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Chapter 40 - Ch: 18

Chapter Eighteen

In the poison'd entrails throw

"It's better this way, Hermione, we needed to slow down. I'm having sex nearly continuously, and while I'm not complaining at all--far from it, a blessing really--" Hermione cuffed him gently round the head with a forearm from her position with his head in her lap. Harry grinned. "--it's cutting into my study time." Harry licked the underside of her other breast from his position with his head on her belly on a towel in the grass as she sat propped on her arms. "And while I can and do get knowledge and magics from all of you, I really like having time to study. Neville isn't hurt badly. Ginny is seeing to him. Let's just relax a little until semester starts. Besides, I want some time to just sit with you all, maybe think about things a little."

Hermione giggled. "Harry, you're right on the verge of rolling me over and shagging me doggy right now, I can feel it, love--but fine, we can slow down. It wasn't Ginny influencing us, though, it was the Harpies, Luna, Ginny and Neville, all of that. It was a lot of energy to deal with. Now hush and nap. We have everyone here and the Boxing Day feast is later."

Harry nodded and snuggled his head into Hermione's belly. She smiled and lay back, resting one hand on his head and the other above her head in a purely unintentional, completely sexy pose. The Coven, now including the Harpies, grinned at the two of them.

Aiden looked over at Daphne. "Any chance of discussing some business, Daphne?"

Daphne marked her place in her bodiceripper with a crisp new ten-pound note Aiden didn't want to ask about and looked up. "Sure, Dad, what did you want to know?"

"Well, how are we doing, for one?"

Daphne smiled and summoned her books; she passed them to her father. "Well, you can see we're making a net profit average of four thousand Galleons a month. The newness wore off some of the products. How many spiral-bound, micro-perforated parchment notebooks can a witch or wizard use, after all? The same with the fountain and nib pens, especially the nibs. They wear extremely well, so if they're well cared for they could, with our specially formulated inks, last for centuries. We don't take a huge mark-up on them as they're dead simple to make. Machines do thousands an hour."

The Coven parents looked surprised and then nodded.

"The new novelty lines from the Weasley twins made up some sales and they're constantly developing new things. We really need to take them private and stop selling their stuff wholesale to Zonko. Megan is working with them on a catalog and then shop approach. We'll maintain production for them and probably advance them start-up capital."

More nods with a few more surprised then thoughtful looks as the books were passed from head of house to head of house.

"Hannah and Mandy are working on prosthetic limbs like Frank's. Once we get one more endorsement of them from Alastor Moody we'll go to production and market with them. Nym gave Alastor his for Christmas. She'll see how he likes it when she goes back to class Monday the fourth."

Anna and Jonathan Abbot beamed at their daughter, as did Donna and David Brocklehurst.

"Lavender, Parvati, and Kirsten think we don't know but they're working on a line of underwear that's all about look but has Kirsten's support charms built in which, when activated by Harry, supposedly feel like him caressing you and supporting you all day. It's really stunning and gives a girl that pretty feeling--or sexy, or frumpy and comfortable, depending on what set she wears."

Lavender pouted. "So no secrets at all, then?"

Daphne smiled. "You talk in your sleep, dear, and what a good idea. We'll call the line that: No Secrets."

Lavender spluttered while Parvati nodded. Daphne continued, "The publishing side of the business is running at maximum capacity twenty-four hours a day with fourteen texts and who knows how many pleasure reading books.

"We're selling from catalogs and by sales reps in Britain and on the continent. Harry's Ravenclaw property in the Rue de Magic in Paris hosts our main offices on the continent in the public portions of the townhouse. Hufflepuff had a manor on the Magical Allee in Frankfurt that we're using and Gryffindor had properties in Italy, Spain, and Portugal that Harry is allowing us to use. Slytherin kept a house in St Petersburg that we're now using and upgrading, and those markets are opening up fast.

"In the next year or so we expect surge growth in these new markets and then they should fall back to a more sustained pace, so using Britain and France as examples we expect our sustainable income to be somewhere from ten thousand to twelve thousand Galleons a month, net."

Minerva cleared her throat from her position face-down on her towel. She managed to roll over and pull her one piece up and hold it to her in a way that stopped the males present cold. She wasn't really into the topless thing yet. "You will soon be receiving nearly a thousand orders for those fourteen textbooks as they're all on the book list for next year."

Amelia Bones cleared her throat. "I would like to know the cost of that body armor Nym got. I think the DMLE should begin trying to find the money for that."

Daphne smiled and nodded. "So as you can see, SSWA Incorporated is still doing fine and can only grow. The lack of facilities are the real hold-up, as there are still Squibs who could be employed and some first-born and half-bloods who are seriously under-employed and thus rife for headhunting away from their current employers--and that's only in Britain. We haven't tapped the Continental European labor markets yet, but there are some seriously persecuted groups there, Veela for one."

The Coven parents looked at each other. Aiden finally cleared his throat. "Well, I guess we should all be checking our property holdings to see what we can use."

Daphne nodded. "That would be great, Dad. I mean, we can use some of Harry's other properties but we're really looking to stay co-located with our manufacturing facilities. It simplifies things.

Oh, gods! Harry!"

Aiden blinked as his daughter disappeared. Tracey snickered. "Apparently Harry wants to 'slow down' with Daphne for a while."

Charlotte nodded. "Such a smart boy." Aiden spluttered ineffectually.

George Bell looked up from the books. "Did you all know we were being paid dividends? Dividends hell, they're larger than my salary! Daphne, I can't take this! Daphne?"

Tracey chuckled. "It's already in the expenses, Mr Bell. It's your money now. After all, you got in on the ground floor. One hundred shares of class A stock."

George frowned. "For a few errands in and around Britain with the lorry? It's too much."

Tracey shrugged. "Buy another lorry and hire a driver. We need more HGV (heavy goods vehicles- -tractor/trailers for you Americans) transport anyway."

The rest of the Coven parents were suddenly looking at their dividends in the book too. They were amazed. They had invested time and effort for permits and licenses where needed, but very little capital. Daphne paid them in "stock" that they had thought was cute but not really going anywhere; as long as the girls were happy and BUSY, right? Apparently they were not only happy and BUSY but headed toward being independently wealthy, and making their parents the same. Amazing!

Susan cleared her throat when they settled, looking thoughtful. "Politically the Coven is still well hidden. Not from its work but from the people in power's own naïveté or ignorance, in some cases perhaps willful ignorance.

