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Harry Potter and the Witches' Secret
Chapter 11
10-15 August 1995 (Sidereal)
8-15 August 1995 (Off Sidereal)

The next five days in the normal world and fifteen days in the Time-Turned world went much the same.

They cleaned or did chores and tried to stay out of Molly's way at Grimmauld Place in normal time. Mostly they cleaned a little and then dove into the library while Dobby and Winky really cleaned. They ransacked the Black library for spells both Light and Dark. Anything that was classified as taking too much power to be cast by most wizards was annotated and the book reserved.

When they could break away, they explored the Potter library. Again, spells requiring more power than most wizards had were the first ones researched and then trained at the Ossuary.

At the Ossuary they made more sets of runestones and left them in the entry hall. These sets behaved the same way as the first set, establishing dominance, but they did not sink into the floor.

Harry sent the first set to the Greengrass home with Daphne and the second set to the Abbot home. As soon as a set arrived in a location that was not already occupied, they settled into an Aegishjalmur somewhere on the property and sank into the first solid surface they ran into. Hestia was kept busy trying to figure them out. Harry intended that they should make a set every time they went back in time and then he would send them to another of his mates' homes. He wanted them all to have the Aegishjalmur. He really wasn't sure why, but he felt it was important.

They also trained hard, very hard, in all disciplines. The mates and Harry made astounding progress. They had mostly assimilated each other's knowledge by now and were able to cast the full range of spells that the bonded knew. Physically their magic was still aggressively improving them, and they were consuming huge quantities of food-not at three standard mealtime sittings, but they were never not eating: at meal times, during all but the physical classes, and in breaks during those.

Dobby and Winky were pushed hard to keep up with the cooking, cleaning, and repairing of items, and Harry enlisted Geoffrey and the Potter elves to help them. The other elves also were becoming less caricature-like and more well-formed every day. Dobby and Winky soon adopted the Potter livery.

The older mates had dedicated some serious time to crafting their glamors. It came in handy when they returned to normal time after the second Turning.

Ron took one look at Harry and said, "Cor, Harry, what happened to you? Very nice, mate." Then he looked at Ginny and Hermione and his eyes bugged out. He quickly left the room.

"What's wrong with him?"

"I think his sister giving him the horn was a bit much for him, Harry."

Ginny grinned at Nym after this and then, with a wicked smirk, she went looking for Ron. She spent the rest of the day teasing him viciously, bending over from the waist in front of him, stretching with her arms over her head to reach a book off the shelf in front of him as he sat in a chair, lying stretched out on a sofa with her back arched and her head in Harry's lap.

Finally, in the evening, she looked at Ron and asked, "Enough?"

He simply blushed and nodded.

After that all the mates began applying subtle glamors, and Harry and Nym began to morph themselves when they were outside the Ossuary.

The morning of the twelfth came and Harry left for the Ministry with Arthur.

They were back by lunch and Fred, George, and Ginny danced around cheering. Harry was forced to do an act that he came to refer to as the 'awed, thankful routine'. On top of all that his scar burned like fire, and he followed the pain back to the twisted mind of Vulturewart.

He was terrified and then enraged. He isolated a kind of simacrula of his thoughts and filled it with all his childish feelings and fears and left it way out at the edge of a barren island he constructed. He then tied the connection from his scar directly to it. After that he ruthlessly swept through his mind, uprooting and destroying anything even tenuously connected to his scar.

Inside the bond the mates were analyzing everything they had seen from Harry and Amelia.

That night Harry stepped into Nym's room and held out his arms. The mates held his arm and Harry popped them to the entry hall of the Ossuary. They went straight to the master suite and found the other mates lined up and waiting. Harry kissed them one by one in greeting as they all poured out their love and support to him. By the end of the line, where Hannah and Emmeline were waiting, he felt better.

The Alpha, Primaries, Hannah, and Emmeline all went into the master suite. This was the pattern into which Harry had fallen. Each night and each morning a mate from the rota and a mate not in compulsion joined them.

Harry would make love to two of the Primaries or Nym and one primary and the "team", as they had taken to calling themselves, in the evening and just a team in the morning, usually followed by meeting a mate in the shower.

He wasn't certain how they worked it out, but they seemed happy, and really that was all that mattered to him.

One morning at breakfast a smiling Harry threw his mates a curve. He walked Nym to her seat and then turned and went to Su. He picked her up out of her chair and walked back to the master suite. He stripped her and himself and very tenderly pleasured her.

Afterward, he rose and dressed a stunned and uncoordinated Su and carried her back into the dining room. He sat her back down in her chair and went to his seat as if nothing had happened.

Nym raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled broadly at her. "I just wanted to surprise you all, Nym, and Su was feeling a little down."

Su was surprised; she had felt a little low-nothing major, just a little down. She grinned at Harry. "That's a hell of a pick-me-up you have there, Harry." Then she blushed at the unintended image that suddenly presented itself to her. She filed it away to try at a later date.

Padma looked at Su with wide eyes as she picked up on the image and the thought of feather-light charms occurred to her. She would have to do some more research.

From this, Harry developed a habit of finding the mate feeling most out of sorts and dragging her off somewhere and pleasuring her, not himself, each day. He went to whatever lengths were necessary to please them during these quick sessions, sometimes just snuggling, sometimes making love.

This habit of his would grow into the ultimate fantasy thrill-ride for the women over the years. He could read their fantasies and he worked damned hard to fulfill them. Padma and Su both became adept with the feather-light charms, and one of their favorite things was having Harry buried in them as they spun themselves to orgasm.

"Okay, everyone, now that our lover is through entertaining us for this morning-" here Nym smiled at Harry and squeezed his hand warmly- "what are your impressions from the trial?"

Amelia spoke first. "No change, Nym. Dumbledolt intends to use Harry as a weapon.

"New information developed as the trial progressed, however. I would be willing to charge Sorrow Um Bitch with the attempted murder of Lord Potter. I would also be willing to charge Minister for Mismanagement Horn the Fudgepacker and Lord Clear Bad Faith with conspiring to commit murder for the same crime."

Narcissa was barely holding in her laughter. "My, my, Amelia that is a nasty twist in your panties, isn't it, dear?"

The bonded and Moody, who had heard Amelia's tirade, chuckled while Amelia grumbled.

Harry appeared to be deep in thought. "So does that make the prince of Slytherin Snake 'Bad Faith'?"

Daphne responded immediately. "Not according to Pansy. It's more like Inchworm Bad Faith."

Narcissa, completely nonplussed, said, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Harry had put his fingers in his ears and was squeezing his eyes shut. "Oh no, I did not need that image."

Narcissa said, "So, to use Amelia's highly amusing translations, Horn the Fudgepacker is in Clear Bad Faith's pocket, and we know that that pocket really belongs to Vulturewart, ergo the Ministry is in Vulturewart's camp."

"Not the majority of it, Narcissa-small but significant portions of it," Alastor continued. "While I haven't had time to check them all, while not here teaching I've been observing at the Ministry. There are marked Death Eaters in all departments and most of them are in managerial positions, the sole exception being the Department of Mysteries."

"The break room has a killing ward on it. If it detects the Dark Mark it Vanishes that person to a point several hundred meters under the surface of a lava pool on the American island of Hawaii."

The bonded sat stunned for a moment. Hermione finally said, "In a gruesome sort of way, that's brilliant. Visitors wouldn't usually go to the staff break room; neither would intruders. It would have the effect of screening only employees of the department."

Emmeline nodded. "It's not a place you'd expect a ward to be, either. To further the illusion, there's no door on the break room."

"Who designed the ward, Emmeline? I'd love to talk to them."

"I don't know, Hestia; I'll try to find out."

"How many have you caught that way, Emmeline?"

"Since the ward went up, in the first war, we assume fourteen. At least fourteen employees have disappeared while in the department that could not be accounted for in any other way. The wards have also recorded fourteen activations, Hermione."

"Emmeline, can we review that ward in Runes? I'd like to add it to the sets we're creating."

"What about Bellatrix, Hestia?"

"You're going to have to take her and keep her someplace outside our wards, Harry. I think we want to do that anyway, because to modify the Mark we'll need time and a secure location where we can all be. The power required to sustain her while the bonding runes are broken will be enormous. You'll have to have our help to bond her to you." She looked at him and said, gently and with obvious reluctance, "It's possible that you'll have to bond her as a slave, Harry."

The reaction inside the bond was immediate and violent. Harry withdrew from the bond so quickly that it was painful. The bonded all felt the aching emptiness when he left. Nym and the Primaries lost consciousness.

Luna got up, walked to Harry, drew back, and slapped him as hard as she could. Harry oriented on her. "Harry, you're hurting Nym and the rest of us. Come back."

As suddenly as he had gone, he was back.

