Chapter 67 - Plots, Plans and Lies
Albus Dumbledore was surprised but pleased when Harry agreed to meet him at last in Hogsmeade. He was proud that his chosen tool was walking fearlessly about despite the recently revealed threats.
"Harry, my boy!" He cursed himself for the bad habit. "I mean, Mr Potter, it is good to see you again."
"You implied in your last letter that you had something sensitive to discuss, Mr Dumbledore." Harry replied respectfully. In truth, Harry was curious what it could be. Their correspondence had been sporadic due to Albus' tendency to delay replies, which coupled with the elder wizard's nature to hide knowledge even when he was trying to teach meant that the lessons had not been very valuable. Mostly it was Albus telling Harry that he needs to read this or that book on more advanced magic, and Harry showing he had.
"Yes, Mr Potter, I do. I have reserved a room for us so that we can go over them privately."
Harry was wary, of course. This was still Albus Dumbledore, the man who had manipulated Harry's life to ensure he was neglected and abused, and thus an enemy to Harry and his allies. Still, the ancient wizard was unlikely to get violent. Although Harry wouldn't put it past him to use mind-affecting magic, that could be prevented just by keeping his clones vigilant as always.
"After you, Mr Dumbledore."
Albus led the way to the room he had prepared earlier. In it was a wooden chair and the chintzy armchair Dumbledore preferred to use, a plain table and a stone basin with runic markings.
"Ah, Mr Potter. I see you have noticed it. This is a-" Dumbledore paused to check if Harry knew it.
"A Pensieve, yes, Mr Dumbledore." Harry smiled at surprising him. "Minister Bones has been most generous in her time educating me on some of the more interesting points of this society. Memories are extracted or copied, placed in the basin, then the user places his head in the basin to experience them, correct?"
"Exactly, Mr Potter." Albus extracted the first memory strand and swirled it in the Pensieve. "Shall we?"
Harry waited a second until his clones signalled that they were ready then went into the memory, allowing it to form around him just as he had heard. He saw Dumbledore out of the corner of his eye. "Where are we?"
"We are at Wool's Orphanage, Mr Potter. At the time, I was the Professor of Transfiguration under Headmaster Dippet, and one of my tasks was to introduce Muggleborns to our world and make sure they attended Hogwarts."
Together they watched as a much younger Dumbledore entered the orphanage and went to see one of the boys in their care. The black haired boy exhibited a taste for power and cruelty even in the short time covered by the memory.
"And that was my first encounter with young Tom Riddle. He was a driven student, charming when he wanted to be, he became Head Boy and won an award for services to the school after..."
"After he murdered 'Moaning Myrtle' with the basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets." Harry completed. "He also used an anagram of his full name to invent another persona that he is using today. Lord Voldemort."
"Exactly!" Dumbledore couldn't hide how pleased he was. "You would make a fine Auror, Mr Potter."
"Thank you, Mr Dumbledore. I'm not sure I want to be an Auror, though. they have to spend their time chasing criminals instead of fixing the real problems. I feel I can do more good elsewhere. Perhaps I should become a teacher?"
Dumbledore smiled at what he perceived as a compliment on his own career. "That is a most interesting thought, Mr Potter."
"Shall we move onto the next memory, Mr Dumbledore? I don't want to waste our time when it's so short."
Albus smiled at the modesty of the boy. "Very well, Mr Potter."
Over the following couple of hours, Dumbledore showed a number of memories. The first proving that the Parseltongue ran in the family on the Gaunt side. The next was one of Morfin Gaunt, Voldemort's uncle, describing how his sister Merope had run away with Voldemort's father, before Tom Riddle left her. Dumbledore gave his theory on what happened and Harry had to respond.
"If that is what happened, then you have to admire Tom Riddle's restraint. He got drugged and raped for months and when he finally gets free of all that, he still doesn't attack the witch."
Dumbledore smiled proudly. "Indeed, Mr Potter. It shows that anyone can act with wisdom."
Harry ignored the moralizing and invited the other wizard to continue with the session. The memory after that was far more interesting. Dumbledore uncorked a bottle and poured it into the basin as usual and they dived in.
"Professor Slughorn gave a faked memory, didn't he?" Harry asked after they came out of the memory, acceding to Dumbledore's instructions not to mention the word 'horcrux' aloud.
"Yes, he did, Mr Potter, and that is your homework, if you will, to get the real memory of that conversation."
"Do you have any advice for how to go about it, Mr Dumbledore?"
"I am sure you will find a way, Mr Potter. You have impressed me with how resourceful you are."
Harry didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Here Dumbledore was giving Harry a task that Dumbledore himself had failed to complete. That was practically the definition of setting the young man up for failure, presumably to make Harry turn to Dumbledore for aid, but also, he was leaving the choice of means to Harry. There were so many ways Harry had been trained to gather information including outright interrogation and torture through to nicer means like subtle conversational tricks, bribery or even, gasp, honesty.
"And you are sure that this memory is definitely Professor Slughorn's?" Harry wanted to be sure. If it was genuine then it opened up more options. He remembered when Amelia had first demonstrated the Pensieve to him. She bent over the basin, wiggling for his viewing pleasure as she put the memory into the bowl. She had then invited him into the memory of the Quidditch World Cup and the orgy she had spied there.
Only, it was different from what he remembered. Instead of Amelia standing next to Diana as she watched the action, it was Harry himself there, fondling her as she watched. Harry said nothing at the time, watching the real Amelia's excitement, but he noticed that the fake Harry was oddly out of focus and moved choppily. When the memory strand finished, he asked and she explained that even the best faked memories show signs of tampering. At a minimum, the faked parts would be lower quality than the real parts. "Low resolution." She had called it after remembering a discussion about computers. Harry was brought out of the pleasant memory by the grandfatherly tones of Dumbledore.
