Chapter Twenty
Days and nights has thirty-one
Harry didn't have to wait long for his and his inner circle's fertile imaginations to supply a scenario that would turn out to be amazingly close to what would happen. Dumbledore would at least be suspended. The only thing that could bring him back would be a worse attack. The idiots in the Ministry would need a scapegoat, so Hagrid would be arrested. Dumbledore would lay out there somewhere, still hooked to the wards and doing who knew what, so he could swoop in and be the hero. Harry sighed in frustration.
The next morning, the ninth of May, saw the Minister of Magic at Hogwarts and the beginning of the scenario they had envisioned. That morning's Daily Prophet ran a whole series of articles outlining both the last time the Chamber had been opened and this time--at least articles that painted the Minister in the best possible light and Dumbledore in the worst.
Hermione had been forced to push Harry into disused classrooms twice to distract him when he saw the Minister in the halls. Harry acquiesced to her distractions. He was simmering with rage, however.
Over the next week the Coven settled into studying and projects again while Harry was on a hair trigger. If the wards tickled at all he was right there. It was hugely frustrating that most of the time it was either some pair of lovers out until just before curfew, or the twins. Fred and George agreed to put aside their pranks until after the beast was caught after Harry's hands, glowing green, dragged them out of a secret passage by their ears.
Life at Potter Castle was tense too. The dueling rooms were receiving a serious workout nearly twenty-four hours a day as Coven members and their families worked off stress. Amelia was deadly quiet. A bad sign, Susan said. She was completely unable to end around Fudge and get Hagrid out of Azkaban, and it pissed her off no end. Beatrice and the Malfois had gone back to France and the wards installed around their properties were unintentionally massive, vicious and deadly. Beatrice had postponed her campaign to get a Potter/Malfoi heir, but only postponed. It really didn't matter where they lived. Like all the extended Coven, most of their time was spent at Potter Castle.
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On the fifteenth of May Harry flung himself down on a blanket on the grass in the afternoon after checking Tracey and growled. Tracey glided out of the French doors and lay her head on his stomach with a huge smile. Hermione sighed. Tracey was in her element, mentally jousting with Riddle, and she was slowly but surely eking the truth out of the little prat, but Harry was in a straight-ahead kind of mood. Of course that only pleased Tracey more. She was a straight-sex kind of witch for all of those exotic looks she could manage with makeup and school robes and uniform.
Alice Longbottom, now almost completely cured of what may have been stress-induced madness, walked over to Harry and eased down into a rattan chair that appeared beside her. "Harry, why are
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Neville and Ron still investigating this separately from you all?" Neville winced. "I'm right here, Mother." "Yes, but you've apparently lost your mind." Ginny stuck out her tongue at Neville. "Told you so!"
Harry blinked and then laughed. He laughed for a long time. Neville pouted. Harry finally managed, "You know, Mrs Longbottom, I don't know. To tell you the truth I never thought about it. Dumbledore said something to him. Do you think it could be some kind of compulsion?"
Alice and Ginny immediately looked concerned as Neville protested, "It's not a compulsion! I know what's going on. You have most of this covered, Harry--well, you and the Coven--but there are some things at the edges that need looking at. I have no intention of going up against a Basilisk. Meanwhile, though, Ron and I might find the Chamber. Then we can come get you, and after that we'll see."
Harry nodded. "I'm coming to get Moody after you get me, just so you know. I have no idea how to kill something you can't look at."
Su frowned. "We hadn't thought of that. We'll need to work on it, Padma." Hermione nodded along with Padma and Nicholas, whose interest was piqued.
Beatrice took advantage of the apparently happy mood and sashayed over and lay down next to Harry. Tracey snickered as his stomach muscles tightened. "Morgana, Harry, just shag her again already. We know you want to; she obviously wants to too. Merlin, all this preening and posturing!"
Harry muffled her with a hand and got his palm licked.
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At the staff meeting on the twenty-first Sirius was the soul of professional conduct. Minerva arched a brow at him. "Sirius, please pull a prank. You've got me on pins and needles here."
Sirius smiled. "Oh no, those days are gone. I find myself very comfortable with you as the head and Filius as the assistant."
Augusta nodded. "I concur."
Minerva rolled her eyes. "Fine. Exams will be held as scheduled. Please remain alert and watch out for Mr Potter. He seems to be everywhere."
Aurora grinned from ear to ear. Harry had burst in on her in the fifth floor Prefects' bath. She just liked that one. She had just disrobed to climb into the bath and he had goggled, stuttered, and disappeared, but not before she saw that hard-on tenting his trousers. That was perhaps the most generous compliment she had ever been paid; let's face it, he didn't lack for women, even full Veela now. Him getting wood looking at her was uplifting, to say the least. Her sources said the Coven teased him hard--hehehe--over it. She would have to repay the compliment somehow.
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Remus, of all people, looked over at the smiling full-lipped, dark-haired, green-eyed Aurora. "Something to share, Aurora?"
She shook her head quickly and Minerva sighed. They never really stopped being school children, did they? "Yes, well, if that's all?"
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Neville scratched his head. Ron nearly stamped his foot in frustration. "Outside, Neville, they're going outside. Come on." Ron took off and Neville followed. A pair of eyes watched and a slow smile spread across Draco's face. Now all he had to do was catch the blood traitor whore alone and he could use the curses on her as Dumbledore had suggested. Of course the old man never knew he was telling Draco how to recover the diary; Draco had been very subtle about it all. Yes, these scum would pay for what had happened to him!
Ron and Neville followed the spiders deeper and deeper into the forest and soon enough found themselves at a huge web.
Draco watched the door to that reading room of Potter's and soon enough was rewarded as the whore stepped out, smiling, and headed to her tower.
As Ron, now nearly Petrified with fear, and Neville spoke with Aragog, Ginny was hit from behind by some curse.
