FicWad

Harry Potter and The Witches' Secret
Chapter 29
17-18 Sept 1995 (Sidereal)

Beauxbatons
Infirmary

Lorelei had arrived the previous night and flown to her daughter's side. She had examined Gabrielle and been crushed. Not only had the poor child's Veela maturity come on her, but she had been found by a wizard's magic.

"What happened that caused this, Madam Maxine?"

"Apparently she was having a conversation with three other girls. The other girls turned abusive toward someone and she changed and attacked them."

"Are they all right?"

"Yes, some minor lacerations and burns but they're fine. Lorelei, it took two professors to subdue her."

"Yes, she has been found and she hit her maturity at the same time. She will have to be bonded to this wizard. Do you know who the girls were speaking of?"

Maxine had gone pale. "Harry Potter, Lorelei."

Lorelei sat down. "I must inform Jean-Paul. He will have to talk to the British Ministry."

"Lorelei, the child is nine. We allowed her entry because of her maturity, but you would have her bonded?"

"She's not human, Madam, she is Veela. Her sexual maturity should have happened at between six and eight. We have been horribly worried."

"And how do you propose to convince Messer. Potter and his guardian Lord Black of the necessity to mate two children?"

"She is found, Madam, as is he if rumor can be believed. I will simply put them together. Things will take their natural course from there."

Lorelei composed a note and thought of her elf, Marianne.

Pop!

Lorelei wordlessly handed the note to Marianne.

Pop!

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St Mungo's
Long-Term Care Ward
Security Suite

Albus awoke and smiled. Another great day. Breakfast had been brought with a copy of the Prophet; no attacks and lots of upbeat news for once. Why, they had even changed editorial staff. Rita Skeeter now appeared on the masthead as the editor-in-chief. Good girl, a little abrasive but a well-bred Slytherin nonetheless. He wondered who this Duke of Magical Britain was. Publisher indeed; he hoped that this self-styled Duke was not another rising Dark lord.

He had mail too, replies to at least some of the apologies he had sent. He would need to read those.

After breakfast then.

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Little Hangleton
Riddle Manor

The bag of barely functioning tissue that was once Tom Riddle and then Voldemort rolled over and attempted to sit up. It couldn't and was forced to lie back in its own waste products again.

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Little Hangleton
Red Fox Pub
Midden

Peter the rat slammed into the back wall of the hole. Fucking owl in broad daylight. What was the world coming to? Well, it couldn't get in here. Just hunker down and sleep. Belly full of that kidney pie anyway, it had only been a couple of days old. Sleep now.

Hedwig hunkered down in the tree with a good view of the hole. Harry Master Mine would have this rat today. It had bothered him before. Or maybe he wouldn't be mad if he got just its little shiny paw. She hadn't eaten much today.

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Hogwarts
Entry Hall

Adrian Pucey Sr. approached Hogwarts in a rage. His son had been tortured and then sent down by the new Head of Slytherin, Sinistra, and she was backed up by McGonagall. He didn't know who these cunts thought they were, but they would both beg him to le- He landed with a crash in the floor of some pit. Screaming in rage he whipped out his wand and blasted the wall with a Reductor. It rebounded and knocked him flat.

Moppsy and Floppsy appeared in the cell. Despite the cute names they were two hard-eyed, muscular house-elves who were the Gaolers. Mopsy was the male Chief Gaoler and Flopsy was the female Chief Gaoler. They healed Pucey and stripped him of his wands and all magical objects. They faded out, leaving him unconscious on the floor.

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Potter Castle
Master Suite

Amanda and Christy were having a very vigorous, very satisfying session. The rest of the mates had awoken and focused on them. The bed had grown to truly ridiculous proportions and as Harry chased them down amongst the many bonded, the squeals and laughter were rampant. Finally, after he had pinned them both once, they turned the tables on him and pinned him-one on his crotch and one sitting on his chest.

Harry reached up and pulled Christy onto his face and took a long lick of her. She settled onto him instantly and began a slow thrusting.

Amanda took full advantage, and holding him up she sank fully onto him. Unconsciously she established a rhythm that was an exact counterpoint to Christy's. Harry read them and brought them with him. They all went over the edge together.

When the mates collapsed off of him, Harry changed to his cat form and went tearing around the bedroom, yowling crazily. Nym stopped him with a well-placed Petrificus Totalus and flung him into the bath. The yowling changed to sputtering instantly.

"Nym, couldn't you have said? I would have gotten a camera."

"Beatrice, how long have you been there?"

"All night, Nym."

"Where's Eugenie?"

"Mum made her stay in her room."

"Thank Morgana! Beatrice, you need to sleep near me when you're with us."

"Okay, Nym."

"Sarah, you could have said."

"She's started seeing it all, Nym. I think she's okay with you all; she doesn't want to be with Harry yet, she just wants to be with you all, separate from Eugenie for a while. Big sister syndrome, I think."

Nym contemplated this as she rose and went to the bath. The mates dressed and went to PT. Hannah carried the stone.

PT was refreshing. Everyone had started getting a boost from it. They actually felt worse if they missed it.

Breakfast went well and Harry kissed the mates farewell who were going to be working.

The remainder proceeded on their errands or with Harry to the hall to interrogate any new prisoners snatched by the mines.

In the hall Hermione set up the tables and Harry's chair. The Queen and courtiers occupied the gallery. Harry nodded to Hermione.

Adrian Pucey appeared and lunged off the floor toward Hermione. She backhanded him back to the floor; Harry flicked his wrist, and Pucey flew into a chair and was stuck there.

It had happened so fast that everyone besides the bonded was caught completely flat-footed. Amelia Fastida was not, however, and she was not amused. She was suddenly beside Pucey yanking his head back and extending her fangs.

"Amelia, please, darling-we have to try him."

"He attacked my Mistress, Master. Let me kill him."

Pucey's eyes rolled back in his head as Amelia turned all of her compulsion on him. He felt as if his heart was about to stop with fear.

"We'll see, Amelia."

Amelia leaned down and whispered in Pucey's ear, "You think you know what evil is, mortal; even if my Master releases you, you will die for attempting to attack my Mistress."

Pucey sat shaking. Amelia walked back to Harry and resumed her place kneeling at his feet. Her eyes never left Pucey.

Hermione smiled at Amelia and caressed her in the bond and then said, "The court of the Duke of Magic of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is in session.

"You have been transported to His Grace's dungeons by a ward, either because you bear the Dark Mark or you bear evil intent. You will be questioned under Veritaserum and judged."

Ann and Katie moved to Pucey and Ann held out the bottle. "Will you take the Veritaserum voluntarily?"

"I do not recognize the court, the Duke, or his authority over me. I will take nothing."

"Oh, you will, mortal, or shall my Master simply strip your mind? Actually...."

Amelia turned her compulsion to full, and working Pucey like a puppet she had him lean his head back and open his mouth. Ann blinked and then smiled. She tipped in five drops of Veritaserum.

"Thank you, Amelia, you can let him go now."

Katie and Ann questioned Pucey. His list of known crimes was hideous-and hideously long. He named fourteen associates, one of which was Parkinson.

"Why are you doing this?" Harry asked.

This question surprised everyone; the mates knew Harry was thinking out loud, but the man they now knew was Adrian Pucey Sr. answered.

"Because we can. While the Light side struggles against the Dark we can do what we wish with little interference. If someone opposes us we can overcome them one way or another."

"So you don't view your actions as evil? Even though you know yourself to be causing harm?"

"Not to me or mine; I don't care about anyone else."

Harry was floored; this was the opposite of his own way of thinking, and he was convinced that it was the definition of evil. But mere words didn't distinguish the difference between his philosophy and Pucey's; they were instead separated by a concept. Harry refused to do harm if he could avoid it, and Pucey didn't. Now he was going to execute Pucey. How ironic: to stop the harm that Pucey and his associates were doing, Harry had to do harm.

"Were you acting of your own volition and not under duress?"

"Yes."

"Will you change your behavior? Will you stop harming others if it can be avoided?"

"Not if it will cost me anything, either money or time or effort. No one but my own are worth those things."

Harry thought Pucey was coming out of the Veritaserum. He asked, rhetorically, "Who are you to judge?"

Pucey apparently was still under the serum enough to be forced to answer, "I am a pureblooded Head of House. My word is law."

The arrogance of the man staggered Harry.

Harry used his Legilimency and roamed Pucey's mind. The arrogance was pervasive and unbreakable, trained into Pucey the child and reinforced in Pucey the man. Harry withdrew knowing he had been correct, he could not change Pucey and the man would use any means to destroy Aurora and Minerva.

Bloody hell, a wife and three daughters; his son was Adrian Pucey, Slytherin seventh year. The bonded fed him information-Aurora being attacked and what Rowena did to her attacker.

Pop!

Geoffrey appeared with Arianne, Charlotte, Sylvia, Georgia, and Adrian Pucey Jr.

Harry nodded and after Hermione's introduction of him and explanation of the court, their interrogations began.

The wife, Arianne, was forty-four and a Slytherin graduate of Hogwarts, as were her daughters Charlotte, twenty-four, Sylvia, twenty-two, and Georgia, twenty. Adrian Jr. was seventeen, almost eighteen.

The women were not rabid believers in their rights at the cost of others, and Adrian Jr.'s will had been broken by Rowena. None of the women had committed any crimes other than supporting their husband and father.

"So is it possible to-errrh, sorry, Rowena-torture the disregard for others out of Pucey Sr.?"

"So you did this to my Adrian? I'll kill you, you bastard!" Arianne screamed at Harry.

The crackling laughter that came from Amelia Fastida froze everyone in the room. "Stupid mortal cow. You could no more kill my lord than you can change the direction of this planet."

Arianne started, realizing that kneeling at this boy's feet was a massively powerful vampire, Bellatrix Lestrange, and a witch she knew to be a Senior Auror.

Amelia was no longer kneeling at Harry's feet, however. Faster than the eye could process, she was by Arianne with the woman's head pushed to the side and her fangs descending.

"Amelia, don't, please."

Those simple words brought a grumbling Amelia back to her position at Harry's feet. She stopped grumbling when Harry caressed her head and smiled at her.

"Actually, Arianne, Adrian caused what happened to himself to happen. He attacked a witch while her back was turned. The ancient wards of Hogwarts then made sure it never happened again. I am debating the same thing with your husband.

"Adrian Pucey Sr., you have been judged to be a supporter of the Dark."

"I do not accept your authority, boy."

Harry sighed. "Is there any way you will? I would prefer not to kill you."

Pucey Sr. laughed. "As if you could. I'll kill you and take your wealth and your women."

