Harry was sat in an ornate high back chair in the lord's study. The chair was an antique piece left behind from the previous Lord Black and it was a matching set with the African Blackwood desk he was sitting behind. The desk itself spanned a massive seven feet across and the front was decorated handsomely with the Black Family's coat of arms. The entire set was wrought through the use of magic and laden with many privacy charms to protect the family's secrets. It was the single most important piece of furniture in the entire manor.
Sat behind the desk, Harry can feel the prestige and power that was at his command. It wasn't just figuratively either. Inside the desk, the family grimoire of spells and rituals was stored behind heavy blood wards. The book of secrets with blackmail materials on every single noble house in the Wizengamot was tucked in the top drawer of the desk. The signed treaties and agreements with the Black Family's allies were stored in another drawer. It was no understatement to say that the entirety of the Black's political affluence was consolidated here, in the desk in front of him.
Sat behind the desk, as the Lord Black of Black, he was unassailable. This was his throne, his seat of power. No member of the Black Family may question him, or deny him when he occupies this chair. His demands are heard and obeyed, and followed through. Deals and treaties with the family was signed on this desk, where no trickery shall pass by unnoticed. Any words spoken before the desk were bound by the most stringent of secrecy oaths. This was where the Family Magic was at its strongest. No spells can harm the Lord Black when he was sat behind the desk.
Harry leant back against the chair as he threw his feet up impudently onto the top of the desk. He gave a big old yawn as he looked over the mess sprawled over the top of his desk. He has heard enough stories about the desk from Kreacher and Andi. He didn't really care much for it. It was useful, he would admit, but that's all it meant to him. A tool to be used… and right now, it's serving its purpose as a footrest.
There weren't many Blacks left for him to command as the Lord Black, and Harry wasn't afraid of someone trying to attack him or double-cross him. He was confident in his abilities to take down anyone foolish enough to try. He was after all, one of the most powerful mages in the world.
The ninth to be exact.
But he wasn't too concerned about that. He was still young, much younger than the rest of the most powerful mages who count their ages by the centuries.
He was in England.
His home country.
Foreign mages are wary of attacking him while he was here, for it was known as the land of the sleeping dragon. Harry's knowledge of history was spotty at best, but he has learnt enough during his travels to know that each and every magical nation had its own protections. It was what allowed them to thrive and prosper for millennia.
Britain, Britannia, or otherwise known as Albion… to the mages in the East, was lying dormant for now. But it would be unwise to rouse the sleeping dragon before its time. For the most parts, mages had stuck to their own birth nations where they are protected by the magic of their motherland. Only the strongest of them would be brave enough to travel to other nations.
There are of course exceptions, like the allied nations or a powerful mage willing to host them for their stay. Most of the member nations of the ICW are allied and travel between them are relatively easy. Mages travelling in those nations are offered some protection by the ICW, discouraging others from attacking them lest they face the combined sanction of every member state. It was also the reason Harry spent the first year of his journey travelling around Europe. He was preparing himself, mentally and magically, before he entered the non-ICW nations.
Harry had wondered after the end of the Second Wizarding War, why the other nations were so reluctant to provide aid to wizarding Britain. It was not until he started his journey, that he came to understand that interference between nations was highly restricted and only as a last resort. Grindelwald being the exception, as the allied nations were left with no choice. He had after all, upended the entire ICW into a state of war.
Of the allied nations, MACUSA was the only one that could provide aid to wizarding Britain. The dominant magic community in the US was formed from wizards and witches that have emigrated from Britain during the 1600s. It wasn't until the end of the 1700s that they formally broke ties with Britain and became their own magical nation. As such, there was still plenty of leeway for interference or foreign aid between the two nations. But alas, MACUSA was reluctant to involve themselves in another conflict with a dark lord, lest they attract his attention. Grindelwald's uprising was bad enough and they could do without seeing a dark lord for the next century. What's more, the cesspool that stood for the British Ministry of Magic had garnered no favor amongst their international allies.
Coming back to his senses, Harry shook his head wryly.
No.
He wasn't afraid. Not of anyone in the British Isles. He was the strongest here. Well, amongst those that are alive or awake, at the very least. He might not be the most knowledgeable but his immense magical reserve grants him ridiculous resistance against foreign magic. He was reasonably confident that a killing curse from the average wizard would give him a nose bleed in the worst-case scenario.
