm now. As he scrubbed at his face with his hands, he heard footsteps approaching. Raising his head, he saw Harry standing before him. Ron rose to his feet, watching as Harry tensed slightly. His body may be tense, but his eyes haven't wavered, Ron thought to himself as he met Harry's steady gaze. "Ron," Harry said, his voice a lower timbre than he'd heard before. "Listen, if you want me to go, I'll go, but before I do, I want you to know that for all that has happened over the last nine years, I was a fool ever to leave. I'm sorry." Ron's throat closed as he placed his hands on either side of Harry's neck. "Don't leave us ever again, you git," he choked out. He watched as tears filled the green eyes of his oldest and dearest friend, and dragged him into a hug that had been nine long years in coming. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ginny stepped into the locker room next to Hermione's delivery suite, leaning back against the door. She closed her eyes and took a steadying breath to help calm the sense of doom that had fallen onto her shoulders as she'd listened to Ron's account. It did not sound good at all. Locking the door, she started to strip out of her jumper and skirt to change into a set of whites that had been left for her. Whenever she'd worked in one of the "split wards" – wards that relied on both magical and Muggle technologies – she'd taken to wearing the tunic and trousers worn by the split-ward staff. It was a vast improvement over the long, cumbersome gowns required of the Healers for the other parts of the hospital. Long gowns and cloaks were fine for the halls of Hogwarts, but had no place in an operating theater. As she tied the drawstring belt of her trousers closed, she took out a comb from her cloak and, whispering a Dampening Charm, ran it through her hair in several short strokes. Setting it down, she quickly plaited the waist-long strands into a tight French braid, sliding an elastic around the end to keep it from coming undone. She ran her hands and arms under the anti-bacterial water fountain in the sink, scrubbing at them, paying particular attention to her fingernails; with the amount of grime she'd had on her hands from the pitch someone would have thought she'd been playing. I'll have to scrub again, I'm sure, she thought, but I can't go into Hermione's room looking like a Chaser who got ploughed. Twice. When she was done, she raised them stiffly, letting the water drip down to the floor below. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself mentally for whatever she would have to face once she walked through the door. I'm so scared, but I have to do this, she thought to herself. I need to do this for Hermione, Ron and the baby. I need to do whatever I can to help. "Please, let us be able to save them," she muttered out loud. She pressed her back against the door, letting her body weight carry it open to protect her hands from contamination, and stood in front of the delivery suite. Whatever scene Ginny had imagined she'd see upon entering the room didn't compare to what she actually found. In the bed lay Hermione, very pale, crying and breathing with shallow breaths. Her bushy brown hair lay in a mass of tangles surrounding her head. A bag of intravenous solution hung from a bag next to the bed. IV saline, Ginny thought to herself, her anxiety increasing. Blood-soaked towels lay at the foot of the bed in a heap on the floor from where the Healers had tried to clean up a bit – apparently, standard cleaning charms had not been able to take care of all of the blood. The Healer-in-charge stood at the foot of the bed with his wand drawn, muttering what appeared to be charms to get Hermione's bleeding under control. Ginny knew from her own Healer training that Hermione would have to be monitored closely during and after delivery to make sure her hemoglobin level didn't drop too low from all the blood loss. If she lost too much, they might have to do a Muggle-style transfusion. "Ginny!" Hermione's voice, filled with fear, brought Ginny out of her thoughts. Rushing up to the bed, Ginny took her sister-in-law's hand. "I'm here, Hermione. Everything's going to be okay. Looks like we're going to meet that little one of yours very soon." "I'm so scared," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked at Ginny. "My labour and delivery with Matthew was hard, but nothing like this. There's just so much blood. What's gone wrong? Is my baby okay?" "I'm sure everything will be fine," Ginny said, running her cool fingers along Hermione's sweat-covered brow. "Healer Mueller has everything under control. I'm sure that he's been monitoring the baby closely." "Is Harry here?" Hermione said, her hand gripping Ginny's free hand tightly. "Did he come with you?" "Yes, Harry's here. He's in the waiting room with the rest of the family," Ginny gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Your parents are here, too. Mum sent for them as soon as she found out that there was trouble." Hermione's breath caught as she shut her eyes against the pain of a contraction. The hand that wasn't holding