A/N: I'm blown away by the activity on this little story of mine. More than 500 unique visitors, 80 followers, and 41 Favorites for a single 3500 word chapter as of this submission.
Holy crap.
For those of you that reviewed, thank you so much! I love reading what you all have to say and think about this story, so keep them coming. I'd like to take the time to address them here, so if you're looking for the story it's down past the review responses. Enjoy the chapter!
Now, on to the reviews, in the order to which they were received. I can't promise I'll do this at the beginning of every chapter, but I'd like to acknowledge those who took the time to respond to my first chapter. Reviews help keep me writing.
Nocte Furorem: I'm so happy you picked up on that! Thanks for the encouragement and understanding.
vienx.001: Unfortunately, this isn't a Harry!Harem story, and I doubt I'll ever write one. I find that most of them end up with a VERY one-sided power dynamic which isn't something I'm interested in. Thanks for reading though, and I hope you enjoy the story regardless!
moonstone88: The backstory will be coming in small bits, so you'll just have to keep reading! I've got everything that happened before the story began blocked out, so it's just a matter of fitting it in when the story demands it. Thanks!
god of all: Thanks! I'm going to be on a strict two week update schedule to keep myself from burning out on the story. Sorry!
D. Mentor: Thanks! I hope you continue to enjoy the tale as it comes out.
Hexist: I can't answer much of your question right here because it'll be addressed both in this chapter and the next. What I can say is that Riddle controlling Magical Britian would put everyone under his rule, so it wouldn't just be purebloods running recon, but halfbloods too. Firstborn would be not much better than chattel, and wouldn't be trusted, but their children would be classified as halfbloods and could be sent off on patrol. Also, 20 is an almost insignificant number to the Dark Lord, especially considering how many people die from things like toasters every year worldwide (700!).
desslok69: Thanks! This is definitely Lunar Harmony, so nothing to worry about there. I'm shooting for chapters between 3k and 4k words, but the length is truly governed by how the story develops. I doubt I'll post a chapter of less than 3k words, but 10k is certainly a possibility (chapter 3 was beyond that at one point).
ExceleXKurokami: I can't believe I missed the "Harry's horn could totally be a dildo" possibility! Holy crap, that's hilarious. I hope you'll be surprised with how I'll be portraying Luna. She's had it rough in her life so far, but you'll see just how bad it has been for her, uh, maybe chapter 5-6 ish? Sorry about the tease, and the wait, but I gotta pace myself. We'll get there, but it's not a happy scene.
Iesous Darma: My grammar is only 'acceptable'? Ouch! *grins* Seriously (or should it be Siriusly?) though, thanks for the review. It's good to know that people are able to find the story multiple ways. I look forward to your review once you've consumed a few more chapters. Thanks!
Thanks again to everyone who read, followed, favourited, downloaded (looking at you, smartphone users), and reviewed. I'm incredibly grateful for your support. Enjoy the latest installment of Of Fae and Fervor!
Chapter 2 – The Truth Hurts the Most
Harry slowly gained awareness as he recovered from his self-induced stupor. He noticed a faint humming coming from somewhere above him and a slight, warm breeze across his face, a pleasant contrast to the cold, rough stone he'd been lying on.
Thank Merlin for cushioning charms.
He opened his eyes, hoping that the transfiguration accident had passed and he was back to his relatively average self, and was met with a pair of giant hazel orbs atop a long, slender nose mere inches from his face.
"Gah!" he shouted as he recoiled sharply, striking the back of his head on the stone floor, stars filling his vision.
"Is Master Harry feeling better?" the eyes said. "Mistresses ask Tilsy to watch Master Harry, so Tilsy watches him closely. Well, Mistresses would have asked Tilsy to watch Master Harry if they hadn't been distracted by bad guests, so Tilsy does what Mistresses would have asked anyway."
Harry groaned and shook his head in a valiant but misguided attempt to reduce the pain, succeeding only in giving himself a slight headache to accompany the pain of the strike.
"Um," Harry coughed out, "Tilsy, I'm sure you did exactly what they thought you would do. Uh, hold on."
He put his hands down and pushed himself up to a sitting position, Tilsy having moved back to a slightly more respectable distance.
Hands. That was a good sign.