Harry took a moment to examine the view outside the tall windows of the lord's study. The dark heavy clouds hanging overhead blotted out the sunlight making everything outside seem greyer.
It's been a week since Harry returned to jolly old England.
The weather was as miserable as he remembered it.
Ron and Hermione had yet to meet up with each other, to his great surprise. He was certain that the charms were not dispelled because he can still trace the spell signatures.
'Do they not meet up very often?' Harry mused to himself.
'I thought they were still dating each other… Or is Hermione too busy with her work at the Department of Mysteries?'
Harry could activate the listening charm he had tacked on to Ron when they went out for a drink a couple nights ago… It was likely to uncover more of the mystery. Was it a problem with Ron or Hermione or both? They hardly seem like a couple. Or was he mistaken and they had broken up without him realizing it. That would mean all his preparations were for naught. Harry mumbled to himself as he toyed with one of the dolls on his desk.
He could feel feedback coming from the doll. Feelings of joy and elation. Harry smiled to himself as he caressed the doll softly. This doll was linked to a female companion he had met during his travels. They had formed an impromptu party together for about a week before he had to resume his journey. It was a very entertaining week, filled with drama, adventure, action and a lot of passionate sex.
Ahh… sweet Lara. The Sun Queen Himiko was a bitch… but overall, he had fun travelling with them. They were fortunate that Harry had joined their expedition when they made a brief stop at Japan for supplies and repairs when their ship was damaged by a freak storm. What would have been a nightmarish experience for them turned out relatively tame with Harry accompanying them. Well, it was tame for him. He wasn't so sure the rest of the crew agreed with him. As a farewell gift, he even repaired their ship for them.
Which reminds him, Lara lives in London. He should visit her sometime or invite her to his manor when she's back in England. From the doll's feedback, Harry could tell she was still overseas, somewhere. Her wanderlust and taste for adventures mirrors his own.
Picking up another doll, Harry sent a small jolt of magic through it. A sense of euphoria and happiness.
Ahh, she climaxed from that little jolt. This particular girl was especially sensitive. Harry smirked to himself as he recalled her writhing body under his. She didn't possess magic of her own, but she was blessed with superhuman abilities of the Slayer by an ancient African ritual. Harry had met her during his stay in sunny California and he was wroth to find out that she alone was burdened with the task of defending against vampires and demons in the United States. That was a task handled by the protectors of the realm in all the other magical communities he had come across. Harry had reamed the officials of MACUSA for neglecting their duties and nearly caused an international conflict.
He still had a bone to pick with the Watchers' Council.
Of course, it had to be the British! Who else could have coined the term "the Chosen One". Harry grinded his teeth as he recalled that particular title.
Now that he was back in Britain, they were literally neighbours. He had promised Buffy that he would help her out any way he could. Kicking the assholes sitting halfway across the world would be a good start. They better start providing Buffy more help than a single Watcher.
Harry made sure to check that the protective talismans on the doll are still working properly. It was his way of providing help and protection when he was away. He was glad that he had mastered voodoo magic. He would be alerted if they need his help in person.
Oops, he had to be careful with Buffy's doll. It was already night time in California and she might be out patrolling. Shaky legs would be an inconvenience in the middle of a fight with the undead. Checking the doll again, Harry reassured himself. 'Well, it doesn't look like she's in trouble.'
Maybe he'll invite her to Britain for a holiday. As the host, his protection will keep Buffy safe during her stay. She may be classified as a no-maj, but her deep involvement with the magical side of things would still set her apart as a potential target. It was kind of a murky area, since she won't be under the protection of the ICW as a no-maj. Without his protection, she would only have backing from the Watchers' Council, which doesn't amount to much. They would probably just let her die and wait for the replacement Slayer.
A disposable tool.
Harry's eyes narrowed slightly as he contemplates what he should do with the council. He could potentially change the Slayer ritual, so that they are more powerful and the time it took for a replacement becomes much longer. It would increase their importance and value. But that would give the Watchers' Council a powerful tool they could exploit.
No, he would have to keep them under a tight leash. Or an oath to keep them honest… Food for thought. He would have to bench this for another day.
Rubbing his temples in annoyance, Harry came to a sudden realization.
