Chapter Eleven
Paddock calls. Anon!
At noon on Sunday, the second of February, Narcissa's potion-induced need woke her again. She stretched luxuriously and snuggled into the warm body at her back. She opened her light blue eyes and found herself staring into the warm brown eyes of her mistress. "Hermione, mistress may I?"
Hermione smiled. "You don't have to ask any more, Narcissa. I trust you now. I know the potions are still working on you both. Go ahead and shag him."
"You shouldn't trust me, Mistress; you shouldn't trust any witch." Hermione laughed. "Narcissa! Eight hours ago you begged to lick me while he buggered you."
"And that's why, Mistress. Between the two of you, you can make a witch do anything. If one goes too long without him and can't get to you, they'll try to take him over."
Harry pulled Narcissa onto her back and rolled on top of her. Her legs went around him naturally and he slid home in her and concentrated. He filled her to just pleasantly painful, and then the bumps and ridges of the custom Narcissa-filler began appearing on him and moving just a little. "Not happening, Narcissa. Do you imagine any witch could be better at this than you?"
Narcissa groaned and smiled. "Actually, no, Harry, and I know they couldn't be hornier, even without Lucius's thrice-damned potion. Which I still say was my undoing. I mean, you had Hermione to suck you off but she beat me to near orgasm before she did it, and then you did that healing thing which drove me back to the edge, and then she beat me some more. The potion made me beg." She had the cutest pout.
Harry smiled and shrank himself. "Oh well, if you don't want to, then...?" "Oh please, Morgana, no, Harry! Fuck me please, Master!"
Hermione's bright laughter filled the bedroom. Narcissa settled into a thorough pounding. She could not believe how well this boy could--well, fuck. It was like he could read her mind. And that cock! As soon as she thought she had it all he could somehow put on more girth or length and just keep shagging her. She had never even heard of a wizard who had been able to make a willing, excited, witch beg him to finish so she could rest a while. If Hermione--Mistress?, dammit, you silly cow--hadn't been here, Narcissa was fairly certain the Master could have shagged her to death. Oh what a way to go, though, no matter how messy the corpse was. Narcissa giggled, and she was a sloppy mess. It was wonderful. Lucius couldn't compare with this, even with his enhancing potions. Harry was a complete wizard and knew how a witch was supposed to be used. Hmmm, yes, she would have to talk with Sirius. Lucius and Draco would need to go.
H Harry, Andromeda, and Hermione got Narcissa up, cleaned up, and healed, and an amazed
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Andromeda escorted her back to the Leaky Cauldron at six p.m. Andromeda had never seen Narcissa shaky and weepy before, much less begging anyone for anything, never mind begging to be used again soon. What exactly had these two DONE to her?
Harry and Hermione went back to school through the trunks and appeared in the Great Hall for dinner.
Neville looked at the two and sighed. "Done, then?" Harry nodded. "Done."
Fred and George Weasley looked at Harry and Hermione. Fred leaned over to George. "Ickle Harry must be planning a prank."
George rolled his eyes. "He's been off with her all weekend, hasn't he? She doesn't do pranks, and they look tired. They've been...." He waggled his eyebrows.
The two turned their heads and found Alicia, Angelina, and Katie glaring at them. The roasted potatoes were suddenly very interesting.
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Narcissa stood in the entry hall glaring at Lucius, who was smiling at the blue afterglow covering her abdomen. "I have fulfilled my duty, my lord." That crackling edge to her voice was easy to achieve, impossible to keep out really; this waste before her had never even had the potential of Harry, much less lived up to the limited potential he did have. How had she been so blind? She wasn't going to be able to live in this house for nine months without killing it herself. If she did, it would only be through sheer willpower.
"Yes, I see. Thank you, my lady."
Narcissa withdrew to her apartment, where she collapsed on to the bed, while Lucius went to his study, humming a little tune. Narcissa'a hands soon wandered to her still tingling sex and she lay scheming on how to get Harry in her again. She really, really needed another go.
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Harry was overjoyed to find his life finally settling into a routine again. Of course, that routine being waking up at five, physical training with an ever-growing crowd of students but still mostly females, classes, Quidditch practice, a couple of hours of studying in the reading room and then a couple of hours in Camelot and Narcissa Malfoy stopping in every third night--they had given her a trunk as an escape route and she used it for access to her master and mistress--made it a trying routine, but it was a routine. Hermione seemed to be enjoying just straight domination of Narcissa, no apologies or subbing for Narcissa there. Pansy dominating her and buggering the older witch with that stick on while she rode Harry cowgirl and then letting Narcissa completely dominate her was odd, but hey, everyone seemed pleased, so what the hell?
Harry was doing very well in all his classes. He and Hermione were the top witch and wizard in first year--first through fourth year, truth be told, but there was no objective measurement. They were all setting records in academic achievement.
Neville had improved mightily in all his classes and in socializing with the coven, and Harry was
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improving his socialization and personality. Harry watched Neville's progress with barely concealed glee. Lavender Brown watched closely, too. Harry was often found smiling as he watched those two circle each other. Everyone waited and watched as Harry put them together more and more often.
The refurbished buildings in Knockturn were now fully occupied, and production of potions and magical devices was running full bore. The flats above them were fully occupied by the SSWA (Squib Squad and Witch Auxiliary) work force. Knockturn Alley was suddenly a much nicer place with all those Harry-loyalty-charmed werewolves, wizards, witches, and Squibs running around. Being a miscreant down Knockturn could get you killed very quickly, and since the Aurors didn't go there much, no one might ever know.
Mafalda Hopkirk had been running around the Ministry talking about how hard it was to monitor magic now, as any Squib could buy and use a Dial-A-Spell? and apparently they all had, but she wasn't getting much traction. Especially since the Ministry was buying the things. Custom ones at a premium, to be sure, but they were dead useful. Daphne had smiled and said, "Red paint is cheap, Harry." She then laughed uproariously about the red-painted "custom" Ministry Dial-A-Spells? and their two-Galleon additional markup. Minister Fudge supposedly had one on his desk, red with gold-leaf trim.