He carefully placed one palm on his head, fingers moving through his hair looking for any sort of horn, bump, or sign of magical creature.
Nothing there either. Two down, one to go.
He brought his hand in front of his face and inspected them closely. No coarse hair, check. No blue. Check. Alright!
Harry shifted his feet underneath him and made to stand. He made it about halfway before he felt a strong, painful jerk on his lower back, just above his pelvis, and crashed back to the floor.
Stupid tail.
Taking care not to step on his rainbow horsetail he gingerly stood, rubbing his backside soothingly.
"Tilsy," he addressed the attentive and now bouncing elf, "what were Hermione and Luna doing again?"
"Mistresses were greeting bad guests Master. They's be up on the Landing. Would Master like Tilsy to bring Master to his Mistresses?"
Harry's eyes narrowed. He'd figured they'd finally smartened up and stopped sending Death Eater patrols to this region, but apparently they were just tardy as well as stupid. With Hermione and Luna 'greeting' the party without him it was anyone's guess if there were any pieces left, especially if a Weasley was stupid enough to tag along. Considering the family's decisions during the war, that wasn't much of a stretch.
A sharp pop heralded the arrival of another house elf.
"Master Harry! Mistress Myknee requests you be meeting her at the Landing, but she be forbidding house elves from being in the tower," Noddy said briskly, eyeing Tilsy warily.
Harry took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself. If Hermione had cleared the tower, she must be worried about runaway magic, which meant that someone they knew had arrived. Hopefully not a Weasley. That might bring up an uncomfortable discussion later, and Harry wasn't sure he had the stamina for that.
Still, he wasn't about to go and ignore Hermione's wishes. They needed all the information they could get being cooped up in the castle for years on end, and Harry swore by the adage 'happy wife, happy life', although with two women in his world it wasn't just doubled; it was squared.
"Thanks for letting me know Noddy. And thank you, Tilsy, for watching me. Next time, not so close though, alright?"
"Yes, Master Harry," Tilsy said with a curtsy.
The two house elves pop-ed away, and Harry made his way toward the Landing tower. He'd arrived at the base of the spiral stair headed up to the Landing when he met Hermione and Luna just stepping down the last flight. Harry waved to get their attention and stood back, leaning against the wall, his forgotten rainbow tail wagging eagerly behind him.
Luna was first to notice Harry, and more specifically his tail, and promptly burst into laughter. Hermione looked at her questioningly, stopping their gait a handful of steps from the bottom.
"Harry – tail," was all Luna managed to get out, but it was enough. Hermione looked at the raven-haired wizard and giggled.
"Harry," she teased, "you must be feeling better, you're not so blue anymore."
"Very funny, 'Mione," Harry responded dryly. "Noddy said you'd instituted a lockdown on the Landing? Who'd we snag?"
"Oh, it's quite a tail, Harry-dear," Luna giggled, managing to calm her laughter.
"I'm sure I could fix it with just a swish and flick, don't you think so Harry?" Hermione continued.
Harry groaned. "You two are no fair, ganging up on me like that. What's a bloke supposed to do?
"Love us," Hermione said plainly. "Besides, we trade off 'ganging up' often enough to keep things interesting, don't we Luna? Finite."
Harry quickly felt his backside as the counter-spell flowed over him, confirming that this newest nightmare was, in fact, over. He grinned.
"Thanks, love. So, lockdown?"
"Yeah. Five this time, but I think you need to be here for this. Also –"
"I'm fine, Mya," Luna said, moving down to Harry and wrapping her arms around him. "I just needed you both a bit more than usual I think. I'll be alright. I promise."
"We know, dearest," Harry said softly, stroking her blonde hair gently with one hand, the other wrapping around the younger witch tightly. "Whatever you need, we're here for you."
Harry looked up at Hermione, the brunette still standing on the stair, and lifted his hand from Luna's head, beckoning the witch toward him. Hermione smiled and ran down the stairs, crashing into her two lovers and wrapping them in a firm embrace.
The stood there for some time, their mutual adoration centering their respective psyches before Harry moved to break the contact.
"Alright, everyone better?"
He was answered with a small nod from Luna and a firm one from Hermione.
"Then let's go deal our 'guests'. How did you keep them restrained?"