Harry smiled sadly. "At your service, sir. This will be a duel to the death. Seconds?"

"Adrian Jr. will be my second."

"I would offer you one last chance to withdraw, Pucey. If you do I'll commute your sentence to imprisonment and attempt to find a way to re-educate you."

Pucey looked at Harry and spat in his direction.

The Pucey women looked terrified. Why couldn't their father and husband see either the pain this was causing the young man or the power he radiated?

Arianne saw a figure in the gallery shake her head sadly and realized it was the Queen. Oh Morgana, no! This boy was the Duke-the rumors were true. Oh, gods.

Harry sadly shook his head and negligently waved his hand. The Pucey men were across the room and armed. Harry stood. "Daphne?"

"I'm honored, Master."

Arianne heard this and looked at her-Daphne Greengrass, scion of the powerful neutral House Greengrass-and in the gallery, yes, of course, William and Esmeralda. So-no longer neutral, then. And there were the Parkinsons and Tracey Davis here on the floor.

The dueling ward going up drew her attention.

"When you're ready you may begin, Pucey."

Warning bells were blaring in Pucey Sr.'s head. The boy didn't even have a wand.

He started with a Stunner. Harry put his hand up and let the Stunner hit him. Nothing happened. Pucey began casting strings of curses and hexes as the dueling instructor had taught him.

The boy just absorbed them all. All right, up the ante then. He cast a set of Dark curses and hexes that should have incinerated the boy.

The boy just caught them and smiled sadly at him.

"Last chance, Pucey. Surrender."

"Avada Kedavra!" Pucey smiled in satisfaction as the Killing Curse struck the boy as he turned to his second. She was smiling at him. He heard, "Ouch," and turned his eyes back to the boy. He was stunned to see him still alive.

The mates watched as Harry absorbed each spell and evaluated them. They listened to his internal monologue.

"Weak, lots of hostility though. Still weak but better. Aha, a string-all weak but well put together. Ouch, that thing always hurts."

"Harry, pay attention to Pucey."

"Yes, Nym."

Harry looked at Pucey and flicked his hand negligently. "Bombarda!" Pucey sublimed to gas. "Praedia Bellica!" A light flashed.

Adrian Pucey Jr. screamed and then raised his wand. He found himself frozen.

"Please don't make me kill you too."

Adrian looked at Harry. "Avada ke-" He never finished. Harry hit him with the Bombarda and sank to his knees with tears in his eyes.

Nym appeared and knelt beside Harry. They faded from view.

Arianne had collapsed with her daughters. Bellatrix, Amelia Fastida, and Allison moved them to the roof garden, where they found Nym holding Harry as tears streamed down his face.

Arianne, Charlotte, Sylvia, and Georgia sat on the ground hugging each other and watching Harry.

"Why, Nym? Why did they do that? I would have accepted their surrender. Really. I was still trying to figure out whether or not the elder Pucey could be re-educated. I thought the younger had been."

"Shhh. I don't know, baby. Just rest a while."

Harry lay his head on her breast and they lay back on the grass together.

Harry had known they weren't alone but he suddenly figured out who was there.

"Arianne, Charlotte, Sylvia, Georgia, I am so sorry. I can't tell you."

Arianne looked at him for a moment and then moved to where he and Nym reclined on the grass. Her daughters went with her. As soon as she touched him she felt the tingle and then the urge to submit to Nym.

"So it's true-all the stories are true."

She had unconsciously offered her crossed wrists to Nym. Nym wrapped them in one hand and placed her other on Arianne's forehead.

Arianne had had a pleasant childhood but a loveless marriage. While she had not been raped, she had never loved Adrian Sr. She had loved Adrian Jr., her son, however, and did love her daughters.

Nym sighed and took Arianne in one arm and Harry in the other. Soon it was a puppy pile of mates, slaves and chattel. By lunch all four Pucey women had met their obligation.

Elizabeth spent the morning being extremely unamused and issuing instructions to the Order of the Phoenix and the special branch of Scotland Yard. Harry had tried to be merciful and these louts had refused to cooperate. She would know who they were and issue the warrants on them herself.

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Little Hangleton
Red Fox Pub
Tree behind the midden

Hedwig growled a hoot and shifted from foot to foot. Little bastard rat had to come out soon. Wait, what was that? Something had moved. She shook herself fully awake and tensed.

Peter looked out of the hole. Noon. Stupid bloody owls would be asleep now. Time to go. He poked his head out of the hole and something hit him on the back of the neck like a ton of bricks.

Hedwig used her master's method and faded from view.

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Potter Castle

Harry and the mates had made it in a laughing pile to the dining room. The new mates were finding their most kindred bond sisters in the bond, and the whispering and giggling was going a thousand miles an hour.

Just as Harry looked up and smiled at them after sitting, Hedwig faded into view and dropped a brownish-gray lump on Harry's plate. She flared her wings, landed on Harry's shoulder, and announced, "Caught it for Master," in the bond.

"Errrh, thank you, Hedwig-but what is it?"

Moody, who had leapt up and charged to the head of the table, poked the nasty brownish-gray lump with his scarred and battered wand and it unfolded into a rat.

Harry chuckled. "Thanks, girl, but I get plenty of food now."

The mates, their curiosity piqued, looked into his memories and saw Hedwig bringing Harry mice, rats, and other creatures when his relatives were starving him during the summers. To everyone's surprise Elizabeth, who had used her connection to Harry and Nym through the realm to see the memory, exploded.

"Baron Newton, the family Dursley residing at 4 Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey, will be detained at my pleasure. Scotland Yard will investigate no other crime until I know everything about them all from the moment they were born."

Baron Newton didn't know where this came from, but he had never seen Her Majesty so angry. Her face was a mottled red and she was shaking with rage. He opened the cell phone Ann had worked on for him and made a call.

"Ma'am, they'll be picked up soon."

"Tell me when."

"Ma'am."

Harry had not been listening; instead he had been trying to figure out why Hedwig had brought the rat to him alive.

Ron, who had walked down the table, said, "You know, that rat looks like Scabbers-ya think, Percy?"

At the word "Scabbers", Harry had cast a containment hex over the rat. He looked closer and sure enough, there was a tiny silver paw.

"Pettigrew!"

At this the table exploded into activity. Marcia had the sense to come run a scan on the rat. "Paralyzed, dying-neck broken."

"Keep him alive if you can, Marcia. He's actually an Animagus Death Eater. We'll want to question him."

"Not much hope, Harry. You'll have to strip his mind if we can get him human again. Hedwig broke his neck when she stooped on him, I think-mostly severed his spinal cord."

"Way to go, Hedwig," Sirius put in. Hedwig preened under Harry's hand.

"Mine."

"Ours, Hedwig, remember?"

Nym got the distinct impression of nest and eggs and owlets.

"Mine."

"Ours."

"Grrr, ours, soon?"

"Errrh, better let me talk to him."

Harry was temporarily derailed by this whole little mental conversation between Hedwig and Nym, and the bond was buzzing with the implications while blushing heavily. Hedwig had some very aggressive plans-errrh, instincts? Whatever.

Meanwhile Marcia, Alastor, Sirius, and Remus were discussing what to do with Pettigrew, albeit with a furiously blushing Marcia.

"What's the problem? We can just dose him with Skelegrow and then when he's healed, we force him into his human form and then question him."

"Skelegrow is contraindicated in neck fractures, Harry. While it's working it might finish cutting the spinal cord and then when it regrew it would regrow severed. Nerves are tricky. I have him in stasis now but we're going to need a veterinary Healer."

"So we force him back to human and then give him the Skelegrow. I don't care if he is paralyzed, I just want him alive so I can strip his mind. He's a confirmed Death Eater from the first war. I'm going to execute him anyway; he knows where Riddle is, though."

"If we force him back, Harry, it might finish his spinal cord, too. It's very painful to be forced back; if he even tenses his muscles the wrong way he'll finish what Hedwig started."

Harry had been absently rubbing Hedwig the whole time and she had been rubbing her head on his check. He nodded at Sirius.

"So I strip his mind now."

"I would only do that as a last resort, Harry. We don't know what the effects could be-plus he's mostly rat when he's in this form. He spent twelve years continuously changed; it's a wonder he can change back to human at all."

Harry sat thinking after this last statement by Remus. His train of thought was interrupted when a truly gigantic screech owl flew in what was obviously an owl port in the top of the courtyard side of the dining room wall, flared it wings, and landed on the back of Nym's chair. Nym turned and looked at the owl and then took the letter from its leg.

Hedwig had moved to Harry's shoulder and stood completely puffed up, looking at the screech owl with her best intimidating glare.

Madam Potter
Potter Castle
Somewhere in the United Kingdom

Madam Potter

My daughter Gabrielle is found by your mate, Messer. Harry James Potter, I believe. She is currently unconscious and in need of his presence at Beauxbatons School of Magic's Infirmary. She is also Veela.

I would not ask, but he may be the only one capable of saving her.

I await your response.

Lorelei Delacour

Nym sighed; she handed the missive to Harry and waited for the explosion. She could already hear it: "She's nine years old! No, I won't do it."

Harry read the letter and put his head in his hands. His emotions and thoughts were a whirling maelstrom. First Hedwig brought Pettigrew, and now this.

Nym waited.

Harry's shoulders started to shake and Andrew asked, "All right there, Harry?"

Harry raised his head, handed Andrew the letter, and burst out laughing.

Nym pouted.

"Do I really sound like that, Nym?"

She blushed furiously.

Eugenie snapped "Yes, you big baby. Sometimes you just need to grow up."

Harry looked at Eugenie and the irony overcame him. He rolled on the floor, roaring with laughter.

Eugenie pouted along with Nym.

This made the laughter worse. Finally Harry looked up. "Well, we won't get much done today, I guess. Marcia, please move that rat to a secure cell. Make sure it's Animagus-rat-escape-proof. Nym, let's go visit Gabrielle. Minerva, can you bring Hagrid to look at the rat? He's the best person with animals I know. If any one knows a top-flight veterinary surgeon, could you please try to get them here for a second opinion? We'll meet back here at 6:30 for dinner, if that's all right with everyone?"

Everyone nodded and Harry stood. He, Nym, Sarah, and the Primaries faded away.

"Things happen fast around him, don't they?"

Jacquelyn looked at Arianne. "You don't say; really?"

Harry's laughter could be felt through the bond. Chuckles were heard all around, along with three cries of, "Mother!"

Arianne's pouting got her a hug from Jacquelyn. "Never you mind, dear. You'll catch up soon enough."

