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Harry Potter and the Harem of Honeys

Chapter Twelve

Fair is foul, and foul is fair

The parents of the Coven watched in awe as Harry destroyed training dummy after training dummy in the training hall in Potter Castle. The poor things never stood a chance, even with the girls controlling them. It was the evening of the fourth of June and the parents had been attracted to the hall by a series of rumbling explosions. They still didn't know what had happened, as they hadn't been able to speak to Harry or any of the Coven yet.

Finally Sirius stepped up to Harry. "So, rough day, pup?"

Harry froze for a second and then rolled on the ground laughing. The parents watched with concern. Emma looked at Hermione and raised a brow. Hermione threw a silencing dome over Harry and explained what had happened. During her thirty-minute explanation Hermione and the Coven folded, Indian-style into seats on the mats, and Harry managed to get control of himself. He waved the silencing dome away and was surprised to find the adults and the Coven chuckling. James looked down at him from the landscape on the wall. "So it was a big day, then."

Harry's eye-roll drew more chuckles and the parents either conjured chairs or joined the Coven on the floor, Indian-style. Eliza spoke from her position behind Harry. "Dumbledore no doubt thinks Nym is the Matriarch. He'll move to pressure her to use her to control you, Harry."

Harry nodded and Aidan Greengrass rubbed his hands together. "Wouldn't that be grand? Surely he can't be that daft, though."

Harry shrugged. "I think he assumes it. We can do several things to further that belief."

Nicholas Flamel spoke from a chintz armchair. "It would play to his suspicions. He has mentioned that he believes a witch was responsible for the injuries to the wizards at Hogwarts. Nym is fairly powerful and now feels even more so since she is fully bound to her lord. If he doesn't look too hard, he would assume it's all her. He was never bonded, so he won't know."

Harry leant over and took Nym's hand in his and covered her sigil. He thought hard and released his magic. He removed his hand and Nym was now wearing a duplicate of the Potter Matriarch's ring. "That's more along the line of what I was thinking."

Nym sat frowning. "Where's my ring, though?"

Harry rolled his eyes and everyone else chuckled. The Witch was actually complaining about replacing a simple mithril knotwork with the gorgeous and stately Potter matriarch's ring. Nym huffed. "So I have to impersonate Hermione and take instructions from the old coot?"

"Hey!"

Nym looked apologetically at Hermione. "That didn't come out quite right."

Harry shrugged. "We will then do our best to make it appear as if we're following you like good blackmail victims."

Lincoln McNair grinned. "All the while building layers of our own organization and looking for Dumbledore and the Ministry's weaknesses."

Augusta nodded. "But Neville is all right?"

Harry smiled. "Physically and magically exhausted. A few minor cuts and bruises. He'll be in hospital for few days. Ron, too. They did well making it through all those traps, though."

Frank looked at Harry. "You realize that was probably Voldemort possessing Quirrell, and you just showed him your magic."

Remus frowned. "So short an exposure probably wouldn't allow him time to formulate a counter, but we should avoid more exposure if possible. If you fight any Death Eaters or Dark sympathizers, you can't leave them alive, Harry."

Ella Caldwell snorted. "Like he would, anyway—well, not with their memories intact."

Harry grinned at her and nodded. "So the consensus is that we're okay, the plan still goes ahead, we let the 'pure-bloods' who won't align with us fight it out with the Dark and then swoop in, knock off the winner, and pick up the pieces?"

Lily winced in her portrait. "Do you have to put it like that, Harry?"

Remus looked pensive and kept his own council. Riddle was smart; Harry needed to put him down next time they met. Permanently.

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For the next fortnight Dumbledore tried to find Nymphadora alone. Every time he thought he had done so the boy appeared from nowhere. Finally he sighed and asked Harry if he might speak to Nymphadora alone.

"It's Tonks. She doesn't like her given name, and after her NEWTs…."

Dumbledore drew himself up and found himself frozen again. Harry smirked at him and led Nym away.

Harry was having great fun. Gryffindor beat Ravenclaw and took the Quidditch Cup on the sixth. Oliver was stunned and then ecstatic. The party in the Gryffindor tower went on for two days. The Ravenclaws were amused to be invited and attended in large numbers.

On the eighth of June at the end of year feast Dumbledore, eyes in full twinkle, gave Neville and Ron fifty points apiece for courage and skill and Harry twenty-five points for being a "friend" in time of need. Gryffindor supplanted Ravenclaw as owner of the House Cup. Harry rolled his eyes, got together with the Coven, applied his money to their plan, and threw a party in the Ravenclaw tower for the real House Cup winners and invited all the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and his Slytherin who felt the same way. Neville showed up but Ron didn't. Filius and his 'Claws were in love. Cho was very definitely interested in the Gryffinpuff, as she had taken to calling Harry.

The Coven studied like mad, the fifth and seventh years who were still taking OWLs and NEWTs never flagging in their efforts one bit. The Coven members and Professors who tutored were in awe of Harry and Hermione's drive and determination.

On the eleventh all the other exam results came out; Coven Members placed first through however many Coven members were in each of the second through fourth and sixth years, and first through eleventh in first year, with Harry and Hermione tied for first place. Harry and Hermione were well pleased and the school, staff, and Magical Education Authority were stunned.

NEWTs and OWLs finally finished on the nineteenth, and Albus sent for Nymphadora. She arrived in his office and sat in the chair in front of his desk, resisting the urge to put her feet up on it. She had to appear sufficiently cowed, but not overly so. Andromeda and Narcissa had played this scenario with her endlessly. It had been nearly as bad as the NEWTs. Of course, it all went straight to hell the first time Dumbledore opened his mouth. "Ah, Nymphadora."

Albus blinked in surprise when his office door opened and Harry strode in. "Are you daft, old man? You've been told it's Tonks and that she doesn't like her given name."

Albus was suddenly on his back foot and came out swinging. "Ah, Mr Potter, I don't believe you were invited."

Harry deflected the jab and returned an uppercut. "Stupid, I think—willfully so, even. Look at her left hand, Dumbledore."

Albus blinked as his ire came up but he looked and stopped. Nymphadora—erm, Tonks—was wearing the Potter Matriarch's ring. He snapped his eyes to Harry's left hand and sank back in his chair when he saw the Potter ring. Harry smiled. "Yes, well, we'll wait while you reformulate your blackmail attempt."

Albus winced. "You are not a normal boy, are you, Harry?"

"Something you'd know if you'd ever bothered to check on me in that hell you stuck me in, Dumbledore."

"Harry, I had to. Your mother cast some kind of ancient magic during that encounter with Voldemort." Albus noticed neither of the young people even flinched. "You had to be left with your blood relatives for your protection, as did Mr Longbottom."

Harry smiled grimly. "So it was just the luck of the draw that mine turned out to be monsters who thought torturing a child great sport, then."

"Surely, Harry—"

Harry cut Dumbledore off. "You don't know and you never will, Dumbledore. I suppose I should thank you. Like Tom Marvolo Riddle, you've made me what I am."

Dumbledore blanched and reached for his wand. Harry laughed. "So easy, Dumbledore. Were you a Hufflepuff, perchance? If you try that I'll fight you, as will my Coven and their parents. Do you really wish to divide the wizarding world when Riddle is so desperate to get a body back? I have no intention of 'going Dark'. I find myself desiring about a hundred little green-eyed children, and I know the attendant risk of the so-called Dark magics and rituals."

Albus sat very still for a moment. "So you will work with me?"

Harry smiled. "Perhaps a Gryffindor after all. That was very blunt. If our goals coincide and you've provided me with enough information, I might."

Albus frowned. "Your little Coven can't be much help, I'm sure. All but the Matriarch are still in school."

Nym finally took an opening she had practiced for and they hoped would present itself. "Perhaps you're right. We'll just go our separate ways, then." Narcissa had planned for Harry stomping on Dumbledore; this was the minimize-and-drop-under-the-radar plan.

Dumbledore wasn't biting. "But as they, say every little bit helps." He was suddenly feeling confident again. She was not so sure and she was the elder. She probably had the better idea of what was really going on. "I would be tempted to allow your Coven to continue to function if you would guarantee your support to me."

Harry?

Like he could stop us anyway. Fine, Nym, I've told him the truth. He's too stupid to see it and use it. He wants his delusions. It worked out just about like we'd planned. Remember: "I swear to support you with any coven of which I am Matriarch."

Nym nearly snorted but managed to control herself.

Harry didn't say another word during the next hour of negotiations and only stood looking displeased when Nym gave her oath to Dumbledore. Harry's sour face pleased Dumbledore no end.

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Saturday the twentieth was another long, interesting ride on the Express in another compartment magically expanded by Harry. Pansy took the opportunity to piss Hermione off and get completely dominated again. The last thing she said before she went to sleep, completely exhausted, was, "I love trains!"

The group met Hermione's parents, Remus, Sirius, and the Squibs on the platform after Harry's terse exchange of greetings with Lucius Malfoy and a hate-filled glare from Narcissa. Narcissa would apologize profusely on Monday in Camelot while Harry and Hermione congratulated her for a superb acting job and Hermione milked her again. Narcissa was really enjoying that. Well, that and her "breedings".

Harry stepped off the bus at Privet Hell and trooped into the house. Vernon lifted him off his feet just inside the door and found himself with second degree burns from fingertips to elbows. Harry laid down the law to all three of them. He would go to his room. The door would be sealed. They would not open it. He would see them on the way out of the house on September first. Harry turned, went upstairs, waved a Healing charm at Vernon, who was heading into shock, and disappeared into his room. He warded the door and one window so hard he was fairly certain Dumbledore couldn't get through, put the trunk in the floor, opened it and took Hedwig's cage, and disappeared inside the trunk. This needed more thought. Sure, it seemed to fool Dumbledore while they were at Hogwarts; he'd never tumbled to the fact that twenty-odd students were out of the castle sometimes, but why? Also, being emancipated, did Harry really care? Sure, it kept him off the radar, but really!

The Dursleys sat in the living room listening for noises; after an hour or so of hearing nothing they relaxed. Dudley looked at his father. "So I have to do the chores, then?"

Vernon snapped, "What was your first clue, moron?" Dudley fled outside in tears and Petunia started to shriek like a Banshee.

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Lily watched the memory of Harry and Nym's encounter with Dumbledore play in the solicitor's Pensieve again and shook her head. "He must have had a stroke. I remember him as being much smarter than that."

Peter Parkinson laughed first, but it soon became general. A shrill scream was heard and Louisa shook her head. "I know they have to let off steam, but really! Pansy is completely debilitated and the rest seem to think it's a good plan."

Clarissa Bulstrode shrugged. "They're playing in the pool outside."

Sirius barked a laugh. "Yes, well, I'm not going near the windows. I don't want to see that 'playing' too closely."

Clarence Bulstrode looked over from the window "No, really, they are playing. Nothing sexual at all, like kids really." The windows and a landscape that looked out of one of them were soon filled with parental faces beaming down at the splash war that was apparently intended to empty the pool.

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Tuesday the twenty-third of June found Harry with a smile apparently permanently affixed to his face, lying out in the back garden of the castle and working on his tan after he had done his physical training for the day. Sirius walked up. "I'd grin like that too if Charity would wear two thimbles and a string."

"Oi! Ogle your own, dog!" The Coven members, all laid out on the grass, rolled over, chuckling. It had been a running battle between Harry and Sirius since school let out. Harry accused Sirius of ogling and Sirius ogled. The Coven took a perverse joy in teasing him. Charity was not amused.

Hermione pushed herself up on her elbows and Sirius rolled over on his belly and turned his head as her untied top stayed on the towel, Hermione had a respectable pair of milky white breasts capped with crinkly, hard pink nipples. "Hermione! Honey, you aren't quite a little girl any more."

Hermione beamed at the back of his head. "Thanks, Dogfather! Harry, we want to go shopping!"

"Go ahead, Ne."

"With you, Harry."

"You've had it now, pup. Just say yes." Sirius grinned.

Harry chuckled. "What do we want to shop with me for, Ne?"

"This and that, Harry."

James piped up from the silver desk frame on the grass near Harry. "Toss in the towel, son. Just go."

Harry grinned. "You wouldn't say that if you knew how much money thirty-five young women can get through shopping for this and that."

"Phhht, what fun is making it if you don't spend it?" James asked. Lily leaned over and pecked James on the cheek.

Harry just smiled. "I'll go, but you all owe me." The girls' heads all came up and they had gleams in their eyes.

Sirius covered his eyes. "Mush alert!"

Charity slapped him in the back of the head. "Wizards!"

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Later, Harry stood in a shop that sold magical glasses, looking around at what new charms had been developed. There was a thermal vision charm that Harry tested with his cloak and a mirror. The charm saw right through the cloak. There was also a new magical sight charm that let you see magical objects. It had a zoom capability that let you zoom in on the different charms of a multiply charmed object. Harry nodded and put the charmed test glasses back. He turned around and left the shop.

Elizabeth Hutchins, sixteen-year-old Squib, put down her Omnioculars and looked at her witch partner, Kristen Thomas. "He liked those glasses."

Kristen nodded. "Come on, I'll copy the charms." The pair slipped into the store. Everywhere Harry went in the Alley, pairs of Coven members who he didn't hear in his head unless he was in contact with them watched and then followed him into stores.

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On Saturday the twenty-seventh of June, Emma Granger towed Hermione away from Harry and into a bedroom of Potter Castle, where they were all staying. She stripped Hermione and looked at her critically. Hermione finally gathered her wits. "Mother! What on earth has gotten into you?"

Emma sighed. "I've been looking at you—well, you all—and I couldn't put my finger on what it was until today. You're thick."

"Beg pardon?"

Emma ignored her daughter and put one hand on her back and one on her belly. "Mother!"

"Does Harry like this, Hermione? I mean this hard body of yours? There's nothing soft about you."

"Uh, he seems to, Mother. Why?"

"How are you planning on having babies? Do you even have any body fat? Your period has stopped, hasn't it?"

Hermione blushed furiously and Emma looked at her. "You're addicted to the endorphins from the exercise, aren't you? You're doing, what, five hard hours a day, or you have been since you've been home. You're a real fitness freak, in the addicted sense."

Hermione shrugged her mother's hands off and Emma looked at her daughter's now tear-streaked face. "Oh, baby, I'm sorry. I'm not saying you don't look good or that you're unattractive. Quite the contrary. You and the others are stunning, and these tans you're acquiring just make it even better. Unfortunately, there are some complications for females of childbearing age, especially growing ones, to being addicted to exercise."

Emma pulled Hermione into a hug and Hermione wrapped her arms around her mother. "So what do we do, Mum? We need to be strong for Harry and our magic, but I do want to have children someday."

Emma smiled. "You have years to worry about it, I hope. Why don't we talk to Gwenog? She's a witch and in great shape. I'm sure she has some ideas. In the mean time, ease up on your exercise a little and don't be so restrictive on your intake."

Hermione tried her "look over her shoulder and down her back" thing again. "Will I get a butt like Lavender, then? Harry really likes her butt."

"I like yours more, Hermione."

"Aiiie!"

"Eeeek! Harry! You aren't supposed to be listening."

Harry held his hands up in surrender and backed away from the door. Emma and Hermione were both posed with hands on hips. Neither appeared to realize Hermione was stark naked.

Emma put her hand on her chest after Hermione waved the door closed. "How do you stand that? I'd kill your father."

Hermione giggled. "I wonder more how he stands it. There are lots more of us. Occlumency helps, although if he really wants to he can just dig out what he wants, but so far he never has, at least on us. He roots around in other people's heads fairly regularly."

Emma sighed and looked at Hermione. "Let me get a camera. I want some pictures before we ruin this little hardbody."

"Wizarding camera, Mother. I don't want the fellows at the chemist ogling me." Hermione went back to trying to look at her butt. Emma walked toward the door just in time to meet Padma, Susan, Daphne, and Nym on the way in with a camera.

Harry went to the bedroom, put his Occlumency walls up, and cleared his mind as the hen party proceeded.

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Sunday the fifth of July found them all at a Harpies exhibition game. Afterwards Harry was dragged into the locker room, where the Coven was stripped and evaluated by the training staff and Harry was given a look at what extremely fit but fully healthy witches should look like. The Harpies apparently had decided to use the opportunity to perhaps attract some of his attention. They had liked Gwenog's plan. Harry was speechless, once they pried his hands off his eyes.

Hermione laughed and took him home after arranging for visits to the castle from the Harpies' trainers.

Sirius asking for the Pensieve memory seemed to be the last straw for Charity Burbage. She wasn't really even disappointed. Sirius was fun, but not really serious relationship material.

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Saturday the eleventh of July found Harry in a hammock out in the back garden after lunch, contemplating life. It was good. He smiled; well, grinned really.

Mum was excited about some preliminary work on the Lycanthropy/vampirism virus. It turned out they had the same parent virus. The college-age Squibs and some of the witches were very excited about this. Who knew vampire saliva was a potion ingredient, or that you could pull the virus from it? Well, of course, that was where it had to come from to infect the victims; but still, a potion ingredient?

The first-born—Harry had decided "Muggle" was not a term he was prepared to use—first years were coming along nicely in the classes over in the first-born government trunk. Emma was enjoying Saturday classes—errh, seminars, she called them—with the first-born and Coven parents.

Collin Creevey and his brother Dennis were still awed. Harry still thought the pictures Parvati had taken of their faces while he dueled Perenelle were hilarious, cartoon-like even, all bulging eyes and gaping mouths. Hmmm, they still followed him with their eyes whenever he was near. Something to be cautious of; how could they be so enamored of him while Nicholas was teaching them?

Mrs Creevey was a demon with a Dial-A-Spell and a hell of a potion brewer. Maybe she was a Squib? They should look into an employment offer for her—hell, for all the parents and siblings who didn't have jobs. They needed the labor, and now that Amelia had given them all cards identifying them as parents or siblings of magical persons, they were employable in magical firms. That Squib thing was worth looking into—maybe a curriculum for them and then a job offer.

The manufacturing facilities in Knockturn were running at maximum capacity, twenty-four hours a day, and the managers of the product lines wanted more space and more workers. The Blacks had some buildings across the street. Lester and Sirius were looking at converting them. Dad and Daphne seemed to be constantly together, along with some of the other parents, and they were happily taking over the commercial world, or trying to. Daphne had started making Dial-A-Spells out of semiprecious stones and charging ridiculous amounts for them. The Dark pure-bloods were snapping them up, as they were cheaper than elves and needed no continual upkeep.

Oh, and Sirius had met his match in Magda Ivanova, an international playing for the Harpies. She was just as childish as he was. It was a match made in heaven, apparently. They had been circling each other since the Harpies came over Monday; the pranks and body gags were flying. Hey, wasn't it supposed to be just the trainers who came over?

Do they bother you, Harry?

No, Ne.

Didn't think so.

Harry rolled his eyes, knowing Hermione felt it, and knowing that she felt his general interest in the Harpies as people, not as potential Coven members.

We'll see Harry.

Harry sighed. More importantly, perhaps, Evangeline Harris and Magda were thick as thieves. Harry chuckled. The Marauders were obviously outclassed. Hmmm, wonder how long they'll last before the witches affix their brands? Harry felt his girls smile as they all looked to their own brands on their left ring fingers.

Professors McGonagall, Sprout, Sinistra, Babbling, Vector, Longbottom, and Flitwick, as well as Madam Pomfrey, were delighted to come tutor the first-born two days a week in the basics, and other advanced classes for the rest of the Coven on three other days a week. Splitting the cost earned the teachers a nice bit of coin and kept the cost from being prohibitive for any student. They had also accepted the loyalty oaths immediately. Harry was seeing some small success with both Occlumency and the wandless magic. Kids seemed to pick up the wandless stuff really fast when Harry goaded them into accidental magic and then, after he apologized, told them to remember how it felt.

So all in all life is good right now. Hope it stays this way. I haven't had it this good since, well, ever!

Really? This isn't better yet? Hermione ask as she slid her lips over him and applied some suction. She grinned around him as his thoughts became gibberish for a moment.

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At Longbottom Manor, Neville penned invitations to his birthday party on the thirtieth. Harry, of course; the Coven, too; Ron, Dean, and Seamus. Then, of course, his father's list of Auror friends and Grandmother's list of political contacts, the GOL—Grand Old Ladies, Dad called them. Neville was pleased. This would be the first year in which the majority of the people invited would be from his own list. Harry just had to accept. Neville hadn't been able to talk to him much before school let out, but he and Ron owed Harry their lives, no question. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would certainly have killed him—them—if Harry hadn't come along. Dad thought it was an old vassal bond working on Harry, but Neville hoped that wasn't all. He hoped it was that Harry was his friend, too.

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At the Burrow, the twins and Ron regaled a visiting Charlie with stories about both Boys-Who-Lived. Ginny listened, fascinated. Arthur discounted half the stories as tall tales; but still, even at half this Harry Potter was massively powerful and very determined. The twins seemed very happy about him, less so about Longbottom. Ron, of course, seemed the opposite. In fact, from what the twins said, even though young Harry had saved Ron and Neville, Ron obviously carried a grudge for some reason.

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Albus Dumbledore withdrew his head from the Pensieve and looked at Alastor Moody. Moody grunted, "The lass hopes to be an Auror?"

Albus nodded. "With her NEWTs she will be, too. She sat all twelve and her lowest grade was an E."

Alastor blinked. "Twenty-four NEWTs? The Unspeakables will talk to her during her first week of training."

Albus beamed. "And I'll have a hook in the Department of Mysteries at last. You saw the oath."

Alastor nodded. "I wouldn't get too excited. Horace is no dummy. He'll find a way around that if he wants her bad enough. And she's a full Metamorph, too? Aye, Horace will work long and hard on that."

"I'm not worried, Alastor."

"You never are."

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Riddle hopped out onto the edge of the road at the peak of the curve and took two long hops. The white Ford van hit him just as he was bunching for the third and last and he cursed luridly as his disincorporated form drifted nearly helplessly away from the road-killed rabbit that had been his latest host. Again, bloody Muggles and their automobiles!

