"If every magical entity we come across is going to use me as a microphone the least they could at least let me remember the conversation," Hermione grumbled.
Her, Harry, Luna, and Neville combed the library for anything that might be considered a book of power or a reference to one after dinner that evening.
"I don't think they purposefully wipe your memories," Luna said as she ran her hand over the spines of books shelf by shelf with her eyes closed. "But you need to be asleep mentally for protection."
Hermione snorted.
"That makes sense," Neville said. "Too many beings in one brain would drive the host insane."
Luna nodded and moved onto a new shelf. Hermione cocked her head to the side, furrowed her brow and, with a sigh, began to flip through a new book.
At that moment, Draco waltzed over with Daphne in tow. He had explained what Daphne wanted to Harry and Neville earlier.
"You trust her?" Harry had asked while Thor twined around his wrists. The lightning snake had shed twice and grew more comfortable with Harry by the day, though he still would not allow anyone else to touch him.
"I trust her to act in her own best interests. Right now, befriending you seems to be her best option."
"What does she bring to the table?"
"She's cunning and always has a contingency plan."
"I have you for that." Harry smirked.
Neville beamed. Draco blushed.
"Yes, well, she also has the support of the Slytherin's. She took over rather easily when I left."
"Do you regret it?"
He paused to give the appearance of contemplation. He knew the answer.
"Not at all. If I'd wanted to keep my pull with the snakes I could have."
"Why didn't you?" Harry asked. "They could be useful."
"That world belongs to my father. I should have," he admitted. "I'm sorry."
"Never apologize for bettering yourself or knowing your limits," Harry said. He stood, returned Thorn to the Bermuda biome, and turned to the others. "Bring her to the library in a half hour."
Harry had warned everyone to keep sensitive information to themselves around Daphne. This trial run would end with a test of loyalty, he just had to think up a juicy piece of gossip to tempt her with. That he might leave up to Draco.
"Hey," Draco said in the library. "I ran into Daphne. I invited her to study with us if that's okay."
"Sure," Harry said. "Welcome. We're looking for a specific book right now, but I'm sure Hermione could use a break."
This, of course, was the first test. Many Slytherin's had followed Draco's lead in tormenting her over the years, Daphne included.
Perfect mask in place, Daphne sat at Hermione's table. She pulled two textbooks, several scrolls of parchment, an ink well, and two quills from her bag. Each placed meticulously and adjusted several times before she met Hermione's blank expression.
The others all pretended to search, but kept close.
"I've wanted to apologize to you for some time now."
"About since Draco started gaining popularity with the other houses?"
Daphne winced. If the movement was calculated, she would have done well as an actress.
"That's fair. I don't expect you to trust that I'm here for unselfish reasons. I'm not."
Hermione blinked several times. "Odd strategy."
"It's the only one that makes sense." She gave a delicate shrug. "We both know you're too smart to believe I changed my ways or that I never wanted to make your life hell."
"So you're going with bald honesty?"
"Yes." Daphne opened her potions textbook and began drafting an essay on the effect that different types of cauldrons had on complex potions.
"Well," Hermione said. "I assume Harry's strength magically and politically is responsible for your change of heart."
"In part," she said without looking up from her notes. "But also your own."
"Mine?"
"I saw you in that clearing. Harry may have struck the final blow, but you had them cowed already. And that after however much energy it took to return from wherever that rift opened to. Only a fool would keep you their enemy after a display like that. I," she said as she met Hermione's gaze again, "am not a fool."
"No," Hermione said, "I reckon you aren't. That does not mean I'll trust you."
"Of course not, because you're not a fool either. I figure if Draco of all people could earn your trust it might be worth a shot."
Hermione caught Draco's protective glance. Protecting her from Daphne.
She thought back to that day in the Shrieking Shack when they first confided in each other. Would she have ever trusted him without the obvious loyalty he had to Harry? Probably not. Plus, the odds of Ice Queen Daphne showing her vulnerability first were slim at best.
"It may take a bit longer for you."
Daphne only smiled.
The girls studied in silence for a few moments before Hermione spoke again.
"What will your family think of you befriending the people responsible for your father's arrest?"
"Once he's in Azkaban, I will move to become head of my house. Once I have the ring, little they say will matter." She waved the question off. "Besides, that swine tried to have my little sister killed." Her eyes flashed hot enough to melt the mask of ice. "Befriending her saviours - our saviours - is natural."
