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Chap. 49: Coming Clean

Harry leaned over to Neville during lunch on Saturday, taking the opportunity of a rather crowded weekend meal to provide some cover. "Hey, Nev. We're thinking of putting on Ron's second Rune-set tonight, maybe a bit of other fun too. You interested?"

Harry grinned to see his friend's eyes widen and darken simultaneously with lust as he glanced around at their circle of friends, then over to the Hufflepuff table where Hannah was chatting animatedly with Susan Bones. "Er, I could probably be persuaded, I think. Hannah's- well, since she got the Runes, we're back to where we started. She always wants more'n I can spare time for."

"Good. In that case, we'll have-"

Harry's words were cut off by a very wane-looking Professor McGonagall slamming the staff entrance of the Great Hall open and moving toward Dumbledore at a near-run. By the time she reached the Headmaster, every student's eyes were on her. She whispered for only a few seconds, swaying on her feet as the old man's countenance darkened. He whispered something back.

Their Head of House nodded once firmly, then hurried from the room again while Dumbledore, looking more tired than Harry could remember seeing him before, pushed himself slowly to his feet and took his place at the podium.

"Students, it appears I have the sad duty of providing another grave announcement. Another student has gone missing, Vicky Frobisher, a fifth-year Gryffindor."

Dumbledore allowed several seconds for dark rumblings to move through the student body in multiple waves, but Harry suddenly had eyes for only one person as his keen vision suddenly narrowed down to a single point.

Ginny.

Her own face was aghast, pale, almost sallow, as she stared not at Harry, but at Dumbledore.

Vicky was her roommate, and even, Harry knew, something of a friend.

Worse, Harry knew what Malfoy and his cronies had used Mandy for before they killed her. He could not allow that to happen again.

"And so," Dumbledore continued once Harry's attention returned to the present, though his cheeks continued to buzz with oxygen deprivation due to his own shock, "If anyone has any idea, any clue, where the missing girls may have gone, I implore you to come forward to any staff member, in public or private. As well, I expect we will have an Auror presence within the school by the end of the day until the culprit or culprits are apprehended. If those culprits do come forward on their own, I will press for as much clemency as I can. Thank you."

Harry spared one more glance toward the Headmaster, then sent a longer look toward the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for fifth year and down. Sirius was not looking at Harry, though, until he muttered to his friends, "Ron, Lil- Lyra, with me. The rest of you, see what information you can find. Ask Lavender or Parvati to start."

Given the situation, even Ron didn't do more than grab one more sandwich to eat on the way to wherever they were going, and the three joined several groups of students who were suddenly streaming out to find friends who hadn't yet arrived at lunch, just to be safe.

They did not make it past the second floor before Sirius appeared before them, his cleanly-pressed robes and hair done back in a neat tail making him almost unrecognizable from the way he had appeared in Harry's third year. "Unless I'm mistaken, all your friends are in the Great Hall, Harry."

The younger wizard frowned, "Not all, actually, but that's not what we're doing."

Sirius's mouth turned to something like a grimace, and he beckoned for Harry to follow them away from the crowd and into a less-used hallway. His low growl told Harry just how worried Sirius really was, doing a lot to encourage a bit of patience on his end. "So why're you lot rushing off, then? What do you know?"

"We don't know much," Harry told him, "but what we do know, I'll have to tell you later. I'm sorry, Sirius, but we can maybe stop this now. Come with us if you need to, but we can't wait."

Sirius let him stew for a few more seconds, then nodded, "Alright, alright, Lead the way."

Then he waved his wand and incanted, "Expecto Patronum." As the large, shaggy silvery dog appeared, he said quietly, "Dumbledore. Harry and his friends know something. I'm with them."

As they moved, Harry sent him an annoyed look, but his godfather only shrugged, "It's my job, Harry. I'm supposed to protect the students above all else. What would you do in my place?"