"Dumbledore is apparently still convinced that Nym is the Potter Matriarch, and while he may be planning moves to isolate Harry from Sirius now that Sirius is apparently voting the Potter Proxy, his main attention is still firmly fixed on Neville. Sorry, Alice."

Augusta nodded. "Nothing you can do, dear--Alice, you either. I can hardly get anywhere with him."

Susan nodded. "The Coven parents continue to form consensus that Harry and we the Coven agree with and we are well pleased.

"Meanwhile the first-born, their parents, the Squibs and half-bloods and werewolves flock to Harry's banner. Jobs, the textbooks, and you parents being there for the first-born parents to talk to are apparently great draws. Thank you, Emma Granger."

Emma blushed as the other parents, siblings, and the Coven clapped. Susan waited, then went on. "A separate hub trunk has been set up and Emma tells me that most first-born parents' first purchase is a family trunk for both safety and apparently the additional rooms. We had intended to start just creating portals in homes and will test that on the Squib Squads' homes first. Those portals will connect to the new hub trunk, which has what Harry calls 'a man in the loop airlock killing ward set' between it and Camelot and between the trunks and the hub. Somehow Harry is the 'man in the loop'.

"The new vassals are heavily involved with Emma and Lily in working with the first-born parents and Harry is pleased to see some leaders emerging among the vassals and first-born parents who

have what he calls common sense. He means they simply want a chance for their kids to succeed and to be left alone by the Ministry, or as alone as possible.

"On another note, Gringotts has approached us to construct a branch, staffed by humans, at least in the publicly viewable areas in Knockturn that would serve only first-born, half-bloods and 'magical creatures'. We're discussing pure-bloods who Harry approves of being allowed to use it. Also, Harry's not sure about the staffing. He likes Goblins.

"The old entrance into Knockturn from Muggle London has been unsealed and warded, and reconstruction to bring it up to modern standards is planned. As planned, it will be a lobby of an actual office building Harry intends to use for SSWA Industries. Only first-born, half-bloods and magical creatures will even know it's open again. Don't ask me how, but that's what Harry plans. A receptionist will meet the newly arrived and answer all their questions if they're not with a guide."

The parents and siblings sat digesting this. Just as Angus McDougal? open his mouth, Susan squawked and disappeared. Angus blinked. "More 'slowing down', then," rumbled from him in his thick Highland burr through a huge grin. General laughter followed.

The next few days passed in a languorous round of PT, sunning, talking a little business and a little politics--oh, and building sandcastles of fantastic dimensions and impossible engineering for Harry and Leyland. Well, Harry; Leyland was getting very good at knocking them down, though. Harry also did a lot of "slowing down", but normally with just he, Hermione, and one female for the day. The Coven was not sure whether it was pleased or not; having that laser-like focus on you for a whole day was thrilling but tiring, exhausting even.

The evenings and nights? A completely different story. If the Harpies weren't pregnant Christmas Day, they were by the time Harry and the others went back to school on the third. While it couldn't have been considered "slowed down" by any normal person, in Harry's world it was positively glacial as he and Hermione or one of the inner circle concentrated fully on one Coven member at a time. Gwenog was certain she would never require the physical act again, as remembering those times made her need a seat and a glass of wine, maybe a lie-down and a change of pants. Fortunately the feeling wouldn't last and she would spend many evenings with Harry over her life. The Harpies got a reputation for being completely frigid, though, except amongst those wizards approved of by Harry and the Harpies Coven council. They generally found one of the Harpies to be as much as they could handle; actually they always found it this way.

An interesting conversation took place on the afternoon of the third. "If I wasn't a wizard's wizard I might have to try on that Hermione. I swear to Merlin I got hard looking at her a few days ago."

Karl Roberts, Eliza's cover wizard, looked at Greg, Ella's cover and his partner. "Ha! Harry would have your guts for garters after she laughed at you and then nutted you. I would be insulted, I mean you looking at witches, but I understand. I have no idea what it is, but something about her just calls to me."

Edward Smyth-Jones?, a cover wizard of the Jones Coven, rolled his head and looked over at the younger wizards. "Beauty doesn't know sex in that sense. She is becoming--well on her way to being, actually-- the very image of what he considers beautiful. The other inner circle Coven members, the ones who are in his head all the time, will become the same. All the Coven members to some extent, more as they have more contact with him. Oh, not all duplicates of each other but as beautiful as he sees them in his mind's eye; and he is truly smitten and apparently likes his women to be his equals, so they're going to be monstrously hot, intelligent as their mental capacity allows, and powerful as their magic allows. Merlin, why couldn't he be gay!"

The Potter Coven cover wizards, Greg, Sheldon, William, Miles, and Karl, nodded mutely. The Potter Coven witches might be hot, but Harry was a walking wet dream. Eliza rolled over and grabbed Karl's chin and turned his eyes to hers. "No. Down, boy! Go play with Greg."

The witches around them giggled madly as Karl blushed furiously.

H

On the third of January the population of Hogwarts, parents included, watched as Harry swept onto the platform. The pure-blood parents watched as Harry received and returned not a few curtsies and small bows from students and parents. This was a new and interesting development, all these half- bloods and Muggle-borns acknowledging someone as their superior. Wait, it was all half-bloods and Muggle-borns. This would bear watching.

H

The Express back to school for once didn't turn into a free-for-all in the Coven's hugely expanded compartment. Luna dropped to the floor in front of Harry and Susan spun a light blanket, conjured from thin air and covered in a cooling charm, over her and Harry. Pansy waited patiently and when Luna appeared, breathless and smiling, Pansy slipped into Harry's lap and under the blanket. All very orderly. Harry sat bemused for a moment, then shrugged and concentrated on Pansy.

Eliza was talking to Hermione. "They all need cover wizards, Hermione." "Eliza, there aren't that many wizards. They aren't all gay, either."

Lavender nodded. "Some of us can be witches' witches or just not interested until we're out of school. Mum told me it was fairly common even in her day. LFS--lesbians for school, she said."

Daphne snorted. "I don't think the Coven's cover will last that long. And really it's a fait accompli. They, the Ministry, can't do anything about it; it's a fact of magic. Harry is enormously powerful and can support and defend us all. The idiots don't need to know how many of us are also very powerful or that we're independently wealthy."

Susan nodded. "The ancient and noble houses and Covens exist under different rules. Medieval rules of manorial Britain, as a matter of fact. Harry is lord in his own lands, the ultimate power, arbiter of good and evil, dispenser of high, middle, and low justice.

"We technically became his property as soon as he put that sigil on us and we let him. Sure, we're to be treated as noble daughters, but we're still technically his property. He must approve any marriages and/or could dispose of us as he sees fit, Ne. You know this from the reading, but I don't think you realize what it really means.

