Chapter 32 - The New Fashion
At King's Cross station, there was the usual chaos and Brownian motion of the crowd as parents and children found each other, acquaintances and friends and enemies greeted each other as befit their relationship. That was all normal enough but Harry and his friends fairly quickly found something they hadn't expected.
A squad of Aurors was waiting to take him and his friends to an unknown destination. The sole thing that stopped Harry's unfriendly response to their intentions was that they had the day's password and the other security measures from his parents were all in place. The wizards might as a rule dismiss the idea of 'those Muggles' standing up to them in anything, but Harry knew better and besides, getting those answers out of his parents by force would have taken a small war at least. Taking their lead from Harry, who had given his nod and smile to the rest, each of Harry's girls was Side-Along Apparated from the platform direct to the Kitsune Compound. Susan Bones was the second to go, taken by one of her aunt's usual bodyguards.
Harry came out of the tunnel-like travel at the Apparition Point in his backyard, all his family waiting and smiling for him. "Welcome home, son!" After they had moved away, bringing Harry with them, Susan Bones arrived and her aunt Amelia, who had been hidden by Harry's parents, stepped forward, giving her niece a tight hug.
Looking around, Harry saw that all the families were here, except for the Greengrasses. When he asked his parents, "Mark's father has fallen ill. You know he is a lot older than his wife. Oh, they did fall in love after they got married, but it was more about business at the start, he got the Greengrass status by association and they got his money added to the family since he was a decent businessman. It was a happy surprise to all of them when Diana found out she was pregnant with Mark a few years later. Sorry, I got off topic there.
"The problem is that the illness is one that's considered to be a sign that a family's magic is rebelling against all of them, not just the patient. From what we have gathered, it's a contagion but only barely transmissible from human to human. Since it's so embarrassing, few want to be on record as suffering from it, so few go in for treatment or research, not that there seems to be either available at this time." Tsunade looked scary as she added that last.
"But what is the actual problem?" Harry asked, confused.
"His magic is flaring up chaotically so they can only give him potions when it is quiescent, and he doesn't even want us to look at him." Tsunade sighed. Harry was confused and it showed. "Harry, to him we're not really legendary medics or people who can help him. We are the parents of the Boy-Who-Lived first and foremost, and he was in Slytherin at school. Oh, I'm not saying he has a problem with us, quite the opposite, he doesn't want to look weak and risk his family's alliance. He's also refused to go to St Mungo's for treatment for the same reason."
"But that's-" Harry cut himself off. "Ok, I was going to say that's stupid or insane, but with their small and insular society, he could very well be right about his condition harming his family's standing. And putting his family ahead of himself is what a good parent is supposed to do, right?" Harry wasn't happy about it to say the least, but he was at least closer to understanding. "I'll find a way to let Daphne and Mark know that whatever it is, it won't hurt their family to let you look."
"Alright, Harry, but be gentle, please? From the way their parents are reacting, he isn't expected to recover. Not without treatment that he refuses to get. Daphne's parents are just running late, I expect, as they were intending to be here for dinner with everyone."
Harry nodded, then turned around as Daphne arrived, the last of their guests, and gave her a big hug. Something about him must have been different because she gave him a suspicious look and Harry nodded and hugged her again, hiding her face from the others as she cried a few tears before she could stop herself. After cleaning herself up, they all went inside where his Cranleigh ladies were waiting. The Clan kept everyone entertained and distracted while Daphne settled in to cuddle with her caring man.
After a dinner that could really be called a feast, the various parents made their way home, though the Grangers and Greengrasses were delayed by their younger daughters wanting to stay with Harry. Astoria and Athena had attached themselves to one of Harry's clones and refused to let go of his sides.
"It's alright, girls, you know that I am always willing to visit with my friends." He rolled his eyes at the looks from their parents. Still, he was glad they were laughing at him rather than angry at him for the way their daughters hung onto him, literally in this case. He wasn't sure he liked the speculative look from Liz Granger though, almost as if she were considering - no, he was imagining it, he was sure, as a result of that crazy Christmas training.
In the end, his solution was simple enough. Firstly, he used a Body Flicker to the Grangers' car after asking the girls if they wanted to experience one of the cool ninja tricks he had learned. A second clone picked off Athena while the first used another Body Flicker out to the Apparition Point where Mr and Mrs Greengrass were waiting. There, the clone just dispelled itself laughing before Astoria could stop him, and their parents took them all home.