Dan and Emma Granger along with Lester and Melba Jones were running the Muggle-born support group, and the Squib girls had produced the require magical guides and two new guides, So Johnny Turned the Cat Blue and So Jillian Turned Her Sister Into a Frog for Muggle-born parents. These guides covered everything from birth to seventh year for parents of Muggle-borns. The five Muggle-borns that would be starting in the 1992-1993 term had already been contacted and they and their families loyalty-charmed. The minimal ward set had been established on their properties. Harry planned to teach them basic Occlumency and start them on wandless magic over the summer. They all had portals, and Harry purchased another mansion trunk to which they linked these portals and the ones in the Knockturn Alley facility. It had a massively warded portal into Camelot. It was physically located in Potter Castle in a secure room down in the extensive and heavily warded dungeon.
The staff meeting on Friday, February fourteenth, had been vastly entertaining for Minerva. Severus Snape had been apprehended by the DMLE. Albus had just sat there, gaping like an idiot. Snape had been remanded to custody and was now sitting in a cell undergoing Veritaserum questioning every day. Apparently things were not going well for him.
The witches of the staff, along with Filius had withdrawn to Minerva's sitting room. Aurora Sinistra raised a brow. "Minerva McGonagall?, how long have you known?"
Minerva smiled. "If you mean the fact that Hermione Granger is actually the Duchess Potter, Aurora, then quite a while."
Septima Vector nodded. "I thought I saw that ring a while back, but I saw it for sure a week ago. I was down in the Potter reading room helping them with some advanced arithmancy and there it was, as large as life, the matriarch's ring on Hermione's hand."
All the other female staff nodded. They had all had the same experience at some point in the last few weeks. Filius smiled. "I believe I saw it the first day she wore it."
Poppy Pomfrey nodded. "And thank gods. It seems to have settled Harry tremendously. We haven't had any more incidents since those mysterious broken arms on the train."
Charity Burbage snorted. "Nobody has worked up the nerve to try him again. Some idiot will--just you wait."
Pomona Sprout nodded. "Probably, but they have settled and the whole school is settling with them. I couldn't be more pleased."
Minerva looked at Aurora. "So--Head of Slytherin?" "Only temporarily, Minerva. Albus says he'll get Severus back."
Pomona Sprout barked a laugh. "If he survives the duels. I hear half of the Light side patriarchs and all the Dark side are going to challenge him, too, once he gets out of the five hundred years in Azkaban that Amelia is determined to give him."
Charity smiled. "With that delicious new Lord Black cheering her on."
Septima smirked. "Delicious? You've been panting for Sirius since school, Charity. Why don't you do something about it?"
Charity pouted. "Hestia Jones, the confused little strumpet, is corresponding with him right now."
"Charity, that will never work. Sirius is way too mentally young for her. She likes her lovers all serious and staid. Well, her male ones. She seems to be much more tolerant of her witches."
Aurora gasped. "Septima Vector, you thing, you! Recommending Charity swoop in on poor Hestia. It's a violation of the code!"
"Code schmode. We aren't in school any more, Aurora."
Charity grinned. "Too right! I've already sent Sirius a letter. Nothing blatant, but a toe in the water, as it were."
Filius took this opportunity to rise. "Ladies, obviously I'm inhibiting the conversation. Minerva, any word on a replacement for Potions Professor?"
Minerva nodded. "Augusta Longbottom will be taking over in the interim and then perhaps until we can find another Potions Master or Mistress."
Filius beamed. "Augusta! Well, that will make the staff meetings lively. She always disliked Albus. Ladies, good evening."
Pomona Sprout looked at Minerva. "So how long before Duke Potter's supporters take Dumbledore down?"
Minerva frowned. "Why ever would you ask me, Pomona?" She sighed at the raised brow. "I really couldn't tell you. I know I have no designs on him or his position. Harry simply wants to be left alone. Hermione? Well, the treatment witches receive gets her back up but she's a little BUSY right now." Minerva paused for the giggling to die down. "I would say that as long as Albus pays attention to his job as Headmaster and stops playing politics he'll be fine. If he crosses Harry it will get ugly quickly.
"That being said, I have no idea what Severus is telling the DMLE and it could be Albus's undoing, quite apart from Duke Potter."
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Quirinus Quirrell looked out over the Great Hall and sighed. The master would be furious! Potter sat amongst a veritable garden of witches with Longbottom at his side, totally unreachable.
"That's good, you fool. Snape is gone, Dumbledore is in a panic trying to get his lover back from the DMLE. No one suspects. Leave them alone. Let the school settle into its sleepy routine and don't rock the boat. In fact, encourage these witches as much as you can. The more distracted the Longbottom boy and his horribly powerful little half-breed friend are, the sooner we'll have the Stone and be gone, with none of them the wiser."
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Albus Dumbledore sat in the warded room listening to the Veritaserum questioning of Severus Snape. He had already had some nasty shocks. Severus had been a very bad boy over the years and had not changed very much from his Death Eater days. Just enough to perhaps keep him out of Azkaban, but the Noble houses would execute him on sight. The boy was finished at Hogwarts and possibly in Britain. Bah! The fool! Riddle would return and now Severus would have to meet with him clandestinely, further stretching his already BUSY schedule. Not only that, but who would be his eyes in Slytherin? Aurora had already laughed in his face. Horace was resisting and really hadn't DONE well with Riddle. Hmmm, who would he find to be his snakeherd?
Amelia Bones watched the concerned façade Dumbledore was maintaining and smiled. Oh yes, he was in this up to his poufter eyeballs. As if this greasy bastard Snape had enough brains or the power to have remained incognito all these years by himself. Dumbledore had to be at least enabling, probably directing. His Occlumency shields were impressive though, very impressive. Even under this strain he wasn't leaking a single thought, and Snape could give the whole game away as soon as the right question was asked.