"I'm under the impression noble houses don't always see these matters rationally."
"They don't, which is why I plan to claim my title before they find out about this."
"Wouldn't your mother be next in line?"
"Please. She married into the family and my weak willed coward of a father wouldn't marry a woman he thought might take his tentative grasp on power away from him. She's been drinking away her brain cells since her sixth miscarriage."
"Six? Why in Merlin's name would she keep trying for more kids."
Daphne gave her a quizzical look that questioned her earlier assertion that the other girl wasn't an idiot. "Because my father didn't have a male heir."
Hermione turned back to her homework. Thankful for her catholic and somewhat distant parents. Bible camp beat alcoholics and ritual sacrifice. It struck her that, now that she had Harry and was, at least in the magical community, of age, she never had to go back home.
"I found it," Neville said.
Hermione rushed over with the others, which left a rather confused Daphne to sit at the abandoned table.
"Objects of power," Neville said, "have been granted sentience through magical aid or either hold, or are capable of holding, complex enchantments."
Harry sighed. "I thought so."
"Good then," Neville said. "All we have to do is find one."
"They're incredibly rare," Harry said. "The sorting hat is one, but it has to be a book."
"Couldn't we transfigure the hat?" Luna asked.
Hermione shook her head. "The hat has too many protections. Besides, even if Harry is trying to -" she glanced over to where Daphne still sat at the next table. A book sat open in front of her, but her gaze stuck still on the page, head cocked a hairsbreadth toward them. "Do away with the houses," she whispered, "it's still a historical artifact."
Harry wondered how she would react if he told her that of the other four Hogwarts relics, only the sword he possessed was genuine. She would probably understand why he'd had to destroy them. Probably.
"So what books are there?" Draco asked.
"The Book of Abraham the mage, which Nicholas Flamel used to create the Philosopher's stone and is his most prized and heavily guarded possession; Merlin's Grimore, which is supposedly lost but is more likely a myth or tucked away in the Department of Mysteries; and the three copies of the Book of Bonds, which are not only exceptionally well guarded but are looked on almost as holy objects." Harry resisted touching his breast pocket. Though he hadn't looked at the page since discovering Hermione was his soulmate, he couldn't bring himself to leave the magical sheaf in a vault.
When he brought his focus back to the group, he met Luna's piercing violet gaze.
"Well then, let's make one," Neville said. Draco groaned and knocked his forehead against Neville's shoulder. "Don't be a dunce," he said. "Did you hear those names? Abraham? Merlin? Not even Dumbledore could hold a candle to those two."
"But Harry might."
Everyone turned to look at Daphne. She crossed her heels and tossed her straight platinum locks over her shoulder.
"The magic he welded to free the elves was ancient, complex, and took an enormous amount of power."
"Which goddesses guided and provided a lot of power for," Harry reminded her.
"And what help did you have when you created an army of Patronus infused status, fueled a death ritual to open a portal to Merlin knows where, took out a large group of Death Eaters, and then fortified the castle even more?"
Harry paused. He did not trust Daphne enough to explain how he'd drained the Death Eaters. Plus, his ego prodded him to give it a go. He needed a good challenge.
"Hermione," he said after a moment. "She helped subdue a lot of them."
Hermione winced. She'd also killed several. Not that she'd been in control, but their deaths weighed on her.
"And why couldn't she help you create one of these books?" Daphne raised a manicured eyebrow.
Harry smirked. "We'll talk about it," he said. "It's still a huge undertaking."
He looked at Hermione. She gazed at the book in front of Neville, brows knit, lower lip clenched between her teeth. A gentle knock with his shoulder pulled her from her thoughts, but her answering smile wavered.
After some time to let Hermione relax with her textbooks and much dodging of Daphne's questions about the library's new configuration, everyone called it a night. Her overhearing their goal of finding or creating a book of power was enough of a test for Daphne. If rumors spread about the book, they knew she couldn't be trusted, but as she didn't know what they needed it for, the rumours would be relatively harmless and might only inflate the god-like status that Harry rapidly grew at the school.
Neville's gaze lingered after Draco as he and Daphne peeled off toward the Slytherin dorms.
"Not too long now," Harry said.
"Hmm? "Neville dragged his attention back to Harry.