The surprises hadn't finished just yet for Harry and the girls. His parents had decided to rebuild an entire wing of the compound overnight in honour of the girls' stay. Instead of a collection of rooms assigned to a range of the Clan's hobbies, from learning computer programming, to studying languages and cultures, to basket-weaving, the Clan had built a welcoming guest space. There were enough bedrooms for all the girls, each with a couple of king-size beds, loveseats and the usual furnishings, as well as a dozen bathrooms.
Anko snarked "Maybe that would be enough bathrooms, oh wait, they're teenage girls." Ino just spanked her as she walked past making Harry blush, glad none of his girls saw him.
They gave Harry a glance at the layout, trusting him to have memorised it already, which he had. He would then show the guests to their rooms to pick out the ones they wanted, heading off to their brand spanking new computer lab where they were experimenting with building their own computer chips.
In the living room, where the girls were chatting, Hermione wondered just what was taking Harry so long. He had ducked out to take care of some last minute details while his clones kept his girls company, but that was twenty minutes ago. Consequently, she was the first to notice the door opening to admit her beau. "Harry!" Hermione got up and raced over to hug him, making the clone who had been beside her smile wryly.
"Thank you for waiting, my ladies. I was checking on the preparations for your rooms. Shall we go see them?" There was a rush as the girls wanted to find out what had been prepared for their stay, and just how it was any different to other times.
Sue Li used her small size to her advantage, slipping ahead of the other witches but she found that the Cranleigh girls beat her too. Michelle was the first to get there with Ella and Meaghan in a dead heat behind her. Ashley was next and Stephanie only just edged out Sue in the impromptu little race. While those girls knew they wouldn't be allowed to stay overnight every night, they did intend to get as much time as they could get. This was a great chance for them to get to know the magical girls better and vice versa.
On reaching the first room, there was surprise and a little confusion, then a lot of blushing at seeing multiple beds in each when it became obvious from the number that the girls could have their own rooms. Thoughts of just what they could get up to were running rampant in Padma's mind, thoughts that mirrored some of Harry's own, she would be glad to learn.
Hermione squeaked when, curious, she checked just what was in one of the bedside tables, finding massage oils and the like but also a small bottle that turned out to be lubricant. She quickly closed it but not before she caught Harry's eye who gave her a sympathetic look.
The girls were grateful for the profusion of bathrooms, as it made just about all the bedrooms equally close and meant one bedroom was about as good as any of the rest, and they quickly settled who would go where. Closing the door behind her, Hermione and Harry cuddled standing, drifting into the bed further from the door, shedding clothes as they went. When Hermione paused, nervous, Harry asked her what was wrong. "Won't they think we're too young? Won't they stop us?" It didn't even occur to her that his parents might not know what went on in their house.
"They won't stop us, my love, they won't even monitor us. This is the one area where they will always respect our privacy. And nothing will happen unless you want it to."
"Oh I do want to, Harry, I do." And Hermione decided to kiss him, straddling as she gave into her feelings.
In the other rooms, there were similar concerns and conversations, the girls eventually accepting it and going just as far as they wanted. Ashley groaned when Harry reminded her of the time but dutifully got up and met the other Cranleigh girls as they each left their rooms and Harry escorted them home. They envied the other girls who fell asleep in the Kitsune Compound at peace with the world.
The next morning, all the girls were treated to a full Clan-style breakfast prepared by a chipper Harry. None of the girls had seen him quite this energetic before, but as Harry explained, "Now I get to see all of you, as much as we want, for two weeks. My home is filled with my loved ones. How can I not be happy?"
They couldn't answer that and started eating the delicious meals before them. For Ashley and the Cranleigh girls, there was an extra reason to be happy, they had the real Harry back, giving each of them a good morning kiss and cuddle.
Over breakfast, they talked about what they wanted to do. Harry found that none of the girls wanted to leave the Compound. Instead, they wanted to spend time with Harry, whether reading or cuddling or, well, Hermione did have an inventive mind and a strong desire for her man. She wanted to try having her hands pinned against the mattress as Harry pleased her. The bushy-haired genius had the sense to whisper that to him rather than blurt it out in front of everyone, but that didn't stop everyone looking at her when Harry blushed at the suggestion.
After finishing the food and walking some of it off, the group headed back inside to their wing and the entertainment area. While most of the girls were only too happy to snuggle and watch a movie with him, Hermione was still worked up and took Harry to bed, showing him that she meant what she said. Her scream of ecstasy was muffled by Harry kissing her, and when she recovered, well, she wanted to try another new thing, and another.