"Indeed, Mr Potter. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement will be able to confirm it as having his magical signature. They would also be able to confirm which parts are the original memory and which are not." Harry nodded. Amelia had said the same, that they looked for the lower quality parts in any memories submitted, as well as any foreign signatures.
"Thank you, I believe I have an idea-" 'or ten' "-how to get the truth from our illustrious Potions Master. Are there any other memories we can examine before you have to go?"
Albus was surprised by the confidence shown by the young man and decided to seize the opportunity.
"Why Yes, I do. I believe this one may prove particularly useful to you, Mr Potter, due to the part you will have to play because of the Prophecy," Albus explained, eyes twinkling.
It struck Harry at that moment that there was much in common between Albus Dumbledore and the Uchiha Clan that his parents had shown him. The colossal arrogance, the weird eye powers, the way both expected everyone to bow down to their wills, their manipulations, and of course, their insanity.
The moment passed, however, and Harry watched as Dumbledore placed a braided memory strand into the Pensieve after returning Professor Slughorn's to the crystal vial.
"When you are ready, Mr Potter." Albus offered. Harry jumped in, watching as the scene took shape around him.
They were somewhere in the Black Forest, Harry thought, though he was far from sure of it. Ahead, there was a castle that had clearly seen better days, and all around them, in the distance, there were flashes and sounds of battle. Behind him, Dumbledore arrived and took a moment to look around.
"This way, Mr Potter," he told the boy, his long legs eating up the distance as they chased after a group of five wizards led by a much younger Albus Dumbledore. Harry kept up easily enough despite his shorter stature. Not only was he fitter than the ancient wizard, he was entirely aware that none of this was real and that allowed him a little more control over the illusion.
After a climb up to the cleared zone before the castle, the memory Dumbledore stopped, facing off against Gellert Grindelwald.
Harry looked over at the old Dumbledore who nodded serenely. "This was the scene of my duel against the Dark Wizard who had launched a war on the Wizarding World, looking to conquer it as a first step in order to conquer the Muggles, establishing Wizard rule over Muggles."
Harry snorted. "Are all these Dark Wizards insane? There were only a few million wizards to rule over a couple billion people? It would never have worked. Even if he had somehow established it, it would have been incredibly unstable. Either way, it would have killed Wizardkind."
Albus shook his head. 'The Muggle-raised are prone to such exaggeration. They even claim that the Japanese lost two cities to some kind of superweapon rather than the Ashwinder Plagues.' "Mr Potter, the duel is about to start."
For the next three hours, Harry watched the two powerful sorcerers fight it out. For whatever reason, the wizards and witches on either side had stopped fighting in order to watch the battle. Harry was curious about the way Dumbledore's hand blurred during the duel, his spells a bizarre combination of real and fake. After a few minutes, Harry realised that he was seeing spells Dumbledore learned after the duel mixed in with the actual ones cast. 'Idiot. Doesn't he realise that I can see right through it?'
It seemed Dumbledore didn't realise that his subterfuge had failed. Still, Dumbledore was demonstrating a very impressive mastery of magic, and Harry was using the chance to memorise the incantations and movements for every spell cast by either wizard. He also evaluated the tactics and strategy shown.
Although Grindelwald clearly had the stronger spells, Dumbledore had the edge on speed of casting. To Harry's disgust, neither bothered to move much at all during the fight by his standards. They did use a variety of conjurations and Transfigurations to aid them, however. Each powerful wizard Conjured animals and plants and Transfigured pebbles into lead shields or shields into feathers.
Harry even saw Dumbledore conjured a stack of matchsticks and Transfigured them en masse into needles that he then banished at his opponent. A hasty shield and a minor wind spell and the improvised weapons were being returned to Dumbledore who unleashed a Fire Whip spell to stop the needles midair, melting them into a metallic rain on the ground between them.
However, it seemed that Dumbledore's strategy of using fast and cheap spells allowed him to outlast his opponent who was tiring at last after spending at least twice as much power on his attacks. The duel finally came to an end with both sides clearly tired and Dumbledore throwing a strong Stunning spell at Grindelwald that broke through his overstrained shield and knocking him out, followed up by an Incarcerous to bind him and the Disarming Charm to get the other man's wand. He saw a look of intense pleasure pass across the younger Dumbledore's face as soon as the wand touched him, filing it away for later.
Since Dumbledore had not paused the memory at any point, nor offered much commentary on the duel beyond the obvious, Harry wondered if perhaps the true point of the exercise was to show Dumbledore as powerful and essential for training him if Harry were ever to defeat Voldemort.
"Sir," Harry began, putting a touch of awe into his voice, "do you really think you can teach me all of that?"
"I have faith in you Harry." Albus replied. "I know that when the time comes, you will do what you must to save the ones you love."
Harry frowned inside. That failed to answer the question he had asked. Worse, it could also be taken in a couple of ways. Either Dumbledore meant that Harry would defeat Voldemort for his Jewels, which Harry would do, or that Harry would sacrifice himself for his Jewels, which was a very disturbing thought.
"How long will it take me to learn all of that, Mr Dumbledore?" Harry asked, letting the man have more rope.
"Mr Potter, sooner than you think, you will be able to meet your destiny." Albus replied with a smile and eyes twinkling.
"Then let's get started!" Harry said with a good imitation of his father in full-on pre-Loop enthusiasm.
Albus chuckled. "Very well, Mr Potter. We will start with Fire spells."
Harry discovered to his mild surprise that Albus Dumbledore wasn't as bad a teacher as he had seemed. Oh, he still waffled and spoke in half-truths to hide his secrets but he was certainly better than Slughorn at describing the concepts quickly and accurately. Unfortunately, he assumed that he would only have to describe each concept once for Harry to pick up on it, something that proved wrong a few times when Dumbledore used jargon Harry had never heard before.
Nevertheless, it was a profitable day for Harry. Outwitting the Head of Slytherin would wait.
When Harry got back to the castle, he let his friends know that he had something fun to share with them. The devious smile he wore told the guys that they didn't want to miss this, whatever it was, and they spread the word quickly, making their way by various routes to the Room of Requirement.