"Once everyone's in the new dorms and sorted by year rather than house there won't be any reason for you two to part at night."
"I don't know if Draco's ready to go that public. Otherwise, why wouldn't he come stay in my rooms now?"
"Have you offered?" Luna asked.
"Well, no."
"Asked to join him when he gets them?" "
"He won't be. Not if we're moving to the library."
"Might not be a bad idea. to have you two share a private room in the new quarters," Harry said. "It would help drive home the unity goal."
Neville beamed. "You think he'd go for that?"
"You might as well ask. The relationship would have to remain a secret though," he said. "I can't imagine McGonagall would allow it if she thought you two were shagging."
"Will she stop us from sharing a room?" Luna asked.
"Huh," Harry looked at Hermione, who also wore a slight frown. He couldn't tell from her face or the bond if she was worried about not being able to share a room or Luna assuming she would be sharing it with them. It occurred to him that the four of them were almost to the fat lady and Luna hadn't split off for Ravenclaw tower. "I don't know. Maybe."
Once they'd gone through the common room, said goodnight to a rather distracted Neville, and into Harry's rooms, he held Hermione back while Luna went off to get ready for bed.
"How are you feeling?" he whispered.
"Fine?" Then, seeing or perhaps sensing his unease, she asked, "Why? What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He checked to make sure Luna stayed in the bedroom. "After last night and now with Luna assuming she'd be sharing a room with us and inviting herself over tonight... I wanted to make sure you were alright with how things seem to be progressing."
A soft smile wiped the confusion from her face as she cupped his. "You're sweet. Thank you." She kissed him, her body pressed tight to his. "It's nice having Luna around. I didn't realize how much I missed her. A date for the two of us now and then would be nice, but I like having her here."
"And you'll tell me if that changes?"
She pushed his robe off his shoulders and cupped him through his jeans. "Your concern is sexy."
"You are my first priority. Always." He groaned as she slid her hand down his pants. With more willpower than he expected to have while she fondled his balls, he held her shoulders. She stilled.
"You'll tell me." He looked deep into her bright hazel eyes. "Right?"
"Yes," she said, "I promise."
With a growl, he scooped her up. As he carried her to bed, his unbuttoned pants slid down to his ankles along the way, which he stepped out of without missing a beat.
In their room, Luna lay on the bed dressed in a sheer yellow nightgown and a matching lace bra and panties that left almost nothing to the imagination. Harry's boxers tented.
"We are getting you something like that," he told Hermione, his gaze glued to Luna.
Luna grinned, without a shred of her normal dreamy innocence, as she slunk across the bed toward them.
Hermione slid from Harry's arms to let the other girl undress her. Then they both turned on Harry. He lost the rest of his clothes slowly as they licked, kissed, and nibbled every bit of skin they uncovered.
When Hermione pulled his boxers down with her teeth for Luna to swallow his cock his knees buckled. Staying on his feet didn't get any easier when Hermione began sucking on his balls and licking the underside of the few inches Luna couldn't quite fit.
He tangled his fingers in Luna's hair and rocked his hips forward. The first time his tip hit the back of her throat, she gagged and he pulled back.
"Don't be gentle," she whined and took him back into her mouth.
Watching her eyes and body language for discomfort, he tightened his grip on her hair and rocked forward again. Round violet eyes met his as she fought her gag reflex and took the head of his cock down her throat. After a second to let her adjust he pulled back before surging forward. She groaned. The tightening of her throat mixed with the gentle vibration sent
waves of pleasure through his cock deep into his balls.
Hermione stood. She continued to fondle his balls as she pressed her nubile body against his side. He let one hand caress Luna's face, the other still gripped her hair. Then, with his free hand, he began to explore Hermione's breasts. He tweaked her nipples, massaged her breasts, and slid down her midriff to dip two fingers into her slick pussy. Clutching his shoulder, she began to grind against his hand.
As Luna continued to meet him stroke for stroke, he began to fuck her throat in earnest. Drool dripped down her chin as his cock squelched in and out of her mouth. Hermione began to moan and beg for release as he teased her toward orgasm. Whenever her tunnel contracted around his fingers he'd pull back to rub lazy circles around her clit. He kept her at the brink until his balls ached.
"Are you ready Mio?"
Yes," she sobbed. "Please. I can't take any more."
"Then cum for me while I cum down Luna's throat." He thrust in to the hilt as he finger fucked Hermione to a screaming orgasm. With a grunt, he shot down Luna's throat, making her gag, sputter, and gulp great lungfuls of air when he pulled back.
As his cock cleared her mouth, Luna moaned out her own orgasm, hand buried in her lace underwear.
Exhausted, he helped both his ladies into bed.
"Luna?" he asked once they were each curled to one of his sides.
"Yea?" she sighed.
"Will you be our third?"
"Aren't I already?"
"Officially." Hermione said and laced her fingers with Luna's in the middle of Harry's chest.
"Of course," she said. There were a few times she'd worried this moment wouldn't happen. Hermione had nearly waited too long to tell him about sharing the memory with her. He needed the emotional mayhem of draining the Death Eaters to order her naked, rather than silently seething. Their first time together needed to be prompted by him in order for the three of them to become permanent. In order for this moment to happen.
She shuddered at the near miss. Harry pulled a blanket over her and they all drifted off in a heap.
In the morning, all three delayed getting out of bed. Instead, they lay there talking.
"Does it have to be a whole book?" Luna asked, derailing the conversation about what to ask the house elves to make them for breakfast.
"That's what the stone said," Harry said.
"Well what if we made a little book out of a page?"
"Well we probably have to be able to read off it."
"You have a page though. From the Book of Bonds. If we fold it properly it would technically be a book."
Harry's heart lurched. Sacrificing the paged stood as the most feasible option so far, but he balked against giving it up. A quick Acio brought the page to his hand. He rubbed his thumb over the front before unfolding it.
Once he did, all three of them stared at the last line. Even Luna's mouth hung agape.
Secondary soulmate bond pending.
With trembling fingers, Luna reached for the page. At her touch, the letters blurred and re-wrote themselves.
Secondary soulmate bond forming with Luna Lovegood.
Her hand dropped. Tears filled her eyes. Harry and Hermione pulled her in between them.
"I didn't know," she said.
"No one knows everything," Harry said and kissed the top of her head.
"Hermione are you mad?" she whispered.
"No! No, of course not. We already asked you to be our third, didn't we?"
"But this is so... permanent."
"You don't honestly think this means you're only bound to him, do you? How could I want anything less than permanence with my soulmate?"
Tears tracked down Luna's cheeks. Hermione wiped each away while she murmured assurances.
"Winky."
"Yes," she said as she popped in. Her ready smile dropped. "You are hurting Miss Luna?"
"No Winky," she said. "These are happy tears."
When Winky didn't look convinced, she elaborated. "I'm their mate now."
Winky's ears perked up and twitched about. "Winky be feeling a shifting in her bond the past few days. She never hear of multiple mateses in magicals, but Mr. Harry be more than an average wizard. Need extraordinary witches to be keeping him in line. Winky glad Miss Hermione has help. What can Winky be doing for her new mistress?"
"Oh you don't have to -" Seeing the eagerness on the elf's face, Luna reconsidered. "Some breakfast would be nice. Thank you."
"For all of us please," Harry said. "Comfort food I think." He thought for a moment. "Bacon, eggs, and poutine."
"Poutine?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," he said with a grin. "Definitely poutine."
When the food came, Lund dug in with zeal.
"Soggy chips?" Hermione eyed the heap of fries, cheese, and gravy.
"Give it a go," Harry said and laughed at her bewildered expression on taking a bite.
After they'd all eaten their fill and started to get ready for the day, Luna said, "Watching it write itself is eerie."
"I almost burnt it the first time I saw it change," Harry said with a chuckle. "But I've had experience with a dark sentient book."
"Tell me about it," she said and wiggled her cute butt into her jeans.
"Ginny Weasely had this diary that would talk back to her. Tom Riddle's diary. The more she wrote to it the stronger the piece of his soul trapped in the book got. Hermione told you about fighting the basilisk second year?"
Luna nodded.
"Tom used Ginny to wake it up and feed it. Hermione, what's wrong?"
She had frozen half dressed staring out the window.
"Mio?" Harry caressed her shoulder. "You okay?"
"The book. It was a Horcrux."
"Yea."
"It grew powerful enough that it almost killed Ginny and brought back Voldemort."
"Yes, but you knew that."
