FicWad

Harry Potter and the Witches' Secret
Chapter 6
Sunday 8 August 1995 (Sidereal)
8 Aug (Off Sidereal)

Harry awoke in the morning and opened his eyes. Emmeline's ice-blue eyes were staring back. He could hear the shower running, and he and Emmeline were the only ones in the big bed.

"Nym has established a rota, Harry. One of us besides the Alpha and Primaries will be with you morning and evening. She thought it was the only way to be fair."

"I agree with her. So what did you have in mind, lovely lady?" Harry arched an eyebrow at Emmeline.

She laughed and put her arms around his neck, dragging him into a very passionate embrace and then kisses.

The bonded all felt both his and her climax some minutes later and smiled. Harry and Emmeline joined the Alpha and Primaries in the bathroom.

Once they had managed to get out of the bathroom with only a minimum of distraction and Hermione getting pinned to the shower wall, they dressed and headed to the dining room. This morning Harry made the rounds of the bond mates, giving them each a hug and a kiss and seating them. Finally he was in his seat with a goofy grin plastered across his face. Nym leaned over and, using her napkin, wiped some lipstick from his cheek. She smiled at him and held his hand as breakfast appeared.

"Harry, you seem to be doing particularly well this morning."

"And why not, Amelia? I'm in love with the best witches in Britain-no, the world-and they love me back. Life is good right now."

They could all feel how truly happy he was. It warmed their souls that he truly did feel they were the best of witches, and that he loved them all with all his giant heart.

Moody stumped his way in. "Ach, laddie, what did ye do? Make 'em stop smiling, I've been blinded."

He grinned at Harry as he cast a Protego to fight off the barrage of minor hexes that flew at him from all directions. Surprisingly Ginny's Bat-Bogey Hex blasted through the shield and Alastor was forced to duck. The hex blasted a fist-sized crater in the marble wall.

"Great Merlin, lass stop using your laird's power. You're going to kill me with a tickling charm."

"Sorry." Ginny sat there, her face flaming, and everyone besides Moody felt her embarrassment. Hermione and Hestia hugged her.

"Alastor, can we work on that today? I really don't want anyone coming off this turn and oh, say, completely cleaning and rebuilding Sirius's house with a single wand flick."

"Good idea, Harry, but I believe we need to include some basic Occlumency. You're sure to be around Dumbledolt and we don't want him peeking in your mind, much less Snake-err, Snape."

"Nym, really, must you...never mind. Harry, remember: until you're ready, we still have to play the game. We mustn't disrupt too much before you're ready."

"I know, Minerva, and I appreciate that you still respect Albus, but I also understand why Nym has her panties in a twist over him."

Nym punched Harry in the shoulder.

"As soon as everyone is finished eating we can go to the gym. I'll set up some testing lanes and we'll work on control. Once we get that, I believe it would be best for Chu Li to work with you on your Occlumency from inside the bond."

"Thanks, Alastor. Chu, is that possible?"

"I hadn't thought of it, Harry, but I believe it would be."

"Okay, then after we eat, let's begin."

After a very pleasant, relaxed breakfast, the bonded all moved to the gym. While they watched, Alastor, with Minerva's and Amelia's help, conjured and Transfigured a set of what appeared to be target butts and matching shooting stalls.

"All right. Your attention, please, milord and ladies. What we will do is cast a series of spells. You pick whatever hex, spell, or curse you want and fire it at the target. I want you to start just casting and then put more effort into it every time you cast, and we'll see where we are. The numbers you will see indicate power level on the top and accuracy on the bottom. The power numbers will rise and the accuracy numbers will fall. Let me demonstrate."

Alastor turned and fired a Reducto. The top number read 40 and the bottom 100.

"The numbers indicate that I achieved a power level of 40 and a direct hit."

"Alastor, how high does the scale for power go?"

"It's currently limited to 999, Hermione. I can tell you Albus cast in the 200s, at most, when he puts some effort into it."