Amelia frowned and concentrated. If only she could find that right question. They were already up to Snape's days as a Death Eater and he hadn't given away a thing they didn't already know. Well, that wasn't true. The idiot had loved Lily Evans Potter obsessively and had tried several things that were already going to have him charged with assault.
Albus cut his eyes at Amelia Bones for a second and sighed. They were coming to the damaging parts of Snape's relationship with him. Well, something would have to be DONE, and soon. Time to talk to Alastor.
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In the sitting room at Potter Castle, Sirius was hemming and hawing. Lily was tired of it. "Sirius, what are you doing with Hestia?"
"Who, me? Hestia? Uh...well...uh...."
Melba snorted. "Nothing, Lily. Hestia thinks he was frozen in time or something. She says he's just like he was when he graduated."
Andromeda nodded. "Charity Burbage has displayed some interest, though."
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Sirius looked at the men in the room. "Hey, some help here! James, Remus?" Lily looked over at Remus. "Oh, thank you, Sirius. Andromeda, how are we doing on Remus?"
Remus blinked. James and Sirius chortled. Andromeda smiled. "Much better there, Lily. He's much easier, though. Such a nice man."
Sirius sat up. "Hey! A werewolf is easier than Lord Black?" Wan Li, Su's mother, nodded. "Amazing, isn't it? Perhaps even noteworthy." Sirius huffed as the women chortled. H
Harry was very excited. Gryffindor had won again. Aurora Sinistra watched from her broom where she had refereed, nearly panting, as Harry's magic washed over everyone on the field. She chuckled. Hufflepuff, right--just call it Harry's. The whole House--well, the Quidditch team--would be Harry's forever, male and female. It was a day worth noting, this beautiful Sunday the twenty- third of February. Snap out of it, Aurora. Waxing poetic is not like you at all. Hush you, he's so pretty. Arrrgh!
Later, in Potter Castle, James looked at Harry. "So, Harry, tell me about the match."
Harry smiled and launched once more into the play-by-play of Gryffindor's win over Hufflepuff. Hermione, Parvati, Lavender, Katie, Alicia, and Angelina gathered around on one side and Susan, Hannah, Megan, and Emma drew up on the other, and a spirited conversation ensued. The Hufflepuff witches had followed Hermione's example and gotten reserve positions on their squad. Emma was a starting Chaser. In the Coven this caused no problem, but her other housemates had been suspicious until today and the beating the two Chaser squads had given each other.
Lily smiled as she watched and listened. Frank and Alice Longbottom watched, slightly awed. They had been invited into the group along with Augusta and Neville. They had accepted the loyalty charms and now spent quite a bit of time in Potter Castle. Alice seemed to be improving, too. Lily wondered if she was calmed by her presence; they had, after all, been best girlfriends. Or perhaps it was Harry. No, not that way, but Harry's mere existence. Alice's boy was no longer the center of the rest of the British wizarding world's attention. Lily chuckled ruefully. Harry would be so pleased.
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February passed into March and March into April with the coven and Squib Squad settled into studying, Quidditch, exercise, and lots and lots of sex. Harry was a happy boy. Hermione and the other witches were very happy, too.
One of the things making them happy was Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. They had been given a trunk and now contributed to the study group on a daily basis. The Professors at Hogwarts might not be too much of a challenge, but Nicholas and Perenelle were. They had developed an independent course of study and were BUSY leading the Coven and Squib Squad through it. They seemed to get a lot of pleasure from teaching. Perenelle was a strikingly handsome woman who gave the impression of being much larger than she was through force of personality, and Harry was
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convinced Nicholas was where the Father Christmas rumors and traditions had started. He could have been the artist's model for them.
Another thing was the conviction of Snape on nearly a thousand counts, that while minor, would keep him in Azkaban for life. Dumbledore had been in a towering rage. That had given Harry pause. You could feel the magic rolling off the wizard. Harry was speculative, though. There was none of the "wildness", as the adults called it, about Dumbledore's magic. Maybe the difference would throw the old man if it ever came down to it.
Harry was surprised to find himself still a leg man but swiftly becoming a butt man as the Squibs' and witches' skirts under the robes got shorter and shorter. They seemed to take a perverse joy in bending at the waist to show him the creative placement of their thigh holsters for potions and stun-guns, along with flashes of very pretty knickers. Of course those rounded, well-muscled butts helped, too. It was hypnotizing.
Neville was truly coming into his own, and the four Gryffindor first years, while not quite a unit, got on well now. Ron was still occasionally a prat.
More like all the time, Harry. He only hangs around you and Neville for the face time and so that others will associate him with you.
Harry thought, well maybe, but Seamus and Dean are fairly good blokes.
Not as good as Neville. What are we going to do about him?
Beg pardon? Why does something have to be DONE about him? Harry felt her eyebrow raise.
He needs a girlfriend.
Again, Hermione? Let's just go with the plan. Neville can find his own girl. If one of the Coven or Squib Squad want him they should go for it. Lavender still looks interested.
She's just practicing. All right, Harry, you can come in now.
Harry opened the door to the master bedroom in Camelot and shook his head in amazement. Hermione had colored Narcissa black and white except where her skin showed in normal clothes, and had her on all fours in the bed. Was that a ring in her nose? "Bessy needs a topping, Harry. Be a good bull."
Harry started and then laughed, not least because one of Narcissa's ass cheeks was white and the other was covered in a black patch. Narcissa had just started to show and Hermione was deep into all kinds of weird pregnant games with her. Harry suddenly stopped laughing when the thought occurred to him that Hermione was perfectly capable of human-to-animal Transfiguration. "Uh, as a human, right, Ne?"
Hermione was scandalized. "Of course, Harry! Hey, wait--can you Transfigure yourself--eeewww, no. As a human, Harry."