Harry sighed, "Same damned thing, I suppose. It... well, it doesn't necessarily paint me in a good light, but I didn't do it. You have to believe me."

"I do, kiddo, I do," Sirius waved his concern off, "I know you wouldn't do something like that."

Except that I did, Harry thought to himself quietly.

It took about two minutes more to reach the seventh floor, they were hurrying so fast. At first, Sirius looked at Harry like he was crazy while Ron struggled just a bit to catch his breath, but as the door appeared, he muttered, "We never found this room. It's not on the Map."

"Neither is the Chamber of Secrets," Harry reminded him, "but I've been there, too."

Sirius sent Harry another concerned look, "We're going to have a long chat soon, Harry. A very long one. So what're we walking into?"

Harry shook his head, "A mess, mostly. Come on, we haven't got time to-"

But Sirius cut him off with an arm across the double doors, catching Harry in the chest. He could've pushed through, but the older man's sheer authority made him pause. "I am not letting you walk into a place there might be hostiles without knowing the situation, Harry. Clearly, you know what's in that room, so tell me."

"The Room of Requirement," Harry murmured, "In the configuration of a huge lost and found. It's like, everything ever misplaced or left at Hogwarts, or hidden away. It's all there, in huge piles. There might also be a girl, Vicky, and one to five Slytherin students. I doubt it'd be anyone else."

"Cover?"

"Lots," Harry replied, "Piles of junk. Unstable but lots of it."

Ron nodded to confirm what Harry had said when Sirius looked to him. Then he turned to Lyra, "And you?"

"I'm here to protect Harry," she said quietly, "As always."

"Alright. Well, I'm on point. Harry, then Lilith, and Ron at the rear. Watch our backs."

Then Sirius was inside.

Harry almost collided with him, for the wizard had stopped just two steps inside to gape. Clearly, Harry's description of 'a lot of junk' did not give him any idea of what the Room of Hidden Things truly looked like. He stepped around Sirius after just a moment, "This way."

But there was no girl there. In fact, the blood-stains from Mandy were all that was left of her, a sight that made Ron turn green and back away toward the door before vomiting. Harry, though, shuddered as some parts of the memory of her body, hacked to pieces brutally, came back. "Shit," he muttered, "not here... Point me, Vicky!"

His wand did nothing, and especially did not spin on his palm and point in the direction of a missing girl.

Lyra closed her eyes as she quickly shifted into her full Succubus form, and took off in a streak of purple carapace and pale flesh with pink highlights into the air.

While she was gone, Sirius gestured toward the stains with his wand, "And that?"

"The last girl who went missing," Harry muttered darkly, "Mandy. I... there's a story there, but it can wait until Dumbledore is with us. That's the part that makes me look... bad."

"Did you take her?"

Harry glared at Sirius, then sighed, a lot of tension leaving him. "Of course I didn't... but I understand why you had to ask. Again, there's more to tell, but I'm not telling Dumbledore that part. I... have a suspicion of who, but with Mandy dead there's little proof. I was sure she'd be here, though."

"Mandy?"

Ron shook his head and growled, "No, Vicky. I'm as much to blame as Harry for Mandy, but neither of us did it. We just... we knew she was here."

Lilith returned, chest heaving impressively, in less than a minute. "She's not in the room, Master, which is huge. I couldn't sense any human presence alive in here besides the two of you. And look- that big black box is gone."

Harry looked up at the space she pointed at. It had been a background feature, the largest thing in the area, on his visits to Mandy, the only thing to identify the spot aside from an ugly bust of some witch atop a birdcage that bowed under its weight nearby, and there was a clear square of dust-free stones on the floor. "What was it?" Ron mumbled.

"Wasn't that the Vanishing Cabinet Fred and George stuffed Montague into last year?"

"Maybe," Ron said with a shrug, "Damn it... we'll never find her. Shit... if they... do it to her, too, Ginny's gonna be really upset."