Ginny's grabbed at the bed sheet covering her, balling it in her fist. "Breathe, Hermione," Ginny said, strengthening her grip on Hermione's other hand. "Do you remember the breathing techniques you were shown?" Hermione nodded and began to breathe deeply in through her nose and out through her mouth. About forty-five seconds after it had started, the contraction had passed. "How close together are they?" Ginny asked, willing her voice to be soothing. "About five minutes apart." Hermione panted. "They're getting harder." "You know you need to concentrate and breathe through them, right?" Ginny said, reaching for a glass filled with ice chips and spooning some between Hermione's lips. "I know, I know. But that's easier said than done when you're going through them," Hermione said, a smile teasing her weary eyes as she took a deep breath. Ginny felt relief – it was clear Hermione was calmer. Keeping her calm was key in keeping her blood pressure down. Lower blood pressure meant less blood loss. "I'm sure things will be fine, Hermione," she said as she smiled at her sister-in-law, stroking her matted hair. "If the Healer-in-charge says its okay, would you like your mum to come back to see you?" "Oh, Ginny, that would be wonderful!" Ginny's heart lifted – Hermione's eyes sparkled for the first time since she'd walked through the door. "Could you ask, please?" "Of course," Ginny smiled, stroking her forehead. "I'm going to talk to him for a moment, but I'll be right back." Ginny walked over to the Healer-in-charge, who was writing notes in Hermione's medical record. "I'm Ginny Weasley. I'm a licensed Healer with a specialty in Charms and also Mrs. Weasley's sister-in-law," Ginny said, offering her hand. "I was asked to assist in the delivery. How is she doing?" "I'm Stuart Mueller," he said, shaking her hand. "Pleased to have you on board, Miss Weasley, but please call me Stuart. May I call you Ginny?" Ginny nodded. "Mrs. Weasley has lost a lot of blood, Ginny," Stuart said with a frown. "We have been able to control it with Cesso Cruor, but I believe she is suffering from placenta abruptio. The placenta has started to pull away from the uterus prematurely, causing the excessive bleeding. I've tried Sano Placenta to repair the tear, but I'm not sure the charm fixed it completely." "What about another healing charm, such as Consuo Laceratio?" Ginny said, her mind racing. "That one, like Sano Placenta, tends to work only for small separations, and judging by the amount of blood loss she has had, I'd say hers is quite large." Stuart sighed, glancing over his shoulder at his patient one more time. "The blood loss seems to have diminished somewhat, so I think the charms have worked at least to help with that." "Did her pregnancy-induced hypertension and gestational diabetes play into this happening to her?" Ginny asked. Her mind filtered through the encyclopedia of charms she'd studied during her medical training. "Absolutely. Women with either of these conditions are more likely to develop this complication. Since Mrs. Weasley had both, that certainly increased her chances." Pausing, Stuart looked at Ginny. "I believe we need to get her delivered quickly. The baby is currently not in jeopardy because of the repair to the placenta and uterine wall, but I don't want Mrs. Weasley to lose much more blood. Do you have any maternity experience?" "Not much, really," Ginny said, her stomach pitching slightly. "I worked here at St. Mungo's for three years as a Healer, primarily on the Magical Reversals Ward. I did have maternity and neonatal training while in school and would occasionally come to maternity if there was a severe hemorrhage." Ginny glanced over at Hermione, who was currently breathing through another contraction. "Will the delivery be by c-section, then?" "Yes," Stuart said definitively. "That is the quickest and safest course of action for both mother and baby. It's more Muggle medicine than wizarding, but sometimes in these situations, using Muggle medicine is necessary." "What can I do to assist with the delivery?" Ginny said, lacing her fingers together, stretching them to limber them up. "I'll be concentrating on the Muggle medicine aspect of the delivery. I would like for you to concentrate on the wizarding aspect, Ginny," Stuart said, glancing at his patient once again. "Administer any charms necessary for healing, monitor the child, and assist me, if I need it. We'll need a couple more Healers in here to assist." "One more question," Ginny said. "Mrs. Weasley would like to know if her mum can come in for a visit before we start?" Stuart's eyes softened. "I think that's a good idea. She's stable at this point, and her mum might help calm her a bit. What about her husband?" "Ron's none too keen on blood, but I'm certain he'd want the chance to see her if he could," Ginny said, sagely. "I'll ask him if he wants to come in here. I'll be back in a moment." She quickly left the room and headed to the waiting area. Upon her arrival, she was surprised to see three more of her brothers had joined the group congregated along the