The Ford Anglia saved the day for Ron and Neville. No one saved Ginny as instructions were whispered in her ear. Draco debated doing something else to her but the plan, his semi-public location with the whore pinned up against the wall behind the suit of armor on the second floor landing, and Longbottom and the Weasel bursting into the entry hall panting and shaking, dissuaded him. Too bad, too. There were so many things you could do with a witch and a wand. He might not have his bits any more, but witches could still be made to be fun. He released the whore and stepped back into the shadows. She, of course, ran to Longbottom, who immediately kissed her and led her away.
In the common room Neville cut a hard glare at Ron and flopped into a seat. Harry arched a brow. Neville snorted. "The spider thing nearly got us killed. Did you know there are a million of the dirty great things in that forest and they have a leader, Aragog, size of a house he is. He can talk. Oh, and being friends of Hagrid only gets you not eaten for a while. If it hadn't been for that mad Anglia, Ron and I would be doing our best mummy right now!"
Harry looked startled. The Coven stated asking questions and pried the whole story out of Ron and Neville before lights-out.
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On Saturday the twenty-ninth of May, Hermione watched Ginny. Something was wrong with her. She seemed lost in thought all the time--well, when she wasn't focused on Neville. It was a little difficult as the Harry-Beatrice? show was becoming nearly all-consuming. Gods, why didn't he just shag her again?
Because, Ne. Because why, Harry? She's hot, you want some, she wants to give you some, we're all dying to see
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what you do to each other once you get used to each other. Just go do it before I do.
Hermione blinked and then smiled as Harry and Beatrice disappeared. Angus McDougal? grunted. "Finally! That's some slowing down we've needed." The extended Coven froze for a moment and then laughed.
No one noticed Ginny slipping away.
Hannah nodded to her group of the Coven, and as the inner circle suddenly sat down hard they levitated them and the Coven towed them away. Emma arched a brow. Melba opened her mouth and Dan put his fingers in his ears. "Lalalalala, nananana, lalalala. Oh the monkeys have no tails in Zamboanga!"
Emma glared at him and the others laughed until they cried. H
Beatrice found herself in a well appointed bed, nude and getting stuffed full. So this wasn't going to be all slow and romantic. Fine. In fact, good. Circe, she was tired of waiting. She needed a good fuck.
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Ginny trailed through the castle and into the dungeon. She looked into the rooms, cells really, until she found the rebuilt room with the glass wall. She slid in the door and looked through the wall. There it was, the diary. Now, how to get in?
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"Oh my gawd! Harrryyy!" Beatrice was stuffed completely full, and somehow even with her Veela talents Harry was pouring fire into her from every erogenous zone she had. It was like he had multiple hands and at least three tongues. OH, again! Nnnnggghhh mmmmm, Harry's coming. Beatrice smiled and stretched under Harry as he filled her. He never got soft, and after his hips unlocked he took up a nice slow rhythm. Beatrice tensed and then melted. Something had happened; Harry was still very large but he wasn't so large that he was locked in her any more. Still, this was the biggest she'd ever had. Harry rubbed across her cervix and she tensed, then relaxed into it. As he pushed in to the limit of her vagina's ability to accommodate him, he pulled back just before it was truly painful and just as he nipped a stiff pink nipple moderately hard. Beatrice rolled into a small orgasm and thrust with her hips. Who had taught this boy all of this? Oh, duh. He had a lot of regular lovers; but really, how did he know exactly what part of her wanted attention just as she did? Mmm, so full, aieee! Gods, if he licks my ear like that again I'm going to explode. Damn, I didn't even remember that. It's been years!
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Ginny looked at the cover over the diary and thought hard. She had to get the thing. She needed it. Why? Harry would be furious. Neville, too. She had to, though. She had to take it to...who? Who was it? Oh, a latch.
H Hermione breathed her way through another orgasm and smiled at Morag. "So you got me, huh?"
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"Won you. Rocks smash scissors." Hermione grinned and chuckled. Each inner circle member had a watcher. "So the rest?"
"Went back out to the 'rents, Ne. Your dad was doing his Cleopatra, Queen of Denial apparently and needed more oarsmen for the royal barge."
Hermione cracked up and then curled around Morag, shuddering. Morag smiled and rubbed her gently. Morgana, it was amazing when they just let go and came and came and came. Morag squeaked when an arm snaked between her thighs and a hand began wandering purposefully. She wriggled as another arm circled round the back. This was very nice too, of course. Hermione was a genius with those long slim fingers and that tongue of hers.
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Ginny looked at the diary in her hand and tried to put it down but she couldn't. She closed the crystal case, put the diary in her bag, and left the dungeon. Back out on the lawn the sun was shining and Neville was smiling. Her mind snapped back to reality and she went and joined Neville.
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Ginny and Neville returned with the rest to dinner in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Harry was actually walking slightly off the ground. Hermione scowled at him and then laughed helplessly. Harry really couldn't do any better. His power level--radiated power level, whatever--was completely off the scale. Beatrice had some teaching to do. She was a professional Harry-winder.
The Coven sat and chattered happily as dinner passed. Hermione, still watching Ginny, noticed that she seemed much more focused. Hermione turned to Harry and focused herself.
After dinner a swirling mass of Potter Coven led the way to the reading room. No one noticed Ginny getting pulled away into a passageway. Neville thought she was talking to Luna, and no one else was watching her.
When Neville finally noticed that Ginny wasn't in the reading room, he began to feel uneasy. As he grew more and more anxious, Harry called for Professor McGonagall? only to find she had been called away. Professor Flitwick answered the redirected Floo-call to her and stepped through into the reading room. Harry explained the situation.
Harry tensed. "Okay, we have to find her."
Tracey frowned. "Wait a minute, Harry." She dropped her trunk opened it and jumped in. She was back in moments. "The diary is gone, Harry."
"Dammit! Why did she steal it?" Neville replied hotly, "Harry! You don't know it was her."
Harry looked around at the witches; he looked into each of their eyes. "It has to be her, Neville. None of the Coven took it. You didn't, and there's no reason for the parents to. It wanted to be back here at the school. It or something else made this happen. She's the only one who's touched it
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besides Tracey. "Okay, we fan out in groups."
