Harry and Hermione raced down the stairs after Dobby. In the living room, Harly lay unconscious on the couch with a palm sized bundle on her chest. Cismy and two equally old matrons threw instructions at a handful of male house elves, while Sirius stood against the far wall looking uncomfortable and out of place in his own home.
"Dobby be bringing Lord Potter," he announced. Relief flooded the room as he strode toward Harly.
"Cismy." Harry stopped in front of the unconscious elf, his eyes on the silent bundle as he spoke to the matron.
"Hold the baby, Harry."
"Won't it bond with me?"
"It come early. Baby be needing more magic than Harly can give. Kill them both if you be doing nothing."
Harry grit his teeth and picked up the bundle, turning the babe to face him. A girl. A weightless baby girl without weight or breath.
He sent a tendral of raw magic toward the babe and ran his fingers up and down her back.
A tense moment passed in which no one in the room dared breath.
The baby took a breath, then another. Her little hands reached for the magic tether. Harry sagged in relief as magic flowed into her.
She opened her eyes and when her gaze met Harry's, her watery blue eyes took on a green tint and darkened to a deep turquoise.
He felt the bond form stronger than that of any other elf. Newborn elve's magic held a wild, unpredictable edge that altered bonds in unexpected ways. Usually the baby died, but attemppting to bond it would have broken the connection to Harly. No one would say it, but if one had to be saved, saving her would be easier. As a result of the risks, bonding a newborn was borderline illegal.
Harry grimaced. He never would have held her like this under normal circumstances. She bonded to his essence and magic closer than even Hedwig. If their bond broke, she would die and Harry's magic would feel the loss. Only the soul bond could surpass this level of connection and even then, only rarely.
After a moment of staring at the newest member of his family, Harry shook himself and extended magic to Harly. Her unconscious form soaked up the magic until she opened her eyes.
Confusion followed by awe flitted across her face. "Master Harry, "She said, her voice hoarse. "You be saving us."
"Of course. You're family." He sat beside Harly to place the babe in her arms. "Closer family than I intended. I'm sorry. I never would have bound her without your permission if I had a choice."
"Harly be most grateful."
"Dobby too." He stepped forward sheepishly and sat on Harly's other side. A grin spread across his face as he peered at his daughter. "Beautiful." He gave her his finger, which she clutched.
"What will you name her?" Hermione asked.
"House elves not name babies," Harly said, "masters do."
"Not here," Harry said. "She's yours. Name her together."
The pair looked at each other a long moment. Dobby nodded, his ears flapped.
"Cismy tell Harly of Harry's parents. Of their kindness and bravery. Harly name baby Lily."
Harry's eyes filled with tears. He nodded and fought back the lump in his throat.
Once they got back to the castle, Harry regrettably turned down Hermione's offer of a cup of tea before bed.
"As much as I would love to pick up where we left off my dear," Harry said as Hermione flushed, "I've got to go discuss Ronald's behaviour with McGonagall and the headmaster."
Hermione looked conflicted, but after giving herself a resolute nod she spoke. "I'll come with you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"I'm not going to pull any punches. I know he pretended to be your friend, but I'll be pushing hard for expulsion."
"Expulsion!"
"He attacked you Hermione. Moreover, he's been treating you like a possession for years. Neville has told me he's literally challenged other guys to duels for showing interest in you."
Hermione gave a shaky nod. "I don't know why that surprises me."
"Because he also made you feel undesirable." Harry wiped the single tear from her eye before it could fall. "He made you believe he was the only one who would put up with your intelligence. Even then, he kept his romantic interest in you a secret so he could sleep around while you were in school, secure in the idea you'd be waiting for him."
Hermione bit her lip hard.
"Exactly. He did all of that to me. My problem. I should be able to deal with my own problems."
"I can deal with this one." He held her face gently between his palms and stared into her glossy eyes.
"It's enough that I don't have to do so alone. More than enough. You don't have to protect me."
"Yes I do. very few things have ever felt this important to me."
"When you say 'this' do you mean the situation or …"
Harry inhaled sharply and stared at his feet for a moment. Took a step closer. "You know what I mean."
"Say it."