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Harry appeared in the Infirmary of Beauxbatons with Nym.

"Harry, how do you know where you're going when you go that fast?"

"I just followed the...err...pull that Gabrielle is putting off, Nym."

"Arretez la où vous êtes."

"It's me, Madam Maxine, Harry Potter."

"Parlez vous français, Harry? Quand est-ceci arrivé ?"

"Errh, no? I was just guessing, kind of."

"Oh Harry, good guesses though. And this is?"

"Nymphadora, my Primary Alpha, ma'am."

"Primary Alpha, Harry? How many do you have?"

"Two, ma'am."

"Mon dieu! And bonded, Harry?"

"I do not believe that is in your purview, Madam," said the stately platinum blond who was moving to Gabrielle's bed.

"Lorelei, I was merely-"

"Curious, yes, I know. I think that if my daughter's mate wants you to know, he will tell you, Madam."

"Well, that's interesting."

"Yeah, but what's that about?"

"The Veela are heavily persecuted and pursued, Harry. They maintain their colonies in the very strictest secrecy. Their society is matriarchal, we think; they are so secretive that we don't even know that for sure."

Lorelei, who knew exactly what was going on, waited patiently.

"Ma'am, you called me Gabrielle's mate?"

"Yes. She presented as a Veela for the first time and attacked three other girls who were making disparaging remarks about you. I believe Nymphadora should touch her. If she is found by you, she will respond. The depth of her response will determine...errrh...."

"We know," Nym said as she stepped up and lay her hand on Gabrielle's forehead.

Gabrielle's eyes immediately opened and she sat up.

Nym immediately took her in her arms. "Shhh, Gabrielle, it's fine."

Gabrielle snuggled into a smiling Nym's chest and left her with a bemused look on her face.

Lorelei smiled. "We are prepared to leave, Harry. I will accompany Gabrielle to assist you all."

Harry nodded tightly. "Madam Maxine, a pleasure as always."

As Harry raised his arms, Madam Maxine nodded and Harry, Nym, Gabrielle, and Lorelei faded from view.

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Surrey
Little Whinging
4 Privet Drive

Two more police cars, sirens blaring, descended on Privet Drive and screeched to a halt in front of the house, disgorging four police officers each who charged toward the sound of bellowing.

Crashing through the front door they found the male officer who had been sent to detain the Dursleys fighting off two males while his female partner was subduing a female. With some quick baton work, both males went down; the female officer had apparently had enough, and a good right cross stopped the screeching.

"PC Ironmonger, report."

The female PC, senior on scene, said, "Sergeant, we arrived and knocked at the door. It was answered by this individual who identified himself as Vernon Dursley. We asked to see Dudley and Petunia Dursley. This male came down the stairs and was identified as Dudley. This female came into the hall from the lounge and was identified as Petunia. We informed them they were to be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure, and the individual identified as Vernon went berserk. He began yelling about freaks and calling us names. PC Miller called for backup, and the younger one identified as Dudley attacked him and attempted to escape."

"At this point the female subject hit me with a teapot and began screaming at me to leave her 'Dudders' alone. I was engaged in subduing her when you arrived."

A car and van pulled up outside and a gang of plainclothes people emerged from the vehicles.

The Sergeant looked at them and then at the van. "Heads up, it's the Yard."

Inspector Giles Crampton approached the house. "Under control there, Sergeant?"

"Sir, yes sir. We were just about to transport these prisoners."

"We'll have a high-security transport team here soon, Sergeant. They're for Lewes, to await Her Majesty's pleasure, I'm afraid."

Sergeant Jones blinked. "All for their son being a delinquent, sir?"

"I don't really know; orders from on high. What did you mean about the boy being a delinquent?"

"Rumors, sir. We've never been able to catch him, but there's a gang that operates in the area and we're investigating. It was pointing this way. A couple of other boys were implicated also."

"I see. Well, we're going to process this house. You and your men have been tasked with this investigation also, so if you could begin a canvass of the neighborhood it would be appreciated."

"Sir."

As the Sergeant trundled off, Giles couldn't help but wonder what they were going to uncover here. Why had they, the specials, suddenly descended on some middle-class family in a middle-class town in middle-class Surrey? Oh well; his was not to reason why, at least not yet.

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Potter Castle

Harry had faded from view with Nym when a coal-black owl appeared, flew to Amelia Fastida, and flared its wings, landing gracefully on her chair back. It got the intimidating glare from Hedwig too.

Amelia Fastida chuckled. "So forceful, Hedwig?"

"Mine. Ours."

"Is her vocabulary so limited?"

"No, Hermione, I think it's our frame of reference. When I'm a cat I can easily communicate with other cats but usually without words. It's more body language and accepted behaviors."

"So that's why you rake Harry after you two finish and he tries to cuddle, Minerva?"

"Errrh, yes. I really can't help it in that form."

Minerva blushed furiously.

"So if we were owls we would understand better?"

"Well, yes. At least I believe so, Hermione."

While this conversation was going on, Amelia Fastida had removed the note from her owl Wenceslas's leg.

Mistress

I have found the lair of the young ones.
I am prepared for punishment.

Antonitus

"Well, that's no fun."

"What, Mother?"

Amelia handed the note to Zsuzsa, who read it and smiled. "That one is sly. He pulled your teeth by waiting for his punishment and anticipating your needs."

"Phht."

"Oh, very elegant, Mother. Phht?"

Elizabeth, who had been handed the note as it made its rounds, smiled. "It may not be very elegant but it's very accurate. It is extremely vexing when retainers play games."

Several courtiers swallowed nervously.

"Bah! Antonitus is an oily pain in the-"

"Mother!"

"I should just kill him and have done, but he's such a useful oily pain in th-"

"MOTHER!"

Amelia was spared Zsuzsa'a wrath when Harry, Nym, Gabriel, and Lorelei faded into view.

Amelia Fastida suddenly went full vampire and Zsuzsa jumped out of her seat into a defensive crouch. Lauren, Susan, Shelia, Rose, and Peter joined them in their defensive postures, all of them oriented on Gabrielle and Lorelei.

"Errrh, honey I'm home?"

"Harry, protect Nym. We'll handle the Veela."

"It's okay, Amelia. They're friends."

The werewolves, Amelia, and Zsuzsa didn't move. "They've got Harry. Kill them."

Harry blinked and froze the bonded, Lauren's Betas, and Peter with a wave. "Okay, what's going on here?"

"Veela are mistrusted by both vampires and werewolves, Harry. They're also one of the very few natural enemies of both."

"Mistrusted? You kill strangers over mistrust? I think, my lord, you are shading the truth. Okay, so why aren't you flipping out, Remus?"

"I know the Delacours, Harry. Believe me, the first time I met Fleur it wasn't so easy."

Harry turned back to his bonded, Lauren's Betas, and Peter. "Okay, I'm going to unfreeze you. As you can see, neither Gabrielle nor Lorelei intend to harm us, so let's all try to be civil."

He unfroze them, and with hard looks at the Delacours, which did not faze either Veela in the slightest, they all retook their seats.

Harry sighed and said, "If no one else has anything earth-shattering for today, let's move to the sitting room and discuss this latest development with the Delacours."

"Harry, Antonitus has found the young ones' lair. I would like to go and fix that problem this evening."

"Can you get us some more information, Amelia? I'd like to set it up for the Regiment's first mission. Coordinate with Hestia and Hermione and we'll mission-brief at five, followed by an attack to seize at sundown."

Amelia, still eyeing Lorelei and Gabrielle, nodded. "Yes, Master."

Lorelei blinked. Amelia scribbled a note and attached it to Wenceslas. He immediately sprang into the air, leaving the same way he had come.

Gabrielle looked at her owl Hugh and he flew to her shoulder.

Harry looked at Hedwig. "Hey, girl, can you show-"

"Hugh, Harry."

Harry smiled at Gabrielle. "-Hugh the Owlery?"

"Yes, Harry."

"She's getting better."

"Which is very strange, Hermione."

"She's bonded to him. The magic is working on her, too."

"Really, Luna?"

Suddenly the bond was a mass of theorizing. Harry shook his head and led Nym to the sitting room. Everyone followed. As they walked he asked, "Amelia, what did you say to Antonitus?"

"I told him to be here in an hour with all the details or I would kill him, Master."

"Amelia, I don't think he can get through the wards. I'm not sure how the owls did it."

"I know, Nym-I'll ask Geoffrey to send an elf for him in forty-five minutes. I just want to torture him a little; these young are his fault, after all. And before you object, Harry, you may kill him if what I suspect has happened has in fact happened. Cleaning this mess up will be ghastly; we'll probably have to kill most of them to establish dominance, if they haven't been properly raised."

Peter was nodding his head. "It will be the same with the werewolves Grayback is creating, Harry. WE'll have to dominate them or kill them. The fight for dominance will probably kill some of them."

Harry nodded; after all, he had access to Amelia and Lauren's minds now, so he knew what was coming. "Yes, but we'll keep the carnage limited. We will imprison them here if we can't dominate them without killing them. We'll await the cure and when it's available, we will offer it to them. Those who don't accept it will be executed. So in our dominance struggles, if you feel you have to kill them, try to knock them out first. If you want, I'll fight them."

By now they had reached the sitting room and everyone was listening.

"It would be better if they were beaten by whoever will be their Alpha, Harry. If not, it will be trouble later."

Amelia Fastida nodded. "But of course you will force the females into submission, Harry."

He winced.

Harry, having seated Nym, walked over and touched Lauren. He concentrated on how her wolf felt and changed.

Everyone except Peter scrambled away from the nine-foot wolf with blazing red eyes that appeared before them; Peter rolled on the floor, laughing. Harry looked around, puzzled, and then popped back to his natural form.

"What's so funny, Peter?"

Lauren caught the scent and started laughing too. Harry had been facing away from her.

"Mental-they've all gone mental."

Quite a few people had to agree with Ron as the bonded, catching Lauren's thoughts, laughed with her and Peter. Harry blushed furiously, walked to Peter, touched him, entered his mind, and changed again.

The laughing stopped but no one was scrambling away from the enormous, muscular wolf in front of them.

"Good God, he's enormous."

Sarah fortunately got her hand over Eugenie's mouth before the dreamy little, "Yes, he is," could pop out in response to Phillip's comment.

She leaned down and whispered furiously in her very precocious younger daughter's ear, "Eugenie, are you trying to kill your father? If not, let's not make those comments for another five years or so, all right?"

Eugenie cut her eyes to her dad and nodded furiously, with Sarah's hand still firmly over her mouth.