"We'll try to find her," Lilith reminded him, "but there's nothing more we can do for now. We should go back to your quarters, Master, and regroup with the others. I'll send a few messages out to your friends, if I've your permission to look like you. Have them join."

"Er, yes, that's probably a good idea," Harry said with a nod, then clapped a hand on Ron's shoulder, forcing a neutral expression onto his face. "She's right, mate. Unless we get another clue or a brain-wave or something, we're best off getting our heads together. Besides, it was worth checking."

"R- Right."

"Sirius, can you tell Dumbledore that Ron and I will be in his office, with Lilith and all the information we have, after we touch base with our friends?"

"Will do, Harry. Look, I... I know you said things make you look bad, but I have to ask again. Do you have anything at all to do with the girls' disappearance?"

"Not... not exactly," he admitted, looking away, "but like Ron said, we both knew Mandy was here. I'll tell you soon, I promise."

"Alright, I'll trust you, but you have to understand without knowing what's going on, I can't really protect you."

"I don't think you could from this anyway," Harry told him softly, "No matter how much you want to. But if the Aurors want to talk to me or arrest me, then they have that right. I'll comply. But if they do, they'll be making a mistake."

Sirius did nothing but nod once, then he was gone.

Once he left, Lilith returned to her guise as Lyra, then gave Harry a quick kiss, "I'm with you, Master, but I'm going to go gather as many of your friends as I can. Be ready to meet with them in your suite."

(O)(O)(O)

Harry walked up the moving staircase to Dumbledore's office with a heavy heart. Behind him, Lyra, Ron, and Sirius hiked up the stairs to meet with the headmaster as well. Ron, he had seen before he stepped into the stairwell, looked even more nervous than Harry felt, though he hadn't done nearly as much wrong. Lyra was strangely somber too, as if she knew that Harry was about to confess several of their secrets to the old man and Harry's Godfather. Sirius looked the least tense, but even he was carrying his wand behind his back. Maybe he thinks I'm going to do a runner...?

Harry knocked on the door after schooling his own expression to something more neutral. "Come in," Dumbledore called, his voice sounding just as tired as he'd looked earlier.

It was now a little after dinner, the earliest time Dumbledore had been available, because he'd simply been too busy to meet with anyone other than the Aurors that had been summoned to look into the girl's disappearance.

We should probably have mentioned we might have information... Oh well, too late now.

For once, the aged Headmaster seemed genuinely surprised, if only for a moment, with each new person that walked through the door after Harry. "My apologies, Harry. I was under the impression I would be meeting only with you this evening."

"Er... sorry about that, Professor," the young man replied. He gestured at the others, "Ron already knows some of this and might know things I don't. Lyra just won't leave my side these days, and might know some things I don't about it, too. Sirius is here to make sure I don't run off, I think."

The older wizard snorted, "Not exactly that, pup. I just want to know what's going on."

Harry chose not to mention that he'd seen Sirius holding his wand just moments ago, but turned to sit down in one of the chairs Dumbledore kept in front of the large desk. "I know what happened to Romilda Vane. Her disappearance and... illness aren't related to Mandy Brocklehurst's. I have some idea what happened to her, too, and I think Vicky Frobisher's disappearance is linked to Mandy's."

If he'd been surprised to see so many visitors, that was nothing compared to the shock the aged wizard displayed after hearing those words. "Harry... tell me everything, if you please."

Harry swallowed. It was hard doing so past the lump in his throat. Dumbledore's urgent, earnest countenance was making the younger wizard even more anxious, but he knew it was time to come clean. Stupid Gryffindor bravery... "Romilda was my fault."

"Our fault," Ron interjected.

Harry sighed. He'd been trying to keep Ron's involvement hidden to spare him any repercussions. Maybe one more try... "It was my power. I'm the one that did the actual deed."

"But it was me egging you on," Ron continued to protest, "If I hadn't pushed you in her direction, you'd never have looked twice at Romilda."