"Harry, that sounds an awful lot like a book of power."
His eyes widened.
"Do you still have it?"
"Yes, but I stabbed it with that fang. The magic bled out."
"Recharging a drained book must be easier than creating one from scratch."
Harry patted his breast pocket, relieved the paper there was safe once more.
"The book's in my vault at Gringotts. Want to come with me?"
"I've got to go to class," Hermione protested.
"You're brilliant. You'll catch up."
"Me too," Luna said. "Field trip."
"I'll have to pull you out of class when we get back anyway," Harry reasoned. "The hearthstone likes you best."
She groaned. "Fine."
At the bank, Harry waltzed up to an open teller while Hermione and Luna ogled at everything as they trailed behind. As a muggle born, Hermione had never been further than the money changer at the front entrance. Luna had never been because her dad didn't trust institutions. Their money was either tied up in the Quibbler or stashed in the floorboards.
"Harry Potter and two guests, Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood, for the Potter vault number 687 please," he said as he produced a small golden key. "Is Griphook available?"
The wizened goblin behind the desk held the key under his magnifying glass in over-long fingers tipped with wicked nails that more closely resembled inch-long claws. After a long moment examining the key, the attendant gave a sharp nod, scrawled a note that he passed to a runner, and glowered at the girls.
"Visitors," he said in a deep dry voice, "are not recommended. Gringotts takes no responsibility for lost possessions or injury to any person in your party while guests are present beyond the lobby." His inflection made it clear he believed the former the chief concern.
"Of course," Harry said and accepted his key back with a slight bow.
After another few minutes of unblinking appraisal, the runner returned.
"If you'll follow me, please. Master Griphook will meet us at the carts." With a sharp bow, which Harry returned, the runner led them past the attendant tables through an ornate door.
"What's your name sir?" Harry asked as they followed the black haired young goblin in a crisp red and gold-accented uniform.
"Volrux." He gave Harry a pointed look. "You're the wizard what freed the house elves."
"With the lovely Hermione's help."
"Acknowledging your woman's contributions will serve you well."
"Do you have a woman Voloux?" Luna asked.
"Yes. And two children. Almost ready to join me at the bank."
"You don't look nearly old enough to have grown children," she said.
"Mind who you say that to, Missy," Volrux said, tapping his large nose. "I know wizards and witches value youth, but we goblins value age and the cunning another year lived brings."
"Thank you. I'll remember."
"You're very polite for a witch," he said and came to a stop in front of a middle aged goblin with salt and pepper hair wearing a black suit.
Never minding his own dress pants, Harry dropped to one knee to grasp the new goblin's forearm, an action that was reciprocated.
"Grip hook my friend. Allow me to introduce Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood." He stood and waved the girls over. They each attempted curtsies. Griphook inclined his head to them.
"I will take them," Griphook said to Voltux.
"Thank you for your assistance," Harry said. and handed him a galleon. "I hope to meet your children when I visit next."
"Yes sir," Volux said with a smile and much deeper bow than when he met them in the lobby.
"Making friends are we?"
"I find it easier to know which battles to help your people fight if I know more of them. I had fifty six house elves in my employ before I managed to free them."
Griphook snorted as he helped Luna and Hermione into the minecart on the tracks before them. "Good luck getting any goblin to work for you much less admit they need your help."
"Well you work for me. That's a start." Harry took his spot.
The cart jolted into motion at a wiggle of Griphook's long fingers. Luna gave a squeal of delight as they raced off. Harry's stomach dropped. A broom sure, a rusted cart careening down rusty tracks deep underground? No thanks. Hermione's fingernails bit into his thigh.
Griphook chuckled knowing Harry's discomfort in the carts. "I work for the bank. I have many clients."
"You like me best."
"You tip best."
"I'm not above buying loyalty."
Grip hook chuckled. "Then you're in the right place to make friendly acquaintances, my lord Potter. Though little more."
Putting 'my' in front of 'lord Potter' was, Harry knew, the largest show of loyalty he could expect from a goblin, even one he'd known as long as Griphook. And even from him, he knew, it had been a lower case 'l'. Goblins were loyal first to gold, then to their king, then to the bank. Personal loyalty ranked low indeed.