"You've all seen how that sigil of Narcissa's caged the Malfoy Matriarch's ring. That wasn't just symbolism. Harry holds the house of Malfoy through her until Leyland is seventeen. Technically Harry should wear the Malfoy ring if Sirius doesn't take it up; that will have to be dealt with soon one way or the other. Harry could, if he chose, marry Narcissa off to whoever he chose--Bilius, Fudge, anyone. Or he could just give her or one of us to them for their use. We understand that. We also understand he won't, but it's possible under the ancient useage.

"Ne, you're the only one of us who's not his property, and then because you're his equal in the

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House, the rights and obligations will fall to you should Harry die without unencumbered issue. We need to think about what we're going to do if one of the Harpies' children are the first male and unencumbered.

"The only other Coven warlock alive, Lester Jones, is automatically elevated to Noble status because of his power, and Melba with him. The Joneses are not an Ancient and Noble house, but they have a seat in the Nobles course of the Wizengamot because of their coven status.

"Aunt Amelia and I have DONE some reading and Harry will have to present himself to the Queen on his seventeenth birthday at the latest. She may require him to renew the Potters' oath to the crown. I would be surprised if she didn't. The magical lords never signed the Magna Carta or any of the other treaties or documents. They exist now as they did a thousand years ago, a "might makes right", "God send the right" kind of thing. There are really two Britains, the manorial magical Britain, much of the lands of which are hidden from mundanes, and the Monarch in Parliament mundane Britain. Elizabeth is the Queen of both separate countries."

Tracey looked around the compartment. "Damn, that's hot!" She dove at Susan, who laughed and wrestled her off and into her lap and gave her a big wet kiss.

Daphne arched a brow. "You are such a slut, Tracey. Me when I make money, Susan when she makes politics work for us."

"Harry or Ne any time they want me. I know, Daph; can't fight my nature, though." Tracey grinned unrepentantly. The others chuckled and shook their heads.

H

Harry walked into the Hospital Wing with Hermione on his arm and the witches of the Coven trailing him, and Poppy came steaming out of her office. "I just stopped by to see how Neville and Ron were, Madam Pomfrey."

"Fine, dear, but not too long. The best thing for them is rest."

Harry nodded and made his way over and behind the screens. Ginny, sitting beside Neville's bed, rose and pecked Harry on the cheek. Neville grinned at him horribly. "Right mess, eh, Harry?"

Harry nodded. "Next time at least pick a better looking subject; you too, Ron." Ginny huffed and Hermione snorted. "Next time? There'll be a next time?"

Neville looked at Ginny. Discretion might be the better part of valor here. "Uh, no, not anytime soon, anyway, and not until I practice that Polyjuice potion."

Ron sat up. "Oh, it wasn't that bad."

Harry managed not to laugh as Ginny's face matched her hair. "Maybe not, Ron, but I would recommend practice."

Hermione and the Coven rotating through to briefly speak to Neville almost saved Ron. His opening his mouth and commenting, "Jesus, they're all so hot!" got him Bat-Bogeyed? as soon as the Coven had cleared the screens.

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Hermione left on Harry's arm, chuckling. Bilius won't survive to graduate.
Ne!
Not me, Harry. Ginny's going to kill him sooner or later. H

Harry, Hermione, and the Coven settled firmly into school and projects, one of them being still mining the diary for information, and faking that they were sleeping where they were supposed to be. The girls checked every trunk in school and removed Snape's locating charm wherever they found it.

No one ever remembered exactly who, but someone started randomly casting detection charms, and for the next fortnight the Coven was BUSY removing tracking charms of everyone except the owner of the object or owl from all kind and manner of things belonging to half-blood, first-born, and witches. The Coven witches were incensed. Harry just shook his head. Some older students, adult wizards, and Ministry workers were going to wish they'd kept their charms to themselves someday. Tracey was compiling a dossier on everyone who had cast a tracking charm on someone else's things or persons. Harry knew that was going to turn ugly at some point.

Megan Jones and Morag McDougal? teamed up and began working on the arithmancy equations and rune sets for a version of the Dial-a-Spell? that detected and removed tracking, listening, and watching charms.

H Saturday the sixteenth of January the twins stopped by the Hospital Wing. "Neville, Ginny."
"Ron."
"How are you?"

"We see you're looking normal, Neville."
"Ron, that look may actually be an improvement for you."

Ron still had a unibrow and a very prominent brow ridge, with huge teeth that didn't fit his mouth at all.

Ron scowled at the twins while Ginny beamed at them. "Neville gets out today. Ron is still stuck a little, so he has to wait some more."

The twins nodded and looked serious. "We wanted to--" "--talk to you two--"
"--about that."
"Can you take us--"

"--through how you--"

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"--made the potion?"

Neville frowned. "Why?"

George smiled. "Well, we had this idea for a Wheeze."

Fred picked it up as the twins dropped into their twinspeak again. "People could get animal parts from Polyjuice--"

"--and then we could sell them the reversal--" "--or both at the same time--"
"--but two separate potions--"
"--for each animal part."

"They could get fur and fins maybe--" "--or be like a Chimera."

Ginny looked thoughtful, Neville put his head in his hands, and Ron looked horrified. He could see who was going to be the test rooster for this madness.

H

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Chapter 25

Harry heard of the twins' plan a week or so later and just shook his head. Hermione and Padma reviewed the Polyjuice potion and its known side effects and shrugged. It was possible but would require master brewing skills and much testing.

Harry nodded. They would watch and see how this developed. Hermione smiled at Harry and nodded.

Hermione turned back to her project, wondering what was happening with them. Well, not wondering. What was happening was that they were having a blast. Everything was in a nice steady rhythm with just enough surprise to keep things very entertaining and interesting. The Professors were pushing them hard in class, PT was challenging with them adding to their routines as needed, and the Coven had steadied into a rhythm in their sex life too. Harry, of course, was right. He was still operating at near peak but the witches were just pleasantly satisfied. Whenever someone got--well, really itchy, they talked to Hermione. It seemed to be working fine. Hermione even spent some time with a couple of the Coven by herself. Well, herself and her cat.

Ne?

What, Harry?

Harry rolled his eyes. Hermione gave him an over-the-top innocent look.

Nothing was happening on the Chamber of Secrets front. That was a trifle worrying, as Riddle was patently insane. Maybe the thing had died?

Nym snorted in the bond. Yeah, right. Wishful thinking there, I think, Ne. Harry, he did it again and then I thought he was going to kiss me. We've created a monster here.