Hermione nodded and the Coven broke into groups as Neville ran to get Ron and the twins with Katie, Alicia, and Angelina.
Filius got the teachers organized. H
Two hours later, after a very methodical search of the whole school, they had found nothing but an ominous message in chicken blood hinting that Ginny would never be found and that now the Chamber was fully opened. Harry was nearly howling in frustration. He looked at his wrist and added this last message and was hit with a blinding flash of the obvious. "Myrtle's bathroom. She's not flooding it--she's a ghost, not a poltergeist."
Hermione hit her forehead with the heel of her hand. "A student killed mysteriously. A Muggle- born witch. How did Myrtle die?"
Harry shrugged. "Let's ask her." He led the troops to Myrtle's bathroom as the teachers continued the search. "Myrtle?"
An echoing "Yes, Harry?" came from the second U-bend from the wall. "Myrtle, have you seen anything in here tonight?"
"Malfoy." She somehow made it sound like "miserable streak of piss". "And he was levitating some girl--I couldn't see who, he had her covered. Small-breasted, though. He jumped in a hole, then the sinks slid over it."
Harry sighed. "Right in front of us. Aren't we stupid?" *Open!*
The sinks slid back at Harry's Parseltongue command. He walked over and looked down. *Stairs!* He stepped onto the stairway as it formed and the Coven, then Neville and finally Ron followed him. They spiraled to the bottom and ,*Lights!* "So predictable, like the rest of the school," Harry announced.
Su snapped her fingers. "Harry, feel for wards."
Hermione and Padma smacked themselves with the heels of their hands. Hermione barely beat Padma to it. "Of course--wards in Parseltongue, Parselthought maybe."
Padma nodded and tapped her map. It sprang to life and Harry concentrated. He frowned as the Parseltongue slithered through his mind. He suddenly felt the wards and they recognized him fully when the Slytherin ring flared silver and green. Su's map grew whole levels and interconnections between the existing levels and the new ones. Ginerva Molly Weasley Longbottom appeared in a large chamber next to Draco (No Name). Harry nodded.
Neville activated his map and took off at a run. Ron chased him and Harry led the group jogging after them. He kept calling, "Lights! Open!" in Parseltongue as he jogged. Hermione frowned. Is that a good idea, Harry?
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"Maybe not, Ne, but he'll have more energy when he gets to her if he hasn't blasted his way through a hundred meters of solid rock. I know I would if it was you. Besides, Weasley already thinks me the Dark henchman. Muhahahaha."
Hermione blushed, smiled slightly, then frowned. The rest of the inner circle laughed. She was very pleased with Harry and mad at herself for not thinking of Neville's state; she was also still angry at Bilius, or angry again perhaps.
Neville, followed by Ron, charged into a large hall. As the lights came up they skidded to a halt next to Ginny, who was sitting on the floor with her head in her hands. Harry and the others jogged past, marveling at the hall. "Merlin, I hope that statue is Salazar's idea of a joke. If not, he was a bigger ponce than that Lockhart faggot. I really don't want to be related to that kind of faggot, even distantly."
"Besides it looking like a monkey with a squashed head, wouldn't shag that with Edgecomb's cunt." The rest of the Coven gasped at Tracey's sally and then giggled.
"Who insults the greatest of the Four?"
Harry looked around while shaking his left hand. The snake on the Slytherin ring had nipped him. Tracey saw the figure first. "Well, Tom Marvolo Riddle. How are you projecting yourself from the diary?"
Hermione stepped up to the unconscious form of Draco and kicked the diary away from him.
Tom the shade laughed. "Oh, that won't work. I have him now, and soon I'll have all of him. He was easy to manipulate. He finished the incantation willingly, even eagerly, and now there's no stopping the process."
Padma frowned. "What process, Tom?"
"Oh, you are a pretty one, one of the old Asian families. You'll make a fine consort for me as I rise to power. Any of you, all of you in fact; beautiful each and every one, each one prettier than the next." He turned to Tracey. "You feel slightly familiar."
"Ewww, don't say that, you needle-dick bug-fucking perv. It was all I could do to keep from puking on you, no matter that I used mmmyy--" Susan had stepped up and muzzled her with a hand and Daphne laughed at Tom and sneered. "Like we would have a Dark magic damaged limp prick like you? You probably have to use engorging charms to rape witches already. That miserable piece of shite no-name you picked to be your host was already headed that way. I suspected you'd created a Horcrux when we looked at the diary." Shot in the dark, folks. Let's see the reaction. "Little did you know that ritual causes so much damage you'll never breed."
Tom fumed, then laughed. "Yes, I've mastered that charm and will be glad to use it on you low- born sl--arrrrrrgh!"
Harry lowered his hand. "Language there, Tommy. She's mine, as are all of these."
"How is this possible? I am still spirit! Don't call me Tommy, either!" He waved what had to be Malfoy's wand, and flaming writing appeared and morphed from "Tom Marvolo Riddle" to "I am Lord Voldemort".
Harry shrugged. "I wanted you hurt. Magic made it happen. And an anagram--really, Tommy? You couldn't do better than 'flight of death'? What is that, owl shit? Owl shit, it's dead mice and little voles and things right? It flies, at least for a while. I'll go with Tommy. Poopy Boy just seems rude."
Tom grimaced in rage. "See how you deal with this, then!" *Come forth!*
"Shit! Close your eyes." Harry turned his head toward the slithering noise coming from the base of the statue. He yelled, "There's a hole at the base of the statue. Most deadly curses, fire!"
A blistering wall of Reductos and Bombardas streaked toward the statue. Not all of them were well aimed, and that end of the Chamber exploded and collapsed. Tom screamed, "NO!"
Harry watched tensely. Neville stood in a rage, the end stages of a rage, and fired a Reducto at Tom. The solid matter that had congealed in his shade blew apart with the wand flying away and Tom wailed. Harry smiled at Neville. "Good shot! Now what are we going to do, though?"
Tracey shrugged. "Wait until he congeals again and kill him."
The Coven turned at an ominus grinding noise and the Basilisk exploded from the rubble. Harry panicked and threw up both hands.