corridor. Nothing, however, surprised her more than seeing Harry in an embrace with Ron. "Ginny!" Emma Granger said, rising from the bench. Ginny jumped, swiping at the sudden tears that had sprung to her eyes with inpatient fingers. Now isn't the time to get all sentimental, Weasley, she thought to herself. "How is she?" Ron asked as he rushed up to his sister, with Harry on his heels. "Is the baby here yet?" Harry reached out to take her into his arms, and as inviting as a hug from Harry sounded right now, Ginny she shook her head, holding up her hands to stop him. "Sorry, Harry, I can't," she said sadly, watching him skid to a stop. "I've already got to scrub again as it is and if anyone touches me, I'll have to change my clothes again as well and we don't have time for that." Ginny turned to Ron. "No, the baby isn't here yet. Hermione's currently stable. She's lost a lot of blood and is very pale, but she's holding her own at this point." "Do they know what happened yet?" Harry asked, concern written all over his face. "It appears that the placenta has pulled away from her uterus, causing the severe bleeding," Ginny said softly, watching as Harry reached out to grip Ron's bicep in support. "The Healer-in-charge, Stuart Mueller, has controlled the bleeding and thinks he has repaired the placenta." "Is…is the baby okay?" Ron asked, clearly shaken by the news. "At this point, yes," Ginny said, quickly nodding. "Healer Mueller has monitored the baby, and he or she appears fine. We will be delivering soon, though, and it will be by caesarean section. We don't want either Hermione or the baby to go back into distress." Ginny paused and turned to face the Grangers. "Emma, Hermione has asked for you to come back and see her." Emma nodded and started to follow Ginny into the delivery room. "Ginny, if it's all right, maybe your mum could come, too?" Emma asked. Molly rose to her feet to join Emma, their hands clasping together. "She can stay close to me and explain what's being done to Hermione, since I haven't a clue about wizarding medicine." "Yes, of course. I'm sure the Healer won't mind. Ron, do you want to come back and see Hermione before the delivery? I will warn you, there is a lot of blood. The cleansing charms administered haven't been able to clean it all." "It's okay. I want to see her," Ron said, nodding quickly. He looked to Harry with eyes full of uncertainty. Harry nodded briefly, a stoic look on his face and a supporting hand under Ron's elbow, as if to catch him should he start to fall. "Very well," Ginny said, her voice strained with emotion. Calm, Ginny thought to herself, willing back tears. You have to stay calm. She took a deep breath and blinked several times to clear her eyes. Taking one last look at Harry, she motioned forward. "Please follow me." As they entered the foyer to the delivery room Ginny handed each of the visitors a set of scrubs to change into and gave them instructions for washing their hands. Once everyone was swaddled in Healer-green scrubs, she again warned everyone about the amount of blood present. Opening the door, Ron's face turned white, the freckles along the bridge of his nose turning black against his skin. She caught a flicker of movement and saw Harry put his free hand behind Ron's back, clearly bracing to catch him should he start to go down. "Are you all right, Ron?" Ginny asked. His nod in response was sharp and quick. "Oh my," mumbled Molly, taking a sharp breath. "You certainly were right, dear." Emma and Molly approached Hermione, who was talking with Stuart. "Mum!" Hermione cried out, her eyes filling with tears. "Thank goodness you're here. You, too, Molly. And Harry…Ron!" she sobbed gently as she said her husband's name. Ron walked forward, leaning close to kiss his wife tenderly on the lips. "Absolutely, sweetheart. I wouldn't miss my girl giving birth," Emma said, smiling at her daughter. "Looks like we're going to have a new baby soon." "Healer Mueller and I were just discussing that. He feels that even though I wanted a vaginal delivery like last time, a caesarean would be better suited for this situation. Especially considering the bleeding I'm having." Hermione paused. "I agree with him, 100 percent. I researched vaginal and caesarean sections with both pregnancies, and I want what is best for me and our baby." "For Merlin's sake, ‘Mione," Ron grimaced, "now's not the time for a dissertation!" He cocked a half-grin at her and brushed a curl of hair off her brow. "I'm glad you agree with me," chuckled Stuart. He raised serious eyes to the parties assembled. "Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, I want you to realize the risks involved with the type of ailment you have. Placenta abruptio is a very serious condition, and although the bleeding is currently under control, there's no way to know if it will stay under control while we do the delivery." He paused, and Ginny knew he was struggling with what he had to say. "There is a possibility that you could hemorrhage while we are operating, and it might be necessary for us to remove your uterus." "Wha-what?" Ron