Harry knew, deep down, that wasn't true. He had contemplated using the girl's infatuation with 'the Chosen One' or 'the Boy Who Lived' as early as the O.W.L.s last year, a week or two after summoning Lilith.

Before he could say as much, the Succubus herself spoke, "If we're going to play the blame game, I am ultimately at fault. It was my borrowed power that Master used on the girl. It was my rush for our Bond to grow stronger that let Master use such a power so soon and so easily. It was also me that did not devote enough time to teaching Master how to control the magic he suddenly had access to."

With reluctance evident in his voice, Sirius said quietly, "But if he hadn't summoned you, it wouldn't even have been an option."

"Partially true," Lyra conceded, "but your kind have magic that can do similar things, so it's not a guarantee."

"I'd never use the Imperius Curse. Never!" Harry's shout made even Lyra jump.

"We know that, Harry," Sirius said with forced calm, "But as we still don't know what actually happened to Miss Vane..."

Harry sighed and glanced toward Ron. "It... was a mistake. Started out with two randy blokes and a cute girl who was kind of willing. We led her out to the edge of the forest past the lake to give her a chance to spend some, uh, time with me."

Dumbledore took a large breath, letting it out with a long sigh of his own. "I take it Miss Vane was... reluctant to say no to your advances?"

Ron snorted, "I think if it'd just been Harry, her knickers would've been around her ankles before we passed Hagrid's hut."

"Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore scolded, "that kind of language is not necessary, is it? Miss Vane is a victim. I would thank you not to be so crass regarding her."

Ron blushed and fell quiet, sinking back into his padded armchair.

Harry could only shrug helplessly in response to the question, though. "Doesn't make him wrong, Professor. Even without any magic, I think she was willing to be with Ron as long as she could be with me, too. Anyway, once we were a bit secluded, we started... things."

One of the Headmaster's bushy eyebrows rose.

"Sex, fornication, intercourse," Lyra supplied too cheerfully, "Surely you know what Harry meant?"

The wizard she had named groaned and muttered, "Not helping..."

Dumbledore ignored him, turning to the Succubus, "Of course I did, young lady. I had simply hoped for a bit more discretion from you and your Contractor than this."

"Like I said," Harry reminded the older man, "everything else was an accident, or was the result of trying to fix it. We just wanted to have some fun, and we were alone. It doesn't get more discrete."

The Headmaster said nothing for a few seconds, then nodded, turning his eyes back to Harry.

"A- Anyway," he resumed, "As we were getting into it, Ron and I told her some of the stuff we wanted her to do, and... magic happened. I felt it come out of me, and Romilda's eyes went sort of pink-white, and she... did it. Anything we wanted, she was really into, no matter how much it would've, uh, hurt." Harry said the last word quietly, but there was no way anyone in the room could have missed it.

Dumbledore's piercing eyes seemed to weigh Harry for several seconds, his expression as guarded as the student had ever seen it. Despite that, though, Harry was surprised by what he saw. While Dumbledore clearly did not approve of what they had done, the amount of disapproval visible in the aged warlock's expression was significantly less than he had expected. "Should I assume, then, that you both made use of Miss Vane's willingness in, shall we say, less traditional ways?"

Harry might once have been confused by the vague question, but after the last six months he understood immediately. "Er, yes. In- all three, uh, 'more usual' ways. Me, Ron, and later Lilith."

"Lilith?" Sirius almost squeaked in surprise.

Lyra nodded, choosing to ignore how she saw images of herself with a cock now floating through her Master's godfather's dirty mind for the moment. "I arrived late to the party so to speak, or I would have at least tried to prevent it from going so far. Once I did get there, I asked Ron to head back to help prepare things for Miss Vane's safety. I knew at once what had happened, even if I still haven't figured out how. I explained that to Master, and we started repairing the damage then and there. We also decided to keep Romilda safe until she was recovered enough to be released, and yes, we staged her reappearance too."