Luna levitated Nym into Harry's lap and sat in Nym's chair. "You will bond Bellatrix as a slave, Harry. If you don't, she'll die. She is not mad. She was held under the Imperious Curse for years by her husband. Before being sent to Azkaban she was severely sexually and mentally abused. You and our bond are her only hope. Stop being a baby about it and act like a man. Remember what your mother wrote to you. You don't really think you'll abuse her, even if she is your slave, with her sister in the bond, her niece as your Alpha, and Hermione, liberator of the oppressed whether they want it or not, as one of your Primaries, do you? If so, you've deluded yourself almost as badly as Vulturewart has. The wards won't be a problem since she falls under the vassal contract as soon as her marriage is terminated."

Harry smiled at Luna and said, "Thank you, Luna. I love you."

"I should think so; saving your Snargle-ridden butt is becoming a full-time job, Harry. Please engage your Ravenclaw before you let out on your Gryffindork."

Daphne sighed and passed Tracey a Galleon. "She was doing so well, too."

Tracey looked at Luna and noticed that her eyes had gone completely white. She handed the Galleon back. "And she still is; it's all an act for him."

"All right there, then, Harry? Nym?"

"We'll be fine, Alastor. Sorry, Nym."

"We'll be fine, Harry. Just don't do that again. It hurts bad."

"Well, me laird, it's class, then, I believe."

Harry carefully stood and lowered Nym to the ground. He was completely oriented on her and the Primaries, broadcasting his remorse and love at the same time at extremely high levels.

As they entered class they sat. Finally Nym pushed back a little love and forgiveness to Harry, and he turned down the level on his broadcasting. The other mates added to Nym's forgiveness and love through the day, and things slowly returned to normal.

On the fourteenth of August at dinner, Amanda reviewed what she was going to discuss with the Queen and Prince.

Harry understood that she had to discuss the American government's position; but he wasn't certain, other than being her bonded, why he was going with her.

Amanda felt it and rolled her eyes. The Slytherin mates giggled. "Are they all this dense over here?"

Tracey drawled, "Unfortunately, but apparently you get used to it. Or take a Yank or an Aussie as a lover if you aren't bonded."

Harry pouted.

"Harry, you're going with me just-to be you. The intent is for the Queen to meet you. She'll need to know you before you destroy Voldemort and half of her magical peers, and possibly strip the rest of them of their lands and titles by conquest. We want her to give you her leave to act. In order to do that, she'll have to get to know you, lover."

They all laughed as they felt Harry's nervousness increase rather than recede.

"Don't worry, Harry, she'll love you," Nym said and then laughed at the sheer panic this induced in Harry. "Well, maybe not like we love you, but she will love you."

The next day Amanda, dressed very elegantly in a shimmering gray silk sheath which ended just below her knees, and Harry, resplendent in formal morning dress with the Potter crest repeated in detail on his tie in black on black, first Apparated to Crathie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and then Harry handed Amanda into a formidable black Lincoln Continental limousine of the U.S. diplomatic service.

In the car the American chargé d'affaires met them and briefed Amanda during the short ride to Balmoral.

When they arrived at Balmoral, Harry stepped out of the limousine; as he went to hand out Amanda, the chargé d'affaires moved to step in front of him. As he did, he glanced into Harry's eyes and froze. The burning glare he received stayed with him for the rest of his life, and in that moment he knew that if he touched the Ambassador he was going to die. He moved back with alacrity and Harry handed Amanda from the car.

"And now you know why you had to accompany me, Harry. The bond will eventually settle a little more and you'll tolerate us being touched, but it will always be a problem."

They turned and were met by Andrew, Duke of York. Amanda dropped a small curtsy and Harry bowed from the shoulders, but not deeply. Amanda said, "Your Highness, may I present my bonded." The Duke smiled and interrupted her. "Harry James Potter, Magical Duke of England, Wales, Scotland, and Briton; pleased to meet you, Your Grace."

Harry blinked. "The pleasure is mine, Your Highness."

"If you please, Your Grace, Duchess Amanda, Her Majesty, awaits."

Harry offered Amelia his left arm and they followed Andrew into the castle.

Harry could feel the magic as they entered. It seemed to be judging him. Then suddenly it seemed to accept him and rejoice that it had found him.

They entered a sitting room and approached a woman who sat at a small table.

Amanda dropped a deeper curtsy and Harry bowed a little more deeply. Amanda said, "Your Majesty, thank you for seeing us."

The Queen looked at Harry for a moment and then said, "'Us' as in the United States, or 'Us' as in Clan Potter, Duchess Potter?"

"You invited us as the United States, ma'am; His Grace is simply accompanying me as my bonded."

"Would that it were so simple, Your Grace. We will hear from the United States first, and then we will hear from Clan Potter."

Harry thought about it for a minute and then said, "Your Majesty, with your permission, then, I would appreciate it if my Alpha could attend you."

"Harry, what are you doing? You've as much as told her you're in a multiple bonding. Her son is magical and she is aware of the wizarding world, at the very least. She knows the customs and usages."

"She is my liege, Amanda. I don't intend to start down the path of deceiving her. That way lies defeat."

The Queen spoke. "We would appreciate the Duchesses' attendance, Your Grace." She had watched as the silent conversation passed between her Duke and the Ambassador of the Magical United States. She knew they were bonded. She saw to the core of Harry's mention of his Alpha. She was glad that he refused to dissimulate in front of her.

The Queen's answer launched a mad scramble at the Ossuary to get Nym showered, dressed, and coiffed for tea with the Queen. Suddenly it occurred to Amelia that the Queen had said 'Duchesses'.

"Geoffrey?"

Pop!

"Yes,my lady?"

"We will require the bonded to be dressed to take tea with the Queen."

"Yes, my lady."

Geoffrey snapped his fingers and thirty-three female elves appeared. "Maeve, you will prepare the ladies to meet the Queen for tea. You have ten minutes."

The female elves each popped away to a different mate. Maeve went with Amelia.

"Your Grace, if you will follow me, I will show you to the Apparation point." Harry followed Andrew.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Andrew asked Harry, "So-how many, Your Grace?"

Harry looked at Andrew for a moment and then said, "Thirty-four so far, Sir."

The butler behind them nodded, dropped back a few steps, and spoke into his left sleeve.

They went outside and down a graveled path to a small copse of trees. "Your Grace, if your bonded are in service to any other than you and your liege, they won't be able to penetrate the wards on this point."

Harry nodded tightly. He turned to the pad.

"Harry, here we come. Geoffrey and Maeve are going to pop us to you."

Suddenly there were thirty-three women standing on the gravel pad in the copse of trees.

Andrew was impressed. The Duchesses Potter were all beautiful, in top physical condition. They were elegantly dressed in the same type of sheath as the Ambassador, in all different colors but all in the shimmering silk charmeuse, and they obviously completely committed to Harry Potter. Without exception, the first thing any of them did was search for him until they found him and then look him up and down, reassuring themselves he was fine. It was also obvious that they were hugely magically powerful.

Andrew had a minor talent for aura reading. Even without trying hard he could see their flaring auras. Theirs were nowhere near the searing brightness of their lord's, but they were all bright.

Luna looked at Andrew and said, "The Prince is an aura reader."

As Andrew watched, their auras all faded. "What gave me away?"

The Duchesses Potter all dropped small curtsies. Harry said, "Duchess Luna is a full aura reader, Sir." Luna dropped another small curtsy so Andrew would know who she was.

"Ah. Well, if you and your very, very lovely ladies would follow me, Your Grace, we will attend the Queen."

"Of course, sir."

Andrew struggled to get the words out. As he had started speaking, the most striking lady had stepped up to Harry and he had offered her his right arm. There could be no question of who the Alpha female in this group was. Andrew turned and led the way back into the castle.

After Andrew and Harry had left, the Queen summoned the Lord President of the Privy Council and the Prime Minister. Amanda had relayed the concerns and offer of the Integrated United States to the Queen.

"Ambassador, please relay our gratitude to your government. We appreciate their concern and their offer of support and shall not hesitate to call upon your government to render any necessary aid. You will be in a unique position to coordinate this activity after today."

"Thank you, ma'am," Amanda replied as she puzzled through the Queen's reply. Her mind rebelled at the obvious meaning. Luna just smiled as she heard the Queen's statement through Amanda.

Harry and the bonded entered the room.

Andrew stepped up to his mother. "Your Majesty, I would like to present the Duchesses Potter."

Harry stepped forward with Nym still on his arm, and stopped as she curtsied. He introduced her. "Your Majesty, the first among equals, Duchess Nymphadora Tonks Potter." Tonks rose and moved to Harry's left side.

The Primary wives stepped forward and dropped curtsies. "Ma'am, my primary wives: Duchess Hestia Jones Potter, Duchess Hermione Granger Potter, Duchess Ginevra Weasley Potter, Duchess Susan Bones Potter, and Duchess Daphne Greengrass Potter."

As he said their name they rose from their curtsies. When he finished they moved off to the side. The next five stepped forward and dropped curtsies.