"You. Us. This." he whispered against the corner of her mouth before kissing her. A kiss unlike any other they'd shared. Hesitant, unsure, vulnerable.
She kissed him back with all the passion that one word lit in her heart. They clung together, pressing so close they threatened to become one. Not close enough.
Harry pinned her against the wall, thigh between her legs as hands slid over her hips, up her sides, to grasp her breast firmer than earlier. Urgently.
Hermione gasped once his mouth left hers and trailed gentle kisses and firm nips down her neck. Heat radiated through her and urged her to grind her core against his leg.
He growled.
"Lord Potter Missus Granger." Winky squeaked.
Harry groaned. "Cock blocking elves," he muttered so quietly Hermione wasn't sure she heard him right.
She giggled and pushed Harry away to straighten her clothes. The top button of her blouse had popped off. She straightened her collar and decided a little extra cleavage never hurt anyone. A snort forced its way out her nose. Before Harry came around, she'd never admit she had cleavage, much less show it off.
"Winky," Harry said, "it's good to see you again, but your timing is truly awful."
"Sorry Lord, Missus. Headmaster be telling Winky Lord Potter returned and be sending Winky to be reminding Lord about their meeting."
"Winky," Harry said crouching to her level, "what's all this 'Lord' business? You promised to call me Harry."
"Well yous not be happy to see Winky. Winky be blocking the rooster."
Harry sputtered while Hermione burst out laughing.
"They do have large ears Harry, you've got to know they have much better hearing than us."
"Winky not be understanding. Where be rooster?"
"There isn't a rooster Winky. Harry is just frustrated. Lead the way."
The little elf shook the confusion from her face. "This way Harry, Missus."
"Oh please do call me Hermione."
Winky beamed and her cheeks flushed purple as she took Hermione's hand, well a few fingers, and began leading the way.
"Thank you Hermione," she said. "Of course you be Harry's mate!"
Hermione flushed with pleasure. A pang jolted through Harry's chest. He slipped his hand into his breast pocket to caress the folded page from the Book of Bonds. All elves had soulmates and would naturally find them at the perfect time in their lives. 'Mates' meant forever to them. The perfect pair. It was why breeding farms and situations like Harly and Dobby's were so horrendous.
She could be his soulmate. The time he'd have to tell her was approaching and the thought filled him with dread. He was becoming infatuated with her. Could he break it off with her to continue the search if the page didn't identify her? Did he want to? Maybe it would be better to lock the page away. Never look at it. Never tell her. And potentially abandon a soulmate he never found?
"Here we be. Good luck friends." Winky squeezed Hermione's fingers before vanishing with a faint pop.
Harry took Hermione's now empty hand and gave it a squeeze as they both stared at the heavy oak door in front of them.
"You ready?" he asked
"No."
"You don't have to say a thing." Squeeze.
She reached out to use the phenix shaped knocker. The door clicked open.
Dumbledore's spacious office at the top of the central tower sat cluttered with delicate and pointless or outdated magical objects. On closer inspection, some of the innocuous looking items wave honesty compulsions over visitors, others encouraged guests to trust Dumbledore. Some inspired feelings of loyalty, others owe and respect.
Before the pair stepped through the threshold, Harry held Hermione in the corridor for a moment as he wandlessly and silently placed wards around both their minds. Telepathy was much harder in his human form, but he needed to warn her.
"Hermione there are devices in here that mess with your mind and alter your perception. I'll place protections on you, but I'd like your permission and for them to be effective I need your trust. Squeeze my hand for yes."
Squeeze.
"Open your mind to me. Let me in. Let me protect you."
She did.
Despite the difficulty and noticeable power drain as Harry pumped as much into them as he could, they only spent fifteen seconds in front of the open door before entering. He hadn't known what effects he hadn't caught, so their wards were much more thorough and powerful than he needed to dissuade the rather gentle compulsions. Most importantly, the wards were undetectable and also lit up any device that targeted them in Harry's vision. The hue, colour and intensity of the glow told him much about the intent, strength, and effect that was being stymied.