Harry the werewolf prowled over to Lauren and laid on the floor, placing his head in her lap. The huge head covered her whole lap.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," intoned a furiously blushing Shelia, who was suddenly sopping wet.

Harry sniffed and thought a mild cleaning charm at her; at her blushing, shuddering reaction he leapt into the air, making all kinds of growling and whining noises. Lauren laughed.

"Wolves don't talk like that, Harry."

Harry, ecstatic, hardly noticed and raced around the huge sitting room. Suddenly, instead of the large wolf there was a large orange tomcat who leapt into the air and faded away.

Nym, startled, checked the bond and then went to the illusioned wall. There, out in the Hollow, was Harry, racing around appearing and disappearing, changing randomly between wizard, wolf, and cat.

The blushing bonded, having figured out why he was so excited, smiled and laughed.

"I don't see how you can be laughing, Nym. He's obviously gone mad. We're going to have to put him down if he keeps on."

"It's fine, Phillip. He just discovered that not only can he assume almost any form but he can cast magic while he is the animal."

Phillip knew the answer, but for the audience he played the straight man. "And that's rare?"

"Completely unique-both things, actually."

"Harryistic even."

Amelia sighed and looked at her niece. "All right, Harryistic."

Susan smiled in triumph.

"Oy, Ginny, why were you all laughing?"

"Errrh, Harry's change was a little off the first time." Ginny saw no need to tell Ron Harry had turned into a female wolf.

Harry suddenly appeared and grabbed Amelia Fastida. He sank his gaze into her eyes and shifted into a vampire-not just any vampire but the Obviously Dominant Vampire on the planet. Amelia literally swooned and the rest of the women in the room were beginning to join her. Both Veela had fully changed when Harry changed back.

"Lilith, Harry, don't do that again until I teach you to control the compulsion!"

"Why, Amelia?"

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "The compulsion is sex-based, Harry, so unless you want me out of this dress you should listen to Amelia Fastida."

"Ma'am, I would never-"

"I know, dear, that's why you have to listen to Amelia."

Lorelei nodded. "I'll help you too, Harry. That was much like the Veela compulsion but-errr-more so, I guess."

A surprisingly clear-eyed Neville said, "It's undifferentiated; it affects males and females."

The women and Harry looked around the room at the blushing males, Mundane and wizard alike; they were nodding. Harry groaned.

The room broke up at his expense.

"Back on point, and as impressive as that is, we should save it in case the normal ways don't work, Harry. I'll hunt down Fenrir Greyback next full moon and kill him. That will re-establish my dominance over his pack, and you and Amelia can establish dominance over these young vampires tonight."

Harry nodded. He sat contemplating things with Elizabeth watching him closely. Finally she couldn't stand it. "Oh, what is it, Harry?"

"Things have just gone so well, ma'am. I'm wondering when the other shoe will drop. Usually my luck is all bad."

"I'm hopeful that the Dursleys and your first four years in the magical world fulfilled your quota of bad, Harry. Speaking of which...."

Baron Newton immediately said, "In custody, ma'am. Apparently they attacked the constables sent to detain them and reinforcements had to be called. No injuries to the constables, but the Dursleys were unconscious and transported to the prison infirmary at Lewes."

"Complainants are already coming forward about the boy, Dudley-apparently quite the little gangster."

Elizabeth nodded. "Send my compliments to the Little Whinging Constabulary."

Baron Newton pulled out his cell.

Amelia Fastida sighed and Geoffrey appeared with Antonitus and several rolls of paper.

"Thank you, Geoffrey."

"I live to serve, Mistress."

Antonitus looked around and was stunned by the collection around him-Mundane, magical, werewolves, Veela, and in the center of it this painfully powerful young man who smelled like wolf and vampire.

He bowed like a puppet with its strings cut and stayed that way.

"Oh, get up, you oily git. My Master neither appreciates or needs your overly obsequious pandering for attention," Amelia said, sinking to her knees at the freshly seated Harry's feet with Bellatrix and Allison. Beatrice and Eugenie immediately folded into their favorite positions, Eugenie on Bellatrix's lap, Beatrice between Allison and Amelia Fastida.

Surprising everyone, Gabrielle strode over and folded to her knees beside Amelia Fastida; continuing the surprise, Amelia Fastida put her arm over the girl's shoulders and pulled her tight to her side.

Antonitus tensed while Amelia and Gabrielle relaxed into each other. Gabrielle lay her head on Amelia's shoulder and smiled brightly.

Lorelei laughed. "So it is true, love does conquer all!"

This brought a general round of laughter.

"Antonitus, don't stand there laughing like a hyena; tell us about these young ones."

Harry scowled and leaned down to Amelia. He growled in her ear and whispered, "Play nice, my Amelia, we need him for now." He bit her, not gently, behind her ear. Amelia shuddered and Gabrielle giggled.

Antonitus's excellent vampire hearing picked this up and he started. He could smell the Dominant Vampire rolling off the boy; he could see his end in this boy, and Amelia was about as much slave as he expected. He didn't know what kind of game she was playing, but he was fairly certain it would be deadly for him if he made a single mistake.

"Master, Mistress, the young are all in a large manor house called Berry Pomeroy Castle near Plymouth. There are fifty-four of them ranging from just turned to two years old. Their sire has not trained them for anything beyond killing and sex. They range in age from fourteen to thirty-two; as you would expect from an underage male, sire, they are all female."

Harry was radiating hatred unlike any of them had ever felt. "The sire-name the sire."

Elizabeth winced. "Unless he's dead, it would be the former Baron Seymour, John Michael Edward Seymour, nineteenth Duke of Somerset. His son was born in 1983 and now carries the title of Baron Seymour. At least I hope he hasn't been turned at eleven, as he would have to have been to turn the oldest of these."

"But he said under-age."

"He means under-age for a vampire, Mum. A vampire sire should normally not be less than two hundred years old."

Molly nodded to Ginny. "Thank you, dear."

Antonitus opened his mouth to speak to Amelia sharply about revealing secrets and clapped it shut again with an audible snap. He had looked into Nym's eyes and seen his imminent death.

Zsuzsa laughed. "See? He can learn, Mother. Nym trained him with a single glance to not make inane comments."

"Death glare, more like."

"Su!" Daphne exclaimed, smiling. The bond was coming fully on, trying to keep Harry from exploding and killing Antonitus out of hand.

"Oops, did I say that out loud?"

Nym looked at Su and growled, but she was laughing in the bond. "Thank you, Su. Do you save up your little tension-breakers, or what?"

Su grinned at her impishly.

"Antonitus, coordinate with Hestia." Hestia rose. "And Hermione." Hermione rose also.

Antonitus never hesitated. "Sir." He turned and followed Hestia and Hermione over to a table. The other principal staff gathered with them.

"See, Mother?"

Harry smiled. "Hush, Zsuzsa."

"Your Grace?"

"Yes, Madame Delacour?"

"Lorelei, please, Harry. We originally intended to discuss the animosity that exists between Veela, vampires and werewolves when we came here."

"Yes, Madame Delacour."

Lorelei nodded. "Amelia Fastida, Peter, please correct me if I get this wrong. There are no or very few male Veela through the history of the race. Veela generally take human males as mates. The Veela are very secretive and over the years built large cities. Then the virus came. The male vampires coveted Veela for their-errrh-interesting abilities to endure, but could not provide the Veela with children. The Veela elders took the decision to disallow Veela/vampire pairings. This was not met by significant resistance, because frankly a Veela could have a vampire and then leave him and pick up the father of her children. The vampires, unfortunately, are almost driven to establish dominance."

Amelia shook her head. "Not almost-they are driven to find their place in the pecking order and dominate all that cannot defeat them."

"Yes, well, the vampires did not want to release the Veela. The council took exception. The vampires had enslaved the werewolves, and there was a war. Thousands died on both sides. It turns out that in combat, Veela, vampire and werewolves are mostly equal. Their abilities either cancel each other out or negate the advantages of the other. Also, oddly, Veela can not be turned to either vampire or werewolf."

"Oooh, I'm going to need a blood sample from you, Amelia, Gabriel, and Lauren."

"Oooh, yes, Marcia, it could work," Chu enthused.

Harry, even though he was in the bond, couldn't quite get where they were going. The mates involved, though, had risen to their feet and headed off to the potions lab.

Geoffrey popped in with Hagrid.

"Harry, where you been, then?"

Harry smiled. "Right here, Hagrid. It's a long story."

"Well, when you have time then. I looked at the rat, Harry. It doesn't look good. I could maybe fix a real rat, but if you ever want him to be a human again I'm afraid it's beyond me. There was a mediwitch and a Muggle animal doctor down there looking at 'im, though; maybe there'll be summat they can do."

Harry nodded and he and Hagrid talked for a while. There were a lot of "wah's" and "'e never's" in the conversation.

Soon enough it was five, and time for the briefing.

Harry rose and called in the bond. The mates started toward the briefing theater as Harry escorted Sarah and the Queen to the theater.

Hestia wasted no time in starting the briefing.

"Your Grace, tonight at 1800 hours the scouts, under the command of Krista, will transport in teams of three to the vicinity of Berry Pomeroy Castle. They will establish runestone-driven anti-Apparation and anti-Portkey wards and take up observation positions on all road junctions leading to the Castle.

"Once the scouts have developed the situation and on your order, A Company, led by Janet, will transport into blocking positions identified by the scouts.

"B Company, led by Krystal, will then, on your order, transport into this courtyard and assault the house, driving or transporting all inhabitants to this hall, which Ginny the G4 with her support company will have cleared of all furniture.

"Cho and the air troop will be disillusioned and flying combat air patrol. Once the occupants of the house are driven or transported to the hall, you, Amelia Fastida, and Zsuzsa will do whatever it is that needs to be done to subdue and/or establish dominance over the vampires and all other occupants of the house.

"Nym will retain combat command while you are engaged in dominating the vampires.

"The G4 will provide food and water to the companies and they will distribute it, maintaining not less than seventy-five percent of their available troops in a ready for action status.

"Medical support will be attached to Regimental HQ with Marcia and Anna on site, Marie traveling with B Company, and Madam Pomfrey here at the Castle acting as backup.

"Here is a list of the personnel assignments. Subject to your questions, we should begin getting people in their assigned organizations, and those organizations conducting their map reconnaissance and talk/walk through rehearsals."

Harry nodded and the bonded, all one hundred eleven of them, broke up into their elements. The designated leaders began their map recce and they refined the plan. Harry and Nym sat apparently in a trance but really monitoring the bond and ensuring that the plan was integrated.

Phillip, Andrew, Dan, and Tim went from group to group checking the old-fashioned way.