"Ma'am, the bonded: Duchess Rita Skeeter Potter, Duchess Septima Vector Potter, Duchess Ann Morley Potter, Duchess Marie Crouching Cougar Potter, Duchess Amelia Bones Potter."

They next five stepped up as their mates rose and move off to the side. This procedure continued through all the mates until Harry concluded, "And Duchess Tracey Davis Potter, ma'am."

Andrew goggled when Minerva was introduced. She had never looked this hot when he was in school.

The Queen was smiling. "You have your work cut out for you, my Lord."

"It is truly a labor of love, ma'am. I am the most fortunate of men."

"My congratulations, Duchess Nymphadora; so young, yet so well trained."

"Truly, ma'am; however, we cannot take credit. It's just the way he is. It is we who are the most fortunate of women."

The Queen seemed to consider for a moment and then looked at Harry. "My Lord, rumor of turmoil in our magical realm has reached not only our ears but the ears of our allies. Perhaps you could dispel the rumor."

Amanda's mouth dropped open for just a fraction of a second, as did those of Amelia and Narcissa. The Queen did not miss it.

"Ma'am, surely you should ask your Minister of Magic, or Duchess Amelia, the director of your Ministry of Magical Law Enforcement. I wouldn't wish to overstep my bounds."

"Oooohh, very smooth, Harry. Ten points to Gryffindor."

Minerva and Harry both grinned tightly at Daphne.

The Queen did not miss that, either. "We have come to distrust the platitudes of the Minister, and we have been forestalled from contacting Duchess Amelia. We would appreciate the views of our preeminent Duke of the magical realm."

This time Daphne's mouth dropped open and stayed that way. Tracey leaned over and with a delicate index finger lifted her mate's jaw closed. "Tsk, tsk, I knew the Gryffindor would rub off on you."

Daphne blushed and the Queen smiled in triumph. She thought to herself, I haven't had this much fun in a long time. Such a nice, powerful group of women and this young Duke, oh my!

Luna grinned and relaxed. There had been two possible outcomes to this meeting. Harry had just ensured the better outcome for the bonded. Almost the entirety of the entrenched, stodgy magical world was going to regret this, however.

Harry looked at Amelia and then at the Queen. "Ma'am, if you would allow it, I believe Duchess Amelia can summarize the events to this point, and then I'd be happy to discuss our plans. This will take some time, however."

"Proceed, Your Grace."

Harry looked at Amelia and nodded. Nym wandlessly cast privacy charms on the room. Amelia stood and began.

"Ma'am, Sir, Lord President, Mr. Prime Minister. As you know, there were two components to what the Mundane call the Second World War. Adolph Hitler was also a Dark wizard known as Grindlewald. Dark wizarding folk at this level of power are called Dark Lords or Dark Ladies. He was killed by APWB Dumbledore in 1945, ending the war in Europe. The war in the Pacific continued, as the Dark Lady Yurikiku had managed to gain control of Japan. The Americans finally used nuclear weapons to force Japan to surrender. They were successful in this because through an act of Providence the Dark Lady Yurikiku was vaporized in the attack on Hiroshima.

"Unfortunately, Tom Marvolo Riddle, or the Dark Lord Voldemort, as he styles himself, appeared on the scene at about the time of Grindlewald's demise. He was born of a witch mother and a Muggle father in 1926. His mother had fallen in love with his father, who was a Muggle; he did not return her love and she used a love potion on him. While she was pregnant with Tom Jr., it was revealed that she was a witch; Tom Sr. left her and moved back into the Riddle house with his parents. Tom Jr.'s mother died giving birth to him, and he was raised in a Muggle orphanage.

"However, he was a powerful wizard and he excelled at Hogwarts, winning awards for services to the school and for magical merit. He was Head Boy in his seventh year. But he was already dabbling in the Dark Arts even while still at school. Some of his closest 'friends' in Slytherin were already calling him Lord Voldemort.

"After leaving Hogwarts, Riddle worked at Borgin and Burke's in Knockturn Alley. His job was to ferret out items of value and obtain them at the lowest price possible. He disappeared one day and was not seen for years.

"He gathered supporters together under the sign of the Dark Mark and called them Death Eaters. He spent years trying to discover the secret of immortality, and some of the experimentation he did on himself apparently had some effect when he attacked and failed to kill my Lord Harry Potter. The rebounding spell didn't kill Voldemort, but it did rob him of his body; it wasn't until thirteen years after his fall that he managed to regain some of his power and a body of sorts using a Dark ritual requiring Harry's blood, and in the process causing the murder of Cedric Diggory, another Hogwarts student.

"Riddle has since been engaged in gathering followers and conducting political operations both to suppress knowledge of his return and to cement his power in the Ministry. Oddly enoughn Riddle a half-blood wizard, publicly espouses a 'pureblood' philosophy and intends to take over the magical word and then eliminate the Mundane."

Andrew took the opportunity that her pause afforded. "So Flight of Death is back, and the Ministry is denying it and actively attempting to suppress the knowledge of his return."

Amelia replied, "Yes, sir."

Andrew was fuming.

The Queen looked at Harry. "And your plan, Your Grace?"

Harry blinked. His plan?

"Ma'am, not knowing how much you know of my story, please feel free to interrupt at any time. I'll give you some background."

The Queen was pleased; this would give her an opportunity to know her young Duke's frame of mind.

Harry continued, "I was born on 31 July 1980 to Lily and James Potter. James Potter's best friend, Sirius Black-Lord Black-was named my godfather. Sirius, James, Lily, and their friend Remus Lupin were all part of an organization known as the Order of the Phoenix. This organization was made up of witches and wizards and led by APWB Dumbledore; they were desperately fighting against Riddle. They were outnumbered and many of them were killed, but they fought on. They were, however, slowly but surely losing. James and Lily had narrowly escaped Riddle three times during this time, fulfilling one of the requirements of a prophecy.

"Before I was born, a prophecy had been made about a boy that would be born at the end of July; the prophecy indicated that this person would be able to defeat the Dark Lord. Riddle heard part of the prophecy through an agent and resolved to destroy the child.

"Both I and another child, my friend Neville, Lord Longbottom, would have fit the prophecy, but Voldemort decided that I must be the one and went after me. James and Lily knew that Voldemort was trying to kill me, and by October of 1981 they had used the Fidelius charm to hide themselves from the Dark Lord. Unfortunately, the person they chose as Secret Keeper for the charm, another friend and Order member, Peter Pettigrew, turned out to be a double agent who revealed their location to Voldemort.

"On the evening of 31 October 1981, the Dark Lord came to the Mundane town of Godric's Hollow, where James and Lily lived, and attacked. James tried to hold Voldemort off at the door but failed; he was apparently killed there. Lily tried to run with me but Voldemort caught her. Curiously, he offered to spare her life, but she stood in his way and he killed her to get to me.

"This sacrifice turned out to be vitally important to Dumbledore, for it was the ancient magic of this act of sacrifice that protected me, or so he thought. When Riddle's Killing Curse hit me, he believed the protection of Lily's sacrifice made the curse rebound onto Riddle, who was disincorporated. The curse left this scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on my forehead." He pushed his hair back from his forehead and showed the Queen his famous scar. Impressed in spite of herself, she nodded regally for him to continue.

"The truth appears to be that the interaction of an ancient blood charm Mother used and a powerful Dark ritual Riddle was attempting to complete stripped the magic of everyone present and put it in me. Dumbledore then cast bindings on my magic and exhausted himself doing so while the modified ritual was still active, adding a significant portion of his own magic as he established the bindings.

"The battle between my parents and Riddle left the house in ruins. Dumbledore dispatched Hagrid to retrieve me, which he managed to do before the Mundane had a chance to investigate and truly save me. While he was there, Hagrid encountered Sirius Black, who asked that I be given to him, since he was my godfather. Hagrid refused, since he was following Dumbledore's orders to retrieve me. Unable to sway Hagrid, and not wanting to kill him, Sirius lent Hagrid his flying motorcycle to take me to safety.

"This turned out to be a mistake, in my opinion. Lord Black figured out who the traitor had been, a wizard named Peter Pettigrew, and went after him. He managed to catch him, but Pettigrew killed thirteen Mundane and cut off one of his own fingers, managing to escape. Aurors arrested Lord Black and the Ministry sent him to Azkaban, a true hell on earth, without a trial but with the consent of both Minister Fudge and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot APWB Dumbledore.

"I believe this was a calculated move on Dumbledore's part to insure that I did not go to live outside his control. Sirius knew that in the wizarding world I would be placed with my godparents if possible. Sirius knew he was my godfather and that my godmother was Alice Longbottom. Lord and Lady Longbottom were tortured into insanity by Death Eaters the same night my parents were killed. The only other person who knew this, until my parents' will was obtained from the Goblins a fortnight ago, was APWB Dumbledore. Duchess Amelia is the one who finally managed to obtain a copy of the will.