Once they arrived, they laughed seeing it set up as a movie theatre, complete with popcorn and choc-ices, taking their cue they quickly found seats. A quiet word had them making clones that returned to the castle outside to make sure they weren't missed.
"I'll skip with the usual fifteen minutes of ads." Harry announced to a round of cheers and laughter from the mostly male crowd in the audience. Without a further word, Harry started playing his memory of what Dumbledore had showed him in Hogsmeade. There were a few muttered comments as, in the scene, Harry and Dumbledore climbed up to the war-torn castle following the fighters.
Harry didn't need to pause it when the combat started. The guys naturally fell silent watching the fighting. The duel between younger Dumbledore and Grindelwald lasted for hours, making it the perfect 'pure' action movie.
There were very few whispers as the two accomplished wizards displayed their power. Harry had to stop the replay the first time that Dumbledore had inserted his own take. "Alright, guys, settle down! No need to boo me. Blame the old wizard who thought he could do his own special effects when he gave me this memory."
Justin laughed loudest at that joke and they watched in near-silence, only occasional gestures as members of the audience gave their own ideas of what they would have done.
Finally, the popcorn was eaten, the ice creams finished, and a joking set of credits came up signalling the end of the entertainment.
"So what did you all think?"
"I think you could have taken both of them with one hand behind your back, Harry!" Ernie called out loyally.
Half the guys laughed at that. "And blindfolded!" Neville added.
"No, seriously. What did you think of what you saw? Treat it like a mission review."
"Their footwork sucks!" Roger told the guys.
"True." Harry nodded.
"They barely moved around at all." Kevin realized it first. "Magical spells mostly travel fairly slowly but often they didn't try to get out of the way. Not even at the start when they would have had the most energy for it."
"Yes!" Michael Corner yelled as it hit him. "That's it. They fought like they were just putting on a show. You don't stand there and take the hits in a real fight. Not if you've got any sense, you don't!"
"Exactly." Suddenly, Harry was talking as one of their instructors. "What else can you tell me about that fight?"
Oliver Rivers raised his hand. "They were relying on their magic alone." Embarrassed, he dropped his hand and continued. "Magic for their attacks. Magic for their distractions. Magic for their defences. Magic for their tricks and subterfuges."
"Right. So how would you handle a fight against Grindelwald based on what you saw." Harry's question rocked them but they dutifully gave it some thought.
"Not like them, for a start." Justin said cautiously.
"Go on."
"I mean, it was wartime, right?" At the others' nods, he felt more confident. "I would attack from behind cover. The idea was to defeat them, not to have some obscure game, so I would get my mates together and we would try to stay hidden right up until we launched our first spells. Longer if we could, but we'd only need to launch that ambush to get a great advantage."
"Spells, Justin?" Harry asked mildly. His fellow Badger blushed.
"You're right, you were asking how we would handle it. Well, taking a leaf out of your book, Harry, maybe build up some cover for ourselves when we got close and use clones to launch a big surprise attack. Lots of kunai and shuriken, some Fireballs, maybe electrical attacks and other elemental techniques. And once we'd started, we would move to backup positions as soon as they realized where we were. We wouldn't hang around like idiots for them to hit us back."
Heads nodded. "That's a good start. From experience, I can tell you that you'd have a good shot at survival. In a group of say five or ten trying to take out just Grindelwald, I would bet on you every time. Chakra makes a great equalizer to magic and you all know how to dodge."
The guys groaned as Harry's evil smile reminded them of Anko and Yuugao and their ideas of evasion training. They'd ached for days after that, even if the cuts and burns had already been healed their bodies still remembered. Harry cheered them up with a round of drinks and they talked over the training Harry would supposedly get before returning to their usual activities.
With OWLs and NEWTs coming up, the Hufflepuff team was busier than ever. Their final match of the season was just around the corner as were their exams. Nevertheless, they worked hard to keep their teamwork and their skills up.
Minerva was sitting in the stands watching the match with a couple of her younger teachers either side of her. Filius was talking to Hagrid a dozen meters away, a necessity to make sure the half-giant's voice didn't drown out other conversations.
Septima and Aurora had produced bowls of sweets and a jug of pumpkin juice along with mugs for the three of them. Minerva gave a small smile as she reflected how much Harry had already corrupted her stern public image that this behaviour didn't raise an eyebrow from anyone.
Then again, Horace was already partaking of a well aged wine and a platter of expensive cheeses as his keen eyes watched the game. Minerva knew he was looking for talent that he could nurture for a price. Pomona was nursing a firewhiskey, disguised from the students but Minerva could smell it thanks to her chakra training more than any advantage from her Animagus form.
Down on the pitch, the Flying Foxes of Gryffindor were facing off against the Hufflepuff line up of Harry, Susan and Hermione. When Harry showed off his skills, and managed to pass the Quaffle to Susan without their notice, Angelina called out to her girls about his cute butt instead of the game. Hermione overheard them and laughed back.
"It's even better close up, girls, but you have to share!"
Katie blushed at the images while Angelina just laughed along with the Hufflepuffs. The game was friendlier than most others at Hogwarts since the Houses didn't have as much rivalry but both teams wanted to win. For the Badgers, they wanted to remind people they were far from the useless dregs that they had been called for so long and for the Lions, well, they had a bunch of Quidditch fanatics on the team from the Captain on down.
Luckily for her Lions, Minerva was unable to hear their commentary from so high up.
"You know, Minerva," Septima said with a grin, "it's such a shame about the new Code of Conduct you put into place."
"Whyever would you say such a thing!" Minerva replied, shocked. "Surely you of all people know how much it was needed. And it got rid of Severus and his disruptive bias and poor teaching."
"Oh, we know that! But it also means we can't reward our best students, no matter how talented they may be."
"You may give points or privileges as set out in the booklet-" Minerva began.