Knowing what the smartest girl among them was doing, Padma and Cho believed she had the right idea, each taking off for their own rooms for some loving and relaxation. The dam broke, others drifting off too, and Susan and Hannah chose to use the same bedroom. Knowing the other was having a wonderful time improved their own pleasure, and the feedback was increased with three rather than two.
The lazy Sunday morning was turning into a steamy affair. The girls who weren't ready to make love with Harry were still going further than they had before, the soft sounds from the other rooms providing encouragement. Even little Luna was enjoying cuddling without her outer clothes, or Harry's, in the way of their caressing and loving.
A quick shower before lunch turned into a longer one shared by Padma, Susan, Hannah and Harry. They finally made their way out to the smaller kitchen installed in their private wing. There they found most of the rest of the girls, and proceeded to talk very frankly about what had happened between them all.
While Parvati would admit to herself that she found their descriptions sexy as hell, she couldn't see herself joining in, and she wasn't the only one to feel that way, but a couple seemed to consider the idea. Harry agreed when asked that it was a lot of fun, adding "As much fun as it was, I wouldn't allow any of you to take part if it wasn't your own choice. That means please don't force yourselves to do it thinking you 'have' to do it or any of that, ok?"
The relieved smiles he got at that told him he had handled the situation right.
After a lazy lunch, they had a quick chat about rules for orgies.
"I do have to ask that we keep it all completely secret." Daphne started off her case, Sophie and Tracey nodding at that. "It would hurt my family if people found out that any of us girls liked one of the others. That kind of behaviour is considered disgusting and unnatural in our world."
"'The love that dare not speak its name'" Harry quoted.
"Yes, that's just what it is." Daphne hugged herself. "While I don't think any of us like Mrs Weasley, she would be one of the loudest to decry us as harlots, tramps and scarlet women if she found out, nor would she be alone in that! Merlin help us if that reporter for the Daily Prophet heard a whiff of scandal! We would be plastered across the front page the very next day!" Daphne hugged Harry close while she got hold of herself again.
Sophie continued, "Once that happened, people would avoid us so the scandal didn't splash on them which means our families would suffer both a loss of position and loss of business. As much as I love you, Harry, please don't make me have to choose. I don't know just what I would do and I don't want to have to find out."
Harry and his clones just gave all his girls a cuddle while they took a moment to recover, before he looked each one in the eye and nodded. "I would rather all of us happy, so if that means keeping our activities secret from the world, then so be it. What do each of you think?"
While Hermione and the other Muggle-raised didn't know about how taboo it was on the wizard side of the fence, there was still a stigma on their side too. Having taken a little time to think about it all, they quickly agreed that none of them wanted their private lives to be public. Daphne and the other Slytherin girls smiled gratefully at the others. As the most 'pure' of the Houses, they had the furthest to fall in terms of their treatment if they were exposed.
Harry decided to cheer his girls up, starting with a healthy and delicious meal. When Parvati bemoaned the food would just go to her hips, Harry chuckled.
"What?" he added when the girls glared daggers at him. "Ok, first, you are all lovely and beautiful to me, and that won't change as we grow. Secondly, the meal is designed to be as healthy as it is tasty. If you're worried about putting on weight, firstly, please don't. We're supposed to be doing that, and you have a score of great doctors on hand to make sure you stay healthy. Secondly, a little exercise can be fun, especially if you have someone exercising with you."
While Harry meant that innocently enough, the girls were still thinking of their morning and the exercise they got that way. As a result, he was a little surprised when the girls dug in, even getting seconds, before taking back off to the bedroom, their wonderful chef in tow.
By mid-afternoon, the girls were slowing down and one Harry clone stepped out to the kitchen, fetching a tray, bottles of juice and six glasses filled with ice. After refreshing themselves, the girls loudly praised Harry's stamina and talents as he kept giving them more love, more pleasure.
Dinner was a lively affair, though Padma and Hermione were careful how they sat at first, before smiling gratefully at Harry for the quality of his treatments. They had overdone it in the afternoon, certain that they would have to pay for it later until Harry's medical techniques came through for them. This was news the others had to know!
As Harry went out to bring in dessert, a light collection of sorbets, Hermione frantically whispered to the others, nodding at their looks and then basking in the smiles sent her way. Deep inside, Hermione was still the same girl that loved to teach, to share knowledge, though she had managed to curb her tendency to lecture at length. Here, she had found a subject that her audience would always long to hear, and their thanks were just as satisfying as Hermione had imagined as a little girl.
After dessert, eaten in front of the telly, the group watched an episode of Fawlty Towers followed by the very first of Monty Python's Flying Circus, since they were on something of a nostalgia kick. Sophie reminded them how they had all seen it in the Great Hall and how fascinating it all was back then.