Narcissa breathed a silent sigh of relief. Ne could be very, very kinky and it was great, satisfying on levels she hadn't realized she had, but she wasn't quite up to being Europa. At least yet, although...no, not yet. Maybe later, after she saw Harry's bull. Harry doffed his robe and underclothes and slid in behind Narcissa on the bed. She was already soaked and he slid right into her. Narcissa could only groan as he filled her to capacity and then took up a long, slow rhythm.
Hermione slid under Narcissa and milked her pendulous breasts with both hands and her mouth. Narcissa lasted almost a minute before she was convulsing in pleasure and begging to be allowed to orgasm.
Hermione gave permission and as Narcissa locked in orgasm, Harry and Hermione ran through her mind looking and searching. "Why are we here, Ne? She doesn't harbor any ill-will towards us. She's completely yours."
"Yours actually, Harry. She tolerates these games even though she does enjoy them. She wouldn't play like this left to her own devices. Oh, look at this little fantasy. Can you do that bull, Harry?"
"No! You gave her that Fantasy just now with this cow color job and I am not doing it. Ne, nobody but you would play like this. Why black and white, by the way?"
"Tan didn't look good on her, Harry." Harry could only chuckle.
Later, lying in the afterglow with Narcissa cleaning Harry and Hermione, Harry had a thought. "Neville is being manipulated by Dumbledore for some purpose. He's spending a lot of time with Hagrid, too. Nothing wrong with that, but Hagrid is Dumbledore's man through and through."
Hermione didn't say anything. Narcissa raised her head. "Dumbledore gave Hagrid a job here, or rather at the school, after he was kicked out and his wand was snapped when the Chamber of Secrets was opened."
Hermione sat up and Narcissa added, "Master," just before she got a pink handprint on her white butt cheek. Hermione just arched a brow at her and snuggled back into Harry.
Harry looked at Hermione. Narcissa didn't see the arched brow from him and small shrug from Hermione as she had laid her cheek on Harry and closed her eyes while she shuddered slightly. She still couldn't believe her body would respond to Hermione's excesses like this. It was mildly humiliating; delicious that the little bitch could make her come whenever she felt like it, though, and grand that Mistress apparently felt like it quite often.
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Padma looked at Daphne and Susan. "Well, did you hear them that time?" The three of them were in another bedroom in Camelot.
Daphne nodded. "Yes, no question. I don't think this is supposed to happen. I mean,we have contracts and everything!"
Susan nodded and then shook her head."Aunt Amelia said the normal rules don't apply to covens. Add that to him being the scion and the house's magic moving to reestablish itself firmly, and our willingness to be his and his only and, well, there you are."
Padma pouted. "So why is Hermione so high in his mind, then? I mean, shouldn't we be at least equal?"
Daphne shrugged. "Have you noticed she can use all his wands?"
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Susan snickered and Daphne rolled her eyes. Susan sobered. "Yes, and she's almost as good with wandless magic as he is. He uses her wand half the time, and she uses his, or one of his more often than her own. I don't even think they realize."
Padma nodded. "So they're some kind of super-wizard-witch all rolled up into two bodies." Daphne nodded. "Maybe. He doesn't treat her any differently from us, though."
Padma snorted. "If you don't count being in physical contact with her continuously, or very nearly, or that look when she's even looked at by another wizard. I've seen seventh years piss themselves after one of those death glares."
Susan looked thoughtful. "He gives the same looks over all of us with the same results. Can any of the others hear them, do you think?"
Daphne grinned. "Nym can, I think. They spend enough time together anyway, what with her 'helping' him with his Metamorph abilities."
Padam nodded. "I also think that Nym can hear. We should tell them." Daphne sighed. "You people are a bad influence for a Slytherin, all honest all the time." Susan pushed her over and she and Padma rewarded Daphne for being an honest snake. H
On Friday the twenty-fourth of April Harry sat in Potions listening intently to Augusta Longbottom. She was a stickler for procedure and knowledge of interactions, and she was currently quizzing the class on all possible problems that could occur while brewing the day's potion. He looked over at Ne and smiled. She was sitting demurely, waiting to be called on. None of that attention-seeking arm waving any more. Oh, she still had a massive drive to learn, but now she didn't care if anyone outside the Coven knew or realized how smart she was. It seemed to be enough that the Coven knew. Much better: now her personality matched the beautiful, powerful witch that she was. Harry smiled.
Thank you, Harry. Do you notice that now you don't differentiate between the Squib Squad and the Coven, you just lump us all in the Coven?
Harry frowned and Hermione giggled. "It's not a bad thing, Harry. All right, here we go. You cut the ingredients and I'll get the cauldrons going." Harry nodded.
Augusta looked out at the Coven and its wizard's attendants and smiled. She had set them a fifth- year potion. Her eyes crossed to the others. Weasley and his fellows, including Crabbe and Goyle, had a first-year version of the potion to brew with its reduced danger and efficacy; the rest of the class, mostly the Slytherins, worked on the less restricted, more dangerous second/third-year version. Malfoy was chaffing again but the boy would simply not memorize the interactions and therefore could not be allowed the more dangerous version. Odd, that. Parkinson, who she knew to be a Coven member, was sitting right there next to him. Not that she paid him much attention, but she wasn't as hostile to him as most. She would have to speak to the girl; she simply had to get better control of Malfoy.
Augusta moved around the brightly lit tables with their "ventilation hoods", wards, and the students in their face guards, gloves, and aprons. Circe, it was marvelous to work in a well-equipped lab. Not like the old dungeon she had learnt in and Severus had taught in for the sake of tradition. Some traditions were outmoded.
Speaking of outmoded traditions.... Augusta smiled to herself. Snape had given Dumbledore up, and while Amelia hadn't been able to jail the old reprobate she had been able to fine him heavily and the Prophet castigated him viciously. It would take a while for Albus to win back the political capital he had been forced to expend to hold onto the Wizengamot. The Hogwarts Board had nearly censured him, too. That would have been the third time a sitting Head had been censured and the others it had happened to were fired shortly after censure. Augusta nodded to herself. Who had expected Malfoy to come out in support of Dumbledore? Well, she wouldn't make that mistake again. The old misogynist had to go, no matter that Minerva was trundling around on cloud nine with Snape in Azkaban. Who knew she had hated him so much?
Oh ho, what's this? Miss Brown might just as well crawl into Neville's lap. Hmmm, good family, the Browns. Maybe she should speak to Harry, Frank, and Charles Brown. Perhaps a contract was in order.
Neville blushed furiously as Lavender's still developing but already largish breast rested on his arm when she reached over and grabbed his hands to stop him adding the salamander egg. "Not yet, Neville! Turn the fire off first, remember?"
Neville nodded and she smiled at him. Neville got dizzy for a moment and blushed furiously again. The witches giggled. Harry looked over. "Lavender, stop teasing Neville." He smiled at the poked- out tongue tip and the grin that followed it.
Lavender said, "Sorry Neville. These are just getting so big, they get in the way. I'm not used to them yet." She thrust her chest out and Neville looked down, nodding and blushing even more.
Harry shook his head. "Neville, what's with you today? Well, besides Lavender deciding you'll be a good catch."
"Harry!" "What, Lavender? Go for it."
"Harry, stop embarrassing Neville. Harry is right, though, Neville. Something is up--what is it?" Hermione looked at the smiling Harry and Lavender.
"Something is up with Hagrid. He hasn't come out of his shack for a couple of days, but he doesn't answer when I knock." Neville frowned.
Harry smiled. "Is that all? We'll go down after classes, see what's going on with him." Hermione nodded and Neville smiled. They all went back to their brewing.
Augusta circled back to her desk and went back to watching the class at work. Lavender was at least considering Neville, but that excuse had actually been sincere and she was young. She probably didn't even think about it--well, not seriously. She was wearing one of those knotwork rings. They were, after all, very familiar with each other and with Harry. Hmmm, still might be worth talking to at least Frank and Harry, though. Neville really should be contracted.
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True to his word, but after dinner, Harry gathered up his main witches. The witches had told Harry they could hear him and Hermione, and now the six of them were constantly in each other's heads. With Neville, they all trooped down to Hagrid's hut. Harry banged on the door until an exasperated Hagrid finally opened the door. The blast of heat nearly knocked them all down. "Well, don't stand out there dawdling. Come in if yer comin'."
Neville went in first, followed by Harry leading Hermione, Padma, Susan, Daphne, and Nym. Harry immediately felt the magic. This heat isn't natural. He has warming charms on all the walls and the floor, and that fire is magically augmented.
Nym and the others nodded and spread out while Neville engaged Hagrid in conversation. Harry found the greenish, nearly black egg in the bottom of the cauldron on the fire. "Hey Hagrid, I think this egg is done."
Hagrid looked concerned and bustled over to the fire. He looked into the cauldron and then lidded it. "Nope, not yet, but soon."
Hermione looked around Hagrid. "What kind of egg could need that much heat? Oh, Hagrid, no!"
Hagrid looked terrified. Hermione plowed on. "That's a Dragon egg, isn't it? And you're trying to hatch it, aren't you?"
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Nym looked at Hagrid and shook her head. "Hagrid, how did you even get one? They're Class One controlled items."
"I won it down the pub, playing three-stake Brag, Tonks." "Morgana, what could the other two stakes have been?"
Harry heard Daphne's thought and looked over at her and winked. About that time the cauldron on the fire shook violently and Hagrid snatched the lid off. "Oh look, here he comes!"
"He's insane and we're all going to die!" "Easy, Susan, it'll be a baby. What could it do?" "Just wait, Harry!"
Harry threw an arm over her shoulders and hugged her quickly, then he leant forward as Hagrid was cooing at something and reaching into the cauldron. His huge hands came out filled with writhing reptile, which promptly sneezed and lit his beard on fire. Hagrid beamed and put the fire out. "I'll call you Norbert."
Nym frowned. "How do you know it's a boy?" "Fella said it was a male egg, didn't he, Tonks."
Daphne elbowed Hermione. The center of the Coven watched as Neville and Hagrid fussed over the baby Dragon a while. Harry rubbed his head. "Hagrid, you've got to get that Dragon out of here."
Hagrid closed his hands around the little Dragon protectively. Flames shot between his fingers. "Why, Harry?"
Susan rolled her eyes. "Hagrid, everything in here is wood and the roof is thatch. He'll burn you out of here in a week."
Hagrid looked around nervously. "Well, Tonks could help me there. You others, too. You're ahead in your schooling."
Padma looked around. "Fireproofing charms? Someone's already DONE them but they won't stop Dragon fire."
Hagrid blushed and sighed. A light snapped on for Harry. "You've got the pieces of your wand, haven't you? You can do magic. Of course you can--you were a fifth year."
Neville looked confused and Hagrid horrified. Daphne laughed. "Oh Hagrid, never lie. You just don't have the face for it." She looked around a moment and found the child's umbrella, the pink child's umbrella, lying on the table beside the bed in the one-room shack. She picked it up and waved it and a rainbow of sparks shot out the end. "Merlin! How powerful is this wand, then?"
Hagrid beamed and then his face fell. "Doesn't matter, they snapped it. Nobody will rebuild it or teach me magic. I was hoping one of you might know some better charms, but no matter. I'll make
do. Now off to the castle with you all. It's near curfew." He shooed the children out and shut the door firmly behind them.
Neville sighed. "What'll we do, Harry?" Harry shook his head. "I'll find out. He can't keep that Dragon, though." Neville nodded miserably. H
Wednesday the sixth of May found Amelia in the sitting room of Potter Castle, very puzzled. "This makes no sense, acromantula bites are fatal. No one survives without treatment, and the treatment is not Mandrake-based."
Harry shrugged. "I'll leave the re-investigation in your very capable hands, Amelia. Meanwhile, what do we do about this Dragon?"