"Trust me, Minerva, the privileges I have in mind are forbidden by the Code. Popcorn?"
Minerva's mouth opened and Septima threw some popcorn in, earning a mild glare. Aurora made sure none of the other staff could see her or the Headmistress's face as she stifled a laugh.
"I'm sorry, Minerva, I know we shouldn't tease you. Not when you- mmph!"
Minerva gave a tight smile and returned her wand to her sleeve. "None of that now, ladies." They both nodded and found they could open their mouths again.
"Should I even bother to ask who you had in mind, or may I deduce it from the way you brought it up after looking at the Hufflepuff Chasers?" she asked repressively.
"Oh, the latter, to be sure," Aurora answered smiling, her white teeth standing out against her dark skin. "However, we really won't cross that line. He's a student, after all, no matter how mature he is, and we won't hand the bastards a juicy scandal to use against you."
"Such a noble sacrifice, I am sure. Can we please just watch the game?"
"Oh alright. Spoilsport." Septima replied with a laugh.
Back on the field, the Badgers were extending their lead. Cedric was sure that his team was the better of the two, and the score reflected that, but unless the game lasted long enough, a lucky catch could still score Gryffindor the match. While he would rather draw it out, he wasn't going to let a Weasley get lucky today. Not in his final Quidditch match at Hogwarts.
Happily for Cedric and the Badgers, the Snitch was nowhere to be seen for nearly an hour when it started playing peekaboo with the players, appearing for a few seconds then vanishing again. Replacement Beaters Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote were decidedly unhappy, however, choosing to taunt their Seeker for failing to get the Snitch yet. Then again, if they'd gone after the Hufflepuff Beaters, their own Chaser Trio would have turned on them for attacking women. Really, they were just taking the safer path. Not to mention it was tradition.
When the Snitch made another appearance, Ron Weasley reacted instantly, driven not by visions of glory or of the rewards his girlfriend would give him but of something immeasurably higher: shutting up the damned Beaters for a minute. They were almost as bad as his brothers! It was just his bad luck that it was so close to Cedric who grabbed it easily. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and up in the stands, Minerva grumbled as she handed over the winnings to the two younger Professors.
"I always bet on Harry," Septima crowed as she jangled the coins in her hand before putting them in her purse.
Down in the locker rooms, Cedric gave the others a quick speech thanking them for their hard work which allowed them to win the Quidditch Cup a record third time under his leadership. He told them with tears in his eyes that he was proud to be their Captain. Following that, he got a massage and the muscle relaxing spells to fix him up after the game. As soon as it was done, he literally flew off, needing to get back to his studies.
Rather than staying in the Gryffindor section, Katie slipped out while the three Weasley brothers were indulging in the traditional shouting match with Angelina and Alicia watching, pleased that they had trained the redheads well. Really, Katie thought that the team should stick together better but she didn't want to spend more time with the guys on it than she had to.
Sure, Fred and George could be fun but they were also lacking in tact and while Ron had improved his manners and behaviour, he still had a long way to go, and all three of them had the Weasley temper.
Katie poked her head in the Hufflepuff side just after Cedric left. "Hi, mind if I join you?"
"Sure." Hermione said before looking at the others who were smiling at her. "Well, I don't mind, anyway."
Megan laughed, "I don't either. Really, it's fine, Katie. Hermione here just charges ahead like a Gryffindor sometimes."
Leanne agreed, "I think she would have made a fine Lion."
Katie shook her head. "I don't know. I'm not sure her housemates would have accepted her as easily. Hermione, you've got a drive to learn that would've boosted our averages but it could also have scared off potential friends. And can you imagine her and Ron Weasley in the same House?"
The Hufflegirls shuddered and Hermione replied. "I'm trying not to. And I think you're right about Gryffindor. So did Harry over there. He warned me that going into it just because someone famous had was a bad reason, which Lockhart proved the following year, then he said Hufflepuff would be a good place to get friends."
"And it was." Harry added with a grin, "I mean, you're ambitious enough to be in Slytherin but that doesn't change the fact that it would've been terrible for you there. Seven years with Draco Malfoy? I told the Hat if it placed me there, I might be forced to destroy the House to protect my family."
Katie was shocked. "You were almost put in Slytherin?"
"The Hat said I had the traits that all the Founders admired." Harry shrugged. "I've never made a secret of my belief that there are some silly things going on at Hogwarts. The Sorting is one of the worst of them. Not only is it splitting kids up based on a momentary state that is almost certain to change before they leave Hogwarts, but it's done by violating the minds of innocents - and Malfoys. My parents were furious when they heard how the Sorting was done."
"Yes, Harry, we know." Susan said affectionately. "Enough of that. Now, Katie, how can we help you?"
Katie blinked at the change of subject then blushed. "I was hoping for a massage? That game went on for ages and you two," she looked at Leanne and Megan, "are even more of a terror with a beater's bat than the twins."
The two girls just grinned, taking it as a high compliment. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," she said dryly, "but it left me stiff and sore. Harry? Would you be willing to help me?" Katie looked nervous for the simple reason that for the kind of thing she needed she'd have to strip completely.
"Of course, Katie." Harry replied, catching the pleased expressions on his girls' faces.
"It's just," she paused and took a breath as she gathered her courage, "this would be the first time I'll be naked in front of you."
Harry hid his surprise at this. There was no actual need for nudity in their massages. It was simply easier on him to do it that way and by now, none of his Jewels wanted it any other way. "Would it help if I swore not to tell any of the guys about this?"
"No, you don't need to do that but thanks for the offer." And without further ado, Katie walked over to the bench and stripped off quickly before hopping up on one of the massage tables, well aware of the Hufflegirls watching her.
Harry automatically slipped into his professional mode for a moment then backed slightly out of it. He started off with a light touch to help Katie relax and get used to the feeling of his hands on her body, keeping up a light conversation with her. In short order, he felt that extra tension leave her and saw Hermione smirking at him. He rolled his eyes but nodded anyway. 'Yes, Katie is a sexy girl and a good person. I can see exactly why Hermione wants her to join up. If Katie changes her mind, it wouldn't be any hardship on me.'