"It was my first exposure to anything from regular people." Sophie explained, avoiding the word Muggle now that she understood why it annoyed Harry, Hermione and not to mention her non-magical co-girlfriends to use such a word like they weren't even real people. "Of course, I could never wear their fashions at school. Malfoy and his like-minded fools and bigots would rip the clothes to shreds then me. And then poor Filch would have to clean up their bodies." Sophie looked over at Harry who just grinned back.
Harry would have loved an excuse to do just that to a number of the bigots the school was busily producing, at least until reaction set in. It was one big reason why he was hoping to reform the society with a minimum of bloodshed. The other was how his ladies and his friends would react to seeing the cold, brutal and efficient killer the Clan had made of him. There was the possibility that his friends would lionize him and his ladies find it sexy, which was dangerously seductive, but also that they would reject him, push him away, which could destroy him.
"Who wants some hot chocolate?" Harry asked, changing the subject and smiling.
After watching a little more, the girls started to drift off to sleep, or at least to their beds.
The pattern of the first day held true for the second, with a lot of loving and cuddling and relaxing around the sprawling home of the Clan. By the end of that day, the girls were a lot more open about who they let see them with their Harry, though the sharing was still restricted to Padma and the Hufflegirls.
The third day of their break saw some cabin fever starting, prompting Harry to suggest they get out of the house. They went on a walk through the town, seeing Glebelands where Ashley and the others attended with their Harry, checking out other places in the area, even the slaughterhouse where Harry had worked despite the young man's warnings. While the place was very clean as far as they went, it was still a shock to most of the girls to see how the food they ate was produced from the animals some of them had seen walking around.
Hermione in full learning mode had wanted to see Harry do it, only to baulk soon as she had asked the question, realising that she had just asked Harry to kill a living creature for her education. While she would watch if it was going to happen anyway, she wasn't prepared to cut short a cow's life just to let her learn.
In deference to what the girls had seen, Harry prepared a vegetarian option for dinner that evening along with a succulent roast pork and all the trimmings. Harry got thanked for his consideration, but the vegetarian dish had to be sealed away for another time, virtually untouched, while the pork was utterly demolished. All that walking and fresh air had done wonders for their appetites.
Over Easter, the girls spent much time just getting comfortable with each other, learning their likes and dislikes and habits. They also became more comfortable with the others seeing them in more private situations. Since the showers were big enough for ten, some of the Hogwarts girls took to using them at the same time, carrying on conversations and so on. By the end of the holidays, the girls were all doing it, though they weren't inviting Harry in there unless it was just one on one time. Really, the biggest development was when they spent Sunday morning on the middle weekend just lazing about in the living room in their pajamas and watching cartoons, totally at ease with each other.
At Hogwarts, four of the staff were taking tea at that very moment in Professor McGonagall's office for 'staff discussions regarding student development and training' as she would have described it to some interfering busybody from the Ministry, better described as 'gossiping about the kids'.
After making sure each of her guests had their tea just the way they liked it, Minerva returned her silver service and leaned back. "So, ladies, which of our 'fine young minds' it is our pleasure to teach has been the finest, would you say?"
Surprising each other, Septima, Aurora and Pomona all chimed in with "Mr Potter, easily." Looking at each other and laughing, the two younger Professors allowed Pomona to go first. "He is at his ease with the plants. While he may not have the best gift for the subject naturally, he works hard enough and listens to what I teach. I could only wish that the rest of the students were like him." Pomona closed her eyes, sighing as she knew she would never be so lucky, and missed the speculative looks in the eyes of the two youngest who had decidedly improper thoughts about being surrounded by students looking just like Harry.
"Whilst I still think that dratted Hat made an error with his placement," Minerva started, prompting smiles from the others as they were now quite well aware of the Deputy Headmistress' views, "I will agree that he is a very hard-working student and he has always been polite to a fault in my classes. I was at first worried when his wand work was slightly below average, but that seems to have passed handily. Certainly, he always completes his homework on time and on topic. Unlike some of my Lions." Minerva moaned as she remembered the Weasley twins and their handiwork.
Septima was next, smiling. "Yes, he has an excellent mind, grasping the concepts quickly and ready to lend a hand to others if they're struggling. If he keeps that up, I may offer him a place as a teaching assistant." She looked around, making sure the portraits were all frozen. "And that project I mentioned is going ahead. I don't understand all the details, or how a program can have its own language, but the early versions look promising."