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Severus Snape, Potions Master—no, Severus Snape, youngest Potions Master in history, much better—would not yield to these puny creatures. His Occlumency shields had held against both the light and the Dark Lords. Snape mustered his haughtiest stare and surveyed his current kingdom. The Half-Blood Prince sneered at his filthy six-foot by six-foot cell. They would never break him!

The jailer observed from the bars and laughed. "Who's your lover, Snape?" The laughter grew loud as Snape remembered telling the interrogators his most feared question...and then they had made him answer. They had laughed and then asked him again and again. The everlasting shame of having to admit it was Dumbledore, because of a thrice-damned potion he might have brewed himself, was unbearable.

The jailer felt the cold and beat a hasty retreat. The boys seemed hungry today.

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Sunday the nineteenth of July found Harry in the air Seeking for the Lions of Gryffindor against the Harpies. The Lions were getting slaughtered. Harry was loving it. This was a whole different style of play. Seekers breaking up plays, Chasers helping Seekers, it was great! The girls were loving it, too. Oliver looked as if he was going to cry. Harry flew by. "Oliver, cheer up, man! You're having your ass handed to you by the best-looking witches in the game!"

Oliver's retort of "Alicia, Angelina, and Katie aren't shooting at me, Harry!" drew ooohs and awwhs from the Lionesses, then a flurry of viciously fast Quaffles from the Harpies' Chasers. Harry laughed until Magda flew by nearly on the Snitch. He yelped and took off after her.

Later the players all sat around the pitch while the coaches critiqued their performance. The Harpies squirmed just as much as the Lions as the coaches ripped into them, too. It wasn't mean or mean-spirited, but a brutally honest session of having your weaknesses pointed out and discussed at length was not fun.

Later, while the trainers scuffled over who got to rub Harry down, Hermione talked to Harry in their heads. Angelina, Alicia, and Katie are going to reward Oliver for that comment.

They should, Ne, that was totally sincere. I don't know why Alicia isn't after him already.

Because he's a Quidditch freak, Harry. Sure, she likes the game and enjoys playing, but really!

Daphne? You think? Oh, Merlin, this witch can rub a wizard. Harry groaned loud and long.

The trainers smiled as Marilyn Compton, the trainer who'd won the toss, blushed and the Potter witches giggled.

Back at Potter Castle toward evening, Harry and Hermione lay in Harry's favorite hammock. Hermione was using both forefingers to turn his grin into a frown and giggling every time she let go and it popped right back up. The Coven was scattered around the lawn near them. Hermione took her fingers away and propped her chin on his chest. "So no more fighting over the girls—well, no more resisting, rather?"

Harry looked down into her eyes. "Didn't do any good. They're happy, you're happy. I'm ecstatic, so…." He shrugged. "The parents seem adjusted. Dumbledore thinks he's in control. Daphne is making oodles and gobs of money. Meh, life is good."

Hermione smiled and snuggled closer. "'Meh', Harry?"

Harry rolled her under himself. "Meh!"

The Coven laughed as Hermione shrieked and laughed and then they heard, "Meh meh meh, faster! Mehmmmmmm!"

Emma Granger smiled and moved to turn away from the window where she was watching the writhing, lumpy hammock and found herself pinned to the windowsill, with her husband pressed to her ass and his chin on her shoulder. Emma smiled and wriggled. Dan grunted, then asked, "So we're all right with this, then?"

Emma frowned, puzzled. "Well, yes; actually I always have been."

Dan blinked, then laughed. "Good to know, but I thought so. I meant that, though—the lumpy hammock out there."

Emma chuckled and leant back. "You know I am, Dan. She's madly in love and he is, too. She isn't even prodding him to do anything with the others any more. Melba was right, they've settled right in. It's odd, but as Harry says, they are happy." She shrugged.

Dan nodded, still watching the hammock writhe. "You know, that's where that saying came from, 'shake a leg'—it was originally 'show a leg'. Bosuns used to yell it so they knew which hammock not to dump out on the deck when waking sailors in the messes. Those kids weren't much older than these."

Emma spun in Dan's arms. "I don't need more justification, Dan. I told you, they're in love."

"Maybe I need some more, Emma. I don't have your woman—much less mommy—skills."

Emma's eyes sparkled. "Come on, let's see if you can get some through osmosis." She dragged him off by the hand.

Lily got the same sparkle and dragged James out of the frame in which they had stood quietly, watching.

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Neville was having a great day. He was currently mounted on a brand new Nimbus 2000, chasing Harry hopelessly but with great determination. Harry, of course, was right behind the Snitch and the rest of Neville's list of guest were all mounted on brooms playing with the three sets of Quidditch balls he had received. Frank and Augusta's guests watched from the ground and laughed and shook their heads.

Alastor Moody stood watching the group of children and keeping his own counsel. Dumbledore was an idiot. Tonks might be in the boy's inner circle, she might even be committed to the boy for her whole life; but the Granger girl was without question the Matriarch. Why couldn't Dumbledore see the ring on her finger? Sure, the one Tonks wore looked just like it, but there was no mistaking which one was the real thing, at least not to his little eye, so there was only one possibility. The ancient charms on those rings the girl and Potter were wearing didn't trust Albus. This bore watching. The Potters had been the champions of the light for at least the last eight hundred years. If that House didn't trust Albus, then he shouldn't be trusted at all. Perhaps the boy had done something to those rings. Alastor nodded. He would keep his own counsel and watch this develop.

Griselda Marchbanks watched Tonks flash by and then turned to Augusta. "A Coven? Complete with Warlock, the Duke Potter, last of THE ancient and noble house, and you're hosting them, Augusta? You've been holding out on us, you naughty witch!"

"They saved Neville, Griselda, from himself and then from what had to be Riddle's spirit inhabiting the Quirrell boy. Duke Potter has asked for nothing in return. My family has suffered enough. Alice is half mad and Frank lost a leg! I will answer his call. The Longbottoms do not forget their friends nor their obligations!"

Griselda blinked, then smiled. "So you have to introduce us to Duke Potter, Augusta. We'll need to be in on the ground floor, so to speak, if we want good seats to watch Albus being tortured."

Augusta smirked. "Why, Griselda, whyever would you think His Grace intends to torture Albus?"

"Because Nymphadora Tonks—who took twenty-four NEWTs, by the way, more than Albus—is wearing a ring that looks remarkably like the one the Granger girl is wearing."

Augusta blanched. Griselda laughed "Did you forget who most of the light are vassal to, Augusta? Most of us are not foresworn by oaths to Albus self-proclaimed-Lord-of-the-Light Dumbledore."

Horace Heath stopped near Frank. "The witch with the pink hair is Nymphadora Tonks?"

Frank eyed Horace. "Already, Horace? We haven't even got her in training, and it's Tonks unless you want to offend her. She really doesn't like her given name."

"Twenty-four NEWTs, Frank? Sure, not all with Os, but still."

Frank laughed. "And you'll get around her oaths to her lord how?"

Horace smiled. "I was actually thinking we wouldn't."

Frank laughed. "When he lands, and if the opportunity presents itself, I'll introduce you. This should be fun." Frank chuckled evilly. Horace's smile froze.

Harry looked around and smiled. He reached forward and snatched the Snitch out of the air, ending the game, and flew down to the ground. Neville joined him and they all folded into seats right on the lawn. Neville smiled at Harry. "This is the best birthday ever, Harry. Thanks for coming. Thanks for that book, too." Harry had presented Neville with a grimoire of spells including all the Light to Grey power-increasing rituals.

Harry laughed. "You try keeping girls away from a party, Neville. Thank the girls for the book, too. I helped, but they did most of it. Remember that with practice you can do all of those. There are some blank pages in the back for any others you find or when you're older. There are some more rituals you and your witches can do then."

Neville looked at Lavender, sitting next to him, and blushed. Lavender smiled and chuckled.

Ron Weasley mocked Harry behind his back and turned into a chicken again. The group laughed uproariously. Fred looked at George. "How is he such a prat? I mean, he's our brother."

George shrugged. "So is Percy. Mum must have been ill for those two."

The two turned back to chicken-Ron and he was suddenly a wizard again. "Why, you—"

George just raised a brow, and Ron quieted.

Neville recovered and led the kids off for some of Florian Fortescue's excellent ice cream. Frank called out to Harry on the way by. "Harry, Duke Potter, I would like you to meet Horace Heath. He heads the Unspeakables at the Ministry."

Hermione, Padma, Susan, Daphne, and Nym arrayed themselves behind Harry. Harry nodded and shook the offered hand. "Mr. Heath."

Horace actually tried to resist the probe and pull his hand away; he managed neither. Horace, nothing if not adaptable, went with it and had a whole discussion with Duke Potter in his mind. Finally the probe departed on its own and he withdrew his hand. He looked into a pair of green eyes lit with a fading glow. "Oh yes, Duke Potter. We can help each other. I look forward to our association."

Harry nodded. "Mr Heath, just remember the condition. If Nym needs me, I show up; and if anyone tries to stop me, it will go badly for them. If anyone treats her badly, they die. You've been warned." Harry turned and offered his arms and led the witches away.

Frank looked at Horace; Horace grimaced. "I wasn't ready for that. He's not a normal boy, is he?"

Frank laughed. "Oh, sure, in an insanely powerful, operates under his own moral code, using some kind of raw magic bent to his will that's impossible to counter kind of way."

"The question being, what exactly is that moral code, Frank?"

"Don't hurt the girls and he won't kill you. Perhaps you could add his wizard friends and him to that, but I'm not sure about that yet, Horace."

Horace nodded and smiled. "I sense he'll obey the law, though."

Frank barked a laugh. "The law from five hundred years ago, the ones that apply to Noble Houses and Covens, and then only if they coincide with his wishes."

"So you think he's a rising Dark Lord, Frank?"

"No! But he is something the light hasn't seen in centuries, a true lord. Have you ever heard Dumbledore quote the old axiom, Horace?"

"Those that fear the Dark don't know what the Light can do? Yes, I have, Frank."

"I think that's what the Light can do, Horace, walking over there with those witches. I hate to sound my sycophantic old self, but I agree with Dumbledore in this case."

Horace watched Harry walking away and nodded. This could be very good or very bad for the department. He would need to think on it for a while. Phtt, he had to have Tonks, so the outcome was already certain. The only thing to think about was how painful the road ahead could be, or perhaps how high it could take them. That little beast was very, very powerful, magically and politically. Normal, no. A wolf amongst sheep? Perhaps. More likely a dragon amongst rabbits, but, oh, the possibilities!

The rest of Neville's party, including dancing, proceeded splendidly. It would be hailed as the fete of the season in the gossip columns. No mention of Harry, other than as Neville's guest, the other Boy Who Lived, would appear.

That was if you asked the girls and the public. Harry and Neville would beg to differ until their feet quit hurting. From the first tune to the last they had both been on the dance floor, passed around like party favors. Harry had it slightly better as he could look in the girls' heads and get dance tips.

Ron was horrified to be asked to dance and did it horribly, despite the girls' patient attempts to teach him. He was in that odd, girls-have-cooties-but-they're-cute stage. Neville wanted to be, but Lavender wasn't having it.

Harry found himself passed to the matriarchs of the noble families, and Hermione smiled as they all fell at least a little in love. Griselda Marchbanks actually gave Harry one of those grandmother cheek-pinches. Harry blushed furiously, completely sealing the deal.

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The next day, the thirty-first of July, Harry woke up and did PT as normal. When he returned to the master bedroom in the castle it was empty. He rubbed his head and shrugged and took his shower. When he came back out to the still-empty bedroom he grumbled and dressed. The girls were fine, he could feel them, but where were they? Harry wandered down to breakfast.

He opened the doors and the world exploded. Harry looked around in awe for a moment and then went from girl to girl amongst the Coven, snogging them hard. He'd had parties before—the Squib girls had seen to that—and even surprise parties, but this was out of control. The room was literally covered in party decorations and Sirius was wearing a stupid little hat.

After everyone got a quick, hard snog and the catcalls died down, Harry was led to a seat and Hermione explained, "This is the family party, Harry. At ten the Coven party, with families, starts, and then at one we have the public party, then the girls and I have something for you—or now, whichever, you'll see. Sit, eat, and open prezzies!"

Harry looked at them all and grinned hugely. He ate with one hand and opened presents with the other. Gwenog and the team had sent a calendar. Harry opened it and nearly sprayed cantaloupe over the table. Every Harpie was in four wizarding photographs. All of them started clothed and stripped; two of the photos of each Harpie then went on to demonstrate exactly why Harry needed to spend some time with them, usually with help from their teammates and magical stick-ons. It wasn't just the current starters, either. It was every Harpie still in childbearing years and not committed. Hermione looked at the calendar and blushed. Katie grabbed it. "It's a Harpies girlie calendar, Harry. They sell these in the book shops."

"WHAT?"

Daphne looked over Katie's shoulder. "Oh, my! Erh, I don't think they do." Padma, Susan, and Nym nodded and the other girls looked puzzled.

Su solved it. "Harry, touch me."

Harry grabbed her outstretched hand and Su looked at the calendar again just as Gwenog yanked the hair of Julia Clark, a Chaser, pulling her head back, and rammed eight inches of magical stick-on home in one go. "Oh! Ouch!"

"Touch me, Harry!" Katie wanted to be next. Soon the calendar was by Harry's plate and the girls were touching Harry's neck or bare arm and turning the pages. Harry had to admit some of those things looked like fun.

Nym shook her head. "No wonder Gwenog wanted you to get that in private. Where did they get the blood to pull that charm off?" Megan grinned at her.

They all settled again and Harry opened the next package. "Contacts?"

Elizabeth Hutchins and Kristen Thomas came up to Harry and took his glasses. They put in the contacts amidst kisses and fondling, and Elizabeth looked at Harry. "Say thermal on, Harry."

Harry smiled. "Thermal on!" His smile grew. "Oh, I like those knickers, Kirsten."

Kirsten chuckled. "You should, you rip enough of them off. The contacts are charmed with the thermal vision charm and anti-summoning and stick-on charms. We can add more charms later, but we thought it was best if you got used to these now. Oh, they automatically update to your prescription, too. You have to use these drops when your eyes feel dry, though, Harry. The saleswitch said that will decrease over time, and someday you won't need the drops at all except in extremely dry conditions. We had to charm the contacts. We bought blanks from the manufacturer, but now she's selling them."

Harry smiled. "Thermal off!" He kissed both girls thanks and they went back to their seats a little dazed.

Pairs and groups gave Harry their presents, all scouted while they were shopping for this and that or during the school year, and all ended up like Kristen and Elizabeth, well kissed and slightly dazed.

Hermione presented Harry with the Coven's gift: a photo album of all the Coven naked and with their no body-fat hardbodies taken by wizard camera that evening with Emma. Harry blushed furiously, pleasing them all greatly. Sure, it wasn't the Harpies calendar, but the inner circle could feel Harry's excitement and their smiles brought the rest.

At nine fifty Hermione nodded and shooed Remus, Evangeline, Magda, and Sirius out, and the girls sealed the doors. Hermione brought out her present: a Time-Turner. She passed the chain around and spun the device, and then led them all out the opposite door to an until now unused wing of the castle that had been fully prepared for this excursion in time. Harry spent the next seventy-one hours and fifty minutes making love to the witches in every possible way while they all stayed out of sight of the other group. Stamina and analgesic potions were on hand and Harry used them. The girls didn't. They shagged or played very hard—some still hadn't gone all the way—until they couldn't any more and one of the others took over.

They returned up-time and Hermione unsealed the doors to see the group leaving out the other door. She waited a moment, then they all went in and collapsed in the chairs, completely sated. Harry pulled his plate to him and Charles, the chief elf of the Gilroy family, one of Harry's lesser houses, put a large, nearly raw filet mignon wrapped in streaky bacon on it. Hermione and several others put their hands to their mouths. "Harry, how can you eat that?"

"Hungry, Ne, sorry."

Eliza chuckled. "He'll be eating all day. Next time we need nutrient potions for him."

Tracey watched Harry down his second mug of tea and reach for his third and passed him the water glass instead. "Hydration, too."

Nym rolled her eyes and wriggled. "Who knew he could just keep going like that? Stamina potions, sure, but he's still supposed to get soft after a while."

Daphne nodded. "We should have known, though. We've never shagged him soft. He only gets that way when we're finished."

Marjorie Paling, a Squib, chuckled. "A challenge for this summer. No potions and we see if we can make him go soft like conventional wisdom says he should."

Johanna Householder, Glynnis Householder's older sister and the one who had brought her into the Squib Squad, nodded. "Sure, but give me a day or two. He's ruined me, both—no, all three ways."

Hermione nodded and looked away from the disappearing steak. "All that protein, too. I won't need any for days, weeks maybe."

The girls laughed and nodded. Padma stood, grabbed Harry, and pulled him up. She led him out to the lawn where the parents were all waiting. Harry's cheeks were stuffed full of steak and he looked like a chipmunk.

James looked at Lily. "That was frightening. He's like a machine. How do the girls stand it that hard?"

Lily laughed outright. "I told you not to look. And we—erm, they—like it like that sometimes. He can also be very gentle, you saw that, too; it just depends on what each girl wants from him at that moment." She eyed James. "He does have it easier than you, though. He only has to touch them, even in the case of the least committed ones, and he knows exactly what she wants."

James looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure Hermione wanted to be tied to that four-poster and whipped, Lily."

Lily huffed. "He had his hand on her the whole time even though he hears her, and she came like a freight train five or six times before she begged him to bugger her. I'm amazed she comes so hard from that, although he was stimulating her manually at the same time and Padma and Pansy were each on a nipple. Her being stuck on Nym's Harry probably helped, too." She looked thoughtful. "Maybe we'll try that."

"Hah! Caught you! I knew you watched, too."

"Or maybe not."

James's brain caught up and his face glowed in anticipation and then fell. Lily couldn't even stay mad. "You're a doofus, just like Harry. No question whose son that is."

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Earlier on the A9, Suzanne Sauter had been glad to see her mapped landmarks passing by. The 'rents and siblings were all still enjoying the ride tremendously. They should. This bus Harry had had her charter was fabulous; hopefully they would never have to make this trip again, at least not overland. Katherine Clyde's mother had taken the loyalty charm and no test was thrown at her that she couldn't pass. Even Nym couldn't get into her Occluded (or whatever that was) mind if Harry told Jennifer not to let her in. Now Harry would just charm them all and they would use the trunks.

Slightly underhanded, now that Harry was shagging all of them if they wanted him to, but really! How was a parental unit going to respond to "Mum, Dad, this is my boyfriend Harry and I'm shagging him rotten. Oh, by the way, magic exists, and he's a wizard, and your grandchildren will be witches and wizards too"? They'd all be in treatment, that's how.

She looked at her watch. Plenty of time to get there. That way pre-dawn pickup had worked a treat. Now they would be at the castle in plenty of time for her to join the rest of the Coven for three days of lovin'. Hey, that rhymed! Andromeda would take over the care and feeding of the families for the hour and then at ten "again" they could meet Harry and Bob's your uncle. Suzanne settled back in her seat behind the driver.

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Harry stepped out onto the manicured lawn and his jaw dropped. All the Squib parents were here! He turned to Hermione in a panic and blurted, "Hermione, they can't be here!"

Hermione rounded her eyes and asked innocently, "Who, Harry?"

Harry turned to point and heard and felt her laughing in his mind. "Hermione, what did you do?"

"Made it easier for us all. Loyalty charm, Harry, chop chop. We have partying to do."

"Hermione!"

"Please, Harry?"

"Put those away, Ne. Puppydog eyes won't work this time. Arrrgh! Okay, fine, but if I don't like the explanation I'm taking it off them." Harry waved and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. The Squibs' parents and siblings, minus Jennifer, looked around, slightly stunned; Tracey's plan had worked. Uh-oh.

"Daphne, Tracey, could we speak to you a moment?"

Daphne looked at Tracey. "I told you so." They walked over to Harry, heads high, and followed him as he and Ne turned and led them a small distance away from the crowd.

Sirius looked at Remus and James in the wallet-size portrait he had pinned to his robe. "Ooooh, someone's in trouble!"

Magda poked him in the ribs. "Serious time, little doggy. Shhh."

The crowd watched and waited.

Harry looked at the three witches. Daphne sighed. "Just take it from our heads, Harry, it will save time."

Harry nodded and stepped into Tracey. He pulled her into a kiss and used the contact to course through her mind. He saw the discussion with the Squibs after he'd charmed Jennifer Clyde because she put the pieces together. Hell, that was really the reason he wasn't mad. None of the Squibs' parents were stupid; they would all put it together eventually. He was peeved the girls hadn't discussed it with him, but he could even follow the reasoning that it needed to be done now and he would have argued about it endlessly. He had just recently stopped arguing over a lot of things. Harry broke the kiss.

"Okay, I get it. I agree, by the way. They would have found out eventually, and keeping the secret was already driving some wedges between the girls and parents. The siblings would have been next. Now, since I've recently come to my senses and realized we're all going the same place and I'm enjoying the journey, I'd appreciate a little more openness. That thing with you 'not in my head' Coven members planning things and then executing them and asking for forgiveness was fun and very Slytherin, but I think it's played out now."

Three immediate "Yes, Harry!"s drew a smile from Harry, and Hermione raised a brow.

"That must have been some kiss."

Tracey grinned. "You have no idea. I don't know what was better, the kiss itself or pissed-off, forceful Harry in my head. I think I like being taken."

Harry groaned. "Let's not make that the next thing, okay?"

Three singsong "Yes, Harry's" denoted it was too late and that was the thing now. Harry rolled his eyes and led them back.

Sirius was pouting. "What, Harry, nobody gets spanked?"

Magda's low-power Stunner made Sirius just goofy enough for her to conjure a straight chair and put him across her lap. The resounding slap on the arse brought him back to full life. Harry rolled on the ground laughing. Magda gave Sirius the innocent face. "What? You said someone should be spanked."

The chase began immediately. Sirius was seriously outclassed. Padfoot was, too, when Magda whipped out her shrunken broom and flew just out of reach after mounting it on the run.

Harry watched the broom mount with narrowed eyes. Hermione groaned. They would all be practicing that move next week.