Gringotts was not merely a wizarding bank. It was the wizarding bank. Through magic wizard kind didn't possess, and goblins certainly wouldn't share, Gringott, the founder of the bank, had relearned how to operate leygates, a magical means of transportation long since believed lost. Of course, the common magical still thought them lost as the ministry would never willingly admit the goblins held sole control over something like that. When Griphook had told Harry he could ask for him at the London branch while at Hogwarts, Harry had asked how. The goblins didn't care about keeping the leygates a secret, they just didn't have many magicals they enjoyed talking to.
Leygates utilized the ley lines to travel instantly between any two points of the same line as long as a gate had been established at each point. The London branch physically held the wealth of the entire magical world in the tunnels they were zipping through. As magical communities had spread out from Britain, Gringotts had opened a branch in every major city with a significant enough magical presence. At these branches, like the one Harry had previously frequented in Victoria, magicals could make deposits or withdrawals through the tellers, but if anyone wanted to visit their vault they had to come to London. International apparition was beyond the abilities of most magicals and Floo networks were only a few countries strong at, so before muggles figured out how to fly, most foreigners never saw their vault. The cart jerked to a stop. Or had to deal with this hellacious rail system.
Harry helped each of his ladies out of the cart and had his offered hand slapped away by Griphook. He chuckled as he joined the others.
Griphook caressed the door of the vault like the spine of a cat to the rhythmic whirl and click of gears behind the heavy metal door.
Both women gasped at the heaps of gold galleons on the other side.
"After you," Harry said and bowed them in. As they passed, he handed Griphook his key. "I'd like two copies made and both their names added to my account," he said too quietly for the girls to hear.
"Certainly, Sir. And what will their cap be?"
"No cap."
"That is not advisable."
"Griphook, I told you why I was going to Hogwarts."
"Which one?"
"Both."
"Both? "Griphook looked at Harry, eyes wide. "That's not... Are you quite sure?"
"I don't know of any magic able to alter a page from the Book. Do you?"
"No." He gazed into the vault as the women tried on Potter family heirlooms and giggled like the schoolgirls they so rarely acted like. the goblin jolted himself from his reverie. "I shall have your key cut now. I should only be gone for ten minutes or so if you'll be alright?"
"Just don't forget us down here."
"They shall have access before you leave." He turned away.
"Let's keep that between us for the moment," Harry said. Hopefully Luna's gift wouldn't ruin the surprise. Griphook waved the key over his shoulder to acknowledge he'd heard him before hoping back into the cart and rattling away.
Harry stepped into the vault to find his girls laden with gems With sheepish expressions, they began shedding the assorted jewellery.
"You look fabulous darlings," he said and kissed them each on the cheek, "but the book is further in."
"We're at the back," Hermione pointed out as she placed an intricate silver tiara back onto its stand.
With a grin, Harry selected a ruby hilted golden dagger, which held a complex enchantment to keep its edge and have the rigidity of steel all so some ancestor could have a functional knife entirely composed of his favorite precious metal rather than plated. Ridiculous. He cut his fingertip and soundlessly cast a spell to keep his blood flowing as he traced a complex runic array on the back wall.
"What are you doing?" Hermione asked. She knew Harry well enough not to sound alarmed, just curious.
"Writing the password." He grinned. "Some old coot however many generations ago decided that just because he had to bank with goblins didn't mean he had to trust them. Incredibly speciest if you ask me." He finished the last rune.
The complex sentence translated to something like 'Cantankerous Nott made a Nott so royal mistake'. In the Aramaic runic language, 'royal' could also mean 'sacred', which Harry assumed was an intentional play on words as Cantankerous Nott was widely believed to have written the 'Pure-Blood Directory', which first listed the 28 now near royal magical families.
Harry smirked as he had every time since he had defeated Voldemort and some historian had conveniently found proof that 'Potter' had come from Linfred of Stinchcombe being nicknamed the 'Potterer', and not at all from sharing a line with any of the muggles who shared the surname. The historian suggested adding the Potters to the sacred twenty-eight and was met with such overwhelming public support that the ministry could not reject it. His ancestor could rest easy, but the password could not be changed.
A solid oak door enchanted against all forms of decay, appeared and opened to admit them. His ancestor had used a space expansion charm on a crack in the wall to create the secondary vault made to look like an office that the three of them stepped into. Of course, the goblins knew about the space and had since strictly banned the creation of similar spaces. Since this predated that amendment to the banks' terms of use and was keyed to Potter blood, they could do literally nothing to close this space. Something that, Griphook had assured Harry, bothered his superiors greatly.