An ingenious piece of occlumency that Harry had tweaked, reinvented, and perfected until it was a spell set only he knew. If he wanted to keep it undetectable, it was a latticework of wards he had to keep to himself. However, he was beginning to trust Hermione. Her brilliance would doubtless reverse engineer some of it, but that fact only reassured him she would be better at protecting herself if he couldn't be there for her. His heart burned at the thought of her being in danger alone.
Together they stepped into the cluttered office and picked their way carefully towards the ornate desk Dumbledore sat behind with McGonagall standing to his right.
To Harry's bewilderment, Ron stood slouched in the left corner behind the desk.
"What is he doing here?" Harry's eyes narrowed at the boy. Despite the slight shadow Ron stood in, the word "WHORE" still sat clearly visible across his forehead in a scar almost as red as his hair.
"Mr. Weasley called for a meeting, same as you. Now that Miss Granger has chosen to join us as well, perhaps we can attempt what the muggles term 'restorative justice'. Exciting, no?"
"I don't want her here." Ron snarled.
"She's got more of a right than you, Weasel."
"Enough," Dumbledore barked at Harry and Ron. "Mr. Potter, Miss Granger please." He indicated the seats on the far side of his desk.
"I'd rather stand, Professor." If Dumbledore could demote him from Lord to Mr, then Harry would respond in kind. Hermione twitched beside him as she stopped herself from automatically accommodating the Headmaster.
"No bother. Now then. Mr. Weasley was in the middle of telling us how you and Miss Granger attacked him."
Hermione snorted, a noise that startled Dumbledore and McGonagall as they ogled the normally polite girl.
"Weasley attacked us sir," Harry said.
"An somehow, I'm the one with something to show for it, eh Potter?" Weasley snapped.
"A simple well timed charm to shield. Nothing more."
"Simple! Most simple shields don't bounce spells back at the caster!"
"On the contrary, it was the first shield I learned. Takes its power from the power, will, and intent behind the offensive spell. No magic necessary. Most squibs can cast it."
"Squibs can't cast anything."
"You do a disservice to the reputation of this school Ronald," Hermione spoke for the first time. "Squibs can create potions and perform any magic that doesn't require the caster to have a magical core."
"Whatever. Point is, Potter-"
"Lord."
"Huh?"
"Lord Potter, you nitwit. Harry has warned you before not to be so informal." Hermione seethed. Harry squeezed her hand and she took a breath.
"Shove off. Point is he could've cast any shield. He wanted that curse to fly back at me."
"He makes a good point Potter." Dumbledore said over his steepled fingers.
"I have not given you leave to be informal either, Albus."
He bent his head in concession and waited, unfazed, for Harry's explanation.
"And no, he doesn't have a point. That was my first and subsequently is my default shield. There's not a lot of time to mull over one's options when fired on from behind. Furthermore, if Weasley were familiar with his shields, which he ought to be by now, he would have realized canceling his own spell would have made it fizzle before it reached him. I can not be held responsible for Ronald's lack of knowledge." The note of challenge in his voice and pointed stare at Dumbledore suggested very subtly that perhaps he could be.
"That curse came back stronger than I coulda cast it," Ron admitted with a slight flush. "And it locked. Madam Pomfrey says the scar might be permanent. I don't know how to do that."
"Power, will, and intent Mr. Weasley. The shield doesn't reflect your spell. It absorbs those components to spit the most balanced version of the spell back at you. Sometimes if a magical's will and intent is strong enough but they don't know the correct spell, the shield will change it."
"For example," Hermione said, taking over at the bewildered look on Ron's face. "If you had the shield active and I sent a simple and brief impotency at you, I might end up permanently infertile." She grinned sweetly as Ron blanched. "Meaning," she continued, "that if you wanted that word branded on my forehead my whole life, then that very well may be your cross to bear now."
Ron sputtered.
"Well," Dumbledore said with a clap of his hands. "I believe this matter is settled. Mr Weasley, it seems you have punished yourself more efficiently than either Minerva or myself could have. It seems unfair to punish your house by taking points seeing as you attacked fellow Gryffindors."
"I think not," Harry growled. "Ronald Weasley has mentally and verbally abused Hermione for years leading up to attacking her from behind with a malicious curse which breaks several school roles, three charters, and in another country would be grounds for snapping his wand." Harry struggled to cut his words short before he launched into a tangent about Britain's shortcomings.