"I am at a loss regarding how keeping Miss Vane locked in what I presume was the suite you were given for your discrete use for more than a week constitutes keeping her safe. By your own account, you were the ones who attacked her."

"Not attacked," Lyra answered, "Master and Mr. Weasley went with a willing girl. Any injury done was, as they have said, purely unintentional, and Miss Vane will not ever see what occurred that evening as damaging in any way."

"Be that as it may-"

Lyra continued speaking over him, letting just a hint of her presence sneak through as well. Dumbledore was as polite as ever though, and fell silent quickly anyway, "Romilda Vane, after that initial wave of magic, was out of control with lust. Her every thought, beyond even eating and drinking, was in the interests of sexual satisfaction, both for herself and those around her. She would have literally starved or died of dehydration without being fed and given drink mid-coitus. Would your Matron have known what to do, or been willing to help? Would you?"

That idea made Dumbledore truly hesitate. He was quiet for more than a minute, then he exhaled. "It... would not have occurred to me quickly, no, and the thought, with a student... no, I do not think that I could."

"Yet Romilda wouldn't have given you a choice. She would have mounted any man, woman, child, beast, plant, or piece of furniture. Constantly, until she died. Think of the harm that would do to her, her family- even siblings and parents would not have been safe. We kept her in an isolated circle at the least, spared her family and friends the worst of that.

"To recover, too, we had to satisfy the objective given when the power was used. That command became her magically-given primary imperative that superseded any other desire."

"What exactly did she get told to do?" Sirius asked, folding his hands together as he leaned forward seriously.

"That's not really important," Lyra cut off a more relaxed Ron with a wave of her hand, "What matters is that we did everything we could to repair the damage as quickly and fully as possible. It took several days and a lot of work, mostly on my end, but we did satisfy that order. That being done allowed other needs, like survival, rise back up to the top."

Silence fell over the room for a minute or more until Dumbledore asked, "And her current... illness? Her family is struggling with her... needs."

"Leftover effects," Lyra replied. She glanced at Harry, who nodded faintly, then explained, "It's unlikely she will ever be fully cured. The command, issued without restraint, is just too strong. But as long as her needs are at least mostly met, she should be able to live a fairly normal life."

"I take it," the Headmaster asked after another moment to digest what he'd been told, "that the memories of strangely sensual Devil's Snare in the Forbidden Forest are fabricated, then?"

The Succubus shrugged, "Don't even know what Devil's Snare is, but if that's what Romilda told you, then yes. I used some illusions to help cover things up before we set her free. Understand, I will do whatever it takes to protect Master. Even against you. The only reason I've explained all of this is because he wants it out, at least to the pair of you, in hopes of finding the other missing girl."

Dumbledore let out yet another long, deep sigh. "I understand. While I have no doubt an open conflict between you and I would be spectacular to behold for a number of reasons, I also have no wish to see Harry imprisoned. Nor do I think his regret is insincere. Nor have I neglected to take into account the attempts at righting a grievous mistake."

"Thank you," Lyra said with a nod, subtly relaxing in her own chair.

"You said girl, however," Dumbledore noted, "when two are known to be missing still. You do not seem the type to mis-speak."

"I am not," Lyra admitted with a sad little smile, "but unfortunately I know little about the next bit. Master will have to tell you more, unless he wants me to pull the memories from his head."

"Er, n- no," Harry said, shaking his head. "I'll just tell everyone. I mean, I don't care if you see them, but... after the modification, which lasted a whole three hours by the way, I... I don't want anyone else tampering with those memories."

"Explain then, please, Harry."

He took one more calming breath which had little effect, then began. "I've been using the Room of Requirement for my activities, too. Started last year, and it's not less convenient now. But this year, someone else keeps using it. It took me a while to figure out how to get into that room, because it-"

"Pardon me," Dumbledore interrupted, a rare gesture from him, "but I am unfamiliar with that name."