Harry was standing in a stall and he turned toward the target. He considered for a moment; then, thinking that a more destructive spell might get a higher reading, he snapped his wand up and cast, "Bombarda!" The target disappeared in a shower of dust-sized particles. Harry blinked and looked at the numbers. His top number was 302 and his bottom number was 94.

"Lad, I asked you to just cast."

"I did, Alastor."

"Hmm. Okay, well, let's see what you can really do." Moody conjured another target in the butts.

Harry concentrated, drew on his magic, and fired the Bombarda again. This time the target sublimed to gas in a gigantic fireball. The wall behind it had also disappeared, and they were staring out into the back garden of the Ossuary. If it had not been for the one-way shield cast by Alastor, the blast overpressure would have injured them all. Harry stood with his mouth open.

Nym reached over and gently lifted his jaw closed. The numbers this time read 999 and 90.

"Amelia, I'm so sorry."

She looked at Harry and tried to respond; instead, as soon as she opened her mouth she burst out laughing. It was simply too much. Here was her lover, finally looking like what he was-a scared fifteen-year-old boy. She stepped up to Harry and hugged him to her. It would have been better if she could have stopped laughing, but she just couldn't. Finally she said, "It's all right, Harry."

Harry was pouting horribly while he snuggled Amelia into him. Hermione swatted him on the butt. "Molest Amelia later, Harry. We're working now."

"But Mi, I have her right where I want her now," Harry whined, tightening his grip on Amelia.

The bonded broke up in laughter again. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Honestly-mmph-Nym!"

Nym had stepped up to Hermione and effectively silenced her with a kiss. "Relax, Hermione, we have all day. Let's take our time and explore this fully."

Minerva had been looking thoughtful after she recovered from her shock. "Harry, was that all you can put into your casting?"

"No, Minerva, I think I can put a lot more into it before I ever draw on you and the other bonded. I can feel your magic, but I didn't draw on it."

"Harry, what does it feel like when you cast?"

Harry screwed his face up. "Uh, it doesn't feel, Minerva."

The bonded froze. "What do you mean by it doesn't feel, Harry?"

"It doesn't feel. I just cast."

The bonded stood stunned. They could all feel their magic when they cast. They could also feel the pull on it.

"Harry doesn't feel it because he swims in an ocean of it. He has never reached the limits of his magic, and now that the bindings Dumbledore placed are so eroded as to be useless, he may never do. I believe the bindings will break or be absorbed tonight, when he takes me."

All heads turned to Luna. She had been so quiet until now.

"How do you mean, Luna?"

"Hestia, if we use something that flows as an analogy, water, most wizard folk access the equivalent of a small stream. Powerful wizard folk access a large stream or small river. Dumbledolt, Vulturewart, and five or six wizards in the world outside the Potter clan access a really big river like the Nile. Harry, by comparison, floats in an ocean of magic."

"Luna, do you know how this happened?"

"Well, apparently Harry being so powerful made his magic seek out the most powerful witches, Hestia."

"No, Luna-how did Harry get so powerful?"

"Oh. Well, first his mother's protection ritual didn't function quite as she expected, either as a result of interference or maybe a combination of effects from a Dark ritual Vulturewart was trying to complete. Every person who died at Godric's Hollow had their magic absorbed by Harry-that was two very powerful wizarding folks and the heavily Dark ritual-augmented dork lord.

"Then Dumbledolt poured all of his available magic into the bindings on Harry. Harry hasn't been breaking the bindings; he's been integrating them."

"Then of course there's the piece of Basilisk fang in his arm and the Phoenix tears in his blood. They've stayed active, fighting each other, and that fight has been pouring magic into Harry since his second year. Now his core is huge, and he'll only grow more so as he hits maturities."

"Morgana! Wait a minute-what do you mean, maturities?"

Luna actually blushed. Daphne sighed and handed Tracey a Galleon.

"Well, Nym, you know when a little wizard reaches a certain age he starts having-uhhh, well-reactions...."