The Weasel paled at his words. "That's not - I didn't-"
"Ronald Weasley has committed too many transgressions to escape immediate expulsion," Harry said with a note of finality.
"Lord Potter," Dumbledore said, emphasizing the first time he'd used Harry's proper title, "surely that is an uncalled for extreme!"
McGonagall's face remained impassive, but Harry caught the twinkle of pride she held in her eyes for him. She wouldn't disagree with him.
"What's uncalled for," Harry said, his voice deadly low as he placed both fists on Dumbledore's desk so he effectively loomed over the headmaster, "is your administration's incompe tence. Hogwarts is revered as a place of learning and yet-"
"That's quite enough now. I do not need advice on how to run my school from a student."
"Do not interrupt me again, Sir." Energy sparked from his eyes as barely restrained fury cut the air. "I am a Peer of the Realm, Vanqui sher of the Dark One, and Heir of Gryffindor. You remain a stewart in my castle because I've been assured my presence could whip your lackadaisical leadership into something approach ing acceptable."
"You go too far boy," Dumbledore growled. A device on his desk that looked newly repaired glowed a deep crimson along a latticework of irreparable cracks in its enchantment. A spear of energy shot towards Harry, intent on forcing him to submit. His wards dissipated the spear easily, but left Harry a taste of its purpose: imperious curse with a dash of cruciatus.
"That," Harry said, merely pointing at the device, causing it to fold itself down until all that remained was a crystalline paper crane, "was beyond the pale. Your freedoms and tenuous position are only secure, if you wish to delude yourself into thinking you have a ledge to cling to, because of the bewildered look on your face. I don't believe you expected it to attack that strongly."
"Attack?" Ron asked. The exchange had been invisible to the others until Harry collapsed the device.
Harry ignored him, his focus solely on Dumbledore.
"Weasley will be expelled and evacuated within the hour or I will banish him from the premises. I can't promise the wards will be able to distinguish between one Weasley and another." At Ron's blank look, Harry clarified. "Meaning your pretty little sister would likely be booted too."
Ron blanched. "Expel me Headmaster. I can't do that to her. To my parents."
"That's the first reasonable thing I've heard out of your mouth," Harry said. "And possibly the only selfless sentiment you've ever expressed."
"Shove off Potter," he said, in a voice devoid of emotion.
Dumbledore met Harry's deadpan stare before sighing. He threw his hands into the air. "You're dismissed Mr. Weasley, from my office and the school. I suggest you keep Lord Potter's time limit in mind as you collect your things and make your goodbyes."
Once Ron left, head bowed and reserved, he turned his attention to Harry once more.
"I would appreciate you keeping a more civil tongue with me in front of my faculty and students in future," he said with a nod toward McGonagall and Hermione.
"And I," Harry said as the crystalline origami swan burst into violet flames, "would appreciate you realizing how precarious your position is. This castle is mine and the standards have been raised. You will live up to them and you will treat me and mine with the respect we are owed or you will not be welcome on my property. Am I clear?"
"Now let's just calm down and-"
"Am. I. Clear?" Harry whispered, sparks flying once more. The fire went out. Only a fine white ash remained. A perfect quarter sized pile on the desk.
"Yes. "Dumbledore averted his gaze. Harry took Hermione's hand and swept out of the office.
"Harry," Hermione said as they walked down the spiral staircase, "when you said 'my own'-"
"I'm sorry. I got lost in the heat of the moment and wanted to include you. I didn't mean to imply ownership in any way."
She stopped him at the bottom of the stairs and pulled him into an alcove.
"You can call me yours." Hermione looked at their interlocked fingers for a moment and took a breath before meeting his jade gaze. "I think - I think I might love you."
He brushed his thumb over her lower lip before tucking a stray curl behind her ear.
"I think I might love you too."
They shared a light tender kiss.
"I have something to show you." He took the folded piece of parchment from his breast pocket. "Have you heard of the Book of Bonds?"
Her eyes widened. "That isn't -"
"It is. I have a pending soulmate bond to someone in the castle."
"That's why you came this year."
He nodded.
"Wait. You don't know who?"
"No."
"So it could be someone else."