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When Neville arrived in the back garden at one with the Portkey his family had been sent, he staggered, caught himself, looked around, and staggered again. Potter Castle was huge, at least as big as Hogwarts, and these grounds were amazing! All these plants! Magical and mundane both, all rare. Oh, my, and the people too. These were Harry and the Covens' families? Morgana, there were two hundred people here!

Harry ran up. "Neville! Seems like only yesterday, mate!"

Neville oofed and went down under Harry's laughing flying tackle. "So, good birthday so far, then, Harry?"

Harry got a far-away look for a moment. "You have no idea." He leapt up. "Come on!" Frank and Alice watched their son being dragged away and Alice smiled. Harry had called Neville "mate". Frank steered her over to the parents, where Sirius made the introductions.

More and more Portkeys arrived carrying Hogwarts students, and the Coven met their friends and took them off to find Harry. The parents were all escorted by Remus over to Sirius, who was playing magical regent for Harry. Arthur and Molly Weasley were amazed. Remus and Sirius watched them like hawks. It had been decided that they would say nothing and see what happened. The old man would learn eventually anyway, and this would test exactly whose camp the Weasleys were in.

They needn't have worried. Being inside the Potter wards woke the vassal oath the Weasleys and Prewitts had sworn all those long years ago. Even if Arthur and Molly wanted to tell Dumbledore, they wouldn't without Harry's permission, or Hermione's.

Minerva looked down at the brooch on her breast that Lily occupied. "Well?"

Lily shrugged and answered somewhat tinnily, "I think they'll be fine."

Minerva nodded. She would watch Molly anyway.

The Quidditch started as soon as enough people were there to make two teams. Those not playing Quidditch either swam in the crystal-clear, sand-bottomed lake or sunned on the lawn or did a little of both. The adults were not left out; there were a lot of things for them besides drinking and talking: cards, Mum-vs-Daughter and Dad-vs-Son Quidditch, swimming, sunning, and of course, politics. The Squib parents were folded right in and brought along with the rest. A great time was had by all—even Ron, who managed to be a chicken only for demonstration purposes for the Squibs' younger siblings. He would find a way to make the twins pay for that one.

Ginny, who had come along because Harry had scrawled her name on the invitation to the Weasley children himself, spent the day torn between games and ogling the Boys Who Lived, blushing furiously whenever they looked her way. Hermione smiled, Millicent frowned. She recognized a dangerous crush when she saw one.

Chapter Thirteen

Hover through the fog and filthy air

On Monday, the third of August, Harry smiled after his shower and tackled Susan, a rounder, heavier-breasted Susan now that the girls had done as the trainers advised and were in fact putting on the correct amount of body fat. Susan, still wet from the shower, giggled and squealed as Harry dove face-first into her lap after pushing her, face-up, onto the bed. While she was putting on the right amount of body fat for a growing young woman, she was by no means fat. She still had her marvelous flat stomach, Harry found with his hands and eyes. Other parts were busy finding other things.

Once Susan was babbling semi-intelligently he crawled up her body and sank a considerable length into her. Susan's eyes snapped open and she grinned like a maniac. "Oh, yes, Harry. I always wanted a pony!" To everyone's amazement he came in moments. Not to be deterred, he went right back to work on Susan's fifth orgasm of the morning as soon as his hips unlocked. Padma looked at Hermione. "We have to do something nice for your mum. That was a brilliant idea. He loves us this way."

Hey!

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, Harry, you love us all ways, but you come like a beast now that we're—erm—better cushioned, let's say."

Susan being a pervert seems to have helped, too. I'll give you a pony, Susan.

Aiieeee! Slower, Harry! You can't just stuff a tree in a witch all of a sudden. Oh! Well, maybe you can. Faster, Harry!

Hermione smirked and rubbed her round little arse when she caught Harry looking. Tracey left a handprint on the other cheek. "Don't be a witch. We know he's hypnotized by that."

Hermione pouted outrageously, but nothing could really upset her. After the birthdays the Coven had settled into an exercise, work on projects, study, play, sex routine that was massively satisfying. She stretched her arms over her head and instantly had a witch locked on each nipple. She giggled; well, maybe an exercise, sex, work on projects, sex, study, sex, play, sex routine. Just because Harry wasn't always buried in you didn't mean it didn't still count as sex, right?

Hermione snapped her head around when Susan howled and pulled at Harry's arms. She grinned and pulled Su and Morag to the bed by her nipples, where they pushed Harry up Susan and between her breasts that they held firmly together. He grinned and gave a couple of thrusts. Susan pulled her head up and took him in her mouth at the top of the stroke. She was barely able to concentrate as Eliza had dived on her slit and was busy licking her clean and into another orgasm. She shouldn't have worried as Jamie and Jasmine, two Squibs, locked onto a nipple each, and Susan hummed a scream which very nearly drowned her as Harry exploded.

Harry was in a panic and was just leaning down to perform mouth-to-mouth when Christine Mulligan fastened herself to Susan's lips and battled for a dose of Harry.

Pansy watched from the foot of the bed. Tracey eyed her speculatively. "So—all Harry's, then?"

Pansy was scandalized. "What? Of course! How could you even ask?"

Tracey arched an eyebrow and Pansy blushed. Somehow she couldn't keep the little power-play daydreams that ended up with her on top of the Coven out of her head, and Tracey caught her in every one of them. Of course, so did Hermione, and then the cow would dominate her. It was great! Errrh, bad of her, she knew. Tracey snorted and pushed Pansy over.

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The group finally tumbled down to breakfast and Harry looked at the letter on the silver tray by his plate. He opened it and frowned.

Nym looked over and took the letter. She remembered to vocalize for everyone's benefit. "A warning from the Underage Use of Magic Office. When did you go back to Privet Hell, Harry?"

"Nym, you know I haven't. What's going on here?"

Otto appeared with an elf in a very bedraggled pillowcase. "This elf used magic at your relatives' home, Master."

Harry frowned at the shaking elf. "What is your name?"

"Dobby, sir."

Harry smiled. "Just Harry, Dobby."

The elf launched into a tirade about the great Harry Potter and Harry was forced to finally stop him. "Dobby!"

"Yes, great Harry Potter, sir?"

"Why were you using magic at my relatives' house?"

"The great Harry Potter must not return to Hogwarts. Evil young Master has bad things planned for Hogwarts. Oh, no—Dobby spoke against Master!"

Harry watched, astonished, as the elf twisted and squirmed and then began to punch himself. Nothing would stop him. Harry got desperate. "Otto, stop him!"

"I cannot, Master. He has been instructed to punish himself for thinking ill of his master. I can release him."

"Do it, Otto!"

Pop! Dobby the elf was gone. Everyone looked around the table at each other. Hermione asked, "Anyone know what happened there?"

Everyone shook their heads and Hermione smiled. "Research, then!"

Harry tossed a croissant at her.

Parvati had a thoughtful look on her face. "So where did the Ministry mail come from?"

Otto answered, "The mail point, ma'am. Only family owls can penetrate the wards. The elves retrieve the other mail every morning."

Marie Caldwell frowned. "Harry, all your mail for all those years must have gone there. That Gringotts letter getting to you was a mistake or something."

Otto nodded. "There is much mail, ma'am."

Marie grinned. "We can sort it!"

Otto snapped his fingers and sacks, bags, and boxes of mail appeared, nearly filling the hall. Marie looked amazed. "Or maybe not."

Su walked over to a box. "You know, there are some charms we could use."

Marie smiled again. Harry groaned.

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Toward evening Harry looked up from his copy of the Prophet to see the girls bringing one medium-sized box of mail. He folded away the paper with the headline about the nine Ministry raids and looked at the girls. "So?"

Marie—as sorting the mail had been her idea, she was in charge—smiled. "We checked it all for curses after the first one went off and missed us, fortunately; got rid of the junk, prepared form letters for you to sign for the birthday, Christmas, and Voldemort Deathday gifts and wishes, and these are the ones we think you should see for yourself."

Harry gulped and Marie laughed and produced a Time-Turner. Harry sighed and Marie passed the chain around. They vanished and the parents and relatives chuckled. By the time the chuckle died the group was back.

Sirius smiled. "So?"

Harry handed him a stack of wizarding photos. "Wizards are insane. Witches too."

Sirius looked at the photos and gulped. Magda looked at the pile and flipped the photos over. "Oh, addresses too. You're sure you don't want to look a few of these up, Harry? This one is hot!"

"And older than my mum, and her parents sent that to try to contract me to her when I was two or so, Magda."

Sirius and the fathers laughed. Dan asked, "What's so funny?"

Hermione huffed. "Apparently protocol says that Harry has to turn each witch down face to face. They're allowed to try to convince him not to."

Dan blinked and looked at the photo on the table nearest him. The witch was doing a fairly good strip-tease. "Oh, my."

"Dan!"

"Daddy!"

Melba stopped laughing after a moment. "Invite them all here at the same time. They won't stay, or even try—well, probably—especially after they know about the Coven. Well, some might, but they might be handy, too."

Harry was aghast. "Some of those are from Dark families, Melba!"

Lester snorted. "So do that loyalty charm or touch them, shag them even, peruse their abilities and knowledge, Obliviate them, and send them home if they have nothing to offer or don't need your protection."

Sirius grinned until Magda looked into his eyes from an inch away. Harry's smile grew slowly. Hermione was looking at him opened-mouthed and then her mouth snapped closed and she smiled too.

Emma put her head in her hands. "It must be your fault, Dan. She's a complete perv!"

"Mother! Harry and I just agreed we had no intention of shagging these, but other than that it sounds like a plan."

"Yeah, well, you weren't going to do Pansy and Narcissa either, Hermione, or Harry wasn't—somebody wasn't. Look how that worked out. Pansy walks around here with Harry dripping out of her every time she gets him still, and Narcissa is your sex slave, or milk cow, and I still haven't seen a wedding."

"Mother!"

Harry quietly went to find his hammock. The men and boys of the Coven followed. Remus opined, "Well, that went well."

Dan laughed. "Harry, you're going to have to throw the biggest wedding in history someday."

Harry shrugged. "As soon as Hermione says go, Dad. I'm not going anywhere else."

Dan was still stuck on the "Dad."

Lester shook his head. "Melba will settle them, or at least not let it go too far. We had a few dust-ups like this, too."

Harry nodded. "They're fine—well, at least Hermione is. She isn't really even mad. Women are strange." That got a sincere round of nods.

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Wednesday, the twelfth of August, found Dobby sitting in the kitchens of Potter Castle and Otto chuckling at him. "You have already accepted the Master as your master. Why don't you just come stay here where you belong?"

"I haven't, I haven't!" Dobby banged his head on the table.

Otto sighed. "The wards accepted you, youngling. If you had not acknowledged him, even you would not have been able to get in here. I renewed the elf wards for Master's grandfather. As long as I live and am bound to the Master, they will stay active. Your former master is not stronger than our young Master."

Dobby nodded miserably and then gasped and popped away. Otto shook his head.

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In the private dining room Narcissa was on her knees under the table getting her breakfast. Hermione was in her favorite position "milking" Narcissa's now swollen breasts. Hermione had been surprised when she got a mouthful of warm milk, but now she was addicted. Harry was attempting to read the paper. The Coven snickered at the crumpled fistfuls of newspaper he held. His growl and Hermione's muffled scream came nearly simultaneously and a few minutes later Narcissa rose from under the table on Hermione's hand and immediately turned around and backed onto Harry. Harry groaned and smiled; she was like a furnace.

Nym shook her head. "Nearly time, Aunt Cissy. You'll need to be seen shopping in the Alley, then you can come back for lunch and we will do Paris this afternoon via Ravenclaw's townhouse before you get tea and then go home to Uncle Lucius with your Master dripping out of you."

Narcissa's knuckles whitened on the edge of the table before she stiffened and thrashed a little. Harry grunted and froze and she collapsed onto the table in front of him on her chest with her now seven-month belly suspended and supported by Harry's warm hands. She finally recovered and pushed herself up. "Thank you, Nym. Morgana, is it normal to be this horny? I wasn't with Draco."

The Coven snickered at Narcissa Malfoy saying "horny". Never mind that she was currently impaled on the object of their desires and had just been naughty-talked into an orgasm by her niece. Narcissa extracted herself and gasped as Pansy cleaned her quickly, then locked onto Harry. "Thank you, Pansy. Now who wants to come shopping and watch me be a complete bitch?"

Harry shook his head. "Why do you do that, Narcissa?"

"Cissy, Harry." Narcissa favored him with a pout. "Because, dear, being nice would be out of character and the people in the shops will remember me if Lucius gets curious and asks around."

Harry pulled her down and kissed her before several of the girls, including Pansy, dragged her away.

Megan Jones sat on Harry. "Just to keep little Harry warm, Harry."

Harry lifted her with a hip-thrust. "You don't need an excuse, Megan."

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At lunch, in one of the dungeon cells, well lit and cleaned to sterile standards, Narcissa suddenly remembered the diary and the mumbling she had overheard from Draco. She looked across at Nym, tied to a barrel and getting punished for her NEWT results—fourteen Os and ten Es—and sighed, Harry had just gotten her into a series of orgasms and was just about to drive that magnificent cock into her. Narcissa nodded. She would wait. Nym would be out cold in a minute anywaaaaaayyyyy, oh Merlin! She hadn't asked if she could come. Ah, yes! Oh, gods! Narcissa howled, "Thank you, Mistress" and came again when the cat landed none too gently on her very excited sex. Hermione smiled and stroked again just as Narcissa unclenched. She didn't even bother to say anything, as Narcissa wouldn't have been able to respond.

Later, when all three witches were lying in the afterglow and Harry was just lying on the cushioned floor stroking whatever they put within his reach, Narcissa rolled over onto his chest. "Harry, look in my head. Draco is planning something with some enchanted diary he found when Lucius moved his Dark objects ahead of those Ministry raids. The thing is horrid. It reeks of Dark magic."

Harry pulled her up and kissed her and was instantly in her mind. He heard Draco's mumbling and looked at the diary. He stored the memory away as Nym and Hermione kissed and he deepened the kiss with Narcissa. Narcissa pushed herself away. "No, Harry. I need to rest or tea will be talking only, and I want to go back to Lucius smelling of you, like Nym said."

Harry blinked and then laughed. "If he hurts you, I'll kill him."

"He won't, Harry. He wants this baby too much. After the baby comes I'll probably have to run. He hasn't been interested in sex with me in years."

Harry nodded. "He's a fool. As soon as he acknowledges the child you're leaving there anyway. Sirius will be waiting."

Hermione nodded. "You'll need a different escort this afternoon, Narcissa. I think Harry broke Nym."

Nym looked up with glazed eyes. "He still owes me for my Os; they should have had citations, Ne."

Narcissa laughed. "Rest, Nym. He can force you some more tomorrow for those."

Nym's beatific smile followed by gentle snoring brought a laugh. Narcissa smirked. "Another convert."

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Tea turned into a free-for-all in the master bedroom. Narcissa got her wish. She left smelling of Harry and thoroughly worn out. She knew Lucius would be too busy to notice, making his plans for the Heir, but she would know. That's all she needed.

Harry and the Coven eventually wandered down for dinner. James laughed at his exhausted son. Harry scowled at him. "Narcissa days are hard, Dad."

Sirius barked out a laugh. "We noticed, pup. Speaking of which, are we still going with all these witches coming here on Friday the twenty-eighth?"

Harry shook his head and tried to connect the dots of that segue again. Remus chuckled. "Don't bother, Harry. I've known him twenty years and I can't follow him all the time either."

Magda grunted. "He gets better, though. That was at least on the topic of witches."

Harry smiled. "Yes, it was—and yes, Sirius, why?"

"Just wanted to make sure to have the day free to watch the fun, pup."

"Grrrr."

"Save it for the ladies, Harry. Yikes!"

Sirius took off bobbing and weaving with Harry in hot pursuit and using curses to herd him.

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The nineteenth of August found Harry and the Coven, along with parents and siblings, cruising the now substantially revamped Knockturn Alley with the item managers from both Harry's Slytherin facilities and Sirius's Black facilities across the street giving them the tour. The crones, hags, hookers, and normal denizens of Knockturn, what few of them were left, faded back out of sight.

Harry was leading the way out of Knockturn when something made him turn toward Borgin & Burkes. He looked at the shop long and hard but he couldn't determine what the feeling was. The thought occurred to him that he should look into who owned all these buildings and see about purchasing them. No sense in only half the Alley looking smart while the other half looked worse than Diagon. Nothing should look worse than Diagon. The only building in it that looked like it had been built by someone who knew the words "true" and "square" was Gringotts.

Harry reached the intersection and kissed the groups of Coven members as they prepared to head off for their shopping. "We'll all meet back here at one for lunch and ice-cream and then we'll see what else we need to do today."

"Yes, Harry." Harry shooed them all away giggling and offered his arm to Hermione. She turned toward the book shop. Harry smiled and Hermione smacked him on the arm gently.

"There might be something new, Harry."

Harry nodded. "That they haven't sent you yet because they forgot the standing order, Ne, I'm sure." He got a delicate pink tongue for his comment.

They entered the store and found it mobbed. "What the bloody hell is this?"

"Harry, language!"

Ron, trailing Neville, came up to the pair at that moment. "Gilderoy Lockhart's book signing. The witches are mad for the git. Don't see it myself."

Hermione snorted. "The fiction writer?"

Neville looked to where his mum and grandmother were standing in line and delivered, "His stories faithfully recount his adventures," completely deadpan.

Harry and Hermione blinked. She had read one of Lockhart's books and knew that the charm he had supposedly used wouldn't have worked on a Banshee. She had gone on a tear after that and annotated every mistake or section that was false in the books. Harry had pointed out that he himself could make magic do almost anything. Hermione countered with the fact that unless Gilderoy was Harry from a parallel universe, then only Harry could actually do that consistently, as far as she knew. Harry had dropped it at that point. Hermione was furious that the "fake's" books were on the Hogwarts book list.

Just at that moment Gilderoy looked over the crowd and saw Neville and then Harry. His eyes rounded and he leapt from his seat. "Ladies, aren't you fortunate! Here in this store with you are Gilderoy Lockhart and both of the Boys-Who-Lived. A banner day!"

Gilderoy charged out from behind his table toward Harry and Neville but suddenly oriented on Hermione and got a lecherous look on his face. "Hello, my dear, and you are...?"

Hermione drew back but Gilderoy pressed her. When he reached out and touched her he froze. Harry growled at him. "No one touches her, faggot. Outside!"

Gilderoy had no choice, as the wand under his chin was threatening to lift him off the ground—that is, if it didn't break the skin and stab through the roof of his mouth and into his brain, as it was threatening to do. The store exploded in scrambling witches, and Harry carried, or very nearly carried, Gilderoy out into the Alley and flung him to the ground. "Duel!"

Amid the madness, no one— Lucius Malfoy, who had shielded Narcissa with both magic and his body, least among them—noticed Draco Malfoy slip the diary into Ginny Weasley's cauldron. Draco had watched that in disgust. He was directly in mad Potter's path, but his father never moved a finger to help him. They would pay—mad Potter, the pure-bloods, all of them. The diary said it just needed to be at Hogwarts in the possession of some weak-minded person. Draco smirked; who could be more weak-minded than the witch daughter of blood traitors?

Gilderoy nearly fainted in relief. "Dueling is illegal, young sir, as I'm sure these fine Aurors will tell you."

"You laid hands on a witch of my house without her permission and not in her need. Defend yourself."

Gilderoy looked to the Aurors. Kingsley Shacklebolt nodded. "Duke Potter may demand immediate satisfaction." His eyes were fixed on the Potter Ring on Harry's left hand. The Ancient and Noble house could demand whatever it wanted. The only one who might perchance gainsay him was The Black, and he was standing over there grinning like a madman.

Harry growled and Gilderoy nearly wet himself. His eyes lit on the iron-grey hair of Madam Bones. "Madam Bones!"

"Gilderoy. Surely an accomplished adventuring wizard such as yourself can easily defend yourself against a schoolboy? Auror Shacklebolt has told you exactly correctly. Who you think you are, accosting a young witch you don't even know, I have no idea, I'm sure."

Gilderoy turned and looked into the glowing green eyes of Duke Potter, and when the shield slammed down around them his bladder let go. Nervous chuckles coursed through the wizards at the sight of the dark, spreading stain.

Gilderoy threw up a shield that was blasted to pieces with a Stunner. Sirius breathed a sigh of relief. Harry wasn't in a killing mood, it seemed. Lucius nodded and smiled. "Very powerful, Narcissa. The Heir will be magnificent." Narcissa smiled smugly. Draco felt ill. The crowd ooohed and ahhhed and Hermione thanked her stars that Harry was using a wand.

What, Ne? I'm just having some fun.

Harry! I thought you were going to kill him.

I still might, Ne. As an example so the rest learn to keep their hands to themselves. That doesn't stop it being fun, though.

Daphne, over in Madam Malkin's, rolled her eyes. Just humiliate him, Harry. Aunt Amelia will take care of the rest.

Susan smiled in Eeylop's. She'll be so happy you called her Aunt Daphne!

Daphne huffed. Hufflepuffs! But they all felt her smiling.

Morgana, will you all pipe down? I'm in class here, and it's hard to watch Harry and listen to you all.

Oh, how's that going, then, Nym?

Boring, Padma. All orientation to the Ministry today. Now, shhh!

Harry grinned and his eyes glowed more. Gilderoy very nearly voided his bowels. Harry threw a tickling hex at Gilderoy that he ducked; the hex screamed past, very nearly breaking the dueling barrier. The crowd moaned and leaned back. Not a foot moved, however. Then Harry got serious. With the exception of the Stunner he had used first, he threw all the first through second year curses, hexes, jinxes, and charms from the Hogwarts syllabus, and then started in on the twins' jokes.

In desperation Gilderoy used his best magic. "OBLIVIATE!"

Harry didn't even dodge; he swatted the spell away with a glowing wand and continued casting.

