Chapter Ten
I come, Graymalkin
On Wednesday the fifteenth of January while Harry and the girls settled, Harry and Hermione concentrating on school, each other, the girls, and Neville Longbottom. Eliza and the girls settled contemplating the "Malfoy plan", which seemed to be:
1. Harry gets Narcissa pregnant. 2. Narcissa has the baby after October the eleventh but before November tenth, the full moon. 3. Lucius acknowledges the child as a Malfoy immediately. 4. Harry duels Malfoy after he acknowledges the child, but before the blood adoption. 5. Harry kills Lucius. 6. Sirius annuls Narcissa's marriage. 7. Draco's fate to be decided later, based on his behavior.
Harry knew they were nervous about something, but he was sure they would tell him in good time. He wasn't going to peek.
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The parents, however, were having daily meetings and had worked themselves into quite a state. Amelia finally strolled into the library one day and laid down a case file. She had tied Lucius Malfoy to over one hundred murders or rapes, Muggle, muggle-born, and magical, before and after Riddle's unfortunate demise, disincorporation, or whatever it was that had happened to him.
Sirius read through the file. "This would never get past the Wizengamot, but for anyone with any sense it's fairly obvious."
James nodded but Lily was still fretting. "We're essentially planning a murder, using Harry as the weapon. I don't want to do this. No matter how much information we gather, Harry is not the law."
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"Narcissa, you will provide me an heir. Lord Potter will get this heir on you."
Narcissa had no trouble appearing to be incensed--she was. A pure-blood upbringing, and this was the best Lucius could manage? Looking down his nose and sneering orders at her? Orders to have sex with a child? "If I might ask, Lucius, what's brought this on?"
Lucius looked at Narcissa. "Our son is sterile. Surely you tested him?" Narcissa smiled. "Yes, I did. I was just wondering what brought this on now, Lucius."
"Narcissa, let's not play games. The Black Lord has assumed his place. He hates me. It will occur to him that a way to hurt me is to abandon our marriage contract. I know he has obtained copies of the contracts from the Ministry records. I need a pure-blood heir. You will provide him for me."
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Narcissa sat stock-still for a moment as her mind worked furiously. Sirius had not needed that copy from the Ministry. He had access to the Black vault and she knew there was a copy in there. Lucius was being manipulated by a Gryffindor. Well, it wasn't like she hadn't suggested this very course to Sirius in that letter. Lord Potter, after all, would be a fabulous catch, and he was light-sided so if she could keep him from going poufter like Lucius, she might actually have someone who cared about her for other than for her uterus. Lucius falling for this additional ploy of Sirius's was troubling, though. Did he have another plan in mind, or had he lost what little sense he had?
"With his godson as the father I doubt Sirius will continue to pursue that course. I've prepared a letter for Lord Potter outlining our proof and our course of action to force compliance."
Narcissa blinked. Lucius smiled. "Sirius can't be very stable, Narcissa. Eleven years in Azkaban can't have been good for him; he was already not quite what anyone expected. We need to proceed rapidly. I expect these negotiations to go rapidly and you to conceive my heir no later than the middle of February."
Narcissa nodded slightly. "As you wish, my lord." She really couldn't say much else; she had expected this, hence her letter to Sirius in the first place.
"Good. I'll let you know when Lord Potter is available." Narcissa nodded. "I will retire then, my lord."
She rose and left, and Lucius fell back into his thoughts. Narcissa had taken that much better than he thought she would. Of course she might not be through, either. She was still getting digs in about that set of purple dress robes from seventh year. She'd been awfully quiet about them, too. Of course as soon as they were married she'd sold them, and she couldn't do that with this child! Perhaps he should speak to her again. Well, he was sure to anyway. They had or would have nine months. She had been a terror with Draco, but she would have to become used to this--she really had no choice here.
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Dumbledore looked out over the Great Hall and beamed. Now Neville was sitting right next to young Harry and that young Gryffindor witch was paying attention to him. Hmm, what was her name? Lavender Brown, that's it! Well, what a difference a day makes.
"Headmaster, are you listening?" "Yes yes, Severus, what is it?"
"Potter is supplying 'safety goggles' and 'chemical-proof aprons' to the Potions students. Rubber gloves as well!"
Pomona Sprout looked across Aurora and Minerva. "Good. I've recommended that we require the appropriate safety equipment every year for the last twenty-two years."
Albus nodded. "And we have not because of the expense."
"My point exactly, Headmaster! These are not the appropriate equipment, but some Muggle substitute," Severus nearly shouted.
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Albus frowned. "I hadn't thought of that before. The Muggles make excellent chemical safety gear and it is very, very inexpensive. I shall have to talk to Mr Potter and see how he stumbled onto this marvelous idea!"
Severus hurled his napkin down and left, mumbling under his breath.
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On Friday the seventeenth Katie moaned as the warm, firm, soapy hands cupped her breasts and the hard body pressed into her back. Alicia, Angelina, Lavender, Parvati, and Hermione smiled. Katie was at it again. The shower after practice was her preferred venue. The harder the practice, the more she seemed to like the after. Of course, Harry looking like Michelangelo's David, except well-hung, had to help. Gods, he was sexy when wet.
Neville heard the groan and smiled. He didn't know who, but he was actually happy that someone else was happy. Potions had been hell. Snape had been on the warpath and Harry and his crew, who had caused it, had been the only ones to weather it well. That was all right though, because those safety goggles had prevented his being blinded, according to Madam Pomfrey. He had already pulled the memory, and Harry let him borrow Hedwig to send it to his father. He didn't want to play the Boy-Who-Lived? card but here it could help, at least Eliza thought so.
H "FRANK, FRANK! Get your hat and shoes, we're going to Hogwarts!" Frank Longbottom rolled his eyes. "Why, Mother?" "That Death Eater meat puppet of Albus's nearly caused Neville to be blinded!"