Amelia frowned. "The eggs are controlled items, Harry, but as it's hatched and no one saw it unless you testify, Hagrid won't be charged."
Sirius sighed. "Hagrid has to give it up. Whether or not it thinks he's it's mother. It will fly soon and then it will start to establish a territory. After that it will start raiding. Young Dragons eat tons. No question students and staff will be on the menu."
The other adults nodded. They had all read the reference material. Little did they know that at that moment, back at Hogwarts, events were spiraling even more out of control.
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Ron snatched his hand back and howled in pain. Hagrid admonished Norbert and slammed the lid of his crate shut. Neville watched as first Ron's hand, then his arm, turned purple and green. "Well, who knew Dragons were venomous?" Hagrid sounded pleased to learn something new, like Hermione.
Neville rolled his eyes, Stunned the yelling Ron, and froze him in stasis. Then he levitated him and ran back to the castle and the Hospital Wing with his friend.
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Lisa Turpin skidded into the sitting room at Potter Castle. "Harry, come quick. That Dragon bit Ron and poisoned him. Neville took him to the Hospital Wing."
"Damn! All right, everyone, back to your dorms. No telling what the old man will do when he finds out." Harry leapt up and led the charge back to Hogwarts.
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Harry tossed on the Invisibility Cloak and left his bed, headed for the common room and then the Hospital Wing after shrinking and pocketing his trunk. Hermione joined him at the portrait hole. "We'll have to do something nice for Lisa, Harry."
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Harry nodded. "Why was she not with us, anyway?" Hermione pinkened slightly. "Witch problem." Harry looked at Hermione and sighed. "Hermione, you've got to be easier on the girls."
Hermione pouted. "No, Harry, really--hey, wait a minute! Oh, never mind. It wasn't me this time. She had really bad cramps and she's not even on her period, hasn't had it the first time yet even. It happens sometimes--well, the books say it can happen, the uterus gets confused or mixed signals from hormones or something. Madam Pomfrey will most likely put her on the potion or a modified version of the potion. I mean, Lisa isn't ovulating so no need to worry about that, but she could use the stabilizing effect. Get her regular, you know?"
Harry shook his head. "Errh, no, but if you say so, Ne."
Hermione chuckled. "You've read the books, Harry, plus you've been around us having periods for years--well, the Squib Squad--and you're still so squeamish?"
"Shhh, Ne, someone will hear us." Hermione chuckled quietly and pecked Harry on a very warm pink cheek. "You're so cute."
The pair made it to the Hospital Wing and burst in. Harry pulled the Cloak off. Minerva was already there with Neville. She wasn't really buying the "animal bite but I just found him like this" story.
"Ah, Mr Potter, Ms Granger." Minerva didn't know what Neville knew, so she played it safe. "Do you know anything about this?"
Harry and Hermione shook their heads. Harry answered, "No, ma'am. We just heard Neville was up here with Ron." We've got to give her a trunk, Ne.
Poppy sighed and straightened up. "Mr Weasley will be fine. No idea what bit him, but I've leeched the poison. He'll be here for a few days, though. Very nice work with that stasis and Stunning charm, Mr Longbottom."
Minerva nodded. "All right, children, back to the tower, and no dawdling."
Harry nodded and offered Hermione his arm. Neville followed them out. Once safely away from the Hospital Wing Neville burst out, "Harry, you all were right. That thing is a menace. It poisoned Ron! Thank Merlin you all taught me those charms and hexes."
Harry smiled. "Yeah, I noticed. I wonder how Norbert is. I mean, if he did that to Ron, what did Ron do to him?"
"Probably gave him a taste for virgins. Seriously, Harry, Norbert has to go."
Harry smiled at Hermione while Neville chuckled. "Very funny, Ne. Still not liking Ron, eh? Never mind. Hey Neville, didn't Ron tell us he had a brother who's a Dragon keeper?"
Neville nodded. "Yes. I have to get his assignments for tomorrow anyway. I'll get him to write to his brother."
George stuck his head out from behind a suit of armor. "Which one?"
Neville and Hermione screamed and Fred's head joined that of his brother. "Granger is louder, but Longbottom's shriller."
Harry chuckled. "And you're both going to be dead men."
The twins looked at Harry laughing right up until Hermione launched several curses at them for scaring her. "Oy--"
"--no need--" "--for that--" "--Hermione!" "Stop that, you idiots. Talk normal." Hermione was not amused.
Harry settled the group and Fred and George showed them into a hidden passageway. Harry relayed the story of Norbert for them, up through Norbert biting Ron. Fred looked at George. "Hagrid's a good bloke."
George nodded. "Yeah, but a bit barmy. A Dragon? What could he be thinking? We'll help." Fred took back over. "Our brother Charlie is a Dragonherd. We'll write to him." George finished. "You ickle firsties don't worry about it."
Harry fixed them with a gimlet eye but they laughed and scurried away. Hermione sighed. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Harry just shrugged and led the way back to the tower. He and Hermione got to sleep by midnight even after a long talk with Lavender. Well, some talking. She was just practicing with Neville. She was much too interested in Harry still to change over now.
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Charlie did come pick up Norbert, from deep in the forest where Hagrid carried him, crying the whole way. That took all of Neville and Harry's skill. Hagrid had at first refused, but they eventually wore him down. Ron getting out of the hospital and visiting with his still-mottled arm finally broke Hagrid down. Neville managed to get a detention coming back to the castle after curfew, but as he had to serve it with Hagrid they were both happy. Not so happy over the fact that Malfoy, who had gone to get a teacher after seeing Neville out, had to serve it too--well, maybe. Malfoy looked like he was going to piss himself over going into the forest for detention.
Life settled back down and Harry was happy. Amelia was worrying away at the Death Eaters, Dumbledore, and now the Chamber of Secrets story, and she seemed happy. Sirius was dating Charity Burbage or Bathsheba Babbling or someone and seemed happy. Remus was slowly working himself up to a nighttime date with Evangelina Harris, a fine woman in Harry's estimation, and seemed happy. So as far as Harry was concerned, all was right with the world.