"Luna Potter, don't give me the talk. I gave it to you when your dad asked. You said maturities, plural, not maturity."

"Oh! Thank Morgana. I thought Harry had shagged your brains out-well, maybe sucked."

"Luna Potter!"

Tracey handed Daphne back the Galleon and stuck her tongue out at her over the smirk Daphne wore. Tonks rolled her eyes.

Luna continued, "Wizarding folk actually go through three maturities, four if they live long enough. The first one is the most noticeable as they gain access to most of their magic. The other maturities are about control and releasing access to the final magical reserves."

"So I'm adrift in your ocean of magic with no control Luna?"

"Exactly, lover, but that's what we're for. We can help you learn control Harry."

Padma Patil had been bursting to say something. "So we could just find Vulturewart and Harry could fire up that Bombarda and turn him into scattered atoms."

Luna smiled sadly. "Would that we could, but he's not going to let us close yet. There's something being hidden; it has to do with why his spirit never left and how he was able to come back. I'll keep working on it, but it's very confusing."

Padma's Ravenclaw nature had been piling up questions, though, so she took the opportunity to ask, "Alastor, could your measuring spell be modified to test Harry?"

"Milady, only you would know. It's a standard spell. I'd be happy to show it to you."

He went off with what was fast becoming the Arithmancy group: Septima, Ann, Hermione, Emmeline, and Padma.

Minerva was curious about something else. "Luna, how exactly do you know all this?"

"I'm a seer, as you know. I can 'see' backward as well as forward. I use my knowledge to put together the most reasonable explanations that I can. Then my sight lets me know if they work out or not. It gets confusing around Harry because there are so many outside influences. The prophecy is one, and then we have the Ministry, Vulturewart, Dumbledolt, and us-the bonded. I know that sometimes I seem 'loony', but it's hard to keep the possibilities straight."

"It's fine, dear. I'm sorry I didn't do more to help you."

"Me too, Luna."

"Thank you, Minerva, Cho."

They carried on talking while the others reset the range. Instead of repairing the gym wall, however, they left it open and built it into a clean, finished opening, covering it with some weather protection spells that Ann knew.

The range was reset with the now-modified measuring spell.

"Okay, Harry, give us your very best."

Harry nodded to Nym; he stepped back into the stall and gathered his magic. He raised his wand and cast. The normally red spell left his wand in a bright, firehose-thick bolt of roaring white light. Harry's wand was smoking. The target had simply ceased to exist and there was now a fifty meter long, three meter wide, four meter deep gouge in the yard outside. The numbers were 9999 over 100.

Emmeline cast a spell and the top number changed to 11588. "Harry, I didn't feel anything, so I'm assuming that you were not drawing on the bond?"

"No, Emmeline, I wasn't. And it seemed like there was something holding me back. That wasn't all I can do, but I don't know how to get around the...eerrr...bottleneck, maybe?"

"Hmm. I believe we don't want you to, either, if Luna is correct. Ann, can you be a test caster for us? First just you, and then draw on Harry."

Ann stepped into the other stall and cast the Bombarda. The red beam shot out and blew the target to pieces. The numbers came in at 278 and 86. She concentrated and rolled her shoulders. Harry tried to help her by gathering his magic and pushing it toward her in the bond.

"Harry, Baby, don't do that. As a matter of fact, let me pull from you this time, and then you push on the next one."

"Sorry. Okay, go ahead."

Harry stopped pushing and Ann got reset and cast. The bolt was still red, but it was noticeably thicker and faster. The target was atomized. The numbers came back 4567 and 93.

Ann nodded "Okay, one last time; and this time, Harry, you help."

Harry gathered everything he had and pushed it to Ann. She cast and the bolt was blisteringly fast, firehose-thick, and blindingly white. It registered at 12377 and 97. The target was gone, and the ditch outside had doubled in width and grown a little in depth, too. The end of her wand glowed for a moment, and then a tendril of smoke curled up from it.

Alastor had watched with interest. "Well, that answers that. I don't think you have to worry about your bonded as long as you're alive and the bond is working, Harry."