Frank looked at his mother. "And how did we find this out, Mother?" "Neville sent a memory, Frank."
Frank sighed and stood up. "I'll look at the Pensieve, Mother. How did Neville know how to extract a memory? I'm glad, though; it shows his skills are improving."
"Frank! This is important!"
Frank looked at his mother and she backed up a step. "No doubt, Mother. We'll take this up with the appropriate authorities, the wizarding education authority and the Hogwarts Board of Governors."
Augusta had very seldom seen Lord Longbottom in her son, but she knew what this required. "Yes, my lord."
Frank smiled. "None of that, Mum. It doesn't help to talk to Dumbledore, though. We've tried that." Frank passed on his way to the Pensieve and Augusta smiled. H
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Harry awoke early the morning of the eighteenth, curled up comfortably with Millicent. What? Wait, he'd been sure he was in Hermione's room. It was still dark. Millie giggled and moved the hand that had leapt into space back onto her breast. "It's fine, Harry. Hermione went to the loo."
Harry grinned and went exploring like a blind man. Millie giggled and then moaned. Harry was very well pleased with Millicent, and she was too. Since term had started her face had softened somewhat, and while still a large girl she was now mostly muscle. Mostly, besides these two large, firm breasts. If Millie had continued as she was, she would probably have ended up an F- or G-cup, but with all the exercise and Harry's magic working on her she was now headed toward a lean, firm, large D or DD. While she would never be Kate Moss, she was a very nice large-framed, tall, low-body-fat female well on her way to her eventual Sara Ramirez looks on a six-foot frame. Harry and she would end up the best height and muscle match of the whole crew--well, besides Nym when she morphed up to match him.
Hermione came back to bed and shoved Harry on top of Millie. She climbed into the bed and curled into Millie's side. "Ready?"
"Not yet, Hermione."
"Okay. Harry, see if you can cave her head in with that tongue of yours, then."
Harry grinned and slid down Millie's belly. Millie tried to climb away but the headboard stopped her. Not that it wasn't fun and all, but damn, the boy could make you agree to anything with that tongue of his. And there it was, oh gods just ask me, whatever it is you can do it to me. Bugger me? Sure, let me go climb on a table in the Great Hall at lunch and you can take me in front of the whole school, Harry. Millie giggled and Hermione looked at her and smiled. They hadn't told the girls yet that they could hear their thoughts when they were touching them.
Millie mentally directed Harry and thought, Morgana, how does he know? It's like having oral sex with myself. Eeeuuuww, oh gods, not eeuw, not eeuw. "Holy Circe!" Millie shouted. She curled around Harry's head and Hermione laughed. This was so much fun!
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Later, in the reading room, Neville looked at Harry. "Harry, my father wants memories of all the incidents of Snape's bad conduct that we can find."
Harry lowered his book and looked at Neville across Hermione's butt. She was lying across his lap as he was slouched on the sofa. Harry had been using her butt as a book rest. "Why, Neville?"
Neville rolled his eyes. "Gran got that memory I sent him of the goggles saving me. She and Mum are apparently driving him spare. He wants a piece of someone to pay for it and Snape is elected."
Harry chuckled. "Okay, we'll work on it later. The girls and I have to do something after lunch today."
Neville nodded and then smirked. "Someday I'll have a girlfriend and have to 'do something' too. Meanwhile I can catch up on my work. I can't believe what a fool I was and how easy this is with your books. Harry."
Harry blushed. They really had to go to Potter Castle as the parents wanted to talk to them. "It's not that, Neville. As for the books, it's not me--it's the witches and the Squib girls I know. They do all
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the work. Their names should be on the books alone, but they say my name makes them sell better."
Hermione had had a thought while Harry was talking. She turned over in his lap and sat up. "What do you mean, not that?"
Harry blinked and Neville snickered. It's the perfect cover, Harry. Just let him think you're off shagging us.
He's loyalty charmed, Ne. I still say we can tell him. Let's not test that charm until we have to, Harry.
Harry leaned forward and rested his face in Hermione's lap while he blushed. Neville's eyes rounded. "Hey, get a broom cupboard!"
The girls all laughed. Harry sighed. You'll have him wanking over you, Ne. Ugh! You boys are such pervs. Can't you think of anything else? Harry broke up laughing. Girls were such liars. We are not!
Hermione, you think about sex a lot too. So much so that you don't even notice. Every time you see a male, part of your innate calculation of his worth is his potential to provide support for offspring. It's different and not blatant, but it's there.
Hmmph! At least it isn't "I'll have some of that, please!" Or "Oh yes, tasty bit of crumpet there." Harry had tears running down his face now. I have never thought, "Tasty bit of crumpet". Hmmph. H
At Potter Castle Sirius paced nervously in front of the landscape in the sitting room. Lester Jones chuckled. "It'll do you no good, Black. If the boy is going to get mad he will. Just deal with it then."
Sirius nearly snarled. "Easy for you to say! You won't be the one fighting for your life." The males, Amelia, and Louisa chuckled. Lily laughed outright. "Afraid of my boy, Sirius?"
"Any sane person would be, Lily. You can never tell what's going to come blasting out of those hands."
Andromeda smirked. "You know, that may be proof that you're sane. We should record this to show to the Wizengamot. Half of them are convinced you're crazy."
Jonathan Abbot nodded. "And the other half think you're Riddle's right hand."
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Sirius stopped and laughed. "Well, that may be the first time all of them are all the way wrong."
Jonathan was nonplussed. "Well, I don't believe Andromeda's diagnosis. You've been crazy since first year."
"I never used your toad for potion ingredients, Jon. James just told you that." "I never did!" a blushing James exclaimed, and the whole large sitting room full of people laughed. Harry and the coven appeared.