In fairly short order Gilderoy was an odd-looking creature with no hands, colored pink with moving green polka dots. Harry walked over and picked up Gilderoy's wand and the dueling shield fell. The creature hared off with Shacklebolt and his partner in pursuit as the crowd clapped and cheered. Harry gave Gilderoy's oddly light, flexible wand to Madam Bones. "My House is satisfied."

Madam Bones nodded gravely. "Your Grace." She dropped a tiny curtsy and Harry bowed minimally from the shoulders.

The Magical Law Enforcement squad looked at Madam Bones' hard, ice-blue eyes and then chivvied the crowd away. They missed her saying, "The DMLE, however, is not satisfied, Your Grace."

Sirius growled when Lucius smiled like an idiot and put his hand possessively on Narcissa's bump. Narcissa waved frantically behind her back. With the mood Harry was apparently in, this could go horribly wrong if Sirius the chimera did something too Gryffindor. Sirius turned away.

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Nine o'clock in the morning on the twenty-eighth of August, 1992, found Gilderoy Lockhart chained to a chair in Courtroom Ten and a capital crimes trial proceeding against him. Not only had he Obliviated the real people who had done the deeds he claimed as his own, but he had helped them to their demise in several cases by totally Obliviating them and leaving them in hazardous situations. Or so Madam Bones maintained. His questioning under Veritaserum was enough to put him away for life—in his case, two years in Azkaban. Gilderoy was but a light snack for the Dementors; he had no chance of living out his hundred and twenty-year sentence.

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After lunch Harry sat nervously with his parents' portrait in the sitting room. Lily sighed. "It will be fine, Harry. We'll be right here. Touch them, look through their minds, Obliviate them, let them down easy, and let them go. No hard feelings."

James nodded. "That's right, Harry."

This gentle encouragement lasted right up until the door opened the first time and a pretty but obviously worried witch walked in. "Judith Allen Cranston! What the bloody hell do you mean, seeking a contract with my son? You were my roommate, you witch!"

Judith Allen Cranston went over backwards like she'd been poleaxed. James shouted and Harry cushioned the floor. Harry looked at his mother. "Really, Mum? 'Touch them, look through their minds, Obliviate them, let them down easy, and let them go, no hard feelings', remember? What happened to that?"

Lily blushed. Harry blinked. "I didn't know portraits could do that."

Lily sighed. "I thought it was her when Sirius showed me the picture, but I wasn't sure when she kept that veil on. I thought I could maintain my composure. I was wrong, but I'll be okay now. Levitate her on that chaise, Harry, and Ennervate her."

Harry levitated Judith but took advantage of the situation and gently probed her mind. He frowned. "Uh, we have a problem."

James rolled his eyes. "What the hell could the problem be now, Harry?"

Harry huffed. "She needs protection. A lot of first-borns and half-bloods do, if what's in her head is true."

James rubbed his hand through his hair and growled. "Fine. Wake her up and make her a vassal, release her from the damn proposal, install the wards on her house, and give her a trunk. Let's not have another go-round of Harry-buggers-the-world."

"James!" Lily was incensed.

Harry, meanwhile, was thinking of the family book that Hermione was paging through in the library. It covered vassals. Harry smiled. "Thanks, Dad!"

Thirty minutes later, Judith, a brand-new Potter vassal, was speaking to Lily as the next witch was shown in. This time she was Obliviated and left feeling that she had enjoyed agreeing not to pursue the contract. She didn't know why, but she knew she was happy about it. That Michael Olsen had no reason to be hesitant now!

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September first dawned bright and clear. Harry smiled at the sun as he finished his run. It was going to be a great day!

Are you going to make sixteen more vassals, Harry?

No, Hermione. Ne, stop pouting. It's ridiculous. We should just help them.

Phhtt! Like they're going to let you do that when they find out you have a coven. Well, some of the wizards might.

Nym! Aren't you supposed to be doing PT?

Hah! These people are like marshmallows. I left 'em all behind twenty minutes ago, Harry.

Love you, Nym.

The witches froze. That was the first time Harry had ever said that in public. Well, it was only them in here, but still!

Nym's blazing smile could be felt by them all. Well, that's good for another two or three miles at a sprint.

Harry smiled and started his cool-down stretches. He could feel the witches smiling.

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At nine, Harry, in a splendid mood, stepped out of his trunk, shrank it, put it in his pocket, and opened his bedroom door in Privet Hell.

Vernon was waiting. Harry blinked. "Good morning, Vernon. Love to stay and talk, old chap, but really don't have the time. Sorry, really." What the hell? Vernon had stayed home from work?

Vernon's head was an amazing shade of purple. "You weren't in that room, boy! I won't have you using that unnaturalness in this house, I told you!"

Harry looked at him, stunned. "Fine. Just going, then. See you next June." Harry used a little mind magic and urged Vernon to step forward from his position blocking the stairs. Vernon took one step and Harry was behind him, down the stairs, and out the door.

Constance brought the bus up right on time, and it had hardly stopped moving before Harry was on board. He collapsed next to Hermione. "Hey, Ne. Vernon is going to pop his cork when I come home in June."

"This isn't your home, Harry." Hermione sniffed, looking daggers out the window at Vernon and Petunia in the yard of Privet Hell.

Harry pulled her into a hug. "Easy there, killer."

Hermione's hissed "Someday!" was disturbing on many levels.

Lisa shook her head. None of them were seeing the obvious. "Harry, it will dawn on Vernon and Petunia that they don't have to put up with this, and the solicitors will get involved. You'll probably have a restraining order against you within a month. We have to think about what we'll do then."

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At King's Cross, slightly before ten, Harry watched as the crowd gathered at the entrance to the platform and then led the girls in, sailing up and through it at a fast pace. The parents followed, smiling. Harry liked his entrances.

Harry made it through and strode down the platform like he owned it. Hermione, on his arm, rolled her eyes the whole time. Harry finally stopped in the middle of the platform and began to kiss the crying Squib girls goodbye. The witches stood around with wry expressions. Morag's brogue expressed it all: "Like you'll not see him in five or six hours, you daft bints!"

Elizabeth looked down her nose. "No sense of romance, Morag."

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Meanwhile, as Harry got everyone kissed goodbye and a compartment picked and expanded, Dobby was outside blocking the entrance to the platform. Ron and Neville were caught outside as Ginny passed through just in front of them and made a beeline for the train.

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Ron and Neville struggle with the barrier for a moment and then the thought of the flying Ford Anglia dawned in Ron's desperate mind.

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On the train Ginny was making a complete ass of herself, sitting next to Harry and flirting outrageously. She had been waiting a year for this opportunity. Sure, Neville was the primary Boy Who Lived, but that didn't mean she couldn't practice with Harry. He was soooo cute! That hair, and those eyes! He was a great backup, too.

Millicent sat watching the steam pressure rise in Hermione. Harry, knowing Hermione wasn't mad at him, was polite to Ginny but unresponsive. This simply made her more and more outrageous as time went on.

The car got quieter and quieter until Ginny stood, stepped between Harry's legs, and reached into the overhead rack with both hands, her barely-there breasts level with Harry's eyes. She was amazed to find herself on the floor of the car in short order with Hermione Granger looking into her eyes from an inch away. "What exactly do you think you're doing, little witch? Hasn't your mother taught you the ways?"

Ginny couldn't say a word. She had seen the ring on Hermione; she knew what that meant. She wasn't about to be bossed around, though. "Harmless flirting, Hermione. Really, don't be so tense!"

"Daphne!"

Ginny's head swam as Hermione's incensed, glowing brown eyes were rapidly replaced by an amused Daphne Greengrass's face. Ginny howled in protest as her dress was unbuttoned. Daphne looked at her. "The Mistress will judge whether you are worthy of the master. If she thinks you are, you can get your first dose now. That is what you wanted, correct?"

Tears started down Ginny's cheeks as Hermione dumped her purse and no support was forthcoming. Harry sighed. "Stop."

Ginny found herself alone on the floor. Harry picked her up and re-buttoned her dress. "Ginny, do you know the way things work? Has your mother talked to you about this?"

Ginny sniffled and nodded. Harry sighed. "She wasn't telling you stories, Ginny. Hermione has to approve of you even talking to me in anything other than casual conversation."

"Harry!"

The urgency in Hermione's tone snapped Harry's head around and he looked at the black diary on the bench. It reeked of Dark magic. "Ginny, where did you get this?"

"Diagon, Harry. When you dueled Lockhart. It was in my cauldron when we got home."

Harry took out a handkerchief he conjured in his pocket and picked up the book. "This is a Dark artifact, Ginny."

Harry waved and his trunk moved to the floor and opened. He climbed down inside. Hermione looked at Ginny. "You will be punished, Ginevra, make no mistake. I'll speak to Harry first, but you will be punished."

Ginny looked around at the other witches' hard faces and nodded.

Harry returned shortly and the strained milieu returned to limited normality. "I put it in the library. We'll look at it later."

The chorus of "Yes, Harry" brought an eyeroll. So, Ne?

She has to be punished, Harry.

All right, but nothing that leaves marks. And try not to make her come. Something about her…. Last year I was very attracted, now I don't know.

She looks like your mother, Harry.

Ewwww! Erm, hello, Nym, but ewww! How's class?

Nym could be felt laughing. Fine, Harry. I'll see you tonight with the notes and we'll go over what I learned with the group.

See you then. Be careful.

Ginny did not enjoy her time nude on the spinning X-shaped cross at all. Sure, Hermione never hit her with that whip, but she was ill for the rest of the trip between the spinning while the train moved and the suspense of hearing the whip swish and feeling the air from it blow gently, terrifyingly over her back, thighs, and shoulders.

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Ron and Neville, meanwhile, had figured out how to make the Anglia invisible and how to follow the railroad tracks. The Express nearly hitting them had sobered them both right up, and then a few minutes later they ran out of gas or something and landed in the Whomping Willow. "Godsdammit, Ron! This was stupid! We should have just waited and told our parents." Neville was enraged now that the tree had flung the car to the lawn.

"Oh, now you have ideas?" Ron wasn't exactly happy, either.

The car shook, rattled a bit, and suddenly the boys found themselves on their arses on the lawn. Their trunks were ejected from the boot and the car took off for the trees. Ron leapt up and took two steps before he froze upon hearing the voice behind him. "Well, a grand entrance, to be sure."

Neville looked around and nearly melted in relief. "Padfoot! Erm, Lord Black. What are you doing here?"

"Shhh, Harry doesn't know. Come on, you two. Professor McGonagall will see you after dinner."

Neville and Ron's faces fell comically and Remus chuckled as he stepped from the shadows. "Mr Lupin! You, too?"

Remus nodded in answer to Ron's question. "Now, come along, the Sorting has started—and not a word to Harry or Hermione."

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In the Great Hall Harry looked around again. "Where the hell is Neville, Ne?"

"Wherever Bilius has led him, no doubt, Harry. Really, we have to do something about that. Neville needs a girlfriend, a smart girlfriend."

"Lavender?"

"Still just playing, Harry. Something about him is off. Well, for me, anyway."

Harry sighed and then smiled as the doors opened and Neville walked in followed by Ron. Neville had never been so embarrassed in his life. The whole school was looking at him. He hurried to a bench and sat down across from Harry.

Minerva frowned and called, "Ginevra Weasley!"

Ginny approached the stool confidently and put the hat on.

"Ah, easy. SLY—"

"NO!"

"What? It's all here, girl! Ambition, cunning, guile. Getting your brothers blamed for all that mischief. You will be formidable. Oh—what's this? Oh, well, he doesn't care which house you're in. And he has plenty in Slytherin. He is its lord, after all."

"No! Please, Mr Hat?"

"William, my dear. All right, if you don't want to be there. It will make it hard for you to succeed. Better be...Gryffindor!"

Ginny thanked the Hat, hopped off the stool, and nearly skipped to the Gryffindor table, to raucous applause. Millicent sent a knowing smirk at Hermione, who rolled her eyes.

Dumbledore made his customary announcements about the Forest, magic in the halls, and banned items, and then introduced the new Professors who would be sharing responsibility for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Remus and Sirius swept their hoods back and Harry sat gaping. The Marauders high-fived each other.

That night in the trunk was interesting. Nym reviewed her notes and classes. The girls gave her the read-aheads for the next day, and then they looked at the diary under the warded bell jar Harry had put over it.

HOHHOHHOHHOHHOHOHHOHHOH0HHOHHOHHOHHOHHOHHOHHOHHOHH OHHOHHOHHOHHOHHOHHOHHOH

Neville looked at Ron in the darkened hallway of the fourth floor on the way back from McGonagall's office. "That was brilliant, Ron. Detention for us both and letters home!"

"Like you said no, Nev!"

Neville turned to glare at Ron just as they both saw someone step out of the shadows of a suit of armor, wand in hand. Neville's wand was out in a flash. Ron's wand followed but it snapped about three-fifths of the way up its length and hung by a thin pink thread.

Draco cursed his luck. How had they both turned at exactly the wrong moment? He fired up his sneer. "What's that, Weasel, Pygmy-Puff heartstring? You should be glad you broke that. Well, maybe not, you've always seemed a little soft."

Neville collected himself quickly. "What do you want, Malfoy? Why are you up here and not in your slimy little hole in the dungeons?"

Malfoy's sneer grew. "My business is my own, Longbottom. Yours seems to be finding your pet a new stick; one from the Whomping Willow should do." He spun on his heel and left.

Ron was still looking at his broken wand with a fallen expression. "What am I going to do now, Nev? I can't tell my folks about this. I'm already in so much trouble!"

Neville shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe the school has spares."

Ron shook his head. "I'm not asking McGonagall anything. She looked like she would happily boil us in oil."

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Morning came too soon for Harry on the second. But he leapt out of bed and raced downstairs anyway. He skidded to a halt at the bottom of the staircase and looked at the crowd waiting in front of the doors. His huge grin brought a chuckle. Exercising was very nice that morning, not so harried as it was last year, and Harry spent much of it gently teasing those who obviously had not kept up the program on their own.

Albus watched from his tower and smiled. Neville was there, being serious and thoughtful, leading the group of students. His sidekick Potter was the class clown. Very good! Hmmm, might have to give some thought to keeping the Weasley boy away from Neville. That incident yesterday had been a disaster. Obliviation squads had had to be called out! The Ministry was in an uproar, which Malfoy would use to his advantage with both Fudge and the Board. Albus sighed and turned back to his office.

Down on the path around the lake Harry chivvied the twins. "Didn't run a step all summer, did you? Well, we'll fix that." With a wave of his wand the twins were no longer in charge of their feet. Their Doppler-affected screams brought general laughter as they faded away ahead of the group. Hermione cocked a brow. Harry shrugged. "Modified Tarantallegra. I wanted them to run, not dance. I'll take it off when they lap us."

"Dancing is good exercise too, Harry." Harry groaned as the witches twittered excitedly. The group picked up the pace, shooting looks at Harry after that groan.

Later, at breakfast, Hermione barely smiled at the Howler Ron got. Harry nearly had to leave, he was laughing so hard at her vicious internal commentary about "Bilius' stupidity". Harry rose and, as was now customary, kissed the Coven on their way and wandered to his first class. Well, as much as he could wander when under tow by Hermione. In class the Coven automatically took their seats around Harry and Hermione, and light scuffles broke out among the wizards as they tried to get seats close to them. Obviously this year was going to be a little different. Harry sighed and hoped the wizards remembered the rules.

Dinner found Marcus Flint being a walking reminder of the rules. He was walking around with a poodle's head and was capable only of barking shrilly. Albus had to use all his years of experience not to put his head in his hands. He should have known this would happen when he left that coven operating.

Harry smiled every time he looked at the Slytherin table. Eliza scowled. She'd had Flint right where she wanted him, disarmed and about to be nutless, when Harry had shown up and started Transfiguring things.

Minerva heard the tinny laughter from her brooch and Sirius's tie and a tiny smile escaped her.

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The fifth of September found the Coven settled into school and back at Potter Castle. The investigation of the diary was proceeding very slowly, among other projects. Neville was absent, as he was in the first of a month of detentions for the flying car episode. Ron hadn't been given a trunk; there was no overcoming Hermione's wrath, especially after the idiot ran around with that backfiring, malfunctioning wand. Hermione had offered to fix it and he had refused, saying wands couldn't be repaired. Hermione had gone on a diatribe about the core being salvaged and finding a new wood, but Ron had ignored her and gone back to stuffing his face. The Coven, those not researching the diary in the breaks from Nym's classes, were pulling orders for Daphne or researching other things.

Harry sat up and stared when a disembodied leg hopped into the sitting room. Hannah came in behind it, mumbling, and Stunned it. She looked up at the frozen tableau before her and blushed. Her partner, Victoria Jones—no relation to the other Joneses, possibly—a buxom blond University first year Squib, came in behind her. "What? It got away from us. Harry, you do it."

"Beg pardon?"

Hannah smiled. "We're making Frank Longbottom a leg for Christmas, Harry. Every time I try that Tarantallegra spell of yours it hops away. We've no control over it."

Harry stood and walked over to the Stunned leg. Tracey sat watching with Galleons in her eyes. Eliza looked at her. "He'll never charge much."

Tracey nodded. "We'll make it up on volume. We can do legs, arms, and hands that work."

Hermione interjected, "A working head for Bilius."

Tracey grinned at her. "We have the magic, we can rebuild them. Mwahahahha!"

Katie Bell looked at her. "You need to shag Harry more and quit watching telly."

Tracey brightened even further. "Good idea!"

The situation quickly got out of hand after that.

A little before curfew—not like it mattered to them, with Filch and Mrs Norris being Harry's ardent fans—Harry was escorting the girls while he toured the castle. He would drop a group off at their dorms and then go to the next via some seldom-used path. He didn't know exactly why, but sometimes he just needed to walk the halls.

Near the Ravenclaw dorm he heard a muttering voice. "Kill, kill them for master. Master has returned, but why hasn't he come to see me? I have felt him. Kill!"

Harry looked at Hermione, who was apparently on the verge of some kind of fit. "Ne!"

"Oh, gods, Harry, what was that? I heard it in your head!"

"Wasn't me!"

Hermione blinked. Parvati looked around at Lavender, who shrugged. "We hardly heard anything. Some rustling, maybe a hiss, hard to say."

Hermione frowned in thought as Harry nervously herded the girls to Gryffindor along the most direct route possible. Pillow talk that night between them was all about what had been said until Hermione fell asleep in Harry's arms with Parvati snuggled in behind him and Lavender snuggled into her.

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The next two weeks or so passed fairly quietly. Remus and Sirius settled into teaching and were having a great time. They were student favorites, even among the Slytherins.

Sirius had also used his influence as The Black and Harry's as Duke Potter to save Arthur Weasley's job after the car incident played out a little more and Arthur had to admit it had been his car, although he had never flown it, only experimented on it to see what was actually possible. Ginny and the twins had reported that their mother was unhappy with Dumbledore over his failure to support Arthur.

Classes were good, with the Professors asking for and receiving high-quality work from the Coven. Augusta was very pleased with their progress, as were the other Professors. Trelawney was pouting that she didn't have any of the Coven in her classes. Minerva was inordinately smug about that.

Ginny Weasley was seriously tired of Hermione "the Bitch" Granger. Every time she glanced in Harry's direction, those brown eyes were the next thing she saw. Seriously, the witch had problems! Ron was in complete agreement, but he was so busy keeping Percy off his back and studying that he didn't have time for much else. Besides, if he moved so much as a hair out of place the twins and Percy were all over him, so he would be no help in any plan to circumvent Hermione. Luna flat-out told Ginny to leave Harry alone. It had been scary, one of those few moments when Luna was completely lucid.

The twins were contemplating an offer from Daphne to wholesale whatever pranks they developed. Oh, not whether they would accept—that was a given. They were trying to get their production and quality control up and running. Lee Jordan and the other older Gryffindor wizards found themselves working in disused classrooms for IOUs. Fred was having a discussion with George about licensing and moving the production to a real facility, and Tracey was facilitating that discussion. She was approaching the point where she would need Angelina, Alicia, and Katie to start absorbing Fred, George, and Lee's time. The wizards were panting a bit too hard; hmmm, maybe an inch lower on the hem was in order. Meanwhile, that would put them together as couples and make it even harder for them to meet production, thereby making the licensing deal more attractive. Two birds, or six, with one stone, maybe. Tracey was pleased; it was all very Slytherin. Harry grinned at her and pulled her down in the living room in Camelot.

The parents had gotten in on studying the diary, along with Nicholas and Perenelle. Nicholas was convinced the thing was at least an attempt at a Horcrux, a soul container that had to be filled with a horrible ritual involving a cold-blooded murder. Nicholas wouldn't say whether it was Riddle's or not, but Harry had a feeling. The thing had Riddle's name on it, even.

Harry was kept well away from the diary after that one observation. The Coven didn't want him even near something that Dark, lest it affect the continuation of the line. Lily agreed, so Harry had to watch through a warded, blessed, leaded window into the cell in which they had the thing.

They were just up to the point of writing in it using an animated quill charmed to follow one Harry was holding. Well, Harry was at that point. The Coven had more tests they wanted to run.

Millicent was talking to Hermione about Ginny having had the diary and having possibly written in it already. Harry was considering that. They really needed to move faster on this.

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On the nineteenth Hermione stepped into the study at the castle and nearly wet herself when the Coven and family leapt up or canceled Disillusionment charms and yelled, "Surprise! Happy birthday!" She blushed and the inner circle laughed. She had been so busy she had actually forgotten it was her birthday.

Nym pulled her into a hug first, then Hermione got passed around until she ended up in Harry's lap. Harry smiled. "Happy birthday, love you!" He kissed her and she settled against his chest. This very public declaration of his love was all she needed. Of course, that wasn't all she got. Books, clothes, a very thoroughly planned makeup kit with Lavender and Parvati's note promising to show her how to use it, and later after the 'rents and siblings had left, a Time-Turned evening alone with Harry. Harry started on a bearskin rug in front of the fire and drove her gently, slowly, and lovingly out of her mind. No homework got done that evening.

Chapter Fourteen

Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd

On the twenty-third of September Ginny sat in the Gryffindor common room, pouting. The mud—erm, Muggle-born—had effectively staked her claim to Harry and defended it. One of her bi—erm, witches—was chatting up the other Boy Who Lived. This was intolerable! On top of that, that idiot Ron was defending Neville's small remaining available time when he was away from Hermione and her witches with elbows and body blocks. Fine. This would just require patience and a few well-placed hexes; the mud…ggle-born wouldn't get both Boys Who Lived! Ginny settled, with that decision made, and got back to her homework. It was odd, but she was very good at this stuff. She had never been quite this good at home. Ginny smiled. She was obviously coming into her own.

Later, the Coven piled into the common room and Ginny was pleasant but not pushy. Hermione frowned. What was going on now?

Lavender, Hermione, Harry, and Parvati lingered in the common room. Harry was talking to the twins while Hermione watched Neville pass by Ginny, who gave him a thousand-watt smile that stunned him, or at least made him miss a step. Hermione groaned. She had just gotten Neville to be less dependent on Bilius and now the other weasel was starting. She felt the couch beside her sink under someone's weight and Lavender leaned over and whispered, "That could actually work out, you know. Ginny does have some brains. Properly developed and distracted from Harry…." Lavender left it hanging. Hermione's eyes narrowed.

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Harry walked beside Hermione, leading the Coven second years into their specially arranged Arithmancy class for last period on the twenty-eighth. Cho met him leading her witches out. "Hi, Harry!"

"Hello, Cho."

Harry smiled at Cho and she beamed back at him.

When are we going to shag her, Harry? She couldn't be any more obvious.

Whenever. Not really lighting me on fire, Ne.

Padma rolled her eyes. Duh, Harry. She doesn't have brown bushy hair.

Harry smiled at Padma and leaned over and pecked her on the cheek. The brainiac speaks.

Huh, lot you know. I'm just trying to keep up with Ne.

Morgana! Slow down, then, Padma. You're killing me, Hermione smiled.

Septima Vector watched all this from her seat on the front of the desk. Her favorite class of the day, week, year—hell, career—was here. She was so pleased that the Board and MEA had allowed this class after seeing the test results from last year. The other Professors were horribly jealous; well, Trelawney was. Bathsheba was monopolizing the study sessions three times a week and Kettleburn was just trying to get through his last year. The Board should have just allowed Bathsheba to take the Coven into a special class, too, but Dumbledore had protested too much.

The Coven ripped through the material as fast as she could lecture. They were already into fifth year material. At this rate they would sit their masteries directly after their NEWTs. What a feather in her cap that would be! Padma Patil was doing as much teaching as she was; the witch was a genius at this—apparently at runes, too.

The door closed. "All right, if we're through planning the shagging of Ms Chang, perhaps we can move on to the discussion of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and its effects on magic." She smirked as the Coven's collective mouth dropped open. "What? Oh, like you aren't going to, Harry. Just push her up against a wall someday; she'll enjoy it."

Harry smiled. "Transference, Professor?"

"See me after OWLs, Harry."

"Hey!"

Septima looked at Hermione and laughed. "Now, Mr Heisenberg says…."

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Su walked back into her common room, headed for her trunk to use her tub before study group, and found Cho viciously abusing one of the firsties, Luna Lovegood. "Chang, what do you think you're doing?"

"What's it to you, Li?"

Su looked at Luna. "Are you all right, Luna?"

"Don't turn your back on me, Li!" Cho made a mistake. She reached out and grabbed Su's arm. The Ravenclaws—most were in the common room—froze. Cho found herself in an iron grip looking into glowing green eyes.

"What's going on here?" Harry was confused. The bond, or whatever it was, had never reacted to witches tussling before. He looked at an equally confused Su and turned and bore into Cho's mind.

Cho had intended to dominate Luna. Su had interrupted, and Cho had decided she needed some comeuppance. She had planned to hurt Su.

Hermione burst into the Ravenclaw common room with Susan, Padma, and Daphne just as the St. Andrew's cross appeared on a wall and Cho flew to it, losing her clothes along the way. Hermione nodded and a cat-o-nine-tails appeared in her hand. Harry waved her off and mentally directed her to Su and Luna. The rest of the Coven began pouring into the Ravenclaw common room. Su, Lisa, Mandy, Morag, and Kristen glared around the room, instantly quelling the other 'Claws.

Harry took the cat from Hermione and stepped over to Cho. Daphne watched in concern as, without a word, Harry shook out the cat and laid on with a will. She thanked the gods the tails were soft leather and not knotted. Daphne counted the lashes and noted that Cho came on the fifth stroke. It wouldn't be the last time. Cho's creamy, light-tan skin reddened swiftly from stripes to a gentle red glow.

Hermione checked Su and then Luna. Neither girl was hurt and Luna was fiercely focused on Harry. "Luna, are you all right?"

"Not really, Hermione. They take my things and make fun of me."

Hermione gasped. Harry's lash strokes sped up. Cho wailed incoherently and jerked spasmodically. Hermione grasped Luna's chin and turned her face to her. "Who's the Prefect?"

"Penelope, Hermione. Does Harry really think that's punishment for her? She has an orgasm every five or six strokes."

Cho was suddenly spun and her eyelids pulled open and she watched her House watch her be whipped from orgasm to orgasm until she passed out, her breasts, back, thighs and sex beaten blood-red, but the skin unbroken. The flags under her were a puddle and the insides of her thighs soaked. Harry Obliviated the 'Claws, minus the Coven, Cho, and Luna, of the incident and put a compulsion on them to go to their rooms and he and the others moved Cho to hers, Harry applied a little wild magic to her to insure she wasn't injured and they left her there. Harry escorted Luna to her room. "You'll be fine now, Luna. Cho will see to it. Penelope will help her."

Luna looked at Harry. "Thanks, Harry. So do I give you oral now?"

Harry blinked and then laughed. "You don't have to do that, Luna."

"Of course I don't have to; it's just a matter of time, though, Harry. I see us together."

Harry chuckled. "Okay, fine, but you have to talk to Hermione first."

"Of course, Harry. I have read the resources."

Harry stood and Luna's eyes lost their focus. He rubbed her head gently and left her room. Hermione arched a brow at Harry and then she and the witches giggled. They could feel Nym giggling too. Harry sighed. What? We don't have to. She can be a vassal.

The giggling chorus of Yes, Harry, of course she could brought a playful growl.

Nym spoke up. Save that thought. You can work off another NEWT result. Let me go to the dungeons! I'll meet you there.

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Cho woke on the twenty-ninth to Marietta Edgecomb shaking her, and froze in shame. Marietta looked at the furiously blushing Cho and smirked. "Nice dream, Cho? Want some help?" Marietta whipped the sheet back and slid in, covering Cho's sex with her mouth.

Cho's head swam. How could Marietta be doing this after last night, when she'd shown her entire world that she was a pain slut? Oh gods, it doesn't matter!

Marietta smiled as Cho grunted and flooded her mouth. She lifted off. "Now, get ready and let's go. We're running late."

Cho, running on autopilot, went through her morning routine with her mind racing through the possibilities and tears of shame threatening to fall any minute. Finally she was dressed and Marietta pushed her out of her room and down to the common room. Nobody gave her a second glance—well, no more than normal. She was in fact a beautiful girl and was used to the attention that came with that from both wizards and witches. Luna Lovegood looked at her; the girl's eyes snapped into focus with a knowing look and she smiled. Her eyes then unfocused and she drifted away again. Marietta growled and moved toward Luna. Cho grabbed her arm. "Leave her alone, Marietta!"

Marietta blinked but her service agreement kicked in. "Yes, Mistress."

Cho nodded, then smiled at Luna and strode over to the girl. Suddenly she felt great! "Luna, good morning. Ready for breakfast?"

Luna smiled. "Yes, Cho."

"Good. Come along, then."

Marietta looked at Cho, pop-eyed. Yesterday they had been torturing Lovegood. What the hell was going on now? Cho must be setting the girl up for something, but why was Lovegood just going along with it?

Cho turned at the entrance to the common room and said, "Coming, Marietta?"

Marietta started and followed her mistress with a confused expression on her face.

In the Great Hall, Cho sailed straight up to Harry's table—Slytherin this morning—and dropped Luna off before going to the Ravenclaw table. She wanted to stay, but those knowing looks on Harry, Hermione, Susan Bones, Padma Patil, and Daphne Greengrass were still a little much. Harry beamed at her. "Thank you, Cho."

Cho nearly orgasmed on the spot. Her thought was, What the hell? "You're welcome, MasHarry."

Marietta watched this whole exchange, expecting a punch line any minute. None came and she followed Cho to the Ravenclaw table, still waiting.

Hermione turned to Harry. "What did you do to Chang, Harry? She wanted to get her breakfast on her knees."

Harry's mouth opened in shock. Prepping the field, Harry. What did you do, though? She very nearly came when you thanked her.

Nothing, Hermione—well, nothing magical, not even a loyalty charm.

Hermione smirked. Not magic magic, anyway. Just MasHarry magic, then.

Luna reached over and closed Harry's mouth with a forefinger. "Nargles will get in, Harry."

Hermione blinked. "What?"

HOHHOHHOHHOHHOHOHHOHHOH0HHOHHOHHOHHOHHOHHOHHOHHOHH OHHOHHOHHOHHOHHOHHOHHOH

Nym smiled when she woke in Hermione's bed at five on Friday, the second of October, and wriggled contentedly. Harry was lodged just inside her as they spooned together. It was a great way to wake up. Harry was dreaming, too. Nym cast a quick Tempus and smiled. She had thirty minutes; she would just have to go with a Scourgify until after hand-to-hand. She concentrated on Harry's dream and Luna Lovegood pushed herself back onto Harry and sheathed another inch of him in a viscously tight, warm, wet channel. Harry responded by pushing and Nym/Luna gasped as her virginity was ripped away. Harry froze and his wandering warm hands found both perfect palms full of breast with their nearly invisible pale pink nipples. Nym/Luna blinked away the tears and pushed against Harry. He took up a nice rhythm and woke just as he coated her insides in a bath of come.

Harry looked at the dirty blond hair in front of him and cleared Hermione behind him in one convulsive leap, landing on the floor. Luna Lovegood looked at him from the pallet beside the bed. "Good morning, Harry. Blibbering Humdinger frighten you?"

Harry banged his head on the plank floor. Nym and Hermione's heads appeared over the edge of the bed. Harry rolled to his back and Luna, the real Luna, licked her lips and zeroed in on her standing target. Hermione reached out and grabbed a foot and dragged her back. "No signature, no sucking."

"Pooh!"

The girls laughed. Harry groaned.

Nym stepped over him and sank down on him. "Now a quick one for me, Harry, and then I have to go."

Harry's mind tried to sort out what had just happened, while the inner circle laughed in his head and his body took over with Nym. He figured it out when he noticed she was a lot wetter than usual. Luna lay on her stomach with her head propped on her hands, watching the pair like it was a show in the park. Hermione chuckled. Luna was fighting the signing of the contract. She wanted to just go straight to letting Harry claim her fully and permanently.

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Later at the Ministry a very "on" Nym ran like the Tasmanian Devil through her classmates and the female Auror who was supervising, and sat grinning.

Auror Dawlish smiled. "Tonks, up and at 'em. You do so well against the witches, let's see how you handle a real wizard."

Nym didn't care for his tone, but she'd had to spar against him before. He always tried to close and use his weight and power. Normally he also copped a feel if he could, and then bragged about it to the wizards later. He was a slime; unfortunately he knew Nym was a Metamorph and had been making a big deal out of her having "uses" in intelligence gathering. He thought he was hot stuff because he was on the Minister's detail.

Nym hopped up and set herself, and Dawlish immediately charged her. Nym backpedaled and tried to sidestep, but the full change that morning had thrown her off and she stumbled. Dawlish hooked her with an arm and pulled her to his body. He had her bent over with his crotch against her ass and handfuls of both breasts before she recovered. Nym shrank her breasts out of his grip, turned halfway, and threw an elbow back hard. The point of her elbow crushed Dawlish's voicebox and he went down hard.

The watching crowd stepped back. One of Dawlishs's sycophants charged Nym, screaming in rage, and fell to a Stunner from Master Auror, Chief Instructor, Moody. "Anyone else?" Moody looked around. "Someone get a medic before this piece of shite dies." He kicked Dawlish with his wooden leg. One of the cadets legged it out of the training room. Moody looked at Nym and nodded. She was standing there with a look of concentration and something was standing just behind her under some kind of Disillusionment charm.

No, Harry, you can't kill him.

Oh, yes, I can, Nym.

Harry! This needs to be handled through the proper channels if I'm to do well here. I handled it, didn't I?

Very well, too, Nym, but he is going to die. After his trial or now, doesn't matter to me.

Nym rolled her eyes and huffed. Alastor nodded. "So, since this piece of shite decided to be an example, we're going to see what happens when a claimed witch is mistreated." He turned to the medics who had arrived and gone to work on Dawlish. "Will he live?"

The lead medic looked up and nodded. "He needs to go to St. Mungo's, though."

Moody nodded. "Fine, after he's processed." He turned to the class. "Right, who can tell me the steps for processing a wounded prisoner?"

Nym turned and kissed Harry quickly just before he faded away.

He still dies, Nym.

Nym sighed. Yes, Harry, but after whatever the system is going to do to him.

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On Monday the fifth Amelia Bones sat down behind the screen to watch the Veritaserum questioning of Auror Dawlish. She very nearly rubbed her hands in glee. She would question him, or have him questioned, regarding everything he had done since his Academy days. He was dirty—you could look at him and know. No telling how much fun this would be.

Alastor entered the observation room and sat. "Duke Potter will kill him. Better get it all now."

Amelia smiled. "Good morning, Alastor. Yes, I thought so, too. When Fudge hears of this it will be a madhouse. I already talked to Susan and Lord Black. They're quietly preparing the field. Fudge may very well not survive this."

Alastor laughed outright. "If he interferes in any way with the Potter lad killing Dawlish in public, I suspect he'll join Dawlish on his next great adventure. Tonks is exhausted this morning. I think she had to sit on Duke Potter all weekend."

Amelia smirked. "Why, Alastor! Language, please!"

"Stop that, gel. You know what I meant."

Amelia laughed. "I'm fairly certain we're both more correct than we know. Susan seemed a little frazzled, too."

Alastor shook his head. "The boy is a hazard."

"Only if you cross him, Alastor, or if you're a mannerless, uncultured boor who assaults women, apparently. He seems to have very little tolerance for that sort of thing."

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Hermione looked at Harry in the sitting room of Potter Castle; they had finished both dinner and the second study session. Harry was thinking through the most creative ways to kill Dawlish with first and second year curricula magics. While very creative, and sometimes humorous, most were just gross, especially that thing with the plank in the huge slingshot and Dawlish bent over. "Mother of God, Harry! Get over it already."

Harry pouted. Hermione sighed. "Sorry, Harry." She leaned over and pecked him on the lips.

Nym nodded. "You should be. Harry, I like the plank up the arse. Then we can stick him up in the middle of Diagon."

"Nym! Don't encourage him!" Hermione was upset. She had spent a whole weekend shagging like a mink to distract Harry, but every time one of them wasn't physically keeping him busy he went right back to planning Auror Dale Dawlish's spectacular demise.

"Come on, Ne. If you help, we can have it all planned out. It'll be spectacular enough to stick in the idiots' minds for a thousand years and keep me from having to kill more of them."

"Harry! That's blackmail!"

"Neeeeee."

"No, Harry. Harry, no. Harrrrryyy!"

Emma walked in just as Harry lifted his head from a panting Hermione's neck on the silk rug where he had pulled her down. "Don't you all have beds for that?"

"Eeek! Mother! Harry, stop laughing!"

This, of course, brought on paroxysms of levity and Harry was very definitely derailed from the demise of Dawlish. Emma smiled and sat. Eliza came and knelt at her feet. "Please teach me, o natural Slytherin one."

Emma giggled with the others. Hermione harrumphed and pouted.

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Harry paced slowly through Potter Castle supporting Narcissa on the fourteenth, with the Coven following and talking in low tones. Narcissa rolled her eyes. "I'm neither sick nor injured. Stop whispering. Harry, dear, if you hover any closer, as soon as this practice contraction is over you're going to get burned, like the moth to my flame."

Harry waggled his eyebrows. "Promise?"

Narcissa sighed. "What is your fascination with my grotesque, whale-like physique, Harry? Never mind, contraction over. Love me, Harry!"

Narcissa found herself levitated and being towed to the master bedroom at flank speed. She desperately tried to maintain her dignity by pulling her robe more tightly around her thighs.

The Coven followed along, laughing. Luna was now an accepted, though still unsigned member of the Coven. She was nearly as stubborn as Hermione and wasn't about to be pushed by her hormones yet. Luna smiled and said, "Just think how much fun it will be to be pregnant with Harry's baby."

Hermione stopped and turned, looking Luna in her very focused eyes. Luna grinned at her and winked. Her eyes then unfocused again. Hermione huffed in frustration. It was as if Luna was two girls, and you couldn't stay mad at either of them. One was a genius and the other was a sweet, goofy little girl.

Hermione turned into the bedroom to find a nude Narcissa laid on a bearskin rug in front of the fire being massaged by Harry. She was slick with an oil they had discovered that eliminated stretch marks. She glowed a golden red, like some kind of pagan fertility goddess cast in copper.

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Narcissa longed for Harry's comforting hands in the early morning of the seventeenth as his baby spun and twisted after another contraction. "Shhh, angel. We'll go to hospital in a little while." She frowned. Lucius was adamant that this baby be delivered at St. Mungo's—why, she had no idea. The midwives could do just as well at home.

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Dobby appeared in Potter Castle's kitchen. "Otto, it's Mistress's time. They will go to St. Mungo's."

Otto nodded and he and Dobby both disappeared.

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Harry nervously went through PT, breakfast, and classes until noon. The Coven knew what was going on and closed ranks. The Coven's wizards closed ranks around them and the rest of the students steered well clear of this hard-eyed group.

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Narcissa chuckled ruefully as Lucius retreated to the waiting room and the midwives orbited her. She stopped when the contraction hit. "Don't push yet, dearie."

Narcissa favored the midwife with a gimlet eye. She got an earthy chuckle in return. The midwife looked down, saw the crown of the baby's head, and used her wand to cut a quick episiotomy. "All right, dearie, a big push with the next one."

Narcissa nodded and as her contraction hit she bore down and pushed. The midwife did her magic and Narcissa was delivered of a healthy baby boy: eight pounds and four ounces, and twenty inches long. She would not see him for a few moments yet as the medi-witches and midwives swept in and did their work, cutting the cord and cleaning the baby. Narcissa was left in the care of the midwives, who delivered the placenta, healed the episiotomy as if it had never been, and applied various charms and potions in a whirlwind of efficiency.

Soon enough Leyland William Malfoy was laid in his mother's arms and nursing at her breast. Narcissa was smiling with a tear running down her cheek, in a welter of hormones, adrenaline, and exhaustion. The midwifes, medi-witches, and orderlies continued their activities, preparing mother, child, and room to meet who the staff thought was their lord.

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Meanwhile, in the waiting area, Lucius had maintained his sneer as Lord Black waited silently and expressionlessly. Lucius, who had been awake since Narcissa had gone into labor yesterday, could stand it no longer. "Your purpose here, Black?"

Sirius smiled. "Why, to see my dear cousin, Lucius. The Blacks are not so numerous as before, what with the losing ways of half-blood mongrels and their lieutenants. Family, however, is very important to us. It always has been."

Lucius tried to puzzle that out but his mind kept sticking on the slap at him. He was one of those lieutenants Sirius had just spoken of.

His contemplations were interrupted by a witch. "Lord Malfoy, you may see your lady and son now."

Lucius left the waiting room, concentrating on the next few moments and not noticing Sirius trailing along silently.

Lucius entered the room and saw only the baby. He moved to Narcissa and took the child from her arms. Ignoring Narcissa, he examined the child. Lucius could actually feel pulses of magic. They were small, but they were there. He smiled. Lucius held the baby aloft and told the room and the world, "I present you, Leyland William Malfoy, the next Lord Malfoy."

Sirius watched this and nodded. His little voice said, "And your death warrant."

The room full of midwives, medi-witches, and orderlies smiled. Now the new mum would get hers; always so romantic, this part.

Lucius handed Narcissa the green-eyed, black-haired, already obviously magical baby back, sneered at her, opened his mouth, and saw Sirius. "Too late now, Black. The heir is named and claimed."

Sirius nodded. "Yes, I saw. Odd, those green eyes, what?"

Malfoy snapped. No one would ever know what had caused it—sleep deprivation, the tension of twelve years of hiding what he was—no one would know. He snarled and drew his wand. A surprised Sirius drew his wand and cast the first shield that came to mind. Lucius's vicious Sectumsempra slammed into the shield from less than a meter away and rebounded instantly, causing the upper and lower halves of the late Lord Lucius Malfoy to part company. Narcissa pressed her boy to her breast.

The midwives actually moved first in the ensuing silence. They reached Lucius and shook their heads. He could have been in an operating room and the best Healers in the world would not have been able to save him.

Narcissa opened her mouth and then clapped it closed when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked into the green eyes of her lord for a moment, before they disappeared again.

Sirius gathered his wits and drew himself up to his full height from his defensive crouch. Narcissa looked at him. "We seek the protection of our paternal house, Lord Black."

Aurors skidded into the room just in time to hear this line. Sirius's mind worked quickly and he nodded. "Of course, Lady Black Malfoy. I regret your loss."

Narcissa looked at the cooling Lucius under the sheet the medi-witches had drawn over him. "Thank you, Lord Black. I regret my husband's actions. Why he attacked you unprovoked I will never know."

The Aurors blinked. Madam Bones entered the room. "Lord Black, Lady Malfoy, what in Circe's name is going on here?"

Narcissa felt a lingering kiss as Sirius explained to Madam Bones what had happened, and the hand left her shoulder. Oddly, she felt a familiar feminine kiss shortly after that and barely smiled. Her lord and lady had both attended her in her need.