He turned his attention back to the girl melting under his magic hands, turning up the intensity of the pleasure she was receiving as he added medical chakra to accelerate the healing of her abused muscles. Her feminine moans lasted until Harry finished and Katie pouted up at him before getting up and dressed.
She gave him a kiss on the cheek and headed back to the castle. Behind her, the Hufflepuffs had a private celebration of the victory.
That night, the Hufflepuff Common Room was filled with cheering students who welcomed their triumphant team. Cedric stayed up late with a nice Ravenclaw girl then went back to studying hard the following day. Even if it was a Sunday, he still had a heavy exam load to get through and not a lot of time left to prepare.
The other Seventh and Fifth Years likewise were feeling the pressure of the approaching tests. Some dealt with it better than others. The Weasley boys, everyone agreed, dealt with the stress worse than most. While the twins took to practising their spellwork by pranking the hell out of anyone they saw, Ron Weasley reverted to old habits, his dinnertime manners completely deserting him until his girlfriend slapped him for stealing food off her fork. A grovelling apology and a trip to a broom closet later, Ron was feeling more relaxed and other students could eat in peace, though they still looked away by necessity while he was eating.
Harry and the Jewels dealt with the stress by making more use of their clones, who would do the reading, while the real ones retreated to private quarters and made love like crazy in between mastering their spells. Harry had an extra set of spells to try out thanks to what he had seen in Dumbledore's duel, ones he shared with the witches including Nym, Angelique and Amelia. Amelia was especially grateful for the training and set her clone to taking care of as much as possible while she and her bodyguards picked up some of the most immediately useful.
All too soon, they sat their exams and had nothing left to do. Minerva looked proudly at Harry and his Jewels. All of them had taken her lessons to heart and the extra time the clones allowed her gave her a chance to provide far more personal instruction to her students, but these were the special ones in her heart.
The Weasley twins decided to go out with a bang, knowing that their results were now in the Ministry's hands rather than the school's and there was little enough the staff could do to punish them. Minerva proved them wrong directly after they unleashed some of their fireworks on a first year Gryffindor and Slytherin Charms class. She took away their wands and confined them to Gryffindor Tower, only allowed to leave for their own classes, and eating in their dorms. Their prank supplies were also confiscated to safeguard the other students from the dangerously bored duo.
The final evening of the term was for a change rather warm but down in the Dungeons it was cooler, all the better for keeping a constant environment for the potions ingredients. Also in the Dungeons was the Potions Master Horace Slughorn.
Horace was a man who loved his creature comforts. However, he was not without enemies, including Voldemort, and he knew that while Hogwarts' wards were the strongest he could get behind, there were plenty of other ways to get at someone other than direct attack.
As such, Horace took his own precautions. He always locked his doors and placed monitoring spells on the corridor outside his quarters. He checked his food and drink with the aid of an enchanted ring that buzzed whenever it detected him holding a magical poison. In all the years it had never failed to warn him.
That was why he never expected someone would be able to drug him. Unfortunately for him, his ring was useless against the entirely non-magical agent Harry had injected into his neck while the man was sitting at his desk reading. All it did was induce a short term numbing of his limbs. Harry had no intention of killing the man. Not yet at least.
While the drug kept the man immobile, Harry walked silently behind him, placing a Disillusioned pair of magic-suppressing handcuffs on the old wizard, still wearing the Invisibility Cloak. After allowing a full minute longer than needed for the handcuffs to work, Harry started weaving a Hell Viewing Illusion on his target.
Immediately, he felt Slughorn slip under as his chakra invaded the other man's mind, altering his perceptions. Slughorn started screaming in terror less than a minute later. At the five minute mark, Harry decided to give a quick reprieve. After all, he could always put the man back under if he needed more convincing.
Using Bartemius Crouch's voice, Harry started his interrogation. "Tell me, Horace. Did you really think your secrets were safe forever?"
"Bartemius? What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing? Release me!"
"Hardly, Horace, old chap." The mocking reply unnerved him. "I need something big to get me back where I belong and you are going to give it to me."
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Horace said bluffing.
"Yes. You do. Someone was most indiscreet, you see, about your little secret and now I know, too. I know you gave help to a Slytherin student, telling him something about the Dark Arts that no one should ever have dug up. Horcruxes, Horace. Just how much did you tell him? What did he tell you in return? You know the answer to that and before the night is over, I will too, or you will never enjoy another box of crystallised pineapple or a free ticket to Quidditch. I already know you have lied about this before, providing a fake memory to that soft old fool Albus. You won't do that to me, will you, Horace?"
"No, no, I won't!"
"Good, Horace, good because you'll get more of this if you do." Harry rewove the Illusion technique and Slughorn's screams again filled the room for half a minute before he let up to preserve the man's voice.
"Please! Anything but more of that!" Horace begged.
"Then give me what I want."
"I can't! It will ruin me."
"No. I will ruin you if you don't, Horace. If you give me what I want, I will be able to use it to fight You-Know-Who and secure my position at the Ministry. I may even keep your name out of it if you are suitably convincing. Defy me and you will be found in the morning outside St Mungo's, your mind gone and your name destroyed for all time. Don't even think to test me, Horace. I have no time to waste. That bitch Bones is already seducing my old allies away from me and I can't let her get any others. Now. Talk!"
"I have a Pensieve, Crouch."
"So?"
"I can show you the memory."
"Another fake." 'Crouch' sneered.
"No! The real one! I swear it on my life!" The brief glow of a true Oath convinced Harry and he nodded.
"Then concentrate on the memory now." Harry drew his wand and pulled the thread from Slughorn's temple, taking it over to the hidden Pensieve Slughorn kept, and while his clones kept an eye on the slippery Slytherin, Harry dived into the memory.