"I'm telling you, Harry. You're Slytherin's Heir. You have no Slytherin blood, so it must have happened after you killed--erm, disincorporated or whatevered him. You took the House by conquest! That confirms you are the real Boy Who Lived, no matter what Lily did." Ella's voice interrupted the laughter.
"I don't see it, Ella. He lived a thousand years ago. The blood is all mixed by now."
Ella blew at her bangs. "Wizards! Here, look at this, Harry." She placed the bloodline parchment from Gringotts on the table and tapped it with her wand. The adults came over and peered over the crew's shoulders as Harry's family tree unrolled, or rather expanded before them.
Dennis Caldwell, Ella's father, asked, "How did you do that, Ella? Isn't that Goblin magic?"
"No such thing, Dad. Magic is magic. Some species are better at certain things than others, but as long as it's magic we can eventually duplicate it. Took us four months of work but we got it."
Sirius looked at the tree. "Well, there's the connection. Dorea Black and Charlus Potter."
James spoke from the landscape. "Nope, that's uncle Charlus. He, Dorea, and cousin Matthew were killed the first time around with Riddle."
Harry mumbled, "Something else I owe that bastard." Sirius took the opening. "Harry, I had a letter from Narcissa the other day."
"Oh gods, not you too, Sirius! Okay, she is hot-looking for a woman older than Mum, but I have no intention of shagging her. Kill Lucius? Sure, why not? He's a right bastard and bound to cross me at some point. But if someone has to knock her belly full, you do it. Euuuwwww no, first cousins-- sorry, forgot. Remus can do it!"
Remus stood stock-still, caught completely flatfooted. Sirius asked, "Uh, how did you know, Harry?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "As soon as I nutted Draco the girls all got together and came up with the shag-Narcissa plan."
Sirius and Harry, in mirror images of each other, rubbed their hands through their hair. Hermione laughed and pointed to the landscape where James was doing the same thing. "It's not funny, Ne. I don't want her."
Hermione was feeling particularly full of vinegar. "Ahhh, weally, pookie? Not even for widdle
me?" Andromeda and Sirius blanched. Hermione had just sounded eerily like a young Bellatrix. "Ne! Stop that!" Harry was seriously pissed. The castle shook slightly.
Hermione laughed as the room went deathly silent. She recovered and put her hands on her hips. "Harry, if Riddle isn't dead we have to get the money out of his hands. You won't be Lord Malfoy, the boy will. Then we'll have years to work through whatever agreements House Malfoy has, using Narcissa as a front. This has the possibility of answering all your objections."
"Except I don't want her and I certainly don't want her trying to supplant you."
Hermione grinned and leaned into a very passionate kiss. When she drew back she said, "And that's why I don't have to worry about it too much. Poor Narcissa, though. Andromeda, are you sure? I mean, you're the Black Matriarch and I'm going to be using one of the daughters of your House, probably very hard."
Andromeda laughed. "Don't be overconfident, Hermione, but Narcissa could use some humbling. You and I will talk. She is my sister, after all, and I can give you some insights that might be useful in breaking her to your lord."
Eliza cleared her throat. "Just so we're clear, the plan we've discussed is as follows, Harry.
"You get Narcissa pregnant before the middle of February, using line-ensuring and fertility potions. We will, if we have to, agree to a brewer for those, but we won't use any supplied by Malfoy.
"Narcissa has the baby after October the eleventh but before November tenth, before the full moon. This can be assured with potions, again from a trusted brewer.
"Lucius acknowledges the child as a Malfoy immediately. He will do so to prevent someone stealing his line from him. The Malfois are already making noises, according to Father's and Mr Parkinson's sources.
"You duel Malfoy after he acknowledges the child, but before the blood adoption. You kill him, and Sirius annuls Narcissa's marriage. This forces Narcissa into the position of being Sirius's ward and puts her and the child under the Black family protections. The child and its mother would also have the Potter protections.
"The Malfois are cut off at the knees legally and must follow Narcissa's orders, as regent, and we secure the Malfoy monies and assets.
"Draco's fate is to be decided later, based on his behavior."
Harry looked at her. "No wonder you've all been pensive, carrying that around all week. I thought I'd added wrong and you were all PMS-ing."
"Harry!" Lily scolded from her place on the wall.
Eliza took the more direct route and gave him the soft pink tongue tip. "Prat! We thought your head would explode when you heard this."
Harry smiled mysteriously and Daphne narrowed her eyes. "You've been peeking!"
Lester and Melba looked at Hermione and Harry and the four of them shared a laugh. They never said anything else about it. Harry brought them back to the matter at hand. "Sounds like a good plan. Narcissa is read in?"
Andromeda shrugged. "The backbone of it was hers. You can explain the other parts to her when you're, erm, with her, Harry. I like the neutral potion brewer. I would suggest Augusta Longbottom. She was my Potions mistress at Hogwarts and she can keep her mouth shut. She's scrupulously honest and steeped in the pure-blood traditions. She'll think nothing of this. Anyone else?"
Angus McDougal? spoke. "You shouldna leave the bairn hanging out there. You should take care o' him too."
Lester nodded. "Aye, Harry. Left to his own devices he's liable to do anything." Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure 'bairn' applies, and he--or rather it--has no devices. I crushed them."
Aidan Greengrass shook his head. "Making him more dangerous rather than less, Harry. We have no idea how he'll react now. Like a wizard? Perhaps a witch? Somewhere between?"
Harry thought hard as the others went silent. "I won't kill him out of hand. I'll wait for a hostile act. We'll have to be careful. Pansy, you'll find a different cover wizard."
Pansy nodded. "Or just not have one, my lord. I'm quite happy as I am, and I can provide Parkinson heirs as long as Father acknowledges them, or you can acknowledge them and they can be Potters."