"Amelia, how exactly are we going to establish dominance over these vampires?"

"I will kill the sire and you will sexually dominate the females. You can use your vampire form if you want to, but it's not necessary. Once they submit we'll bring them here and train them properly."

"Why isn't his vampire form necessary, Amelia?"

"Since he changed the first time I can feel it in him, Nym, can't you?"

"I just thought I was horny."

Nym blushed furiously after this admission and the bond stopped and laughed ruefully; they had all felt it too.

"Imagine how it is for me, Nym. The dominant vampire and werewolf are driving me insane. In fact, I may have to beg off the mission. I'm not certain how much attention I'll be able to pay until after the full moon."

"Oh, Lauren, I'm sorry. Errrh-we can go...."

"Thank you, sweetie, but it won't help. My wolf needs a topping and she won't come out until the eighth. Which reminds me, how many werewolf mates do you want, Harry?"

"Lauren, you broke him. Harry, what Lauren is telling you is that when you run with her on the eighth you'll end up topping her as well as all the females subordinate to her. She has a hundred and eight subordinate females. If you don't want to cover them all, then you and the werewolves she selects will need to run here in the Hollow.

"It didn't work that time, Mother-now he's broken worse."

"Not really, Hannah. I just can't get over how it always comes back to sex. First the witches' secret and then the vampires, now the werewolves. I'm probably going to end up breeding some Veela, and unfortunately for Suzanne, centaurs, Merpeople, and unicorns too."

"Oh, it doesn't bother me, Harry. You change forms and cover them, it's natural. It's the thought of you covering them in your human form that bothers me."

"Ouch, Suzanne, that hurt my head!"

"It's Leviticus, Daphne; there are very clear prohibitions against bestiality."

"But he's human."

"Not if he's an animal. I watched Harry the cat cover Minerva the cat. They both acted just like cats and from what we've been learning in Transfiguration, when you change you change completely. The magic part of it seems to be twofold: first the change and then the ability to keep your human intellect."

"You know, I think I'm going to collect some blood samples when he's changed. We have a DNA lab at school and they're doing brilliant work. All mammals are substantially the same in their DNA, so I bet with a base sample and a sample from each animal form we could identify the genes that are changed."

"That's wonderful, but we're off-topic and we need the time for other things, like mission prep. So again, why sex?"

"It's all the same secret, or evolutionary imperative if you will. Harry, you're the most powerful thing of any form you choose. Your magic wants to procreate and the females' magic does too. Females naturally seek out the most powerful male they are compatible with to breed. Sentients just try to control it more. Really, I think we should have you cover everything female once and be done with it."

"Luna, I'm more than a set of sexual organs," Harry protested. "I do want a life."

"Yes, too bad, that."

"Luna!"

"I'm joking, Harry. I know, and we want you to have a life; but still, sex in many forms is going to be a large part of it. Learn to fully enjoy it-stop being so guilty. If she doesn't want you, whoever or whatever she is, we'll know it and we'll tell you."

The bond settled and went back to work.

Emma looked at the Mona Lisa smile on Elizabeth. "What just happened, ma'am?"

"They just came to a full resolution on the sex thing, Emma."

"Finally! That's a relief then."

"Lady Granger!"

"What, Gillian? He's being driven by millions of years of evolution. No single one of them by herself can satisfy him. Meanwhile what they're really after, driven by evolution also, is viable offspring from the most powerful male they can find. He, as the most powerful male thing anywhere near them, will immediately draw them. He loves them with all his heart. If they've worked it out where it doesn't eat at him and they're satisfied, who are we to judge?"

"That French girl is what-nine?"

Lorelei jumped in. "Pardon, Madam, but Gabrielle is Veela, not human. She should have hit her maturity and begun searching for her mate a year ago. She is now mature and will mate with her chosen life-mate. How many of us had that privilege? How many of us had to fumble through the awkwardness, pain, and embarrassment of discovery learning? I am very pleased for my daughter, as is her father. We wish her older sister Fleur could have been so lucky. It has been very painful for Fleur."

Gillian subsided.

Preparations were completed, and at 18:00 Hestia nodded to Krista, and she and her scouts deployed.

Harry dropped into the bond with Nym and the Primary staff, which with fourteen mates was functioning as the reserve, and watched the developing situation.

Krista was very efficient and the bond was the best communication tool ever. The scouts were set by 18:12. The wards went up at 18:15.

At 18:45 Harry, having seen nothing from the scouts, moved up the timetable and ordered Janet with A Company and Cho with the air troop to deploy.

Geoffrey popped Madam Pomfrey in and Hestia briefed her. Madam Pomfrey immediately gathered the mothers, Lorelei and Gabrielle, and the vassal bonded and set up a triage and treatment facility with Geoffrey and the elves' help. The female courtiers joined them.

By 18:55 the air troop and A Company were set and Harry deployed Krystal and B Company.

B Company, using the drawings of the house and the intelligence that the scouts had gathered, immediately transported first to the courtyard and then to the top floor of the house.

Janet tightened the cordon and Krystal began clearing the house. Ginny and the support company, ten bonded and twenty elves, popped into the hall; as the bonded stood guard the elves stripped the room to its walls and floor and moved the furnishings to secure storage at Potter Castle for evaluation. The elves then popped to the top floor of the house and began stripping the areas B Company had cleared.

Harry, Amelia, and Zsuzsa faded into the hall. Harry handed battle control off to Nym and put up his shields as Amelia Fastida and Zsuzsa did. He faded them into the hall.

Nym moved the headquarters and reserve to the reverse slope of a hill the scouts had identified, and Ginny's group minus the elves moved there and set up for supply operations and casualty evacuation.

Krystal's group had started encountering rooms full of terrified girls and transporting them to the hall. Amelia and Harry examined them and found that they were Mundane and some magical young women who had been bitten but not turned yet.

Geoffrey popped in with ten more elves and began evacuation operations. The girls were first evacuated to Marcia's group (Marcia, Anna, and Hannah; Marie was with B Company acting as a medic), then on to Potter Castle.

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Potter Castle

Sarah informed Poppy that non-regimental casualties were incoming and Alastor, Sirius, Remus, and all the other male vassal wizards moved to cover the medical area.

Sarah continued her running commentary.

The Queen, Phillip, Andrew, Dan, and Tim were following the operation on the maps Beatrice was creating and Eugenie was updating. They were all impressed with the near real-time battle tracking.

Baron Newton visited the medical area and returned. "Ma'am, many of these women and girls are Mundane. We might want to get the special section of the Yard involved to investigate."

Sarah said, "Dobby?"

Pop!

"Mistress?"

"Please bring the Chief of the Special Section of Scotland Yard to her Majesty."

Pop!

Pop!

Jeremy Hamlish landed and took up a defensive position until he identified the Royals and Baron Newton.

He straightened and bowed. "Your Majesty."

"Chief Inspector Hamlish, we have an issue. Baron Newton will fill you in and Dobby will assist you with whatever you need."

"Ma'am."

Baron Newton smiled and shook Jeremy by the hand. He led him to the medical area.

"I told you the camouflage fatigues would look good on the elves, Eugenie."

"I still think they look like 'jamas, Beatrice."

"Girls, pay attention, please."

Sarah was greeted with a chorus of, "Yes, Mum," and the girls went back to work. They had been disappointed Harry would not allow them to go with their mates in a company, but he had asked them personally to do this job and now they saw it was actually important. Harry needed the extra eyes on the situation.

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Berry Pomeroy Castle

Krystal's group finished the upstairs without encountering the vampires and moved to the first sub-level.

"How cliché-coffins."

"Concentrate, Sally. Okay, teams of two-one overwatch while the other opens, Stuns, and transports."

Krystal received a chorus of, "Yes, ma'am," from B Company and they began their work. The first vampire appeared in the hall, a young, nice-looking black girl of indeterminate age. Harry walked to her and put his hand on her. He cast an Ennervate and her eyes snapped open.

The girl immediately responded to Harry. He had taken all his suppression off and his newfound compulsion was now semi-focused on the girl.

Seconds after her eyes opened she ripped Harry's clothes out of her way and took him into her mouth.

"Harry, don't waste time. Zsuzsa, strip them as they appear. Harry, take them and wake them at the same time; bring them to orgasm. After that they're ours."

Harry struggled with the one he was with; getting her out of the flimsy nightclothes was more difficult than it appeared.

Zsuzsa, laughing, Vanished the girl's clothes. "Now shag her, Harry."

Harry released the Dominant Vampire and took the semi-conscious vampire. She came, squealing, moments later.

He let her go and the girl lay smiling goofily.

"Damn, Harry, rein it in a little. We need them to have some sense after you're through with them. Besides, if you keep on we're going to stop finding them and jump you ourselves."

"Sorry, Nym, I'll do better on the next one. I just never did this before."

"And you did fine, baby, just don't shag them quite so senseless."

"Okay."

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Potter Castle

A blushing Sarah relayed the latest developments over her daughters' snickers. The Queen smiled and shook her head.

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Harry, Amelia Fastida, and Zsuzsa soon had an assembly-line arrangement going. When a female arrived Amelia would check her; if vampire, she passed her to Zsuzsa, who stripped her, and after the experience with the second one, used a lubrication spell on her that she got from Cynthia, of all people (there was going to be a long talk about that, and Horn the Fudgepacker was going to be tortured more than a little; the mates were vicious) and had her ready for Harry.

Amelia Fastida gave Harry some quick instruction on focusing his compulsion and Harry took each vampire to her completion in mere moments.

If the girl was not turned she would be passed to Geoffrey for evacuation.

Krystal's Company cleared all the lower levels and at last found John Michael Edward Seymour asleep in an ornate coffin. They Stunned him.

The scouts reoriented their positions, observing out from the house. Janet and A Company reoriented in a defensive posture around the house, and Cho and the air troop started flying an ever wider pattern around the house oriented outward.

Nym moved the headquarters and log section into the house. They waited until Harry finished the last of the vampire girls and then Amelia Fastida and Zsuzsa. Harry wasn't sure if the latter two were part of the dominance thing or just satisfying his mates who had just watched a live sex show.

"Dominance thing, Harry. Now you need to leave Zsuzsa and me alone with the vampire girls. We have a little female dominance to establish."

Harry saw images of a physical fight and nodded and withdrew after finding his robes and applying a few cleaning charms. Before he left he gave first Zsuzsa and then Amelia Fastida a fiery kiss and thought "mine" at them very hard. He did not direct it, and the thought blasted into the other vampires present. After that the physical confrontations were pro-forma at best, not even leaving red marks on Zsuzsa, Amelia Fastida, or the girls. As he walked out he Stunned John Michael Edward Seymour again, spit on him, and kicked him in the head.

"Little over the top there, don't you think, Harry?"

"Wait till I skin him alive in a few minutes, Nym; that piece of crap is going to die long, slow, and painful."

"Errrh...I think Amelia Fastida wants him alive, Harry, to kill herself."

"Hmmph."

Nym smiled and hugged Harry, kissing him before she let go.

"Harry, Tim says that the upsurge in ground traffic spot reports from Cho might be significant. Unless they turn off, they're pointed at your area of operations."

"Thank you, Sarah. You and the girls are doing a great job-that map really helps."

"You can see it?"

"Just like you, Beatrice, and Eugenie can."

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Potter Castle

Suddenly the importance of their mundane task was confirmed and now, knowing that Harry was using their eyes, the three bonded refused to look at anything else but the situation maps.

Baron Newton came in with Jeremy Hamlish. "Ma'am, interviews with the girls indicate that vampires, wizards, and Mundane would show up usually starting at about ten p.m. and feed off them or use them sexually, or both."

Elizabeth actually growled. "Sarah, His Grace is to capture, interrogate, and judge as many as possible and kill anyone he cannot capture. This ends tonight."

"Ma'am."

"We have it, Sarah. Regiment, objective secure; stand by for follow-on mission. We will hold this objective and capture, question, and judge all who show up. Those who cannot be captured are to be killed. No limits on spells, ladies, but use what you're most comfortable with. Let's not try anything new tonight."

"Nym and Hestia, reorient your forces accordingly. Ginny, we'll need interrogation stations set up in the hall and your section will conduct the interrogations. Amelia Fastida and Zsuzsa, once you have control of the vampires, evacuate them to Potter Castle."

"Harry, the vampires are fully under your control, and mine through you. We'll integrate them, all except for Shelly, into A Company's line."

"What's wrong with Shelly, Amelia?"

"She's a little...errrh...."

"She's still goofy from you shagging her silly, Harry."

"Zsuzsa!"

"We're sending her back to help Sarah. No worries-you bonded them all, you devil."

"Errrh-how? I didn't come in them."

"And it's not a full bond, either, but they'll recognize and yield to one of your Alphas, Primaries, or fully bonded."

The bond settled again after chuckling at their amazing and amazed mate. Harry and Nym dropped into the trance-like state, taking in all the information from the bonded.

The Disillusioned pairs of air troops were all following clusters of vehicles, and the vampire girls were explaining how things normally went.

Normally the vampires and Mundanes showed up and the vampire girls met them and escorted them inside. The guests would then take their pick of the girls in the front hall and take them to rooms upstairs.

So it was decided that they would let the vehicles in and vampire girls would meet them as normal and escort them inside. The vampires and Mundanes would make their selections of the vampire girls and be led off to their own rooms. Each room would be manned by a squad of B Company and the visitors would be Stunned and then transported to the hall. Some of the older human girls who had been transported to Potter Castle volunteered to come back to satisfy those who didn't want vampire girls.

Harry thanked each of them personally; his mates were placing bets on when he would bond each of them after he touched them.

"These girls have been abused."

"And they'll heal, and then they'll want you."

"How can you be so sure, Bella? Oh-sorry, never mind."

"I love you, Master. You're so cute."

Harry was grumbling and the mates were laughing at Harry's naiveté with Bella.

"Stop grumbling, big bad Alpha. Here comes the first car."

"Yes Susan."

The bond was suddenly humming with attention. Moments later the four vampires in the car were Stunned and in the floor of the hall; the car was shrunken, lightened, and on the sideboard.

Ginny started her interrogators working. With Amelia Fastida and Harry in full-on Dominant mode the prisoners dared not even move aggressively. Antonitus was brought in to confirm identities, and after interrogation he either dominated them or killed them. Depending on their crimes, Harry killed them if Antonitus and Amelia didn't. Three of eighty-six would survive the night, all female and all forced by their mates to attend.

Harry dominated each of these slowly in front of their previous mates, bonding them all. Then Amelia killed their mates.

The thirty-nine Mundane who showed up were all pedophiles; all were burned to death slowly.

Six wizard pedophiles who appeared received the same treatment, regardless of their Dark Marks. All but two were marked.

Through it all Harry kept John Michael Edward Seymour stuck to a wall; when Amelia Fastida wasn't torturing him, Harry was.

After the last of the vampires, Antonitus had the enlightening experience of first experiencing Harry's displeasure and then Amelia's. He survived, barely.

Amelia got carried away toward morning and drained Seymour dry. Harry burned the corpse to ash.

An exhausted Harry cast the Praedia Bellica as the sun rose, and he and Nym were the last to fade back to Potter Castle.

As they faded out Nym cast four supercharged Bombardas with Galadriel in full staff form, leaving nothing but a smoking crater where the manor house had been.

The Bonded collapsed at the castle, as did the Royals, Tim, and Dan. The vassals and courtiers carried on sorting out the story and the rescued women.

Poppy was shocked at the condition Antonitus was in. He simply asked for some whole blood and a place out of the light to rest. After fretting for a moment, Poppy gave him what he asked for.

Harry was near magical exhaustion and, unless she missed her guess, heartsore over the abuse these women had gone through. She poured a calming draught into him and let him rest.

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Harry awoke and stretched. He gently disentangled himself from the pile of distaff flesh in which he was lying, placing gentle kisses on interesting parts. He dressed silently and quietly left the bedroom.

He really needed to get a watch. The sun was up but the Castle was obviously sleeping, as were all of its residents. A thought occurred and he cast, "Tempus." A set of golden numerals appeared-14:35. Harry grunted and continued wandering. He looked in on the girls from last night after finding them quite by accident.

Two strangers were there, obviously Healers of some sort. They curtsied to him. "May we help you, Your Grace?"

"Uh, who are you? Welcome to Potter Castle, by the way."

"I am Melissa Golden, a mediwitch, Your Grace, and this is Jennifer Carlisle, a Mundane surgeon."

Harry blinked. "Uh, Harry. Just call me Harry."

Melissa eyed him critically and ran her wand over him. "You should rest more, Harry. You're still not recovered from a near magical exhaustion."

"Errrh, should we be talking about this?"

Jennifer laughed. "Squib, Harry. I'm under contract to the Special Unit of the Yard. They're mostly Squibs, with a few full wizards and witches."

"Wow! That's a job I wouldn't mind."

Jennifer smiled. "Chief Inspector Hamlish will be overjoyed. He's been salivating over you."

Harry blinked and the women laughed.

"So how are our patients?"

Melissa and Jennifer led Harry to the first bed and did what amounted to presentation rounds on each of the one hundred seven females, fifty-six vampires, forty-four Mundane, and seven witches.

They were amazed as Harry touched each one and unconsciously poured energy into them along with his apologies and guilt for not finding out sooner, and his sorrow at what had happened to them.

They reported that all of the patients were going to be physically fine but that there were liable to be some lingering physiological problems associated with being raped multiple times.

Harry nodded sadly, thanked them, and continued his wandering.

"Melissa, was that light when he touched them what I think it was?"

Melissa, who was scanning the girls again, nodded. "Some kind of bonding, Jennifer."

"He is a power, isn't he?"

"Yes, he certainly is."

"So we ask the girl with the pink hair for a mating?"

"Jennifer!"

"What? Tell me you weren't going to ask. I at least want a bellyfull of that. I mean, really, he forced fifty-three vampires into submission, for God's sake. And oh, by the way, he keeps Amelia Fastida and Bellatrix Lestrange as slaves. I bet he's a god in bed."

Melissa, caught, blushed crimson.

Jennifer laughed. "They say that's good for the skin."

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Harry's wandering took him to the illusioned wall. He looked out and saw Hedwig orbiting the Hollow. Harry concentrated and was suddenly falling toward the ground.

Just before he hit the ground he finally got the flying thing under control and zoomed back up. Unfortunately he had never learned aerodynamics and almost immediately stalled. He caught himself again before the ground did and this time kept a gentler angle of attack.

He flapped his wings a few times and as his joy spread through him, he let the owl take over and learned to fly.

Hedwig joined him and Harry instinctively began an elaborate series of maneuvers.

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Nym snapped awake, as did the rest of the bonded, at the sensation of falling, and then smiled as Harry's pure joy spread to the bonded. She lay in bed smiling after she figured out what was going on.

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Harry and the slightly larger Hedwig flew and hunted; they agreed on their territory. Harry stooped on a small rabbit and brought it to Hedwig. She head-butted him and Harry groomed her as she preened.

In contravention of instinct and probably as a result of their longstanding bond, Harry covered her twice that afternoon.

Hedwig was very smug about it.

The bonded all chuckled throatily. They hadn't been aware that owls experienced orgasms. Communicating with Hedwig was also no longer a problem as she was fully in the bond.

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"I have to get those samples."

"Marcia, can we get the equipment here? I'm sure Ann could get it to work and I really want to work on this too."

A chorus of, "Me too," rang through the bond.

"It's horribly expensive, Chu"

"I wouldn't worry about that. Hell, Harry probably owns the company. Just let me know who makes it and we'll set up a lab."

"Really, Cissa?"

"Yes, and after last night's little party there's no telling what else we acquired."

"Yes, some of those vampires were very old and rich as Croesus."

"Really, Amelia?"

"Yes, Amelia."

"Ouch! That's confusing for the nonbonded, I bet."

Chuckles followed Tracey's sally.

An oddly stereophonic answer from the two Amelias, "Play nice, Tracey," broke up the bonded and giggling was heard everywhere.

Suddenly the door burst open and Eugenie, followed by Beatrice and chased by Sarah, flew into the room and ended up in the bed.

"Harry covered Hedwig, Nym!"

"Yes, Eugenie, we know-but you're not supposed to be peeking, young lady."

Nym crushed Eugenie in a hug and Eugenie giggled and snuggled into her.

"So where will we put the eggs?"

"Errrh-"

Anna smiled and saved her Alpha. "There may not be any, Eugenie; it's out of season for Hedwig's species. She would normally lay and start sitting in May. But if there are, we can build a nest box and take it with us."

"This is so weird. I want there to be eggs."

The mates all nodded at Mandy's statement.

Nym had tears in her eyes and they all felt her sorrow.

Anastasia hugged her and gave her a kiss on the neck. "It's okay, Nym. Soon. The potion is working out of your system and it will be soon."

"Yep, two weeks, four at the outside."

The bonded looked at the white-eyed Luna.

Nym smiled impossibly large. Emma sighed. "You broke Nym, Luna-and why don't you just leave your eyes like that.? You duel that way anyhow, and it looks good on you with that platinum-blond hair."

"Dratted things. I can't see the real world real well when I do that. I tried it and tripped over stuff all the time."

"Why, you cheating cow, that's how you always win-you know what we're going to do!"

"All's fair when dueling lovers, Megan."

"Arrgh! Now I can't even be mad at you."

"Nym, should we get up?"

Nym snuggled down in the bed. "Grrrr."

"Well budge over, then." Sarah lay down beside Nym and threw a leg over her lower abdomen while snuggling into her side.

The bonded sighed at the sight and feel of their Alphas in intimate contact. They all settled and sleep again overtook them.

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Harry and Hedwig, having finished their-errrh-whatever that was, faded into the bedroom and Harry smiled at his mates. Hedwig flew to the headboard and settled in to sleep. She gave Harry a one-eyed glare and he chuckled, held his hands up palm out at waist level, and retreated from the room.

"Harry, have you seen Sarah and the girls?"

Harry motioned toward the door and Andrew peeked in and smiled. "How long has that been going on?"

"A few minutes. I just got back from flying and found them there. Hedwig seemed to think I should leave, so...."

"Owl-pecked, Harry?"

"Live to fight another day, Andrew."

"Wiser words were never spoken, Harry. You should listen, Andrew."

"Dad, good-errrh-afternoon, I guess."

"Almost tea time, Andrew. Harry, if you're up to it we'd like to do an after-action review."

"Sure, Phillip."

They left the suite and headed for the briefing theater.

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Upon arriving they found the vassal males and the male courtiers present along with some people Harry did not know, both in uniform and civilian clothes. The only female in attendance was the Queen.

"Ma'am, we can do this later if you wish to rest."

"Harry, my exertions yesterday were a mother's worry over one of her sons and some of her daughters. I'm fine."

While the courtiers gasped, Harry beamed at her. "Her Majesty is most kind. We are honored beyond men."

"And a cheeky wag, too. Come over here and sit."

Harry bowed and moved to Elizabeth, sitting on her right side. Tim Spicer mounted the stage.

"Video running? Welcome to the after-action review of the first combat action of the Duke of Magic's own First Guards Magical Infantry, His Grace the Duke of Magic, Harry James Potter, commanding.

"The Regiment on the evening of the seventeenth and morning of the eighteenth of September conducted an attack to seize Berry Pomeroy Castle near Plymouth.

"Once they had seized the Manor the mission was to free persons being detained there and apprehend the persons holding them.

"Upon successful completion of that mission, information surfaced that an organization was using the women being held as slaves. Her Majesty ordered the Regiment to capture or kill the members of this organization and their associates and interrogate, try, and sentence those captured."

"Your Majesty, I must protest this illegal and morally questionable operation by the military in what is clearly a civilian matter, and the use of summary military justice."

A vast silence fell as the leader of the Opposition suddenly found himself in the steel-like grip of a vampire. How she had gotten there so fast was a puzzle to Harry, who knew he had seen her in a bed in the impromptu infirmary earlier.

"You die now, mortal."

"STOP!"

"Master, please, let me kill him for you."

"Leave him."

"Your slave was called Dinara Drukarova when she was mortal, Master."

"Thank you, Dinara. Leave him, please; our liege will deal with him. Come here."

Dinara moved to Harry almost faster than the eye could follow and as she attempted to kneel at his feet, Harry pulled her into his lap. As soon as he made contact with her he was in her mind and she was in his.

The Queen smiled indulgently at them, and as they communed Elizabeth dealt with the leader of the loyal Opposition.

"The Right Honorable gentleman would do well to remember that this is not the Britain of 1995. It is more the Briton of 995, and my word through my Duke is absolute law here. The conventions of the two-party parliamentary system will not serve you here.

"We appreciate that your statement is pro-forma as the Opposition, but please remember no opposition is allowed in our Duke's Realm, loyal or otherwise."

Tony looked at the vampire apparently asleep in her "Master's" lap and nodded. He could feel the grip of steel crushing his windpipe still.

Tim nodded and continued. "The Regiment conducted this operation in seven phases: reconnaissance, secure the battle space, assault the objective, actions on the objective (i.e., liberation of prisoners), defend the objective, capture hostiles, conduct judicial activities, and withdrawal. We will now get the Commanders' perspective on the operation."

Andrew leaned over to Harry. "Just pull the memory, Harry. We'll put it in a projecting Pensieve."

Harry nodded tightly and thought of the events from the deployment of the scouts. He pulled the memory from his head with his holly wand and Dinara took it from him and walked to the Pensieve. She tapped the memory off and returned to Harry.

Harry again pulled her into his lap as she tried to kneel at his feet.

"Harry, you know it would be easier if you just let her kneel."

Harry blushed furiously. "I like her here, ma'am."

Dinara moaned almost inaudibly.

Elizabeth chuckled.

Tim pushed Play on the technomancer-modified Pensieve and dimmed the lights; a high-quality image of the Regiment's activities was displayed from Harry's perspective. It was information overload for most people there, as Harry had been processing the data from all the mates involved at the speed of thought.

Harry had edited out the vampire women's takings, but everything else was there. Tim compressed the portions where nothing much happened, but it still took an hour to play out.

Tony Blair was apoplectic over the torture and executions. Just as he rose to protest, Antonitus's cultured voice whispered in his ear. "Are you really invincible, Tony? Or do you want him to have that pretty little wife of yours as a mate?"

As he turned,Tony sputtered, "It's barbaric!" He recognized the vampire as one who had been tortured and clapped his mouth shut.

"Yes, mine are a barbaric kind of people Mr. Blair."

"But he tortured you."

"Less than I deserved, no doubt. You do realize that my actions allowed that to happen, don't you? You must also realize that unless these women were already without families, the vampires involved will have killed them. I am indirectly responsible for perhaps thousands of deaths. Harry has bound them all; he is their sire now."

"That girl Dinara calls him Master and herself his slave," Tony hissed furiously.

"You speak of what you cannot understand, mortal; he is her god."

"Deluded-you are all deluded."

Elizabeth sighed. "Harry, please show the Right Honorable gentleman, but do it over there by him. I want to keep this dress on."

"Amelia Fastida taught me to focus it, ma'am."

Harry focused on Tony Blair and released the compulsion. To everyone's amusement he soon had Tony sitting in Antonitus' lap, trying to make out with the vampire clan leader.

"Master, please."

"Oh, do be quiet, Antonitus; I still may kill you when Harry is busy elsewhere."

Harry released the compulsion as Amelia Fastida swept down on him. Tony Blair leapt from Antonitus' lap and blushed furiously.

Amelia approached Harry and took Dinara's chin in her hand, turning her head this way and that and eyeing her critically.

As Amelia inspected Dinara, Harry addressed Tony. "So do you understand now?"

There was nothing left to say, so Tony said, "Sir," and bowed deeply from the shoulders.

"Tony, during the Turning you'll find that I do not desire power. I'd rather be left alone. Some of the things I have to do are ghastly and I'd rather not do them, but I won't leave the helpless to be abused. Vampires and some others are driven creatures. They only understand the ruthless application of brute force. I probably won't have to do anything like that again to the vampires of the British Isles or Western Europe, especially if we let an edited version of that memory leak out.

"There are, unfortunately, evil creatures made every day, but I'm taking steps to eliminate them or at least severely reduce their numbers in Britain now, and we'll see about the rest of the world later. I have no designs on the Mundane realm other than those who are evil. Your little power games don't interest me in the least."

"Bah! Bother him, Harry. If he irritates you, kill him. There are plenty more mortals. We need to discuss important things. Are the other vampires as pretty as this one once they're cleaned up?"

"I think they're all very pretty, Amelia, but why don't you go see?"

Amelia Fastida turned and dragged Dinara back up the aisle. "Go back to your playing, gentlemen. Harry, dinner in an hour."

Elizabeth was laughing now. "Well, gentlemen, let's hurry right along. I want to look at the new girls too."

Tony Blair had blanched at the casual way the shockingly arousing vampire had advised his death.

Antonitus chuckled. "And now you know a little more, mortal."

For the next forty-five minutes they dissected the Regiment's every move and all of Harry and the staff's decisions.

Truth be told, there was very little bad to say. It had been a textbook operation and the communication, execution, and reaction had been flawless.

The Regiment had been a total overmatch for the vampires, wizards, and Mundane.

Tim finally said, "I had been meaning to ask why you didn't train them with firearms, Alastor, but now I see. That shield is amazing."

"It's usually not quite that powerful, but yes, it will either turn or stop projectiles. With a normal wizard or witch you could overpower it with a machine gun, but they have put it on that necklace with some sensing runes that activate it when they sense something solid moving over seven feet per second. Normal wizards wouldn't be able to maintain that, as it comes on when they're moving that fast too. If you notice, the shields come up for spells not cast by a Potter bonded moving at any speed."

Everyone turned and looked at Harry; he shrugged. "Ask Hestia and Hermione-they came up with the runes. I just charge the stones."

Elizabeth finally said, "Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me I want to see the girls. After dinner we will have your briefing on both the girls and the Dursleys, Chief Inspector Hamlish."

She was answered with a chorus of, "Yes, ma'am," and she smiled and started for the door. Susan faded in and offered her arm before Elizabeth had taken two steps and the Queen smiled at her and took her offered arm. They left, Elizabeth whispering and Susan blushing and giggling.

Harry groaned and flopped back in his seat.

"Better you than us, Harry."

"Thanks for the support, Lord Longbottom."

"At least you'll survive it. I'm afraid Romilda is going to kill me half the time, one way or the other."

General laughter followed as Neville winced at the "I heard that, Neville Longbottom" across his surprisingly strong bond.

Frank shook his head. "I told you, son, you have to get your shields up before the thought; and even then your bond is so strong I don't think it will work." He winced too, causing more laughter.

Harry said, "I'm glad to see the ladies Longbottom are doing well," to more laughter as Geoffrey appeared followed by elves with trays of single malt and cigar humidors.

Harry passed on the cigar but took the scotch. "Not too much, Harry. We have plans for later."

His reply of, "Yes, Nym," out loud brought more laughter, and then a round of winces from the bonded wizards.

The male courtiers whose wives were present for the Turning groaned. They knew this would make it through the women by dinner and there would be repercussions.

Harry ameliorated some of it. "A toast gentlemen, to our lovely ladies. We would be lost without them."

"Oooh, yes, definite plans."

The bond dissolved into list-checking and arrangements with Winky and the ladies' maid elves.