Memories flashed through his mind, and Harry grinned softly. "Well, you may recall a room with a spectacular collection of chamber pots you were never able to find again? That room. It can become nearly anything you need."

"Fascinating," Dumbledore whispered.

"It's pretty brilliant," Ron agreed.

"At any rate, if someone is using it already, another person has to ask for the right configuration when using the room to get into it. I figured out the Room of Hidden Things- that's what the House Elves call it- eventually, and stumbled across Mandy Brocklehurst there."

Dumbledore's eyes widened, but Harry plowed on, not giving him a chance to ask questions. "I wanted to free her- she was tied up- and bring her to you. I swear, that's what I wanted to do. But Mandy... she convinced me not to."

"May I ask why?"

Harry's head fell nearly to his chest at the sad, confused tone the Headmaster had used, "She... she said she didn't know who had taken her. They... there were three, she said. Different... sized, um, penises. She knew because they all raped her, repeatedly, and continued to do so when they visited, which was often. But one of them, the 'middle one', was doing something else, something complicated. She never did find out what, or I never learned. But Mandy... she asked me to leave her there. She wanted to find out more, to figure out either who they were for sure, or what they were working on."

"I see," Dumbledore whispered, then a bit louder, "I take it she was convincing?"

Harry nodded, "Well, since I didn't tell you more than a week ago, yes. I think it's actually been two weeks or more, before Hermione's birthday, if I remember right. So I kept visiting her every once in a while, healing what wounds I could, making sure she was fed and watered, taken care of... I imagine it was a lot like what Lyra had to do for Romlida, except Mandy would tell me things. Not much, but some. One of the boys was rather well-endowed, and I do know who he is, but I'm a little reluctant to tell you. It's unlikely he was the leader. Another boy, according to Mandy, was rather, uh, small."

"May I ask why you do not wish to tell me the rapist's name, Harry?"

"Because Mandy told me she actually enjoyed it with him, sometimes," the youth replied with a whisper, "I figured if he was willing to make it better for her, he might deserve... well, a chance at redemption."

"Unfortunately, while I admire the sentiment, that is not your judgment to make."

Harry sighed, "No, you're right. It... was Gregory Goyle. I don't know if he's the one that did her in, but he had the right build. She... was hacked apart, brutally, and... left as a message, I think."

"You saw her body?" Sirius, when Harry looked toward him, was pale-faced.

He nodded, "Yeah. Wasn't the first I've seen, but... it was a mess. She was in terrible... she didn't go out happy."

"All the more regrettable," the old man said, and Harry was not surprised to see tears welling behind the half-moon spectacles. "I understand why you would do as she asked, Harry. But, if such a situation were to occur again- though I pray it does not- I implore you to come to me, or Sirius, with it. Even if the person in question wants to help, there are other ways, less dangerous ways, as Miss Brocklehurst has proven."

"Y- Yeah," Harry croaked, suddenly near tears himself at just how broken his mentor sounded. "I... it was not the smartest decision I've made."

"Yet again, not necessarily an offense. While last year the former Minister would likely have attempted to arrest you under suspicion of rape and being an accessory if not the actual perpetrator to that crime, I believe your intentions were good. So... what can you tell me about Miss Frobisher?"

"Not much, unfortunately," Harry admitted, glancing to Ron and Lyra, "We ran up to the Room of Requirement right after we left the Great Hall, Sirius right behind us. He cornered us and came along. But Vicky wasn't there. Lyra even flew around the room to check. She can sense people within a certain range, as long as they have emotions, so... But the room was clear, aside from the stains Mandy... left. Her body was gone."

Dumbledore sighed again, "Alas. There is little we can do about that, however, at this point. Please, continue."

"That's about it. I know that Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister, is really upset. Vicky is her roommate."

"Understandable, yes. I do remember young Ginevra, of course, quite aside from the events of her first year. Is there anything else, then, aside from the other missing girl?"