The bonded laughed. Monday the fourth Moody had strode into Nym's Auror class and after a few moments screamed, "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" and started Stunning everyone. Nym had dropped behind one of her Stunned classmates' bodies and returned fire. After a spirited duel she found herself Ennervated and Moody congratulating her for her "quick reflexes".

Moody then berated the class for failing to note his lack of a peg leg, before he showed them all the thing with its prominent SSWA Industries logo.

The SSWA offices were soon under siege from mediwizards and -witches for the prosthetics. The wizarding world buzzed with how cheap and how good they actually were. No more pegs or claws.

Later Alastor had bought her lunch and then held her after class and showed her some new magics. Nym was ecstatically exhausted. Not only was she Alastor Moody's protégé but he was reaching deep into his grimoires of both spell and fieldcraft for her every evening.

Of course, people talked, but Nym knew that was jealousy; and somehow Moody found out who the rumors came from and singled them out to duel Nym. She had even integrated her tendency to stumble into her very physical style of dueling. The rumors dried up amazingly quickly.

Today Alastor had stepped into the second year Auror class and DONE his "Constant vigilance!"

trick again and Stunned them all in seconds. He had been so happy. Harry smiled. Nym and Moody sitting in a tree.

Harry! Nym was scandalized, or projected the feeling very well, rather. She was actually very amused. She would have her vengeance on Wednesday evening when Harry had to morph to a girl for the first time.

H

"Next week, Sirius. They'll be here all right?" It was the end of the first week of February and Sirius's great Valentine's prank on the whole school was the topic of discussion.

"Early, Moony, they have to be here early so we can get them into these outfits."

Remus sighed. "Sirius, you know these are little people, right? Notoriously rough and foul- mouthed? You can't really have them around children."

Sirius smiled ."I'll have a word or two with the little buggers. Plus I'm holding three-quarters of their pay until after, like James suggested."

James nodded on the tie. "Don't worry so much, Moony. It'll be fun."

Remus sighed. The Marauder was fully out in Sirius and James was helping all the time, riding around on that tie of Sirius's or his that Sirius wore.

H

On Wednesday the tenth of February Nym was in the master bedroom of Camelot with Myrtle and Harry. Myrtle had started to spend more time in Camelot than in her U-bend since Harry had left a shrunken, Disillusioned trunk opened, warded, and stuck to the ceiling above her favorite stall. Myrtle was nude. Nym concentrated on the hours of work she and Myrtle had done--well, once she got past Myrtle trying to slip in corrections or improvements--and suddenly Myrtle was flesh and blood. The real Myrtle dove into the body and it, she, they danced and sang in glee. "Thank you, Nym! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Harry watched, very amused, as the very impressive taut, big-breasted, smooth-bellied young Myrtle/Nym capered about the room for nearly fifteen minutes. Maybe she wasn't as fit as one of the Coven but she was a very attractive witch. He stopped smiling when Myrtle/Nym turned to him with a look that could only be called predatory.

Four hours later all three of them had to call it quits. Nym looked at Myrtle. "Gods, woman, you nearly got me shagged to death."

Myrtle raised her head out of Harry's lap. "Me? You're the one who can apparently accommodate a bull elephant! Oh my gods, though, that is so good. Stuffed so full he locks in you!" Harry sighed and pushed Myrtle's head back down into his lap. He sighed in pleasure as the cold seeped into his overworked bits. Myrtle apparently didn't consider anything other than penetrative sex to be on the menu for now. Nym chuckled, winced, and then rolled over her pelvis onto and through Myrtle's torso and sighed in pleasure too. A ghostly arm came up with a raised thumb.

H

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On the evening of the thirteenth of February--if you counted nearly midnight as evening--Sirius got the last little person costumed and their poems handed to them. Just as that last one left his office, Remus came in. "The decorations are ready."

Sirius smiled. James beamed from the tie. "Thanks, Moony." "James, hadn't you better go home?"
"Oh, Lils will come get me whennnnnnnnnnnn!"

Remus laughed. A shepherd's crook had appeared from stage left on the tie, hooked James round the neck, and dragged him sharply off to the left. Sirius looked down and then shrugged. "So, Firewhisky, Moony?"

Remus shook his head. "No, thank you. I believe I'll go home. You should be heading that way too."

Just then a Rottweiler Patronus hit Sirius and he nodded vigorously. Remus laughed. Magda had exactly the correct Patronus, a Rottweiler bitch. She could be vicious and tenacious. Perfect for Sirius.

H

Harry and the Coven entered the Great Hall for breakfast and something tripped Harry's innate sense of danger. Maybe it was the apparent Pepto-Bismol? paint job, perhaps the stylized paper hearts fluttering around everywhere. He led the Coven to the Ravenclaw table, where they took up the end furthest from the staff table, leaving their backs covered by the wall. Harry watched the Great Hall warily as it filled. His first thought was echoed by Megan Jones. "What the hell are all these doing in here so early on a Sunday, and what the hell happened to this place?"

Luna looked up from her pillaging of the fruit and passed over a flyer from her robe pocket. "Found that on the common room notice board."

Megan read, "Your Valentine delivered by Cupid. Write your Valentine a note and send it to room three twenty-two by owl not later than ten p.m. on the thirteenth."

Harry frowned. "Three twenty-two? Isn't that the room next to DADA?"

Hermione nodded just as a cupid, complete with bow, pink diaper, cigar butt, and five o'clock shadow to match his dragon breath, popped up in front of her. "Hair of wire, teeeeeeeeee!"

The other cupids in the hall watched their leader fly across the Great Hall and stick to the wall upside down above the teachers' table. Harry looked around with burning green eyes and saw Draco smirking. Suddenly Draco wasn't smiling, he was in a pink diaper and had a smouldering cigar clamped in his teeth. His eyes watering from the stench of the Knut cigar nearly blinded him as he fled. The other cupids looked through the missives in their hands and a few fluttered to the ground. Harry nodded tightly.

Hermione looked at Harry and arched a brow. "I can take care of myself, Harry." "Grrrrrr."

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Hermione smiled and patted his cheek. "Yes, dear, I love you too."

Dumbledore enjoyed the cupids immensely, especially when they were delivering their embarrassingly bad poetry to fleeing wizards. They were persistent little buggers.

Sirius spent a hard afternoon trying to get Butch, the chief little person, unstuck from the wall and placate him. Finally he had to apologize to Harry for the whole thing and swear never to prank him again before Harry waved and Butch screamed as he fell. Sirius just caught him with a Levicorpus before he smashed his brains out on the teachers' dais.