Neville's world, however, was a little different. He and Ron Weasley were talking again, and Ron was full of suspicions about the third floor corridor and Professor Quirrell. Neville was
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disappointed when Harry dismissed it, but Ron was incensed. Harry had just shaken his head and offered that they should tell a Professor.
After Neville's detention on the twenty-sixth of May, with him barely surviving whatever was killing the Unicorns and Malfoy scared out of his mind about that and Centaurs now, too, Harry did some digging around in the Library and talking to the parents but everyone's opinion was that they should be careful and steer clear of trouble. Harry nodded and picked up his vigilance. Neville huffed and schemed with Ron.
Harry didn't notice much because not only had Hermione gone into a furious studying for exams period, but they were all helping the fifth year Coven members with O.W.L. revision, the seventh years with N.E.W.T. revision, and the Squib Squad that had them with O-level revision. Harry would later realize that Dumbledore had exerted his influence on Neville during this period and led him to what happened later. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, after all.
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The first exams rolled around on June first, with the Coven blasting through them and being faintly disappointed at how easy they were. This drew looks of Horror from the non-Coven students.
Ron and Neville were scheming about something, but Harry was determined not to pry. As he was doing a little light reading in the potions section of the Coven library in a copy of a tome from the Black Library, Harry came across a passage that explained how blood taken unwillingly from a Unicorn and consumed warm extended life but cursed the user. Nicholas confirmed it.
The adults put their heads together and Frank and Amelia started looking at the school and staff.
By June fourth everything was coming to a head. An offhand comment about possession by Alastor Moody late during a Wizengamot session tumbled Frank to the possibility that Quirrell was possessed by Voldemort. It was, however, all too late.
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After exams Harry and the Coven laughed and talked in the reading room while waiting for dinner. Hermione was confident they had aced all of their exams--well, her, Harry, Padma, Susan, and Daphne anyway. Nym was still taking N.E.W.T.s. The other Coven witches were very confident too. Harry looked around. "Where's Neville?"
Hermione shrugged. "Being a poop with Bilius."
Harry chuckled. Hermione had taken to calling Ron "Bilius" as soon as she heard his middle name in a Howler his mother had sent. She was completely merciless about it. She really, really disliked him, and his refusal to apologize, unlike Neville, had apparently permanently set her teeth on edge. "We'll see them at dinner."
Harry leant his head back and concentrated. Nym was close to finishing this first of her N.E.W.T.s and he wanted to be there for her if she needed anything.
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"No, Ron, it's not that Harry is a coward. He just thinks the teachers should handle it. He doesn't seem to put much stock in the Sorcerer's Stone."
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"He's an idiot then, Nev. That Stone produces gold and grants the person who has it immortality. The bossy bushy bitch has softened his brain. Quirrell is evil and he's going after the Stone. You've seen the signs just like I have."
Neville paced the dorm room nervously. "Okay, sure, we think it's Quirrell--but he's a Professor, Ron. Surely it's Dumbledore's problem."
Ron nearly growled. "He isn't here, Neville. We can save the Stone and we'll be famous. There's probably even a reward! You're the one who came to me and told me Quirrell was the one you saw attacking the Unicorns. We can surprise him and Stun him with that spell you taught me from Potter. We'll be famous, and rich!"
Neville wasn't too sure about this. Sure, Quirrell might get to the Stone, but he was a full-grown wizard and fully trained. Neville wasn't sure what they could do about that. "We'll follow him after dinner, Ron."
H Harry oofed as Nym landed half in his lap. He sat up and opened an eye. "Tough day, Nym?"
Nym just grunted and rolled over so her face was to Harry's stomach. She snuggled in and groaned. She lay still for a moment, then glared up at Hermione. "How did I let you talk me into taking twelve N.E.W.T.s, again?"
Hermione smiled. "It will be good for you and you didn't have anything else to do until the end of school. We're there for you, Nymie."
"Nymie! I'll Nymie you, little witch!"
Harry smiled and grimaced as his lap became the battlefield, or maybe playground. The others laughed. Nym wasn't really serious. They had the Potter, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Black, and Hufflepuff libraries in Camelot along with the minor family collections and a substantial portion of the Hogwarts Library, Restricted Section included. Harry wasn't bothered by library protection spells when he was casting his wandless duplication charms. The witches, Squibs, and Harry had been working these libraries over for a year. Harry had been doing the Parseltongue translations of Slytherin's books. The guides that the Coven produced were growing more and more detailed and made learning and revision a pleasure and very effective. Finally they got up and headed to dinner before they came back to revise for Nym's next N.E.W.T.
Harry laughed his way through dinner with the Gryffindor members of the Coven. Then, after a few minutes' conversation with a nervous Neville and a nearly belligerent Ron, he left with the Coven to return to the reading room.
H "There he goes, Neville. He got off the stairs on the third floor. I told you!" Neville looked over the banister and nodded. "All right, let's go."
Neville and Ron crept down the stairs and then down the hallway. They heard music and peeked around the door at the end of the hall. Neville drew back, white-faced. "Ron that's a Cerberus."
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"Yeah, but it's sleeping. Look at the hole in the floor, Neville." Neville sighed. "This is a bad idea, Ron." "Are you scared?"
Several parts of Neville screamed, "YES!" Unfortunately the wizard in him, the crazy person running around armed, picked that moment to rise up and cow the, perhaps, smarter parts of him. "No. Let's go."
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Harry was getting an uneasy feeling as they revised with Nym, and it was transmitting itself to the Coven.
Finally the revision was over and the group broke up. Harry went for a wander round the castle with the Coven. They wandered onto the third floor and Harry found the open door, the playing harp, the sleeping Cerberus, and the trap door. He looked at the witches. "Neville's gone in there. Dammit! Hannah, Megan, go together and find a Professor. Let them know where we are and what's happened."
