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RS- Transforming Harry
By Dr T
Part IX – Holiday Crises

Voldemort tries two attacks.

The Harry Potter canon and characters are owned by She-Who-Must-Be-Mentioned and many minions. This fic shows what hormonal teens wished they could get away with.

Chapter XIX

Sunday, December 22, 1996

"Hold still," Hermione commanded.

"But I don't wanna go to church," Stella whined. "I already got up and greeted the dawn like a good little Druid."

"Hush, and stop moving," Hermione commanded again. She was applying light makeup to Stella. "I'm surprised the Dursleys didn't go to Church, if they were such pillars of rectitude."

"They went every Sunday, and Aunt Petunia went to both services," Stella answered bitterly. "Harry had to stay at home. Late breakfast on Sunday . . . warming up the eggs, making the toast, and serving Vernon and Dudley, that's the meal they started Harry's service with, the summer he turned six."

"I'm so sorry," Hermione whispered in Stella ear. "You don't have to cook today."

"I like cooking, at least when it's for the people I love, and the people they love let me eat it," Stella answered.

"At least it's just the early service for us," Hermione said. "Dad has to read the lessons later. We can come back, and I'll read you the Sunday papers while you cook."

Stella leaned forward and whispered, "I'd rather be making love to you."

"I'd like that, too, but you got too ambitious with your menu. You shouldn't have written Mum."

"How many people will be were again?"

"Including us? Twelve. Including the minister and his wife and two daughters."

Stella shrugged. "Ah, well. 'Tis the season and all that. Happy, I mean Merry Christmas."

"At least we can fool around at night," Hermione replied, struggling with her stockings while Stella did combat with the pantyhose Hermione was making her wear. "You can bet Ginny, Luna, Ron, and Sarah are feeling a fair amount of longing already."

"Ron and Luna, yes. I would imagine Sarah and Ginny are finding some solace in each others' arms."

"I swear your vocabulary is different these days. Solace indeed!" Hermione frowned. "Do you think it will get serious?"

"I don't know," Stella answered. "I worry a bit about Ginny."

"You mean her doing what she did with Colin and Draco?"

Stella nodded. "She's always had the most reservations of the three of you. Harry isn't going to try to hold on to any of you, but he does love all three of you."

"I know," Hermione said. "We can only hope that she makes the right choices for herself, and that none of us gets hurt."

"True." Hermione reached over and helped Stella finish smoothing out her hose. "These have to be some of the dumbest things invented," Stella complained.

"Trust me, heels are even worse." They walked out the door. "So, what are we having?"

"Creamy leek and prawn soup; cabbage and herb salad; baked ham with yams, Waldorf salad, and fresh cheese bread; and a pumpkin flan for pudding."

"Waldorf salad?"

"Apples, raisons, celery, and walnuts in a light mayonnaise."

"Yum."

*

"It's about time you to got down here," Mrs. Weasley scolded. "It's after Eight! what the two of you could be doing up there, I have no idea!"

While Mrs. Weasley ranted by the stove, Ginny and Sarah exchanged lusty smirks. Ron frowned, but could say nothing.

"May Sarah and I go to Luna's after breakfast, Mum?" Ginny asked.

"You may go after you help me peel that peck of potatoes. We can't do everything Christmas Eve and Day, you know."

"I'll help, Mrs. Weasley," Sarah offered.

"If you would, dear, could you clean that pile of celery and carrots?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Sure. No problem."

"Thank you. You two can go when you're done."

"Thanks, Mum."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."

"What about me!" Ron protested.

"That garden has to be degnomed, and that pile of firewood has to be chopped and stacked. You also have to feed some of that apple wood to the smoke house fire. We have all the ham and bacon to keep curing. You just won't have time, Ron. Are you girls going to be at the Lovegoods all day?"

"If it will up to have us out from underfoot," Ginny said with a winning smile that sent Ron sputtering. "Luna said we could stay for dinner."

"Fine. Come back at Eight. I'll have all the ingredients ready, and you can help me with the apple and mince pies." She frowned. "Are you sure you won't be in the way?"

"No, Mum," Ginny said. Seeing Ron about to explode, she added, "Ron was invited for dinner, too."

"Very well. When are they planning dinner?"

"Seven," Ginny said.

"Get all your chores done, and you can go at Six," Mrs. Weasley told Ron.

Ron didn't dare say anything but, "Thank you, Mum." He glared at Ginny. If she hadn't got in first, he would have gotten out of chores earlier.

Ginny stuck her tongue out at her brother.

"Is Mister Weasley at work again?" Sarah asked, to change everyone's attention.

"Where is Dad?" Ginny asked. "He didn't really have to go in, did he?"

"He did," Mrs. Weasley said. "The Magic Detectors have been acting up recently, so everyone's on alert. Still, that's happened before, and nothing much has happened."

*

It was just a few moments before noon, when Crookshanks, Hermione's half kneazle, tore into the kitchen, clawed Stella's leg, leapt on Hermione's lap and hissed into her face, and then dove under the kitchen table.

"What the hell is the matter with that cat!" Stella protested.

"He's never acted that way . . . except towards Scabbers. . . ."

Hermione and Stella looked at each other. They pulled their wands and hurried into the parlor. "Stay here and keep and eye on the back door," Stella commanded. This left Hermione just inside the parlor. "I'll stand over here. If anyone breaks through the wards behind us, the other opens the floo and then comes to help out." Stella moved to the other end of the living room.

At that moment, the house shook, and there was a sound like a nearby sonic boom. House and car alarms went off all over the neighborhood. Ward alarms also sounded, because Voldemort had managed to break through the wards surrounding the Grangers.

Playing out the events in her own mind later on, Hermione could not believe the series of events had taken only seven seconds. The violence of Voldemort's appearance had shaken the entire house, but although several objects crashed to the floor, Hermione managed to keep her footing.
She was horrified to see what was standing in front of her. Voldemort was no more human than any sci-fi monster. 'Humanoid' would be the most she could say when questioned later. In the moment Voldemort appeared, however, Hermione was frozen with terror. While she would never hesitate to say his title, she would afterwards feet a bit less contempt for those who refused to say it.

Unfortunately for Voldemort, while he had appeared in a combat crouch, wand at the ready, breaking through the wards had been many times more difficult than he had anticipated. He had not known that Dumbledore and Harry had reinforced them. It had therefore taken him over a minute to break through them without really breaking them down, and this had prevented his selected followers from making it through with him -- and while he was facing Hermione, he was slightly off-balance and also didn't know Harry was directly behind him.

Harry had gone from his Stella disguised into his manticore form instantly upon Voldemort's appearance, lashing forward with his stinger. Voldemort was already moving to regain his balance, however, and so the stinger caught him high on the right shoulder instead of at the base of his skull. Therefore, instead of being killed instantly, Voldemort had pitched himself forward, his injury triggering an automatic portkey he had developed just in case of such emergencies.
Harry had just regained his Stella persona when the first responders, Tonks, two other aurors, two Order members whom neither Harry nor Hermione knew well, and three Druids appeared.

All in just seven seconds.

It took several minutes to calm the responders down and to tell the basic story. Before anyone could demand any detailed explanations, such as how Stella had driven the Dark Lord off, Tonks' buttocks beeped.

"Dora, your arse is beeping," Stella teased.

"It's a modified Muggle pager," Tonks said. She pulled the beeper out of her back pocket and her eyes went wide. "There's a massive Death Eater attack on the Burrow."

Stella had been standing next to the fireplace. She grasped the small crock of floo powder and was off before anyone could stop her. Tonks, the other aurors, and two of the Druids disapparated after stopping Hermione from following Stella. The others stayed with Hermione in case there were further attacks on the Grangers' home.

*

Harry transformed into his dung beetle form just as he emerged from the Burrow's fireplace. Therefore, no one noticed him.

Ron, Mrs. Weasley, and one of the twins were laid on the floor, unconscious, bound, and gagged. There were noises of fights still going on inside the house. There were also three Death Eaters.

"No sign of the cunts?" one demanded.

"No," another grunted.

'That's Goyle Senior,' Harry thought. 'I hope the girls are at Luna's.'

"When we finish here, we'll portkey these back for the Master, and then go over to the Lovegoods'," the leader of the party said. Harry wondered who it was.

"There's just that other twin here right now," the third Death Eater said. "Perhaps I should take these back and you two can finish off George."

'Wormtail,' Harry realized with disgust.

"No, we want to keep the portkey use to a minimum," the leader said. "Goyle, Pettigrew, stay here." The leader left the room.

From the sounds of the yelling, there were now at least three Death Eaters after George. Harry hated making the decision, but realized that he was outnumbered too much to wait for help or to be merciful, especially since he now heard sounds of combat outside. With a slight 'pop', Harry became Stella, and at the same time, called out a Druidic curse at Pettigrew, "Arllwys!" The animagus instantly starting puking, and even when he had disgorged everything inside him, he continued to dry-heave every five seconds. Goyle was hit with a stunner with all Stella's power behind it. Then she hit Pettigrew with one as well.

Stella freed and woke up the three Weasleys with three sweeps of her wand, and before they could stop him, she strode purposefully from the kitchen.

Within five seconds, the yelling stopped, and the screaming began. At that moment, the Death Eaters outside sounded the retreat. Before the aurors and druids could make their way into the house, Stella was back in the kitchen. "Sorry about Pettigrew's mess, Mrs. Weasley," she said simply. She tossed a little floo powder onto the fire, and called out "The Grangers!" Then she disappeared into the flames.

It was a second later that Tonks and the aurors stormed in. "Damn, that girl moves fast!" Tonks exclaimed.

*

Sunday dinner at the Grangers' was proclaimed a great success. There had been no evidence of Voldemort's short incursion, and neither Hermione's parents nor the guests had heard the alarms. Therefore, the Grangers had not been informed when they first arrived at home. That evening, however, Dumbledore arrived to speak with Stella while Professor McGonagall spoke with the Grangers.

"You did well today," Dumbledore said.

"It's too bad I can't apparate yet," Stella retorted. "It would have been over more quickly."

"Possibly. Anything else?"

Stella shrugged. "I wish I had been able to kill him. Then this would all be over, at least until the next Dark Wizard in western Europe."

"You injured him, although we don't know yet how badly. You captured five Death Eaters, and our other forces captured seven outside of the Burrow."

"What surprised me is that Voldemort attacked here by himself," Stella said.

"We have evidence that at least five individuals attempted to apparate in with him. Normally, Voldemort is powerful enough to split any anti-apparation ward, which would have allowed the others to follow him. That Druidic ward your other mentors taught us kept them all out but Voldemort himself, and even then we had some warning."

"Will you be getting some more complete reports, sir?"

"Possibly," Dumbledore hedged. "Going beyond that, I am concerned that you were so successful that Voldemort will raise you to a high target."

"I've thought about that. I'm sure Voldemort didn't see who attacked him. I didn't sense him, but it is possible that he did sense Harry. Could you tell Professor Snape that it was Harry who stabbed Voldemort, but that he wasn't supposed to be known to be here? Therefore, Harry hid from the aurors and did not know about the attack on the Burrow."

Dumbledore thought about that. "I like it. I will let Severus know." He sighed. "We will have to help the Grangers move. It is very possible that he will attack again."

"Is Professor McGonagall telling them that?"

"She is. If they agree to a magical moving company I trust, it will be quick and easy. You and I will add the new wards."

"There aren't any blood wards we could put up here to make it safe here?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "We wouldn't dare. The Grangers could be hit coming to or from the house. Since Hermione is of age, however, there might be one we can add to any new house. It is not possible to make any place totally safe. All we can do if make it strong enough to discourage even Voldemort from thinking it is worth his time and effort to try."

Stella frowned. "You will remind Professor Snape to tell Voldemort that the Grangers have been moved to a location he doesn't know, right? I mean, we wouldn't want some other family massacred."

Dumbledore grimaced. "We learned that lesson in the last war, I assure you."

"What happens to the Death Eaters that were captured?" Stella asked.

"Your Druid friends will be questioning them for a few weeks, and then they shall be transferred to the same secret prison the others are being held in."

"The same place as Malfoy?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Exactly. And do not ask where that is."

Stella sighed. "I guess that's something I don't need to know."

"Exactly." Dumbledore hesitated. "There is one piece of information which you do need to know, however."

"What's that?"

"Pettigrew managed to transform and escape."

"We'll have to see if there is some way to freeze him into his human form for a while," was all Stella would say.

*

Because the Grangers had a great deal to arrange in a short time, Stella was sent to spend the time until Christmas Day at the Lovegoods.

Since Stella was staying, Mr. Lovegood decided to spend the time before Christmas in his small flat in Diagon Alley. He had collected a nice set of articles which he wanted to include in the next two issues of The Quibbler.

Therefore, Harry went back to his normal self as he and Luna prepared for bed. The pair had showered together, and Harry was brushing out Luna's long dark blonde hair. "So," Harry teased, "what did you do for excitement today?"

"Well, until we heard about the attack, I watched Ginny flirt outrageously with Sarah."

It was rare to hear Luna criticize anyone, but Harry thought he heard some disapproval in Luna's voice. "Was she serious?" Harry asked, concerned.

"I don't think so," Luna said, "but I am not certain. I am worried about Ginny."

"I'm starting to," Harry admitted. "Hermione thinks it's just a phase she's going through."

"She is the youngest of us," Luna pointed out. "She's nearly nine months younger than I am. She started the nesting young, and it still may not be fully stable for her."

"Do you think she and Sarah have done anything?"

Luna considered. "I believe they have gone beyond mere flirting, yes. How far they might have gone, I do not know. It is safer for her to flirt and fool around with a girl who is at least indirectly bound to you, than it would be with anyone else."

"You mean because Sarah is with Ron, and Ron is sworn to me?"

"Exactly, which is why you could fool around with Ron that one time."

Harry sighed. "Somehow, I don't think Muggles' lives are this muddled."

"They probably are, just in different ways," Luna observed.

"I suppose."

*

Monday, December 23, 1996

Luna and Harry were awake, but engaged in serious foreplay, when the wards warned them that several people had flooed to the cottage. Harry had switched to Stella and had grabbed his wand in less than three seconds.

"Whoever it is gave a password, and was recognized, but it wasn't Daddy," Luna said softly.

"Luna! Stella! It's us!" Ron called. "Ron, Sarah, and Ginny!"

Ginny and Sarah called up their greetings. Stella and Luna threw on nightgowns and dressing gowns, and then came down the stairs, still carrying their wands.

"What's up?" Harry asked, switching back. To his shock, Ron, Ginny, and Sarah knelt before him. "What do you three think you're doing?"

"You not only saved me yesterday," Ron reminded him, "you saved our mother and our brothers."

"We owe you," Ginny agreed.

"And since I am bonded with Ron, and you saved him, I owe you as well," Sarah acknowledged.

"Ron, there are so many bonds between us that this does not create any more," Harry protested.

"Luna, maybe you should explain," Ginny said.

"Your true fight is against Voldemort," Luna told him. "You immediately left the fight against him to try and save the Weasleys, and you saved at least three of them besides Ron, who is the only one you have any technical obligations to, since Ginny and Sarah were here. Therefore, they have concluded there is a debt. They seem to be offering their bodies in payment of the lives that you saved, an old and slightly-out-of-date offering by most standards. You may take them in any way which is appropriate, if you wish. The only higher offering would be to offer a child if they had one for you to raise as part of your household, although still at their expense. That, of course, is even rarer."

'How medieval," Harry thought.

"You may name an alternative gift, or you may take one in the others' presence as the proxy for the other two, if they insist on proof. . . ."

"No," Harry said firmly. "Ron, I am not having sex with you, and I'm not risking our bonding by doing anything with Sarah. Ginny, we're too committed to each other to use each other like this."

"So you refuse us? We're of that small value to you?" Ginny asked.

"No, I value you that much," Harry snapped.

Ron nodded. "Are you certain?" he asked.

"I would hope I could never use anyone like that," Harry answered. "I would especially not want to use any of you."

"You know," Luna said thoughtfully, "I would think that the Dark Mark represents some sort of higher, Dark version of the pledge you made to Harry, Ronald." She turned to Harry. "If more than a dozen wizards make that pledge to you, you could call yourself a lord, you know. You have two already. . . ."

"Lord Harry?" Harry asked, aghast. "I don't think so. Will you three please stand up? Ron, remember what I said when you made your pledge. Don't kneel before any wizard."

"I don't think you're included," Ron pointed out.

"I do," Harry stated firmly. "If I have to lead, then I'll lead. I am not a lord, a king, or a dictator." The three stood. "Thank you," Harry said. He hesitated, and then hugged the three. "You're my friends, my family. Nothing really means more."

"Really?" Ginny asked.

"Really. I love you, Hermione, and Luna, but you're first my family in every sense. The fact that we four are physical is wonderful, but that's in addition to what we feel for each other. At least on my part."

Luna nodded emphatically, although Ginny seemed to be a bit doubtful.

Sarah poked Ron in the side. "What?"

"We came over for one reason, but we were allowed to come in part for another," she pointed out.

"Right," Ron said with a frown. He looked at Harry. "Snape is coming to visit you here this afternoon."

"Why does he want to see Stella?" Harry asked.

"Not Stella, you. Professor Dumbledore told him that you were here until tonight."

Harry looked very displeased, to say the least. "What time?"

"Two," Ron answered. "We're to stick around, although he's meeting you privately."

"Bah, humbug," Harry said, to the confusion of the others. He and Luna spent the rest of the morning convincing his friends that his decisions of the morning were his honest feelings.

*

Harry and Snape faced each other across the small front parlor of the Lovegood cottage. Harry could feel the spy trying to probe his Occlumency shields, but withheld attacking the probes as Stella had the previous summer.

Finally, Snape stopped and stated, "The three Death Eaters you tortured. . . ."

"I tortured nobody. I stopped three murderers from killing."

"Dickson had the skin ripped from his back!"

"I needed to get the other two to come after me instead of after George," Harry said with a shrug.

"You are on the first steps on the Dark Path. . . ."

"Since I hated doing it, I doubt it. If I had skinned any of the others or had enjoyed it, then you could worry I was starting the path you went down."

Snape ground his teeth, finally managing to say, "The Headmaster commanded me to brief you."

"Very well," Harry said formally. He was determined to both keep his temper and not betray his alter ego.

"You were lucky yesterday," Snape said, now back to his usual sneer.

"We were lucky that Voldemort. . . ."

"Do not say the name!"

Harry just managed to stop himself from sneering back. "Fine, we were lucky that the person once known as Tom Riddle Junior had some trouble getting through the wards, which gave us time to set up a crossfire. We were lucky that Ol' Red Eyes materialized with his back to me. We were lucky that I was showing Stella a weapon. We were unlucky because Moldifart moved in a different direction than I had anticipated. We were unlucky because the coward had that automatic portkey that no one had discovered. . . ."

"You didn't need to know!" Snape roared, standing.

"Didn't need to know! You stupid idiot! That is EXACTLY the sort of thing Stella and I DO need to know!"

"What your language with me, Potter!" Snape spat at Harry.

Harry forced himself to calm down. He settled back in his chair, stared Snape in the eye, and said, "Finish your report."

Snape couldn't believe his ears. "What did you say?"

"I said, sit down and finish your report, Mister Snape." It was the tone that a general would use to a callow junior officer, and Harry did not regret it.

Snape's mouth was moving, but nothing was coming out.

"I said SIT . . . DOWN," Harry snapped. Snape sat, mostly from the shock. "I am not playing this game of yours any more, Professor. You can hate me, disapprove of me, take out your . . . your teen hatred of my father and godfather on me, and if I return next year, you can mismark my potions again for all I care. Right now, the head of our movement wants YOU to tell ME some information. Why don't you just do it? It will be more pleasant for both of us if you keep it short."

It took Snape over a minute of silence to find his voice. When he did, had it been possible, Snape would have spoken through clenched teeth. He reported the severity of Voldemort's poisoned wound, and that he would likely be out of action for some weeks. Harry was still number one on Voldemort's 'kill' list, and Stella had now been moved up to number three. "Please inform her to be more careful at school next term," Snape instructed Harry. While the Grangers were not currently being targeted, there was still a good chance that they might have been had Snape not already reported their plans to flee the house.

Harry thanks Snape very politely, which did not soothe the Potion teacher's temper in the slightest. He fled the cottage as soon as he could.

Ron, Sarah, Ginny, and Luna came into the parlor on the run. They had been listening on extendable ears. "That was a great wigging you gave old Snape," Ron exclaimed.

"Oh really?" Harry asked. "You be the one to tell Hermione, then."

Ron didn't look quite as sure of himself at that.

*

Tuesday, Christmas Eve, 1996

"What would you like to do tonight?" Luna asked. She and Harry were snuggled nude on a love seat, in front of a lovely fire. Luna had blocked the floo, just in case anyone firecalled.

"Whatever you'd like," Harry responded, nuzzling Luna's neck.

Luna reached down and did the Contraceptive Charm. Harry smiled, needing no further hints.
Harry sat back. Luna laid back on the loveseat. She threw her right leg over the back of the loveseat and her left foot on the floor.

Harry drank in her beauty. Her once-straggly hair was now well-brushed and flowed past her very waist. Tendrils draped over the front of her shoulders, but did not obscure the half-apples of her breasts. Under Harry's lustful gaze, Luna's use bemused half-smile grew, and her small rosy nipples hardened.

Luna's labia (still bare of hair -- Harry had accidently discovered that under his power, the hair removal charm was permanent) parted slightly as she grew excited with anticipation.

Harry edged closer, leaned over, and started tonguing her breasts, carefully avoiding her nipples. Luna loved long, slow build-ups, unlike Ginny, who loved fast and furious. It was almost four minutes before Harry started to stroke Luna's back, arse, and thighs, and two minutes more before his tongue started to snake down towards Luna's navel. After Harry had brought her off, he would rub his cock on the furrow of her labia until they both orgasmed.

*

Wednesday, Christmas, 1996

The Burrow was bursting. In the end, all the Weasleys came, even Percy and his wife Penny. Fleur, Stella, Hermione, Luna, Luna's father and Hermione's parents, Remus (recovering from a transformation that morning), and Tonks were also there, meaning there were 19 people for opening presents and dinner. Harry had sent glorious presents for everyone. (Those who knew he was also Stella would have some comments to make in private about the extravagance of the presents. Everyone had gotten at least a 50 Galleon Gift Certificate, good at any member store of the Diagon Alley Merchants' Guild, and for most the presents just started there.)

While many of the individuals were uncomfortable at the seating arrangements (none of the Weasleys except Molly were thrilled to be sitting next to Percy, so she sat on one side of Percy, with Penny on the other), the group was large enough and loud enough to have a reasonably good time.

A little after 4:00, however, the party started to break apart. Percy and Penny left first, followed by the Grangers. Finally, the others left, with Stella going back to Headquarters via portkey, with Remus and Tonks. It took them some time to gather all the presents for themselves and for Harry (since Remus was in charge of sending those on).

The fairly good mood of the three crashed instantly when they discovered the Headmaster and Snape waiting for them.

"What's happened?" Remus demanded.

"Somehow, Voldemort discovered where the Ministry hid the Death Eaters captured last summer," Dumbledore stated. "Although he was incapacitated, his forces, led by dementors, liberated many of them earlier today. There were over two dozen losses amongst the guards. They did manage to destroy many of the dementors, and a third of the prisoners were held. Still, it is the worst set-back since the summer."

Dumbledore's eyes never flicked towards Stella as Snape added, "The Dark Lord is letting the criminal element in North America know that there is a 50,000 Galleon reward for Potter, and a 5,000 Galleon reward for certain information as to his whereabouts."

"We'll let him know," Remus said.

"Was Draco's father one of the Death Eaters freed?" Stella asked.

"He was," Snape answered. "We will have to prevent Draco from falling into his father's hands. He has no chance at keeping his feelings hidden."

"He couldn't learn Occlumency?" Stella asked.

Snape shook his head. "Few teens could master Occlumency well-enough to keep a good Legilimencer such as Lucius out of their heads. I doubt even you could keep the Dark Lord out."

Stella held her tongue for the few minutes Dumbledore and Snape remained, but couldn't hold back long after they had left. "Are we alone?" she asked.

Remus nodded, and Stella switched back to Harry. "I'd really love to kick Snape's balls up through his damn throat," he snarled. "Why the hell couldn't that prick bastard ever cut me a break?"

"Nice skirt," Tonks pointed out.

Harry growled and stalked out of the kitchen.

"I really hope I see ol' Snape when he learns about Harry's masquerade," Tonks said.

"If he waits until after the war is over, I'd rather wait and see Harry kick Snape's balls up to his throat," Remus retorted. Tonks' eyebrows went up. Normally, Remus hid his feelings towards Snape well.

Remus sighed. "I'm sorry. It wasn't a bad transformation last night, but it's never easy."

"Come on," Tonks said. "You need a hot relaxing bath. I'll wash your back and any other bits you'd like."

"Then what?" Remus asked with a wan smile.

"When you're nice and hard, you may lie down and I'll find someplace to put it."

*

Chapter XX

Harry worked out hard the rest of his time at Grimmauld Place, while Remus supervised him. On Monday morning, after an extensive workout, Harry asked, "So, how much progress have I made since the summer?"

"In terms of power, you're stronger than anyone I've ever seen, other than perhaps Dumbledore," Remus said. "Your reflexes are the best I've ever seen, period. Defensively, you're operating at above auror levels. Offensively, you're still a little spotty."

"What do you think my chances would be against Voldemort in a straight duel?" Harry asked.

"You could probably survive it, but you don't have the experience or range to beat him, unless you get very very lucky."

Harry sighed. "That's what I thought. I hope the bastard is out of things for a while yet."

"I don't think you'll have to beat him in a straight fight," Remus mused. "This power Voldemort doesn't know . . . I really believe it's your love in general. He can't stand positive emotions. That is how you drove him out of your mind last June."

"True, but I don't think he's going to try that trick again, and I doubt I'll be able to gain access to his soul to try it any other way."

"Perhaps," Remus agreed, "but you never know."

Harry flopped into a chair. "I really don't want to go back to school next week," he said.

"What brought that out?" Remus asked, surprised.

"Having to be Stella is fun in some ways, but it's difficult in a lot of others. I have to keep an eye on Draco, I'm trying to work with Millicent, et cetera, et cetera."

"Don't let it get to you," Remus said. "You can rely on the girls to support you."

"I can rely on Hermione and Luna," Harry said. "Ginny loves me, but she really seems to want to have some one exclusively. She'd never betray the cause and all that, but I don't feel I can lean on her quite as much as I do the other two."

"Well," Remus admitted, "I've never known anyone in a situation like yours, so you'll have to go on instinct as much as anyone's advice."

Harry sighed. "Well, I always wanted to be more self-reliant."

"You're looking more tired than I would expect. Aren't you sleeping?"

Harry grinned. "If you are going to drive Dora to six screaming orgasms right before midnight and three more at dawn, you could put up a silencing charm or two."

"Right," Remus acknowledged, red-faced.

Harry had never really had an advantage of Remus before, "Maybe you could help me; I've never accomplished that. Is it your stamina, or is it the way you use your tongue on her. . . ."

Remus growled at Harry. Harry eyed his adoptive uncle, gauging if he was being angry or playful. 'Playful but embarrassed,' Harry decided. Harry growled back.

Tonks rushed into the room five minutes later, to see what all the noise was about. She was shocked to see Harry and Remus playfully wrestling on the floor, with half the tables overturned.

"What the bleeding hell are you two doing?" she demanded.

"Establishing dominance?" Remus asked. He exerted his werewolf strength to finally pin Harry. "Give up?"

Harry transformed into the bear, which roared and easily tossed Remus off, and then rolled to his feet. Harry transformed back. "I'll call it a draw if you will."

Remus smiled. "Fair enough."

Tonks' eyes turned upwards. "Boys," she muttered.

*

Stella and Hermione went back to the Burrow early New Year's Eve. The twins supplied a number of low-flying magical fireworks for midnight. Despite Ron's protests the following morning, Hermione drove all the students to working and reviewing their homework, especially the Fifth years, who had neglected their O.W.L. revisions. On the Sunday (January 5), the group of course took the Hogwarts Express.

Harry had of course never taken the Hogwarts Express back after Christmas. Stella was therefore surprised at how quiet, even depressed, the students seemed.

"Is this normal?" she asked. "Things were pretty lively going on holiday."

"Things seem a bit more down than usual," Hermione agreed, "but not by all that much. Everyone seems to be at their lowest coming back from Christmas."

"Just as long as it's not any kind of omen, right?" Sarah asked, trying to cheer them up a bit.
The others merely shrugged and looked out the window.

*

While the students who had gone home for the holidays were making their way back to Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy was nervously walking around Hogwarts. He had received a note the night before. It was a note he had half-feared receiving since the summer, and even more since Christmas. It was a note from his father.

Draco was certain that it was from his father. Had he had any doubt of that, he would have taken the problem to Dumbledore, or perhaps Snape. He wasn't certain about his Head of House’s loyalties, although he suspected that Snape might be as torn as Draco himself.

Had his father been his usual arrogant (although Draco thought of this as being more superior in attitude than arrogant) or commanding self, Draco might have had enough doubts to carry him to the Headmaster as well.

Lucius Malfoy had been neither. He had begged Draco to come see him. While the Dark Lord had finally freed him from prison, Lucius was disillusioned. He was afraid to go to his many former contacts in the Ministry (which Draco understood). He did not trust the Headmaster, considering their past conflicts. He acknowledged doubts about Snape's loyalty to the Dark Lord, but did not put it past Snape to buy advancement with either the Dark Lord or Dumbledore by turning him in, dead rather than alive.

Draco had to admit that was more than plausible.

So, Lucius' note had concluded, he had to give Draco evidence of his good faith to carry to Dumbledore. After several days of thought, Draco had agreed. If Lucius could switch sides and bring about the downfall of the Dark Lord, the Malfoys would gain the credit, not the half-blood Potter or Muggle-loving Dumbledore. He and his father would be able to translate that into political power for the rest of their lives. A modified version of their agenda would triumph, without resorting to measures like a not-quite human, not-quite sane half-blood like Tom Riddle.

Now Draco had to wait. The signal would be the departure of the carriages to pick up the returning students from Hogsmeade. Students and staff would start moving towards their common rooms, and Draco would have at least two hours before anyone would even start to wonder why he wasn't in the great hall for the returning feast.

He paced some more.

*

"You know," Ron said, "we should really do something outrageous on one of these trips."

"Considering some of us take our duties as regular or security prefects seriously, I don't know if that would be a good idea," Hermione retorted.

Ron shook his head. "I swear, I don't know how Harry has any fun with you."

"You'd be surprised," Stella said.

"Is THAT what you're thinking of doing on the train, Ronald Weasley?" Hermione demanded, shocked. "Shame!"

"He does get turned on by the threat of getting caught," Sarah acknowledged. Ron blushed slightly.

"Well, let me tell you right now, Ron, if I catch you with your pants down anywhere near where a First or Second year might come across you, I'll . . . I'll . . . I'll hex your willie!"

"Would it fall off, or just shrink?" Sarah asked, apparently just out of curiosity.

"Hey!"

Hermione held her thumb and forefinger about an inch apart.

"Awww," Sarah teased, "that sounds cute!" Ron and Stella shuddered.

"Come on," Ginny demanded, "let's be serious for a while. Ron, we are NOT going to have sex in the train, and neither are you two."

"We're serious too much as it is," Ron argued. "We fool around on our own, but when we're together the most fun we have is listening to Stella play the guitar."

Stella almost pouted. "I thought you liked my playing."

"I do," Ron protested, "but you don't know the most . . . exciting assortment."

"Repertoire,"Hermione muttered.

"Whatever."

"This isn't helping," Ginny complained.

"What does it matter?" Ron asked. "We don't joke around enough, we don't cause enough trouble."

"We just don't have time for such things, Ron," Stella said sadly. "I'd rather plot ways to drench Filch and plant dung bombs around the Slytherin entrance, but we can't afford pranks."

"I suppose not," Ron said, pouting.

"Never mind Ron," Ginny broke in, "what are we going to do about Draco?"

"What is there to do?" Ron asked.

"Ron, he's going to be under a lot of pressure from his father at some point. We need to help him!"

"She's correct in theory," Hermione told Ron, "but I'm not really certain what we can do in practice."

"Well, not harassing Draco would help for a start," Ginny said to her brother. "He needs to feel he can come to Stella and me, and he might not if you're fussing."

"What?" Ron protested. "I held my tongue all last term. . . ."

"So did Draco!"

"Draco Malfoy is still a sneering, pompous, obnoxious, vain, ferret-faced git," Ron growled. "I've avoided the little prick, and hopefully he'll leave me alone, too."

"Let's hope so," Sarah said. Luna then broke in with a question about an alleged herd of seven-inch tall ponies in upper Michigan, and she and Sarah successfully moved the conversation.

*

Draco decided he could afford to leave early. His father had also given him instructions on how to find a secret exit from the Slytherin dungeons. He was surprised to see that it didn't just go down a bit and then lead towards the Forbidden Forest. It just went down.

*
Late that afternoon, the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade station. "Where's Ginny?" Ron asked as they all moved towards the carriages.

"She's riding up to the castle with Colin and Dennis," Stella said. "I said I'd take care of her trunk."

Ron frowned. "Why is she. . . ?"

Stella shrugged. "I suspect they'll be looking for Draco." Ron's frown grew even darker, but he said nothing.

As they started to exit the carriage, Luna whispered to Stella, "I don't know why, but you might want to glance at your map. If nothing else, maybe you can facilitate Ginny and Colin running into Draco."

Stella merely nodded. She knew enough not to argue with Luna when she made such a suggestion.

*

Draco was surprised at how far down he had gone from the dungeon level he had started off on. Still, he had finally come out at the bottom. There was a stone door blocking his exit, but the note had said all he had to do was place his hands on the slab and proclaim, "Slytherin is the greatest of the Four!"

The stone slid open, and Draco walked out into a smallish stone chamber. There was some sort of steep stone ramp off to the side, and a tunnel partially gilled with debris opposite it.

Lucius Malfoy came out of the tunnel. Draco barely recognized his father. It was the first time Draco had ever seen him looking anything but elegant.

Lucius was dressed in rough robes, and even rougher sandals, which looked like they had been made largely from rope. While he and everything he was wearing was clean, Lucius looked ragged.

"These are just externals," Lucius said, gesturing at his clothes and his ill-kempt beard and hair. "They don't matter at the moment."

"Where are we?" Draco asked.

"Near the Chamber of Secrets. This tunnel led to it, but it has partially collapsed, no doubt due to Potter's invasion a few years ago."

Draco frowned. "How did you get here?"

"There is a back entrance to the Chamber, from the Forbidden Forest. It can lead directly into the Chamber, and another passage leads around it."

Something did not feel right to Draco. He made a step back. "I thought only the Heir to Slytherin could gain access here?"

"Only the Heir to Slytherin can access the Chamber," Lucius answered. "This isn't the actual Chamber."

"Why did you serve him, Father?" Draco asked.

"What do you mean?"

"The Dark Lord, the Heir of Slytherin, isn't a Pure Blood. He isn't even really human anymore. How can someone, something, like that further our cause?"

"I followed him because he has power and he is not afraid to use it. We need to take our place, not just in the magical world but in the larger world. The Muggles must be enslaved, and I believe he could start us on that path."

"There are 30,000 of us against over 60,000,000 of them, just in Britain and Ireland," Draco said. "There are over 7,000,000,000 of them on Earth and less than 4,000,000 of us! We already suck wealth from them. How can we risk all that we have in the hope of controlling them?"

"Because that is the nature of power," Lucius answered. "You either wield it yourself, or it is used against you and what you value. You can't trust anyone else."

Draco frowned. "But isn't that exactly what you've done? You've entrusted what power our family has to the goals of the Dark Lord. He wants power and immortality for himself. How can you trust him, when he's not one of us? You said many times that the only thing worse than a Mudblood was a. . . ."

"Draco!" Lucius snapped.

"Interesting," said another voice from the tunnel. A form came out of the dark tunnel, and Draco saw it was Voldemort, seated on a wide chair, which was hovering a few inches above the ground. He was swathed in heavy blankets, and looked both ill and cold. The chair was being pushed by a very short, balding wizard, with a silver hand.

Draco looked in horror at his father. "So, you're still his slave?"

Before Lucius could angrily retort, Voldemort had raised his wand and exclaimed, "Imperio!"
Lucius winced. "Must it be this way, Master?"

"It is. We could not trust him to help us in any other way. Here, place this necklace around his neck. It will make him easier to control." He handed Lucius a thin gold necklace with rough crystals on it. "Besides, if they don't kill him, they will realize he was being used. Stop fretting. If they do kill him, you can make more heirs to the House of Malfoy later."

"Yes, Master."

*

Four girls huddled over a low table in the hidden room behind the mirror. "I don't see him anywhere," Hermione complained.

"How can you tell, when parts are so crowded?" Sarah asked.

"Shh," Stella said softly. "The original Map was specially keyed to the makers' voices. This one is charmed to respond to me." She touched the Map with her wand. "I ask that only Draco Malfoy be revealed."

All of the little moving dots disappeared from the Map. "Drat," Sarah said.

"Reveal Ginevra Weasley," Stella commanded. Ginny's name appeared, down near the dungeons near Hufflepuff. "Sarah, Luna, take the map and track down Ginny. Bring her up to entrance of the Headmaster's Office."

"Is that where we're going?" Hermione asked.

"Exactly. Let's go."

*

Stella was not pleased to see Professor Snape in the Headmaster's office, although he was glad that the other Heads of House as well as Remus and Tonks were there.

"Is there a problem, Miss Green?"

"Where either of you aware that Draco is neither in the castle or on the grounds?" Stella asked.

"How can you know that?" Snape demanded.

Everyone ignored him.

"Are you certain?" the Headmaster asked.

"He wasn't here as of six minutes ago at least," Stella answered.

"Remus, if you could double-check?" Dumbledore asked.

"Right." Remus moved to the upper level of the Headmaster's large office. He could be heard muttering, but only the Headmaster, Stella, Hermione, and Tonks knew that he was checking the original Marauders' Map. After over a minute, Remus called down, "Not a sign of him, Headmaster. He was in the lower area of the Slytherin dorms when he disappeared."

"How the hell do you know this!" Snape demanded.

"You do not need to know," Dumbledore said. "Was it from the boys' area, or the joint stairwell?"

"The lowest part of the joint stairwell," Remus answered.

Dumbledore thought a moment and then stood. "Professors Snape, Flitwick, and Lupin and Miss Green, come with me to Slytherin House."

Snape looked horrified.

"Miss Tonks, Miss Granger, take over the Map. Professor McGongall, call Professor Madfall here, and have her contact her friends. If Mister Malfoy reappears anywhere, send Fawkes to me with the location while the rest of you move in his direction."

"Just what are you saying?" Snape demanded.

"This may be a false alarm, of course, but it is also possible that Mister Malfoy will have been in contact with his father. He may be injured, or he may have been turned or placed under the Imperius or something similar. We must determine that, if we have the chance."

Snape looked torn, then glared at Stella. She said nothing, and when Dumbledore also stayed silent, Snape realized he had no alternative. "Very well," Snape said. "Let us go."

On their way out, they saw Colin, Ginny, Luna, and Sarah coming along, so they were sent on up to the office.

*

"I can't find any trace of a portkey having been used," Dumbledore admitted.

"Then there MUST be an opening of some sort," Stella said, not for the first time. They were at the bottom of a stairwell. There were rooms off in two directions, unused at the current time because there weren't that many Slytherin students.

"This wall is solid," Snape insisted.

Stella thought, and went over to the stone stairs. She shone her wand light into the small space left between the last stairs and the back wall, and saw two things. One was half a foot print in the light dust, going under the corner. The other was a series of carved snakes incised into the wall. Again, looking close, she saw one was less dusty than the others. She ran her finders along the groove, and the stones of the wall rearranged themselves, much like the bricks at the entrance to Diagon Alley.

"Shall we?" she asked.

"Remus goes first," Dumbledore said, "then Stella and myself, with Severus and Filius guarding the rear. Come along."

*

"Oh, sh. . . , I mean, look, there he is," Hermione said, pointing at the map.

"Where is he?" McGonagall demanded.

"He reappeared in Myrtle's lavatory," Hermione said, in a horrified voice.

"And that's bad because?" Siân demanded.

"It's bad because that's an entrance, what we had thought was the only entrance, to Salazar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets," Hermione answered. "That means Voldemort has to be involved somehow."

"I can't believe it," Colin said. "Draco . . . Draco told me he wouldn't go over to the Dark Lord." McGonagall's, Tonks', Sprout's, and Siân's eyebrows all went up at that.

"He must have been forced," Ginny agreed.

"Miss Tonks, Professor Madfall, and I will take care of this," McGonagall stated. "Professor Sprout, you sound the alarm for the students to go to shelter. You girls are to stay here. Come along."

The door had barely shut when Ginny said, "Colin and I are going after him. You three can stay here, or come with us."

"You're not going," Hermione commanded, her hand moving towards her wand.

"That's what you think," Ginny replied, but with her wand already moving.

*

Remus and Stella had reached the bottom of the stair well ahead of the others. "He was here, but he's gone," Stella growled.

"Where did Draco. . . ?"

"Not Draco, Voldemort," Stella answered. "Keep an eye out." Stella hurried back up the few flights of stairs and reported. "Do we go after Draco or Voldemort?" she demanded.

"How does she know. . . ?"

"Hush, Severus. Where would Draco go?"

"The slide had a set of steps receding back into them. I'd say he went up to Moaning Myrtle's bath room." Stella suddenly spun around. "Stupify!"

Remus glanced over. "You got Pettigrew!" The rat was laying stunned on a lower step.

"I shall bind him for later collection, even if he does try to transform," Dumbledore said. "Stella, you run after Draco. I will collapse everything I can. I should have done so years ago, when Harry first found the first entrance. Hurry."

Stella was already out of sight.

*

Lucius Malfoy looked nervously around as dust fell all around him and the ground shook. He and his Master were at the bottom of the outside entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. He had hoped they would have retreated into the Forbidden Forest and fled to safety by now, but they were staying. His Master was observing.

"What happened?" Lucius asked, eyeing the ceiling with worry.

"I suspect the Old Man somehow traced Draco's original route, and collapsed the antechamber. One of the first tasks I will put the Mudblood slaves to will be clearing the way to the Chamber."

"Yes, Master," Lucius said, while thinking, 'Slaves? We haven't even won yet, and he's already thinking about the slaves he might win?' Lucius was unsure how to feel about that confidence, considering their past lack of success against Dumbledore and his minions.

*

"Mister Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall called out just as the alarms went off.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

McGonagall, Tonks, and Madfall scattered, and the deadly curse just missed them. When they looked up, Draco was gone.

Tonks scanned the map. "Merlin!" she muttered in horror.

"What is it?" McGonagall demanded. Tonks pointed at the map. Draco was moving back towards Myrtle's toilets, mostly likely to head off towards the library, Slytherin, or Hufflepuff. His name, however, was fading in and out, and was being overlaid by 'Tom Riddle '.

"He's not only under the Imperius, the connection is strengthening," Siân breathed.

"Even worse, look!" He was heading towards Ginny and Colin.

"How is HE here?" McGonagall suddenly demanded. 'Harry Potter' had just appeared in Myrtle's bathroom.

"He's a metamorphmagus," Tonks said, getting them all moving towards Draco.

"He's Stella?" McGonagall asked, stunned.

"Yes," was the simple answer.

"I'll certainly speak to the Headmaster about those sleeping arrangements," McGonagall muttered as they hurried off.

*

Flitwick had been left far behind as Stella burst forth from the toilets, although Dumbledore and Snape were close behind her, with Remus a few steps ahead of them. Stella did not wait for them, as she sensed that Voldemort, inside of Draco, had just passed by the location. She took off in pursuit. Snape and a very winded Dumbledore were less than five seconds behind, following Remus, who was following Stella's scent.

*

"Draco!" Colin shouted in a pleading voice.

Draco turned.

*

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Voldemort commanded. He turned on Lucius. "I just killed your son's lover," he spat. Lucius looked confused. "He was not only a he, but a Gryffindor and a Mudblood to boot!"

Voldemort suddenly grimaced in pain and turned slightly away. Ginny had hit Draco with a bat-boggy hex, and because he had let his attention wander, and because he was still recovering from his poisoned stab wound, he had let a little feed-back hit him.

*

"Counter that!" Stella commanded, moving in front of Draco as he writhed in pain.

"But. . . ." Ginny protested.

"Do it, if you want to win!"

Ginny removed the hex from Draco, and Stella held his face firmly in her hands. "Legilimens!"

At that moment, all the others (except for Flitwick) converged at the same spot: Remus, McGonagall, Tonks, Madfall, Dumbledore, Snape, Hermione, and Luna.

"No one interferes!" Dumbledore called out.

"A battle?" Snape asked.

"Indeed. Legilimency against the Imperius," Dumbledore replied. Draco's body was stiffened in pain in Stella's arms.

The battle raged silently. Flitwick, huffing and puffing, showed up, but no one noticed.

Down in the deep cavern, Voldemort was also stiff with the effort to fight. Suddenly, Lucius saw a look of terror wash over his Lord and Master. Voldemort said his first word since the battle had started. "Potter!"

Far above, Stella grinned. She put her concentration into driving Voldemort deep into himself. When keeping her form became a slight hindrance, Harry reverted, and drove the extra smidgen of power through Draco and into Voldemort.

Seeing what was coming, Tonks nudged Remus. They both looked over at Snape. When Stella changed into Harry, Snape's eyes went very wide, and then he fell back and landed on his backside from the shock.

Luna then led Ginny and Hermione over. Luna put one hand of each of them on Harry's neck, and then placed her hands over theirs, standing between them. Harry felt them, and their power started to trickle in to reinforce his own.

Voldemort felt it, too. He was shocked to realize that Potter was now much more powerful than he.

However, while Potter was more powerful, Voldemort was much more experienced. He slipped a command around Harry's driving magic. It would burn Draco's brain out, but Voldemort hardly cared about that. If he didn't try this, he would lose. If he did lose, at best his own brain would be burned out. His body might live for centuries, but it would only be an empty shell. However, he did not think he would lose.

Draco's wand lifted yet again. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

*