Bookshelves lined three walls while the third held an enchantment to resemble a window looking out onto the gardens of the Potter estate. Harry flinched at the weed choked beds, overrun paths, and waist high grass. He'd been in the Uk about two months and hadn't mustered up the courage to pay a visit.
Hermione's eyes lit up as she took in the shelves. The majority of titles were completely unknown to her. When had that happened last? She immediately cracked a book at random. Latin. It would take too long to translate Latin. So she began to hunt for a book she could skim in however much time she had here.
"Harry?" Luna said from the doorway.
"Yes?" He grew concerned at the wobble in her voice. That concern only grew when he turned to see her clutch at her wrist.
"I can't get it off."
He rushed to her side. To his knowledge, none of the Potter treasure bore curses. He'd asked Griphook. Goblins could be wrong, but rarely about treasure.
As she let him see, he breathed a sigh of relief. A brilliant string of opals glowed faintly on her wrist.
"The Pytian Pearls," Harry said. "Of course, they're not pearls, they're white opals. Holds magic better. Makes sense they chose you."
"They chose?"
"Well yea. You know who the Pythia were?"
"Ancient fortune tellers. Oracles really. Greek right?"
He nodded. "All priestesses. The first, and who the title became named after, was a witch. Supposedly, she is a distant ancestor. Anyway, she had a true gift. A Seer. As she died, she apparently willed her power into her favorite bracelet and gave it to her best friend who began having the 'visions of Pythia'. She started the tradition of passing down the title. The bracelet, of course, remained a dark secret. Only the Pythia and any who came before knew that the bracelet carried the magic and chose the next oracle."
"And now it chose me?"
Harry shrugged. "Makes sense. It's yours."
Hermione, who'd kept half an ear on their conversation to make sure Luna was okay, cut in.
"If Luna gets a present, can I borrow a book?"
"As many as you like, but I have a trinket around here I've meant to grab for you for a while." He turned from the secret office to hunt through the jewellery for a moment. "Ah!"
He came back sporting a thin gold necklace with a flawless oval cut emerald pendant set in thorned golden vines.
"Oh no," she said and took a step back. "That looks expensive."
"It is."
"Then keep it here."
"Next to the bracelet, this is a tuppence."
"That is not reassuring," Luna said with a weary glance at her wrist.
"Only because of its historical relevance and utterly unique enchantment. No one can recreate such an effective talisman for seeing the future. Some believe a piece or perhaps Pythia's whole soul is in the bracelet, though she created it out of selflessness and love. There is nothing dark about it."
"that's not what worries me."
"You can't lose it. She won't let anyone steal her. That's one of the reasons some in my family thought we were related to Pythia. There hasn't been a seer in our family for generations, but the bracelet stuck around."
"Until now."
"You planning on leaving us?" Harry asked with an exaggerated pout.
She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Well what if I lose that?" Hermione asked, eyes wide as Harry drew closer with the necklace unclasped.
"You can't. Any misplaced or filched treasure gets popped back to the vault. A long standing pact with the goblins for distinguished customers such as myself." Harry smirked. "Now stay still, it won't bite."
Hermione huffed and let him fix the precious gemstone around her neck. The pendant sat snug in her cleavage. "It's beautiful," she whispered. "But I still can't take it."
"You have to," Harry said with a wide grin. "This will help you speak with the Phoenix, if Dumbles has any idea what he's talking about. Even without that, I wanted to give it to you to help connect with your animagus form. Plus," his grin threatened to split his face in half, "you'll want to keep it when you move on to creating simulacri. It certainly helped me."
Both girls looked at each other, a question in their eyes, and back to Harry.
"The smartest witch of the age hasn't read about simulacri?" he teased.
"Do you have a book here?"
"Several." He twitched his wrist and five books leapt off the shelves to form a neat pile on the desk. "Simply put, a simulacrum," Harry concentrated and wiggled his fingers in complex ways
to mimic the tip of his wand if he still had one to wave. His shadow flickered, pulsed, and rose from the floor. It deepened, sharpened, and took on his features until a replica Harry stood behind and to his right mimicking every action seamlessly.
"Is a soul shadow," they said in harmony.