He came up full of rage at his prisoner. Harry had to employ every bit of his willpower, every little trick he knew, to stop himself from unleashing the very worst tortures he knew upon the piece of filth before him. When he had conquered his anger, he turned back to the slimy man.
"What else did you tell him that shouldn't, Horace? What other rewards did you give him for his flattery?"
"Nothing much! Certainly nothing he could have abused like that." Horace cried, tears again running down his cheek.
"Why did you not come forward twenty years ago?"
"I was too afraid! I was sure if I did that, He would find out and then he would kill me for revealing his secrets."
"Hmm, well, you have given me what I need. I suppose I could be generous..." 'Crouch' trailed off.
"Oh, please, please!"
"How about a Memory Charm then? You would be able to forget all about this night and no one need know about this," Crouch offered in a silky voice. "You would be able to tell Him that you didn't spill the secret and he would have to believe you. We all know you would never allow anyone to Obliviate you so he would never expect it, especially if you could say under Veritaserum that you didn't remember telling anyone."
"Why are you asking me instead of just doing it?" Horace asked, seizing on what appeared to be an inconsistency.
"A Memory Charm is more effective if the subject cooperates, Horace. It then uses your own magic to help sustain itself against intrusion or discovery. I am somewhat surprised you had never heard that. It is for your own good." Harry made it up on the spot so it really wasn't a surprise. However, if he had read Slughorn right, he would believe the lie, he was that desperate, and the consent provided would protect Harry legally.
"Alright, I agree. Anything to escape from this nightmare."
Good enough for Harry. Hell, he might even be able to use that to get off any other charges from this night, if it ever came to light. Harry drew his wand and cast a silent Memory Charm, replacing the visit with a memory of reading through the papers on his desk, even including the text he should have read in the missing time to make the substitution harder for him to discover.
After that, all that was left was to clean up the mess. The handcuffs were removed by a clone while Slughorn was still out of it and the other clones removed any other evidence. They replaced the Pensieve in its hiding spot and put the memory strand in a bottle Harry had brought for the occasion. Last of all, they cleaned off Harry's footprints and so forth as he left the office, the door locking itself as a last clone pushed it closed. Their job done, the clones dispelled and Harry had got away clean.
Hundreds of miles south in Cranleigh, Harry's clones suddenly got the memory of the interrogation. Each of them headed to the kitchen, gathering the Clan as they went.
"What is it, Harry?" Naruto asked.
"Boss got that mission done with old Slughorn." Harry's head clone reported. "Only he gave Boss the memory and when he came out, he was angrier than we've ever been. I don't know what the memory was, but Boss is bringing it home with him. We need to tell Amelia at least, and I'd say Minerva too since she's Slughorn's boss. If it's as bad as it looks, she'll need to know. She'd never forgive me if I withheld vital information from her."
Phone calls were made and letters sent to allies up and down the country, looking to gather everyone as soon as possible. If they were lucky, they could get everyone together the following weekend.
With the last morning of the school year dawning, many of the students were running around frantically, trying to get all the last minute things done like packing, organising when to meet up with friends, and other activities they could have done in advance.
Amidst the chaos, the Jewels were an island of calm, knowing that between their own clones and Harry, they had already finished what those like Ron Weasley were only just starting, and they laughed and chatted with each other and their friends, lending a hand where it was wanted.
Minerva gave her first Leaving Feast speech. She started by awarding the Quidditch Cup to a deliriously happy Cedric Diggory. He called up the rest of the team and all the reserves before holding the Cup aloft to the cheers of the Badgers.
Once the team returned to their seats and the noise died down, Minerva admonished the Seventh Years that they should not seek to forget the lessons they had learned. Instead she challenged them to put their best feet forwards as they used their bravery and intelligence, their cunning and hard work, to make the best of their lives. The Slytherins were surprised by this public support of their House's values by the former Head of Gryffindor and unconsciously stood a little prouder. Even the ones who were already on their way to becoming Death Eaters despite the improvements to their society were affected.
To the younger students, Minerva added, "I expect that all of you are eager to be out of here and to begin your holidays. I also expect that each of you will complete your assigned homework." There were a number of groans about that but they could hardly claim to be surprised by that.
"Nevertheless, you should also take this opportunity to explore the variety of experiences the wider world has to offer, but do remember to stay safe. Now that Voldemort is back, it has become more dangerous in our world. Keep in contact with your friends and family and if you see anything suspicious, warn your parents or the Aurors as appropriate. It is up to each of us to do our parts to oppose the evil actions of these cowards who seek to throw away our shared humanity. I know that you will do me proud."
She looked around one last time, letting her words echo then announced. "Dismissed."
Harry had taken the time to inform Minerva via a clone of what he had discovered as soon as she returned to her office. He was right.
"Why didn't you tell me this last night?" she demanded.
"Minerva, not even the Jewels know this yet and you had a speech to give. Would you have been able to act like nothing was wrong if you had known?"
"No, but that still doesn't mean you had the right to keep it secret from me."
"I'm sorry, Minerva. You are right and I never intended to deny you. In my own way, I was trying to look out for you." Harry hung his head. He knew he was in the wrong but he hadn't seen any good solutions, only bad ones.
Minerva glared a little longer then let out the breath she had been holding. "Would I be correct to think that you kept an eye on my Potions Master all night?"
"And even now, Minerva." Harry nodded. "I made sure he didn't do anything he shouldn't."
"Very well, I suppose you were doing the best you could." She sighed. "And even if you had told me last night, I could not have been sure he would have been gone any sooner. While I would still like to know these things sooner, Mr Potter, I can understand why you didn't tell me straight away."
"Mr Potter?" Harry asked, feeling hurt by the more formal address.
"Well, you are supposed to come to me first, Harry."
"I did tell you at the first good opportunity. I wonder how Minister Bones is taking it."
"Harry?"