Hannah and Megan took off at a run. Harry went the opposite way and into the trap door hole. The Coven shook their heads and followed. Harry cast a wandless cushioning charm on the rough floor he'd landed on. Apparently Neville and Ron had just blasted their way through what was, or had been, a large mass of Devil's Snare. Once the girls had landed Harry led them down the only passage out of the room with its slimy, dripping walls and they all stood at the bottom, looking at the flying keys and the broom. Harry rubbed a hand through his hair and just as he was headed for the broom, Morag said, "The door's open, Harry. Well, unlocked anyway."
Harry looked over at her; sure enough, the door was studded with keys that had imbedded themselves in it. The door key was stuck in the lock, flapping its broken wings feebly. Harry nodded and led the group through the door. He looked at the chessboard and sighed. He cast a wandless charm at the white king and nodded as it exploded. "Check mate."
The witches giggled at the white queen's McGonagall-like? frown and tripped across the board behind Harry. The white queen moved and Hermione waved negligently at her. She froze in place and then exploded. Hermione nodded grimly. "Mine, bitch!" The witches gave her a wider berth.
The troll in the next room was already unconscious. Smelly, though. They walked through the first set of flames and Padma, Kristen, and the other 'Claws had the riddle solved in an instant. Padma looked at the tiny bottle of potion and shook her head. It was empty. Harry nodded and waved. The flames froze. He nodded and walked through them. It tickled.
On the other side of the black flames Harry shielded as the magics flared deeper in the space. Nothing came, and the witches came through the flames shielding and ready. Harry made it deep enough into the room that he could see the mirror and Neville and Ron on the ground. Quirrell was standing over them with his wand drawn and Harry snapped. He fired a blast of rage converted to raw magic; Quirrell was slammed into the wall, and some kind of thing took over his body. Soon enough Harry was in a ravening duel with thing/Quirrell and the witches joined in on Harry's side. They weren't throwing first year hexes, either. Thing/Quirrell was driven back against the
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crumbling wall and in desperation shielded and turned to the wall and blew it out just as Dumbledore appeared.
Harry watched as Dumbledore looked in the mirror, blanched, and pursued Quirrell into the night. Harry levitated Ron and Neville and took them back through the black fire and into Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall's? care. He silently led the witches away behind Professor McGonagall? to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey was confident the wizards would recover, but they were both physically and magically exhausted. Harry tried scanning them passively and got nothing. It was scary, like no one was home.
Dumbledore entered the Hospital Wing still in that towering fury and turned to Harry. "What did you do, boy?"
Harry actually growled. He had never liked the appellation "boy", and the last person who had applied it to him had taken a little trip to Casualty. "Followed my friend. What was that whole thing, Dumbledore? A series of tests? Who exactly were you testing, and to what end? What was that thing that took over Quirrell? Has it been in the school long?"
Harry suddenly got a plethora of images and thoughts from the witches and it all gelled in his head. "It has, hasn't it? Since Quirrell came back. It's been here all along. You, the great Albus Dumbledore, have allowed a Professor possessed by some demon or something to be in close proximity to the students for a full school year. That creature is what killed those Unicorns, not Quirrell like Neville thought.
"Quirrell's dead now, isn't he? I killed him. I thought I might have when I slammed him into that wall. The rest of those hexes couldn't have helped. Good--one less idiot to worry about. What could he have been after down there? What was the cheese in your maze?"
Dumbledore was furious. He bellowed at Harry, "You purposely killed Professor Quirrell!"
His wand snapped up and he froze; he simply could not move, even to speak. Harry looked at him with glowing green eyes. "Yes, he was dangerous. My witches were near. Two underage wizards were already down, ostensibly because of him. I took the necessary action to protect my house."
Dumbledore blanched. That response was very nearly from a textbook, a Head of Noble House textbook.
Dumbledore moved the only thing he was capable of, his eyes, and took in the group around Harry. It was all witches from first through seventh years. Powerful witches who were at the top of their classes, and they all had wands out except for the Granger girl. Morgana, the boy had a Coven--he was the Warlock! What? How had this happened under his very nose? If this was known, the boy would be emancipated. He would come into the Potter inheritance and that would be a sticky wicket when the will was read. The world would know that he, Dumbledore, had violated it, and someone would make the connection to Sirius Black. Oh, this was bad.
A change of course was required here until he could understand what was happening and formulate a plan. He had the Stone, after all. Riddle's spirit hadn't been able to carry that away when it could no longer animate Quirrell's corpse. Force obviously wasn't going to work here. As he made that decision he found himself able to move again. "Forgive me, Harry. It has been a trying day. I understand you only took the actions required to protect you and others. Now if you will please return to your tower while I sort this out. I will speak to you again soon."
Harry simply nodded and the witches turned on their heels and left. Albus didn't fail to notice that Harry backed unerringly out of the door, which was held open by two witches. The boy was fully bound to one of them as the matriarch. Albus's eyes traveled over the group and locked onto a smirking Nymphadora's face. She had to be the matriarch. It all made sense suddenly. She had found herself bound to the boy through some happenstance and had moved to establish a coven to support him all the way through school. She was no doubt the reason all these wizards were maimed and injured--yes, she was very, very powerful. That explained the sixth through first year witches: she dominated them and used them to please her lord.
Albus smiled. Yes, control could be easily regained. She wouldn't want the scandal it would generate when he told the press an of-age witch had been having sex with an underage wizard and forcing underage witches.
Hmmm, this would have to be delicately DONE, however. The little freak was enormously powerful. He had killed Quirrell almost negligently and frozen the most powerful wizard in several ages to the floor like a Muggle popsicle. The boy was a perfect companion for the Boy Who Lived; adequately trained, he would hold the Death Eaters at bay while Neville dealt with Riddle. DONE correctly, he could then be used to eliminate Neville if things worked out as per Albus's worst-case scenario and he lost control of the boy. Yes, this could work out very nicely indeed. Albus turned and faced a livid Minerva McGonagall?. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.