"It is unclear where Hagrid and I were for the next twenty-four hours. Dumbledore apparently spent the time arranging for my safekeeping in Privet Drive, against my parents' express wishes, which he knew as he was a witness on the will. Even Duchess Minerva, his closest confidant at the time, didn't know what was going on. The next evening she met Dumbledore in Privet Drive and shortly thereafter Hagrid arrived on the flying motorcycle with me. The three of them left me in a bundle of blankets on the doorstep of my last surviving blood relatives, the Mundane family Dursley, over Duchess Minerva's protest. I should have been taken to Duchess Amelia and raised by her.

"For the next ten years I lived a life of physical and emotional abuse. My Aunt Petunia, Lily's sister, and my Uncle Vernon were determined to squash any magic out of me. They never told me about my true identity. They told me that my parents had died in a car crash, which was also supposedly how I got the scar on my head. They doted on their son Dudley, who was a spoiled bully, while making me sleep in a cupboard under the stairs. The number one rule in the Dursley household was, 'Don't ask questions.' Their goal was to keep me oppressed and downtrodden in the hope that I wouldn't develop what they considered to be abnormal tendencies toward magic. They sent me to the same school as Dudley, who picked on me mercilessly. The other kids at school tended to avoid me because they didn't want to be nice to someone Dudley picked on, or they'd attract his bullying on themselves. I was made to wear Dudley's old clothes; I wouldn't have minded except for the fact that they were much too large for me, as he outweighed me by at least seven stone." The Queen tutted quietly to herself at this catalog of woes.

"Despite the efforts of the Dursleys, I did exhibit some magical tendencies during my years at the Dursleys with them. At one point, when Aunt Petunia had become so frustrated with my untidy hair that she cut it all off, I turned up at the breakfast table the next morning with my hair all grown back. Another time, I was being chased by Dudley and his gang when I found myself unexpectedly up on the school roof. I turned a teacher's wig blue and also shrank a particularly ugly jumper of Dudley's so I wouldn't have to wear it.

"Periodically during these years, Uncle Vernon's sister Marge would visit the Dursleys. She took great delight in tormenting me. She would give expensive presents to Dudley and either something horrible or nothing at all to me-not that I minded after the age of about six, as I wanted nothing from the great cow. She brought her pet bulldog, Ripper, to visit and when I was nine, she actually allowed the dog to chase me up a tree, where I had to remain until she called the dog off after midnight. That was one of the best times I had during her visit as I didn't have to cook and clean for her and her miserable dog.

"By the time I was ten years old I had been starved into a skinny, knobbly-kneed boy with untidy black hair and a narrow face. I wore glasses which were broken from repeated blows aimed at me by Dudley. It did make me surprisingly quick, a skill developed over years of getting out of the way of my bullying cousin. I still lived in the cupboard under the stairs.

"My life changed abruptly during the summer of 1991. Strange letters began arriving which frightened my aunt and uncle into fleeing the house and running to hide in a hut on a rock out at sea. In the midst of a huge storm, with waves crashing on the rock, Hagrid arrived just after midnight. He discovered that I had no idea that I was a wizard. Hagrid did his best to explain all about my past, and when morning came on 31 July 1991, Hagrid took me to Diagon Alley to shop for the things I would need for school. A few weeks later, on 1 September, I boarded the Hogwarts Express and was taken to Hogwarts.

"During my first year I became close friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." Here Harry smiled at a blushing Hermione. "I developed a rivalry with Draco Malfoy. I was an average student. I learned to ride a broom and discovered that I was a natural at it. I was made a member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, the youngest House player in a century.

"During this first year it became evident that Riddle was trying to infiltrate the school to try to obtain a Philosopher's Stone which was hidden on the third floor. Hermione, Ron, and I eventually uncovered the plot and chased Professor Quirrell, who had been possessed by Riddle, down into a series of chambers under the school. Here, with Ron and Hermione, I overcame numerous magical challenges and eventually faced Quirrell and Riddle. I successfully protected the Stone from Riddle, although I was seriously injured in the process and spent three days unconscious in the hospital wing afterward.

"I was sent back to the Dursleys by Dumbledore when school let out. There I was locked into a small bedroom when I wasn't forced to work. I did get to spend the last part of the summer at the Weasley home after Ron and his brothers rescued me from the room the Dursleys had locked me into.

"At school that second year, a possessed diary that Lord Malfoy had slipped to Duchess Ginevra allowed the seventeen-year-old Riddle to possess her and loose a Basilisk on the school. Riddle was up to his old tricks, terrorizing the world, this time with the added twist of attempting to steal the Duchess Ginevra's life force to resurrect his sixteen-year-old self from the diary. He had not counted on her fighting him off for months as we blundered around attempting to figure out what was going on-or his sycophant made that misjudgement.

"We managed to figure it out just as Duchess Ginevra was taken into the Chamber of Secrets by Riddle to complete the theft of her life force and his resurrection. Duchess Hermione and several other students had been Petrified by the Basilisk by this time. Hagrid had been taken to Azkaban by Aurors acting on Fudge's instructions, at Lord Malfoy's urging, so that 'he could be seen to be doing something', and Dumbledore had been removed by the board of Governors, again at Lord Malfoy's urging, and was surprisingly absent from the school and its environs.

"I managed to find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets and Ron, Professor Lockhart, and I entered the Chamber. As it turned out, Lockhart was a fraud-as we the students knew, but the Amazing APWB Dumbledore had not managed to figure out. Lockhart was good at one thing, though: memory charms. He attempted to Obliviate Ron and I using Ron's broken wand. The charm backfired and he is now a resident of the Permanent Spell Damage Ward at St. Mungo's. I proceeded into the Chamber, leaving Ron on the other side of a rockslide that Lockhart's backfiring spell had caused. In the Chamber, with the help of a Phoenix, I was able to kill the Basilisk and fight Riddle, eventually killing his avatar, or whatever he was. Unfortunately, I was bitten by the Basilisk and the Phoenix saved me with its tears. Fortunately, killing Riddle's avatar saved Duchess Ginevra.

"Of course, Dumbledore was restored as Headmaster. Lord Malfoy was exposed as the one who had caused the Chamber to be opened by giving Duchess Ginevra the diary. I freed Dobby, a house-elf who was being abused by Lord Malfoy, and Lord Malfoy was removed from the Board of Governors. Duchess Hermione and the other victims were cured. All's well that ends with Harry being the good little tool," he said, with a touch of bitterness that the bonded had not heard for some time.

"The year ended and Dumbledore put his tool away in the Dursley shed for another summer of sharpening through abuse.

"Third year was great, in a morbidly dangerous kind of Dumbledore-sharpening-his-tool way. I did some accidental magic and blew Marge Dursley up and she went floating around Little Whinging putting on quite the spectacle. I was met by Minister Fudge who, trying to impress me or curry favor, installed me in the Leaky Cauldron for most of August."

"I found out that the criminal Sirius Black had escaped and might be after me-no reason why given. You must remember I didn't know the whole story of my orphaning yet. So we meet at the Leaky Cauldron and Ron, Hermione and I went off to Hogwarts.

"Remus Lupin was on the train with us-thankfully, as the train was stopped by Dementors, the soul-sucking guards of Azkaban. The Dementors were strangely attracted to me, of course, and Professor Lupin had to cast a Patronus charm to chase them away. Remus turned out to be one of the two best Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers we've ever had.

"Odd things kept occurring as Lord Black was in fact at the school. Remus taught me many things, the Patronus charm among them. The year progressed with me trapped at the school and followed everywhere I went.

"Lord Black, however, was not pursuing me; he was pursuing Pettigrew, who was in his rat Animagus form and had been hiding out at the Weasleys' for twelve years as their pet.

"We eventually tracked down Lord Black and Pettigrew. But it all went pear-shaped when Dumbledore's pet Death Eater Snape stuck his exceedingly long nose in things. Lord Black was almost Kissed by the Dementors. He was captured and scheduled to be Dementor-Kissed by Minister Fudge. Duchess Hermione and I had to use a Time-Turner to go back and help Sirius escape and get the truth out of Pettigrew.

"Unfortunately, Pettigrew escaped and Lord Black was forced into hiding because Dumbledore, even now that he knew the truth of Lord Black's innocence, would not move against Fudge, even though as head of the Wizengamot he could. If he had, it would have freed Lord Black and I would have been able to go live with him, out o Dumbledore's control. Can't have the weapon getting lose and growing a brain.

"So back to the shed with the tool, it was. Can't have one of your tools getting rusty.

"Next we move on to the triumph of will that was Dumbledore's resurrection of the Tri-Wizard tournament-a Tournament in the old sense, where contestants were regularly killed, so many that for a long time the tournament was canceled.