Harry shook his head, but Lyra lifted a hand, glancing at Harry, "With Master's permission, I'd like to tell you a bit about what we've been doing for the other matter. The one he actually summoned me for."

"Aside from to shag?" Sirius asked.

Lyra nodded.

Harry looked back and forth between the two adult wizards, then to his pet. "Go ahead, if you think it's best. I trust them both."

She gifted him a smile, then stood, stepped forward, and shifted into her battle form. "This is what I truly look like."

Sirius wolf-whistled, seemingly unable to help himself despite the alien form due to Lilith's sheer feminine curvature. While Dumbledore seemed less impressed, he spent several seconds looking at the Succubus' natural defenses and weapons as well.

"I show you this to illustrate that I am capable of more than just sex. Master Contracted with me for two things: that sex, which I am more than happy to provide, and for assistance that he felt he was not receiving from others against the threat you know he must face."

"Voldemort," Sirius growled.

She nodded, letting her tail sway as she flexed a fist, which engulfed in red flames. "I have more than just lust at my disposal, though that is my strongest power."

"The dead Death Eaters at the Ministry."

She nodded at the Professor's statement, "The ones not killed by your magics or shrapnel, yes. I can and will defend Master with everything I have. I say this partially to warn you, but also to tell you what I bring to bear in his fight. If Master is to be at the forefront, those behind him- you and I- must be as willing to sacrifice what he would, if I were to let him."

Dumbledore frowned, but said nothing.

"That means his link with your Dark Lord," she pointed directly at Harry's scar, "is a weapon he and I would use. In fact, I am and have been since I learned of it within a day of our Contract being formed. If you have noticed your Dark Lord being more erratic and yet less active than normal, that is why. He, like those around my actual presence, are subject to the arousal caused by my kind simply by being nearby."

Sirius coughed, "Oh. That... that explains a lot."

Again, Dumbledore frowned, but stayed quiet.

"Before I continue, know that your understanding of who and what Master is no longer applies. In many ways, he is becoming like me, and I like him. He is something both more and less human. He gains powers from me, and I gain strength from him. He was already a natural leader, gifted, stalwart, with amazing friends."

Ron blushed, but said nothing.

Lilith ignored him, focusing mostly on Dumbledore, though she continued looking toward Sirius, "But the core of who he is has not changed. He is just as noble, as kind-hearted, as he ever was. Perhaps more-so, because the selfishness of youth is already fading in him, and he is more willing than ever to step up and lead. I say this to you because you will not like the things I propose, I think. But it is Harry's path to choose, not yours. You have no say in it, except to advise and perhaps influence. Unless you are the one prophesied to strike down your Dark Lord, Master must lead, and you must either follow or get out of the way. Is that the way of things, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore clearly deliberated for a few seconds, then gave a strong nod, "That has long been my belief, yes. I have attempted to guide Harry into taking a leadership role. Sadly, failures I had made in the past have made it difficult for him, though your presence seems to have mitigated much of that damage."

"Just so," Lilith agreed, acknowledging her own subtle efforts with a curt nod of her own, "He already has his 'inner circle' to mirror Voldemort's. Only where your enemy has followers and servants, Harry has loyal friends who would gladly give their lives for him. They proved that last year."

It was Harry's turn to blush and sink into his seat, which made Ron, markedly less nervous now, chuckle, "She's right, mate."

"Furthermore, there are other allies and friends. I would call them 'assets' if I were just a bit more cynical, but Master likes and respects many of them, so friends it is. You might call these the 'regular Death Eaters', those not within Voldemort's own inner circle, but who are still given his Mark."

"I sense a pattern in parallels," Dumbledore said.

"That's deliberate on my end, though I don't think Master's noticed really," Lilith admitted, shrinking back to her form as Lyra and taking her seat again, "Because it's not a bad structure to begin with, if a bit basic, and because once people realize it, the symmetry will help with morale and understanding. Using the enemy's tactics against them, in a way."