The Coven watched in amazement as the Basilisk was peeled, stripped of useful parts, those parts packaged and labeled, and the whole mass lined up neatly just at the edge of the pool near the Coven, and the rest dropped into the fetid pool of water. Harry and the inner circle collapsed without a sound. Hannah examined them immediately "Magically exhausted."
Riddle's shade reappeared. "So I get my whores anyway, then."
Neville blew him away with another Reducto. Su sighed. "That's going to take a while; meanwhile he's killing Draco."
Hannah scanned Draco. "Taking his life force and his magic."
Tracey frowned. "Don't kill him--blow him away so quick, whatever--next time, Neville. We need to finish what Daphne started. If it's what she and I researched and talked about, Riddle used a Dark ritual to put a piece of his soul into that diary. We need to kill it if that's true."
Neville rubbed his hand through his hair. "I think we need a teacher here. How do we kill it?"
At that moment Draco stood, summoned his wand, and fired a curse at Neville. Ron threw a shield around Neville and the fight was on, the Coven protecting the inner circle and Neville, Ginny and Ron fighting Draco/Tom. As the fight continued Draco/Tom became more and more Tom/Draco. Several of the Coven took minor hits from reflected curses but they gave as good as they got, their particular defense included a wicked coordinated offense, or what would be a wicked coordinated offense in a few years. Hannah was by their sides nearly immediately if they were wounded, using all the healing magic her mother had ever taught her.
Fawkes flashed into the battle with the Hat in his claws and then joined in the attack on Tom/Draco.
Neville looked down at the Hat in surprise and saw the hilt of a sword poking out of it. Neville snatched up the sword and it shocked him a little, then a surge of power flowed down it to his arm. Ginny and Ron were hit and down and Neville's mind was consumed with killing the diary. He took a leap and just as he landed, sword-point first, in the book, he was hit with a Cruciatus. His body weight forced the sword through the diary and the sword glowed red. An odd scream issued from the diary and it began to smoke, and an odd black fluid flowed from it. Tom/Draco screamed and clutched his chest, crumpling to the floor.
Fawkes circled once and because Hannah had not yet gotten to the trio he grabbed Neville, flew him to Ginny, who was holding Ron in her lap, and disappeared in a flash of flame. Hannah threw her trunk on the floor and the Coven evacuated the Chamber through it.
Silence reigned in the Chamber, broken only by the slow screech of nails on slate as Draco/Tom tried to drag himself toward the diary that lay still impaled on the sword. The noise slowly faded away and all was still as the torches guttered almost silently.
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Unknown to all the players, Dumbledore had been recalled by a terrified Board at the whinging-- erm, urging of Cornelius Fudge. After all, if someone was to die and Dumbledore wasn't in place, then the blow would fall mainly on the Minister, as Elphias Doge had pointed out to Cornelius just yesterday.
Dumbledore strode into the castle and found the Professors holding the students in their dorms and a group of them gathered in the Hospital Wing, according to the wards. Dumbledore strode to the Hospital Wing and entered to find Minerva, Sirius, Remus, and Poppy. "Well, what's happened?"
Minerva turned. "So you're back, then?"
"Yes, Minerva."
"Stupid slackers!"
Minerva sighed. "Sirius! Two students are missing, Albus, and we found a note intimating that they would not return. We're looking for them."
A flash of orange landed three spell-burnt and bleeding students on the floor and Poppy sprang into action.
Sirius looked at Remus and they disappeared after making eye contact with Minerva. H
Potter Castle was a madhouse when they arrived. The Coven was calm but the extended Coven, parents, siblings, and relatives were in a complete uproar. Magda and Evangeline walked up to them and pecked them on the lips. Evangeline leaned back from Remus. "So you're all right, then?"
Remus frowned and nodded. "Yes, why?"
Magda, finished looking Sirius over, waved and the Marauders looked finding boxes, giant jars, a book with a sword through it, and an apparent corpse on the edge of the lawn. "Oh, no reason."
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Sirius grimaced. "Don't be that way, baby. Oh, by the way, Ginny, Neville, and Ron look to be all right. Fawkes brought them to the Hospital Wing and Poppy was fussing up a storm, so they're probably fine. If it's serious she doesn't talk."
Magda nodded. "Alice will be relieved. She has her knickers in a serious twist since the girls didn't bring Neville and Ginny back with them."
Remus frowned. "Isn't that Draco formerly-known-as-Malfoy over there, apparently dead?"
Evangeline nodded. "Yes, and more than apparently, dear--very. That's what has Alice wound up. We need to go find her." She led the group off. "Otto and the elves brought him, that book with the sword through it, and all of these boxes of Basilisk parts back. We laid the skin out over there. That monster was fifty-six feet long! Apparently, according to the girls, Harry wanted it useful. They think he meant dead and was being humorous--'the only useful Basilisk is a dead Basilisk'--but the magic took him seriously and processed the thing alive. Well, it was dead when he finished. Narcissa was a little upset over Draco but it had to happen sooner or later, or so she said. You should talk to her, Sirius. Harry is still unconscious and she's acting a little strange."
Sirius and Remus stopped and stared at their fiancées. H
Sunday the thirty-first of May was the fun day for Harry and the inner circle. The Coven had been hard at work and had time-lined the whole thing by the time they woke up. Sirius, Remus, Minerva, Amelia, and the parents had put together the political side of the story and Harry could only laugh at the whole thing now that it was over. Dumbledore was in some kind of odd way not only taking credit but making political hay from the whole thing. Wizards were so stupid. The sword had turned out to be the sword of Gryffindor and was now over the mantel in the study of Potter Castle. A vassal, any vassal, could wield it, but when Harry took it the castle shook. Hermione made him put it away after he knocked Sirius out of his chair for the third time. "Certainly it's funny, Harry, but not if you do it too often."
Harry nodded very seriously and went and put the sword up on his mantel in the study. Hermione smiled after him. The women watched, amazed. Hermione looked up. "What? It was funny. The second time especially."