said, his hand tightening on Hermione's. Hermione closed her eyes, a tear streaking from between her lashes. Ginny's heart ached for them both and she saw Harry swallow hard as he clearly tried to control his own emotions. "Mr. Weasley, if your wife's health is in jeopardy, I may have to perform a hysterectomy." "What are the chances that will happen?" asked Emma, clearly shocked by the news. "I'm not sure, to be honest. Given Hermione's pre-existing problems, the chances might be higher." Stuart glanced down at his patient before he continued. "We want to do what's best for both mum and baby. I just want to prepare you, in case this happens." "Oh, Hermione," whispered Molly, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, dear. I hope they don't have to do this." "Me, too, sweetheart," Emma said, her voice trembling as she took her daughter's free hand. "Your health and the health of the baby are the most important factors here and if they have to perform something as drastic as a hysterectomy, then they have to. But I know you and Ron wanted to have more children as well." She gazed into her daughter's eyes, tears trembling on her lashes. "Everybody, listen," Hermione said, her voice clear and strong. "I've read about this complication. I had a feeling that was what may have happened, but I didn't want to worry any of you until it was confirmed by a Healer." Ginny watched as her sister-in-law looked at each of the family members surrounding her. "I thoroughly trust Healer Mueller and I certainly trust Ginny. I'm sure neither will do anything as rash as performing a hysterectomy unless it's absolutely necessary," Hermione reasoned. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "After all, my greatest concern is the baby. As long as the baby survives, they can have my uterus." Ginny looked over at Ron, who was openly crying. Harry had switched the position of his hands from Ron's back and elbow to one offering more emotional support, with his left hand gripping the tense muscles at Ron's shoulder and the other his friend's bicep. "But dear, you heard your mum…you won't be able to have any more children if they –" Molly began. "No, really. It's all right. Like I said, I've read about complications in pregnancy and delivery where a hysterectomy might be needed. I'm prepared for that." Ginny watched as Hermione gathered her courage and turned her face towards Stuart. "Do whatever's necessary to save me and the baby." She paused in thought for a moment. "I do have one other question." "Yes, Hermione?" Stuart asked. "Will I be awake for the procedure?" "Your sister-in-law will administer a numbing charm to your lower body, in order to be able to proceed with the delivery, so you will be awake for that part. If we have to remove your uterus, we'll probably place you under mild anesthetic, if possible. But you will know before you go to sleep if we have to remove it or not." "Okay," she said determinedly. "When do we start?" "I'll let you visit for a few more minutes, while Ginny and I prepare our team for delivery. When we come back, we will have to ask your family to return to the waiting room." Ginny smiled at the women and squeezed Ron's free hand. She looked over Ron's shoulder and her eyes caught Harry's, which were bright green and shimmering with unshed tears. She felt something shift and open inside her, a part of herself she'd held close and protected since his leaving nine years ago. Nodding silently, she followed Stuart out of the room. In the surgical preparation room, Ginny prepared herself for what laid ahead of her, mentally rifled through her mental encyclopedia of charms in order to prepare for the delivery yet again. There was, of course, Cesso Cruor to control excessive bleeding and Sano Seco for healing of the incision. She could possibly need a couple neonatal charms, such as Pulmo Purgo and Purgo Respiratio if the baby's breathing was distressed. If all else failed, she would try the extremely difficult Vivificus Spiritus charm she'd learned in Rouen – life-restoring breath, similar to the Muggle practice of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but more reliable if spoken within a second or two of death. Ginny paused as she scrubbed for surgery, dazed by the thought that had, just now, stormed into her brain: I'm going to deliver my niece or nephew! Not many people are able to do that. I just hope that the baby and Hermione will be fine. Once the appropriate equipment and Healers were assembled, Stuart and Ginny returned, scrubbed and ready to go. As they donned their gloves, Hermione bid both her mother and mother-in-law good-bye, as she breathed through another contraction. Ginny smiled as she saw Ron press a kiss onto Hermione's forehead before he brought his gaze up to meet hers. "Do whatever you have to, Gin," Ron said, his eyes filled with tears. "I can't live without her." Ginny nodded, tears quaking on her lashes as she watched Harry guide Ron through the doors. Taking another deep breath, she squeezed her eyelids shut several times to clear her eyes once again before walking over to