Somehow, quite a few of the adventures he had ran into during his travels had some sort of British influence. He would have to pay closer attention to what was happening on the British Isles. The last few decades had seen an increase in arrogance and supremacists and it has undeniably influenced the organizations based in Britain. The Watchers' Council only played a minor role in the grand scheme of things. He has to focus on the governing body of wizarding Britain, the Wizengamot.
Harry reflected on what he had learnt so far after coming back to Britain.
The wizarding world seems to have returned to normal. Normal, as in the purebloods were still entrenched in their positions of power in the Wizengamot. Despite having stabilized the unrest from the war, Harry can tell that darkness was still festering in the background. It was only time before another dark lord rises with their current political climate.
What can he do about it? Or rather, what should he do about it?
During his journey, he had come across and observed many different types of government systems and they all had their ups and downs.
In magical China, they had a monarchy system where the emperor rules over his subjects. A popular system that had survived from the medieval era. Harry had seen several different examples of a monarchy in some of the magical communities in Europe, but not all of them were pretty. Some of them were suffering under suppression, others under the brutality and whims of the reigning monarch.
In magical India, they have a caste system, which leads to great disparity in wealth. Although poverty in magical India was very different from real poverty. They still had all their basic needs met like food and shelter, courtesy of magic. There was also the issue with gender inequality.
The magical communities in the United States and Japan are the closest to what Harry would call democracy. Their communities have blended well with the no-majs and had adopted many of their progressive ideas. It was something Harry could appreciate. There's no reason to ignore the progress the no-majs have made if they could borrow their ideas to improve their own society.
There are many ideas and policies Harry would like to see introduced into wizarding Britain.
However, there was one thing Harry was certain of.
The House system was there to stay.
Even as ignorant as he was during his Hogwarts years, he knew that the House system was tied intrinsically to the foundation of magic in Britain. But that didn't mean society as a whole had to stay unchanged.
The ancient and noble families have their duties to uphold and they are granted specific privileges to help them carry out those duties. Nonetheless, the pureblood dogma has to go. Generations of incestuous marriages had led to inbreeding and the declining birth rate was just one of the many symptoms.
Furthermore, the ineptitude displayed by the ministry workers lends credence to the principle that people should be hired according to their merits and abilities, instead of their pedigree.
Having thought about the issue for some time, Harry realized that he could split his tasks into two categories.
In the first category, are the tasks that can only be achieved through political maneuvering in the Wizengamot, such as proposing new bills and reformation. He would have to gather allies and build up his own political bloc.
Harry glanced at the small mountain of dossiers of information on his table. Andi had been busy during his absence, even when she had to care for Teddy. She had tabs on every single influential person in the Wizengamot and she had singled out several key players in the political arena that Harry had to watch out for.
At the top of the list was Narcissa Malfoy née Black. In spite of the penalties that the Malfoy estate had suffered after the Second Wizarding War, Narcissa had managed to hold on to the majority of their influence through sheer brilliance. She was a gifted politician, now that she was allowed to shine on her own, instead of hiding in the shadows masquerading herself as a trophy wife.
Draco will be able to take over what his mother had kept intact once his community service was over. From what he knew, there are still a few months left before it ends and Harry was thinking of exploiting that small opening before she transfers everything over to Draco. If Harry manages to acquire Narcsisa's support, then things would become overwhelmingly in his favor. With two of the Black sisters at his side, House Potter and House Black would soon regain their status as political juggernauts.
Yes… Harry assured himself. There was still time for him to take advantage of that opening. Draco was turning twenty-one in June, when he would technically be able to assume his position in the Wizengamot. Taking into account that he started his community service only after he finished his education at Hogwarts, that meant Harry had until the start of July to accomplish his goal.
In the second category, are the tasks that he can accomplish through his own actions. He would have to take the initiative and gather favorable support from the public by contributing to the society.
Second of May… Harry drummed his fingers against his chin thoughtfully. It was an opportunity for him to announce his return to wizarding Britain. It also serves as a great opportunity for him to make the biggest impact with his actions. After all, the media's attention would all be gathered at the castle.
Harry nodded to himself. The third anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. It feels right to him, that he would announce his return on the day he gained his first taste of freedom.