Not even Dumbledore could reverse the charms on Draco, and Harry wasn't about to. It would take three days. Draco was completely humiliated. Dumbledore had to spend several hours talking to him to get him pumped back up enough to stick around and seek his revenge.

H

That night diary Riddle told Tracey's Ginny all about the Chamber of Secrets being opened the first time. Somehow he pulled her in and showed her the whole thing, right up to him ratting Hagrid out. The Coven got almost no sleep while they digested all this. The lies and omissions were obvious to them, of course, but Riddle was a master of the half or seven-tenths truth. Riddle's view of Dumbledore was enlightening too--not that far off of Harry's view, actually. Even all those years ago, Dumbledore was a manipulator first and foremost. He might have started out with high ideals but even those were suspect and easily proved wrong. There was no way a few wizards could rule the world for the benefit of all. First, they were lazy. Second, they had been isolated so long they had no idea they could be wiped off the face of the planet in an acinitic glare and a wash of plasma no shield could stand up under.

So they weren't actually that much further along. Hagrid couldn't have DONE it with an Acromantula. It had to have been Riddle, but they knew that already. The whole thing was frustrating.

H

Wednesday, February fourteenth, found Ginny Weasley getting shagged hard by Harry in the master bedroom of Camelot. Hermione walked in and did a double take before her glowing hands snapped up and Ginny rolled Harry out of the line of fire and off the bed, which exploded. Hermione stalked around the ruined bed to find Harry and Nym lying on the floor holding their hands over their hearts. Hermione sat in the floor with tears streaming down her face. Harry and Nym took her in their arms and Padma, Daphne, and Susan, who had rushed in, repaired the bed and levitated everyone onto it. Hermione finally settled. Harry looked into her eyes. "I would never, you know."

Hermione nodded fiercely. "I do, and I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened; instinct took over. I'm so sorry for insulting you like that."

Nym broke up laughing. "Don't worry, Ne. We were actually fairly confused ourselves and trying to concentrate on holding the changes. It was taking all we had."

The witches looked at Harry, who blushed crimson. Daphne sat back on her heels. "This may be the best thing ever--a man who knows exactly what getting shagged feels like from our point of view."

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Harry shrugged. "I already knew that. I mean, I am in your heads. It actually made the change to female easier for me, I think."

Nym nodded. "I know it made the change to you easier for me the first time, Harry."

Hermione blushed, remembering. Nym and Harry liked to double her occasionally. Daphne nodded. "No doubt, but now you really know. Why Ginny, though?"

Harry smiled. "An exercise in holding the change. It's hard to hold something you really don't want. I can't change to any of you to practice holding it."

Susan perked up. "Do me, Harry!"

Harry smiled and concentrated and found himself pushed to the bed and examined minutely. Susan looked up at him. "How accurate is this?"

Nym answered, "Exact. If Harry has touched you he can duplicate you. He still struggles with generic changes."

Susan nodded and went back to her near-microscopic exam. She wasn't at all satisfied with her pubic hair; it just didn't do anything at all for her this way. Sure, it was luxurious and a beautiful red, but it needed trimming and shaping more.

The others sat around chortling as Harry tried to morph it to her desire in accordance with her finger poking and intructions and she kept adjusting it.

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Monday, March first, found Ron out of the Hospital Wing for his second week and at a party in the Gryffindor tower that Neville had put together for his birthday. Ron was apparently more thoughtful now--not much but at least a little. He checked his food and drinks for potions as well as he was able. He checked his presents too--books from the Coven, chocolate from Ginny. How she got it he didn't know, and that made him suspicious. The twins also gave him some candies which he knew not to eat. Percy gave him a new nib pen, very nice. Mum and Dad sent him another set of robes. What the hell was wrong with them? He needed a wand! Well, he hadn't officially told them he'd broken his, but they had to know!

Hermione was completely unforgiving, though. Her running commentary about Bilius in the bond had Harry in stitches. It turned out to be a fun party, though; even Hermione seemed to have fun venting her spleen about Bilius.

Harry finally couldn't take it any more when she was coming up with stuff he thought he should probably look up. Could you actually be a homophobic megalomaniac gay misogynist with the emotional range of a nanometric caliper and the social skills of a warthog? Wouldn't one of those preclude the other?

Hermione crossed to him and flung herself into his lap in the cutest angry pout ever. Harry changed the subject. "So what courses next year, Ne?"

Hermione never hesitated. "Arithmancy, Runes, and Care, at least for us, Harry. We have some of the Coven taking everything and will get it all in study group so we can take all the OWLs in fifth

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year and the NEWTs in seventh year."

Harry moved her around in his lap and Hermione giggled as his interest in her became very pointed. "All of them, Ne?"

"Yes, Harry."

Harry pulled her to his chest. "Okay."

Hermione smiled. Harry loved to learn as much as she did; he was perfect.

Thank you.

You are.

Hermione, don't swell his head up.

Too late for that, Susan. He'll have her DONE there in the common room in a minute.

Padma! The other head.

Nym smiled in Alastor's favorite dueling room. That one, either. Harry, see if you can do her in the common room with no obscuring charms.

Nym! Hermione was horrified, especially when her panties vanished. She was also very wet suddenly. She leapt up and led Harry away. The bonded chuckled as she darted through the portrait hole towing Harry and dove into the first room that presented itself, a disused classroom.

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On Saturday, March thirteenth, Marietta smelled Cho when she went to wake her; she pushed her over on her back and buried her face in Cho's sex. The whole time a part of her mind was screaming in revulsion but most of her was screaming in need. She needed this. Whoever this wizard was that Cho was being pumped full of every three or four days was truly addictive and there fore massively powerful. Gods, this was humiliating. She would follow Cho, find this wizard, and then help Cho subdue him. She was--bah! they all were pure-blood witches and the prettiest in the school. This wizard would write a nice contract for them, giving them everything they could dream of, and they would sign. Then he could put his claim directly on them and they wouldn't have to get it from Cho.

Cho woke and curled around Marietta's head. "Marietta! Oh gods! Nnnngh."

Jacqueline and Meredith came in and Cho was pushed back out flat. While Jacqueline dove on Marietta and locked her in a fiery kiss, Meredith dove into Cho and pushed her over the edge again nearly immediately. The four of them of them very nearly missed breakfast, and when they got there Cho led them to a spot near Harry Potter nearly on autopilot and then stared at him the whole time. She was in a bit of a daze. Bit, hell--all she did was school work, Quidditch, and anticipate where she could "bump" into Harry next and what her witches would do to her afterward. The social and political maneuvering of her first two years was a thing of the past. She was well and truly decisively engaged. What was she getting out of this deal? Cho blushed. Well, besides satisfying her inner nymphomaniac?