"Our second good Defense teacher, Alastor Moody, was with us that year. Unfortunately, he had been replaced by a Death Eater using a potion called Polyjuice which allowed him to assume the physical form of Dumbledore's supposed best friend. Dumbledore is a master of Legilimency-reading minds, if you will, ma'am. Surprisingly, this master mind reader couldn't tell that an insane Death Eater was impersonating his lifelong friend. There was also the stunning coincidence that although Moody didn't tell anyone he was going to teach, the Death Eaters found out. I wonder which Snape-I mean snake-betrayed Dumbledore?

"Amazingly, despite rules announced to the contrary, my name was entered into the tournament, by this same Death Eater as we discovered later. The tournament went ahead, and I was forced to participate. At the last task, I attempted to share the trophy with the rightful Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory. Unfortunately, the Death Eater impersonating Moody had turned the trophy into a Portkey.

"This device dropped us in the Riddle family graveyard, where Pettigrew had prepared the ritual to re-incorporate Riddle. Riddle ordered Cedric's death and Pettigrew killed Cedric. Pettigrew then executed the re-incorporation ritual. Riddle Summoned his Death Eaters and I saw them all. Lord Malfoy was among them. Then I dueled Riddle. I managed to escape, taking Cedric's body with me.

"Using the Portkey, we were returned to the school. As the supposed adults sorted out what had happened-more like worked out how they were going to spin it to their advantage-the person I knew as Moody took me back up to the school and tried to get information from me. Failing that he was just about to kill me when I was "saved" by Dumbledore. He had the Death Eater questioned under Veritaserum, an illegal substance for anyone but MLE officials but which Snape just happened to have in his vest pocket, and discovered that Moody was locked in the imposter's trunk and had been all year.

"Before more questioning of the Death Eater Barty Crouch, Jr., could occur, the Minister had him Kissed by Dementors, a capitol punishment with no trial. Normally Dementors are stationed at Azkaban, but for some reason they were already on hand at Hogwarts."

"Dumbledore applied his usual methods and it was back in the shed with the tool.

"Then this summer, two Dementors under the control of Undersecretary Umbridge were sent after me in the street near the Dursleys' home. I defended myself and my cousin Dudley. I was charged with under-age use of magic and expelled from Hogwarts before I could walk back to the Dursleys' house with Dudley and Mrs. Figg, a neighbor. Fifteen minutes later I received a letter that told me I was not expelled after all but I would have to go to a hearing.

"Instead of a hearing I got a trial before the full Wizengamot, Undersecretary Umbridge prosecuting, Minister Fudge sitting on the panel.

"I was acquitted and now am expected to eagerly await Fudge's next attempt on my life or character and Dumbledore's next go at tool-sharpening.

"In my four years in the wizarding world I have watched sentient magical creatures systematically deprived of their basic rights. I have as watched wizards and witches of superior ability but supposedly inferior blood have been disenfranchised and used as chattel in the obscure games of old men with hidden agendas. There is no representative government in the wizarding world unless you can afford to pay for it. The side of the "ight" is as bad as the side of the "dark", both seeking power apparently for power's sake. One is disguised as the greater good and the other as the way to save magic for the "Pure".

"Ma'am, I'm reminded of a document George III received from another group of oppressed people. And paraphrasing those distinguished Gentlemen of the Colonies, I believe the sentiment applies. The Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot are irredeemably corrupt. The entire system, from schools to the bureaucracy, is pointed to gaining and securing privilege for those deemed Pure-not by a system of laws approved by the people but by the greed and insecurity of the less able few. Sentient magical creatures are not only not represented but are regulated like beasts. Women are treated as property to be used to gain advantages through marriage. Many witches and wizards are not educated in magic, and none are educated in the physical sciences or the liberal arts.

"I propose to change this system by conquest, first to a feudal duchy under me with you as my liege, and then as quickly as can be made to happen to the rule of a constitutional monarchy with the British monarch as the monarch in Parliament."

The Queen looked at Harry and said, "La Reyne le veult."

The Lord President and the Prime minister gasped.

"Very nicely done, my lord-she said, 'The Queen wills it'."

"Get ready, Harry, there's more coming."

"Thank you, Amanda-and what's coming, Luna?" Luna just smiled.

"The Magical Nobles of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, having signed neither the Magna Carta Libertatum of 1215 nor the Coronation Charter of 1100 nor any and all charters or attachments thereto, and not having sworn their oaths of fealty to the Realm and crown as it was reconstructed, are declared to be forfeit."

"Harry James Potter, kneel."

The queen rose from her seat and extended her right hand. "Sword." The Sword of State appeared in her hand.

"Harry James Potter, swear."

"I, Harry James Potter, do swear fealty to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and to Elizabeth II, Dei Gratia Britanniarum Regnorumque Suorum Ceterorum Regina, Consortionis Populorum Princeps, Fidei Defensor," Harry said, mightily confused as he didn't know that much Latin.

"Rise, created the Duke of Magic of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Defender of Magic, and Magical Champion of the Crown and Realm." As the Queen said this, she tapped Harry first on his right shoulder and then his left, and last she rested the sword on top of his head. When the sword first touched Harry's head, a glow formed around him and traveled to the Queen first and then Andrew and then the castle. The glow returned and reentered Harry. He smiled.

The Queen lifted her sword and Harry rose. She saw his smile and she knew he had connected with the realm, as she had at her coronation. He was not bound to just her but primarily to magical Britain, the magical Briton of Arthur and Merlin.

The Lord President and Prime Minister looked at the Queen. They knew she had just taken the unprecedented step of creating a Hereditary Peer and then installed him in charge of Magical Britain outside of the constitutional monarchy. He was in fact a feudal duke, a tyrant in the classical sense, reporting only to the Queen and responsible only to the ethereal, or so they thought, realm.

Nym stepped up beside Harry and kissed him firmly on the cheek. "Let me be the first to congratulate you."

"Certainly, Your Grace, and thank you."

The Queen smiled an evil little smile at Harry and looked at the mates. "Duchesses Potter, kneel."

They dropped to their knees, somehow ending up in the order in which they had been mated.

The Queen looked at Nym. "Swear."

"I, Nymphadora Potter, do swear Fealty to the Realm of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and to Harry, Duke of Magic, of the same."

The Queen Looked at Nym for a moment and then smiled slightly. There was no other true oath she could swear. She was fully bonded, and all of her fealty to a person was for Harry.

"Rise, created the Duchess of Magic of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Defender of Magic."

The light flowed again, out of Nym, but this time to the castle and Harry with just a bit to the Queen. The light flowed back into Nym as Harry pulled her to her feet. The Queen had already moved to Hestia and repeated the process of swearing her and then creating her Duchess. The Queen went down the line and created all the bonded as Duchesses. They all swore the same oath Nym had.

"You will bring any other women that you bond to me, Your Grace. I will then decide whether or not they will be created."

"Yes, ma'am."

"You will, in as expeditious a manner as possible, destroy the forces of Darkness that threaten magical Britain. You will then remove the pretenders to power in our former Ministry of Magic to me to be judged. In all other cases you have the right to dispense High, Middle, and Low justice."

"You will establish a fair and universal education system and a nondiscriminatory hiring system. Once you have completed these tasks we will review your charge."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now, go talk to his Grace the Duke of York while I talk to our lovely Ladies."

Harry, Andrew, the Lord President, and the Prime Minister bowed and withdrew. They went down the Hall to the billiard room and took seats.

Meanwhile the Queen had turned to Amelia. "Amelia, I am very disappointed."

Amelia cringed; she thought she knew what was coming. "I beg your pardon, Your Majesty. I have only recently become aware of the problem, and we've begun making the necessary moves to install a just government."

"Amelia, I'm not talking about that. We have every confidence in our Duke. I am talking about the fact that you have finally bonded and neglected to tell me. And to an absolute powerhouse, too. You should have felt the wards react to him. They essentially threw this castle and the Realm at his feet."

Amelia's mouth worked but no sound came out, so Narcissa helpfully chimed in. "Your Majesty, what Amelia wants to say is that we just recently discovered who the object of our magic's seeking was. We've only been bound for a few days."

Amelia finally got her voice back. "Yes, ma'am, Narcissa is correct."

The Queen turned to Minerva, who looked like she was trying to hide behind Nym. "Min, stop hiding. Gryffindors charge ahead. Come talk to me."

Minerva walked toward the Queen. "Elizabeth, how are you?"

"Fine, Min, but look at you! Rebonding has certainly agreed with you."

"Thank you, Elizabeth."

By now the mates had gotten over being stunned and were perusing Minerva's memories of her school years. And there they found a young Alexandra Gotha, Gryffindor 37-44.

"So how did this happen, Min?"

"Elizabeth, I am truly amazed every time I hear Harry's story. I suppose that being so close to the center of it all I never saw the whole of it from the outside as Harry has. From his point of view the magical world is mad, anachronistic, and self defeating. The more I know him and the other half-bloods and first generation witches in the bond, the more I'm convinced he is correct. Despite our best efforts, we have ended up as Harry has described us. I see no other course but the one he has selected."