Hermione smirked, glee sparking in her eyes as she took a few steps back and straightened her blouse.
"I tried that new transfiguration spell we've been working on, then got frustrated and put them all to sleep," she said nonchalantly. "It seems to work quite well. Oh! I can't believe I almost forgot to tell you. We've caught five Putedemorts, and two of them have red hair," she finished in a stage whisper.
Harry's eyes widened at the information, although it could have been because Luna was now attempting to squeeze his chest into a perfect circle.
"Luna," he coughed. "Can't. Breathe."
Luna made no outward sign of acknowledgement, but her embrace loosened and Harry sucked in precious gulps of air.
"Back to the Landing then? Luna, you have to let go."
Luna shook her head soundlessly and gripped tighter.
"Luna," Harry pleaded, offering a limb as Hermione looked on in amusement. "You can grab my arm, but we're not going to be able to walk up the stairs like this. And before you say 'house elf', remember that 'Mione put the Landing on lockdown."
Luna pouted but extracted herself from Harry's torso and latched on to his offered appendage.
"Ready now, you two?" Hermione asked. "Come on, I don't know how long that new spell lasts, and I'd rather not have to listen to the lowest common IQ denominator spout off annoying propaganda that hasn't changed in a decade."
With that, Hermione turned and walked up the stairs, two pairs of eyes closely following her swaying jean-clad hips. Both Harry and Luna cocked their heads to the side, straining slightly as the focus of their desire ascended the tower.
"I'm so glad she chose us," Luna said dreamily, and Harry could only nod dumbly in agreement.
The trio met at the top of the staircase, and Harry instantly noticed the red, snoring locks inside the array. His face immediately hardened and he snapped his wrist, his trusted holly and phoenix feather wand slapping into his palm.
"Well, you weren't kidding about the red hair, 'Mione. Should we do them first, or save them for last?"
"I really don't care one way or the other, Harry," Hermione said casually, "as long as we get to show them what we do to traitors. Slowly."
"Last please," Luna piped in, having released Harry's arm and drawn her own applewood and unicorn hair wand. "I would hate to ruin the main course with dessert first."
"Right. Luna, if you would do the honors then?" Harry indicated.
Luna stepped forward and gestured with her wand to three of the unfortunate Death Eaters: the spokes-wizard and the two witches. Three bright silver ropes shot forward and wrapped around their sleeping forms, pulling them upright and placing them just on the inside edge of the runes. Luna slashed her wand down to her feet, where the three ropes bound themselves tightly to a rusted iron eyehook embedded in the stone floor. She turned and grinned widely to Harry and Hermione, bouncing happily on her toes. Behind her, the three bound magicals blinked awake, both confused and terrified at their new predicament.
"Well done, Luna!" Hermione congratulated the blonde as she stepped forward ignoring the grunts and faint struggles of the Death Eaters and raised her right hand, fingers splayed out in an array and her palm facing toward the entangled captives. As Luna moved to the side and behind her, Hermione began to chant.
"Et invocate deos magicae lucis atque umbrae, adstringere vim veri linguas ipsorum. Si noluerint honorem vocari potest tenentur munera accipiunt pro famulari."
The brunette witch's bushy hair began to stand out in all directions, magical power building within her body as she repeated the chant, a second tone adding itself to her natural voice.
"Et invocate deos magicae lucis atque umbrae, adstringere vim veri linguas ipsorum. Si noluerint honorem vocari potest tenentur munera accipiunt pro famulari."
Hermione's form slowly became ringed in faint golden light, the color gaining strength as she continued chanting. A gentle breeze blew around her, her blouse rippling silently, and her voice gained a further addition.
"Et invocate deos magicae lucis atque umbrae, adstringere vim veri linguas ipsorum. Si noluerint honorem vocari potest tenentur munera accipiunt pro famulari."
Hermione was floating now, her toes pointed daintily at the floor, the chant a cacophony of voices. She was encased in a bright golden light and the gentle breeze had become a howling wind ripping around her form. The three unfortunate souls before her visibly paled, color draining from their faces as they witnessed the power the firstborn witch wielded.
Hermione's eyes snapped open, her chocolate iris replaced by solid glowing white orbs and spoke a single word.
"Veritas."