where Hermione lay. "Okay, Hermione," Ginny said, pasting a smile on her face. "The first thing I'm going to do is apply a numbing charm to your abdomen. I'll administer the charm by placing my wand on your spine, then on your belly. This is perfectly safe for the baby and is very similar to the charm you had when you delivered Matthew. I'll help you roll onto your right side." As Ginny brought Hermione's left shoulder up, she noticed the bed sheets that had been under her hips were saturated with bright crimson blood – the bleeding had returned with a vengeance. "Stuart, come quickly. She's bleeding again!" Ginny called out, swallowing the fear that had risen in her throat. Stuart hurried to the bedside. "Dammit," he said, concern marking his features. "We need to get this delivery done. Now." "What's wrong?" Hermione asked over her shoulder, fear returning to her voice. "Is something wrong with the baby?" Stuart was quiet for a moment, his wand pressed upon Hermione's swollen abdomen. "The baby's heart rate has dropped quite a bit," he said with a frown. "We need to proceed quickly." "I'm…I'm feeling quite…light-headed," Hermione said, her voice beginning to slur. "What's happening?" Ginny lay Hermione supine onto the table and rested her hand against her brow. "Hermione, listened to me. You're light-headed from the blood loss. Stay with us here," she begged, trying to remain calm for Hermione's sake. "We'll get this done quickly, and you'll have your new baby in your arms." "I don't know," Hermione whispered, her eyes fluttering closed. "I'm so tired…" "Stuart, she's passing out!" Ginny cried. Hermione's hand slid limply from her abdomen. Ginny experienced a moment of panic she'd never faced before in her life. You can't do this now, Ginny screamed to herself. Not now! "Healer Mueller, her BP is crashing!" Dana cried, her eyes frantic. "Dammit!" Stuart hissed. He moved to position himself near the surgical instruments. "We need to proceed now. Have you applied the numbing charm?" "Not yet; I'll be done in a moment." Throwing gentleness to the wind, Ginny shifted Hermione onto her side, placing her wand tip at the base of her spine. "Subsisto Tactus!" she muttered. She then moved her wand to around the front of Hermione's abdomen and muttered the charm again. "Done, Stuart. What's next?" "I need you here beside me, so that when I deliver the baby you can take it." Ginny moved to where Stuart had indicated and observed as he made the incision through Hermione's belly and uterine wall. A tiny, blood-matted head slid through the opening into Stuart's hands. He quickly lifted the baby out of her womb and handed it to Ginny. "I need to cut the umbilical cord, then you can take the child over to the cot." A Healer tied off the umbilical cord and slid a pair of scissors into Stuart's hands. He gave a steady cut, freeing the baby from its mother. "Ginny, it looks like you have a niece!" Stuart placed the all-too-quiet infant into her hands. She held the baby as another Healer wrapped a blanket around the small bundle. The baby's face was pale blue and she wasn't crying. Fearful, Ginny raced over to a small, heated table, placed the baby down and muttered the diagnostic charm. Just as she suspected – there was a bit of fluid on the baby's lungs. She placed her wand on the tiny infant's chest. "Plume Purge! Purgo Respiratio!" she cried. The baby was surrounded by a gentle peach-colored light. As the light faded, the baby began breathing normally, turning a healthy shade of pink before opening her mouth to unleash an ear-splitting wail. "Well, hello to you too, little one," Auntie Ginny said softly, wrapping the baby in a heat-charmed blanket before picking her up. More relieved than she'd ever been in her entire life, Ginny smiled. "I wonder what your mum and dad plan on calling you," she cooed to the baby, marveling over her tiny, trembling hands. Cradling her niece close to her, she began to calm the baby down, muttering a silent prayer of thanksgiving for her goddaughter's safe arrival. She's so small, so perfect, so innocent, Ginny thought. I wonder if I will ever get the opportunity to experience the birth of my own child with someone I love. Unbidden, an image flashed into her mind: lying on a bed, her hair sweat-stained and bedraggled, her arms holding a tiny bundle of wriggling baby, capped with jet-black hair. Harry, standing beside the bed with tears streaming down his cheeks and a smile to shame the sun. "Ginny, if the baby's all right, could you give me a hand here?" The frantic tone of Stuart's voice cut through her thoughts. Her cheeks red from her visions, she handed the baby to one of the Healers, who began to clean her up as Ginny rushed to Stuart's side. "What's the problem?" Ginny asked, fearful that she already knew what the answer would be. "I've never seen anything quite like this," Stuart panted, using his hands to press on the inside of Hermione's uterus. "After delivering the baby and the placenta, the bleeding continued in the uterus." He raised his eyes, and Ginny was terrified to see the fear that swarmed in Stuart's