"I would ask that when Harry brings Dumbledore to you for justice, you know that he has truly tried to act for the greater good. Some of his decisions haunt him."

"As they should, Minerva. You know that he should have come to me, but he never has. I'm even more suspicious of his motives than His Grace is. However, answer the question. I want to know how you bonded with our Young Power."

Minerva blushed to her roots. "In the normal way, Elizabeth."

The Queen eyed Minerva, giving her a look that clearly said, "We'll talk later."

"Ma'am?"

"Yes, Hermione?"

"Is your whole family magical?"

"Yes, Hermione, but I worry about the younger generation. We, the royal families of Europe, are as inbred as every other pureblood family, and it's beginning to show."

"If I may, Ma'am-how?"

"The normal way, Hermione. So far we've been fortunate and not had any Squibs, but it has been very close on occasion. The Prince of Wales is an example he is barely able to cast magic."

"So why not marry outside the royal lines, ma'am?"

"Hermione, you already know the answer. If it were any other line it would be acceptable, but with both the Magic and Mundane worlds pressuring us it's impossible to let a commoner marry a Royal. Given those restraints, I don't like to interfere with the young people's lives. There exists the possibility of some small relief in the Princesses."

"I don't understand, Ma'am."

"They are both enormously powerful witches. We're not exactly sure how that happened, as frankly the power of the line had been declining."

Minerva commented, "It happens, Elizabeth; I believe the Mundane call it a throwback."

"You don't intend to marry them to any of the European princes, so that's why the so very public split between the Duke and Duchess of York came about, ma'am?"

"Very good, Daphne. The Duke and Duchess are fully bonded; they will seek, and after some bad press be granted, a divorce in the Mundane world. Things will go badly in the press, and under that smokescreen we hope to have the Princesses educated at one of the magical schools where they might be found by someone. The Duchess thinks it is a waste of time; she's convinced that they have already been found."

"By Harry? You think Harry's found them, don't you? That's why you created him so large and hereditary."

Tracey pinched her on the thigh. "Ouch!" Daphne gasped, suddenly realizing what she'd said. "Oh, my. I said that out loud-beg pardon, ma'am."

The Queen chuckled. "You are a very Gryffindor Slytherin, Daphne. Yes, the Duchess believes that they have been found by the Duke of Magic. They are both completely infatuated with the glamorized history of Harry Potter and have been completely shattered by the press reporting on him on occasion. Hermione was a great source of angst for Beatrice and slightly less for Eugenie last year.

"He swore fealty, however, and that allows me to simply restore him; his line is already the preeminent line in Europe."

Hermione blushed.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry about that," Rita said hastily. "It was before I'd really met Harry and I was in turmoil over him 'finding' me. I was less than polite to both him and Hermione when I thought they were involved."

"That is a very thin excuse, Rita. I expect better of you in the future, or I will know the reason."

The mates were treated to the displeasure of the Realm for a brief moment; it was a very unpleasant experience. Rita, at whom it was directed, was crushed, and Nym bristled. Narcissa moved quickly in the bond "Nym, she is your lord's liege." Nym settled, but the Queen did not miss her bristling at the perceived slight toward her mate.

"Ma'am, it's possible they have been found. I displayed signs as early as four years old," said a blushing Ginny.

"So young, Ginevra? Ah, but you are a Primary."

"Ma'am, you could easily find out if the Princesses have been found. Simply introduce them to Harry."

"I hesitate for several reasons, Hannah. First, what are the effects of a finding on one so young? Second, the Duke is so awfully powerful that the least bit of compatibility could force a finding. Lastly, if they are found, then they will want to spend a lot of time with the Duke. I believe it would be imprudent to impede the Duke's war effort."

Narcissa said, "Ma'am, a finding would settle them. They would no longer be torn by angst, as they could access Harry's emotions. Also, they would be under the protection of his magic as well as the realm's magic. If his magic is going to find them, it will do so whether or not he's met them. We have mates here who were fully in compulsion and had never been closer to him than three thousand miles away. As for spending time with him, Harry would spend time with anyone except a Death Eater or Riddle; he is, however, completely focused on the upcoming conflict. If they were found, he would not bind them until they were ready. He was almost destroyed over Ginny and Luna. He flatly refused to bind Emma Dobbs or Victoria Frobisher because of their age-they are twelve. There is no question he would bind them young if they were found, but I'll guarantee it won't be as young as they'd like him to."

"You're a pureblood witch, ma'am. You know the secret: if found, as soon as their cycle settles they will either be bound or become more and more erratic. The monarchy doesn't need the additional bad press this completely uncontrollable behavior would draw on top of the firestorm the divorces would create. It would be better if they were bound early rather than late."

This time the Queen was processing what Narcissa had just said. The Prince of Wales' real divorce-he and Diana had never bonded-was looming, and that on top of the Duke of York's "divorce" was going to be difficult at best. The Princesses going destructive as they entered their teens would be a disaster.

Hannah clarified her original point. "Ma'am, while all of that may be true, I believe a simpler solution is at hand. The Princesses could be introduced to Nymphadora. As the Alpha, she can easily tell not only if they are found but how compatible they are."

The Queen blinked.

Daphne said, "The ever-practical Princess of Puff strikes again."

"And directly to the heart of the matter, Daphne. We really must talk about that dreadful old hat, Minerva. I believe it has clearly sorted this lovely child incorrectly," The Queen said as the mates chuckled.

This time Tracey's tongue got away from her. "Oh, no, ma'am, you should see her at school. The Ice Queen of Slytherin, that's what they call her."

The Queen smiled. "And now you, Tracey? Is it me, Minerva?"

"No, Elizabeth, it's having a Gryffindor with Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw tendencies charging about in our heads."

The queen made her decision and as they continued to talk, a house-elf popped into the Duke of York's apartments.

"Her Majesty asks for your and their Royal Highnesses attendance in the state sitting room, Duchess. I will dress you." The elf snapped her fingers and suddenly the Duchess was in a very nice afternoon dress. The Princesses were also suddenly dressed appropriately for an audience with the Queen.

Sarah blew her hair up out of her eyes in frustration, and she and the Princesses headed to the state sitting room. She had been concentrating on Andrew's conversations with the new Duke of Magic. The young man seemed at first too war-like for her daughters, but Andrew in his normal way had diverted Harry into talk first of sport and then of life in general. Sarah was finding that Harry struck a chord deep within her. Thrust into the spotlight, he had alternately been praised and abused, but he had retained a warm and genuinely likeable personality, and sometimes he seemed lost. It made her want to hug him to her breast and protect him. Through Andrew, she also felt the waves of power emanating from Harry; it was at first disconcerting and then strangely comforting.

"What are we doing, Mum?"

"We're going to meet some Duchesses your grandmother has just created."

Beatrice sighed. "Don't be that way, Beatrice. Some of them are close to your age. I'm sure you'll like them."

They arrived and entered, and the Duchesses stood and dropped curtsies. Nym said, "Your Royal Highnesses, Duchess."

The newly created Duchesses arranged themselves gracefully into a line, and the Queen escorted the Princesses and the Duchess of York down the line like she was inspecting troops.

"Beatrice, this is the Duchess Nymphadora."

Nym extended her hand and Beatrice automatically extended hers. When Nym touched her it was like grabbing a live wire-not painful, just a very severe tingle, and the room glowed slightly. Beatrice felt the urge to submit.

Nym looked at the Queen and said, "Primary."

"Duchess Nymphadora, Eugenie."

Nym again extended her hand and Eugenie took it. This time there was a very definite shock and the room glowed a little again.

Nym nodded to the queen and said, "Primary as well, ma'am."

Sarah stepped up and took Nym's hand. Nym's eyes widened. The room glowed brightly.

The Queen looked between the two Duchesses for a moment before Nym finally sorted it out in her mind. She looked between the Queen and the Duchess. "Alpha, ma'am."

The bonded gasped.

The Queen continued down the line, introducing the Princesses and the Duchess. All of the bonded felt the urge to submit to Sarah, but it was not as strong as the urge to submit to Nym. When Luna shook Sarah's hand, her eyes went white and she smiled.

"You are a seer, Luna?"

"Yes Sarah, how did you-oh, drat. the eyes went again, didn't they? Sorry." She frowned in concentration and her blue eyes were back.

Sarah chuckled and shook her head. She proceeded down the line.

After they had all been introduced, the Queen said, "Beatrice, Eugenie, why don't you show the Duchesses the castle?"

"Yes, ma'am." Beatrice and Eugenie stood to the side and all of the bonded except for Nym, Sarah, Minerva, Amelia, Amanda, Emmeline, and Narcissa joined them. They trooped out the door and into the castle.