Susan looked at the hole for a moment and then flicked her wand at it. The walls sloped down and became lined with rock. "I always wanted a place to swim close to the house."

Harry moved off to a bench by the wall. "All right, Harry?"

"Sure, Ann. It's just...well...I don't really know how this is going to work. I mean, I'm responsible for you all now and, well, I haven't ever even been responsible for myself before."

She sat beside him and put an arm around him. "Harry, we're all here. We aren't children, we're women. You've been happy to ask for and accept advice. Just keep doing that, and we'll all work together. We're the bonded, after all; we can't do much else."

"That's something else that bothers me. How much has the magic changed us? I mean, I can't really see this many women getting along so well." He realized what he'd just said and blushed furiously.

Ann hugged him tighter and the laughter of the bonded filled the gym. "Harry, there's no question that there would be more-friction, let's say-if we weren't here for a common goal. We know we don't have to compete for you, and I believe that we've moved past it, assisted by the magic."

"Sorry. It's just that in my experience women have a tendency to be pretty rough on each other."

"I know, Harry, and I'm not saying we won't have rough patches. Right now we have a common purpose. I guess we have to thank Vulturewart for that, if nothing else."

"I'll be sure to-just before I stick his head on a pike."

They sat together watching as the rest of the bonded fired into the stalls under Moody's watchful eye. Soon enough he was giving tips to improve their aim. After two hours of this, everyone was satisfied with their numbers and getting tired. Chu was conjuring large bags in a corner of the gym, preparing for the first Occlumency session.

"Luna, you are as yet unbonded. Do you mind if we record your numbers and then see what the difference is after you're bonded?"

"No, Cho; in fact, I should have thought of that." She cast and achieved a 408 over 97. The bonded looked on in stunned silence. No one had known she was so powerful. Luna gave them a little grin. "Hermione and Ginny would have really amazed you."

Chu cleared her throat. "Ladies and milord? If you please, we will start on Occlumency."

They moved over and stood amongst the bags.

Chu said, "Please take seats."

Harry smiled as Hermione lowered herself gracefully onto a bag. "They're called bean bags," she explained. "They're very comfortable."

Harry lowered himself into one and Chu lowered herself in with him. His arm automatically went round her.

Chu waited until they settled and then started. "We're going to work on creating an Occlumency shield. If you would all join me in the bond, we will begin. Luna, I'll show you this after you are bonded tonight."

The bonded all dropped into the bond, where they found Chu. She pulled each one of them into her mind. They saw a vast plain on the right and an enormous escarpment on the left.

"These are my defenses. I created them in my mind. On our right is a thousand miles of plain. My memories and thoughts are like an island on that plain. The escarpment you see on your left is that island."

She moved them all in her mind to the top of the mile-high escarpment and put them down facing what appeared to be a stone wall with no gate. She walked to the wall and touched it. A tunnel appeared. She motioned them forward and they followed her into the long tunnel. After a few moments they exited the tunnel and were faced with another wall. This wall appeared to be steel. Again she moved forward and touched the wall, and a gate appeared. They proceeded through this gate and exited a shorter tunnel into a courtyard full of buildings in the Chinese imperial style.

"I built my Occlumency shields and barriers based on what I knew. This is a copy of the Forbidden City, the seat of the Emperor of China. It is important to know that in order to protect your thoughts and memories, you must know what they are. In each of the rooms of this complex I stored types of memories in the form of scrolls. I can direct an attacker who makes it this far to the room that I want him to see, while hiding those things most precious to me. It is said to be possible to create guardians to protect an area, but it requires an enormous amount of power to do so. Harry, if you would help, I would like to try it now."

"Of course, Chu, anything you need." Harry gathered his magic and pushed it to her along the bond.

Chu concentrated and suddenly there was an enormous blood-red dragon flying in the air over the Forbidden City. Chu smiled and hugged Harry.

"Chu, how will you maintain the dragon?" Marietta asked.

