AN: Alrighty, comrades. Sorry for the late update, again.
A few of you might have received a notification that I had updated the story, and that's because I did. Isabella Malfoy has been replaced by Celeste Malfoy, a name proposed by a few of my readers.
Let's go!
Happy reading!
And a late happy Diwali!
Time: A Week Later
Violet did not know what to think of her brother. Her heart was a conflicting mess of raging emotions whenever she thought about him, confusing her to no end but providing little answer.
In the end, she decided to follow her gut. That was the Gryffindor way.
Beyond the little demonstration he had given the day of his return, there was little else to make it evident that he was the world's most wanted serial killer. That there was something sinister lurking behind the smoking hot visage, the cuddly, fluffy exterior of her brother.
Yeah, that was something else Violet had to address. If crushing helplessly on a serial killer wasn't enough by itself, now that it had been revealed that he was none but her long-estranged brother, and her longing, a longing for something more than the familial affection he showed her, didn't lessen, made things infinitely worse and disgusting for her.
Her very bringing up, thanks to her modern parents, screamed at her that it was wrong to crush on her brother, that incest was disgusting, but she couldn't help the blood that rushed to colour her cheeks red every time she laid her eyes on his lips, that were more often than not curled up in a soft, comforting smile that made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Well, they were in a society that was still stuck in the mediaeval ages, and incest wasn't really so frowned upon, but...
She saw the looks the others sent him, as well. Rose was in the same dilemma as her, making the two sisters feel jealous of the Black daughter as she was not restrained by any moralities over the incestuous infatuation, allowed to shamelessly admire the chiselled body of their brother as he was often shirtless.
And it was not restricted to just the three of them, either.
Violet could swear on all of her Puddlemere United merch that Lily had been checking out her son sometimes as well, and not at all with anything short of suppressed desire. Violet could barely restrain the wince at the thought of what their mother must be going through.
They had all but forgotten that he was probably the most dangerous person in all of England, with the most kills under his belt.
Maybe it was helped along by the disarming harmless act he put on, whether it was genuine or fabricated was anyone's guess, and despite their knowledge that it could very well be fake, it was effective.
He was just the sexiest and most adorable person all at once, drawing attention to him in all the positive ways possible, and the way he spent half of his time sleeping in various places all over the house and gardens made them all doubt if he was really the infamous Stalker. Maybe there had been some sort of massive mistake, because there was no way this sleepy guy could be so dangerous...
Everyone was smitten with him, it was not something that only affected the women of House Potter. Even Sirius and Remus regarded him as the godson they had missed, though they still felt uncomfortable around him, if only the slightest bit. James was the only one who still regarded him with any suspicion, as if doubtful why the world's most feared wizard would just roll over for them.
The young Gryffindor shook her head to straighten out her jumbled thoughts and making her raven locks bounce from side to side, feeling a gentle blush rise up her neck, threatening to turn her cheeks as scarlet as her house colours as she laid her eyes on Harry, who was sitting on the dining table reading the Daily Prophet.
She couldn't help her emerald eyes roaming over his adorably messy bedhead that he seemed to pull off perfectly, conscious of her own rat's nest of a bedhead and wondered briefly if Harry found it as attractive as she found his.
She felt like slapping herself at the incestuous thought, but couldn't help the slight drool that escaped her pink lips as he lowered the newspaper, giving her an eyeful of his perfect, drool-worthy chest and toned abs, put on full display.
"Harry, put a shirt on!" She yelped, tearing her eyes away from the sight, feeling her cheeks colour as she realised that she had been caught staring.
"Why?" She could almost feel his teasing grin in his words. "Don't you like seeing my body?"
"Of course I do- I mean no! It's gross!" Violet bit her tongue, blushing slightly as the arrival of Rose and Lyra in the dining room stopped her from embarrassing herself any further.
"Morning," Harry called, finally putting his paper down properly as he regarded the three sleepyheads as they tumbled into their respective seats around the table, still groggy and a bit out of it.
"G-good morning." Lyra cursed herself for stuttering as she looked down at the table, trying not to let herself be caught in the trap of staring at Harry's chest. "May I ask why you aren't wearing a shirt?"
"Surprisingly, that is exactly what Violet was talking to me about." Harry felt a smile tug at his lips at the thought. "If you all mind that much, I guess I can wear a shirt. Although I was thinking that I could go without it for a while, it's a beautiful, sunny morning, a good day to be outside, to put some practice in. Sitting and sleeping for too long is good, but it won't do for these bones to get rusty."
As if to emphasize on that, he let his muscular arm dangle loosely, before laughing at himself as he got up. "Just a sec, I'll be right back."
He disappeared round the corner, three pairs of eager eyes following his every movement, watching the muscles of his back flex, so strong and powerful, before the sounds of him bounding up the stairs reached the ears of the three witches a few moments later, reverberating almost uncomfortably in the otherwise silent house.
His disappearance brought with it an unbearably awkward silence, as the three sat there, not knowing what to do, occasionally stealing glances at each other.
"I'm gonna put the coffee on," Violet whispered after a few moments, breaking the silence before she got up, heading for the coffee machine that sat on the counter, a specially modified Muggle machine running on the ancient Potter Manor's ambient magic, just one of the many modified Muggle items that lay scattered across the household.
As she stood before the machine, waiting for the coffee to come out all warm and steamy just like she liked it, ready to kickstart her brain into high gear and get on with her day, Violet couldn't help but snicker at the thought of Arthur Weasley and his similar obsession with Muggles. He always loved visiting Potter Manor for the exact reason that he got to see so many Muggle appliances functioning up close.
Her eyes wandered over to the open window, watching out of the corner of her eyes as Lyra put on the toaster, even as Rose picked up the paper that Harry had left on the table, the paper rustling slightly, the three of them busying themselves to avoid confronting the elephant in the room.
Harry had been right. The day outside was indeed sunny, typical of the English countryside during the summer, with a few wisps of clouds still floating about the clear azure sky like froth on waves. A gentle breeze swept through the massive gardens of Potter Manor, making the well-maintained trees rustle and sway slightly in the breeze. The two hoops they had in the garden for Quidditch cast long shadows in the dew-softened emerald grass, acting as impromptu obelisks.
"Oh fuck it." Lyra's crass words, so unlike the normally composed Slytherin, brought Violet crashing back to the present, just in time to catch the beeping of the coffee machine she had absent-mindedly forgotten all about, making her smile slightly in anticipation as she extracted the hug, before pouring four mugs full of steaming black coffee, anticipating Harry's return.
As she worked, she glanced up at the Slytherin, who had stabbed the butter knife she had been using to spread some marmalade on the toast, looking distressed as she crashed into her seat.
Raising an eyebrow at her actions, Violet waved her wand, making the four mugs of coffee float behind her as she lazily meandered over to the table, taking her seat beside the Slytherin, and opposite her sister.
"What's got you in such a tizzy, Rara?" Violet teased, knowing how much she hated the nickname. "I wonder what's taking Harry so long to get a shirt. Did he get lost?"
"That's it." Lyra's anxious voice relayed to the other two how serious she was about the entire situation. "It's always Harry this, Harry that. It's like he's the glue keeping the three of us together, it's always about him. We don't click together like we used to."
Listening to her worries, Violet couldn't help but hug her, comforting the needlessly insecure Slytherin as she wrapped her in her warmth. "Well, all of us knew that we would have some trouble for a couple of days when Harry returned, and it's not just because he is the Stalker. Our dynamic may have changed, but we will get right back on track in a few days, don't you worry, Lyra. Remember, all of us were really eager to meet him. What changed?"
"I don't think anything really changed," Lyra whispered, staring at the toast that sat on the plate in front of her with hazy, unfocused grey eyes. Rose and Violet shared confused glances at her cryptic words, though, somewhere deep down, they couldn't help but sympathise with her, knowing full well what she was talking about, but reluctant to acknowledge the fact, afraid to hear it spoken aloud. It was just a fantasy, a taboo fantasy that seemed good and well only in their dreams, something out of this world and impossible.
"You like him, don't you?" Violet whispered to her, watching her eyes show flickers of unidentifiable emotion. Her lips trembled.
"I do." She whispered back, as if trying to hide it from the world. "But you're one to speak. I know you like him, too, and not the sisterly kind of like."
She was taken aback for a brief moment, thinking that she was better at hiding her emotions than the other two, at least when it came to stuff like this. She had at least some experience with this kind of stuff, the others did not.
"And it's not just that." Lyra continued, looking increasingly distressed with every passing moment. "Even if the three of us," she shot a look towards Rose, who looked like she wanted nothing more than to hide behind the Daily Prophet at the moment, "were not crushing on the same person, he is the Stalker. He is a serial killer. He has murdered even young children. It is inexcusable. I can't possibly be in love with him!" She was on the verge of all-out bawling her eyes out, her breaths coming in short, ragged gasps as she seemed to teeter on the edge of hyperventilation.
"I'm not saying you're wrong, Lyra." Violet seemed to ponder on her next words for a bit. "But it's not fair for us to not give him a shot at redeeming himself. Maybe he had to do what he did out of necessity. Maybe he's trying to turn over a new leaf in his life."
"Are you trying to defend him?" Lyra looked at her, her grey eyes slightly tinged with red.
"No. What I am saying is, he has already sworn an oath, and we don't see anything to put us on guard yet. I think we should wait till the end of the school year to pass judgement on him. He seems like a pretty chill guy all around."
Harry listened to them discussing about him, as he sat on the counter under an invisibility spell, childishly swinging his legs as he shamelessly allowed his eyes to roam over their bodies, still clad in their pyjamas, trying to resist the urge to take them then and there, something which had become ingrained in him over the years.
He tried not to think about the way Violet's tank top revealed her toned stomach, or accentuated her firm breasts. He tried not to gaze for too long at the waistband of her underwear visible thanks to her loose shorts, never mind the fact that he was invisible. He tried to keep his eyes away from Lyra's aristocratic beauty, her sharp features and mesmerizing grey eyes, the way her shorts helped her perfect heart-shaped ass to pop out more. He certainly tried not to think about the budding teenage beauty of his younger sister, wondering how her tight little body would look like, getting ripped in half by his oversized cock, trying to be ignorant of how well her cotton pyjamas hugged her legs like a second skin.
He stifled a growl, feeling his pants tighten.
He would wait. He would wait for them.
He didn't want their bodies. He wanted them, to own their bodies, hearts and souls, till he was their entire world, till their hearts beat for him.
He tilted his head, briefly wondering what he should do that day. He had enough rest after the hellish torture he had imposed on himself while still locked up in the Muggle prison.
He would still like to get a few hours of nap time in, wondering if he could persuade anyone for cuddles. After so long alone, he had all but forgotten the joy of cuddling up with someone else, and though he kinda liked cuddling with the women he fucked over the years, it still did not give him the same warmth and comfort that he got from even a simple hug from his sisters or mother.
He knew the emotional turmoil they were going through, disgusted at the thought of being attracted to their own brother and son, and he felt slightly bad for putting them through the wringer like that. But it was necessary.
He had to break all of the preconceived ideas that society had fed them, and what better way to do it than to cement their loyalty to him, and him alone?
Just like he had done with Nymphadora, but preferably without fucking with their minds.
He briefly wondered how his favourite Metamorphagus was doing that day, wondering if he should pay her a visit sometime, before he shook his head. He had a gut feeling that he would be seeing her soon enough, and his instincts had yet to let him down.
Hmm... back to the matter at hand.
He wanted to ease them into it, maybe they would like sparring sessions? He would really like to see how good they had become, especially with the books he had sent them, books which were not actually written by him, no matter what he might claim. He was many things, but an author wasn't one of them, and neither was a teacher.
Besides being a good opportunity to gauge how good they had really become, it would not only give them a much-needed bonding time, but it would also reassure Lyra's fears of them drifting apart.
Hmm... so many things to do, but he had time.
"Alright, then, here are the rules." Harry started, doing little stretches as warm-up for the spar, though he didn't actually need it, it was always best to take workouts seriously.
He stood with the three girls in the middle of the Potter gardens, which was large and spacious enough to hold magical duels of the magnitude of what was to occur, without worries for bystanders getting hurt and property damage, thanks to the wards on the mansion itself.
"Before we start, why are you dressed so casually?" Lyra asked, slightly incensed at being taken so lightly, the same time Rose, ever the curious Ravenclaw, asked, "What are those?"
"Okay, one by one." Harry stood up properly, looking down at what he was wearing. Well, he was wearing just a sleeveless black t-shirt and shorts. "For Lyra's question, I'm dressed causally because I'm lazy, and also, do you really think you have even a chance at victory if I decide to take this fight seriously?"
At the incredulous look, he shot her, her cheeks coloured slightly as she looked away. Harry took the opportunity to glance appreciatively over the dragon leather duelling robes the three wore, hugging their bodies tightly and looking too close to latex for comfort. They were mostly identical, save for the crests, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, and the lining of the black leather that reflected their house colours.
With a soft smile, he turned to Rose, raising his hands to show her the white rags wrapped around his arms like bandages, as the one Muggle fighters used. "These are magical wraps, Rose. I use slight magic to power them, and they basically allow them to bat away spells with my bare fists."
He raised his feet, which were also bare save for similar bindings. "As you can see, I have magical wraps on my feet as well. These do the same thing, except they also allow me more grip and also protect me slightly, because I'm not wearing shoes, as you can see."
"Where is your wand?" Violet was the one who asked the next question, making him smile slightly.
"That's the question, isn't it?" He mused, a slight smile on his face as he watched Lily come out of the glass door that led to the gardens, her brightly lush red hair easily visible against the soft green grass of the lawn that reflected her eyes, a smile brightening up her face as she saw them on the grass, before she waved at the four, jogging slightly to head towards where they were.
"Are you four having a spar?" She asked, her voice betraying her excitement as she saw that the three daughters were in their duelling robes while Harry had wraps on his hands and feet.
"Yeah." Harry couldn't help the bright smile that automatically blossomed on his lips at his beautiful mother, "I was feeling too lazy with how much I've been sleeping and eating lately, so I decided to resume working out from today. Need to be in tip-top shape for Hogwarts." To emphasize it, he did a little sit-up, showcasing the fact that he was still the son of the Marauders, and making them laugh lightly.
"Great! What are the rules? I can officiate." She offered, her emerald eyes shining in barely muted excitement at seeing her son and daughters in a friendly spar.
"That would be very helpful." Harry smiled at her, making the three girls bristle at the obvious affection he was showing Lily. "And I was just about to tell the rules. Everything is legal as long as nobody ends up dead, traumatized or permanently damaged, I trust nobody will use too dangerous spells for this fight. And I won't use any magic at all. I will just be fighting Muggle style, but I hope you won't go easy on me just because I can't use magic."
Harry's smile widened, taking an almost uneasy edge. "And I think you remember how dangerous I can be even without magic or weapons."
His words immediately brought flashbacks to him holding back the full force of a troll with a single hand, back when he was still the enigmatic Stalker and not their brother, a fateful Halloween night at Hogwarts. A memory which had been shown later to the others as well, courtesy of Headmaster Dumbledore's Pensieve. The three fighters were immediately put on edge, with the grisly reminder that the casual display he was putting on only his barely restrained, overwhelming power.
"Alright then, I guess you know the three S's of duelling?" Harry continued, looking sharply at them, his emerald eye suddenly cold and sharp as steel.
"Yeah. Strength, speed and smarts." Rose repeated from what she had read, the three S's needed to win a duel.
"Good, and what do you think will help you defeat me?" He continued asking her, trying to make the Ravenclaw rack her brains to seek answers, as the other three continued to look on, slightly enjoying his unorthodox style of teaching.
"Since you can't use magic, I would say strength." Rose began, continuing before Harry could interrupt her. "However, knowing you, I am more inclined to lean towards speed. Not only that, but I think you allowed the three of us to fight against you together to test our teamwork and strategies on the fly. Smarts will be equally important if we want to defeat you, because I've got a gut feeling we won't be able to overpower you."
Harry stood silent for a moment, before he allowed a proud smile on his lips. "Great, I guess you're not a Ravenclaw for nothing, after all. I'm proud of you, little Rosy."
The Girl Who Lived blushed adorably at her brother's praise, probably the first time he had openly praised any of them genuinely. His soft smile made her heart beat faster for all the wrong reasons, making blood rush to her face as she looked away, not ignorant of the meaningful glances the others sent her way.
"Alright, then. I won't hold back, and neither should you." Harry's words served to bring them back to the duel that awaited them, a determined glint in their eyes as they stared back at him, their lips pressed in a thin line, their wands thrumming with barely restrained power in their hands, eager, practically purring and ready to go off.
Well, he would be holding back by a lot, but they didn't need to know that.
"Mother, if you would do the honours." Harry shot her a small smile as he counted his steps, moving back by some twenty yards in preparation for the duel.
He watched Violet, Lyra and Rose communicate silently with their eyes before they moved into position, fanning out on either side of him in a sort of pincer formation with Violet, the strongest spellcaster of the three in the middle.
Harry nodded appreciatively. He knew Violet didn't have much variety in her arsenal, she left that to the Ravenclaw and Slytherin on either side of him, what she had was the raw power needed to make simple spells devastating.
It made sense to put her in the middle to close in on him with her power while the other two trapped him with their flair, but he might just have to nip that plan right in the bud.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips at the thought, his eyes focused on the three as they bowed in a single, synchronised fluid motion.
He reciprocated their bow with his own, before getting into a fighting stance, widening his feet to get a better stand against the initial blow, angling his body slightly to the right so that his dominant hand was in front.
He closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he reminded himself to go easy on them, unable to resist enjoying the sounds of their soft breaths, their hearts beating in their chests full of life, feeling the hunter growl inside him in need. Physical need, the need to feel their bodies against his, their blood against his lips, so warm and delicious...
No. Bad Harry.
He breathed deeply, opening his eye. The black eyepatch on his right eye felt stifling, as he resisted the urge to watch them fully, watch their delicious magic flow around in their veins.
He faintly heard his mother count down to one, his attention anywhere but on her, his eyes never leaving the three duelists, sharp and hawk-like, watching every rise and fall of their delicious chests as they drew breaths, like a predator watching his prey. His eyes clashed with theirs, both cold and determined, all their familial affection gone and replaced with determination, an urge to prove to their brother that they could live up to him, that they were not weak.
That they were worthy.
Worthy of being his.
His.
Hardly did Lily let off the sharp bang that marked the beginning of the duel, than all three of them shot off spells predetermined with silent messages, zooming towards Harry, who stood immobile on purpose, intent on sending a message of his own.
He felt the magical ropes tie him up first, followed by an admittedly powerful full-body bind, two curses to completely stop his mobility that he had flaunted so much during his time as the Stalker, both spells almost too fast for the average eye to see as they tied him up completely, leaving him defenceless, or so one would think, to Violet's brutal bludgeoning hex to the chest.
All Harry could manage, however, at Violet's feared hex that had sent many a boy to Madam Pomfrey's intensive care for a few weeks at the least, was a little amused grunt.
Lily looked confused for a moment at the speed at what the events had transpired, before she raised her wand, still slightly unsure if the duel had really ended so quickly. Her emerald eyes darted to Harry, a silent question in her gaze, before she lowered her wand slowly at the slight smile on his lips.
The three girls looked shocked at how easily Harry had tanked Violet's blow, though that wasn't so far-fetched, considering his unnatural body strength. Still, Harry couldn't say at what they were more shocked- him tanking the hit that could have put the average wizard out of commission for a month, or the fact that they had been able to tie him up so easily, to the point that it had barely taken them a few microseconds since the duel had started.
"Well, I don't like to brag and show off, but I felt like a demonstration was in order to show you just how hard you would have to work to take me down, even when I'm not using magic." His voice held a confident swagger, too similar to the Malfoy drawl for comfort and making the girls bristle unconsciously at how smug he was being, despite their knowledge that he could back it up very well.
Saying so, Harry just flexed his muscles, a little twitch of his arms showcasing his strength as he easily ripped through not only the ropes Lyra had conjured, but Rose's body bind curse as well, leaving the three looking on with slack jaws at the seemingly impossible feat he had just pulled off like it was nothing.
"Are you sure you aren't using magic, Harry? Cause it definitely seems like you are." Lyra's incredulous voice reached his ears, making him laugh loudly.
"There are many things you are yet to know about me, Black. And here's the first thing- I'm a monster. It takes a lot to put me down." Maybe the words were meant in a different sense, referring to the fact that he could easily tank through so many curses and hexes, but it nevertheless, did not fail to send little shivers of fright down their spines.
And maybe his almost unhealthy obsession with death, his own or that of others, was not missed, the usage of the phrase 'put down' instead of the usual, and expected, 'take down'.
Reminding them against whom they were fighting. Even three-on-one if he decided to just snap, he could wipe them out and leave barely anything for their families to remember them by.
Suddenly, they weren't fighting their lazy brother. They were fighting a monster with overwhelming power, who was just toying with them, letting them think that they had a chance before he would brutally crush any and all hope that they might have had. Gravity suddenly felt a hundred times more potent, making their bones, the very robes upon their backs, feel heavy. Their wands trembled, feeling heavy in their hands, the soft grass beneath their shoes feeling as tough and unforgiving as brimstone on bare feet.
A slight breeze whipped through the gardens, and if this had been a Wild West film, there would have been a tumbleweed rolling between them.
His mesmerizing emerald eyes suddenly seemed too close to the toxic green shade of the Killing curse for comfort, a hazy Cruciatus red glow beneath the patch, from the monstrous, all-seeing eye that they knew he tried to hide from the world.
Although that might have been just their imagination. Despite everything, they knew that Harry would never put them in serious danger, in no situation where he wasn't in complete control, be that danger from himself or someone else.
His soft smile was strangely reassuring, like the eyes of a protective lion watching his cubs try to wrestle with him.
Violet frowned at the thought. No, she didn't want to be his cub.
She wanted to be by his side, his lioness.
She shook her head, trying to clear her muddled head before staring back at Harry, a determined glint in her eyes.
Harry seemed to catch that, his smile widening as he looked at her, before he cracked his knuckles. A sharp crack rang through the mostly silent garden, making the three raise their wands in caution, ready to face the storm that was about to come.
"Ready or not? Here I come." Harry spoke in a soft, sing-song voice, his aggressive smile completely going against his mock childish voice, his slightly hunched posture that betrayed his power intimidating, making his long hair fall across his face messily.
Violet's emerald eyes followed his every movement as he tensed lazily, almost imperceptibly in preparation for his attack, like a viper coiled to strike, the tension building up in his strong muscles, aching for release, almost invisible.
Harry disappeared first, almost too fast for the eye to catch, but Violet managed to see him with minimal effort, thanks to her years of hunting for the snitch.
Damn, was he fast.
He was almost too fast, making her suspect if he was really using magic or not, but she didn't think he would really go against the rules he had set. Well, not so much out of honour as it was out of his confidence that he could defeat them without going all out.
Well, he would have to rethink that.
Leading this time, Violet set off a complicated spell chain, her wand twirling as she shot off silent curses and hexes, determined to head him off with her speed before he could really get in close. Bright purple and sizzling orange curses left her wand, before she twirled her wand about her head, sending a wide-range Diffindo, that could shatter rock, not even stopping her movements at the overpowered spell as she used her momentum to execute a little low pirouette, sending off a wave of lava sweeping along the grass.
She stopped, watching for his response, and trying to ignore the slight strain from the chain, which was definitely ten times more powerful and aggressive than anything she usually used.
Harry stopped, going from what was probably fifty metres per second to zero, leaning back as his feet dug into the ground, his knees absorbing most of the strain before he dropped and rolled, allowing his inertia to carry him forward and avoiding the initial chain with little trouble.
His eyes widened a tad fraction as he watched the carpet of lava Violet had cast racing towards him, before he dodged, launching himself sideways powerfully with his palm mid-roll.
He straightened, somehow spinning mid-air to avoid Violet's cutting hex, but that was just the beginning.
Still using his momentum from the roll mid-air, he kicked out, his foot catching Lyra's conjured leopard in the face with a deadly sideswipe that sent it crashing into the deadly lava, where it dissolved.
Harry landed gracefully on his hand, like a dancer or aerial acrobat prancing about on stage and not locked in a potentially life-threatening duel, using his strong arm to launch himself away again as the ground he was balancing on exploded in a shower of dirt a few moments later, courtesy of two powerful bombarding hexes from Rose colliding with it.
Deciding that it was time for him to go on the offensive and that dancing around their spells too much wouldn't do much except tire him out, Harry stood his ground, easily batting away the Stunner and the slightly overpowered Reducto sent his way thanks to the two Potter daughters while Lyra was busy weaving traps and defences all over the battlefield.
The girls seemed shocked for a moment that he had batted away their spells, standing still as they watched Harry's palms facing them, still, in the posture, he was in when he had batted away their powerful spells with his bare hands like they weren't even worth his attention. His magical wraps smoked slightly, feeling warm on his skin as he looked at them, his emerald eyes glinting in an unspoken challenge, his sharp features and lady-melting smirk slightly shadowed by his long hair falling messily across his face, his skin slightly glistening with the beginnings of sweat.
They kicked into action the next moment, with a renewed sense of urgency kicking the duel into overdrive as Harry finally fought back.
He blocked powerful spells that could have shattered the average wizard's magical shield with his bare hands, his fists moving at unbelievable speeds, his wraps smoking as they heated up slightly.
Harry rolled under the barrage of poisonous arrows Rose sent his way, barely able to stand up again before two lions Violet had conjured were upon him, leaping upon him with matching roars, intent on tearing him apart.
Harry did not even give them a second glance, his hands able to find their skulls as he held them at arm's length, his strength enough to hold off two fully grown lions, each with a single arm. Feeling slightly sadistic, he looked straight into his opponents' eyes with a twisted smile on his lips, barely a fraction of his true self leaking into his features as he crushed their skulls in his hands, finally showing them a fraction of his true strength.