"Hermione, I've known you for less than two weeks. We're both rational people. This feeling, it's too powerful to be anything as mundane as a crush."
"We try to be rational, but you're here searching to fall in love, I found out any interested parties through my entire school experience have been beaten off by a possessive ginger, and we're both just teenagers ruled by hormones. What if there isn't anything magical about this? What if it's chemical?"
"I've been drawn to you since watching you fight a troll in first year. Each time you were in trouble, I showed up or sent an elf. It didn't occur to me at the time, but why would I feel compelled to run into the mouth of a basilisk to save your life if I didn't, on some level, feel connected to you?"
"You've known the whole time, haven't you? That she's here." She didn't have to wait for his nod to know the answer. "Anyone could have been threatened by that snake and you would have leapt in just in case. Plus, I mean, you do have a saving people thing."
"But who but my soulmate could have so many misadventures? Could run into Voldemort's spirit twice in as many years?"
She didn't seem convinced. Harry sighed and couldn't meet her gaze.
"I tried to forget," he admitted. "I knew as long as Voldemort threatened in any forms. As long as his followers survived, she'd be in danger. I didn't - I didn't wait for her at first."
Hermione took his face in her hands to prompt him to meet her gaze.
"I had sex. Quite a bit. My dad encouraged it. Well, the first time. Virgin ritual sacrifices and all. I was the number one target as soon as I turned eleven. Afterwards, it distracted me from the guilt. The longing. I thought if I could get a girlfriend, could fall in love, then so could my soulmate and they'd be better off for it."
She couldn't deny the spark of jealousy she felt about the sex, but it was nothing next to the burning curiousity about the emotional attachment.
"Well? Did it work?"
"No. I had girlfriends, even boyfriends. I stayed with a few for a few months. One for a year, but more out of desperation than any genuine feelings. They were all fine, but nothing more than friends I fucked." On his side anyway. Fleur Delacour had fallen hard. That mess convinced him to quit dating and get to Hogwarts.
"But you feel something for me."
"And you feel it too. Our connection. I swear sometimes I can almost feel your emotions."
"Oh yea? What am I feeling now?" She schooled her face into a respectable poker face.
He concentrated on his blooming love for her and let his own mind go blank as he slid easily into a meditative state.
"Scared, reluctant, but hopeful."
She gasped and burned her face against his chest.
"We don't have to look yet. It won't tell me unless we look at it together. We have a bit of time. See if we connect more. I need to find them though. This year. I don't want the 'what if' hanging over our head. Not when it's this important. I care about you Mio. I don't want you to get hurt."
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay."
"We don't have to. I can lock it away. We never have to look at it."
"We should. You need to know and if- if I'm not then it wouldn't be fair to whoever your soulmate is."
He unfolded the parchment with shaking hands.
Soulmate bond pending.
"Touch it," he whispered.
She held one corner lightly.
Nothing.
Her eyes brimmed with tears. One fell, tracked down her face, and fell to the parchment.
The drop glowed and smudged the ink.
Soulmate bond forming with Hermione Granger.
She gasped and they looked at each other with wonder.
Without looking down, Harry folded the page and tucked it back into his breast pocket.
Neither saw that the paper wasn't done. Under their bond were the words:
Secondary soulmate bond pending.
Back in Dumbledore's office, he sat with his head in his hands.
"I know you have a stronger connection to the boy than you let on, Minerva."
"I don't see how that's your business, Albus."
"You know the plans I have for him. For Britain. We need change and I need to gain control, gain his confidence and loyalty to bring it about. Use your influence Minerva. You know what's at stake."
"You're not the only one who can bring change Albus." She walked to the office door and turned to say more with her hand on the nob. "If tonight proved anything, it proved that that boy holds all the cards. Hell, let's be honest. That boy is the house and I'm not about to bet against him. If your half as smart as you think you are Albus, you'll cash out before he realizes you're counting cards." She left.
Dumbledore sat alone with his failure for two minutes before sending Winky to fetch the one person who would see the situation his way. The right way. Someone who would jump at the chance to help set his plan into motion.
Severus Snape.
Back in the Gryffindor dorms, Hermione walked Harry to his door.