"Once you have created the item in your mind, your magic sustains it. That's why my first barrier is the plain. It is so passive that it requires almost no energy to maintain, but an attacker must spend energy crossing it. The walls are the same. The dragon will be maintained using Harry's and my magic. That being the case, I believe Harry will know when I am under attack and can assist me. My main defense is directing an enemy to what I want them to see. In order to keep up an attack on someone, you must expend almost the same amount of energy as you would in the physical realm. Also, the attacker must in most cases be looking you in the eye. If they are not looking you in the eye, they must be enormously powerful or have a link with you for Legilimency to work.

"For as long as we can stand it, let's all work first on creating our defenses, and then each day we will all have to order our thoughts and store them. I'll show you some meditation techniques to use each night."

As Luna and Moody stood watch over them, they began their work. The bonded without shields, brainstormed for ideas, and eventually decided on an island fortress type of arrangement. The islands rose directly from the sea. On each island was a fortress with three layers of walls: basalt, granite, and steel. Inside the walls they all created their own individual keeps. Some were beautiful as fairy tales. Harry's was beautiful in its own way. A solid cylinder of polished black granite rose from the bailey, which was patrolled by two Griffins and two Nundu. Overhead a coal-black, green-eyed dragon flew. It was enormous.

Exhausted by the work so far, Harry rested while the bonded completed their keeps. When the last of them had gotten too tired to continue, Chu lead them all back to full consciousness.

Harry lay for a moment cuddling Chu. He pulled her halfway onto him and, resting his chin on the top of her head, he fell asleep. The bonded followed his lead and all took a nap.

Luna smiled at them and continued her watch from inside the circle of Nym's arms.
Moody spoke to her before leaving. "I will take my leave, milady; there are things that need watching." Luna nodded imperiously, while grinning impishly at him. He chuckled and stumped his way out of the gym and then the mansion.

The bonded slept for two hours and then began to awaken. Harry awoke with a handful of firm breast in one hand and a warm stomach under his other. Chu, who had been awake for a few minutes, felt him awaken and spun in his arms until she was straddling him. She pulled her skirt out of the way and opened Harry's jeans. She then freed the object of her quest and, rising forward, aimed him at her center and sat back on him. Harry, having pressed his erection to the inside of her right thigh for the last thirty minutes, had her soaked by now, and she sheathed him to the hilt in one backward thrust. She moaned and growled and collapsed onto him, thrusting her pelvis gently back and forth. The bonded had their attention riveted on the joined couple as they felt the walls of Chu's vagina working their cock. The feedback grew and grew. Suddenly Harry was pouring all of his love, lust, and desire for them into the bond, and then he reinforced it with a little raw magic. As he took Chu's lips in a searing kiss, they all felt it; and then he exploded in her, filling her with cum and ripping a gut-twisting orgasm from them all.

Rosmerta had been sleeping and dreaming of Harry making love to her when she felt his orgasm and launched into her own. Hers was so big it took her consciousness for a moment. She awakened about five minutes later, more satisfied than she had been since Harry bound her. She couldn't wait for tonight. It was her turn on the evening rota. While feeling Harry inside her bond mates was nice, nothing compared to having her belly full of Harry. After he fucked Luna into submission, Rosmerta planned to get her bellyfull. It was amazing-she had had a few lovers, but this boy actually curled her toes. For the first time in her life she wanted a male permanently in her life. Not only that, but she kept catching herself wishing she was pregnant. Now that she had some rudimentary Occlumency barriers, she was determined to fulfill that wish.

The bonded reawakened, and Harry helped them to their feet amid their aftershocks. They wandered off toward their rooms with goofy smiles after he had kissed them. Universally they wanted a nice warm bath and then dinner.