"That does make some sense," the Headmaster agreed, "though it would seem to me that you are acting as if you are in charge."

"Think of her as my advisor," Harry said, shaking his head, "at least as far as that goes. I haven't... thought about my friends like that, but I can see where she's coming from. From the outside, it might seem like that. Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny, and Lyra- maybe Hannah lately, would be the start of my inner circle, and the rest of Dumbledore's Army is the equivalent to the Death Eaters as a whole. But Lyra- Lilith- is in that inner circle, right up there with the others. I take Ron's, Ginny's, and Hermione's advice seriously, just like hers."

"I see. I shall think of this lecture as delegation on your part then, Harry. Please, continue."

Lyra gifted the old man a smile that, had he been even a few years younger and more straight, might have been truly effective, then did as he asked. "The enemy has a force of hundreds, at least. Is that correct?"

Dumbledore nodded once, "We believe in the middle hundreds all-told, yes, but already he has many Giants and other creatures, the Dementors included, on his side."

"We do not need to match him force for force," Lyra said thoughtfully, "but in any confrontation, we should try to do so. Whittle him down. Don't stun and incapacitate. Remove the threat. Every Death Eater removed is one less that kills one of your own. This is a war, and I would appreciate it if the public leadership- that'd be you- acted like it until Master is ready to take charge."

"I would prefer not to kill. Yet, I do understand your reasoning. I have simply seen a great deal of death in my time already."

"Then you have my sympathies," Lyra responded, "Yet while you do your best to prevent tragedy, tragedy befalls you. I hope you will be willing to make it fall on the enemy, instead. I'm getting off-topic, though.

"Master is growing stronger, wiser, and more capable as a leader as well. When he is ready, we will know. When the time comes, I expect he will lead the charge. Will you stand behind him?"

"For as long as I am able," Dumbledore said at once.

"Alright, then. You should also know that, while the Death Eaters have a mark, we have one of our own. Not the same, of course, and the magics used to make them are quite different."

"May I?"

Lilith grinned at Sirius' question, "They are not visible after application, not even to me. The fluids dry, you see."

The former prisoner blushed. "Er... I see."

"Your own people know of sexual magic," Lyra explained, "but my people have perfected it. Your kind use primarily wands, or other foci, for your spells. My people use the language of our people, written in sexual fluids, to grant strength and powers. Master was the first, of course, but Ron, Hermione, and several others have benefitted already. They are stronger, faster, healthier. That alone makes them a threat against a normal human. Master... would you demonstrate by picking up the chair? With a single hand?"

Harry nodded and hopped up. With a hopefully graceful motion, feeling the eyes of everyone in the office on him, he gripped the back of the chair. It swung up in an arc and he lifted it smoothly over his head, only moving to provide balance with his feet. There, he held it for several seconds without strain. Wow, I never noticed how much stronger I've become. Those Runes are powerful.

Once he'd put the chair down again, Lyra continued, "I estimate that Master could pick up and throw your desk about ten feet right now, and his Runes are not yet complete. Ronald could probably do the same with his chair, and then some. There are other powers, too. Master can subsist on very little sleep or food or water, for example. Those extra powers, we've only just started performing rituals for, but they are useful and potent."

Harry hoped Dumbledore wouldn't notice the subtle deception, or his own flinch when she'd said it. Fortunately, the headmaster simply nodded, "I see. I... well, I suppose there's little I could say or do that would stop you, if I was inclined to, which I am not. I understood when I learned of your existence that Harry's situation would, of necessity, change. This is simply another facet of that, is it not?"

"It is," Harry said firmly, "and one I don't regret."

"Me, neither," Ron said with an audible grin.

"Very well. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Not that I can think of," Harry said.

"Then I shall bid you good night. I must return to attempting to find Miss Frobisher. Please, do not hesitate to come forward if you do learn of anything. I know you are quite resourceful, and have the ear of many students, Harry."

"I will, I promise."

"Thank you. Good night, everyone."

Glossary: