Disclaimer: Harry Potter & his world belong to J. K. Rowling.
Notes: Harry's adult children: Victoria, Margaret, James and Beth. Adam Bourne is his stepson.
Rated M for for mature readers. Some sexual content in this chapter.
Chapter 10:
With his preoccupation with Julie, Harry hadn't worked for nearly three months, except for a few trips to Ben's office to clean up the cases that Cissy hadn't managed. But now it was back to the routine.
The first trip was to be Greece, one of Harry's favourite destinations. It was such a beautiful spot, where they always stopped. Sarah had a rough schedule worked out now, most places being visited once every two years, some every year, such as Sweden and Germany, where they were still keen on wizard duelling.
The three week trip to America had become an annual event, almost always in February, although they had to work around Harry. If he was not available, that was it. No-one could take his place, although Barbara had her eye on Cissy. She, too, had a Ministry observer when she worked, and her results were carefully noted. She succeeded with about three quarters of the patients, and it was thought she might probably grow in power with age, as Harry had.
Yet Cissy was never thought of as too powerful and potentially dangerous, as Harry had so often been. The Ministry, like nearly everyone else, assumed that Cissy was Harry's love-child.
The team consisted of Anthony, now thirty-eight, big Louis and small Tracy, who were married now, and a freshly qualified auror called Joe. Catherine had enjoyed a holiday also, and she was looking refreshed and more stern than ever, as she strode in last.
They were just about to leave when Julie, escorted by a clerk carrying her two heavy suitcases, entered the room where they were gathered. Looking at Harry, she asked, "Do you mind if I come too?"
Harry smiled at her, "I'd be delighted."
Anthony was in charge, and as a matter of form, Harry asked if he minded. Anthony was quite pleased. He enjoyed Harry's company, and these days, Harry always only came for work hours, and then returned home. But it was different when Julie was there.
It was a bit cold for swimming, to everyone else's mind but Harry's, and only Harry entered the water before lunch.
Catherine was watching him carefully as he emerged - he seemed very thin, although she noted that the cut on his leg had not, after all, made a scar. And instead of doing only the routine measures of weight and Nisco, she ordered him to her room for a more thorough checkup. He protested, but Julie was approaching, and he quickly said that he'd be there shortly, and turned his back on her, to go to Julie, who was wrapping him in a large towel, and saying that he should stay out of the water when it was so cold. Harry kissed her and agreed that he should stay out of the water.
As promised, he reported to Catherine's room for a checkup, although telling Julie that he just had to see Anthony about the schedule. Catherine was quick and efficient, the only thing that could be found to indicate concern was that Harry was distinctly too thin.
Catherine had been watching over Harry for quite a few years now, and knew that he quickly lost weight when over-tired or ill, but Harry brushed it off, and told her nothing about recent problems. He wanted Catherine to be as she always was, brisk, no-nonsense, without fuss. Catherine looked at him narrowly, and dismissed him. She was sure that there'd been something, but he appeared perfectly all right now.
The work that afternoon was routine, and while Harry worked, Julie enjoyed herself wandering about the attractive tourist town with Tracy. It was a very beautiful place.
The week went well. The work was easy, and every day they finished early. Harry didn't have to refer any patients to Beth, and Anthony was happy for Tracy to stay with Julie while Harry worked. Straight after work, Harry would always swim, and Julie gave up telling him that he shouldn't. Instead, she warmed a large towel as she waited for him, dried him while he stood patiently, and then they'd go to their room for an hour of love-making before dinner. She told him that he needed to work off the cold...
Louis watched what was happening, and went swimming one day with Harry. But Tracy did not wait for him with a large, warmed towel, and instead, just laughed at his goosebumps.
Julie came with them for the next few weeks. They had the same team, and the destinations were pleasant. The Ministry thought it important that Harry be kept happy, as he brought such prestige and profits to them. Sandra Darke had now taken over as head of the Department of International Cooperation, and as there were so few problems, (except when they went to Turkey,) she made no changes.
For four weeks, Julie went with them, and Catherine quietly noted that Harry was no longer as thin. But one Tuesday, Tracy confided to Julie that she was pregnant, but keeping it quiet for a while, as she didn't want to be put on a desk job. Julie greeted the news with the expected pleasure and congratulations, but was rather quiet for the next few days, and decided not to go with them for a couple of weeks. Harry looked at her with worry, but she said nothing, and he would not invade her privacy.
**x**
Julie was spending a lot of time with Nerrissa Malfoy. Nerrissa was a few years older than Julie, but Julie thought that they shared a lot of tastes. Nerrissa meant that she should think that. One thing that Julie didn't know was that Nerrissa was fascinated with her husband. She'd tried to get him into bed with her once, before he had married Julie. But Harry avoided witches, and had taken no notice of her.
A year after Harry married Julie, Nerrissa had made a discovery. Lucius, her father, had been dead for a number of years, and Nerrissa and her brother Kryall were exploring some old things that had been in his possession. Among them was an old-fashioned muggle video player, along with a very large number of video's. It took a while to work them, and Kryall had wandered off after a time, bored. He'd thought it was sex-play that Nerrissa was wanting, not to sort through dusty mementos of no value.
When Nerrissa managed to start up a video, she was alone. It was a very boring film, that first one. All it showed was a man asleep on a bed. There were ropes dangling from each wrist, and once a masked wizard had come and administered an injection. After a time, Nerrissa found out how to work the fast forward button, but there was no motion from the man in all the time she watched.
She tried another. There was a lot more action on this one, and Nerrissa became very aroused as she watched film of the systematic breaking of nearly every bone in the man's body. She went in search of Kryall after watching that...
For the next weeks, Nerrissa watched film after film. They didn't seem to be in any sort of order, and were not marked. Most of them only showed a man lying inert on a bed, or on the floor. In some of them, he looked almost dead. But there were others. Once the man's eyes had opened, and he'd struggled to get up. There was a shout, a stun spell, and another injection.
Often there would be film of masked wizards trying to get him to eat or drink, with apparently little success. She wondered why they kept him in such deep unconsciousness. Surely he would be easier to keep alive if they let him rouse enough to eat, and he was only one man, and without his wand. What could he do?
These films were the routine, and unused film that had been discarded after the editing of the record of Harry Potter's captivity. But Nerrissa had been a small child when that had happened, and her family didn't talk about it. She would have identified the unconscious man a lot quicker if she'd seen one of the films that was accompanied by the narration, or that was deliberately prepared for the final version.
She'd watched hours of film from an unmoving camera when she finally found one that showed the man's face, clearly in close-up, apparently from a hand-held camera. It was Harry Potter, and she remembered stories of an old kidnap. She studied it, and jumped as loud music suddenly sounded, and then the man's body was jerking and trembling under the torture spell.
Nerrissa Malfoy watched, panting slightly, avidly, as the torture ceased, and the man was left. He was white faced, and the camera showed him still in close-up, a sheen of sweat on his face. He gave a half muttered groan, and his head turned slightly. Nerrissa peered closer at the closed eyes, and even reached out a hand as if to touch the sweat. Ten minutes passed, slowly, and suddenly a masked wizard came into sight again, a wand was aimed, and the music blasted loudly. Nerrissa started playing with herself as she watched the film of Harry Potter being tortured, and climaxed just as they started on him a third time.
Nerrissa had been watching the films for three years. The final edited version had been difficult to get hold of, as the people who had copies wanted to keep them. When she did, she watched with fascination, but somehow it was the other films that she liked more. They were secret, not shared with all those others who had watched the film of his captivity.
There was the film that showed his revenge, too, and that film gave her pause. But surely he wouldn't hurt a woman, and anyway, she only wanted to make love with him, she thought. And if she couldn't do that, she wanted to see him making love with someone else. Nerrissa had a broad definition of making love. There was Mistress Annie, a Squib whom she knew well. Mistress Annie had a lot of customers for her play sessions in her Dungeon.
Nerrissa had taken pains to get to know Julie, but she kept away from Harry. She wasn't sure how much of the stories were true about his powers of telepathy. Now that she knew the identity of the unconscious man on the film, it was clear why his captors had treated him with such caution.
It would soon be Julie and Harry's wedding anniversary. Nerrissa had an idea, but Julie needed to talk to a friend of Nerrissa's before she accepted the idea. The hypnotic suggestion laced with magic was easier to instil than Nerrissa's friend had expected. Somewhere in Julie there was still a desire to hurt Harry.
They needed Cissy, too. But Cissy's role would be more direct, and an Imperius Curse would be needed to control Cissy. Harry could not break Cissy's spells, or vanish her conjures. Or not unless he used the strong magic, but he could no longer use the strong magic.
Nerrissa was good at planning things, and Julie's chatter helped. The spells that Cissy had mastered under Harry's tuition were especially interesting. There was the transparent, flexible barrier that Harry used sometimes to protect himself from his patients. Together, Cissy and Harry had worked on the magic that could make a barrier that was transparent to telepathy, and also one that was almost impervious to telepathy, as well as to spells. They thought it would make a good defence if that was ever needed.
Julie had watched, as together they had concentrated on refining the concept. Harry probably wouldn't have done that if he'd realised that Julie was watching them. He had no real secrets from Cissy, who knew to be discreet, but Julie still always felt uneasy when unusual powers were shown, and telepathy was a very unusual power.
The wedding anniversary was on a Saturday, and Harry had given Julie an elaborate and showy necklace of precious stones. He knew she loved things like that, the showier the better, in order to impress her friends. But Julie was giggly as she said that he had to wait for his present, that it was a surprise, and that she knew that he'd love it. Harry didn't like surprises, but his wife was full of pleasurable anticipation, and he knew that she fully believed that he would find it good.
The evening came, and as Julie instructed, they apparated to a certain place in London that they both knew. After a short trip in a muggle taxi, his giggling wife instructed Harry to get out, and then she reached up, took his glasses, and put a soft blindfold over his eyes.
Harry was uneasy, and said, "Julie, are you sure this is right."
But Julie put a finger to his lips, and said firmly that he had to do as he was told, that he would love it.
Harry felt her sincerity. Julie fully believed that, whatever it was, he would love it. Even then, he started to put up a hand to pull off the blindfold, saying, "I've got to be able to see - what if there are enemies?"
But Julie took his hand, kissed him passionately on the palm, and said huskily, "There are no enemies. If you love me, do what I say."
There was no feeling of danger, but Harry's sense of danger was not infallible. But this was his wife, whom he loved, and would do a lot to please.
He allowed her to lead him through a door, and then through another. She instructed him to stay still as she slipped another blindfold over his head, a leather hood that fully covered eyes and ears, but not the mouth, and there were thin patches over the ears. It had been conjured by Cissy, under instructions. Nerrissa wanted Harry to be able to scream. There had not been a scream in all those hours of film. She also wanted him to hear Julie scream. That was a thought that excited her.
"Julie?" said Harry, his voice strained. But what was he worrying about? He could vanish the hood if he chose.
Two cameras were rolling, but Nerrissa and Kryall were two rooms away, and were behind a barrier that Cissy had conjured, almost impervious to both telepathy and magic. There was a barrier also in the corner of a room where they'd taken Harry. Cissy stood behind it. Harry must not be able to influence Cissy. There was no intervening magical barrier between Cissy and Nerrissa, as Nerrissa needed to be able to issue her instructions.
From their safe place, Nerrissa and Kryall watched and listened, using muggle technology.
Julie was very close, murmuring to Harry, caressing him, and then passionately kissing him on the lips as she manoeuvred him with his back to the wall. Harry was not responding. He had seldom felt less amorous. The wall had already been reinforced by Cissy, so that he would not be able to destroy it with his magic.
The wife whom he adored took both Harry's hands and stretched them back against the wall. Cissy stepped out from behind her barrier, pointed her wand, and Harry's hands were, in an instant, tightly tied to the wall. That was enough, and Harry said firmly to Julie, that it was enough. That he couldn't stand being tied, and that whatever she had in mind, it was not going to work. It was a brave attempt, but his hands were tied, and that turned his insides to jelly.
There was another female voice. "Does the little man not like being tied, then?"
Julie had her wand out, said the word, and his clothes vanished. Now he was naked, and there were hands on his body. Exploring hands, and that other voice.
"You'll soon learn to like it - Mistress Annie will teach you," and she took a nipple between her fingers, and tweaked it painfully.
But Harry had no qualms about using magic against 'Mistress Annie,' and she was sent sprawling. He said coldly, "You have made a mistake. Free me!"
Julie was not so easily swayed from her purpose, and only came up close again, caressing his chest, and running a hand down his flank. Annie watched from a distance, thoroughly daunted. Her usual customers were middle aged men with big bellies, but this man was very desirable. She stayed away, leaving it to his wife, who had paid good money for the use of her Dungeon.
"Free me!" he said again, with a firm command in his voice. He used no magic. He would not use magic against Julie.
Julie was still in a state of sexual arousal, the suggestion that had been implanted had been powerful.
"Relax and enjoy it!" she said in her voice of passion. "This will be an experience that you'll remember for the rest of your life." Her hand had gone to his penis, caressing, fondling.
"No," said Harry, his voice still controlled, and he exerted his will to vanish the hood and the bonds. Nothing happened, he tried again, and suddenly he was in a full scale panic, fighting, struggling to get away. The sharpened ropes bit fiercely into his wrists, and quite quickly there was blood. It was doubtful if Harry even noticed the pain of torn wrists, as his frenzy continued.
Nerrissa watched in fascination, her lips parted, and moistened with her tongue. This was better than she could have imagined.
Mistress Annie was very worried, knowing now that there were currents here that she hadn't been aware of. She always used soft leather straps, but now this man appeared to be in the process of scarring himself for life. But Mistress Annie was a Squib. She backed off, turned and left the building. She'd check in a few hours to see if they'd gone.
Julie had stepped back, watching in consternation. It had finally dawned on her that her husband wasn't enjoying this. She turned to Cissy and said urgently, "Let him go, he doesn't like it."
Cissy was in a dreamlike state of no cares. She was under the Imperius Curse. And while Harry still furiously fought his bonds, she came to Julie, slipped an arm around her, and took her wand.
Julie spun around furiously, "What do you think you're doing!" she screamed. "Let him go!"
Cissy ignored her, and, as instructed by the small voice inside her head, merely stepped back behind the barrier.
Harry dropped his head, panting. He was being silly, and knew that he was being silly. But he couldn't stand being tied, and was filled with the panic of not being free.
He opened his mind, searching. He had been tied by Cissy, it was like a signature on the spell, and on the hood, too. He was now naked and tied, and he could hear through the ear covers as Julie screamed at Cissy to free him. He exerted his magic against the wall, and felt almost instantly that Cissy was before him. But why would she do it? Cissy was sensible.
Harry concentrated. Cissy was there, he could feel her, barely. But there was a barrier, and he knew as clearly as if he was not blindfolded that it was one that she had conjured, and he would not be able to use magic through it. So he used his voice.
"Cissy," he said, and he said what had to be right. "They've got you under the Imperius Curse. You have to resist! Work at it! Use your own mind." His voice suddenly went to almost a sob of pleading, "Try! You've got to try!" and for a moment, he jerked savagely at his bonds again, injuring his wrists further before getting himself under control.
They must have forgotten something. "Julie, get Cissy out from behind the barrier. Drag her, quickly."
But someone was watching and listening, and Cissy raised her wand, threatening Julie.
Harry concentrated. He had tried it before, and it hadn't worked, but now a tingling filled the air, as he tried again to vanish the ropes.
There was something else, and for a moment, Harry felt Cissy, and tried to talk to her telepathically. If he could feel her mind, maybe he could break the Imperius Spell, or, alternatively, feel his way to the man who controlled her, and kill him!
But Cissy was quick, and now there was a barrier right across the room, separating him from Julie as well as Cissy.
Two masked men entered the room, and they were laughing at him. Harry heard them, and tried hard to feel them. Maybe he could frighten them, and suddenly thunder was rumbling, and lightning flickered around him. The lightning stopped dead at the barrier. They watched unmoved. It was obvious he couldn't get at them, and the hood over his face made him seem more helpless than he was.
Julie was sobbing, continuously, and when one of the men grabbed her, her sobs only increased in volume. He held her in one strong arm, while his other caressed a breast.
"We're going to have your women, Mister! Both of them, right in front of you. What do you think of that?"
Harry raised his head, hooded or not, and said in a toneless, deadly voice, "My name is Harry Potter. Anyone who hurts Cissy or Julie will die for it."
The men hesitated, worried. But Cissy spoke in a flat voice. "Potter is blindfolded. He's behind a barrier, and can't get to you. Do as you were told!" And, although Harry could not see, she started to unbutton her blouse, taking off her clothes one by one.
Barrier or not, Harry felt the lust rise in the air. Julie started pleading, "Don't! Leave me alone! Harry, you've got to help me!"
Harry was in a renewed frenzy, tearing his wrists against the sharpened ropes, wrenching against them again and again, and suddenly there were magical blows striking harder and harder against the barrier, and the ceiling was cracking, as if it might fall on them, but he couldn't do that without hurting Cissy and Julie.
Again, Harry had to battle against his own panic, and his overwhelming fury. There was only one avenue left that he could think of, and it always took a little time, and the last time he'd done it, it had nearly killed him. He called up his strong magic, standing now calm in the centre of a hurricane that didn't move.
Three rooms away, Nerrissa asked, frightened, "What's he doing?"
Kryall shook his head.
The men's lust died, as even through the barrier, they sensed his power. When a rip appeared in the barrier, their fear took over, and they turned and fled.
The barrier vanished, and Harry extended his mind, finding more barriers not far away, and they, too, were vanished. He held his power, filling the air with a something that was scarcely discernible by the usual senses, and yet impossible to miss. The feeling was frightening.
Still under orders, Cissy tried to stun him, but the spell didn't connect, and Harry exerted his will, and now the Imperius Curse broke.
In the other room, Nerrissa reeled back, holding her head, "We've got to disapparate, now!" she panted, and Nerrissa and Kryall disapparated.
Harry found no more enemies, but he kept his magic at the same high level, as his mind felt his surroundings, and suddenly the hood vanished, and he could see with his eyes rather than just with his mind.
It was only when he finally managed to vanish the ropes that had held him that his magic gradually died from the air, leaving him exhausted.
Julie and Cissy had backed off, frightened of the power that thrummed in the air, but now they both ran to him, sobbing. He had won, but he was tired, and now he had two half hysterical girls to look after. He looked around, and two cameras fell into small pieces, their film destroyed.
Harry and Cissy were both without clothes, and Julie's clothing was hanging from her where it had been torn by the man intent on rape. But they were all traumatised, and no-one was worrying about trivialities.
Harry held a sobbing girl in each arm. He was shaking himself, in reaction. He had been tied, and hadn't been able to get away. But this was no good. They needed to get home.
"Cissy," he said commandingly. "I can only take one passenger. Can you apparate?"
Cissy took a grip of herself, and stood away from him, nodding.
"Home, then."
A moment later, Cissy appeared in the small apparation zone in Harry's home, and Harry and Julie appeared in the loungeroom. Julie still clung to him, still sobbing. He took her to the couch, sat, and just cradled her. He was still shaking.
Cissy appeared, but Cissy was tough. "Happy Anniversary, Harry," she said, and Harry gave a short laugh.
He continued to hold Julie close as she sobbed in reaction, never giving a thought to his injured wrists, although the blood stained the furniture. Cissy was stronger, and managed to look after herself, dressing, and even organising hot chocolate for them all, bringing them in herself, as Harry was still stark naked.
She wasn't entirely herself, though. She was a mediwizard, and never noticed that Harry's wrists needed urgent treatment if he was not to be scarred.
"We keep it quiet," said Harry firmly as they drank their warming, comforting drinks. "Tell no-one."
The girls nodded. No-one.
Harry took Julie to bed afterward, and held her close throughout the night, as she slept, woke with a start, and slept again, fitfully.
Harry scarcely slept. He was running the events through his mind. He had been so stupid, panicking in his own stupid fear, instead of thinking through the problem. In the cool aftermath, he came up with other strategies he could have used to free himself. He hadn't really had to call up the strong magic. But there was one thing that seemed definite. Strong magic was no longer dangerous to him. Maybe he could use it again when he did his cures, instead of the telepathic cure that he disliked.
They discussed it further on Sunday, sitting around in the loungeroom, no-one else present. Harry had an elderly cat on his knee. The cat's half tail twitched as he dreamt about that annoying black dog that strolled around his house. He'd punish it one day...
Harry, Cissy and Julie confirmed their decision to keep it strictly secret. It was not only Harry who felt a fool. The girls did, too. Cissy had allowed herself to be put under the Imperius Curse, and when she heard Harry tell her to fight it, she had thought, Why bother? - she felt so good. And Julie had done a very stupid thing, even if Harry did say that he suspected that she had been magically influenced.
They worked out that it was almost certainly Nerrissa Malfoy who was responsible, but were undecided what to do about it. Harry said that he wasn't about to kill a woman, and complaining to the Ministry would severely embarrass them all. That he'd had enough public humiliation for a lifetime.
He'd smeared some anti-bruising lotion on his wrists, and Julie had wrapped bandages around them. Cissy left. If they wanted to keep the incident quiet, they would have to go to work as usual on Monday.
Harry was due to go to Italy. He arrived at the Ministry a little early, leaving his luggage in the usual place, but himself going to Catherine's office. He was pleased to find her already there. He greeted her, and then stood looking out the window as she frowned at him, wondering why he was there.
"Well?" she finally said, getting impatient as he dithered.
Harry was looking awkward. "It's nothing to do with the Ministry, just a small injury. Can you keep it quiet?"
Catherine nodded decisively, "If it's nothing to do with the Ministry, I'll keep it quiet."
Harry held out a bandaged wrist. Rather red, he said, "I don't want any more scars, and especially not these."
"Show me!" she ordered, and he touched the bandage, vanishing it, showing a deep ring of rawness encircling the wrist.
"The other one, too," he said, going even more red.
"Someone had you tied?" Catherine asked, and Harry nodded.
"When?"
"Saturday night."
To his relief, Catherine asked no further questions, but searched her shelves for what she wanted.
"You've left it way too late, and it may scar anyway, but I'll do my best. You'll have to be treated night and morning, and you'll have to wear bandages, and no swimming."
"Thanks, Catherine," he said with relief, and when she finished, there were neat bandages again on his wrists.
He drew his wand, changed the colour to more closely match his skin colour, and touched his sleeves, so that they became a little too long. He put a charm on the bandages, too, so that people were less likely to notice them. It was too obvious an indicator that he'd been tied up.
They were barely finished when Anthony knocked briefly, and entered. "You're here!" he said to Harry. "We were wondering if you were coming."
Harry rose, took his cane, and thanked Catherine again.
"What was that all about?" said Anthony, and Catherine smiled as Harry said casually that they were talking about a recent article in the Quibbler about the Xinistrium.
Catherine was packing extra bandages and the lotion in her bag. The lotion was not one she normally took with her, but was quite good at preventing scarring. She wished that Harry hadn't left it so long, as she suspected that there would be scars anyway, and white rings encircling wrists told a story. She wondered what had happened, but Harry was obviously bent on keeping it as quiet as possible, and she wouldn't betray his confidence.
She was pleased that he'd come to her. She knew that Harry had not always trusted Ministry healers, and for good reason. She'd even heard that one had tried to have him committed once.
Harry managed to keep his bandaged wrists out of notice for days, until a patient took a swing at him on Wednesday, and he blocked it with his arm. The bandage was suddenly obvious as his sleeve fell back, and he grunted with pain as the blow connected on the sore area.
The patient was quickly subdued, but Tracy was watching closely as he wiped sweat from his brow. There were bandages that she hadn't noticed before, and that blow had obviously hurt. And then both she and the patient were sent out of the room as Catherine tended to him.
"I'm going to use the strong magic on that wizard," said Harry to her, as she rebandaged the sore wrist. It was bleeding again - they'd been deep wounds. "I reckon I can do it again, but maybe we'll just put him back to the end of the day, in case."
Catherine argued with him. She didn't want him in agony again, and she very well remembered the monitor showing the characteristic consistent decline in LV levels of a dying person. Harry insisted that he thought it would be all right, and it occurred to Catherine that maybe he'd already used it, probably at the same time as someone had been rash enough to tie him. She hoped he hadn't done anything too drastic to that person.
Outside, Tracy was reporting to Anthony - that Harry had bandages around his right wrist, and she rather suspected his other wrist besides. Anthony said that if Catherine knew about it, he guessed that it was private business, and no business of the aurors. The training manual had stressed that Harry Potter's business was not private, but Tracey said nothing more.
Anthony looked at Harry's wrists at the next break. A 'Don't Notice Me' Charm doesn't work once a person's attention has been attracted. But there were more pressing concerns. Harry quite casually stated that he was going to make an attempt to use the strong magic. Anthony had not been on the team last time Harry had used it, and collapsed in agony, but he'd heard about it. They'd even had to call in Healer Granger.
The time came. Harry made no comment when he saw that Anthony was planning to stay with them, merely explaining to the patient and to Tracy what they might feel, and emphasising that he should not be interrupted. His patient felt guilty that he had hit him just because of an alien feeling in his head, and was grateful that Harry was going to make a new attempt, not knowing that he hadn't tried to do the job this way for years.
Harry arranged the room a little this time, asking Tracy to go to the side of the room, although not worrying about Anthony behind him. The magic seemed to be already there, available, just waiting to be called up, and he felt within himself that there were immense reserves available to him that surely he would never need.
All the same, he went slowly and carefully, as Catherine watched closely, dividing her attention between the monitor on her desk, and Harry. She had wanted him to use the wrist-band sensor, but they'd had to tape it to a different part of his arm. It still seemed to work all right. Of the aurors there, only Anthony knew what the red book was all about, and he said nothing.
The magic rose, Harry controlled it easily, stayed aware of both Tracy, who hadn't seen it before, and the patient.
To Catherine and Anthony, who had felt it before, it was as if there was even more power behind it than there had been - a deeper thrumming in the air. But it hadn't felt as if it was hurting their heads as it often did in the past.
Tracy had just stared in disbelief as the feeling in the air intensified, slowly and gradually, until the patient abruptly started to look more like a normal man, and then the magic had died down.
To Harry, it seemed like he didn't have to work too hard, the feeling in the air didn't become intense, and the patient was cured. Catherine, watching the monitor, was surprised to see how little it drained his energy.
Harry felt as if it was not yet a test, and wanted a half dozen more. But they were never available on demand, and Harry had hardly ever found another use for the strong magic, which he thought he should find a better name for. Maybe he should just make up a name.
A report went back, and Jebedee read it and smiled in pleasure. Harry must be so pleased with himself. The report didn't go into the file. Jebedee kept that file locked away in his own office, now, and seldom added to it.
**x**
Harry was pleased with himself when he returned to Julie that night, but she was silent and unhappy. As on the previous nights, she held him close, and wanted his care and tenderness as well as his lovemaking. He held her, therefore, as close and as long as she wanted. He asked her if she wanted him to stop going away. But no, it seemed that she didn't want that. He was to keep going away, but he was to come back every night. There would be the Christmas break soon.
Julie had been profoundly upset by the incident in Mistress Annie's Dungeon, and Harry was also affected. He had been tied, and had been unable to get away. His nightmares were more frequent, but after the first few nights, Julie found that she was again able to cut them short. Harry's terror of confinement dated back to his teens - this latest episode made little difference to him.
That weekend, he went to see Draco Malfoy. Nerrissa had attacked them the previous week, and he didn't quite know what to do about it. He'd almost decided to say nothing at all to Draco, and they only discussed mutual acquaintances. But too often when they spoke of their peers, the talk was of illness and funerals. Harry was beginning to think that he'd like to sink out of sight for a decade or so. He thought it would be easier to age and die himself, than to stay in good health, and watch all his contemporaries age and die.
Even Draco was looking ill, although last time Harry had seen him he'd been fine - an old man, but standing straight, and still with his finger on the pulse of wizardry as it had always been.
A maid brought in an afternoon tea. There were some muffins, too, which Draco regarded with pleasure.
"My favourites," he said, "Try some."
Harry accepted one, started to take a bite, then coughed it out, and regarded it with suspicion, before cautiously touching his tongue to it again.
Draco had already half finished his own.
"What's the matter?" he asked. "Don't like them?"
"It's poisoned," Harry said in a matter-of-fact tone. He took another, and again gently touched a tongue to it. "So's that," and he put it down.
Draco put down his own.
"Unless someone knows I'm here, it must be you who's the target," Harry pointed out.
"No-one knows you're here," said Draco. As was his usual habit, Harry had arrived unannounced. "How do you know they're poisoned? They taste good."
Harry shrugged. "I don't know how I know, but I always have."
Draco was looking sadly at the muffins. "My grand-daughter makes them especially for me," he said.
"I think it might be a slow-acting poison, but from now on, I'd take a great deal of care if I were you. Maybe she wants to take over the mansion - not wait till you die naturally."
Draco was apparently not a great deal perturbed, and only shrugged and said that he'd take care of it.
He hadn't commented on the bandages that still decorated Harry's wrists, although Harry had wondered if he would. Draco often seemed to see things that others missed. But the camouflage colour, long sleeves and charms had apparently worked, and Harry chose not to say anything about Nerrissa's attack. Maybe Draco would sort her out.
He used his strong magic a couple of times in the next few weeks, it still felt good to him, and it still felt like less effort than it had been formerly. It seemed to him as if he had become more powerful, or maybe had easier access to his power than he'd had before. Something was different.
His wrists were finally almost better, although quite deeply marked. Catherine said that would fade, but that she thought he'd be left with permanent scarring, especially on the right wrist, where the wound had been reopened.
The aurors had all seen it now, though none of them spoke of it to him, even when he discarded the bandages to reveal perfectly obvious red marks. He couldn't even disguise the marks with make-up, as it quickly rubbed off on his sleeves, and there was some residual tenderness, so that it was uncomfortable to wear a watch. There had been worse embarrassments, and he was only grateful that no-one was apparently going to comment.
Harry spoke about his magic with Hermione, and one day, a few weeks later, with Hermione available as a precaution, he made an experiment. He'd only once tried to use the strong magic without a focus when he'd tried to control a nervous attack with it. That had been worse than a failure, resulting in some very severe fitting.
Hermione closely watched the monitor as Harry built up the magic. It became very intense. Hermione felt as if her hair must be standing on end, although it wasn't. But then he went to a different room to do it again, more intense still, and away from Hermione whom he might hurt. She watched the monitor as he concentrated. There was little indication of what he was doing. The energy level dipped slightly, and then held steady for a long time before gradually declining. In the other room, Harry was at the centre of a maelstrom, although there was no actual movement of the air. He thought that this intensity of power would have any observers fainting around him, but it was his own, and it never hurt himself.
After a time, he let it die down, returned to Hermione, and checked with her that there had been no indications of any problems, such as the possibility of a fit becoming apparent on the monitor.
But she was smiling at him. "Seems fine," she said, happy for him.
He smiled back. He liked having that power there, and he had even thought that he was not by any means, using all that was available to him. But what use was it really? It was not as if he wanted to shatter the moon!
Hermione left after the experimentation, and Harry took one of his young horses, to race across the moors. If only Julie had been happier, he thought that there'd be nothing left to wish for. But Julie had not been able to throw off the upset caused by the episode in Mistress Annie's Dungeon, and only became quieter, and more reserved.
On her request, they were to go to her sister in America for a few days for Christmas, Julie first, and Harry to follow when he finished the last week's work. She gave Harry the Apparation Coordinates, but he asked for the address as well. He'd never admitted to Julie that he couldn't apparate to coordinates, she so hated mention of his remaining disabilities.
***chapter end***