Tony Blair, leader of the loyal Opposition, was in serious crisis. His mood was changing from outrage to fear to other things he had no name for.

Antonitus watched in amusement for a while.

"So you can't decide what to do then? You have my respect; after feeling the compulsion from him I suspect most mortals would be on their knees begging for a chance to service him."

Tony blushed heavily, and Antonitus laughed. "Ah, so that's part of the problem, then?"

"No, actually. I mean, I felt that, but I had the feeling even in the compulsion that he was merely playing with me. It felt as if most of his power was hidden and had he desired, he could have snuffed out my mind in an instant."

Antonitus blinked and then grinned. "You're very perceptive for a mortal. Tell me, have you ever considered immortality?"

Tony blinked. "Errrh...."

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Harry and the males carried on a genial conversation, finishing their drinks and then being led to the spectacular dining room.

The room had been decorated in Potter tartan and the large round tables covered in it. Service was laid for four hundred and the elves were beaming. They had changed into black shirts and Potter tartan kilts. The female elves were in old-gold bustier tops and Clan Potter tartan wrap skirts.

Nym entered escorting the Queen and leading the ladies. She was dressed in an old-gold colored bustier top, Potter tartan wrap skirt and a Potter tartan shawl across her shoulders. She was freshly scrubbed, elegantly coiffed, completely unblemished, radiantly beautiful-and she slew Harry dead on the spot.

When he finally lifted his eyes from her they landed on Hestia, who was dressed and prepared in exactly the same way, as were all the bonded-all two hundred twenty of them.

Nym glided gracefully to Harry, shut his mouth with the knuckles of her curled fingers, and kissed him fiercely. Harry received a powerful kiss from each of the bonded, including first Eugenie from her mother's arms and then Sarah.

Elizabeth, who had taken up her station to Harry's left, looked at Nym after the last of the bonded had passed. "You broke my Duke."

Nym, completely nonplussed, returned, "We'll fix him later, Elizabeth." Inside she was ecstatic that Harry was completely enthralled with her and their mates. The rest of the world might as well not exist.

Harry had seated them and was now gazing at Nym with complete adoration and his heart in his eyes and running through the bond.

Elizabeth chuckled. "Should I call Poppy now?"

Nym huffed and said, "Jennifer, Melissa, and Marcia should be able to handle it."

"Only if they go first, in the middle, and last."

"Elizabeth!"

"Don't you 'Elizabeth' me, Nymphadora Potter. I know women on a mission when I see them. Just remember you'll have the rest of your very long lives-if you don't kill him tonight!"

Nym blushed. "Hermione made a list, and we agreed to adhere to it religiously."

"Good girl. I knew you were smart."

Harry suddenly looked up and saw the wistful look on Lorelei Delacour's face. He smiled and made a little wave; a stunned Jean-Paul Delacour and Fleur Delacour landed and the clothes they were wearing Transfigured to the appropriate dinner wear.

Lorelei mouthed a thank you to Harry and an unruffled Geoffrey appeared with elves bearing additional seats and place settings. Jean-Paul was seated between Lorelei and Gabrielle, and Fleur was seated between Lorelei and Bill Weasley.

Dinner went very well, genial and warm. The mates had lots to talk about with their recent experience; the newly bonded were animated and pleasant, beautiful, and obviously in love.

As soon as Harry put his dessert fork down, Nym initiated the plan. The designated mates stood and faded away. The elves went into action, taking fine gold chains around, and Nym took control and wound and released the Time-Turners. She grabbed Harry's hand and raised him and led him away with the bonded hot on her heels.

Tim Spicer cracked wise. "Another well planned and executed mission, I think."

Phillip happily contributed. "I think the communication wasn't quite up to standard; I'm not sure the Regimental Commander had the full picture."

Emma Granger, being a wag, contributed, "No, he only had the one, but boy did he have it bad."

Dan finished the repartee. "Tunnel vision. We'll have to speak to him about it in the AAR."

Phillip rose chuckling and raised Elizabeth, and they led the way to the theater for Chief Inspector Hamlish's briefing.

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Hamlish did not waste time. "Ma'am, pursuant to your instructions we apprehended the Dursley family yesterday. They resisted and were slightly injured in the struggle. They were treated and transported to Lewes, where they are being held at your pleasure.

"We processed the house and found evidence that a child had been severely abused, beaten, starved, used as forced labor and confined. We believe that child to have been His Grace the Duke of Magic."

Elizabeth nodded.

Jeremy made a note to get those memories from the Duke and continued. "In our investigation we discovered no crime, other than the omission of reporting the abuse, related to Petunia Dursley.

"Vernon Dursley, however, has been embezzling small amounts from his company for the entire time he has worked there, sixteen years. Interestingly enough, the company is now owned by His Grace.

"Dudley Dursley, along with two other children, has been running a youth gang; charges against them ranging from vandalism to sexual assault have been filed. Confidence is high that these charges will stick, as there is no dearth of either complainants or evidence. He will eventually do years behind bars. Vernon's embezzlement is also well evidenced. He will also serve time.

"Ma'am, I know this may sound odd, but I would like to congratulate the Little Whinging Constabulary. In the absence of citizen complaints they had in fact picked up on the pattern of Dudley Dursley's gang and were closing in on it rapidly."

Elizabeth nodded again. "Yes, it is hard to govern sheep. If people will not take responsibility we are left with just our own resources."

"Your Majesty, I must protest."

Antonitus snarled and Blair shut up.

Phillip grinned nastily. "You know, you're really going to have to grow up before you're elected, or the Duke may give you to that vampire as a sex toy."

"Dinner more like; the leader of the loyal Opposition isn't my type. I like my partners to fight back."

Blair sat down.

"Really, Mr. Blair, your party is likely to win the next election. You must start dealing with the realities of the situation. You've been briefed; the Special Unit just gave us proof that the Duke's story is even more wretched than he lets on, and yet you defend people who will not help you defend themselves by constantly attacking the Duke."

"Government runs in cycles; get ahead of it, man, or it will run over you."

Tony thought on what John Major had just told him. Ironically, it would become his guiding philosophy. He sat back and watched, deciding that perhaps he had more to learn.

Jeremy Hamlish continued. "Ma'am, the women and girls have been identified, with their help. Many were trafficked; some were taken from here in Britain, and as Clan Chief Antonitus has pointed out, almost all of their families have been eliminated by the vampires to cover their tracks."

Elizabeth nodded. "It will be all right. I believe the Duke has bound them to the House so they all enjoy at least familial protection now. I suspect they are not content to be his daughters and will seek a mate bond at least."

Tony made to rise and Antonitus used his own compulsion to put him firmly back in his seat. "I'll explain it all after the briefing."

Tony struggled for a moment and then relaxed.

"Antonitus, I do not appreciate my future Prime Minister being in your thrall. I might be forced to take steps."

Antonitus, feeling the Realm come to bear, replied, "Ma'am, I have no designs on the Right Honorable gentleman other than keeping my Master, or more likely one of my Mistresses, from killing him."

"Why?"

"Errrh, I don't know exactly, ma'am. He is perceptive. I believe he'll do well in his chosen field. He could be of use to my Master."

"Begging your pardon, ma'am, but I'm right here."

Elizabeth looked at Tony and called the Realm. It judged him; he was shattered, but not found wanting. "A worthwhile endeavor, it appears. Clan Chief, you may continue."

Into the silence that followed Dan asked a question that had been on his mind since the AAR.

"Ma'am, I noticed that Mr. Spicer announced the Regiment as a Guards Regiment."

"Yes, Colonel Granger. I have, in view of the Regiment's successes and the risk they undertake, given them Guards status."

"Ma'am, I also noticed the Regiment's uniform is tartan. Would that make them a second Regiment of Scots?"

"Colonel Granger, are you going to go all parochial on me?"

"No, ma'am. I'm just wondering where in the Household division they would go."

"Between the Irish and Coldstream, Colonel. I do not anticipate they will parade, however, much like your Regiment, as the defense staff would have collective apoplexy at the thought of a predominantly female regiment of foot. I wouldn't want to have to replace all the stodgy old coots."

"Your Majesty, please, the old coots are right here," Field Marshal Inge put in. He and the defense staff had arrived with the Shadow Cabinet.

"Not you, Tony, Margaret would have your guts for garters. By the way, how do you feel about giving the Regiment Guards status?"

While some of the staff grumbled, Tony replied, "I think they deserve it, ma'am. They are, after all, our only line of Magical defense. The recent operation was extremely risky, perfectly planned and executed, and they came away with no casualties while punishing the enemy very severely.

"Their ongoing operations involve risk at a level never before recorded in warfare, and they conduct these operations not seeking recognition but out of duty alone. The very best of British, I think. We'll work on getting them recognized publicly. If my understanding is correct, we'll have some time to work on it or it won't really be a problem. There appears to be no middle road."

"Yes, quite."

Tony Inge bowed slightly. "Ma'am, that brings up a point. This 'Riddle'-how are we to assist the Regiment in finding and fighting him?"

"That's what I like-initiative. The only person who has been close is this Peter Pettigrew person. Unfortunately, Lady Hedwig broke his neck while he was in his Animagus form; appropriately enough, he is a rat. He's now locked in that form unless we can fix his neck and then force him to change back. Harry could strip his mind, but apparently it would be hard to find our way through the rat thoughts.

"The Healers and a veterinary surgeon are working on him. The other avenue is for Lady Hedwig to lead us back to the site where she found him and Harry is working on that, but they have other things on their minds. They'll get to it soon.

"I'm not sure, however, that Harry wants to take Riddle so soon. He feels like he's in control of the situation, and he's going to use Riddle to draw the evil beings to him and then send them out to be captured, interrogated, judged, and sentenced. Harry can then seize their assets and use those against Riddle."

Field Marshal Inge nodded and looked at Tim, who also nodded. "Ma'am, we concur with the Duke's evaluation of the situation in a purely military sense. There is some danger of civilian casualties, but we'll be working to further ameliorate the risk. The current feeling among the defense staff is that he has selected the correct course of action."

Elizabeth nodded. "I concur."

The party left the theater and moved to the sitting room.

"Lord Black, it seems you've finally been left with your niece and nephew."

Sirius looked up from where he was sitting on the floor with a huge grin. Having been told of their parentage, Sirius was very seldom far from his niece and nephew, and never by choice.

"Don't spoil them too much, Sirius."

Sirius just smiled.

AN:

My DSL modem died so these last two updates will have to hold you until Embarq sends me a new DSL Modem allegedly monday or tuesday.

Sorry

Jay