The ladies sat and the queen looked at Nym. "Alpha?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Emmeline said, "I believe I can explain, ma'am. It seems that the Duchess of York is in fact an Alpha of clan Potter, but a lesser Alpha than Nymphadora. I believe that if Sarah was not bonded to Andrew, then she would bond to Harry. She is not quite as compatible as Nymphadora is, but she's more compatible than the rest of us. So little is known about multiple bondings that we would have to study it, but I don't believe her bond with Andrew is in any danger. Should her bond with Andrew end, however, I believe she would immediately find herself in compulsion for Harry and we would have co-Alphas."

"And if my daughters are already bound to clan Potter, what then?"

Narcissa studied her for a moment: yes, definitely compatible, the same sense of honor so deeply ingrained. "Then, ma'am, you will bond with Harry and mate with him and give your daughters a niece who is their half-sister. Sarah, you know the answer: mating, madness, or death are your choices. In your case it would be death. But we're speaking of things that are so unlikely as to be impossible. You love your lord as we love ours. You are going to sacrifice your honor to provide a tenable life for his children, risking their hatred and the loss of your bond with them. You're doing this because you love him and them completely and without reservation.

"You are fully bonded-we can feel it. If we couldn't, then you would have been a threat and Harry would most likely have killed you by now. He's just as in love with Nym as you are with Andrew. He would destroy the planet and all life on it for her, if required. Afterward he would feel badly about it-right up until he saw her."

The Queen smiled. "Nym?"

Nym said, "I dislike Nymphadora, ma'am, unless Harry says it. He tried Dora, but he said it was frumpy. He likes Nym. He can call me Bessy if he wants, but since I don't mind Nym for some reason, the bonded have settled on it."

The Queen chuckled. "Well then, Nym, what is your opinion?"

"I will, if it ever comes to, it accept a co-Alpha. I'm curious as to why I felt no attraction at all to the Duke of York. I mean, if Sarah is compatible with Harry, shouldn't I be compatible with her bonded? I ask this because we are in fact in a war. If something were to happen to Harry and I, then perhaps my bonded could survive with Andrew."

Sarah asked, "Your bonded, Nym?"

"I'm as bonded to them all as Harry is. They are likewise as bonded to me. Hestia and I believe that they would all survive Harry's death or my death, but up until now we thought not both. Perhaps now in the event of both our deaths you could become their Alpha."

Sarah sat stunned for a moment. "In the event of both of your deaths I would become the Alpha of a massively powerful magical clan of witches?"

"Yes, or condemn my bonded to death and madness."

"Meanwhile, at some point both of my daughters will join this clan as Primary wives?"

Luna reentered the sitting room and walked straight to Sara. Her eyes were completely white. "In no line of circumstance do I see you becoming the primary Alpha of Clan Potter, Your Grace. Your daughters, however, will join the Clan as Primaries and they will be virgins when they join. It is perhaps far in the future, though. They will intent-bond much earlier. Beatrice will marry the Duke of Sussex, the line thought to be extinct in 1843 but really extant in Harry through his mother's family Evans. Eugenie will marry the Duke of Armaugh, thought extinct in 1836 but extant in Harry through the Gryffindor line."

"Each of the first children born to the the ladies in His Grace's harem will represent a line that the College of Arms thinks is extinct but can be traced to Harry through either the Gryffindor/Potter Line or the Evans Line."

"Harry will look different for each of the marriages to the Princesses because of his Metamorphmagus abilities and will easily able to carry out any Royal duties he is assigned."

Her eyes turned back to blue.

"Luna, that is very disconcerting."

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm working on the eye thing."

The Queen looked at her and laughed lightly. "I was actually referring to the seeing thing."

"That, too, ma'am. I've been seeing today for as long as I can remember, but it kept changing. Finally, about two weeks ago it settled down to what happened today and one other possibility."

Sarah had been thinking about something. "Luna, what happened in the other possibility that kept me from being your Alpha?"

"We were unable to convince Harry to accept the harem. He fought on alone. Voldemort killed Harry, became immortal, we all died, and the Americans executed their 'contain and destroy' plan. It was ghastly; millions died."

The Queen looked at Luna. "You see all this? You poor child!"

"It's fine, ma'am. It's balanced by the good things I see. So far we've been able to stay on the good path, and now most of the bad paths have fallen away. We have three major turnings-forks, if you will-and then we'll be fine."

"Can you tell us what they are, Luna?"

"The bonding of Bellatrix as a slave, the death of Voldemort, and the death of Dumbledore are the major turnings.

"Bellatrix's binding may push Harry to the Dark. I doubt it, but it depends on her somewhat. Voldemort's death could possibly come too soon, allowing him to rise yet again. And Dumbledore could die at the wrong time by Harry's hand. That would be the ultimate catastrophe.

"I believe we will keep Harry from going Dark. I mean, Nym alone is much more seductive than Dark magic, and that's leaving alone Harry's fascination with Minerva and that stunning, delicious body of hers."

"Luna Potter!"

"Shhhh, Minerva, we'll talk more about that in private. Now, continue, child."

"Yes, ma'am. We have to wait to kill Voldemort until the right time. Harry will know when that is, and we have to find some things first; otherwise we'll contain his soul and just kill it five times in a row, about a minute apart."

"The death of Dumbledore is currently obscured from me. I know he dies, but I can't see which way is better. If Harry kills him, though, it will lead to years of civil war in magical Britain. We will still win, but it will be an empty victory. It will take us years to rebuild the magical world."

The Queen looked at Nym. "Your Grace, if you could give me some time alone with my friend Minerva?"

"Of course, ma'am." Nym rose, despite Minerva glaring at her. "Ladies, if you would come with me we'll find the Princesses and our mates."

Sarah looked at the gleam in the Queen's eye and said, "I'll come with you, Your Grace."

They left the sitting room and when they got to the hall they all dissolved in fits of giggles.

Nym looked at Luna. "Luna, did you have to?"

"What? It's the truth."

Amanda chimed in, "That may be true, but it isn't going to save you from the wrath of Minerva. You and I have to have a long conversation about the diplomacy of truth, young lady."

Sarah asked Nym, "Is it always like this?"

"You have no idea. Thirty-four fully functioning women in the bond, eighteen of them teenagers-it's a challenge sometimes, but so far it's been a wonderful challenge."

"Let's find your mates and my daughters, Nym. It's much too quiet for that many hormones to be running round loose."

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Back in the state sitting room, Minerva said, "Elizabeth, I am fully bonded. Anything you say to me, Harry will know."

"Does he know everything now, Min?"

Minerva got a faraway look on her face. "Yes. For some reason he is absolutely fascinated with me. We've spent hours in each other's minds."

"A fascination not unreciprocated, I see."

"Elizabeth, you have no idea. It is completely intoxicating. It's like being in the center of the largest hurricane ever, and you're completely in control. It would be so easy to slide into venting your rage at everyone who has ever slighted you. I know I understand him better than the other bonded, except for Nym. I could so easily misuse that massive power."

"And why do you think he's given you that control, Min?"

"He says I have an iron will. He doesn't realize how close he came to breaking it, though. I wanted to stay in his mind with him forever."

"And aren't you?"

Minerva blushed ferociously. "Elizabeth, you're bonded. You know what I meant. The contact is closer during intimacy."

The Queen laughed heartily. "Min, I've missed you so! Was that so hard to admit?"

Minerva chuckled and they moved on to other topics.

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In the Billiard room Andrew had been attempting to draw Harry out. He knew Sarah was listening through their bond.

The Prime Minister and Lord President had wanted to discuss how Harry planned to conduct the war and set up the new government as the Queen had instructed him to. Andrew was a little put out with their approach.

"What the honorable gentlemen are forgetting is that the Duke is sovereign over magical Britain. His fealty is to the Queen by his oath alone. We, Her Majesty's government, will assist him in his efforts. Our place is not to approve his actions. That authority is for the Queen alone.

"Now, while you gentlemen digest that, let's talk about other things. Harry, I understand you play a little Quidditch. Have you ever heard of the true sport of gentlemen called cricket?"

He watched in amazement as the young Duke exploded into laughter and then suddenly stopped as if some one had thrown cold water on him.

"Oh, no! You have daughters, don't you?"

Andrew was terribly confused by now. The feelings coming across the bond were not helping either. Sarah was frustrated, then confused and slightly horrified, and then something he did not understand.

"Eerrr-what? Ah, yes, I have two daughters, Princess Beatrice, seven years old, and Princess Eugenie, five."

Harry was just as lost in the bond as Andrew had been. He was feeling shock from his bonded and then a moment of aggression. Suddenly they all settled.

"Sir, I'm afraid I was never taught how to suppress the seeking aspect of my magic. It is entirely possible that my magic has found your daughters, if they are at all magical."

Harry sat waiting for the axe to fall. Andrew instead smiled at him and hit him with a complete non sequitur. "Harry, why were you laughing about cricket?"

"Sir, when I met Nymphadora's dad for the first time, he asked me basically the same thing, and then we watched a game together in his study."

"More coincidence there, then, Harry?"