The light left the two bound witches' eyes and their heads fell limply, chins resting on their chests as the ritual claimed their life and magic as payment. A wet stain slowly appeared in the front of the dark wizard's robes as he sagged into the silver rope binding him. Behind them, two identical ginger-haired wizards hastily muffled each other's squeaks at seeing two lives ended so quickly without the use of the Killing Curse. Each had woken during Luna's display and were attempting to deceive the trio in the hopes that they would be released or manage to escape.
Hermione slowly settled on the stone floor of the Landing, all her accumulated power having been funneled into the array, and took a few deep breaths, sweat glistening from her brow and slowly trickling down between her heaving breasts.
"That always makes me hot when you do that, Mya," Luna said breathlessly.
"I always get so sweaty though," Hermione said weakly between breaths, turning to address the witch. "I keep forgetting to wear exercise clothes."
"You could always go naked," Luna mentioned hopefully.
"I'm sure you would like that, wouldn't you?"
"Yep!"
Harry strode forward and gave Hermione a passionate kiss before lowering his lips to her ear.
"Luna's not the only one that finds you arousing, 'Mione," he whispered making the witch tremble slightly before stepping around her and conjuring a sturdy wicker armchair, settling in comfortably. Luna leapt forward to assist the weakened brunette back to her lounge chair, taking the opportunity to squeeze her cute bottom more than a few times as halfhearted protests fell on deaf ears.
Harry cleared his throat and addressed the bound and distressed Death Eater in front of him, waving his wand vaguely causing the silver muzzle to fall around the wizard's neck.
"We're going to start off with some easy questions first, before we get into the meat of what I need from you," he said calmly to the terrified and panicked wizard. "You should know, however, that the ritual won't compel you to answer truthfully, but every lie you tell will cause a small part of your soul to be cut away. It'll be quite painful, but you'll recover eventually; souls are said to be infinite after all. Now, what's your name?"
The bound wizard tried to look brave by straightening only to tighten the silver cords around him, failing spectacularly having succeeded only in making himself look pained and uncomfortable. The bound Death Eater did find a bit of verbal courage, however, and attempted a measure of defiance.
"The Dark Lord will wipe you from the world and the next, Potter! He will protect me from you and your filth! We are legion! We have taken one name, and that is Septitu – AAARRRRGGGHH!" he screamed in obvious pain as a red tendril emerged from Luna's silver rope and burrowed into his chest before receding with a small multicolored piece of light that caused the rope to pulse slightly when it merged with the magical cord.
Harry shook his head in amusement.
"You never listen. All you have to do is tell the truth. Why is that so hard?"
"No brain cells, remember Harry?" Luna piped up from the lounge chair she shared with Hermione, suspiciously wider now than it had been when it was first conjured. "Oh wait, you weren't here for that. Hermione and I decided that all Putedemorts are idiots, and they kill anyone smarter than the Hogwarts Squid."
"Now, Luna," admonished Hermione, "that's not a very nice thing to say about such a gentle creature."
Harry chuckled before turning his attention back to the captive in front of him, the pain appearing to have receded a bit.
"Shall we try that one again? Name please."
The wizard steeled his jaw and attempted to defy Harry's questions once again.
"The Dark Lord will see you hung from the rafters of the Ministry, Potter! We are all—"
The red tendril slowly wormed its way toward his chest again and quickly disabused the Death Eater of any token defiance.
"Harper! Dylan Harper!" the wizard shouted, the tendril slowly wafting back and forth across his chest as if searching for an entrance.
"Good, Mr. Harper, you're learning. Now, what did you do to earn your Mark?"
"I – I – I murdered a muggleborn family."
"Of course you did. And how old was the young firstborn that you so valiantly defeated?"
The wizard mumbled out a word too quiet and muddled for Harry to hear.
"What was that? You're going to have to speak louder, or I'll have to consider that deception."
"Two," Harper said quietly. "She was two."
Hermione sprang to her feet, throwing a cuddling Luna off the lounge in the process with a small 'eep'.
"I bet that made you feel real good slaughtering an innocent child like that, didn't it?" she said, drawing her wand and pointing it at the Death Eater. "Did you fuck her too, or just her mother and maybe her father while you made her watch? Well? I need an answer or you're going to lose a precious friend," Hermione finished hotly, her wand now pointing at the wizard's damp crotch, a dangerous-looking yellow curse lit on the tip.
"I didn't do no such thing! I'm not a rapist! We just went in and killed the lot, all four, and then left! No Dark Mark, no rape, nothing, just in, out, and gone. Honest!"
Hermione glared at the red tendril, but it remained as it was, waving gently back and forth. The brunette witch sniffed loudly and stowed her wand back in her holster, turning and stomping back to the lounge chair where a slightly dazed and rumpled Luna was just climbing back into the seat.
"Désolé, ma petite lune," Hermione whispered, calming her ire through sheer will and kissing Luna gently on the lips before allowing the blonde to cuddle back into her side.
"How long have you had the Dark Mark then? It sounds like Ol' Snake Eyes is lowering his standards, which fits nicely with your analysis, 'Mione," Harry acknowledged to fiery witch.
"Six months. I've had it six months. I had no choice! They would have killed me and my family if I hadn't joined. I have a daughter!" the wizard pleaded.
"And yet you murdered a family with a young daughter to save your own, and one who likely knew nothing of our world until then. You made the wrong choice, and now you'll have to pay the consequences, but those will come in time. Now that the formalities are out of the way, I have a few more pointed questions I need answered.
"What is your Dork Majesty looking for to enhance his power now, and when is he planning on invading the continent?"
"I don't know! He would trust someone like me with that information. I don't have any idea about – AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
For the second time in the interrogation, the crimson tendril dove deep within the chest of the Death Eater and slowly withdrew another multicolored and amorphous piece. The silver cord pulsed again, greedily absorbing the soul piece it had been fed.
"I wasn't told anything! Look, I'll tell you what I heard, rumors and such, alright? Just don't let it do it again. It feels like I'm being torn apart!"
"That's because you are," Harry replied casually. "Every time you lie, it takes a piece of your soul. Every. Single. Time.
"Now, you were saying?"
"Oh. Oh Merlin. Um, uh, well – we were told that recruitment was going well, but allies were hard to come by. Uh, something about Durmstang betraying the Dark? I don't even know what a Durmstang is, but Dolohov was quite upset about it. Um, something about faerie magics being more powerful than wizard magic too, but that's ridiculous. That's it, that's all I know!"
Harry nodded absently, his mind processing the new information he'd been given. If Durmstang was turning against the Dark, then the continent might survive, even if the Isles were lost. He turned to the two witches behind him, only to discover they'd nodded off curled up against one another. They looked so cute and content together he couldn't bring himself to wake them.
Harry sighed and turned back to the unfortunate man.
"So you'll let me go now, right? You're supposed to be on the Light side, and they don't kill captives. I told you what you wanted, so can I go now?" the wizard pleaded.
"Well," Harry drew out, "I could, but I don't think I'm going to. See, you did murder a two year old in cold blood, and I didn't ask about anything else that I'm sure you did to 'protect' your family. And besides, the ritual requires the sacrifice of all targets. It's probably the reason the Wizengamot banned it back in the 1200's or so. So yeah, sorry."
With that simple word of insincere apology, Harry drew his wand and waved it across the Death Eater's torso. Any cries of protest were muted as the silver muzzle clamped back in place around his mouth and nose. The Death Eater's eyes grew impossibly wide in terror as a dozen more blood-red tendrils sprang from the silver cord, making thirteen in total, and plunged forcibly into the wizard's chest. The Death Eater's body shook violently as the tendrils ripped his soul into thirteen equal pieces and withdrew them from the now limp and sightless corpse, the silver cord glowing brightly as it absorbed the former wizard's essence.
Harry tapped the iron eyehook at his feet and Luna's silver ropes unbound themselves, the three lifeless bodies collapsing roughly onto the array. He exhaled, glad to be through the grim encounter and closed his eyes briefly, centering himself before addressing the two remaining lives inside the runes.
"I know you've been awake this whole time, boys. I've been looking forward to this day to repay you for what you did you my family, and I'm going to enjoy every last second of your suffering."
A/N: Whew! Another chapter posted. We're gonna keep getting darker for a bit before I let a little light in, so hang tight. As always, reviews are welcome and encouraged. Thanks for reading!