Louisa smiled. "Oh, that's good. If you have a boy and I have a girl we can make him the Parkinson heir. That is, if you're happy about it, Harry."
Harry blinked. "Is there nothing you all can't come up with a reason to do?" Eliza grunted. "Get you to believe that you took Slytherin by conquest, but other than that, no." Harry chuckled and kissed her. "Fine, so it's a plan then. Next!"
Sirius scowled. "Not so fast there, my young padawan. We have a tripartite negotiation to get through. Admittedly the Black role is peripheral, but we still have to get through it. How do you intend to go about it?"
"Well, when a girl and a boy want to make a baby--" Sirius glared at him. "Harry!" Harry scratched under his chin. "How would it normally be done?"
Remus cleared his throat. "I've been looking for precedent. In English wizarding law it hasn't been DONE in hundreds of years, but the last cases had the aggrieved party, Malfoy in this case, initiating negotiations and then a fairly straightforward contract negotiation. You'll be asked to meet with Narcissa at a negotiated location, where you will consume the required potions from the negotiated brewer and then copulate with her, run a pregnancy detection charm and, if necessary,
copulate with her again until the standard pregnancy charm shows she is pregnant with a male child. You will then withdraw immediately, as will she, and your part is over.
"Our additional arrangements will then come into play upon the birth of the child. It shouldn't be too hard to get Malfoy to duel. He'll want you eliminated to remove the blot on his honor. You will challenge him for the child and his wife. He'll probably have laid the groundwork to take over the Potter fortune, assets, and real property because he won't be able to see himself losing to you."
Moira McDougal?, a wizarding solicitor in Scotland, nodded. "Aye. That's how it will probably go."
The discussions lasted until late in the afternoon. The children were shooed back to Hogwarts and the parents looked at each other. "Well, that went better than expected," James said in a relieved tone. Melba and Lester looked at each other and smiled.
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Back at Hogwarts Harry went wandering until he encountered Mr Filch. The girls were off gathering memories from students to send to Neville's dad. "Harry Potter!"
Harry smiled. "Yes, Mr Filch?"
Filch looked both ways in the hall they were in. "You're sure this thing isn't illegal? Mr Potter?"
"Yes, Mr Filch. It can't be illegal--we just invented it."
Filch nodded. "This dial-a-spell thing is good, Harry. Made my life easier, I can tell you."
"I'm glad, Mr Filch."
"You're a fine lad, Harry. Not like most of these evil little gits. Thank you for this." Filch waved the dial-a-spell.
"No problem, Mr Filch. Let me know if you need anything. The girls and I would be happy to help any time."
Filch nodded, smiled, and dialed the box to Scourgify. He held it against the wall and pushed the button. A ten-meter section of wall was scrubbed clean, paintings and all. Filch gave a crazed cackle and toddled off to the next spot that hadn't been cleaned.
Harry smiled and wandered off. He had to go tell the girls the dial-a-spells worked. They could go into production with them. Hmmm, maybe hire some workers and get them in that set of hovels Slytherin owned in Knockturn. Well, raze those and build something nice there. He'd have to talk to Lester and Daphne.
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On Wednesday the twenty-second of January, Harry sat fuming in the reading room. He had to make it through this hour with Neville before they could all go to Potter Castle, but even his Occlumency might not be up to the task. It was already stretched to the limit after a full day of class. Malfoy's letter this morning was fit to ruin the whole month, not just the day. Who did this clown think he was, ordering him around? Harry would go to the Wizengamot, occupy all his
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seats, and then vote him down!
Stop, Harry. Morgana, how can you still be this angry? You knew he was going to be an arrogant berk.
But Ne! Come to his house on the first of February 1992 and impregnate his wife, indeed! All that education and "pure blood", and that's the best he can do?
Oh, so it's not the content, it's the tone? Really, Harry? This from Mr I don't like you, hold still while I nut you?
That's different and you know it, Ne. The only ones that get nutted are the ones attempting to rape one of the girls.
Except for Draco, Harry. You just up and did him for fun. He's an annoying little ponce, Ne. Still is, actually. Phhht. Come on, Harry, we aren't getting any work DONE anyway. "Harry, take me to the dorm. I have a headache."
Harry leapt to his feet, as did Neville. Neville had no idea why he had started this, but something just made him respond to her using all those lessons his father and grandmother had given him over the years. He watched sympathetically as Harry raised Hermione and led her away on his arm, missing the looks and raised brows that passed between the witches.
The witches immediately began to leave in pairs and groups, starting with Lavender and Parvati, and Neville stood and said goodbye to each group. He finished his studying and left for the Gryffindor tower about an hour after the last witch had left. Harry's bed curtains were already drawn.
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Harry and Hermione had moved straight to their rooms and then into their trunks and met again in Camelot. Hermione took Harry straight into a warm bath and made him wash her slowly and thoroughly. Harry resisted a little at first and then got into it. He found it oddly relaxing. More so when, after he was through with her, she washed him.
The witches, meanwhile, passed straight through the hall and into Potter castle and the now expanded reading area of the library. Daphne was talking to Lester. "So you can do it?"
"Of course, lass. The hard part, the survey, is DONE now. We'll have you a magical production facility up by the end of the week. Potions production labs on the Diagon end and the rest workrooms for runes conjuring and anything else you could want. All that on the second floor, shops on the first floor, and living space on the top three floors.
"Who you'll have live there I don't know, but it will be nice." "Thank you, Mr Jones." Aidan walked up with Remus. "Actually we already know who will work there and live there.
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Hundreds of Squibs answered your ad, and Remus has werewolves lined up by the score." Remus rolled his eyes. "Seventeen, Aidan. Not even a score." "Every werewolf in the London Metropolitan area, though, isn't it?" Aidan asked.
Remus shook his head. "Some are too 'wolfish'--well, two really. But the offer of a steady supply of Wolfsbane is a powerful enticement. Some might work for that alone. Harry is paying a fair wage too, however."
Aidan nodded. "So Daphne, what are you going to do with a workforce of eighty-eight Squibs, ten wizards, seven witches, and seventeen werewolves?"
"Make things and sell them, Father, what else would we do?"
Aidan started counting on his fingers. "Stage a coup. Take over the alley. Terrorize wizarding Britain."
"Oh stop, Aidan. Daphne, never mind your father. He's just peeved over the dial-a-spells. He thinks those will make you millions." Charlotte laughed as she walked up.
Daphne grinned. "They will. Oh, that reminds me, Mrs. Granger. Tracey has a copy of the register. If you could start contacting the next year's Muggle-born? Harry wants to get started on them early so they can work on their Occlumency and he can get them loyalty-charmed. We're going to give them dial-a-spells as a welcome-to-the-wizarding-world present and Harry wants you to mail out the ward brochure. We at least want wizard-repelling wards on all their houses."
Tracey nodded. "We figured out the doors in the hub trunk and a ward set for them so we can use one of the extra trunks as another hub and just keep adding doors to it, apparently forever. We'll add a portal to the Muggle-borns' houses, ward it so only they can see it, and then install a null space 'airlock' with intent-based killing wards and ward the door out into the main trunk. Harry thinks we can expand another trunk into a set of offices."
Remus and Lily nodded, as did the other Ravenclaw parents. Lily tossed in, "Null space has no practicable limit. It really just boils down to how much time and effort you want to put into it once you have an original physical space. The trunks might have a finite limit of expansion, though. I think you could make the wards transport the people who fail the intent wards to another null space that would function as a prison. Then we could find a way to seize their assets."
Sirius grabbed his head. "Owwww! Can we please talk about the elephant in the room instead of our plan to use someplace that doesn't exist to take over the world? I assume since you're all here early that Harry got a letter from Lucius and is not taking it well and Hermione has dragged him off somewhere to settle him?"
Hannah nodded and pulled out the offending letter. She had been last in the reading line. "It's slightly off-putting. Lucius doesn't come off sounding very intelligent, just arrogant."
Louisa laughed. "Oh, he was himself then?" The parents passed the letter around. By the time Harry and Hermione and the last of the girls showed up they had all read it and were
drafting the response. Sirius attacked him immediately. "Harry, listen to this. 'Lord Malfoy: While I sympathize with your unfortunate position with regards to your heir, you have not relayed any information definitively linking me with this unfortunate circumstance.
"'While I do not disagree in principle with providing you an heir, I am, after all, young and will no doubt have many of my own. I will not present myself at your manor to be dosed with potions of a suspect nature and unproven provenance--that is, if history is any guide.'
"I really like that part, Harry.
"'I will expect Lady Narcissa to meet me at the Leaky Cauldron at eight in the morning on Saturday, eighth February. I will escort her to an appropriate location and provide you your heir. Subject to our business being completed early, she will be returned to you on the evening of Sunday the ninth of February in the taproom of the Leaky Cauldron.
"'Signed,
"'His Grace Harry James Potter'"
Sirius beamed at Harry. "What do you think, Harry?"
Harry frowned. "What neutral location are we going for here?"
Andromeda cleared her throat. "We thought the Black townhouse could be considered neutral ground, and Narcissa is familiar with it. It would put her more at ease."
Hermione smirked and her mother gave her a raised brow. Hermione's smirk morphed into an innocent smile. Emma rolled her eyes.
Harry nodded. "Okay. Why didn't we mention the potions again?"
Moira McDougal? answered, "Bargaining tactic, Harry. We'll let him force the use of the potions and the date, but we'll get the neutral location and the brewer of our choice."
"So I don't really have to worry about this? It's all posturing?"
Moira smiled. "You really aren't like other boys, are you, Harry?"
Harry smiled. "Not much. I do like girls, though."
Hermione snorted and Melba laughed.
Moira shook her head. "A certain amount of posturing is normal, Harry. Most boys don't just wade in with no warning."
Harry shrugged. "They should be ready when they start trouble. I don't see why I should warn them when they started it."
Sirius looked around. "Just bring the letters here when you get them, Harry. We'll prepare the responses and you can look them over at night."
Harry nodded and turned to James and Lily in their frames. "So Mum, Dad, how're things?"
Lily smiled. "He's fine, Harry." James's brow furrowed. "What?" Harry and Lily chuckled. James asked, "What did I miss?" H
Sunday, January twenty-sixth, found Harry wandering happily around the castle with Neville, after he escaped Ne and the girls. The boys had the Invisibility Cloak on and were--well, they were being bad. They were wandering around all the out-of-use areas of the giant castle, poking in things they shouldn't.
Harry looked around and thought he recognized the classroom he was passing. Neville, however, seemed hypnotized or something and walked in the door. Harry, perforce, followed; it was that or have the cloak dragged off of him. Neville moved up in front of the Mirror of Erised and stood frozen. Harry tried to stir him but it was no use. Eventually Harry sighed and walked away from Neville. He dropped the cloak and went to explore.
The room was actually bigger than it looked and had some sort of office in the back. Harry went into the office and found shelves full of books. He paged through some in the dim light; they were Dark Arts texts! Well, not like the Slytherin or Black libraries, but way Darker than the books they used in class. Harry pulled out his trunk and opened it after it unshrank. He went through the shelves, taking one copy of each book--in some cases the only one--and dropping it into the trunk.
Meanwhile, out in the classroom, Dumbledore had found Neville looking at the mirror, and the cloak pooled on the floor beside him. He smiled and got Neville's attention. "What do you see, Mr Longbottom?"
Neville started and replied, "Headmaster! Uh, well, I see myself--myself in great shape, and with a wife and child."
Dumbledore beamed at him and led him through the description of the mirror and the fact that it showed his heart's desire. Dumbledore never said that he saw himself with the Sorcerer's Stone going down an endless progression of years and being the most celebrated ruler of the world ever. What a beautiful world it was, too. Wizards ruling a bucolic planet populated by handsome Muggles and other lesser creatures. "Neville, this mirror is very dangerous. It will be moved to a safer place tonight."
Neville nodded. "Yes, Professor."
Dumbledore smiled. "Run along then, Neville. Don't forget your cloak, although it does no good with me."
Neville hid his panic and left. Dumbledore contemplated the mirror for a moment and then shook himself. He left, too.
Harry exited the office moments later and rubbed his hand through his hair. Where had Longbottom gone? Harry warily looked out in the hall: no one. He began retracing his steps, and at the first corner Neville grabbed him and pulled him under the cloak. Neville led them back to Gryffindor while explaining what had happened. Harry sighed. "Crazy old codger! Don't worry
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about it too much." "But Harry!"
"It will be fine, Neville. Who knows what he's thinking, putting a dangerous object where anyone could find it! He's gone round the twist, I tell you."
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After dinner and receiving the next letter from Malfoy, Harry and the girls moved through to Potter Castle. Harry also had a reply from Nicholas Flamel, and after he passed Lucius's letter to Sirius he broke the seal on Flamel's letter. He read it quickly. "It's his, Eliza, he described it exactly."
"Let me see that, Harry." Eliza crossed to Harry.
Harry handed her the letter and walked to a work table. He dug through the drawers and found a magnifying glass. He took the Stone from his pocket where he had put it when the olive-skinned, dark-haired, eighteen-year-old Suzanne Sauter, the oldest of the currently active full-time Squib Squad, had given it to him on the way through Camelot as they passed her trunk door. She had been working on the Stone. Harry looked at the Stone through the lens while he rolled it around slowly. "Yep, the initials are right here."
Eliza groaned. "We shouldn't tell him. He'll try to take it from us."
"Eliza! We're giving it back to him. Since you're worried about it, though, arrange it through an intermediary or a dead drop."
The parents had been watching this conversation like a tennis match. Aidan Greengrass looked at Harry. "You have the Sorcerer's Stone? The one someone tried to steal from Gringotts?"
Harry shrugged. "A child in the Mirror of Erised gave it to me. I don't need it. Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel undoubtedly do."
Aidan sat. Fortunately, there was a chair behind him. Angus McDougal? shook his head. "You are a strange lad, Harry. That Stone can give you unlimited life and wealth."
Harry smiled. "I'm not sure I'd want to outlive the girls, and I already have so much money we all won't be able to spend it. The stone is Flamel's."
Tracey Brown exclaimed, "Sweet Morgana's milk, Harry, at least ask for a reward!"
All the parents nodded. The girls were BUSY being dazed by the I-don't-want-to-outlive-the-girls comment. James threw his hands up in his frame. "I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed."
"James!" Lily scolded. "Harry, it's fine. You do what you think is best." Harry nodded and moved to head off any more argument. "Ophelia!" Pop! The senior female Potter elf appeared. "Master?" "Take this to Nicholas Flamel and give it into his hand. Only his, Ophelia."
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"Yes, Master." Pop! George Bell commented, "Well, he's nothing if not decisive," to the room.
Harry shrugged. "It's the right thing to do." He palmed the flake of stone and dropped it in his pocket. Suzanne would get it later. It was just enough to run gas chromatography on. The older Squibs had access to a university analytical lab. "So where are we in our posturing?"
Sirius picked up the latest letter. "He's given way on the neutral location but is insisting on the potions as quid pro quo."
"Fine. Demand Augusta as a brewer and let's go. This bloody posturing is tiresome," Harry ground out.
Lily snapped, "Harry, language! I do agree we should hurry, though, Sirius. The baby would be better carried to full term. If we delay, Narcissa will have to induce labor prematurely. A delay the other way is easier to manage and safer for the baby."
Sirius nodded and got to writing. He didn't want to rehash the details of that gestation and childbirth conversation. It had been horrifying!
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The next school week, 27 through 31 January, was very hectic, a nice week of class and studying, and of course as much sex as Harry could handle. Neville watched and smiled and worked hard. The negotiations with Malfoy had come to a conclusion nicely. That had kept them massively BUSY, but it was DONE now. Tomorrow was the day. Andromeda would meet Narcissa at the Leaky Cauldron and escort her to the Black townhouse. Harry would do what was needed and then Andromeda would messenger Lucius via Kreature and wait 30 minutes. She would then take Narcissa back to the Leaky Cauldron and the waiting would begin.
Nicholas Flamel had thrown them a curve by replying to Harry with a thank-you note and a request to meet him. The adults were arranging the meeting. The coven was in an uproar over it, first how Flamel knew it was Harry and then training like Armageddon was tomorrow. Harry was loving it, though.
Neville wasn't having so much fun. They were wearing him out every day and his only reward was teasing, as compared to Harry who got it all. Oddly, this would have shattered some, well perhaps discouraged them at least, but it had the opposite effect on Neville. Every set of pokies or well- turned, set-off legs or upturned, rounded butt doing partner-resisted exercises only served to spur him to greater effort.
Neville had been read into the situation with the Malfoys, as his grandmother was brewing the potions, but Harry admitted nothing about the attacks on the other students. Neville didn't need him to. He was well educated in the pure-blood traditions, and covens were a part of that in his grandmother's youth. She had covered the subject with a horrifying zeal.
Neville was to act as a decoy, distracting Dumbledore if necessary. The coven were in on the cover operations too.
Finally, though, it was Saturday morning, the first of February, and Harry was in Camelot with the girls. The coven had given him a manicure and a pedicure and forced him into a bath. He was
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scrubbed and oiled and then dressed in black and red Acromantula-silk robes befitting the head of a noble house, with the Potter Crest embroidered on his right breast in dark red thread.
Hermione looked at him critically. "Ready, then."
The coven nodded, and Harry was shoved into a chair with a book. Hermione squawked as she was dragged away for the same treatment and more. Harry laughed.
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At Hogwarts, Neville looked around the Great Hall at breakfast and sighed. The coven was missing. Today was the day, after all. Neville shuddered and thanked the gods it wasn't him. He was nowhere near ready for that sort of thing. A snog would be nice, but, well--impregnating someone? Errrh, no, thank you very much!
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Hermione exited the dressing room in high dudgeon. She coasted from flank speed to a stop. Harry's amazed face and slack jaw had stopped her. She smiled shyly. "You like it, Harry?"
Harry took in the vision in light blue robes with her hair completely tamed, eyes bright, and unblemished skin and swallowed. "Yes, Hermione, very, very much."
Hermione sailed over to where he stood and kissed him hard. Harry smiled when she leaned back. Hermione arched a brow. "You'll have to use your hands if you're going to muss me, Harry."
"What?" "Come along, Harry, we have to go to Sirius's house." "What?"
Hermione smiled and dragged him away. Harry's thoughts were totally scrambled now, and it would be even better when she got him to a loveseat at Sirius's. He would have her panting and thoroughly mussed just in time for Narcissa to arrive at the Leaky Cauldron.
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Andromeda watched the back door and Floo of the Leaky Cauldron from her position in the corner. Around the taproom pairs and groups of coven parents watched as they drank, mostly tea or butterbeer, and talked.
At precisely ten a.m. Lucius opened the Diagon Alley door and strode in with Narcissa on his arm. He looked around and saw Andromeda. He sneered and led Narcissa to her. "Mrs Tonks."
"Lucius. Narcissa." Narcissa smiled tightly at her sister. "Andromeda. Are we ready to get Lucius's plan underway?"
Andromeda winced and then smiled predatorily at Lucius, who was obviously affecting a nonplussed mien. He had heard that 'Lucius's plan' comment, though. "Not quite yet, Cissy. We're waiting for--"
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Augusta Longbottom came in the Diagon Alley door on Frank's arm and walked straight up to Andromeda. "You're waiting for me. Here are the potions, Andromeda. Good to see you, dear. Narcissa, lovely as always. Lucius." She turned her back to Lucius, insulting him and minimizing his importance all with a tilt of her head. Lucius sneered and Frank stepped up to his side.
Lucius bit back the insult that hovered on his lips and chuckled nastily. "I'm not a fool. Duke Potter will take his potion in my view."
The room froze for a second. The fireplace flared and Harry stepped through. Hermione was in the corner, covered by the Invisibility Cloak, and had informed him of the comment from Lucius.
Harry strolled over and cast an amused look at Malfoy silently. He stretched out his hand and Augusta read the potion labels and put the correct bottles in his hand. Harry downed his potions and raised a brow. Lucius sighed, almost in relief, it seemed, and then nodded to Narcissa. Narcissa stretched out her hand. Augusta put the remaining potions into it and Narcissa opened the bottles and drank the potions with confidence and a horrific glare at Lucius. Harry nodded once and left.
Andromeda looked around. "Lovely as this is, Duke Potter is waiting."
Lucius opened his mouth and Augusta raised a brow. "Line-securing and fertility potions. Clearly marked and freshly brewed. Enough for Duke Potter and Narcissa--unless you question my ability, Lucius?"
Lucius bowed slightly. "Not at all, Lady Longbottom. Narcissa, I'll see you tomorrow evening if not sooner." He turned on his heael and left. Narcissa sniffed. Andromeda shook her head and led her sister to the Floo.
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Hermione exited the Leaky Cauldron in a flare of green flame, still under the cloak. She never saw the tall black man with the earring step from the shadows and exit through the Diagon Alley door. Amelia did, however, and cocked a Disillusioned brow.
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Hermione arrived at Grimmauld Place in a snit. Her plan was ruined! Well, now they would just do it the hard way. She stepped from the Floo and strode to Narcissa, who she examined in minute detail.
Narcissa's ire rose. "And who might you be, little girl?" Hermione lashed out with a small hand, as quick as a striking adder. The hand cracked on Narcissa'a cheek and that worthy went apoplectic. She drew her wand and found it snatched from her hand. She drew back her arm and found it twisted behind her and secured by means of her thumb being pulled up her back between her shoulder blades. She turned into that only to find herself tripped, the girl sitting upon her chest, and herself Petrified. Hermione smirked.
"I had intended to do this slower, ease you into the thing. Maybe even get your cooperation. Now that your and your husband's inept scheming have foiled that plan, we can do this one of two ways. I can force your submission or you can give it willingly. Right now."
Narcissa's blazing eyes were all the answer Hermione needed. She sighed theatrically. "One of the
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things Sirius uncovered in this house was a room, a playroom some would call it. I doubt you will." She rose, levitated Narcissa wandlessly, and left the sitting room with Narcissa trailing behind her.
Sirius looked at Harry. "No permanent physical damage."
Harry frowned. "Oh, but we can bollix up her psyche to our heart's content?"
Sirius looked confused. "Her what?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Never mind. Andromeda will explain it to you." Harry trailed after Hermione and the floating Narcissa.
Sirius looked toward Andromeda, who called after Harry, "I'll get you for making me give him the Talk, Potter!"
Laughter floated up the stairs from the basement. Sirius shook his head. "Andi?"
"Never mind, Sirius, the question shows he wouldn't do it on purpose. He was talking about the damage this could potentially do to Narcissa's mind."
"How is getting the shags she's been missing out on for eleven or twelve years going to hurt her mind, Andi?"
Andi explained in broad terms how witches compete and that Narcissa had to lose this competition. Sirius nodded. "If she wants to be pregnant, yeah."
Andromeda sighed. "Sirius, she can't be allowed to get a hold on Harry. Hermione will have to dominate her physically, mentally, and sexually."
"Hermione?" Sirius asked. "I don't see how she's going to dominate a grown witch."
Andromeda opened her mouth and a hissing rustle and a resounding crack followed by an agonized shriek drifted up the stairs. Andromeda's mouth snapped closed and she and Sirius both paled, remembering Orion Black's torture of Muggles in that very room from their youths. Sirius meekly supplied, "Oh." They both raced down the stairs to the observation gallery and looked out into Hermione's "playroom".
Narcissa had struggled fiercely against the body-bind, or whatever this little bitch had on her, but she couldn't break it. Her struggles grew frantic as she recognized first the stairs, then the door to the observation gallery, and then the now cleaned and polished torture chamber and implements that Uncle Orion had used on Muggle and wizard alike. The images from being forced to watch were burned into her memory.
Her eyes rounded when Harry entered the room and snapped a pair of bracelets on her. He leant forward and whispered in her ear, "Magic suppressors, Potter House magic suppressors. She already beat you but you might get in a lucky shot, and then I'd have to kill you for hurting the Potter matriarch--and then, well, Lucius would have to die. Better this way, you see."
Narcissa nearly lost control of her bladder. Only a Potter would be able to take these off and the
little cunt--errrh, young witch--was his matriarch already? How had this happened? Oh gods, she'd been contracted to be bred by a Head of House and his matriarch who had no child! Lucius was already dead, he just didn't know it yet. She would spend her life in service to House Potter if she allowed this couple to dominate her.
Hermione waved and Narcissa's clothes vanished. Another wave and she was attached to the center, pivoting St Andrew's cross by wrist, waist, and ankles by soft but strong large-diameter silk ropes. Narcissa blushed furiously as the girl--erm, matriarch--Duchess Potter examined her from hairline to feet. She turned her head away and a cat of nine tails hissed through the air and cracked across her full soft, delicately pink nippled, pale as china breasts. Narcissa shrieked and found the body-bind was gone.
Duchess Potter looked at her appraisingly. "In case you decide to try even with the suppressors on, there are apparition wards, although I expect you know that already. How many did you see tortured, killed even, in this room, Narcissa? A few anyway, I expect. So very ruthless, the Dark families." Sarcasm dripped from her coldly delivered words.
"That stroke was for doing something without my permission. Your automatic responses like blushing, blinking, and screaming in pleasure when your master deigns to allow your unworthy flesh to surround his cock will not be punished. Every other thing you do you will ask and receive permission for before you do it. Before you come you will ask permission. Do you understand?"
Narcissa could not bring herself to respond affirmatively to this little witch no matter what position she'd wormed her way into. The lash fell on her sex. Narcissa did lose control of her bladder at that point, and her full body blush renewed itself in shame.
"You will speak when spoken to."
Narcissa kept silent and the lash fell again. Narcissa raised her eyes to Harry; seeing the resolve in those green orbs, she knew she was finished. He would in fact let his matriarch kill her and fight Lucius in an honor duel over it, if that was what it took.
"Yes." The lash stroked her again. "Matriarch or Mistress." Narcissa glared at the young witch. "Yes, Mistress."
Suddenly Harry was in front of her. "Very good, Narcissa." As he spoke his hands gently explored her, after waving a cleaning charm at her and the floor. Where his hands touched the red welts faded and a warm tingling trailed across her skin. "See? This won't be so bad. We liked your plan. Unfortunately you hadn't considered that I had already taken a matriarch. Who would? Not your fault really, as it was a surprise to Hermione and myself too.
"Unfortunately that makes your plan to take over both Malfoy and Potter moot.
"Now, as soon as Hermione is confident you are ready, willing, and able to serve the House, this will all end. You and I will spend a little time together, I'll do my best to make it pleasurable for you, and then you'll go back to your husband for a few months. Then I will kill him, Sirius will vacate your marriage contract, and you'll bring me the Malfoy heir. He will be raised as I see fit in my House, with you as regent of course. We will make a fit and powerful head for House Malfoy, one who will not kneel to anyone."
Harry's roaming hands had strayed to Narcissa's sex and breasts. By the time he finished talking she was right at the edge of an orgasm from that warm tingling. Harry withdrew his hands and Narcissa tried to follow them with chest and hips. The ropes binding her prevented it and she nearly mewled in need.
In the gallery Andromeda winced. "Gods, they are magnificently cruel together."
Sirius asked from the side of his mouth, "Narcissa and Harry?" He didn't want to miss anything. He was pleased that Harry had healed Narcissa.
Andromeda smacked him lightly on the back of the head. "Harry and Hermione, dolt. They'll have proud little Cissy begging for cock in an hour. Bringing her to this room was a master stroke. I nearly wet myself just coming in here and seeing the cross occupied again. I can imagine what she's feeling, being the one bound to it."
Sirius nodded. "Oh. Yeah, that was great. I had suppressed the memory of this room, I guess. Glad Kreature cleaned it up."
Andromeda rose. "Come along, then, and you can find him and tell him how much you appreciate it."
"I want to watch."
"Sirius, that's your first cousin, your godson, and his wife. Do you really want to watch them having sex? I know prison was tough, but haven't you talked to Hestia?"
Sirius blushed and stood quickly. "Talked, erm--well, not face to face, per se, but we've exchanged letters."
Andromeda gave him an arched brow. "Let's see these letters, Sirius."