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Marietta did the math in her head while Cho was daydreaming. "Cho!" she whispered fiercely. Cho looked at her. "What?"

"Harry Potter, Cho? You scored one of the Boys Who Lived, and the hottest one! Good job! His family is the, or one of the, Ancient and Noble houses. The only way this could be better is if you'd bagged Professor Black too."

Cho threw up a cone of silence. "You all were right there when he tied me to that cross in the common room and whipped me for bothering Lovegood. He humiliated me, Marietta. Since then he uses me every time he sees me. Well, not every time, but a lot. Who do you think you've been tasting on me? No one will get close to me after that pain-slut demonstration in the common room. Admittedly I seem to be addicted to him fucking me in public now. I mean, I could avoid him but I don't. Everyone in the school has to have seen him fucking me by now. I've been wondering when he would give me to some wizard."

Marietta looked at Cho and put her hand on Cho's forehead. "Not hot. After breakfast we're going to the Hospital Wing though, Cho. You're delusional. Harry never whipped you in the common room. And you haven't been 'fucking' in public. Jacqueline, Meredith, or I are always with you. How could he?"

Cho sighed and looked over into a smiling Harry Potter's face. She knew she should be furious. He had to have Obliviated her friends and housemates and let her think she had been made to perform like the slut she was in front of them. Well, she had, but then he had removed it from their memories or something. What about all those other times? In the entry hall, for Merlin's sake! A hundred witches and wizards had walked by while she was servicing him. Morgana, Meredith had all but held his cock for him last time. Cho shuddered. How powerful could Harry Potter be? She would have to start paying more attention. Phht, who was she kidding? When he was using her all she could pay attention to was whatever spot he had in his hands, between his teeth, or on his cock- -or all three. The little beast was horribly good at sex.

Hermione eyed Cho. "You know, for a Ravenclaw she just isn't what I expect."

Susan turned and looked where Hermione was looking. "Yes but thank the gods she is in fact the true leader of that little clique and is loyal to Harry. Those girls will never question the whole thing too much. Well, as long as no serious external pressure is applied. By serious I mean more powerful than their attraction to Cho and Harry."

The Coven looked thoughtful. H

At ten a.m. on the morning of Tuesday the sixteenth of March Judith Allan Cranston stood near the receptionist desk in the lobby of the building that housed the entrance to Knockturn Alley. She was nervously waiting for her tour group to arrive. The bus should have started his run an hour ago so they should, barring something unforeseen, be arriving in a few moments. Judith checked her reflection in the mirror-polished black Kilkenny marble. She smiled at the trim, pretty, youngish looking witch in her classic business suit with a knee-length black skirt, white silk blouse, and black jacket over the cutest little black low-heeled patent leather wingtip type pumps. Very professional. Thank God they would never know she normally knocked around in jeans and baggy sweatshirts under a cloak if she was in the magical world. Well, surely they wouldn't expect someone to be dressed up all the time--and here they were. Judith smiled as the first group, a

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mother and father and two children, a boy and girl, appeared in the reflection with her. She turned. "Good morning! Welcome to SSWA Industries headquarters. In a few moments, as soon as the Jamesons show up, we'll go through to Knockturn Alley. While we wait can I answer any questions for you, Mr and Mrs Turner?"

Charles Turner smiled. Maybe this would be all right, then. Sure, they'd been to the support group and the kids were reading the books and practicing control, but it was still all very different--well, except for this extremely high-rent office block. Beautiful work this. "The books say electricity doesn't work around. Well, not Harry's books but the others. How is it that it works here? I mean, these are those new daylight spectrum fluorescents. We just put them in a job in Whitechapel." Charles was a commercial electrician.

Judith smiled. "No doubt the girls will drag you away to talk shop soon. SSWA Industries is a magical technology concern. They're trying to integrate the best things about the mundane world into the magical world, as well as developing and marketing strictly magical items. Most of the boffins are Squibs, first-born, or half-bloods, and Harry and the Coven help out all they can."

Clive Jameson, the middle child and only boy of the three Jameson children, who had just arrived with their parents, turned to Margaret, his older full witch sister. "See? Told you us Squibs could be important!"

Judith moved immediately to nip this in the bud. "Squibs are highly valued members of the SSWA team. Harry takes a personal interest in many of them."

Margaret blushed. "I never said Squibs weren't important, ma'am. What I said was we were different."

Judith nodded. "We are that. Mundane, Squib, witch or wizard and magical being, all different. No shame in that and lots of 'opportunity', as Harry says. Now if you would all follow me I'd like to show you Knockturn and Diagon Alleys." The Jamesons and Turners nodded and followed her through what appeared to be a solid marble wall.

They came out the other side in a clean, quaint, cobbled street lined on both sides with what appeared to be shops or showrooms at street level and manufacturing facilities on the first floor above that. On many floors were what appeared to be apartments. The street was a cornucopia of magical items. The children stood awed, looking in shops as the parents listened to Judith. "This is Knockturn Alley. The facilities at this end are mostly all owned by Harry Potter, Sirius Black, or one of the other Coven parents and have been recently renovated. This was an extremely run-down area before that. As we pass some of the buildings you will find 'before and after' style pictures. Now, as we get closer to the intersection of Diagon and Knockturn, you'll see a short area that remains to be renovated. The SSWA is currently looking into the titles of these buildings and may buy them out if the landlords refuse to renovate.

"Most witches and wizards avoid Knockturn because of this last hundred yards or so. The old denizens of Knockturn have concentrated here."

The Jamesons and Turners looked around nervously, but the four werewolves trailing them in plain sight kept even the boldest hags, hookers, and suspect characters well back in the shadows.

"Now here we are at the corner of Knockturn and Diagon. To orient you to the map included in your welcome packets, directly across the street is the main branch of Gringotts. As for landmarks, the Leaky Cauldron and the entrance from Charing Cross Road are at the end of the road to your

right and Ollivanders is to your left. Now everyone stay together and look around. I'll be here to answer any questions." Judith looked down at the children aged between six and eight and smiled. "You all, too. Feel free to ask any questions you might have."

The werewolves spread out and the group moved down Diagon, nodding and smiling. Little Samantha Jameson looked at the filthy cobbles and frowned. "Ms Judith, why is it so dirty here? Knockturn was very clean."