Ginny was nearly inconsolable when Harry visited her in the Hospital Wing. Neville was working hard on it, though. Harry smiled. "Ginny, stop. No harm done. We were going to have to go after that thing anyway, and Narcissa is convinced this is perhaps the best thing that could have happened to Draco. I'm glad you're all right. Su wants to study you a little to try to find out how those curses got around your bond to Neville and your vassal oath to me as well as the loyalty charm I put on you when I did Ron."
Ginny nodded. "I'm still sorry, Harry."
Harry smiled and hugged her. "All right, Ginny, if it makes you happy."
Ginny pouted at him. The group talked through the whole fight again and had just gotten to the part where Ginny, Ron, and Neville fought Tom/Draco when Dumbledore showed up. "Ah, Mr Longbottom. Please continue, as I was just coming to talk to you about this."
Neville faltered slightly but Harry asked a few leading questions and waved slightly at Ron again
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and soon enough all three of them, Neville, Ginny, and Ron, had told their story. Dumbldore rubbed his beard. "And where is the entrance to this Chamber?"
Neville answered, "It was on the second floor through the girls' bathroom that Myrtle haunts, Professor, but that entrance caved in during the fight. Fawkes fire-flashed us, or whatever that was, out of there to here."
Dumbledore nodded. "Sadly, he now refuses to take me back there, so I must seal the entrance on this side of the cave-in too. Oh well. Now have a good rest, children. Oh, and the Mandrakes are matured, Professor Sprout tells me, so everyone should be restored by the end of the year." He nodded to himself and walked away.
Hermione was left gaping. "Seal the entrance? That's all? Not check and ensure the giant deadly creature is dead, not investigate the chambers of one of the most famous wizards in Britain? Seal the entrance, the Mandrakes are DONE, all's well that ends well? Could we not find a better school than this?"
Harry blinked and Hermione looked around at a sea of quivering lips. She sighed. "Apparently not."
Harry stuck out his bottom lip. "You never would have met us, Hermione." He gave his best hurt- puppy look.
"Arrrrgh!" Hermione caved immediately. Harry kissed her and then had a thought. "So when do we get Hagrid back?"
As it turned out, Hagrid was back. The Coven took him the SSWA guides and Harry encased his wand core in a new length of wood and laid the necessary runes on it. The Coven watched avidly. While this first attempt was enormous lumpy and rough, Hagrid couldn't talk for his tears and the Coven was anticipating a new guide to be written soon. Wandcrafting for all, maybe. Hagrid was so very grateful to the Coven and hurt that Dumbledore hadn't even come to see him yet. Harry stored that away for later.
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Back at Potter Castle that evening the extended Coven put the whole timeline together on a big chalkboard and then toured the Chamber. The Potter elves had taken some liberties with their instructions to clean up and had drafted in the castle elves, who all bowed to Harry and continued their cleaning. Harry put his head in his hands for a moment. "Otto!"
Pop! "Master?" "Otto, what keeps these elves from telling Dumbledore about this?"
Otto smiled. "You are their master. They work for the Headmaster but you are their master as the Heir of the Four. The castle is yours; so are the elves. They work with him but tell him nothing about you or yours. They never have."
Hermione shook her head. "We really need to do some work on the elves and their bonds. One day we're going to get in so much trouble."
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Narcissa looked down at the floating Leyland being carried by an invisible Dobby and nodded. "Especially with this one."
The Coven cautiously explored the private chambers of Slytherin until Harry got tired of being nipped by the ring for making wisecracks about the statue--well, head of a statue now, as the statue itself was blasted to rubble. Daphne finally sighed and whipped her wand at it and fixed it to match the portraits of Slytherin she had seen. When the dust cleared, Harry nodded. "Better. Thank you, Daphne. Now he looks human."
Daphne shrugged. "Foreshortened perspective, Harry. Whoever carved it originally didn't think how it would look from the ground in a cave looking up at it from close range."
Harry nodded. "Okay, this is obviously going to take more than one evening to sort out, so if we could all move back to our appropriate places we can get this year over and hopefully relax over the summer." He looked around and got nods. Offering his arm, he led the Coven back up into the school through the trunks, having replaced Hannah's with an unassigned one, and to their dorms.
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On the morning of June first, as the rest of the inner circle laughed, Harry distracted Hermione from her pre-exam panic. Twice. Hermione decided that maybe exams could wait out a long shower after that, and the Coven skidded into the Great Hall nearly late for breakfast, laughing and joking with everyone.
The twins looked down the table and before they could move they turned into a pair of birds of paradise and flapped around the Hall. Harry laughed hard until first Fred, then George started to dive-bomb him. He took a piece of toast and Hermione's elbow and fled. Hermione and the rest of the Coven lived the next eighteen days in a whirl of studying, tests, pranks, generally being teenagers, and settling into the Malfois as they kept a few hours every few days to explore the Slytherin passages and rooms, albeit cautiously.
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On the evening of the eighteenth of June at the leaving feast Dumbledore finally put to bed the rumors that had been flying around, or perhaps launched another bunch, when he singled out Neville for saving Ginny with Ron's help and awarded them fifty points apiece, winning Gryffindor the House Cup to go along with the Quidditch Cup. Harry looked at the other houses, smiling, as the Gryffindors looked embarrassed. The Hall exploded into cheers at Harry's look, with the other Houses knowing another Harry leaving party was coming. Dumbledore beamed at the modest Gryffindors and the cheering students. The school was coming together nicely.
Augusta caught Minerva's hand as it began to rise, almost of its own accord, to slap Dumbledore.
The party that night in the common rooms was the stuff of legends. Gryffindor was empty but the others were packed. Cho barely remembered getting nearly shagged and succumbing to an orgasm while Harry dry-humped her while dirty dancing in the middle of the common room; but this time her housemates did remember it and were properly scandalized. She couldn't care less as the idiots had seen her catch a belly full of Harry on numerous occasions. This was mild compared to that. Oi, speaking of which--
"Harry, you can't just leave me hanging. Come shag me. What are we going to do about this summer too?"