Aurora was excited for her friend, as it could herald a new age in Arithmancy. "Well, Harry's equipment is top quality, and I may even be able to do some private research myself over the summer." Looking around, she saw Septima's smirk and chuckled. "Not that kind of research, get your mind out of the gutter, dear."
"Oh no, it was the reference to 'Harry' and his equipment, Aurora."
Minerva sighed, knowing that for all their brilliance, they could be just like the schoolgirls they were supposed to teach. "Okay, enough about such things. Honestly, what would his parents say?"
Pomona didn't miss a beat. "James would be cheering on his son and Lily would be too, now that I think about it. Possibly chanting 'Grandbabies!' or some such nonsense."
Minerva felt the strong urge to put her head in her hands for walking into that one, as true as it was. Still. "Granted, and I have to say he has turned out very well, indeed."
"No thanks to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Shaved," Pomona put in, darkly. While most only saw her as a friendly teacher and Head of House, those who trampled on her sense of fairplay and loyalty found she could teach Snape how to hold a grudge until the problem was solved.
As hostess, Minerva smoothly deflected the subject to their other students. The vote for 'worst student' was split with Minerva nominating the Weasley twins, Finnigan from Pomona for setting fire to plants, Crabbe and Goyle from Aurora and Malfoy from Septima for his assumption she would automatically pass another Slytherin like herself. Harry's name came up again when they started to gossip about the love lives of their students, in two cases as an alternative to having to talk about their own. Pomona saw that the others, all younger than her, even Minerva, were fond of the boy and the way he cared more about who a person was than he cared about money or fame.
Indeed, unless she missed her mark, the ladies each to some extent viewed the last Potter in a better light than she felt they should given their positions of authority over him.
As the second week of their break was drawing to a close, Harry worked out what had been bothering him. It was what Sophie had said about wearing regular fashions. With that in mind, he tracked down the aristocratic blonde where she was leaning back into one of his clones, his arms around her stomach as she relaxed listening to the music. Catching his clone's eye, the clone nudged her to open her eyes to see another Harry kneeling next to the lounge and bringing him to her level.
"Sweet Sophie, you mentioned being unable to wear regular teen fashions at school, or something like that, didn't you?" Harry asked, keeping his voice low enough not to disturb the other girls listening to the music.
Seeing her nod, Harry continued, "Well, I just remembered that I hadn't offered to make clothes for you or, well, anyone, for a while now and I-"
"You can sew?!" Sophie shouted, making the other girls gather around.
"I can," Harry allowed, "I won't say I'm the best around, but if you have any designs I can certainly make a decent copy, and I do have my own ideas."
Tracey arched an eyebrow. "Not to insult you at all, Harry, but have you made clothes for girls before? I would feel better if I could see some examples."
Harry grinned at her, "A reasonable precaution, and indeed you can see some of them." He looked around, seeing the eager looks of the girls and sent a clone out to ask his Cranleigh ladies, then taking them home to pick up clothes for a fashion show.
"Does that mean you're going to be making more clothes for us girls, Harry?" Ashley asked as the five girls walked in, preening to the laughter of the others.
"Yes, Ashley, if you like. You know you just have to ask."
"I know, but it feels like I am taking advantage of you if I ask too much." The others agreed with her.
"You do know I enjoy making clothes for each of you, right? It's fun getting to come up with new designs that will look great on you. I get to see you smile when I get it right, and I get a feeling of satisfaction when you wear what I make for you."
"Plus you get to put your hands all over us to measure us for the clothes." Stephanie grinned cheekily at him. Harry remained silent, not denying the statement.
Back at the Compound, the five girls were escorted, or carried in Michelle's case, to the large living room that had been given over to Harry's ladies during their stay. Harry had already started to reconfigure it, setting up a catwalk down the centre of the room and chairs around it. The rest of the ladies trickled in, chatting excitedly about the prospect of new clothes made by their always surprising man.
Over the next hour and a half, the Hogwarts girls saw the Cranleigh girls parading off a wide variety of clothes all designed and put together by the handsome man who had taken such a place in their hearts. Now, they saw in a new light just what the girls were wearing, how well it all fit them and flattering them. There were breaks after each ten minute set, as the girls showed off different categories of clothes.
The final set of clothes they chose to display made the witches gasp, when each girl came out in sexy lingerie that still managed to tastefully conceal enough even for their own families to approve. Sophie was almost going to object to a man, even Harry, seeing the girls like that before remembering that Harry had certainly seen girls wearing less than that, and more importantly, it was Harry who had fitted, designed and tailored for these ladies.
And ladies they were even when only down to bras and panties, posing as though they truly were the models they were pretending to be.