Florean Fortescue overheard this and frowned. It was dirty here. He had told the other shopkeepers! This was the third time he'd heard about Knockturn, though. He was going to go all the way down that alley this afternoon!

As the sun set Judith waved goodbye to her group and collapsed into one of the black leather and chrome couches in the lobby. The receptionist smiled and pushed a button. A serving tray with a steaming cup of orange pekoe appeared on the side table by the couch and Judith nodded gratefully to the receptionist and dove on it. It had been a fun day, horrifying at first, then slightly nervous, and then just great fun watching the parents nonchalantly herd their kids in this new world. Both couples were fabulous parents. Judith smiled. She had some winners for her group. Take that, Marilyn Hodges, you hyper-competitive witch, you--always bragging about your group!

The receptionist watched the play of facial expressions and nearly laughed out loud. The vassal witches were very competitive with their groups, like new mothers really. Alice Daniels leant back in her seat, still watchful but fairly relaxed. This was a good gig for an off-duty hit-witch. It wouldn't do at all to let her guard down and have something happen on her watch. She eyed the rune-etched crystals in front of her again. Wards all up and functioning, no trips. Monitors clear. Yes, way too good a gig to lose for lack of attention. Hmmm, any reason really. It paid as much as her Ministry contract did and they had better equipment here. Hell, I'd hate to try this place and I'm pretty good. Those werewolves taking shifts in the ready room were a caution; she had sparred with them a couple of times and they were deadly.

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Over in Crawley Emma sighed and leant back in her chair. Dan looked up from his paper. "Problem, dear?"

"No, Dan--well, not really. Not a new problem, anyway. The same again: the first-born parents get letters from the kids at school and then write to me. Some of them hate Dumbledore."

"Yes, well, they aren't alone."
"Dan! We're dealing with him."
"Grrrrr."
"Been around Harry too long again?"
Dan smirked and hoisted a brow. "You know, Hermione looks just like you."
Emma was confused. "And?" She looked up from the letter again into a full-on snog. "Harry has the same taste I do. Impressive boy, that."

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"Dan, that's just creepy. Dan! Oh, Dan!" The mail was ABANDONED for the evening. H

Narcissa Black Malfoy looked at Rosalind Yaxley and smiled. The spectacular brunette, light blue- eyed trophy wife witch was a puddle of goo, and she hadn't used anything but her fingers on her-- well, that and Hermione's favorite cat. Morgana, Rosalind could eat pussy though. Too bad Sirius and Remus were all in love and Magda and Evangeline weren't in a mood to share. Rosalind needed a belly full of cock in the worst way. Too bad Harry wasn't an option. Hmmm, wait a minute--she had a stick-on! No, well, not today anyway. Of course, push come to shove, she could get one of the Jones wizards to shag the bitch. Still and all, she had been easy to distract from her little information gathering mission. Sad really; all those years in Slytherin and about as subtle as a Centaur with a woody. The Death Eaters with the ruined scions were desperate to find the truth of who had ruined them and were glad to try to pump her for information. Narcissa was glad for them to keep trying. Trophy wives were seriously hot, after all.

Narcissa sat back and thought; there was actually opportunity here. Harry could take most of the Dark houses this way, but he'd never go for it. Oh, he'd shag the matrons or first daughters--he was male, and they were very definitely fine specimens of ordinary witch. well, except for Carrow, but she didn't have a son and her brother was shagging her anyway; who else would, really? Anyway, Hermione would cheerfully let him shag anything that signed a contract and help him turn them into slaves, at least mentally. How the little witch could manage it was beyond her, but there could be no question. Once that pair worked you over you were theirs.

Killing the heads and keeping the subordinate wizards in line was a problem, though. Not all of them were nutted. Sirius killing Lucius, or Lucius committing suicide rather, had been a stroke of fortune that would probably not repeat itself. Narcissa huffed. This required more planning, but she was sure it could be done.

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Sunday the twenty-eighth of March found Harry ignoring the elephant in the bedroom at Camelot, Cissy's planning for taking over the world, and studying Katie Bell with an intensity that was nearly making her come just being on the end of that laser-like focus. Nearly? Oh gods ,here she went again! "Harry!"

Harry smiled. He loved watching the girls come. And this minimal movement while stimulating all their other erogenous zones with himself pushed all the way into their bellies was great. Of course, being able to read them while he was in them was a great help toward this goal. Merlin, Katie was beautiful with that come flush all the way to her nipples. Hah! She was gorgeous any time; perfect high, tight double handfuls of breast surmounted by those dark aureoles and nipples, wide muscular shoulders and muscular arms leading down to a thick-muscled abdomen, and wide hips that cupped him perfectly. A tight, round ass and those stocky but oh so well-shaped legs. All under the smiling, happy face of an angel that was now scrunched up like she was looking into the sun.

Harry, oh Morgana, baby, please just come in me. I love this, really, but I want you to come.

Harry blinked and smiled, then took up a rhythm in Katie's flexing, clasping, hot, tight, wet sex. She moaned happily.

Hermione looked at Nym, who shrugged. "Melba said some of them would, Ne."

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Hermione nodded. "I know, Nym, but she doesn't even realize."

"Ha! You wouldn't either if you'd been coming for two hours. The Death Eaters have it all wrong. They could do so much better at information gathering if they were like Harry. I can't keep anything from him when he's making me come continuously."

Daphne made a retching noise. "Those poufters don't have a prayer of ever being like him."

Cissy nodded. "I saw him and knew he was going to be better than Lucius had ever been. It's amazing really, you can just tell. He doesn't disappoint, and you and that whip are just the end, Ne; well, for me anyway. Somehow the pair of you converted all that psychosexual trauma from my whole life into one big--well, I don't know but it's all good now."

Nym goggled. "You have to stay out of Harry's library, Cissy." She got a pillow for her trouble. Susan looked over at Harry. "While he's BUSY, Cissy, how is your plan coming?"
Cissy huffed. "I keep getting stuck at killing the other sons. Harry won't just kill them out of hand." Eliza nodded. "I should hope not! Half of them are our covers. I kind of like mine."

Hermione arched a brow, and Eliza blushed. "He can shop like a demon and he has the best eye for fashion and how it will look on me."

Marie Caldwell nodded. "A stereotype, for sure, but the poufters do know how to dress themselves and a girl. I wish I had one sometimes. Hmm, maybe I can find one. I mean, it isn't so taboo in the mundane world but there's bound to be one out there who's still closeted and needs some cover."

Katie's undulating wail from the muscle-pulling orgasm launched in her when Harry splashed against her walls echoed in the silently thoughtful bedroom before everyone chuckled at the blushing Eliza and clapped for Katie and Harry.

Nym smiled and then blanched as Harry kissed Katie, and then his head turned to her like a gun turret. She loved the weekends really, but Harry was very single-minded about making up for lost time with her. She smirked and morphed to Lily. Harry leapt off of Katie, grabbed Nym and held her down, burying his face in her. Nym squealed and wriggled, then gave in. Harry crawled up her body after her first orgasm and sheathed himself in her. "I know it's you, Nym, I feel you in there."

"Beaaaaassst. Uhnnngh!"
Padma grinned. "Translated, that means, 'I was sure that would distract the little beggar'."
The others laughed and laughed. H

Lily came back into the portrait in the library of Potter Castle with a huge blush. James eyed her. "Finally saw something you didn't want to see, huh? I told you about that frame Hermione put in there for you, didn't I? I said you'd see things you didn't want to."

"Hush, James. Padfoot, stop laughing before I have Otto throw you out!"

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Sirius tried a straight face, then fell out of his chair. Lily stamped her foot. She never did say what she had seen, though. The Marauders, sensing some sensitivity about it, left it well alone.

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Roger Davies read the letter from his father again. "Harry Potter could be a key player in our lives. Do your best to not antagonize him." What the hell did Dad know about this little boy? Well, not little actually. The kid was massive for his age and bulked up to the point where it was one of the first things you noticed about him. Reason enough not to get involved with him, and then there were all those rumors about Longbottom and Potter being his henchman, although that seemed patently crap even on the surface. Longbottom followed Potter around, not the other way around, a blind man could see it. Anyway, what generated this concern over Potter?

"He has many allies among the half-bloods and Muggle-born."

Roger chuckled. Many allies indeed, especially the females. Little blighter. Sure, he was good looking and his family was supposedly one of the richest and, well, they were the Potters; but Harry never rubbed anyone's nose in it. He went about his business and the business of that Granger girl and bothered no one, unless you bothered a girl. That was odd but who knows what had happened to the kid out with those Muggles? The witches flocked to him like bees to honey, at least all the brightest and prettiest of them.

"His business interests are a growing concern and we could use his wholesale and retail distribution links. Also there are some interesting products coming from those interests, very advanced."

Business interests? Potter had business interests? More likely Greengrass had business interests and he lent her his name and assets.

Advanced products? That had Patil, Li, and Granger all over it. It was hard to tell which of those two, Granger or Patil, were actually more intelligent. Frightening, really. Walking encyclopedias, both of them. Potter would start getting smarter by osmosis when he started shagging either one of them. Not like he needed it, as they were first through third in every class they took, and two of them were bloody Gryffindors! How had the Hat got that so wrong?

"The old families are moving again and we will want to be on the right side of this."

Okay, dad code for Potter and Black being active in the Wizengamot and pulling the strings on their vassals. That was most likely Susan Bones being indulged by Potter. She didn't even bother to sit at the Hufflepuff table any more, at least on the weekends. Her aunt was the DMLE and Susan was very politically astute. He had listened to a couple of her--well, morning briefs--to Harry. She made the right call nearly every time and if she was wrong it was only a little, nothing substantive that Potter and his witches couldn't recover from.

Roger sat shocked a moment as the light dawned on him. Potter and his witches. He protects witches, an Ancient and Noble House Coven, and he's the scion and sole survivor of his house. He's the warlock! He crushed all those nuts and broke all those bones. The Black was his godfather! Narcissa Malfoy had a new son and was now living with the Black after her first son had had his nuts crushed at Hogwarts. Oh, Merlin!

Roger turned his father's parchment over and outlined his suspicions and evidence. He walked to the Owlery and tied the parchment to a school owl's leg and sent it on its way.

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Before he made it back to the Great Hall a white blur descended on the unsuspecting school owl and after a puff of feathers the now-disoriented school owl flew back to its perch in a huff.

Roger sat in the Great Hall watching what he now knew was an Ancient and Noble house Coven come in and take seats at the Gryffindor table. Harry's distinctive snowy owl landed in front of him and extended a familiar-looking parchment. Harry took it and looked at it. Roger blinked in surprise when the burning gaze looked up after several moments and focused immediately on him. He stood and eased out of the Great Hall and ran into Luna Lovegood in the entry hall. "Harry isn't happy with you, Roger."

Roger was no Gryffindor but he wasn't a coward either. "I only told my father the truth, Luna."

"Yes, Roger, I know. We aren't ready for the world to know yet, however. You need to wait here."

Roger looked at her and narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"You know, Roger. Harry wants to talk to you. If you make him come find you he'll be angry."

"And why do I care if he's angry, Luna?"

"Because you don't want to be singing castrato, Roger."

Roger backed against the wall and drew his wand. Luna laughed. "If it makes you feel better, Roger."

Harry appeared, took in the scene, and waved at Roger. Roger felt the charm wash over him and was powerless to prevent it. "Sorry Roger, really. We can't afford to be exposed yet. I would have to breed nine or ten pure-blood matrons or first daughters and then kill their husbands, sons, and/or brothers. We would also have to start taking some actions we really don't want to secure the wizarding world for my girls and my children. So you're going to write your father and tell him you agree and are moving to get closer to me."

Roger nodded at the logic of all of this. "Yes, Harry."

Harry grinned at him. "Come by study group tonight at six, Roger. One of the Ravenclaw Coven members will show you where. I think you'll like it."

Roger nodded and went back into the Great Hall. Luna looked at Harry. "Will he go back to normal? I mean, he always questioned authority before, at least a little."

Harry grimaced. "I was a little excited. I saw that wand out and I might have gone a little overboard with the loyalty charm. He should be fine, though."

Luna giggled and leaned up and pecked Harry on the cheek. "Now come on, and the damsel in distress will give you the traditional reward of a kiss."

"Didn't you just, Luna?"

"Little Harry needs one too," Luna replied as she very determinedly towed him to the nearest broom closet.

At the Gryffindor table Hermione sighed and then chuckled. "All fixed. Luna is distracting Harry. Hedwig! Who's the best owl in the world?"

Hedwig puffed up proudly and got a piece of salmon that would have fed an eagle for a week, and was fawned over for the rest of the day as she rode around on Hermione's shoulder. Not like she could fly after eating that fish. As it turned out, all that protein was handy when she got back to the Owlery and had to establish dominance later that night. It was a ragged bunch of owls that delivered the post for the next few days. Hagrid was convinced a weasel had gotten into the Owlery.

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