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At Hogwarts, if Minerva McGonagall was surprised when Harry and Hermione disappeared toward the middle of class she was even more amazed when Daphne stood and waved her hand and the other students, minus the Coven, went to sleep. "Daphne!"

"Sorry, Professor. Harry had to go. Sirius killed Lucius, or Lucius tried to kill Sirius and ended up dead. Something. Oh, Narcissa has just delivered a boy, eight pounds and four ounces and twenty inches long. Hermione says he looks just like Harry but with better hair, what there is of it. Oh, and she says he's definitely magical."

The Coven tittered excitedly

Minerva blinked. "Well, all right. Saves me having to be on guard against the hazard that Mr Weasley has become. What do we do about these students?"

Daphne smirked. "Harry and Hermione will be back in a moment and then we go on with class when he or I wake them. They'll think they drifted off in class and thank Morgana you didn't catch them. Bilius's problem is that wand of his, Professor. He broke it and taped it back together with Spell-o-tape."

Pansy laughed and the Coven joined her. "You have to teach me that sleeping thing, Daphne!"

Minerva frowned. "Not before she teaches me, Miss Parkinson." Minerva walked over to Ron and looked at the wand. She shook her head. "I'll have to write Molly and Arthur."

This brought more giggles.

Harry returned with Hermione. "Sorry, Professor."

Minerva smiled. "Congratulations, Your Grace, a healthy boy, already showing signs of being magical. Well done!"

Harry blushed furiously. "It was all Narcissa, ma'am."

Minerva looked Harry in the eye. "Not all, unless you changed the process of course. If you did, you can just change it right back!"

Harrys blushed deepened and the witches laughed and then talked for a minute while he recovered. Minerva nodded, Harry waved, and class continued.

Neville came awake with Ron's head on his shoulder. He pushed Ron off and they both got a glare from McGonagall, but she didn't say a word to them. Neville groaned. He had to quit playing chess with Ron until so late at night.

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That night in Potter Castle the parents and Coven conversed as Harry hovered protectively over a smiling Narcissa and child, eyes glowing. It had all the mums sighing and the Coven discreetly waving charms at themselves. Merlin's staff, but he—hell, they—were sex on a chaise.

Andromeda leaned in and turned Nym's head back to face her. "Nymphadora?"

"What, Mum?"

Andromeda sighed. "How is the Academy, dear?"

"In a tizzy, Mum. Sirius killing Lucius has them all freaked."

"Hey, it wasn't me! He killed himself!" Sirius raised his hands palm out in protest.

Amelia snorted and then nodded. "They aren't the only ones. The Wizengamot has lost its mind and demanded someone be charged. We may have to have Harry occupy his seats if one more light-sider goes over to the other side on this issue."

Augusta gaped and recovered. "Even after that Veritaserum-induced questioning of the witnesses and those certified Pensieve memories?"

Amelia shrugged eloquently. "Dumbledore is rousing the rabble. He is, as always, working in the background, but this has his 'greater good' stamp all over it. He has it in for Sirius for some reason."

Susan turned her head to the group from her position, chin in hand, watching Harry with Narcissa and Leyland. "To separate him from Harry, worst case, that case being he's discovered his error and is now taking steps to secure the true Boy Who Lived; or he just has it in for Sirius and is using him to improve his base—being seen to be in agreement with the Dark could pitch him some of the neutrals—best case."

Everyone in the room turned to look at her. Susan blushed. "What?"

Tracey leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "Our own little political savant. We're so proud!"

The conversation really got rolling after that. Narcissa, having finally had enough attention from Harry, and with Leyland sleeping in her arms and herself feeling really good, finally joined in. "Sirius, you idiot. Why did you kill Lucius, anyway? Now you can't annul the marriage and I can't have Harry for a year!"

Harry perked up and growled. Sirius blanched. "Uh, no, Harry, that isn't true at all. Padma says you can put a sigil on her any time. Just don't make it a Potter crest and everyone will think she's under the protection of the Black house, after all, as she did claim it immediately. And again, I didn't kill him, I only shielded."

"Are you saying you aren't going to protect me and Leyland, you dog?"

"Narcissa! How could you? You know I will!" Sirius said, unintentionally using his head of house voice.

Narcissa blinked and then recovered. Her lord was, after all, sitting right there holding their child. "Oh, hush, Sirius. Good idea, Padma, although I still won't be able to have Harry publicly for a year and I'll have to wear black. Hmmm. I need a tan. I look better in black with a tan." Narcissa paused, thinking. Harry stuck his sigil on her left ring finger, whereupon it crawled over the Malfoy Matriarch's ring and bound it as if it was in a silver cage.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other. Hermione beat Harry to the punch by milliseconds and an oddly stereophonic "Publicly?" burst from them with a minor reverb.

Narcissa looked into snapping brown eyes and confused green ones. "Mistress, I would never even attempt to supplant you. Come here and touch me and know the truth. Master, yes, publicly."

Narcissa watched the green eyes start to roll up and said, "No, Harry, not that! Unless you want to, of course, but it will be us being seen together publicly. The dog has made it so that he'll have to escort me everywhere for a year, or perhaps Remus if he takes him into the Black family. Draco could do it, but I expect he won't be suitable when he learns of this. Sirius will be busy stomping on him and his claims to the fortune. Not too hard to do, as any scan will prove he's no male, but still I'd hate to have to kill him for trying something on Leyland. Now, if you do want to establish your claim in public, Master, there are some traditional locations. I think I prefer the Holy Thorn and missionary position."

Harry's eyes had gone all glowing at that last and Narcissa beamed. Hermione huffed. "Fine for you to fire him up, Narcissa. You won't be on the fire brigade for six weeks."

Now Narcissa's pale blue eyes were confused. "Beg pardon? Why not?"

Hermione made a vague motion over her lower abdomen. "Don't you have to heal?"

Narcissa chuckled. "Hermione, dear, we are magical. You've seen bones healed overnight, regrown even. The episiotomy was healed after I delivered Leyland's placenta, which needs to go in the vault, Harry, along with his cord, and three potions will restore the rest by tomorrow."

Emma looked at Dan. "This one's being born by a witch midwife."

Harry caught Hermione on the way to the floor. He was beaming. Emma turned on him. "And should have her legally married, Uncle Harry there to greet her!"

Harry opened his mouth and Hermione put her hand over it. "Mother! Again with this? And Harry will be her brother-in-law."

"Yes, Hermione. If he's going to be stepping out on you, how can I be properly mad about it unless you're married? But with the age difference, Uncle will work."

"That type of thinking is what's stopping me right now, Mother!"

Melba sighed. "Merlin's truth! Stop that, you two. We're drifting off course here. What are we going to do about the Wizengamot? Then we can argue over weddings some more."

Luna looked up from her seat next to Narcissa, where she had taken Leyland. "Augusta should talk to the GOLs. Pull the vassal card early and often. Remind them Harry says it was an accident at best, suicide at worst. Sirius needs to work the Black vassals. We'll have enough votes in an inquest to rule Malfoy's death an accident. Both sides will be unhappy, but it will work. The Dark will keep quiet as long as Narcissa isn't seen publicly with Harry. Harry will need to kill Jacques Malfois when he challenges Narcissa as Head of the Malfois and make the Malfoy/Malfois house a vassal house. Because he'll be her and Leyland's Champion, Hermione."

"Luna, please at least let me ask the question first," Hermione said in a long-suffering voice.

"Okay, Hermione," Luna returned brightly.

"Now, Mother…."

Harry walked back over and took Leyland, sitting between Luna and Narcissa as the Coven and its family watched the wedding scuffle like a tennis match. It was all cold reason this time, though, an amazing display from two powerful, logical minds. Harry found out he would be married on the day after his seventeenth birthday in a ceremony that would rival the royal wedding at Glastonbury Abbey. At least that seemed to be the agreement that resulted. Harry hoped that settled it and wondered how much it would cost to rebuild an Abbey.

Daphne's amused voice sounded in his head. It doesn't need rebuilding, Harry. That's all Muggle-repelling charms that are so powerful they work on Muggle cameras. Who knew the daft things would make it a landmark all these years later?

Daphne? So all the ruins in this country...

Only about half, Harry, and none so famous as the graves of Arthur and Gwenhwyfar, the last of the high elves.

Harry resisted the urge to groan. Something almost had to go oddly with this setup. He would end up being Merlin reincarnated or something. Luna kissed him on the cheek. "Don't whinge, Harry. It will be fun!"

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Harry and the others trooped into the castle dripping wet after practice on the twenty-fourth of October. Harry was living a dream. The witches looked so sexy with those wet clothes plastered to them and those hard nipples. He wished the spectators hadn't just sat in the rain, but apparently it was a solidarity thing or something. He led the way up the stairs, and halfway up the first staircase he stopped. He turned, and Argus Filch smiled horribly at him and waved. "Never you mind, Your Grace. Mrs Norris and I have it." Argus put the Dial-a-Spell on a dry patch of floor and Mrs Norris weaved through the puddles and pressed the button. Her fur ruffled in the passing charm, and you could hear her purring all the way up to Harry.

That's obscene! That cat is getting off on that!

Maybe, Hermione, but what I want to know is how is a cat making it go? You have to have at least some magic.

Really, Padma? So my mum and dad are Squibs? Hermione was well pleased.

Not in the classic sense. Apparently all humans have at least some magic and so can function rune controls, Padma supplied.

Susan suggested, Kneazle mix, maybe?

Nym added, Probably. That would explain how she tracks so well. I've tried everything and she always finds me.

Daphne shivered. Now that the cat mystery is solved can we please use someone's trunk and go through to Camelot? I want in the hot tub.

Harry threw an arm around her and Daphne groaned. "Harry, how do you make that warming charm go into me like that?"

Eliza rolled her eyes. "Well, Daphne, when a wizard likes a witch…." She couldn't continue; the chase flowed through the Gryffindor common room, into the dorms, and then to Camelot in such a whirlwind that none of the Gryffindors even thought to check who was who. When Neville came out of the shower after Ron, he looked for Harry and smiled. He would give them some time before he went through his own trunk. No sense getting his eyes burnt out again.

Ron just shrugged at Harry's empty bed. He wasn't worrying about Potter any more. Between his mother's Howlers and this wonky wand, he hardly had the time to keep an eye on Neville and Ginny. "Chess, mate?"

Neville smiled. "Sure, Ron, but only one game." He led the way down to the common room.

When Neville and Ron were seated, Ginny came and perched on the arm of Neville's chair with her arse nearly touching his arm. Neville lost spectacularly—that warm butt millimeters from his arm was very distracting—and Ginny dragged him away. "Neville, can you help me with my homework?"

Neville smiled hugely. Perhaps his eyes were safe after all.

Ron watched the pair thoughtfully.

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Draco charged through the Slytherin common room to avoid the insults and taunts he knew were coming. Father was dead, and now the pure-blood scions were turning on their housemates. He could be attacked at any time.

Mother, the useless bitch, had had that spawn Father had got on her, and Father had named it the heir just before he apparently committed suicide. The thing had to die. Mother would have to be reasoned with. They could get an heir on some witch by some wizard and then blood-adopt, or just take a magical child and blood-adopt it using Draco's blood after they killed its family.

Slytherin! This couldn't continue. The only thing holding the House to any kind of civilized behavior at all was the portraits reporting to Professor Sinistra and her laughing and taking points, while issuing detentions with complete abandon. Nott—Theodore, not Audrey—had even physically challenged her and been laughed at and found himself stuck to the wall for two days. No one had given his tormentors—and there were many—any sort of punishment at all. Slytherin was at its lowest ebb in living memory and the dark lady Sinistra just laughed and told them, "You will bend to my will, or I'll break you all. Your choice."

That was all fine, but how were they supposed to know what her will was? Draco fumed. The witches seemed to be doing fine, though. Gods, they were vicious when one of the scions got points taken. Nobody had girlfriends any more, and the House was feeding on itself; the wizard side, anyway.

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Harry led the slightly green witches to Camelot on the thirty-first. Sir Nicholas's deathday party, while interesting, had been vile.

The feast laid by the elves in Camelot's dining room was anything but. The now complete Coven fell to with a will. Jasmine Moore paused and burped, then giggled. "Nym, they have courses in forensics at some of the universities. Would that help you in your work? I mean after we adapt the methods to magic, of course."

Nym shrugged. "To tell you the truth, I don't know. I mean, you all know as much about this as I do. We review all my lessons and practice the hand-to-hand and magical dueling, so what do you think, Jasmine?"

"I'll do a rough draft of some books I've read about procedures, collection, analysis, and rules of evidence and we can go from there."

Nym nodded.

Narcissa smiled at Harry who, after he had finished eating, was sitting on a silk rug with his legs spread and Leyland between them, giggling at the faces his father was pulling and trying to roll over. Harry was a great father, and when he could he took Leyland from her to let her rest or just sit and relax. It just couldn't get better than this! Emma Cadwallader favored her with a huge pout. Narcissa just beamed at her.

"How's your cover wizard William coming, Emma?"

Emma smiled. "Fine, actually. I'll get one of those in just a few years." She nodded toward Leyland.

Narcissa pulled a moue. "It's not all roses, Emma. We're busy being a non-sleeper now. Two or three hours at a time at best, then we have to find Bessy again."

Harry looked up. "You could express milk and an elf could nanny him, Narcissa."

"No!" Narcissa blanched. That had been much more emphatic than she intended. "Beg pardon, Your Grace. I don't want to do that, though. That's traditional and how Draco was raised. I will raise Leyland myself. If my social schedule suffers, so be it. As long as you have what you want from me, I don't see any other more pressing concerns than raising our son properly."

Harry beamed at her. "Okay. I want you to be Narcissa Black Malfoy. Stop worrying about being yourself around me, Cissy."

Narcissa warmed at the smile and then arched a brow. "Nothing else, Master?"

Ella Caldwell sighed in exasperation. "Narcissa, how can you make a simple question and sitting in a chair make me wet? I'm not even that into witches!" Narcissa smiled mysteriously.

Padma missed the whole conversation and Tracey noticed. "What is it, Padma?"

"We're ready on the diary. But I'm afraid of it. Well, not it, it's rigged to go up in flames at the touch of a rune, the stone under it anyway. I'm afraid of Harry getting near it."

"So why don't we freeze some of his boys like they do at those Muggle fertility clinics we investigated before Cissy worked out so well?"

Padma unfocused for a moment, then Tracey got dragged down on the rug and thanked thoroughly while Harry was fully distracted by Cissy and Susan. Hermione sat with Leyland in her lap and a bright smile on her face.

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Ron watched in disgust as Ginny nearly offered Neville her breasts—what there was of them; more like bumps with nipples—for dinner. Mother would be scandalized when he wrote to her. Where had Ginny even gotten that top? And this wand! He couldn't even protect himself from the hexes the little witch threw at him every time her eyes fell on him. It was so unfair. She was his sister and he couldn't hex her in return.

His attention refocused on Ginny dragging Neville to his feet, a bright smile on her face. "So, we're off, then."

Neville looked at Ron. "Just for a walk, Ron, some fresh air. We'll be back."

"Oh. All right, then."

"Uh, alone, Ron—just me and Ginny."

"What? Braaack cluck-cluck-cluck braaack!"

Neville blinked in surprise and then laughed with the rest of the student body as the Professors chased Ron-the-chicken. Ginny took advantage of the confusion, nodded at the twins, and pulled Neville away. Percy glared at the twins, who smirked back, and George nodded at the chicken. Percy huffed and turned back to the Halloween feast.

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Draco sank back in his seat, suppressing the nearly overwhelming urge to kill the chicken. Sadly, it wasn't possible with nearly every Professor surrounding the thing.

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Out in the nearly moonless courtyard Ginny shivered a bit theatrically and Neville spun his outer robe up and over her. "Want to go back in?"

Ginny shook her head and burrowed into his side. "No! Uh, I mean, not unless you want to. This is nice."

Neville steered them to a bench and swept the snow off. He sat and found himself with a lapful of witch who had her lips locked inexpertly but nearly desperately to his. It was a nice feeling. Neville leaned into it and began his own inexpert movements. He finally pulled back and gasped, drawing in a huge lungful of cold air. Ginny lay in his lap, gasping a little herself. They were both seeing spots. "Breathing—how do we do that when we're doing this?"

Ginny smiled. "Let's try it breathing through our noses. And Neville, you can move your hands."

Neville blushed at what he thought she was telling him. Ginny laughed and leaned in, locking her lips to his again. She turned so she was astride him and ooched forward until her panty-covered vulva hit his hard, trouser-covered cock, then she let her weight down on him. Neville grimaced and pushed her back up with his hands at her waist. He didn't quite throw her on the ground but they ended up standing, a look of pain on Neville's face and one of horror on Ginny's. "Oh, Morgana, Neville, I'm sorry! What happened?"

Neville wouldn't speak; he simply led her back into the castle and up to the Gryffindor common room, where he pecked her good night and went to his room. Ginny went up to her room and flung herself on the bed, bitterly disappointed and highly aroused.

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Golden eyes flashed at the empty hallway. Nothing! Why had Master called? Where was the Master?

A vast slithering filled the hallway, followed by an ethereal exclamation and a splash.

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In Potter Castle Harry felt a tingle up his spine and froze in concentration. The feeling went away and he shrugged it off and turned back to the "after" conversation they were having. He felt the inner circle's eyes on him.

I don't know.

Harry felt more than saw their concerned acquiescence. He ran his hand up Morag's back and around to her front. She moved her arm and allowed him full access to her breast as she kept talking to Millie.

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In his rooms, having just returned, Albus felt the wards trip and rose to find the cause. He could not afford another scandal.

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Very late that night Ginny woke and listened. She heard the feminine groans issuing from Granger's room as usual. Someone was getting what she wanted! Hey, wait a minute. They never lock that door! Most of the time it's open, even. I can see what's supposed to be happening!

Ginny crept up to the second year girls' dorm and through the door. Lisa Turpin was astride Harry, who lay on the bed on his back, and she was rising up and down. Ginny crept closer. Oh, Merlin! It's that big? Oh, gods, I can't do that. It's, like, huge!

"See something you like, Ginny?"

Ginny jumped and spun. Hermione chuckled. "You're not mad? I wasn't going to—well, anything really. I want Neville. I just need to figure something out."

Hermione looked at her and led her to Lavender's bed. Ginny's eyes never left the sweat-slicked form of Lisa Turpin, forcing herself down on Harry over and over. "What did you need to figure out, Ginny?"

"What? Oh, Hermione!" Ginny focused as Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender chuckled. "Well you see, I was out in the courtyard with Neville. We were kissing and I straddled him like Lisa is Harry. We kept kissing and I slid up and sat down on him like she's doing, and he almost cried."

Lavender snickered. "You probably broke his boner."

Ginny looked horrified and about to cry. Hermione shot a look at Lavender. "You can't break it, it's not bone. Neville was probably getting hard, Ginny, and in an odd position in his pants. When you put your weight on it, it probably bent him at an odd angle. A sharp enough bend could be very painful."

They all snapped their heads around as Lisa growled out, "Haaaarrrrryyyy!" and Harry grunted and locked his hips. Ginny was fascinated. Hermione sighed. "Come on, I'll show you what I mean." She pulled Ginny over and the now collapsing Lisa fell over off of Harry. Hermione grasped his member. "See, it's really a special type of tissue called erectile tissue that fills with blood and gets really firm and hard. Here, feel." Hermione took Ginny's small hand and put it on Harry's hard, slick cock. Ginny leaned forward and looked as she rubbed up and down. Harry was a reddish color, and while it might not have a bone it was very hard; smooth and slick though, so warm too, and the veins in it squirmed under her fingers. She could feel Harry's pulse. She could also smell Lisa and something else, it must be Harry. How would he taste?

Lavender looked at Parvati with a raised brow as they watched from her bed. Hermione hadn't Scourgified Harry. Ginny was in contact with his sperm without a contract.

Ginny leaned closer and Hermione pulled her back. "No! Not without a contract." Lavender smiled at Parvati. Hermione hadn't lost her mind, then.

Ginny blushed. "Sorry, just looking."

Hermione eyed her. "You know you can't get a wizard's sperm inside you without a contract, Ginny. Unless you want to be Harry's and my fuck-toy."

Ginny shook her head. "No, I want my own. Erm, to be my own. Neville will do very nicely!" Her blush was epic.

Hermione nodded and put a hand on Harry's chest. His eyes were glowing just slightly. It's fine, Harry. I'm just showing her. We'll probably have a few sessions like this.

She felt Harry's mental start. We will? Really? Hey, I don't have to shag her, do I? She does look just like Mum except for the eyes, Hermione. You know she's going to be wearing her fingers out later, too.

I thought Susan looked more like your mom, Harry. She'd be doing that anyway. I mean, she already watched you shag Lisa. I bet I can make her come with a Scourgify when she leaves.

Mom now, Hermione, Susan looks like Mom now. Ginny looks like first year Mum. So much so it's uncanny. Only difference is the eyes, really. Didn't you look at those photo albums? What's the bet?

Okay, Harry. I get it. No, no shagging. If it comes to that, I'll show her with a stick-on. You get to have sex with me.

Daphne, awake, listening and watching, tossed in, I'd be glad to show her, Ne.

Like we weren't going to do that anyway, Ne.

Harry rolled his eyes; Hermione smiled and went back to her lecture. "Okay, so this is the hard version—excited, if you will. There's also another state where the penis is soft and smaller."

"Which if you're lucky you'll never see, Ginny."

"Lavender!" All four other witches snickered at Hermione, who rolled her eyes and continued. "Now, when you got Neville excited he grew, or started to. He might have gotten trapped in his trousers somehow and bent."

Hermione reached over and grasped Harry with one hand at the base and the other toward the top and bent him. "Ouch!"

"Sorry, Harry. So you see, even bending it a little hurts the wizard. Putting your weight on it would, or could, bend it all the way back on itself. Very painful. Parvati, come here, please."

Parvati leapt up and crawled into Hermione's now crowded bed. "I think what you wanted to do was this, Ginny. Make sure his penis is free and hard and lying up against his body. Use your hand over his trousers." Hermione pushed Harry up and tight against his belly. "Then bring yourself up gently." Parvati complied slowly and carefully after she had straddled Harry. "Ease your vulva up against him." Parvati did. "Then gently apply your weight." Parvati groaned as her vulva pressed on Harry. "Thrust with your hips."