"Sir, I'm beginning to believe that, at least for me, no such thing as coincidence exists. I mean, the parallels in the situations are just too striking."

They were both compiling what they were learning from their bonded with what they were doing at a blinding speed. The Prime Minister and Lord President were left far behind. They sat waiting patiently and observing. Years of service had taught them that the Royals and people like them were very different-not so different that you couldn't understand them or anticipate them, but different enough that it took years of study and concentrated effort to stay at the top of your game.

Andrew and Harry continued to talk. Soon they saw Harry's youngest mates being led by Beatrice and Eugenie on a tour of the grounds.

"Nym I just saw the mates pass. Should I join them?"

"Sarah, the girls are outside with some of Harry's bonded. Should Harry and I join them?"

Nym turned to Sarah as Sarah turned to her, and at the same time they said, "My bonded sees the girls and wants to know, should he join them?"

They replied simultaneously, "Yes."

Luna laughed.

"Harry, you and Andrew go ahead. We'll catch up."

"Andrew, you and Harry go ahead. We'll catch up."

Harry shook his head.

Andrew laughed. "Give it up, Harry. It's easier just to do what you're told."

"Oh, I wasn't objecting. It just felt really weird, like I heard the Duchess in my head, too. Errrh, your Duchess, I mean."

By now, Andrew was on the verge of laughing. "Harry, my name is Andrew and the Duchess is Sarah. Please, let's just use our given names. It's all giving me a headache."

"Thank you, Andrew. If you think you have a headache, imagine what it's like for me. I mean, at least you grew up with this."

Andrew was laughing now as he and Harry left the room and headed outside. The Prime Minister and Lord President stood and bowed them from the room.

"Well, John, what are we going to do?"

"La Reyne le veult-we'll do what the Prince told us to until she tells us different. We'll support His Grace the Duke of Magic as well as we can with whatever we can provide. And if we're smart, we'll do it before the Americans can, Tony."

"They wouldn't dare."

"Tony, in case you didn't notice, the newly created Duchess Amanda is the Ambassador Plenipotentiary of not just the magical United States but the United States in total. Their government is integrated at the executive level. So they not only would, they have."

"But several of the Duchesses are members of the Ministry of Magical Law Enforcement. One of them is the Director."

"And as such she reports to the Queen, not to me. Well, more to my side of the government up until now, but in the final analysis her authority derives directly from the crown. We've been remiss in letting the Ministry of Magic have its head, as it were. That must be stopped, but with things as they are now I doubt we can do it without a war between Mundane, as they call us, and Magical people. I believe the Queen has hit upon the solution. We let the Duke of Magic clean them out and then he sets up a government to her liking. Our center of influence can only be in what she decides the form of that government will be."

"We could offer instructors and constitutional experts."

"Good, Tony, that's the way to think. First I think we'll need to offer a squadron of the SAS, though. I'll speak with Field Marshal Inge."

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In the gardens of Balmoral, Nym, Sarah, and the ladies found the Princesses and the mates just before the dukes did.

"Mum! They're Harry Potter's Bonded! Is Harry here?" Beatrice questioned sharply as she dragged Hermione and Daphne to her mother. She had immediately latched onto Hermione and then Daphne. Eugenie trailed behind Beatrice, with Ginny and Su Li hovering over her.

"Yes, Harry is here, and he'll be here in a moment with your father."

Beatrice beamed. She had dreamed of this day.

Harry and Andrew rounded a corner of the yew hedge, and the Princesses froze.

Andrew looked at his daughters and knew his bonded had been correct: they were found by Harry.

"Beatrice, Eugenie, let me introduce you to the Duke of Magic, Harry Potter."

Harry walked to Beatrice as Ginny and Su led Eugenie up beside her sister. Harry reached forward and Beatrice offered her hand. Harry bowed over it and kissed her knuckles. The light they were accustomed to seeing at a bonding flared from Harry, Beatrice, the mates and, oddly, Sarah. Harry turned to Eugenie and kissed her hand too. The same thing happened and they found Beatrice, Eugenie, and Sarah in the bond. The mates automatically Occluded certain portions of their memories.

Harry rose from Eugenie's hand and the two Princesses immediately moved up beside him and each took one of his hands.

"I told you, Andrew."

"I know, Sarah. What do we do now?"

Sarah didn't answer, as she had found Harry's memories of his childhood and first years at Hogwarts. He was desperately attempting to Occlude memories of the bondings.

She looked at him and said, "Harry, stop that. I'm happily married, as you now know. I have no intention of snooping."

Harry blushed and Andrew laughed. "Now you know what I have to put up with, married to a redhead, Harry."

Harry wisely just looked at Andrew and raised an eyebrow.

Susan, Ginny, and Sarah rounded on the Duke of York. Wisely he capitulated immediately and apologized abjectly while Harry and the rest of the mates laughed.

Beatrice was trying to lead Harry to the stables. He picked up Eugenie and let Beatrice lead him away. Eugenie tucked her head into Harry's shoulder and smiled contentedly.

"Sarah, what are we going to do about this? We share a very active bond, and Harry is still bonding women."

"Well, Nym, obviously you all know Occlumency. Andrew and I know the art also. We'll simply have to keep our barriers up, and we'll need to instruct Beatrice and Eugenie in the art."

Chu immediately volunteered. "I can teach them while we're uptime, Nym. It will be interesting to teach them so young. It may not be possible, but I should at least be able to teach them to respect others' barriers."

"Nym, Sarah, I believe we can craft some runestones to prevent certain areas from being accessed. It will be complicated and require a lot of power, but Harry is already planning the personal wardstones for us and the Princesses, and also the Duke. He intends to charge them the same way we did the others."

Andrew was a little lost, but something suddenly occurred to him. "Sarah-you bonded to Harry!"

"He's not very quick, Sarah. First the redhead comment, and he just now caught on that you're bonded to us," Daphne said with a smirk. "You could obviously do better, now Harry is much better trained and almost completely housebroken."

"But I've spent so much time on this one, Daphne. I hate to lose my investment."

Andrew spluttered.

The women all laughed. Andrew grumbled under his breath all the way to the stables.

When they arrived, the women were enchanted. They had proceeded through the stables and found Harry and the Princesses out back. Beatrice and Eugenie were mounted bareback on two unicorn mares and Harry was rubbing the neck of a massive steel-gray unicorn stallion.

"That's not supposed to be possible. I mean, Beatrice and Eugenie, yes, but Harry? He's bonded."

"Andrew that's just Harry. Things like this are always happening around him."

Andrew looked at Nym as Sarah fed him the images of Harry's life through their bond.

While their dad was occupied, Beatrice and Eugenie were busy both in the bond with Harry and the mates and in the physical world with the unicorns.

Beatrice was in heaven. She had seen herself through Harry's lens and knew that he did not see a coltish little girl. He saw an interesting and powerful young witch. She vowed to herself that she would become the most powerful and knowledgeable witch she could. Harry would get what he deserved in her-a powerful, socially accomplished, beautiful young witch ready to bear him children and to take her place by his side ruling the wizarding world. Together they and the bonded would go down the endless progression of years ruling with wisdom and power.

Hermione looked at Beatrice and thought to herself, "Oh my, this one still has the dream. I hope we can live up to it."

Beatrice met her eyes. "You already are, Hermione, all that I want. I want to be your equal, to be worthy of our lord."

Eugenie looked on and listened. She smiled a little Mona Lisa smile and basked in the warmth of her lord and the mates. She really didn't understand all of this; she just knew she was loved. Harry and the mates loved her, Mummy and Daddy loved her, and Grandmother loved her. Life was good.

The stallion moved off from Harry and back to the edge of the woods. Harry lifted Beatrice down and then took Eugenie in his arms. He sat on a bench by a yew hedge with Eugenie in his lap and Beatrice snuggled into his left side. The unicorns watched him for a moment and then turned and vanished into the forest.

A lot had happened today and he simply wanted to digest it all.

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Some time later: "Harry, we should go."

"Yes, Nym."

Harry set Eugenie down and she grasped his left hand. Beatrice grasped Harry's right hand and they moved toward the castle.

The Queen and Minerva met them in the entry hall. Minerva was still blushing faintly from the very frank discussion she had just had with the Queen.

"You are leaving us, Your Grace?"

"Unfortunately, ma'am, with your permission."

"Yes, we all have much to do. We will test your bond with the Duchess of York, Your Grace. We will relay information through her and expect her to act in your stead unless you tell us otherwise in person."

Harry blinked at her. "Yes, ma'am."

Harry bowed and the mates curtsied. The Queen nodded slightly and Andrew, Sarah, Beatrice, and Eugenie escorted them to the Apparition point.

"Andrew, thank you. It was a pleasure to meet you. Please feel free to call on us at any time."

"You too, Harry."

Andrew stepped back as his wife and daughters obviously communed in the bond and then stepped back also.

Harry bowed and then moved the whole group to the Ossuary.