eyes. "She's hemorrhaging, Ginny; severely hemorrhaging. We have to get this stopped or we'll lose her." Ginny grabbed her wand from the surgical tray. "Do you want me to try Cesso Cruor?"" "Yes, try that. If a healing charm won't work, we'll have to remove the uterus," Stuart said frantically. "She can't afford to lose too much more blood. We'll probably have to transfuse her as it is. Try the charm, while I have my hands over the bleeding." Ginny pointed her wand inside Hermione's uterus. "Cesso Cruor!" she cried. Slowly Stuart tried to remove his hands, but the bleeding continued. "Let me try another…I'll try to heal the placental wound," Ginny said. Stuart pressed against Hermione's uterus again. "Sano Seco!" she cried, and a white light shot from her wand towards the wound. As it cleared, she was relieved – the bleeding had slowed. Seconds later, however, it started flowing again. Looking at Ginny, Stuart said, "Ever seen a Muggle hysterectomy?" "Nope, but I'm guessing I will today," Ginny said sadly as she lowered her wand. "Absolutely," Stuart said, leaning over to let one of the Healers mop his brow. "Once I take care of removing the uterus, perform Cesso Cruor to control the bleeding. If it doesn't work, I'll have to do some old-fashioned Muggle stitching." Ginny placed her hands over the hemorrhage while he lifted the uterus from Hermione's abdominal cavity. Once it was free, Ginny removed her hands, placed the tip of her wand into the opening and began to mutter the charm. Moments later, a tentative smile crossed her face. "It appears to be working. I think it's stopping," Ginny said, leaning back slightly to allow Dana to wipe her forehead, relief spreading across her face. Within ten minutes, all sign of bleeding had stopped. "Thank Merlin," Stuart said with a tired sigh. "Let's get the incision taken care of, infuse a couple units of blood, and perform a couple good pain relief charms. Then we'll try to revive her." Working side by side, Stuart and Ginny performed the necessary healing charms on Hermione's abdomen and started the infusion. Once the other charms were in place, Ginny muttered "Ennervate." Slowly, Hermione began to blink her eyes open. "What happened?" she whispered, looking up at Ginny. "You passed out right before delivery, Hermione," Ginny said, looking into Hermione's eyes. "The baby's fine. Would you like to meet your daughter?" "Daughter? I have…a daughter?" Hermione asked, looking with surprise at her sister-in-law. Ginny laughed, which gave her shivers – it was nice to laugh again. "Yes, a gorgeous daughter, ready to wrap her daddy around her little finger, I'd say." Pausing, she turned to the cot and picked up the tiny, now-sleeping bundle and handed her to Hermione. Hermione looked down at the tiny girl with her shock of strawberry-blonde hair, sleeping quite peacefully. Hermione sighed. "She's beautiful." "Yes she is, considering my git of a brother had a hand in making her," Ginny said, touching the top of the baby's head with her index finger. "I'll go get him in a minute, but first, you should know that we had to perform the hysterectomy, Hermione." She paused, gazing intently into the other woman's eyes. "I'm so sorry." A tear trickled down Hermione's face to fall into her sweat-stained hair. "It's OK…really, it's OK," she said, nodding quickly. "Little Charlotte is here, safe and sound, and has a mum, dad, a big brother and a huge mound of other Weasleys to love her." "Charlotte?" Ginny blurted, feeling tears of her own prickle the backs of her eyes. Hermione beamed. "Charlotte Alexandra…after her Uncle Charlie." Ginny felt tears of joy and sorrow stream down her face as she leant down to press a kiss on little Charlotte's tiny brow. "Your Uncle Charlie would have loved you." With a final grasp of Hermione's hand, she smiled. "I'll go get the git." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It had seemed like hours. Harry brought his hand up to squeeze the back of his neck in a vain attempt to relieve some of the tension that had gathered there since his arrival at the hospital. When they had come back through the doors of the delivery room, a feeling of dread unlike any Harry had experienced since the closing days of the war washed over him like an icy river. "Molly?" Arthur had asked, effectively bringing all of the muffled conversations to a halt. Molly's face had been covered with tears and she'd wept openly. "Merlin, what happened? Is she…" "She's okay," Emma had said, drying her tears on the handkerchief her husband had handed her. "Well, not okay, but she will be. They have to do a cesarean section, but there are…complications." "What kind of complications?" Arthur had asked as he'd wrapped his arms around his wife. "She may not be able to have any more children. She may have to have a hysterectomy," Ron had said, his voice hoarse with emotion as he'd slid down the wall onto the bench, cradling his face in his hands. Still numb with shock, Harry had walked over to where Ron sat, the redhead's sobs wracking his broad shoulders. Sliding down next to him, he'd placed a hand on Ron's knee. There had been a momentary hesitation before Harry had felt one of Ron's hands come away from his face to grasp his own. United in fear, they'd sat, shoulder to shoulder and unspeaking, for the rest of the silent vigil. Suddenly, the doors of the delivery room burst open revealing a weary, blood-spattered Ginny Weasley. "Ron, everybody," Ginny said, her voice sounding tired and strained. "Hermione and the baby are fine. You've a beautiful baby girl, Ron," she said, smiling down into his eyes. Ron leapt to his feet and grabbed her in his arms, spinning around like a mad top. Harry rose shakily to his feet, feeling as though he could breathe again for the first time in hours. "Oh, thank Merlin!" Molly cried, throwing her arms around Arthur. Cheers and sobs of joy echoed in the hallway. Harry turned, resting his head against the cool, white tiles lining the walls and swallowing the lump that had been in his throat since they'd received the owl. He willed his knees to cease their shaking, letting Ginny's words run again and again through his head. They had a baby girl! A beautiful, healthy baby girl! "Ron! Ron!" Fred's voice yelled, drawing Harry's attention. Ron set Ginny back onto the ground. "What's the baby's name? You've kept it a secret all this time!" Ron smiled, his joy palpable to everyone assembled. "Her name is Charlotte Alexandra Weasley." This time, tears filled the eyes of everyone present. As Harry watched Ron being swept into an embrace by the Grangers, he felt a small hand slip into his own. He turned and found Ginny smiling up at him. "Ginny," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "You're a miracle worker, you are." Her arms circled his waist and clung. "Harry, I was so frightened," she whispered tremulously into his ear. "So many things could have gone wrong." "But they didn't, Gin," he said, leaning back to look into her eyes. "They didn't, and thanks to you they've got their daughter!" He pressed a kiss along her brow, his heart filled with more joy than he'd ever imagined. As he pulled back, he could see that, while she was happy, there was a note of caution around her eyes. "What is it, Gin? What happened?" He saw tears filling her eyes and he knew. "Oh no…no, you had to…" She nodded. "I have to tell him, Harry." Her fingers tightened on his forearms. "Wait for me? I've loads of paperwork I need to attend to, but first I have to tell him." "I'll be here," he said, giving her upper arms a gentle squeeze. "I'll be waiting right here." She smiled and, taking a deep breath, let go of his arms to walk over to where Ron stood with their parents. Three hours later, Harry sat with his head leaning back against the tiles, his Quidditch gear back on for the return trip to Hogwarts. The Weasleys had all either left the hospital or were in the recovery room with the new addition and her parents. Before he'd headed upstairs, Ron had taken Harry aside for a moment. "Harry, thank you for being here," Ron had said, the bittersweet news from the delivery room in no way dimming the happiness that had shone from his eyes. "I know we've got to talk…maybe in a couple of weeks?" "I've got Sundays free for the most part, but I'll owl you and let you know for sure," Harry'd said. "And, if you'd like, and she's free, please bring Gin along as well," Ron had added. "No more secrets." "None," he'd promised. Now, as he leaned forward, the doors of the delivery room swung open again and Ginny came out dressed in the clothes she'd worn earlier. Harry was glad she'd changed; seeing her in her scrubs had been unnerving, as though she were a stranger. She was now talking to the Healer-in-charge he'd seen in the delivery room, who had warned them that Hermione might need a hysterectomy. "Harry? I'd like for you to officially meet Stuart Mueller, Hermione's Healer and champion of the day," Ginny said with a tired smile. "Oh, Ginny, you were the one who was the champion today," Stuart said as took Harry's hand. "She's one of the most talented and gifted witches I've ever had the pleasure to work with. Without her skills, we could have had a much different outcome." Harry turned his gaze to Ginny, who now sported a lovely rose-colored blush on her cheeks. "In any event, I need to get home," Stuart said. "Ginny, if you ever decide that teaching is not for you, I would be honored to have you on my team any day." "Thank you for the offer, Stuart," Ginny said, smiling, her eyes fixed onto Harry's. "But I've found my home." The intensity of her gaze raised color on Harry's cheeks for a moment as his body hummed to life. Stuart turned and walked down the hallway, leaving the two of them alone. Harry cleared his throat. "Is there anything else you need to do here?" "No, I'm finished," she said. "Take me home." Ten minutes later, they arrived at the Apparition Point in Hogsmeade. They walked up towards the castle in silence, their breath turning to mist in the chill of the night air. Their steps echoed in the hallways once they entered the castle, and still they remained silent. It wasn't until they neared the corridor leading to Ginny's suite that Harry broke the silence. "How did Ron take the news?" Ginny stopped, wrapping her cloak tightly around her shoulders. "He was disappointed, but I don't think the realities of the situation will sink in until later." She glanced up at Harry. "He's over the moon over little Charlotte. Did you see her?" Harry nodded. "I had a chance to see her as they were taking Hermione upstairs. She's…exquisite." He thought about how tired and pale Hermione had looked, how tiny Charlotte's hands were. He remembered the promise he'd made both Ron and Hermione – he'd be seeing them in two weeks at their place in London. Suddenly, the events of the day seemed to domino in on him. A vast weight seemed to crack apart, falling off of his chest and shoulders and he started to laugh, a deep, joyful laugh of the truly happy. It felt as though he were laughing for the first time in a millennium. He reached down and picked Ginny up around her waist, squeezing her tightly against his chest as the laughter rolled from him. Her eyes, shocked at first, filled with tears of joy as peals of her laughter joined his as they spun in a giddy circle. It was several moments before he stopped their spinning and set her feet back down onto the ground. His eyes sparkled with unshed tears as his hands came up to stroke Ginny's face. "Gin, I feel…" he said, his brain scanning for words to describe what was going on in his heart. "I feel…I feel, Ginny. After so many years, the guilt over what I'd done to the Malfoys, the pain of leaving you and your family…it's as though it was lifted from me, if only for a moment, to let me feel again." He swiped at an errant tear that had slipped through his lashes. "For today…tonight, I feel whole again." He searched her eyes. "Can you know what I mean?" "Yes, Harry," Ginny said, solemnity filling her eyes, "I understand exactly what you mean." She stepped out of his arms and held out her hand. "Come feel with me…now." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Author's Tome: First and foremost, I have to thank my collaborator on this chapter, Susan Mueller AKA OHGinnyfan. I've never experienced the birthing process, either first hand or as a witness, so my knowledge base for this chapter was next to nothing. I could have spent a HUGE amount of time researching things, but in the end I was concerned that all of that "book learnin'" would have wound up being dry and impersonal. Susan, a mom four times over now AND a technical writer to boot, was able to pull together the details and specifics necessary to make it believable. The majority of the birthing sequence is all hers – I just added a few tweaks here and there. Susan, working with you was a pleasure beyond measure. Thank you. This chapter could have been called "Fun with the Latin-English Website" with all of the new spells we came up with. Here's a breakdown of what each of them represented. I am, admittedly, NOT great with languages, so if I completely bunged up the structure, I apologize. Sano Placenta – to heal; placenta Consuo Laceratio – To sew together; stitch; a tearing Cesso Cruor – to leave off/linger/delay; blood/gore (blech) Sano Seco – to heal; hurt, wound, amputate, divide, part (urg) Pulmo Purgo – to clean, cleanse, purify/ clear away, wash off/ justify; the lung Purgo Respiratio – to clean, cleanse, purify/ clear away, wash off/; respiration/exhalation justify Vivificus Spiritus – live-giving, life-restoring; breath, breathing /life /spirit. Subsisto Tactus – to stand, withstand /stop, halt, cease /stay, remain; sense of feeling, touch. For more information check out the website – http://www.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/Latin/ Finally, to my beta Ahmie. She's expecting her first baby, you know, so having to slog through the Birthing Disaster to End All Birthing Disasters ™ was not an easy thing at all. To be honest, I worried a great deal about sending this along to her, especially given her condition. She, the champ that she is, read through this with her regular laser-like precision and made it even better, despite the personal discomfort it caused her. I promise you Ahmie, you won't have to read anything like that from me again…as a matter of fact, I think you'll have a little…oh…outtake or two coming your way in a week or so which should be entertaining, to say the least. I don't say this enough to you, but thank you for all of your hard work. A/N from Susan (aka OHGinnyfan): I'd like to thank Michele for allowing me to play in the wonderful world of TNP. I truly enjoyed working with her on this chapter and having the opportunity to get to know her better. She worked her brand of magic on what I wrote and that was such an awesome experience to watch and participate in. I'd also like to thank her wonderful beta team for all their comments and suggestions. This has been a great group of ladies to work with and to become acquainted with. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting up with this very inexperienced author. Coming Soon: Chapter 16 – The Talk
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