With the variety displayed, it had assuaged any concern at Harry's skills and experience, and he soon saw a flood of orders for new clothes, even the Cranleigh ladies getting in on the act despite failing to get changed from the last set, and Harry's broad smiles showed his genuine pleasure at getting to pamper them.
While Harry's clones took to measuring and pampering his girls, the real Harry was getting back to his training with a vengeance. His body was still growing, and that meant that Harry needed to be aware of all the changes in order to keep up his accuracy and precision as his muscle memory was going out of date. He didn't want that for any number of reasons, but the top of his list were his ladies. If his instincts became off, then he risked hurting them when his strength was higher than he thought, for example. More than that, though, if his training slipped, he may not be able to protect them as well as he should, and that invited disaster.
He only had a few days left before the train ride, so he pushed himself almost to his limit each day, spending the nights cuddled up to one of his loves. He was pacing himself so that the return to Hogwarts would come at just the right time to rest his overtaxed body with only a small margin for safety. His parents were only too aware of what he was doing and were spending extra effort to make sure all of their friends and allies were safe during this time. For example, the Greengrass home had a few dozen more sparrows than usual, Clan members on guard so that Harry's presence would not be needed. The closest call came when Athena fell out of a tree in the park nearest the Granger home, caught by Hinata's clone. Athena would never admit that she had been hoping for Harry to rescue her instead.
Madam Bones and her guards had been grateful to the Clan. They pushed through with greater vigour the paperwork to authorise protective wards on various properties owned by new members of the Potter Alliance after finding that meals made by the Boy-Who-Cooked were available for them, including a fat-free and low calorie fudge. Their co-workers were not so pleased when their boss refused to share unless they impressed her. Department efficiency rose when that news got out.
When the Clan returned to King's Cross station, the girls' families were waiting for them. The girls felt a little guilty at having neglected their families, but they knew the time had been well spent. Where before each one was wondering how on Earth they could possibly make this work, and wondering how soon it would all end, now the girls knew they could do it and moreover they wanted to do it.
When they finished hugging their parents goodbye and got on the train, a smirking Tonks was waiting for them, the carriage already refurnished for their needs. Harry grinned at the older girl and retrieved a coolbox from where it was stored in a seal, already filled with cold drinks, setting it up in the corner before he and his ladies settled in on lounges to watch Star Wars with the rest of the crowd. Their carriage looked nothing like the original layout, and Tonks had demonstrated the Notice-Me-Not charm. Even little Astoria had fun trying to cast it on the doors and windows to prevent unwanted visitors like Malfoy and his goons. Many students were wont to wander when they got bored waiting for hours and hours for the train to complete the journey.
Back at Hogwarts at last, the girls almost decided to skip taking the carriages in favour of a good walk, until Tonks reminded them that they would be expected at a certain time and if they took too long, they would attract attention. Luna was the saddest at that as she loved nature. Her time at the Kitsune Compound included the most walks out of any of Harry's ladies.
The ladies had learned the value of planning and brought along enough food from home, well, from Harry's home to last them through the Welcoming Feast. They had no objections to having a feast to welcome them back to school, but they certainly did object to doing it with anything less than the best food they could get. If asked, they would admit they were spoiled in having eaten so well, right between eating more of said food.
Their first night back brought home to the girls a few things. The first was that they absolutely couldn't go back to how things were before the holidays. They had come to love the casual and relaxed atmosphere they had developed between them, as well as the more carnal activities, and the forced separation from the other girls even for chats was painful. Oh, they coped with it, but it made their transition far more of a conscious process. Daphne, for instance, missed being able to talk with Hermione about their latest pet theories for Ancient Runes, or hearing from Lavender about this or that piece of fashion, but most of all, the girls missed being allowed to show their love for Harry as openly as they had for two glorious weeks of freedom. That night, the Slytherin girls especially needed their Harry to cuddle with them, and remind them of his love.
The next morning, Harry did part of his run outside the castle, enjoying the changing sights as the sun peeked over the horizon, with the other part of it in the Room of Requirement, cutting loose since there was no one to spy on him, no one to get in his way, just him and the freedom to be himself. Indeed, that lack of freedom was one of the ironies for Harry about 'rejoining the Wizarding world' as most wizards and witches would have put it.
Ever since he had started at Hogwarts, he had less freedom than before and felt that was likely true for many in their closed-off society even compared to their magic-free neighbours. They seemed to lock themselves into one role until someone strong enough knocked them loose of it. Events had given Harry the strength to do that, and he was sorely tempted to use it.