"Are you going to invite me in?"
"No."
"Come again?"
"You may come in, but I can't promise I could keep my hands to myself. And, of course, if you decide to take that risk, I guarantee I will not let you leave."
"Doesn't sound like a problem to me."
"I thought you wanted to wait until your birthday. You're only two days away."
"Exactly. Who's counting?"
"Me, until this very moment." He pulled her into the room and closed the door. Seconds later, he pressed her against said door as his hands raced under her shirt.
"Harry, wait."
He groaned but took his hands away and clasped them behind his back. Her heart swelled at the show of respect even as her hands grew clammy. Now. She had to tell him now.
"On the couch."
He sat.
She paced.
"I'm not a virgin either."
Harry swallowed his jealousy. No way would he act the misogynistic hypocrite. He hadn't waited and he'd known he had a soulmate.
"Krum."
"You drop that judgmental tone this instant Harry James Potter! It wasn't by choice." Hands on hips. Hard glare.
"Not by -Oh Mio." He pulled her from her pacing into his lap. For several moments he simply held her.
She shook.
The right shoulder of his shirt grew damp, then wet.
He held her.
"At the ball he stole my wand while we danced."
"You don't have to tell me."
"I've been holding it in so long. Today I told Draco of all people. Not details.. He promised not to tell- Said you'd kill him. Now here I am. Telling you."
"I will kill him."
"He's not worth it." She pressed into his chest hard as if he would leave now to find Krum. He almost did. But she needed him.
"Besides," she said, "I got him. Dick's a limp baby carrot."
"You must be getting good at that curse."
"Very."
"I'd never go further than you're comfortable with."
"I know."
"Just checking."
Silence.
"I'm here to listen if you want to talk."
She pressed a grateful smile into his chest.
"Krum's big dumb brute persona is an act. He's quite brilliant in a slimy conniving way. He could turn on the charm. Make a muggle born know-it- all who hadn't received a single boy's affection feel special. Pretty. I figured later that's why he went for me. Much easier than the pretty popular pure bloods. More likely to take it and shut up. Be grateful for my fifteen minutes of fame and keep quiet about his... tastes."
She took a deep shaky breath. Harry rubbed her back until she continued.
"So clever. He knew he couldn't get away with anything in the school with portraits and elves. Took me to their boat."
Another breath. Harry moved on to her shoulders.
"At first it seemed quite romantic. And of course no one would stop a champion. He took me aboard. Some of his mates were waiting. The way they looked at me, they knew."
Her voice cracked and he summoned her tea. She drank deeply before continuing.
"They watched as he took me right on deck. Encouraged him. Made suggestions. They got cruel. All of them. Krumb got more excited the more I begged. The more I hurt.
"Eventually, Karkaroff came back. The hope and relief was the worst. I thought that was it. I was saved.
"What sort of teacher sees what's happening on his ship and says 'I get the mud-blood next'?"
"A Death Eater."
She nodded against his chest. "He was even crueler and inspired them to get more creative."
"How many of them?"
"Only Krumb and Karkaroff. The others were just spectators, but they made suggestions, many of which were acted on.
"They tossed me into the lake after. I think they thought I was dead. I should have been. The squid found me. Knew me. I spent a lot of time feeding him when studying by the lake. He brought me to share and sunk their boat. Only one of them died. A boy below who'd been asleep the whole time.
"Karkaroff made a stink. Had the squid killed. So much for being a protected species."
"And you?"
"Someone got me to the medical wing. Don't know who. Wish I could thank them, but I have a feeling it was one of them that felt guilty. I couldn't thank any of them. Not when they just watched.
"Pomfrey patched me up. Said I was lucky to be alive."
"Why didn't she tell Dumbledore?"
"She did. Krum is a national treasure and for some reason, he wouldn't go after Karkaroff."
"He's got a soft spot for 'reformed' Death Eaters," Harry growled.
Again she held him back. Clung to him. "Limp baby carrots. Both of them."
"You attacked a teacher? A Headmaster even?"
"Ron actually convinced me to do it."
"Only thing I've heard about the git that's halfway respectable. More so if he'd done it himself."
"Doesn't know the spell."
"Cutting curses do the job."
"Have you seen Ron in a duel? They'd kill him."
"Two birds."
She let out a giggle. They cuddled for several moments before she spoke.
"At the time, I thought of him as a friend. My best friend. Depression hit me pretty bad. Probably would've killed myself before the end of the year without that idiot to look out for."
"There's one thing I don't understand."
"Ask."
"Where were the house elves? Yule Ball? There were more than enough to keep an eye on the grounds. Figured something would go down. Sort of surprised nothing did. Guess it did at that."
"Hogwarts' elves were forbidden on the boat. I suppose Karkaroff had a ward or something. "
"I'm sorry. You're who I had them here to protect and I failed."
"You didn't know."
"I should've done more."
"You can't think of every eventuality."
"I should have thought to ask them to watch the boat. Hogwarts students were my priority. I didn't think- I just didn't think."
"It's okay. I'm alright. It's just I needed to tell you before we, you know, try anything."
"I'll never rush you. We can wait as long as you need."
"It's just, I mean, I know you won't. I'm just worried I might- might have flashbacks or freak out or- I just want you to know that it isn't your fault. I've just got this history. That is my only experience and I'm- I'm scared."
"You don't have to be." He slid both hands into her hair to tilt her head back and gaze at her tear stained face. "I'll never hurt you."
"I know. I trust you." They cuddled on the couch for a half hour. Neither wanted to move, to break the warm aura of trust and love that had grown around them as Hermione confided in him.
A soft knock at Harry's door brought them both back to the larger world.
He answered it to find the young house elf on the other side with three more Hogwarts elves behind her.
"Winky not be wanting to block any more roosters."
"No roosters this time Winky. You and your friends are welcome to come in and make yourselves comfortable on the furniture."
All the elves eyes went wide as they expressed their gratitude and went inside. "I be tellin you he be kind," Winky whispered too loudly.
None sat until Hermione asked Winky to join her on the couch. At her insistence, the others followed suit.
"Now then, what can I do for you Winky?"
"Winky come to warn Harry Potter. He treat Winky not as elf, but as friend."
"Warn me about what Winky?"
"That Headmaster and Professor Snape be planning together right now. Planning against Harry Potter."
"Planning what?" Harry's voice grew eerily quiet.
"To be controlling Harry."
"How?"
"Hermione."
Sparks danced in his eyes and he had to fight down his rage before he could speak.
"How are you able to tell me your master's secrets?"
Winky looked at her wiggling toes. "Headmaster not be Winky's master anymore."
"How? "Hermione asked.
"They're bound to the school." Harry replied. "If the school were at max capacity, not even Dumbledore could sustain all the elf bonds they'd need to run the place. Half full as it is now there are, what? Fifty seven?"
Winky nodded. "Fifty-two now that we be claiming freedom."
"Its' an old law that institutions tie the elves to the ley lines and hearthstone that power the castle," Harry explained. "That way, when a leader is ousted-"
"They can't cling to power by maintaining control of the workforce. Brilliant. But how are you free?"
"They're employees rather than house slaves. Since a building can't give them clothes, one of the staff has to command them to take an item from the lost and found. Theoretically, elves can quit the same way, but it's never been done. Not here. Not when they're treated like servants rather than the slaves the rest of Britain keeps under its boot."
"Cismy actually be the first Harry." Winky said. "When she hear Harry Potter be alive and with Lord Black she leave. Winky remember."
"She never told me." His heart swelled thinking of his faithful matron. "So now you've freed yourselves. Why?" Harry knew how hard that must have been for these four and he'd never even met the men.
"Winky be talking to Cismy now that Harry Potter be in school. She tell Winky many things, many of Harry Potter's plans when Cismy knows Harry Potter call Winky friend. Winky talk to Bucky, Varny, and Dandy. Winky want to help.
Elves bond Harry Potter if he wish. Winky be of Yirwarin clan. Dandy be her brother and not leave her. Bucky be of Elluin and Yarny be of Quidove."
Harry burst into laughter.
"The final three! Oh Winky I could kiss you!" And he did on her right cheek. She blushed a violent purple. "Hermione, these are the last three ancestral British families."
"You can free the elves?"
"I can free the elves!"