"Another clone is telling her now about it. She is the Minister in the midst of a civil war and this is information vital to the war effort. Of course I had to tell her. And I'm still not sure how many crimes Slughorn committed by telling Riddle in the first place, and then by hiding it later."
Minerva winced. She admitted her temper could get the better of her at times, but she would not like to be between Amelia Bones and the subject of her ire, not when it involved crimes this significant. While she thought about that, Harry started massaging her tense shoulders. "Bribery will get you nowhere, Harry," she said with a smile before giving in and enjoying it.
"HE WHAT?!"
Harry reflected to himself that Amelia had quite the set of lungs on her. Her bodyguards, DMLE personnel all of them, weren't far behind.
"I said, Boss discovered that the Dark Lord has almost certainly created half a dozen of these artefacts and that he had planned to do so from his days at Hogwarts."
Amelia paced up and down her office. "So, we've got a Potions Master who taught the Dark Arts to one of his students in exchange for some sweets and a little flattery. We also have a former Headmaster, Chief Warlock and so forth who knew about this but allowed said Potions Master to hide the details. All the while he was keeping this vital information to himself, away from my Aurors who were dying trying to fight Riddle. And last but not least, we have a Dark Lord who is immortal?!"
"No." Harry's voice was firm. "The Dark Lord has already died twice, maybe three or four times if you include the time he possessed Quirrell and the Chamber of Secrets. He is not immortal. He is not invulnerable. There is no reason to panic. We are now significantly closer to killing him for good."
Amelia stopped in her tracks, finally able to engage her brain again in its normal efficient operation. "He'll have put protections on them."
"Of course."
"And hidden them. But only in places he can get back to. Places he feels he controls."
"Which will make finding them easier than just some field in the middle of nowhere." Harry was carefully optimistic.
"We will still need to search a lot of places," Amelia countered.
"At least we know to look for them."
"He may have given some to his inner circle for safekeeping."
"He did give at least one. That diary that I destroyed."
"We're already one step closer then." Amelia sighed, giving a tentative smile. "Thank you again for that. Very well, I will make myself available for the meeting whenever it's called."
The Jewels drifted down towards Hogsmeade Station in a big group rather than taking the carriages. A number of their friends accompanied them on the walk though most students got a lift. Included in that list of friends, despite the best efforts of Draco and her own family, was Pansy Parkinson.
Hidden from any hostile eyes, Pansy was relaxed and it showed as she was pestering the other girls for details. "Oh please? I just want to hear what really happened. I know from overhearing Nancy Yaxley that the ferret's own mother was seen walking out of the Foxy Lady twice last week, and again the week before that."
"You know that if we knew anything like that, we couldn't share it with anyone who wasn't prepared to keep our secrets." Tracey gave her a challenging smile. She had tried once before to get Pansy to swear such an Oath but the other girl had delayed so much that Tracey gave up.
"Besides, even if you do find out something suitably interesting, you know you couldn't share the gossip or use it to harm anyone's reputation."
"Oh, I know all that!" Pansy replied. "I just want to know so I can picture the look on the ferret's pale, pointed face the next time he goes on about how much purer he is than the common folk." Her face twisted with distaste as she talked about Draco.
"He does like to go on about it." Sophie agreed with considerable understatement.
"And how his family never use anything from 'dirty Muggles'."
"While using quills, parchment and everything else." Daphne smiled. "Ok, Pansy, if you show us, then we might be able to give you what you're after."
Harry turned up behind the four girls at that point as Pansy swore never to reveal any of their secrets nor to allow them to be discovered by her negligence. Harry was surprised she went that far as he returned to chatting with Susan and Hannah.
"Well, I think we can help you." Tracey announced with a foxy grin. "You see, a few of Harry's ladies work in the store. Business has been picking up slowly as word got around that the Minister is wearing stylish new clothes from there."
Pansy nodded impatiently.
"Ok, you know that. Mrs Malfoy came in to have a look and a sneer the first time but she was impressed by the quality and range. However, off the rack just isn't as good a fit as tailored clothing can give you so she demanded a private session with the master tailor." Tracey had a saucy smile now.
"Wait, what's so funny about that?"
Tracey made a quick check that no one could hear them. "Well, the tailor, the one who makes all the clothing in the store, is-"
"Me." Harry's voice behind her made Pansy jump to the carefully hidden delight of the girls.
"You? But how? I know that they have got in new stock during term and besides, I've never even seen you sew."
"That's a surprise for later." Harry grinned. "For now, well-" Suddenly, Pansy was aware of a second Harry beside the first that no one seemed to notice. Both grinned at her then walked off with Padma and Parvati.
"Am I seeing double?" Pansy asked in shock then groaned as she heard what she'd said.
"Anyway, Harry made his way to the shop and gave Mrs Black a full-service fitting, including massage, manicure, pedicure, perfumes and brushes, even a chocolate mousse!"
"What's so special about some dessert?"
"It's the one that won't harm your diet." Daphne put in, eyes twinkling.
"Seven hours later, Mrs Malfoy left the store after having Harry's hands over every inch of her body, radiant and more confident than before. The very next day, she was back for more 'fittings.'" Sophie's face showed just how amused she was.
"And now, she's well and truly hooked!" Tracey finished. "It wasn't just the two visits last week. It was five. It would have been seven if she could manage it. She's had Harry's hands on her more in just this last week than she has her husband's in an entire year."
Sophie interjected. "And the best part of it all? As good as they are, the clothes she gets are inferior creations compared to what Harry makes for us but she has still spent enough Galleons to pay for the entire shop and its stock as well as the clothes worn by 'those of lesser blood'."
"No, the best part is the way the Pureblood princess of the Black family is treating the Muggle shopkeepers as her equals." Daphne claimed.
Pansy quickly drew her wand, putting up a silencing spell before her composure broke, laughing at it all. "Oh Merlin, even if I can't tell anyone or lord it over Malfoy, that was still worth the price! Mrs Malfoy treating Muggles as her equals and making the Boy-Who-Lived's vaults grow for the privilege of getting his hands on her. You can tell Harry that he doesn't have to explain. I've already got more than I expected."
'You don't know just how true that is!' the girls thought.
On the train, Neville sought out Harry.
"Hey mate." Harry called as he saw the Gryffindor's face. "What's the matter?"
Neville paused, nervous again. "I- I just wanted to ask if you've got any other surprises for me like last hols, Harry."
Harry smiled. "Not just yet. I can come up with one if you want, I guess."
"No! No, that's fine, Harry. I'm not sure I could take another shock like that. I love me Mum and Dad and it's great having them in my life but when you sprung that on me, for a moment I was sure it wasn't real and that you were taunting me. I know you weren't," Neville added hurriedly, "but I don't really like surprises."
"Don't worry, Nev, I won't do that to you." Harry knew that for most of Neville's life, surprises were a euphemism for things that were supposed to trick him into displaying magic, things that nearly killed him on multiple occasions.
"But you will to other people?"
"Of course, after all, some people deserve them. Good surprises for good people."
Neville nodded, completing the sentence in his mind. "So you won't surprise me, then?"
"I can't guarantee that you won't be surprised," Harry hedged, "but I won't target you with them. You're my good friend, not just my vassal." He was pleased to see Neville took the joke as one.
Neville let out a shaky laugh. "Thanks, Harry."
Neville left soon after, going to sit with Justin and Ernie during the ride, watching Star Wars with the guys. At King's Cross, he got out of the train with his trunk and toad, looking around for his grandmother. He made it only five steps before he was engulfed in his mother's arms. A second later, his father joined them. A breath after that and they were gone to Longbottom House.
A big sign read "Welcome home, Neville!" and the young man smiled through his tears. It was only when dinner was over that he thought to ask where his grandmother and great uncle were. While the answers surprised him, Neville was more comfortable with their eviction than he thought.
"Thanks, Dad. You're the best." Knowing he would never have to worry about their attitudes lifted a weight from his shoulders. He didn't even mind when Alice told him that she hoped to be pregnant by the end of the year, such was his good mood. Things were looking up for the small but growing family.
At the Kitsune Compound, the traditional party was well underway. It was the only place big enough for the parents of students in the Potter Alliance to assemble and Naruto and his wives were more than willing to play host to them. The one problem came when Matt Granger had to be calmed down after his wife got too much attention wearing some very skimpy clothes created for her by Harry rather than the more extensive clothes she had promised to wear.
In the Jewels Wing, Harry was throwing his own party, glad to have all of them under the one roof and away from the prying eyes of the other students. While Amelia and Angelique sipped some Firewhiskey, the others drank Butterbeer or other soft drinks, dancing more and more sexily as the sun went down. There were plenty of snacks as well as more substantial offerings but the girls didn't overdo it. No, they were saving themselves for the orgy to follow.
Lavender had almost triggered it early when she came home to the Compound and darted into her bedroom, changing into the sluttiest outfit she owned. It included a beautiful floral lace overlay, wide tank style neckline, full panel back and lace trim hemline with an attached curve hugging fitted 'v' neck dress with straight hem underneath. She had taken up the hem of the dress from the early version, raising it from mid-thigh to just barely covering her round butt. She made some clones and together they stalked Harry. Happily for the others, especially Angelique, Fleur and Nym who had plans, Harry was more than willing to scratch Lavender's itch, then help her up and get her out for the party.
On the dance floor, Lavender and Parvati were dancing together, grinding against each other to put on a show for the others. Halfway through the song, Parvati's hands moved to Lavender's cheeks, kissing her passionately and Lavender forgot all her plans to get Harry in her, picking up her dormmate and strutting over in her heels to a loveseat where they made out. When Parvati let her up for air, Lavender wiggled her butt as she put on a show with the other girl for Harry.
Harry's French ladies, Fleur, Yvette and Angelique, decided that was their cue but before they could do anything, Ashley got there first, leading Meaghan, Michelle, Ella, Stephanie and Sandra to the centre of the dance floor. These six girls were Harry's first friends and still held a special place in Harry's affections though he had quickly come to love Hermione, Susan and Daphne just as much over the years. They had opened up to him and each other so much that he couldn't help but return every bit of their love for him.
One after another, each girl called up Harry's clones to the centre. Ashley reminded the girls that they had set the whole thing off by agreeing to share Harry's love. "Every morning, I wake up and it hits me all over again. Harry, his many clones, and all of you in my life. And every morning, I smile and tell myself it was the best decision I ever made. You have each shared a special part of yourselves with us when you joined, and I love you all."
The cheers at this affirmation redoubled when Ashley pulled Harry into a searing kiss before allowing him to guide them to a loveseat where they took things further. Ashley showed off the apron she wore underneath her party dress, reminding him of all the fun they'd had together in kitchens.
Meaghan was next, blushing a touch under the attention. "I can't believe sometimes that I ever got involved in something this weird. Then I see your smiles and I feel your love, and I know that I made the right call. Thank you, my loves, for making loving you easy to do." She took Harry to a couch, her smile widening as she heard the others.
Michelle didn't bother making a speech. Her forte lay in actions anyway. She put on her sexiest dance, roping in Harry and Nym for the end of it.
Ella and Stephanie smiled at the Jewels and sashayed over to the spa, shedding clothes as they went, and proceeding to demonstrate how close they were to each other as well as to a pair of Harry's clones, with Ella accepting every one of Harry's 'orders' with a broad smile. Last of all, Sandra claimed who she thought was the real Harry, beckoning over Susan and kissing the redhead wantonly.
The rest of the Jewels dissolved into smaller knots, each kissing, fondling and caressing each other and Harry's clones in a party that went on until the small hours of the morning. As it happened, the real Harry was monopolised by Hermione, Susan and Daphne returning the pampering he loved to shower on them.
Thank you for reading. As always, my thanks go out to my helpful betas for their work and letting me use them as sounding boards.