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Marietta's eyes nearly popped from her head at this nonchalant admission. Hermione dragged Cho off to her room for a little lesson in using her inside voice. Hermione also passed Cho a trunk. Cho thanked her thoroughly.
In the Slytherin common room it was a subdued House to start with, but soon the party was going full bore as everyone realized they hadn't lost anything but a pain in the ass and they had gained a free party and perhaps some calm. Eliza found herself hemmed into a corner by Audrey Nott and her gang. "Eliza, what are we going to do? Our parents are Death Eaters. Dumbledore is back on top of the light side, so as soon as things settle a little the light and Dark will be back at each other again."
Eliza shrugged eloquently. Seventh year Mary Rookwood snorted. "Fine for you, Eliza. You're still in school and your beast is having you continuously. Plus your father is unmarked. We'll end up the toys of Death Eaters, or their baubles."
Eliza grinned. "Or you can join us."
Mary smiled. "Last year I thought you were all crazed. I mean, he's good looking and kind to you all but vicious to his enemies, but he was a first year--admittedly larger than average, but still a first year. What could he have known? This year I've been watching. He's the size of a normal sixth year and Circe, he's gorgeous. You all walk around here with those happy cow looks, and as far as I can tell he demands nothing of you. He and Hermione are brilliant too. What will he be able to do against a fully trained Dark wizard, though? My father would kill him."
Eliza laughed. "Jacques Malfoi thought so too. He's dead. Harry has his wife and daughter, whenever they can seduce him into it."
Mary blinked. "I had heard Jacques ran into a problem with the new head of Malfoy. Wait a minute! Narcissa Malfoy! The Malfoy heir and Draco being cast out--Morgana, what do you mean seduce him into it? Beatrice Malfoi is a full-blood Veela."
Eliza laughed as the dots connected behind Mary's eyes. The witches clustered around for this conversation, knowing that if they failed to answer the right way at the end of the evening they would never remember it. One look showed them the hard-eyed Coven members and the cover wizards who had closed in behind them.
Hufflepuff was a joyous celebration of Hufflepuffness and the Hufflepuffness of Harry Potter and his friends. Hannah and Susan ruled the commons. The 'Puffs were mostly drunk out of their minds. Everyone had a great time.
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The Express home in the morning turned into the usual party. Cho joined Pansy in being passed from Coven member to Coven member, being looked over and serving them, before she got a belly full of Harry. It was oddly fulfilling...acceptance...something. It was great.
Percy had a little scene with Penelope Clearwater, explaining his disappointment in her. Penelope shrugged and let herself be pulled back into the compartment with Cederic Diggory with a not very sincere "Sorry you feel that way, Percy. It was nice. Bye." It was hard to be sincere with a Quidditch-mad Englishman trying to find your Snitch with his lips.
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As the Express wound through Scotland and England, Dumbledore spoke to one of his oldest friends. "The boy is coming along nicely, Alastor. For the second time he has defeated Riddle, or a version of Riddle."
"With help, Albus, always with help." Alastor still felt some loyalty to Albus. Not much any more, but some of the loyalty that comes from shared peril. Truthfully, though, if it hadn't been for either Longbottom or Potter they would all be dead now. The last war had not gone well, and much of that could be laid at Albus's feet.
"We all need help from time to time, Alastor. Did you know your new protégé is the Matriarch of his house?"
Alastor blinked at the non-sequitor, then frowned Albus still couldn't see it? "I have heard that." From you, you thundering moron, he didn't say.
Albus nodded, deep in thought, and continued, "I wonder why he lets her pursue such a dangerous career."
Alastor snorted. "Because she wants to. That is a very strong-willed witch. She'll make a fine Auror." Besides which she's pumping my brain for every combat tip, tactic, and procedure I know, and I'm gladly giving them to her because her lord will kill and we'll be DONE with these bastards.
"So Lord Potter doesn't rule his own house, then?"
"Albus, you do know what the word 'assume' does, don't you?" At Albus's blank look Alastor snorted. "Makes an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'. I wouldn't assume too much about one of the ancient and noble houses, especially as it's backed unconditionally by the other."
Albus grimaced and nodded. "And now has Narcissa Malfoy Black pulling the strings on both. I fear we're headed for interesting times, my friend."
Alastor goggled. "Like your oft-predicted return of Voldemort wasn't going to be interesting, Albus? I think you need a rest. Perhaps you should give up either the school or the Wizengamot. Maybe both."
The discussion went on and on but never really got anywhere after that. Dumbledore did however have one point he brought up which pleased Alastor "I see your new leg Alastor."
Alastor smiled broadly "Tonks gave it to me for Christmas. It's the best thing ever. I may get the other one cut off so I can have two of these. Tonks says they are working on putting a wand in it for me like I had in my peg."
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The pure-bloods made way on the platform as Harry sailed up to Emma with Hermione on his arm. Lester Jones watched them with a jaundiced eye; they weren't all happy about it. Some were, though, and more of them than the frowning fops, but they all made way. That was telling.
Emma kissed Hermione. "Better, much better. You don't smell like a brothel. Whose is that perfume, though? Lotus works on you."
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Hermione blushed slightly. "Mother!"
Emma laughed and then watched, holding Hermione's arm, as Harry worked the crowd on the platform with a rotation of Coven members. "He's very good at that."
Hermione smirked. "You should hear his comments in my head. He really doesn't think much of the General wizarding populace."
Emma frowned. "We'll have to work on that. Can't have him just abandoning them."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "No worries there, at least with the witches. Eliza has cooked up some scheme to get them all under Harry."
"Hermione!"
"As vassals, Mother--well, most of them. Some of them are very nice, brilliant too."
"Harry will never go for it, Hermione."
Hermione sighed. "Yes, tragic isn't it? Such a waste."
"Hermione!"
Hermione giggled and leant over and kissed her mother on the cheek. Emma rolled her eyes.
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Harry sat in his corner of the penthouse office of the SSWA building, looking bemused, "Shouldn't this be Victoria's, Hermione? I mean, she is running the thing."
Hermione bent over and looked under the desk. Victoria shook her head vigorously around her mouthful and Harry groaned. "Apparently not, Harry."
Harry pulled the blond, buxom, nude Victoria from under the desk and laid her across it. "I use it, Harry, when you--aren't here--OH MY GODS!" Harry smiled as he tapped her in the very back of her vagina.
Tracey, just walking in with a sheaf of parchment, paused and took in the view: Victoria spread magnificently nude on the desk, Harry--nude--driving into her, and Hermione watching with sparkling eyes in that very sexy suit and the high-heeled wingtips Lavender had put her in this morning, all in front of the wrap-around floor-to-ceiling windows. Hmmmm. "I'm next!"
Harry grunted and his hips locked. After a moment he pulled Victoria into his lap as he sat in his leather covered chair, breathing hard and smiling. Victoria squirmed around until she was sitting reverse-cowgirl and took the parchment from Tracey. "It's the title searches from Gringotts, Harry. We can buy those up now, the properties at the intersection of Knockturn and Diagon."
Harry nodded. "Good. I want to clean them up but leave the look like it is for the first hundred yards or so. Like set-dressing. We can work on those repelling charms some more and eventually seal off Knockturn from non-approved pure-bloods."
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Victoria shuddered as Harry reached around her barley padded hip, down her flat warm belly and between her legs, and applied a Scourgify. "Oh gods, Harry, warn a woman. Thank you, though. I love that."
Hermione looked at the pair. "Not to break this up, because the view is breathtaking, but we do have some appointments coming this morning."
Harry and Victoria nodded and stood and began picking up their clothes. Victoria was climbing back into a thigh-high pin striped skirt and white silk blouse. Tracey and Hermione watched, hypnotized. Victoria was breathtaking, Harry no less so. Paravati burst into the office with Lavender, Kristen, and Daphne. Josephine Malfoi drifted in behind them. Parvati's prepared plaintive request dried up along with her mouth. Harry was beautiful with the sun behind him like that. Victoria too, but Harry, oh my.
Josephine cleared her throat and Parvati snapped back. "Harry, we want the Malfoi Veela to model the No Secrets line for us."
Harry looked over at her, slightly confused. "Okay, and?" Parvati rolled her eyes. "Show him, Josephine."
Josephine dropped her robe to reveal that she was in a bra and panty set with matching garter belt and very nice real silk hose. Harry froze, like a cable in one place. Josephine beamed at him. Hermione's "Holy Circe's brass bra!" fully expressed the sentiment of those in the room. Josephine was tanned, taut, and perfect thirty-six, twenty-four, thirty-six and a generous C-cup. She was the very image of the blond that men dreamed of.
Harry laughed and put a hand on his heart. "Well, if that doesn't sell underwear nothing will. Very impressive, Josephine."
Josephine blushed faintly. "Thank you, Harry." "That's the problem, Harry. Normal women could never match that!"
Harry waved and Lavender was similarly attired and just as impressive in a younger, fresher, definitely sinful way, like a high school girl ready for her prom dress, ready and ripe and full of promise. Harry had to sit down. The girls in the room oohed and ahhed at Lavender, who blushed furiously. Harry smiled. "Uh, that's a resounding no, Lavender. The Malfoi Veela will model for the No Secrets line. You, however, will not." Lavender squeaked in surprise as she flew into Harry's lap.
Tracey pouted. "I called dibs!" Harry smiled. "I just don't want anyone else near her. I'll have to kill someone." Hermione smiled. "Unfortunately, Harry, we have an appointment in five minutes." "Grrrrrr." "Harry!" Hermione knew she was swimming uphill--stream--whatever. Oh my! What is he doing? Lavender giggled as Harry stuffed her under the desk and Tracey squealed as she flew to the desk
and her panties were pulled aside. "Harry James Potter! We have work to do." Hermione watched as Tracey's eyes rolled up in her head. Harry had Parseltongued her, a new trick learned since he had been perusing Slytherin's library.
Daphne laughed. "Come on, Ne. We can delay Fortescue for a few moments." "Grrrrrr." "Hmmm, perhaps you want to work off some aggressions first?" Daphne offered a pert butt. Hermione sighed. "No. Later, though."
Josephine shook her head and settled in to watch. Harry was like porno candy. Kristen and Parvati didn't let her watch for long. Josephine smiled. It was heaven for little Veela around here. Hermione was a perfect Matriarch for an active warlock like Harry.
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Narcissa looked at the dingy, dank passageway and the snarling guard. She had had enough. "I will see my sister now."
"Oh, you will? And what's in it for me?"
Sirius stepped out from the shadows. "Your life, churl. Be thankful I'm here rather than her master or you'd already be dead."
The guard started and looked at the Black. "Milord." He turned and led the way down the passages.
Narcissa cut her eyes at Sirius; he was right on the edge of an explosion. This place obviously raised his ire.
The jailer stopped in front of a cell and Narcissa looked in. Bellatrix crawled to the bars listlessly and arranged her face against them with her mouth open. Narcissa tried to stop Sirius, she really did; all too late, however, as black flames consumed the jailer but didn't. They crawled over his flesh as he ran screaming up the passageway, bouncing off the walls. Narcissa knelt in front of Bellatrix, reached through the bars, and hugged her. She managed several scans and passed the nutrient and health potions to Bella before the warden returned with five more guards, only to be lit on fire by Sirius. When the alarms went off, Narcissa knew it was time to get them out to the docks to wait for the Aurors. She dragged Sirius away as the first breath of cold wafted up the hallway. She missed the pleased gleam in Bellatrix's eyes.
Sirius went on some kind of rampage. Well, not some kind: a flat-out rampage. Narcissa trotted to keep up. It was strangely gratifying watching the Black rain terror on these scum.
Amelia Bones arrived to a scene from Dante's Inferno. The wards held the Dementors back from the boat dock where all the human jailers writhed, screaming, burning but not, consumed by an odd black fire. Sirius and Narcissa stood regally composed and rigid in the midst of this. "Milord Black?"