Shaking his head free of those thoughts, Harry reminisced about the time spent at home. There, his clones were free to be him, making Harry smile at the irony. They could make up new outfits for his ladies, or practice elemental techniques to wipe out stands of trees that his parents would regrow, sparring to keep his skills fresh, and best of all, spending time with his ladies. Here at Hogwarts, it was time for him to head down to the showers and get ready for breakfast.
As he stole his way back to the Hufflepuff dorms, Harry reflected to himself that his parents were very sneaky and patient. They proved it with how they arranged for vacancies in the town that were easiest to fill with their business partners. When word went around that the town's local doctor wanted to retire, a quiet word to the man led to an introduction to Jennifer's mother who had been looking to make a move and open her own practice. With Ayame-mum negotiating with both parties, though she never outright called it that, Dr Scott was now gradually taking over the workload at the practice while the older Dr Burns had taken to having every Friday off. In a year or so, according to the plans made, he would be down to a day a week or retired entirely, depending on how he felt really.
Messers Allen and Lewis had had a falling out with their partners in the computer firm over where to take it in the future. Their partners weren't willing to change the business, which meant that expansion wasn't an option and both men were more ambitious than that. They had ended up quitting the business before it killed their friendships but that did leave them unemployed. In stepped Harry's parents, providing capital for the pair to start up their own business as long as they started it in Cranleigh. With the alternative of having to start again at a lower rung of the ladder elsewhere, the pair were agreeable to that. While the Clan were insisting on part ownership of the business, they had also supplied the premises for the new firm. Nicole and Amanda were over the moon about the move to Cranleigh that this meant for their families. In their previous town, the locals had been taking the other side which was making things harder on them at school.
Jessica's accountant father was offered a job when the previous holder of the position decided to move to New Zealand, shortly ahead of Inland Revenue's attempt to freeze his assets as part of an investigation. And Lauren's father's marketing job disappeared when the company got taken over, leaving him looking for work at a time when one of the local companies was looking to expand after a conveniently timed loan from the Clan. All of them were good at their new jobs, or they wouldn't have been able to impress the Clan, but it was still outright manipulation.
Again, the Clan proved their skills when, even after having confessed to arranging lives to get their friends to move to Cranleigh, those friendships survived. It helped that in each case, the families involved had either known from the outset or guessed early on that the Clan were involved, and also that they were generally satisfied with the changes. The particularly splendid meal didn't hurt, putting their friends in a more receptive state of mind.
Sitting down to breakfast, Harry was surprised when one of his friends and fellow Hufflepuff, Roger Malone, asked Susan how her aunt's Aurors kept prisoners under control. "Surely it isn't as simple as just removing their wands, not when there are potions, enchanted and cursed items and all of that they need to look out for."
The others listened in, curious about the answer. While they hadn't thought of it before, it was a very good question. Susan briefly wondered what had prompted it before answering.
"You're right, Roger, it isn't that simple. It's even worse than that since they also have to deal with Portkeys and Apparition which can take a wizard out of the area and neither of those abilities require a wand, either. While disarming them does help, they often have to knock out suspects so they can bring them in. Once they're brought in, it's easier but still a challenge." Susan looked around at her audience. "That's why they use handcuffs. I don't know how, but they prevent a wizard from using their magic. Not even wandless magic works with those on. That just leaves Portkeys and other magical items for the Aurors to search for, and with the wizard knocked out and tied up, they can usually take their time and do it right, Aunt Amelia says. She gets annoyed with her Aurors if they mess up by doing things in the wrong way."
"Thanks, Susan." Roger gave her a grateful smile. "I was hoping it would be something like that."
"Oh." A few of them wondered what he had in mind, especially the Ravenclaws and Hermione, whose mind went somewhere else.
"Yeah. Think about it. The handcuffs suppress your magic with them on. That means, there's a way to turn off a wizard or witch's magic."
"So?" Lavender was curious but not thinking as quickly as some of the others.
"So, that means it could be used for other times when you want to turn off their magic. Like for sharing bloodlines." Roger grinned at their expressions.
"Roger, that's a great idea! I'll write home and ask Auntie what she thinks right now!" Susan beamed, just about to get up.
"Or, Susan, I could get one of my clones to ask her tonight, if you like. It's a Monday, and she usually visits on a Monday to recover from Monday-itis." Harry's reply got some laughs from the other Muggle-raised.
"What's that? Some new disease?" Sophie asked, just ahead of Tracey.
"It's the joke term for the way people don't like returning to work on Mondays after the weekend. People are often a little grumpier than usual, that kind of thing." Enlightened, and in a good mood at the prospect of getting to share in the abilities Harry enjoyed, the rest of the group laughed too.
