|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Author: Kathryn Story: The Potters Are Delighted to Announce Rating: Everyone Setting: Post-DH Status: Completed Reviews: 18 Words: 3,431
Witch Weekly Tuesday 4th January 2005 Baby Boy Born – Ginny Potter Gives Birth To A Son They are Britain's most famous couple and for good reason. He is The-Boy-Who-Lived or The-Teenager-Who-Conquered-He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, while she is the all-time Holyhead Harpies leading goal scorer, having broken the long-standing record of Megan Roberts (Holyhead Harpies player 1908 – 1914). But today the pair has been given many reasons to celebrate, reasons outside the realms of fame. Leading Auror Harry James Potter (age 24) and former Quidditch star Ginevra Molly Potter (formerly Weasley; known as Ginny to friends and family; age 23) have welcomed the birth of their first child, James Sirius Potter. In a statement given to the press it was announced that "At 16:10, on Monday 3rd January, Ginny Potter gave birth to a son, James Sirius. The child weighed 7lb 7oz. Both mother and son are in good health and all the family are delighted at the birth." The news has been celebrated throughout the wizarding world with the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, making personal comment when leaving the Ministry Offices in London yesterday evening. "Harry and Ginny are not only heroes to many people and a great wizard and witch, but very personal friends of mine. They are wonderful people and were very much looking forward to the birth of their first child, I am sure that they are now delighted. I want to congratulate them on the news and wish them the best of luck on this next new adventure." The Headmistress of Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall, has also joined the Minister for Magic in congratulating the new parents. "I would like to wish all the best to both Harry and Ginny and I am absolutely overjoyed to hear the news about young James Sirius. Harry is a wonderful man and much more modest than many would expect and Ginny is by far every bit his equal. They have both given so much to the wizarding world and if there is any couple in the world who deserve nice, normal, quiet happiness, it is the pair of them. We also very much look forward to welcoming young James to Hogwarts when he is old enough." Minerva McGonagall, who was Head of Gryffindor during both Harry and Ginny's time there and a teacher during the time of young James' namesakes, however, did add with a small smile, "One can only hope, for the sanity of his parents and the Hogwarts teachers of the future, that James Sirius grows up with more respect for rules than either of his parents or his namesakes, James Potter and Sirius Black." Ginny went into labour on Sunday evening when she was admitted to St. Mungo's, London, at half past nine in the evening and is believed to have gone through a natural birth with the support of close friends and family around her. The birth went well and both parents are expected to arrive home with their newborn son within the next twenty-four hours. Many members of the Weasley family and family friends have been visiting the hospital during the course of the last day with an array of gifts. Ronald Weasley, known as Ron (age 24), hero of the last war and the co-owner of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes (with older brother George), is Ginny's older brother and a very close friend to Harry. Ron came to greet the press yesterday evening with his fiancée, Hermione Granger (age 25), heroine of the war against You-Know-Who. Another close friend of both Harry and Ginny, she currently works in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. "Ginny's doing great and has finally stopped swearing at us all and Harry's just completely made up but I have to confess, it is a bit weird to see your little sister and best friend with a kid. It makes the rest us, you know, feel old and grown up but we're getting used to it," Ron Weasley explained to the crowd of waiting reporters. "James is a cute kid with a great set of lungs. Just like any Weasley, even if he has the surname Potter, he is certainly making his presence known." "Harry and Ginny are both tired but very happy. James has lots of dark hair just like his dad, but has his mother's nose and mouth," Hermione Granger added, cutting her fiancée off in mid flow. "He is a perfect mix between the two of them, a beautiful baby boy and most importantly, very healthy. We would like to politely ask now for all reporters to leave and give Harry, Ginny and James their privacy." James Sirius has been named after his paternal grandfather, James Potter and Harry's godfather, Sirius Black. His maternal grandfather is Arthur Weasley, head of the Muggle Co-operation Department at the Ministry of Magic. Both of James Sirius' namesakes, James Potter and Sirius Black, were killed in the wars against He-Who Must-Not-Be-Named on the 31st October 1981 and19th June 1996 respectively. The war also claimed the life of Ginny's older brother and co-founder of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Fred, on 2nd May 1998 at the Battle of Hogwarts before Harry went on to become victorious in defeating He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and saving wizarding Britain. Since the war ended, Harry and Ginny have continued to live very active lives. Harry, still believing in the need to save Britain from Dark Wizards, went on to join the Auror Department, becoming one of the youngest-ever Aurors and still works as a key Auror today. The word 'hero' really does not do justice to the famous Harry Potter. Ginny went back to the rebuilt Hogwarts, becoming Head Girl, before joining the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch team as Chaser after the end of the war. Both have enjoyed many individual successes which include Harry being awarded the Order of Merlin First Class in 1998 and Ginny winning Professional Quidditch Association player of the year in 2003 as well as many caps for England. They have, however, kept their private life very quiet, with only a small announcement about their wedding on the 1st September 2000, even keeping the pregnancy quiet until July of last year, claiming that Ginny was suffering from an injury which prevented her from finishing the 2003/04 Quidditch season. Whatever young James grows up to be, he certainly has big shoes to fill to match the work of both his parents. Both Harry and Ginny have made no secret in their desire to have more children, a move which saw Ginny retiring from professional Quidditch at the end of last season. Finally meeting the press on 10th July after calls for her to return to the league, Mrs. Potter announced, "I have decided to retire from professional Quidditch and would like to thank the manager of the Holyhead Harpies, Hope Johnson, and the rest of my teammates and the fans for both respecting this decision and the support they have given me during my career. As a lifelong Harpies fan myself, I would also wish them all the best of luck in the future and hope they can win the league next season as well. My decision is purely a personal one and is only to do with the desire both Harry and I have to start a family. Our first child is due at the start of next year." Harry, whenever asked about the possibility of more children, has always given the simple answer of "yes." We at Witch Weekly would like to end this article with our own wishes of congratulations to the new parents and the hope that James is the first of many children to bless the Potter family.
|