"Lady Bones. I suspect these men have been taking liberties with the female prisoners."
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Amelia's eyes hardened to glittering agates. The Aurors standing near her drew back as a visible white aura flared around her for a moment. "I see. Aurors, arrest them all. Thank you, Milord Black."
Sirius gave a stiff bow from the shoulders and held out his arm. Narcissa laid her hand on it and looked into Amelia's eyes. Amelia winced. She would be explaining this to Harry before the day ended. Sirius disappeared with a huge crack and the anti-Apparition ward of Azkaban ripped away as a block of stone buried in the stone dock exploded. Amelia cursed luridly for a moment. "Johnson, get those boffins from the DoM up here now!"
Johnson, being an intelligent Auror of five years' service, Apparated away that instant. "Williams! Bring me that piece-of-shite warden."
Williams looked down at the burning-not-burning warden, sighed, thought Gryffindors charge ahead, and reached down. As soon as he touched the warden the flames died. Williams let go in surprise and the flames reappeared, along with the screaming. He shrugged, grabbed the man again, and dragged him to Amelia.
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Hermione waved a second silencing charm at Harry's office door. "Now, Mr Fortescue, what can we here at SSWA do for you?"
Florian blinked. This was a child. Admittedly she appeared at first to be near her majority, from her shape and face, but she was in fact very young. Gorgeous, but very young. "Well, I would like to speak to someone in charge about the changes to Knockturn Alley."
Hermione nodded. "What are your concerns?"
Florian opened his mouth and then snapped it closed again as the Matriarch's ring on the girl's finger came into view as she sipped her tea after the young Daphne Greengrass, changed nearly out of recognition, played mother. "Beg pardon. I intended no insult." Florian looked closer and recognized the Potter Arms. "Duchess Potter."
Hermione beamed at him and Daphne chuckled. "Ask now, Fortescue. She'll give you anything after that."
Florian looked at the Slytherin and saw that she was serious under the humor. "I would like to open another ice cream parlor and perhaps a pizzeria down here. I've noticed a lack of public houses and eateries, yet there are many people here. Also I've begged my neighbor merchants to improve their premises but they will barely sweep their fronts. It's cleaner, more family-oriented here. There are children playing in the Alley here."
Hermione pulled a moue at Daphne, then her face turned serious. Daphne looked at Florian. "See? Told you."
Hermione refocused and smiled. "How long have you been in the restaurant trade, Mr Fortescue?" H Tracey tapped out on the desk and Lavender took over. Josephine concentrated on Kristen after
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destroying Parvati. All six of them were sitting on the rug; well, Harry was in the desk chair still when Hermione sailed back in followed by Daphne, who was shaking her head.
Harry beamed at them. Lavender and Tracey waved weakly; Josephine and her victims smiled. Hermione's smart suit disappeared on the way to the desk and she leapt into Harry's lap. "I got us a percentage of the profits on a pizzeria, an ice cream parlor, and casual and fine dining Italian restaurants, Harry! It was easy!"
Daphne nodded. "Fortescue would have given her his next kid. He's completely in love with her. It's so strange. She just talked to him."
Hermione turned to Harry, beaming. "My very own conquest, Harry! My first!"
Harry smiled back and reestablished his love and that he was her first. Hermione was a little spacy for the rest of the morning.
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Amelia Bones listened to the last Veritaserum-assisted questioning in the dock. "All under arrest for malfeasance and mistreatment of prisoners. Put them in high-security cells here. Their trials will be by the DMLE here too."
Horace Heath stepped up to her. "The wards are repaired, Amelia. That shouldn't be possible again as now the ward anchor for anti-Apparition is inside the main wards. Nasty business this."
Amelia snorted. "And you don't have to explain it to the Black or the other Ancient and Noble house."
Horace nodded. "Yes, young Harry, interesting case there. A Warlock and quite powerful, melting instruments all the time. The Unspeakables are like children around the instruments that monitor him. Not to report, just to observe, you understand. He is quite interesting."
Amelia grinned. "Let something slip, Horace? Afraid he's onto you and might come visit?"
Horace grinned back. "A little insurance, Amelia. I would hate to be misunderstood. Now to pay for it, the prison system is the direct responsibility of the Wizengamot and its chief Warlock."
"Horace, you wonderful wizard, you!" She leant toward him with pursed lips.
"Ah-ah-ah, Amelia, still married to June, you remember her? Your year, Ravenclaw, redhead, horribly jealous. If I go home smelling like the alluring Chief of the DMLE she'll Potter me. Besides, from what I hear you have another interest."
"Potter you? And if only I were twenty years younger. I'm going to have to wait a while, though."
"It's what we call emasculation around the department now. You know that's not true; he's a warlock. You can do what you will with him, or more what he wills with you, leaving that alone he is one of the two. Again what he wills and the Black doesn't object to, and somehow I don't see the Black objecting to much that his orphaned godson wants. Especially a witch who knows what she wants."
Amelia nodded. "I know, but you know how people talk."
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Horace laughed. "Like you've ever cared before? Oh, I see, you--erm--'have it bad', don't you? You don't want him painted in a scandal. Wait until June finds out!"
Horace Heath disappeared near-silently and Amelia growled, "Wizards!" June would pester her to death now. She looked around. "All DONE, then? All in irons in cells?"
Auror Williams stepped up. "They won't stop burning, ma'am." Amelia beamed. "Good!" The Aurors recoiled. Williams sighed and tried again. "They'll be insane in a week, ma'am."
Amelia sighed. "I'll speak with the Black. Wouldn't want them insane before the Dementors suck out their corrupt little souls, now, would we? Okay, four on duty here until we can get more guards for this hole. Sorry."
The Aurors nodded and four stayed while the others popped away. Being keyed to the wards, they neither splinched nor blew apart the wards. Like any of them could match the Black's power anyway, but it wasn't a problem.
Severus Snape watched the comings and goings in front of his cell with mad, glittering, beady eyes. He closed them and pulled his arms in close as the Dementors began their rounds.