That night, as promised, Harry talked to Amelia Bones, replaying Roger's questions and his suggestion. Tsunade-mum's eyes lit up at the idea, she immediately wanted to research the handcuffs and their abilities, and was just about to say something when Harry jumped in first.
"Before Tsunade-mum breaks down and asks, Amelia, do you think we could get more information on the handcuffs that your people use, and study some pairs of them directly?" Harry asked, smiling. "We really would like to be able to share out our gifts with our friends and allies."
Amelia considered the request. She was sure she could get extras from the department secure storage, but they weren't supposed to be given or sold to anyone because of their potential for abuse. Moreover, the Clan could not give her an Oath about how they would use them and they were technically Muggles. That would mean an even bigger scandal if it got out.
On the other hand, the Clan had every reason to keep it quiet and a history of being able to keep secrets. Not even their neighbours knew that their son was a wizard, nor that the Clan had anything peculiar to them beyond their lifestyle.
Also, if it worked, it promised to improve the lives of her Susan and herself, and those close to her. If it turned out to be a dead-end, it would only cost a little time. She could get around the law by making it a loan rather than a gift, and the act made no mention of Muggles getting their hands on the items since it was passed only after the Statute of Secrecy came into effect. In one interpretation of the act, there would be no crime committed even by an outright gift or sale since the wording explicitly mentioned only wizardkind and goblinkind.
Even at the stricter interpretation, there were still ample loopholes such as making the Clan employees of the DMLE, at least on parchment, or authorising a loan, or putting the Clan in touch with the family firm that made the handcuffs so they could instead commission something that did the same job in a different way, to get around the wording of the act.
Harry and his parents gave her the time she needed to think it over, knowing that such patience would help their chance of at least finding out why if they were refused.
Looking up, Amelia gave them her best stern look before nodding slowly. "I can do that, though you must keep this a secret. While it is legal enough, rumours of it would cause a scandal. For some, it would be the exposure of our world to Muggles, despite the fact that some knowledge is already across the divide. For others, it will be the fear that Muggles will turn around and use them against us despite the way the handcuffs can only be produced by a wizard or witch, they would be afraid that somehow they would make more of them. Despite the way a lot of them boast about their magic, the memory of the persecution and hatred lingers.
"And there will be those who want them for themselves to imprison other people, and who will use any excuse to cause a fuss over the issue. If the laws are relaxed, they will be able to get hold of them, and if they're not, they get to see other people suffer, all at no cost to themselves."
Harry nodded, "I understand, and I won't betray your trust."
"Thank you, Madam Bones," Tsunade added, "now can you tell us about how they work?"
Amelia described how the handcuffs were supplied by one small business that had been passed down in the same family for over a hundred years now, and they kept the exact details of their creation a family secret. What was known, however, is that the cuffs shut down all magic in a wizard or witch. The latest version, in use for eighty years, made even internal magics switch off with no known exception.
At that point, the Clan were a lot more interested, since that was exactly what they wanted to do during bloodline transfers. As Tsunade asked for details, Amelia explained that, yes, they had worked every time as far as she knew, no, no one had shown ill effects from having being handcuffed apart from some chafing if they tried to fight it. While some had complained, investigations had never shown any effects beyond a bit of shock that the things worked. No, that wasn't shock in the medical sense but merely surprise that they really had been caught.
With the questioning eventually over, the Clan were very hopeful that this would lead to a breakthrough. It also did mean there was another way to subdue wizards or witches if the Clan needed it, but that kind of thinking was automatic to the Clan given the high threat environment that was their world of origin. Amelia promised to bring over some handcuffs to examine, carrying through on that the following day. The Clan still had to find people willing to put on the handcuffs so that Tsunade and the rest could conduct their own tests. In the end, their first test subject was Amelia herself, saying she wouldn't order her people to do something she wouldn't do herself.
The Clan were excited and moved ahead quickly with their research. The prospect of getting a handle on magic, and giving their son's ladies the same capacity for chakra usage and manipulation, was very exciting to all of them. That news got back to the boys and girls at Hogwarts and they threw their own party, with Harry catering for it to the appreciation of all.
While Harry's time at Hogwarts thereafter was quiet enough, with just the usual magical mayhem and occult accidents amid the schedule of classes, training, Library copying and time with friends, back in Cranleigh he had more interesting times.
Thank you for reading. Your support and feedback are appreciated as always. And many thanks to my patient and helpful betas, (894440) Slicerness (1501706) and Daisy Duck. Without you, this story would be the poorer.