Parvati did, and Ginny watched in amazement as Parvati's vulva swelled, reddened, and parted on either side of Harry, who was now slick with Parvati's juices. Hermione went on describing and Parvati demonstrating—in her case through orgasm after orgasm as Harry was rubbing against her clit as she had rocked her hips forward—until Harry growled, grabbed Parvati's hips, drew back, and pushed her up and then sank into her in one stroke. They both collapsed shortly afterward.

Hermione looked at Ginny. "That's why you wear panties. Any questions?"

Lavender rolled her eyes. "Ginny, dry-humping is fine. In other words, keep your panties on. If you go farther than that you need to be damn sure of your wizard and/or have a contract. No cock-sucking either, same rules. Oh, and practice your Scourgify. Neville will come all over whatever you're wearing."

Ginny nodded and impulsively kissed Hermione. "Thank you, Hermione!" She ran out the door and Hermione just managed to hit her with a Scourgify on the way. Ginny squeaked and stumbled. Hermione smiled all the way down Harry's length and rolled her head from side to side with him buried in her throat. Harry levitated her around and his smiling face disappeared under her.

Chapter Fifteen

Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined

Dawn on the first of November found Dumbledore in the witches' bathroom on the second floor, still trying to calm Myrtle enough to get a coherent story from her. Dealing with a hysterical ghost was very trying.

Filch was up and he and Mrs. Norris were already engaged in their daily cleaning and repairs. He reached the second floor and froze. Someone had scrawled on one of the walls. "Enimies of the Heir beware, indeed"! Little tosspots. What the hell was that, paint? No, it was blood. Bleeding little monsters! All of them! Well, besides the Duke and his party. They couldn't even spell, fecking posh gits and their cretinous crotch droppings!

Albus stepped out of the bathroom and saw Filch standing there glaring at the wall. "Ah, Argus, good morning."

"Good morning? Have you seen this, Headmaster? One of your little tosspots is at it again!"

"Hrmm. Hmmm, yes well..." Dumbledore trailed off as he looked at the wall. He really couldn't afford this again right now. Bad spelling aside, he had seen this message before. He got no farther as Neville came up the stairs and, seeing Dumbledore, walked over. His sidekick, Potter, and Potter's witches followed. Albus smiled. The Weasley witch was right there next to Neville. Very good; she was the perfect stone for him to sharpen himself on before he was married off to someone like Edgecomb, a pure-blood with useful contacts inside the Ministry. He could probably keep the Weasley as a pet even after he was married. That family needed another income stream, especially with Arthur and Molly acting the way they were. With Longbottom shagging the witch, Dumbledore wouldn't feel so bad if he had to pressure Cornelius into firing Arthur. Longbottom could afford to keep her in good condition and she would want her mother kept well, too. The rest were wizards; they could work. "Ah, Neville, what do you know about this?"

Neville blinked and read the writing. "Other than the spelling, you mean? Erm, nothing, Professor, we just did our morning exercises. We haven't been down here."

Albus's eyes ranged over the group. He saw a hard-eyed group of witches arrayed behind Harry, who stood there with a little smile. "Mr. Potter?"

"Not a thing. It's like Neville said."

Albus frowned. The boy had no respect. "Hmmm, so…well, I suspect we had all best be about our business, then. Mr. Filch, if you would?" Irritatingly, the caretaker looked at Harry, who gave him a barely perceptible nod. Filch then placed his Dial-a-Spell on the wall and pushed the button. The graffiti disappeared. Albus turned away, deep in thought, and the students continued up the stairs.

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Ginny burst into the second year girls' dorm and threw her robe on the bed. "Hermione, help!"

Hermione, just out of the shower, smiled. "So greedy! Okay, let me get a contract. You can sign, then we can do you. You might come into contact with Harry's sperm. We're fairly full after last night."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "No randy, bint! Help with this! And ewww!" She waved at her body. Lavender came into the room with her hair wrapped in a towel and looked Ginny over.

"Not bad for a young pure-blood witch." She stuck out her hand and Parvati slapped her wand into her palm like a scrub nurse assisting her prima donna surgeon. Lavender ran a series of charms. "Not ovulating—good, you can shag like a mink. Healthy, body mass a little wonky, fat-to-lean ratio, but nothing a good exercise and diet plan can't fix. No problem."

Ginny whined, "No problem! I have nipples with no tits, and I'm a straight line shoulder to heels!"

Hermione laughed. "Give it time, eat right, exercise, and work hard on your studies. Join our study group—but to study, not just to be near Neville. Hard work will help take your mind off it and make you more fit for magic; then in a few years, if you haven't started developing along the same lines as your mother, we'll look into it further. Oh, and we have some charms for you to learn before you start shagging Nev."

Ginny stood there waiting expectantly. Hermione laughed. "In study group, goof."

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"Harry, can I talk to you?" Harry looked at Cho Chang. He and the Coven were on their way to breakfast. Hermione stepped up, spun Cho around, and pushed her into the trophy room.

"Sign." Hermione held out a contract and a blood quill.

Cho looked at the contract and shook her head. Harry stepped into her and grabbed a nipple between thumb and forefinger. He pinched moderately hard and Cho squealed as she came. She flushed all the way to her nipples in humiliation but put the contract on his chest and signed.

Harry spun her around, threw her robe and skirt up on her back, pulled her panties aside, and pushed into her in one motion. Cho looked around at the snickering witches and lowered her head. She braced her hands on the stone floor and spread her feet while Harry drove himself to orgasm through Cho's several. He never said a word. Cho couldn't believe she, one of the most beautiful girls in the school who was capable of having any wizard, would just bend over and let Harry Potter wipe his cock off in her. Cho grunted and jerked. And that her body betrayed her and came at nearly his every touch was the ultimate humiliation, which just made it all hotter—wait, what?

Cho was left on her hands and feet, magnificent arse in the air, with Luna Lovegood rubbing that arse. Cho's head swam.

Hermione looked over. "Luna!"

Luna drew back her hand and pouted. "Poo!"

"Stop that. You aren't two years old. Just sign, Luna." Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Luna shook her head rapidly. "Nope, I'll be his forever, Ne."

Hermione sighed. "You do know that if that's going to happen it will happen, contract or not, right? I mean, look at Daphne, Susan, Padma, and Nym."

Luna looked thoughtful and followed Hermione to breakfast. Cho stood and gathered what few wits she had left. Morag Scourgified her and they followed the group to breakfast, where the Slytherin contingent was waiting at the Gryffindor table.

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On the fourth of November Harry and Hermione were at the top of the moving staircase with Cho. "Harry, what do you think?"

Harry rubbed his head. "Well, I don't know why not. He's the history teacher. Sure, we could ask. I don't know why Neville is so wrought up, though. I think this bitch is choking, too."

Cho gagged on the huge cock in her throat and pushed herself up, gasping for air.

Hermione looked at her disdainfully. "Is that the best you can do, bitch? You'd better hurry or we'll levitate you through the passageways sucking his cock." Hermione lashed Cho lightly across the ass and she convulsed. Hermione frowned and laid on harder. Cho squealed and wriggled.

Harry rolled his eyes. You're seriously carried away with this, Ne.

Me? What about you, Harry? You don't even talk to her, you just stick your cock in her wherever you see her. I can't believe we've shagged her in some of the places we have. What is that? I thought you weren't that excited about her.

Harry shrugged, chuckled, and tensed. Hermione pulled Cho up by her hair and laid her over the banister. Harry pushed into her and finished. Cho stuffed a fist in her mouth to muffle her scream when she orgasmed from the pain/pleasure of being rammed completely full as she watched the people moving on the staircase below them. At least he didn't bugger her this time. He came in her belly, her favorite.

Daphne came up the stairs. What I can't believe is that she keeps coming back. I mean, really. She doesn't know you're using those aversion charms to keep casual observers from seeing; she just lets you shag her, bugger her, or have her suck your cock. What a slut.

Daphne!

S'true, Harry.

Susan, coming out of the Hufflepuff commons, smiled. Yes, it is, Harry. She's a pretty slut, though, and she eats pussy like a rat eats cheese. If she could get over herself a little she'd be fun to have around full time. She's going to get a wizard, though, so you might as well shag her while you can. We all know you won't shag her if she's with someone else. Now, as for Neville, it took about four minutes for that bloody writing to make it to the rumor mill, and now it's all the other students can talk about. He and Ron are very concerned.

Everyone heard Padmas's Shiva, those two again? Wasn't last year enough?

Harry pulled out of Cho and waved a Scourgify at them both. Cho stood and dropped her robe and skirt after wiping her mouth and chin. Hermione took Harry's arm and he led her to breakfast.

Cho fell in behind, eyes downcast. She was amazed at herself. She would let Harry have her anywhere. Hell, he had had her anywhere. What the hell was wrong with her? He was obviously just using her to get off, but what the hell was that about? The only one of these witches he didn't shag was Lovegood, and that was only because she didn't want to—or didn't want to badly enough to sign. It really wasn't supposed to be like this. Morgana! Marietta would be all over her to eat her out between classes, too! Well, her, Jacqueline, or Meredith, one of them. They were addicted to his come now and could smell it on her or something. If they ever found out whose it was—! His sigil lay on her left ring finger, warm and oddly comfortingly. This needed more research; she would have to bring her contracts to study group and talk to Hermione. Cho flinched and smiled: the price for talking to the mistress was high, but very satisfying. Cho shook her head again. She was one of the prettiest girls in school. How had she gotten to be a complete sub humiliation pain slut to two students a year lower than her, and one of them a witch? What part of her was driving this? It's not us. Oh, yes, it is us! He doesn't do anything a witch doesn't want. Where was this coming from? That was another thing: when had her inner voice gotten to be two voices?

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After breakfast the group broke up; and later, in History of Magic, Hermione asked Binns about the Chamber of Secrets. Once he got over the shock of someone asking a question, he seemed to waver for a moment and then launched into a description of the events surrounding the Chamber of Secrets and its supposed opening fifty-odd years ago.

Apparently, all those years ago, the first hint of a problem was students being Petrified by something, and someone leaving graffiti bragging/threatening about the Heir of Slytherin. A student—the Coven knew it was Hagrid—was eventually found to be keeping an Acromantula in the school. After the spider was removed, the Petrifactions stopped. Unfortunately, that was not until after one student, Miss Myrtle Henderson, was killed.

Neville and Ron listened intently. Harry and the Coven listened, too, but with nowhere near the fervor of those two. Harry watched them and groaned. This could only mean trouble.

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"Please, Harry?"

"All right, Neville, but I don't see how going back to the scene will help. This should be left to the staff, and even if we were asked to do something, Filch has already cleaned up."

The group rose from their places at the Ravenclaw table. They had all gathered there after dinner, where Cho and her witches had been orbiting Harry, and trouped off to the second floor bathroom on their way to the reading room for study group. Ron followed along, watching Ginny and Neville like a hawk. Dumbledore, at the staff table, smiled a mysterious smile. Minerva frowned and thought, What is the old poufter up to now?

"Okay, Neville, it's your show." Harry stepped back and let Neville and Ron stand looking at the wall.

Hermione smiled and eyed the toilet. It was her favorite toilet, the one where Harry had made her mind go pleasantly blank for the first time—well, in person. She grabbed Harry's arm and towed him inside, where she pushed him into the same stall they had used the first time. After a few waves to clear the clothing from her target she took him in her mouth. When he was fully hard she rose, straddled him, and sank down on him, groaning. "This is what I should have done that first day."

Harry smiled at her. "Mmm, I think we did rather well, Ne. We both got off and had very little idea what we were doing."

Hermione leaned in and kissed him and worked her PC muscles. "Not like now, eh, Harry?"

"Nope." Harry was pushing up into her slowly and firmly while tightening his PC muscle too.

Myrtle stuck her head into the stall. "Hermione dear, can we talk?"

"Now, Myrtle?"

Myrtle smiled. "I'll give you a few minutes, Hermione."

Harry had never stopped thrusting and Hermione waited for Myrtle to withdraw; when she didn't, Hermione shrugged and went with it. Soon enough she and Harry were shuddering through a climax and Myrtle clapped. "Very nice."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Myrtle. Now what can I do for you?" Harry straightened their clothes and Scourgified them. He stood up and deposited Hermione on her feet and went to look at the bathroom. He waved his wand a few times and the fixtures were suddenly repaired and polished and the tile cleaned. It looked like a new place. He listened to Hermione and Myrtle's conversation as he repaired and cleaned.

"Hermione, I can't get any direct relief."

"From what, Myrtle?"

Myrtle rolled her eyes and waved her hand vaguely at her abdomen. "Relief, Hermione. It's been nearly fifty years."

Hermione gasped. "You were sexually active? And a teenager. Oh, my, you poor thing!"

Myrtle nodded. "Now I can sort of piggyback on a dream, but that's like masturbation. Well, mostly; your and Harry's dreams are great!"

Hermione winced and nodded. "I don't see what else we can do, though, Myrtle."

"I can possess a willing host, Hermione. Well, possess is the wrong word. I can ride along, sort of, without suppressing their will, mostly. I would just give suggestions."

Hermione though about that for a minute. "I can ask the Coven, Myrtle."

Myrtle dug a toe into the flagstones. "I was thinking maybe you would consider it, Hermione."

"Grrrrr."

Hermione beamed at Harry, then turned to Myrtle. "I think what my lover is trying to say, Myrtle, is that while he doesn't distrust you specifically, he trusts no one with me."

Myrtle grinned. "I didn't know you spoke testosterese, Hermione."

Hermione smiled back. "I didn't either. We'll work on it, Myrtle."

Myrtle nodded and her head snapped up. "They're coming, Hermione."

"Thanks, Myrtle." Myrtle nodded and did a back gainer with a half-twist and full layout into her favorite U-bend. Harry blinked, Hermione shrugged. "Obviously happy."

Neville pushed the door open and sidled into the bathroom. "So, not too different from the boys' loo, then?"

Ron, standing nervously by Neville, nodded. Ginny shook her head. "What did you expect? Tamp—"

"Ginny! No, Neville, not too different at all. No trough, as Harry tells me the boys' loo has, and more toilets, less smelly but other than that..."

Neville looked at Ginny with big puppy-dog eyes. Harry snorted internally. The boy was begging not to have to hear about periods and personal hygiene products. Ginny, as perverse as any other teenage girl, was dying to put him that deep in her world. Neville spoke after a mischievous smile from Ginny. "This was flooded before."

Hermione nodded. "It is a lot. It has a ghost, that's why no one uses it."

Neville and Ron looked around quickly and Harry laughed. "Myrtle won't hurt you, Neville."

"Oh, I don't know, Harry. He looks scrumptious. He might like a little good hurt." Myrtles head came through the stall wall. Ron jumped and hugged Neville.

Ginny hissed, "Hey! That's my boyfriend, Myrtle! You too, Ron!"

Ron was so embarrassed that he passed right over the boyfriend comment. Myrtle looked at Hermione and Harry and then Ginny and Neville. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Leave it, Myrtle, we'll talk later. Okay, so, flooded bathroom, water in the hall, and weird writing in apparently chicken blood. Happy, Neville?"

Ron gulped over the chicken blood and Neville nodded. Hermione continued, "Good! Now, study group, if you please."

Harry offered his arm and led Hermione out. Hermione winked at Myrtle on the way out. Myrtle nodded, but coasted behind and through Ginny before laughing and disappearing into her U-bend. Ginny growled.

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Harry blasted around the stands again; Malfoy and his sycophants were acting like they knew what Quidditch was. Malfoy was just acting, though. The last Slytherin Seeker had graduated and Flint had brought Malfoy up to get Nimbus 2001s in some kind of dope deal with the late Lord Malfoy. Draco trailed Harry, grinning like a monkey as the Bludger tried to kill Harry and the weasel twins struggled with the other Bludger, trying to knock the one off Potter. He wanted a front row seat at Mad Potter's demise. Bloody tough flying, though, as he was flying flat-out and not catching Potter. How Potter was making that older model Nimbus go that fast was a mystery.

No, Hermione, not much I can do about it. The bloody thing is possessed or something.

Padma asked, Anyone have a rule book?

Why, Padma?

I want Harry to destroy the thing, Susan. A well-placed Reducto should do the trick, but I don't know the penalty.

Daphne dug in her magically expanded clutch. I have one, hang on a second.

Is there anything you don't have in that bag, Daphne?

One should always be prepared, Nym. You should start carrying a purse.

Too girlie, Daphne, and I'm not carrying anything I don't have to. Class is tiring. These weekends off are the best thing ever.

There was a literal mental pause and then Harry ran through some of the Nym/whoevers he'd had sex with in his memory. The laughter started immediately from the other fully bonded. Not only had Nym been some of the most feminine women of both modern times and history, but she had been happily topped every time. She never played the top in any instance and she was always very girlie. Nym held her head up proudly.

Okay. One goal penalty, and you have to pay for the thing, Harry.

Okay, Daph.

Oliver, Alicia, Angelina, and Katie were spending a lot of time watching this, and Harry knew he had to do something to return their attention to their games. Harry nodded and as the crazed Bludger swept back through the Slytherin section of the bleachers he turned on his broom, drew a wand, and unleashed a Reducto.

Draco Malfoy saw the curse leave Potter's wand and heading straight for him, and his bladder let go. Fortunately the Bludger intercepted the curse and exploded in a shower of molten iron. The crowd, players, and Madam Hooch immediately froze in shock.

Lee Jordan was apparently the only one with the power of speech. "And Potter destroys the Bludger that's been chasing him! Too bad he didn't miss and hit that git Malfoy."

Minerva jerked. "JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor." Lee didn't look very sorry, with that huge grin.

Harry landed, put out the fires with an Aguamenti, and waited patiently. Madam Hooch finally blew the whistle. She landed and walked over to Harry. "Well?"

"The thing was possessed or something, Madam Hooch."

Madam Hooch nodded. "A goal and a Galleon."

"Do you need the Galleon now?"

"No, but if you don't pay Professor McGonagall, the game will be forfeit to Slytherin."

Harry nodded.

Madam Hooch smiled and applied the Sonorus. "Official time-out while the Bludger is replaced and the score adjusted in accordance with the rules."

The Slytherin jeered and cheered while the Gryffindors watched ten points come off the scoreboard. The Hufflepuffs twittered amongst themselves, and the 'Claws looked at the few rule books amongst them.

Dumbledore was still stuck on Potter destroying an enchanted iron object in mid-air with one shot.

Inside the bond: So what the heck happened to that Bludger?

Send me a piece, Harry.

Okay, Padma. Look out, it's hot.

Padma sat in the midst of the Coven and she and Nym, off for the weekend and staying with Harry as much as possible, ran charm after charm on the piece of Bludger. Elf magic, Harry.

Thanks, Padma! You, too, Nym. So Dobby is still trying to get me?

"Pup?"

"Sirius, Remus!" Harry smiled at the two Marauders who had walked out onto the pitch.

"You okay, pup?"

Harry nodded "Fine. The Bludger was enchanted by an elf. Three guesses which one."

"That crazy little Dobby fellow?" Remus guessed.

Harry beamed. "Right in one, we think."

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "Something has to be done about that elf!"

Harry's eyes widened. "Uh, might want to chill out with the weird black fire there, Sirius. Madam Hooch and Hagrid will skin you for burning up the pitch."

Sirius looked at the fire dripping off his hands and started. "Oops."

Harry laughed until Madam Hooch shooed him into the air.

Harry had a glorious afternoon after that and Slytherin went down ignominiously, exhausted from having Harry blast through their formations and the Gryffindor Chasers pass them into exhaustion like an over-excited golden lab chasing a frisbee. Draco couldn't have caught the Snitch with a net. Harry finally deigned to catch it as it swooped past his head for the fifty-fourth time.

Harry really should have saved some energy for the locker room as the girls decided they all could get some once Katie finished with Harry, and he never went soft, or wasn't soft when she finished with him. Alicia looked at the visiting Nym and shrugged. "So sue me. I'll have my pedophile guilt trip later."

Nym laughed. "It's not that bad; well, you get used to it. What am I saying? You don't, really, but does it matter? He's not hurt and definitely not saying no."

Alicia nodded. She was a little busy at the moment with Harry pushing her up against the wall.

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Ron and Neville forwent their normal aural voyeurism and hustled up to Myrtle's bathroom. "All right, Ron, these instructions I copied from Most Potente Potions in study group will yield enough Polyjuice Potion to get us into Slytherin's commons. I don't see the point, though, as we could just ask Daphne or Eliza what's going on in there."

"Sure, and if they're the Heir? What then, Neville?"

Neville rolled his eyes. "Slytherin would never have a witch as an heir, Ron. This potion is going to take forever! Then we have to get hairs from some Slytherins. I really have better things to do with my time."

Ron somehow managed not to blurt, Like my sister! "This is the best way, Neville."

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Harry was lying indolently on a chaise in the sitting room of Potter Castle with Narcissa pulled to him and Morag playing with Leyland when Dobby popped in.

"Dobby?" Harry raised his head at Narcissa's surprised voice.

"Oh, Mistress!"

"Dobby, why are you here?"

Dobby clammed up. Harry smiled. "I know it was you with the Bludger, Dobby."

Narcissa's eyes narrowed. "What? Dobby!" Narcissa reached into her pocket, produced a handkerchief, and handed it to Dobby.

"Mistress has released Dobby from bad master? Mistress is a great witch and fit to bear the Great Harry Potter's children!"

Narcissa spluttered in outrage. "I don't need your approval, Dobby!"

Harry watched in amusement as the elf went ecstatic and fawned over the disgusted Narcissa. He knew from her hard-eyed little glances that he would have to pay later, but it was too funny.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Harry, you have to swear Dobby. He'll fade and die if you or someone doesn't."

Harry blinked and turned to Narcissa, who huffed. "Like he wouldn't be sworn here in elfheim. You take in every straggler and stray on the planet, Harry, and they run around pregnant or with a baby clinging to them like a monkey. I just stopped whatever other plans he might have. His old orders, Lucius's or Draco's—most probably Draco's—no longer bind him. Who could know when Draco would get smart enough to use him to hurt Leyland like he was trying to hurt you?"

Dobby groveled face-down on the floor after one look into those now glowing green eyes. "Dobby would never hurt Harry Potter or his children! Dobby was just trying to scare Harry Potter."

Harry flowed over Narcissa and into a standing position. Hermione blinked. Harry was in a rage. "Harry—"

Harry ignored her and bent down, putting his hand on Dobby's head. "Dobby, do you take service in the house of Potter, to serve and protect its children to the end of your days?"

Hermione opened her mouth and clapped it closed again at a glowing green glance. Dobby nodded vigorously. "Yes, Master, with all that I am!"

The Coven and families watched as an eerie bright green glow seeped between Harry's hand and Dobby and the elf rose in much better condition, muscular even, hard-eyed and in the Potter livery.

"Thank you, Master." Dobby stationed himself where he could watch Leyland and faded from view.

Luna looked at Harry and smiled. She had Seen this. What Harry had just done would come back in interesting ways in the years to come. "Hermione, do you have a contract?"

"Luna? Uh, sure." Hermione got out a contract and Luna signed and then led Harry and Narcissa away.

Narcissa was puzzled until Luna shyly admitted she wasn't really ready yet. Maybe some kissing, "But not the other stuff yet."

Narcissa smiled and stripped Harry, Luna, and herself with Luna's help, and then gave a lesson in fellatio. Luna watched in amazement, and when Harry came Narcissa surrounded him with her hand and squeezed until she could lift off him and get Luna on him. Luna got her first dose from the source and swallowed greedily. Narcissa waited until she swallowed, then pulled her away. "We share, Luna." She took the next rope and then they traded back and forth, finally cleaning each other's faces up. Then Luna watched as Harry and Narcissa gave her a lesson in sexual positions. Luna was panting most of the time, and her hands were busy too.

Harry was amazed to find Luna in his head as he drove into Narcissa with both of them lying on their sides.

Luna was amazed to find the bonded and Narcissa there. "So that's how you know how to drive them crazy, Harry!"

Who are you calling crazy?

Yikes! Harry chuckled as mental Luna went down in a pile of mental avatars after Hermione's comment and Luna's avatar was ravaged by the girls.

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Harry looked up from his stretches and froze. Greg Goyle was standing there rather sheepishly. Daphne snorted gently. He said he would, but I didn't believe it.

Said he would what, Daphne?

Show up for PT, Harry. Apparently the Death Eater lifestyle doesn't really appeal to him, and now that Draco is nutted and the house is in complete turmoil he's a bit anchorless. Well, if you don't count Millie.

Harry, Hermione, Daphne, Susan, Padma, and Nym—still visiting as she didn't have class until tomorrow, Monday the ninth—turned to look at Millie, who blushed furiously. Harry grinned. "Mr Goyle, good morning."

"Good morning, Your Grace. I was wondering if perhaps I could join you in your morning exercise?"

"Harry, Greg, just Harry—and sure."

Harry led Greg through his exercises as the girls surrounded Millie and much giggling ensued. Harry watched and schemed about how this could really go. Greg would no doubt have to be gotten away from his family at some point. Hmmm, well, there was that nice little gamekeeper's cottage on the grounds of Potter castle.

Hermione looked at him and smiled. Yeah, sure, little! Room for twenty or so—sure, little.

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Neville added the lacewing flies to the slowly boiling cauldron and immediately dropped the heat to let them stew. "So twenty-one days from now we need to add the leeches." Neville nodded to himself. He never would have even attempted this without Harry and the Coven's help in Potions.

Ron waved at the stinking steam. "I just hope no one finds this."

Myrtle poked her head through the wood partition "I told you I'd help, didn't I? Neville, why don't you stay a moment? Run along, Weasley."

Neville looked panicked as Ron bolted, leaving him there. Ron really didn't want to know how Neville had gotten moaning Myrtle to help them. Girls were weird, even ghost girls! Hmmm, thinking of girls, what was he going to do about Ginny? She was closer to Neville every day. Didn't she realize what could happen?

Ron perked up at a flash from down the hallway just as a slightly pink Neville exited the loo at speed in front of a gust of girlish laughter. "What is it, Ron?"

"A flash, Nev, down that way." Ron pointed and walked down the hall.

Neville followed the pointing arm and saw Colin Creevey. He rolled his eyes. "It's just Creevey, Ron. Come on before he wants more pictures of me."

Ron snorted. "Vain much? Last time I saw him close to you with a camera he was taking pictures of Harry, not you."

"Good!"

Ron grinned. "Breakfast early, then?"

Neville shrugged. "Sure. Harry will already be in PT."

Ron nodded. Ginny would be too. No sense having her wave her barely covered bottom in Neville's face. This wasn't really that hard, a little like chess; he just had to think ahead.

Neville wasn't sure they were doing the right thing at all. Harry was already telling him to take his suspicions to a teacher but Dumbledore wasn't saying much. It was just so confusing. Gran, though, she was a big help with the ingredients. It hadn't taken much distraction at all from Ron for Neville to pocket the ingredients from the brightly lit and well labeled storage cabinet. Neville cut his eyes at Ron. Now if he could just keep Ron thinking he was ahead of him and Ginny, they could do some more exploring. Harry really needed to give Ginny a trunk of her own, then they could meet in either of the apartments.

Myrtle watched the pair leave and chuckled. A year or two and Longbottom would be knocking the bottom out of her—well, Ginny as her, or was it her as Ginny? Meanwhile Granger was going to give her a few ride-alongs with Harry the dreamboat. Mmmmm!

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Harry wandered through the Gryffindor second year boys' dorm in nothing but a towel. He reached his trunk, flipped it open, and withdrew a pair of black jeans and a black silk crew-neck jumper. They didn't have anything planned after breakfast except studying. Harry waved to Seamus, who was just waking, and Dean, painting a comical "Sleepy the Leprechaun" picture of the Irish wizard.

Harry wandered down to the common room and met Hermione and the witches there. Neville and Ron were nowhere in sight, and Ginny was looking around anxiously. "Harry, was Nev upstairs?"

Harry grinned. "No, Gin, you'll have to be satisfied with me."

Ginny threw him a saucy grin. "So Hermione, can I bor—"

Harry cut her off before she could ask the rest of that. "I'm sure he's in the Great Hall at breakfast, Ginny. How long could Ron last without food?"

Lavender tossed in, "At least long enough to fill his mouth while he jibbers inanely at us."

The girls giggled and Harry offered his arms. Hermione and Ella took an arm each and Harry led the way to breakfast.

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At Potter Castle, Sirius eyed Magda. "Don't you have a game or something?"

Magda favored him with a raised brow and couldn't hold it. She laughed and the rest laughed with her. Sirius was a fine royal purple this morning, for some reason Magda and he wouldn't discuss.

Lily shook her head. "So Remus, how is teaching?"

Remus smiled. "Great fun, actually. All very staid, until the class with Harry and the bonded, and then very interesting. You know, I think they'll have to be separated into some kind of honors or advanced class next year. They're so very far ahead of the rest. The entire Coven, I mean."

Sirius nodded. "Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley being prime examples. They're more like fifth years than first years. Oh sure, they can tighten up their wand work a little, but it's hard to tell them that and keep a straight face when they can do half the stuff wandlessly and you can't."

Minerva nodded. "Yes, it will have to be addressed." Minerva paused and blushed lightly. "I'm slightly more worried about their other activities."

Lily chuckled. "Minerva!"

Minerva raised her head. "Lily, you have no idea. They act like they're married."

Emma Granger shrugged. "Aren't they? At least the core group, anyway. Same as, you all keep telling me."

Sirius nodded. "And the wizards have no doubt who's in charge. I say it's not worth worrying about."

Minerva settled uneasily.

James asked, "Sirius, how does Ginny Weasley end up doing wandless magic? I thought Hermione was guarding Harry better than that."

Sirius shook his head. "She didn't learn it by injection."

"Sirius!" He ducked and Magda, who had not yet moved, smiled. Sirius straightened up and the others laughed at the Cyrillic writing that scrolled across his face. They settled and he continued.

"What else would you call it, Lily? Anyway, Harry has this method where he takes the witches, and at least one wizard so far, into a classroom and then torments or goads them into a bout of accidental magic. Then he tells them to remember the feeling, apologizes, and then teaches them that odd, wild magic of his. Of course, none of them are as good as he is at it, but they're all improving, and the Squibs, witches, and Harry are codifying and clarifying it all the time."

The parents sat contemplating this and looked up, slightly surprised, when the Coven plus Neville showed up at half ten.

They all settled into the library and the groups worked and talked. Lily looked at Hermione and Harry. They were in fact constantly touching and smiling at each other, as were Nym, Susan, Padma, and Daphne and Harry. It was fairly obvious now that she looked. Still, what trouble could it really be?

Narcissa came in with Leyland and Harry's work was put away and Daddy-time started. Narcissa watched, smiling. Later Harry and Narcissa occupied a love seat and Hermione got some Mommy-time with Leyland. Emma watched, smiling. Who knew Hermione would be such a good little mother? Poor Leyland, though. Mommy Padma was waiting her turn and then mommies Daphne, Susan, and Nym. Wait a minute! "Hermione, how can you be breast-feeding Leyland? Are you pregnant?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Lactation charm, Mum. Leyland was hungry."

Emma spluttered. Narcissa looked over from her position nearly in Harry's lap. "You all feed him too much, Mistress; he'll get fat."

Harry leaned his head back on the backrest of the love seat and thought, Let the games begin.

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The group arrived back at the castle that evening for dinner and just as they finished, Harry felt the wards trip. He knew what it was this time. Summoning the witches, he ran to where the castle was pointing him and heard the crazy voice muttering about killing along the way. He stopped to listen and by the time they reached the scene Dumbledore was questioning Neville and Ron, who had apparently found Colin Creevey Petrified. Harry and crew watched from the back of the crowd.

We have to figure this out. Now it's well and truly started again. We know it can't be an Acromantula. But what is it?

Hermione shrugged. I don't know, Harry. We'll have to tighten the Coven, though. No member out alone. Meanwhile, I think we need to investigate the book Malfoy gave Ginny.

Harry nodded. Padma chimed in, Su is ready. We'll start tomorrow.

Daphne pursed her lips. We'll all need to be at the top of our games for this and go slowly. No telling what's really going on with that thing. The others all nodded.

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Su cursed luridly while the Coven stood back with raised brows. It was the evening of Thursday the twelfth of November and they weren't making much progress with the diary. Sure, initially it had talked back to them, but now it was sullen and, well, pouting. Su was furious and prone to vicious outbursts in Chinese.

Harry shook his head and hugged her. Hermione raised a brow and shook her head. "No, Harry, you are not writing in that thing!"

Tracey nodded vigorously. "I'll do it."

The Coven turned to her. Harry looked over too. "Not very Slytherin, Tracey."

Tracey waved. "Self preservation. If something happened to you and Hermione, Daphne, Nym, Susan, or Padma didn't kill us, Narcissa would."

Harry chuckled. "Okay, but you'll only write what we tell you. And we'll study its answers and let the parents look at them before we reply."

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The afternoon of Sunday the fifteenth found Harry pleasantly tired after another bout of putatively public sex with Cho. He had shagged her, under the aversion charms, in the middle of the entry hall after PT. He had possibly gone too far as he had put a Cho pleaser in her and knocked her out—well, after she'd screamed her mind empty and sprayed them both. Who knew she could ejaculate like that? Now Harry was lying on his favorite chaise after a hot shower with Narcissa and Hermione while Leyland crawled around on him as he watched the fierce but fun discussion the Slytherins were having over the exact wording of the next diary entry.

Harry chuckled and shook his head. Every word Riddle wrote was dissected in infinite detail and then a response formulated. Tracey then practiced that response and put on her Ginny, as they called it, a mental construct of Ginny Weasley that tested their Occlumency and Legilimency skills to create, and then wrote the prepared response. Harry then took her and went through her mind in minute detail to ensure nothing was left behind by Tom. He had intended to look for changes as well, but although the experience seemed to be changing Tracey it was not in bad ways; well, maybe just accelerating her cynicism, but she would now never be friends with Ginny, not even an acquaintance if she could avoid it. Harry and Tracey would never talk about what they had learned scanning Ginny, but they were both very glad things had worked out like they had and that Hermione's instincts were spot-on. That little witch would be trouble later if Neville didn't turn out to be a true power, magically and politically.

It turned out that the Tom Riddle of the diary was a vain, venal narcissist of the first order, and with minimal stroking Tracey had him believing she, or Ginny rather, worshipped the ground he walked on. Of course Tracey delighted in portraying Ginny as a completely gullible slut, and her mental Ginny had diary Tom in every hole and both hands so much it was interfering with getting any real information, so they'd had to back her off. Besides, they'd run out of porno to watch for ideas. It was good that the real Ginny would never know the things Tracey had had her do. Tracey liked to practice those activities with Harry just in case she ever needed to construct the mental image again—or so she said, generally to knowing looks and chuckling. Tracey just liked having Harry take her in any possible way. She didn't mind getting assistance from the others for the tougher positions, either.

The upside was that they now knew more than they had thought possible about sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle, and in trade he was teaching his "protégé" all the magic he knew. Some of it was even new to them. Not very useful, as it was the blackest of Dark arts and the girls wouldn't let Harry near it, even if he had been so inclined; but it was handy so they could deconstruct it arithmantically and look for shields and gray to light counters.

Harry turned his head at the urging of a long-fingered graceful hand and got a kiss as a reward. Narcissa grinned impishly. She had apparently finished reviewing the last few days' memories, which she could now do when Harry and she were in skin-to-skin contact. "So how long are you going to keep using Chang as a cockwipe, Harry?"

Harry grimaced and then shrugged. "Cissy! Language!" He got an elegantly arched brow over a frosty blue eye and chuckled. "Until her attitude improves. She hasn't changed, and if I let her she'd be right back to being a bully. Me using her stops her from being one somehow."

"But you're never going to take her into the Coven, Harry? Isn't that a bit disingenuous?"

Harry frowned. Daphne rescued him. "Cissy! Harry will never take most of the girls into the Coven—well, the core Coven. It doesn't mean he won't protect them if he can, or that he's using them any more than they're using him."

Narcissa nodded. "No doubt, but that should be made clear."

Harry shrugged. "I don't seek her out, Cissy. She finds me. She knows I'm going to use her when I see her. I don't make it hard for her to avoid me."

Luna popped up from behind the expanded chaise. "Besides, she's getting claimed out of the deal, along with all the sex she can possibly handle. No one else would dominate, humiliate, and push her into pain as hard, and her little clique gets Harry's signature on them by transfer, like me."

Hermione spluttered. "Luna Lovegood! You big fibber. Transfer? You? If it wasn't for you having him down mmmph mmmph!"

Luna put her nose in the air and ignored Hermione even as she held her hand over the other girl's mouth. Harry laughed, a big belly laugh, and Leyland joined his father in the laughter, thoroughly distracting Hermione. Emma looked at Lily in her favorite frame. "See? She's hypnotized. I wonder how many grandchildren I'll have before she decides to make an honest wizard of Harry."

Lily covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile. Hermione growled. "Mother!"

"Phhht! Don't 'Mother' me, you playwitch."

Harry was howling now. Hermione turned to him. "Harry!"

Harry only just barely managed, "Playwitch!" while pointing at Hermione before he completely collapsed in laughter. The Coven chuckled, watching their Chief Witch and the Warlock's antics.

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Sirius sat in the staff room before the meeting on Friday the twentieth. "I have no idea why everyone complains so, Remus. I enjoy the staff meetings."

Bathsheba hoisted a brow. "Because you enjoy needling Albus so much, Sirius. The rest of us have better things to do, so just shut it and let's give our Longbottom reports and get out of here."

Augusta snorted. "If I didn't know he was a poufter I'd think he was a pedophile. Unhealthy—his interest in Neville, I mean."

Sirius cleared his throat. "Hrmm hmm. You do know the two aren't mutually exclusive, don't you, Augusta? In fact, they're generally gay—pedophiles, I mean."

Remus started. "Sirius! What did you do?"

Sirius grinned as Augusta Longbottom turned a bright red, not embarrassed, at least from the snarl her face had morphed into.

Albus chose that moment to enter with a smile on his face. It didn't last long as his Potions Mistress attacked him, shrieking like a harpy.

Sirius rolled on the floor laughing, then began taking notes. Augusta had a masterful command of both the language and magic and apparently was giving free reign to both.

Needless to say, the staff meeting was canceled when Poppy had to take Albus to the Hospital Wing. No one left, but Filius did summon some elves for a decanter of a very fine Napoleon brandy.

Augusta looked at Sirius from her seat where she sat dabbing at her sweating—erm, glowing face. "Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Lord Black. Minerva, you should be prepared to take the Headmaster's post. I'm going to break that old poufter like a twig!"

Minerva grimaced. "Meanwhile, we do have a school to run. Does anyone have anything to report?"

Bathsheba spoke right up. "Other than the Potters outstripping their classmates by such a wide margin that the whole Coven and its chosen wizard attendants, including Neville Longbottom, need to be in different classes? No. However, I would say the entire school is improving." She reached down and drew a dog-eared book from her bag and tossed it on the table. "Also, I would like this to be the Runes text for next year."

Minerva took the book. "Runes for All. Why, Bathsheba?"

"It's the best Runes text I've ever seen, Minerva. It starts very, very simply and by the end is up to post-mastery level. It is apparently self-updating, too. I've suggested some changes, very nuanced and at the very upper end of the range, esoteric even, and when applied they affected every text I've checked."

Minerva frowned. "Every text? Where have you seen these?"

Bathsheba smiled. "Look at the cover. Every witch and wizard in my upper level Runes class who hasn't angered the Coven has one."

Minerva looked at the cover and saw the publisher's mark, SSWA Publishing. "Harry and the girls? I knew they had guides for all the first year subjects, and those other books." She blushed lightly; the other books were adventure or science fiction and fantasy for the wizards and bodice-rippers for the witches. "I didn't know they'd gotten this far."

Pomona Sprout nodded. "I was going to speak to you about this, Minerva. I want Herbology for All for my classes next year."

Remus nodded. "I think we should review all the guides, or rather texts, that Harry and the girls have produced. I know most of us have contributed and are using the texts. They all self-update and they're all good for first year through post-mastery level. It would be very inexpensive for the students as they would only buy one book per subject ever, and the classes could be paced for the different groups' learning abilities. I agree with Bathsheba that we need to divide the classes, perhaps even three ways: Honors, Standard, and Remedial, perhaps?"

Augusta grimaced. "Remedial has a potential stigma attached. Honors, Advanced, and Standard, I think. We are dealing with children, after all. No need to give them any more ammunition than necessary. That's how I have my classes divided. We could use some of the disused classroom space, hire more Professors, and perhaps get the Honors students close to masteries by the end of seventh year."

Filius nodded. "Oh, that's good, Augusta. When would the division occur?"

Minerva nodded. "Yes, very nice, Augusta. I would suggest that the division occur after the first year of a subject."

Septima nodded. "Fine, but then we'll teach all subjects that first year, stop this nonsense of Runes and Arithmancy being electives for the third year. Both are necessary for advanced magics from the very start, and with these new texts they can easily be taught at that level."

Minerva nodded and then looked up. "Where is Sybil? What about Care and Divination?"

Sirius sat back and frowned. Apparently with Dumbledore gone and the staff seriously—hey, Seriously! hehehe—engaged it was going to be all grown up and not nearly as much fun. Sirius heaved a great sigh and rejoined the conversation. Time to be an adult, poo! As Luna would say.

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On Sunday the twenty-second, Harry listened to the conversation and shook his head. "Sirius did this?"

Remus nodded. "I know, hard to believe, but he did, and apparently on purpose."

Sirius barked, "Hey! I can plan. We weren't getting anywhere with Albus and his Neville fetish, so—"

He stopped. Alice Longbottom was growling, Augusta wasn't happy, and Frank's face looked like a thundercloud. Neville looked embarrassed and Harry resigned. Sirius finally continued, "Anyway, Albus had to be gotten out of the way. How was I to know Augusta would declare a blood feud against him?"

Augusta snarled, "He'll wish I had by the time I get through with him. I'm going to ruin him, I don't care how long it takes! I would appreciate some warning next time, however, Lord Black. I'm not as young as I once was."

Harry put his head in his hands. Narcissa sighed. "If everyone will just slow down, we can get the shadow government up and fully functional and then make overtures to the appropriate people. If we rush things, it's just going to cause casualties."

Alice exploded, "Fine for you, Narcissa! You have your son, and your lord is powerful, nearly beyond measure! My Neville is at risk!"

Harry looked up, his eyes beginning to glow. "Which I've said I would do my best to help him with, Lady Longbottom."

Alice did an odd maneuver that could only be a seated curtsy and bowed her head. "Yes, Your Grace."

Harry sighed. "Stop that, Aunt Alice. Neville, you know your part, right? You'll tell me before you run off with Weasley again?"

"Yes, Harry—well, Ron Weasley anyway." Neville got a little smirk.

Harry laughed. "Good. Thank you, Neville. Now we have a plan. Let's just keep executing it. Nobody do anything precipitous." Harry beamed at Hermione, who rolled her eyes.

"Yes, yes, Mr Vocabulary. Now, play with your son while we refine the plan."

Everyone laughed at Harry's outrageous pout. When he turned to Leyland and smiled, though, the working groups went back to mining Riddle's spirit for information, plotting Albus Dumbledore's demise, and plotting the continuing construction of the shadow government.

Alice looked at Neville. "And the other Weasley? Ginevra, I believe?"

Neville panicked. "Uh, well, you see, Mum—erm—well."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ginny wants to be the next Longbottom Matriarch after Augusta and you, Alice. We're working with her. She's powerful and has potential. She may be forming a clique, too. We'll watch things develop."

Alice beamed at her and began asking questions.

Neville sat, face flaming, as the witches dissected the possibilities in infinitely embarrassing detail.