He felt the blood and brain ooze out between his fingers, gore straight from a death metal song as their skulls gave way to his strength like brittle biscuits, yet he did not take his eyes off theirs, the half-smirk never leaving his lips.
The two lions thumped to the ground, their faces barely more than minced meat, turning back to the dirt from whence they had come, the blood dripping from Harry's fingers being replaced with mud.
Deciding that they had had enough time to gawk, he launched forward, using the little respite he had got from their relentless spells, to close what little distance remained between him and the three duelists, who had unknowingly been herded together during the fight.
Violet's eyes widened, as if she was noticing his proximity for the first time, making her gasp slightly as she conjured a stone wall between the two of them.
Bad move.
Harry shattered through it easily as if the ten-inch thick stone was made of a millimetre thick brittle glass, a mad gleam in his eyes as he emerged from the dust of the wall a moment later, like a demon emerging from the inferno of hell, his eyes gleaming a toxic, poisonous green. He dodged beneath Violet's close range, frantic Reducto, which could have caved in his skull if it had connected, before tripping her.
He did not stop for her to crash to the ground, her surprised yelp falling on deaf ears as he weaved through Lyra's close-range slash with her wand, which could have dealt some serious damage if she had known how to use it properly. He wasn't bothered in the slightest, however, at all the danger he was in, as he grabbed her wand arm, twisting it as he twirled behind her in an effortless three sixty, making her wince in slight pain as her arm was twisted behind her, making her drop her wand as she was used as a human shield between Harry and Violet. The situation happened so fast that she couldn't even blush at her close proximity to the Potter son, as even the feeling of his warm and sweaty body pressed up tightly against hers failed to arouse her as it would have normally done, instead the only thing she managed was frustration.
He didn't even glance towards her, as he dodged another close-range exploding curse, smiling at his sister as he grabbed her face with his hand, his palm large enough to cover her entire face and making her exclaim in muffled indignation as he just held her there.
Maybe the danger she was in was not lost on Rose, as she felt the cool mud covering his palm smeared on her face.
"Dead, dead, and dead," Harry spoke softly, a gentle smile in his voice as he let them go, instead skipping away to dodge the incoming barrage of curses sent his way.
He landed gracefully on his feet, glancing to the side as Lily let off a loud bang, signalling the end of the duel. "That's it, Harry wins."
"Alright, but I want to continue playing," Harry called out, making the girls grit their teeth as he purposefully pressed their buttons, challenging their capability.
"Alright, Harry. I leave them to you. I hope you'll be responsible." She warned him, though her voice was warm, and Harry failed to detect any serious threat from her words. "I need to get back to my lab before the cauldrons melt."
Deciding that this was her maternal side speaking, he nodded towards her, smiling reassuringly at her. He watched her retrace her steps back to the house, trying to resist the urge to glance at her firm, delicious-looking bubbly ass that was accentuated by the cotton pants she was wearing.
Harry looked back at the three girls, who were pouting at him. "When can we go back?"
"Not until I'm tired and ready to crash. Or until you can defeat me. The same rules apply." Harry walked back to the positions they were in originally, a casual wave of his hand fixing everything back to their previous state, and slightly surprising the girls at his casual display of wandless magic, as evidenced by their wide eyes. "Since you lost, you can go first."
Harry resumed his stance, widening his legs in preparation for an assault.
The three girls stood there for a moment, before they smiled, a matching creepy smile crossing their lips, something that had Harry bristling in slight fear before he could check himself. The ability to communicate without even looking at each other... maybe with their magic, maybe because they thought so alike... the three continued to surprise him to no end.
He felt a slightly proud smile tug at his lips at the fact that they had at least managed to put him on edge. That by itself showed that they had the potential to become a major player, whether friend or foe, Harry would have to wait and watch.
Didn't matter right now.
They wouldn't win. At least, not now. Even though Harry wasn't using any magic, they wouldn't win.
The fear he used to hunt prey was a powerful tool, he knew. But everything paled in front of his overwhelming power.
He watched as they raised their wands in unison, slowly walking around the edges of the garden so that they encircled him. Harry fought against their seductive glances, as they sauntered around him, hypnotizing him with their sexily sashaying hips and fucking with his mind with those saucy smiles they sent his way as they surrounded him, trying to distract him from picking apart their strategies. It did not help how natural it looked, and how much he longed for those looks to be real, only furthering his frustration.
He felt a smirk tug at his lips as he finally regained control of his senses, they were most probably going for a wide-range spell to trap him.
Should he jump? Or should he try to tank it?
Deciding that taking to the air would be counter-productive in the given situation, given that he knew little about what spell they were going to cast, Harry decided to remain firmly rooted to the ground. It would improve his defence at the cost of his mobility, but that was a risk he was willing to take.
"Impedimenta!" Three shouts rang through the clearing together, before matching curtains of golden swept towards him, making Harry's eyes widen.
Fuck.
They had chosen the perfect spell to restrict him. It was a fairly simple spell to counter, a simple Finite Incantatem would have done the trick, but thanks to Harry's no-magic policy, his only option was to dodge.
Caught up in his panic and torn between what to do in a rare moment of indecision, caught off guard at the simple spell that he had least expected, Harry didn't have enough time to dodge, getting caught up in one of the three.
Immediately, he felt like he was getting dunked in a pool of molasses, his movements slow and sluggish. Even his ears strained to pick up the sounds coming from outside, trapped in his little bubble where time barely moved, distorted and illegible. He struggled to move his arms, before he gave it up altogether, knowing that the exercise would be futile and he should rather conserve his strength.
Harry's eyes widened as he saw some flashes of bright light, distorted again by the bubble of the spell, before he saw the magic enter the bubble, immediately getting suspended in limbo.
He watched with growing anxiety as spell after spell continued to enter the bubble till all he could see were the bright colours of all sorts of spells, ranging from light to lethal in terms of damage, all barely inches from his face, suspended in time, the magic looking as if it was floating in the middle of nowhere.
He regretted telling them not to hold back.
The moment the Impedimenta jinx would be dropped, he would have what seemed to be like at least a hundred curses, hexes and jinxes barely inches from his face to deal with, as they would resume their normal speed as well the moment the curse was dropped, and heaven knows how many transfigurations and traps waiting for him in the outside world.
Well, he wasn't intent on losing.
Maybe he would have to show them his true strength, after all.
He felt like that was an accomplishment in and of itself, though he might have been biased towards his own capabilities.
He had fought Masters who had failed to make him go all out. And these three girls, who had yet to pass their OWLS, had made him take them seriously, and despite his self-imposed restriction on the usage of magic, he couldn't help but be impressed.
They passed his test, and they passed with flying colours.
They were worthy.
Now all that remained was teaching them the way.
The Law of Club and Fang.
Feeling that the spell was just about to disperse, Harry took a deep breath, intent on giving them a show, intent on showing them who was the top dog around here. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, feeling the blood rushing in his ears, the magic and adrenaline in his blood pumping, sharpening his senses, and speeding up his reflexes till they were at levels that couldn't be attained without complex rituals and the innate magic of hundreds of magical creatures flowing through his veins.
And the bubble burst.
Violet's wand fell from her numb fingers at the blood-curdling roar Harry let out, reminiscent of a real lion's roar more than an actual lion's roar was of itself.
If she thought his speed previously was jaw-dropping and unbelievable, this was out of this world.
She only managed to catch the first few seconds of him battling against the hundreds of spells barely inches from his face as time resumed its normal flow, all the while without relying on any active magic, only the passive abilities he gained thanks to his status as a wizard aiding him in the endeavour. Sparks flew as his magical wraps batted and punched away spells, deflecting some of the more dangerous ones into the path of the other spells to dissipate them even faster. However, no matter how fast he was, a few spells, mostly weaker ones he couldn't be bothered to block or dodge, still broke through his impressive defence, something he had to bear.
His movements blurred till he was but a haze of limbs, as she saw spells being deflected left and right, bright sizzling colours flying in all directions from the centre, which looked like a time bomb waiting to explode, for all of twenty seconds before he finally got a breather, dodging and rolling to the side.
He knelt on the ground for a moment, before he stood up, staring at them through his singular eye, shining a toxic Avada Kedavra green, positively glowing like a green Lumos charm, shining through the shadows cast on his sharp features by his long hair falling across his face. His sleeveless t-shirt was torn in places where a few spells had hit him, small scratches and cuts covering his upper body, his left arm crimson from a particularly large cut.
But what was most awe-inspiring was the steam that curled upwards from his body in a ghostly spiral to the azure sky, the heat from his body and the magical wraps that had heated up from continuous usage, enough to vaporize the sweat on his body and rendering him a mystical look, like a vengeful demon rising from mysterious mists and fog.
He added to it, exhaling noisily, his mouth parting to let out more steam similar to the one they had seen when he had been dressed as the Stalker.
His emerald eyes seemed hazy for a moment as he leaned forward, prepared for another attack before his senses kicked in and he relaxed, seeming to realise that he was having a friendly spar with his sisters and not locked in a deadly duel for his life. The tension in his corded muscles seemed to leak out from his body, along with his simmering anger and unbridled hatred, leaving them only with their harmless, sexy yet affectionate brother.
Harry panted heavily at the explosive finish to the duel, feeling his knees trembling slightly, from exhaustion or from his heart straining to escape his chest from the adrenaline, he did not know.
He took a deep, shuddering breath, disgusted and angry at himself at what he had considered for a brief moment, chastising himself mentally for even letting the murderous thought cross his mind.
He would never harm his sisters.
Opening his eyes, he shot them a small smile to reassure them that everything was fine. "Alright, that will do it for today. I have to admit, you did a good job, I hadn't expected you to be able to draw blood. Maybe you're not as helpless as I had initially thought."
At his words, the three girls crashed to the ground, exhausted already after the short spar. Normally, they would have lasted much longer, but they had to overpower every single spell against Harry for it to have any effect, and it was taxing on their body. Even Violet, who had much more stamina than the other two, couldn't help but gasp for breath, her skin glistening with sweat, the sun scorching on her lightly tanned skin, making her feel too hot in her dragon hide duelling robes.
Lyra let a small laugh escape her as she watched the two Potter daughters crash to the soft emerald grass in exhaustion as Harry strolled over to where the three of them were sitting in the grass. Hearing the rustling of leather, she glanced towards the side, only to see the two sisters already tugging at their robes to undress, not minding that they were rolling about in the dirt and grass.
She watched as an adorable blush blossomed on Harry's cheeks, the colour sharp against the jet black of his raven hair and the eyepatch over his eye, colouring his pale skin scarlet as he looked away, his ears tinged red in embarrassment. Despite being so sexy, and so dangerous, she couldn't help but fall in love with how delicate and affectionate he was with them, something that told her that he was genuine with his emotions towards them. Her heart refused to accept anything else.
Lyra watched as he wandlessly summoned a little hair tie, nonchalant at the powerful show of magic, before he swept his damp hair back, running his hand through his raven hair carelessly before he tied it up in a messy man bun. She couldn't help but bite her lip at how sexy he made the simple gesture look, making her feel a familiar tingling in her exhausted body, something that she only felt whenever she looked at Violet, Daphne or Tracey.
As if realising that he was looking away the entire time they were busy undressing, Violet laughed. "You can look, Harry. We're wearing clothes underneath."
Harry turned slowly, still with a blush on his face, before he was tackled by a laughing Rose. "Big brother is a pervert! He wants to look at me in my knickers!"
He couldn't help but laugh as well, their mirth infectious as he held his younger sister tightly against his body, making her shiver slightly as she felt his body in great detail, separated only by his half-torn shirt and her tight, skimpy, sweaty and practically transparent vest.
"I love you, too, Rose." Harry smiled, kissing her forehead gently and making her blush madly at the affectionate gesture, till she felt that she was going to faint of embarrassment and bliss.
Unable to help it, Rose turned to her two older sisters, her emerald eyes shining mischievously as she stuck her tongue out playfully, relishing in the jealousy that they showed.
Harry let his sister go after a few moments more of enjoying her scantily clad nubile sixteen-year-old body pressing against him, trying to beat down the lustful beast rumbling inside of him.
He had taken girls younger than her, but he would wait this time. He would wait for her to properly mature before he staked his claim on her.
It was not far though, for he only had one year till she reached her magical maturity, and one more year before he could take her virginity.
He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the dark thoughts of defiling his younger sister's body as he smiled down at the three, who lay sprawled on the ground.
He looked up at the sky, closing his eyes as he felt the golden light of the English summer sun gently caress his face, reaching into his pocket as he effortlessly retrieved his silver lighter, which also doubled as a packet for his own, hand-made magical cigarettes.
Barely paying any attention to what he was doing as he let muscle memory take over, he let one slip between his lips before he flipped the lighter, pressing on the little button. With a spark, an azure demonic beast came into being, barely an inch in size, twisting and writhing in hunger and agony, the little sapphire flame of Fiendfyre very tame compared to what it could really do.
He lit his cigarette with the little blue flame, before he stashed away the lighter in the pocket of his shorts, rolling the cigarette as he let out a puff of smoke from the corner of his lips, waiting for the familiar rush of adrenaline to hit him.
"That shit causes cancer, Harry." Lyra's half-amused, half-concerned voice reached his ears, making him look down at her with a smile.
"This doesn't. It's not tobacco. This one is made from dittany. I like the smell, besides it also warms me and makes me active whenever I'm feeling particularly sleepy." Harry took the cigarette from his lips, holding it between his fingers as he let a little puff of smoke escape his lips. "You know, some people can make shapes with their smoke. I tried to learn it once from a guy back in Portugal. He could make a small dragon from his cigarette smoke, artistic as fuck. Spent a month trying it, didn't do shit."
Their laughter was music to his ears.
He looked back towards them, just taking in the view.
The three of them were sprawled on the soft emerald grass, Violet and Rose clad in shorts and tank tops, practically see-through with sweat. Their black hair, almost as dark as his, was spread across the grass in a beautiful halo, their emerald eyes so similar to his, gleaming. Their creamy skin glistened deliciously, Rose's healthy pale and Violet's caramel, as Lyra sat between the two on her knees, smiling up at him, clad in tight dragon hide duelling robes that hugged her body like second skin.
Despite the fact that he could easily glance over their practically exposed bodies, he found it hard to tear his gaze away from their smiling faces.
Their eyes, emerald and grey, shined towards him, filled with emotion.
Harry tried to ignore the feeling of his heart swelling with emotion till it felt like it was about to burst.
A slight breeze buffeted them, making Harry's clothes rustle softly, sweeping stray strands of his messy raven hair into his face.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
They were so innocent, yet powerful.
They were lambs, yes, but he was going to make sure that they grew up to be the beautiful wolves capable of leading his pack and running by his side, the ones worthy of calling him their alpha.
He would be the catalyst for their change from lamb to wolf.
Luckily, he was a wizard, and knew plenty of magic to taint their innocence with darkness, to cement their loyalties to him, and him alone.
And this was just the beginning of their journey.
AN: Damn, I thought that this chapter will only be 4-6K words. It turned out more than 9K words.
Sorry for the late update, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Comment your thoughts.
Also, the next few chapters will be action oriented, with Elena seeing some major screentime in a duel where she showcases her true strength against the infamous Stalker.
Also, the Stalker finally dies, as a more sinister character replaces him.
Shh, spoilers! You'll have to wait a few chapters more for that.
Speaking of which, I am open to suggestions for Harry's new nickname. Or should it remain the same?
Keep calm and headbang!