Luna had watched the whole thing with a predatory smile, and as the last of the bonded left, she dragged Harry toward the master suite, shedding clothes along the way. By the time they reached the bedroom she was nude and Harry was down to his boxers. Luna pushed him onto the bed and knelt in front of him, taking his boxers as she went and capturing him in her mouth on the way down. Luna used all of the knowledge gained from her sight and took Harry's not-inconsiderable length straight down her throat. She moaned as her nose contacted Harry's belly, the vibrations deep in her throat almost causing him to lose control. As she came back up to the tip of his shaft he leaned forward and, grasping her hips, he pulled her up and around and lay back. They ended up in a sixty-nine position with Luna on top and Harry's face buried in her.

For a beginner, Luna was a demanding partner indeed. Harry was only too happy to accede to her fiercely whispered pleas, and they spent several frenzied moments writhing together on the enormous bed, touching each other everywhere with hot, delicate fingers and hotter mouths until Luna finally screamed her release when Harry penetrated her with his tongue. Her scream, together with the feel of her inner vibrations, sent him over the edge after her, and she hummed happily as she sucked him dry. His heart barely had time to slow before she was taking him up again. "Harry, you taste great!" she murmured around him. "Do it again." And she swallowed him to the root. Harry was glad to oblige.

The bonded were lost in sensation; they, too, felt every swipe of warm tongue and every last vibration and pounding heartbeat. Tongue met erect nipple, questing fingers found tight, wet curls and the hot, slippery depths that waited within. Soon all of the bonded had moved into the shallow end of the baths, moaning and gasping out their own orgasms with the pair on the bed, completely incapacitated.

But Luna was not yet bonded.

Harry rolled Luna off him and came round so they were face to face. Her eyes lit and she eagerly accepted him as he sheathed himself in her. Luna continued to scream, her climax never stopping. Harry started with long, slow strokes, but Luna was having none of it. "Fuck me, Harry, fuck me hard," she half-gasped, half-sobbed into his ear. Harry began to move faster, but it wasn't enough. "Harder, Harry, harder, please Harry oh Morgana I can't come again unless you go harder." Harry closed his eyes and extended his magic into her, focusing it on her pleasure; then he released it. Luna locked in an orgasm so powerful that every muscle in her body seized. Her inner muscles clamped onto Harry and it felt like she was suckling on him as she had done with her mouth before. Harry released into her in a paralyzing orgasm, and this time the walls of the entire house rang. The light that flared was blinding and lasted for a full quarter-hour.

None of the bonded knew of this, however, as they were all unconscious by then and wrestling, deep in the bond, with the flood of Luna's thoughts and emotions. Finally they got it under control and they all fell into a deep sleep. The house-elves of the Ossuary recovered them from their baths, where they had been watching them for their safety, dried them, and put them in their beds. The bonded would not awaken until evening. They spent the time in the bond first fighting the randomness of Luna's thoughts into some kind of order, then marveling over both her abilities and brilliance, and then over Harry and Luna's mutual multiple orgasm.

Chu took the opportunity to work with a deliriously happy Luna on her Occlumency.

Harry awoke that evening with Rosmerta's lips locked on his cock as she sucked him hard, already at work on her plan. He looked in her eyes, and what she saw made her instantly wet for him. She was looking directly into his soul, it seemed, and she saw his love for her there. She crawled up his body, kissing her way, and once she got to his face she kissed her way to his right ear and whispered, "Please, my lord, give me your child."

Harry rolled her over and penetrated her slowly but firmly. "The first of many, my love," he said quietly, and he began moving in her. She matched his movements, never losing contact with his eyes, and as he slowly brought her to climax she fell into his mind. They were linked in this way when she climaxed and pulled Harry with her. Harry regained himself and rolled to her side. He threw a leg over her belly and an arm across her breast and fell back into a deep, healing sleep. Rosmerta lay tingling all over with tears running down her face. She had never been so happy.

Harry next awoke thirty minutes later to find Hannah already atop him, grinding herself and him to climax. She watched his eyes open and when he focused, she leaned forward and kissed him. "Good evening, beautiful."

Harry grinned and returned, "Hey, that's my line."

Hannah clenched on him as she released, and Harry thrust her through it. Just as her climax finished, his began, and she shuddered again.

"Oh, Morgana, that's the way to wake up!" She got up slowly and pulled him into the bathroom. Hermione grabbed them and dragged them into the shower. This evening Hestia wasn't fast enough getting out of the way, probably on purpose, and she got pinned to the wall, adding time to the bathroom routine.

They finally dressed and Nym sent out the call through the bond that they were moving to dinner.

Moody, who had been seated, stood as they entered. Harry again went round the table kissing and seating his mates. His fingers lingered on the back of Nym's neck as he seated her last, and he reached out with his magic and stimulated her pleasure center. The bonded just managed to suppress the groan that escaped Nym.

"Harry, we have a guest," she whispered fiercely.

"I don't mind Alastor knowing that nothing in the world is as important as you all, Nym. I trust you," he whispered back at her. She blushed to her roots; then her hair turned a bright, blushing pink.

Alastor was chuckling as he watched. "So-all bonded this evening, then, me laird?"

Harry eyed Moody curiously and asked, "Alastor, why do you sometimes have an accent and sometimes not?"

"Because sometimes, Harry, it isn't about causing problems for the Dark. Sometimes I just want to pull your leg."

Harry grinned at him and tucked into his dinner. The bonded ate and watched in amazement as Harry ate...and ate...and ate.

Alastor's grin just got wider. "Burn lots of calories since lunch, me laird?"

Harry chewed, swallowed, grinned back. He winked hugely at Luna and she blushed prettily. The bonded groaned and then chuckled throatily as the memories flashed from Luna and Harry.

Harry settled back in his seat, finally satisfied, and looked at Nym. "What have we tonight, o first-among-equals?"

His efforts were rewarded with a round of ooohs and aaahs from the bonded and a smack in the head from Nym. He pouted outrageously. She leaned in and kissed the pout away.

"We'regoing to do some more target casting, Harry, and then we'll plan for tomorrow in real time and the next Turning. Then, before we go back, I want to do some extra Occlumency work. We need to all be here at midnight so you can wish your bonded goodbye, and then we'll move forward in time to thirty-seven minutes after midnight on the ninth."

Harry smiled at Nym and said, "Yes, wife." He got another round of ooohs and aaahs and this time a blistering kiss from a glassy-eyed Nym. He cupped her cheek gently and leaned his forehead against hers for a moment.

"All right-when you're ready, me laird and ladies, we can start."

They spent two hours on target casting. This time Luna, with Harry pushing his magic to her, registered a 13121 over 92. Her previous best had been a 408 over 97. Susan's pool became deeper and wider. Luna rebuilt the rock lining with a casual flip of her wand.

After that they went back to the conjured bean bags and worked on their Occlumency until 10 pm.

Sitting down in the dining room again, they all had a light snack and drinks of their choice.

Nym opened the discussion. "So we'll move back to the entry hall and be back in normal time in two hours and thirty-eight minutes. Tomorrow everyone will go about their normal activities and then Floo back here to the Ossuary. Please be here at midnight; we will begin the next Turn as soon as we can, and we need to avoid ourselves."

"Harry's trial is scheduled for 12 August. Anyone have anything else?"

Harry said, "Nym, I believe we need to work out the oaths and take them, and I want to tell everyone the prophecy."

"Okay, Harry."

They put their heads together and collectively crafted a simple oath that bound them not to reveal anything learned in the bond to anyone not in the bond without the Alpha's permission. This oath was phrased so that it should be powered by the bond's magic. Once they had all sworn the oath, Nym revealed the prophecy. Harry was amazed to see the bonded were nonplussed.

"I know why it doesn't bother me, but why are you all okay with it?"

Surprisingly, Susan spoke. "It's not that it doesn't bother us, Harry, but we're with you no matter what happens. We've either come to love you in the last five years or the last three days and nights. I don't believe there's any difference in the love we have for you based on how long we've known you, and the prophecy makes little difference. None of us were going to surrender to Vulturewart in the first place. Him hunting you makes more sense now, though."

Harry looked at them all in turn and saw they each felt the same way.

In the bond he felt warmth and love and support. He returned it with everything he had.

At Amelia's suggestion they moved back into the gym, pushing the bean bags together. They just lay quietly talking, both in and out of the bond.

Minerva, sitting in front of Harry, said, "I'm not really sure how to bring this up, ladies, but some of us will need to start applying glamors soon to make ourselves look as we always have when we're not Turning. I noticed myself...well...losing years, if you will. Harry, stop that."

Harry had moved up behind her and pulled her between his legs. As she continued talking he had leaned forward and sneaked his hands around her ribcage and was now firmly cupping her breast. He disregarded her command and leaned all the way onto her back and kissed the base of her neck.

"Oooohh, Harry...Morgana, did you have to start this now?"

Her mates chuckled as Harry pulled her to him and started to unbutton her dress.

Amelia, mostly being playfully mean, asked, "What made you comment on the glamors, Min?"

Harry had unbuttoned Minerva's dress and in a very skillful display of wandless magic Vanished her bustier leaving her dress. He worked his hands into the top of her dress and was now cupping her breasts without the annoying clothing in the way. As he cupped her breasts he ran his thumbs across her nipples.

"I happened to be looking in the mirror this evening before dinner and I noticed that I appear to be getting younger. Harry Potter, you are paying for that bustier."

Harry, who had continued nibbling on the nape of her neck, raised his head slightly and said, "Anything you want, Min." He continued working one of her breasts with one hand while he slid the other down her flat belly, gently probing along the way.

Amelia, amazed by this display of discipline from Min, continued the conversation. The whole bond could feel Min's blood boiling with lust. The younger women had already lain down and were panting.

"Yes, well, from what Hestia remembers of reading the Potter family book, we will be what she called 'optimized' by the magic in the bond."

Harry had found his mark and Min parted her thighs as much as his legs would allow, giving him access. Harry slid a finger inside and pushed his palm down on her clit.

"Well, that being the case, as I said, I believe we need to start using the glamors now."

"Oh Morgana, Min, stop talking and start loving. You win!"

Harry was just thinking that he hadn't known they were competing when Min smirked at Amelia and stood. She displayed a little wandless magic skill of her own and Vanished her panties. She pushed Harry onto his back and knelt astride him. She quickly opened his trousers, and Harry's rock-hard cock sprang out as soon as she parted his boxers. Holding him upright, she sank down on him, looking him in the eye and saying, "You are paying for those, too, my lord."

"I'll buy you the factory, Min. Oh, Merlin, I love you." He leaned forward and captured her lips.

At that point their lovemaking turned extremely physical and ended with most of the bonded nude and Harry having been inside most of them. He had come in Minerva, Amelia, Rosmerta, Ann, Chu and Septima. And all of the bonded had been wracked by multiple orgasms. Not a few of the women had contributed to these by using hands, lips, tongue, and teeth on one or more of their mates. For the last several minutes they had been lying in the afterglow. Su Li had Harry sheathed in her, not moving, just holding him in her.

Hermione snapped them out of it by announcing in the bond, "It's time to go, loves."

The bonded returned her love and roused themselves. Min showed those of them that needed to know how to conjure clothes for those who had lost them in the rush of Vanishings that had occurred.

Daphne smirked. "Now you won't have to go commando, Chu."

"I wouldn't have to now, Daphne, if I could get pregnant. My panties keep me coming all day."

"Thank Morgana, you too, Chu? I was afraid it was just me," Ginny added, to her mates' amused giggles.

They Scourgified themselves and dressed for the trip home. Most of them intended to fall straight into their baths at home, so they weren't too concerned about it for now.

Once dressed, they gathered in a group; and at thirty-eight minutes after midnight on 9 August they walked into the entrance hall and began to Floo home. Harry kissed each of his mates goodbye before they left. He could still feel them when they arrived home. Universally, the first thing they did was check the bond with him and their mates.