He has to begin by making waves somewhere. He can't just announce his return and take over everything after being absent for nearly three years. There will be detractors, Harry was certain. The purebloods would be reluctant to see his return and the inevitable changes that Harry will bring with him. The public though… He is well aware that the general public will likely fold like sheep to his demands, should he ever deign to ask them for anything, but that was more than a bit tasteless in his opinion.
To Harry's dismay, the mania and hype around his fame has not died down in the slightest in his absence, not that he was expecting it to. He wonders if someone out there was exploiting his name once more, making merchandise and storybooks with his new appellation 'the Hero of Magical Britain'.
He might have to request the goblins to look into that.
But back to making waves.
Yes, it is better for him to contribute to society and shut his political enemies up before he truly steps into the political arena. After all, Harry did promise he would return as a better wizard and leader to guide wizarding Britain. Can't go breaking that promise now… it would tarnish his image and make things more difficult for him.
Hogwarts was the best choice in his opinion. It was Britain's premier wizarding school and all the prominent heirs attend the school. The castle was also his first real home, and he wants to help return peace to its halls.
At the end of the war, the castle was brimming with ghosts and it made the atmosphere a lot gloomier from what Andi had told him. Harry had caught glimpses of the ghosts and he was aware of their presence after the battle, but he didn't stay long enough to see how the returning students and professors would adapt to them. The castle had become a site of death and destruction after the battle, and the countless hours of work he and many others had put in to restore the castle did little to diminish the lingering feel of death.
He wonders what Hogwarts looked like after three years. He was there for most of the rebuilding but he didn't stay till the end, nor for the reopening of the school. The war was still fresh in the minds of everyone and it was hard to move on when the presence of the ghosts serve as constant reminder of the past. No, it would take a new generation for the pain to subside.
Unless Harry chose to act.
It would be a gift, he decided. A gift to Hogwarts, to wizarding Britain, to the family members still alive, and to the ghosts that are left to roam in the mortal plane. It was time to move on.
The rest of the afternoon passed by as Harry worked out the finer details of his plan.
His attention was drawn by a sudden knock on the door.
"Come in," Harry called out distractedly.
The door swung open silently, revealing Andi's slim form and his godson waddling in front of her.
Harry's eyes lit up as he spotted the two people closest to him in the world enter his study. Teddy clapped his hands and cried out in excitement when he saw Harry. The little metamorphmagus rushed towards him, and Harry caught him in his arms before settling the rambunctious child in his lap.
"Arry!" Teddy cheered.
Rocking one of his legs in a slight motion, Harry beamed down at his godson. Teddy had morphed his features into familiar bright green eyes and black unruly hair as he played with the buttons on Harry's shirt.
Andi chuckled silently as she watched the two males in her life interact with each other. She let the door close behind her as she gracefully seated herself before the Lord's desk. Her fingers caressed the wood softly as she felt the family magic run through her veins. She shuddered imperceptibly. She couldn't help but adopt a more formal comportment when she was in the lord's study, though Harry's easy grin eased most of the tenseness from her shoulders.
"How was your day?" Harry asked as he regarded Andi with interest.
Andi had brought Teddy along to the Malfoy manor to spend some time with her sister. They had rekindled their sisterly bonds after Andi had rejoined the Black family at the end of the war. Seeing as they were both without their spouses, and Draco was a grown man too busy to spend time with his mother, the two remaining Black sisters had quickly gotten closer as they fawned over adorable little Teddy. Harry was hoping to glean possible information that he could use to entice Narcissa.
"The usual. Cissy was complaining about being bored at home. She'll have to get used to it though, in a few months' time Draco will take over her place in the Wizengamot, and she'll be back to having nothing to do."
Harry quirked an eyebrow when heard what Andi said.
"Oh? She's looking for something to do? Is she bitter about having to give up the Malfoy seat to her son?"
Andi shook her head in denial. "Not from what I can tell. She likes playing the political games, but she's not attached to the position or anything like that. It's the political intrigue and outmaneuvering her opponents that keeps her interested."
"Interesting…" That was something Harry could work with.
But he decided to put those thoughts aside for now and focus on the beautiful lady in front of him.
Harry licked his lips slightly as he gave her an appreciative look. He really likes it when Andi was decked out in muggle clothes. The form-fitting dress molded to her figure flatteringly, emphasizing her bust and wide hips. He looked at her questioningly, wondering if she had something else planned for the day.
"We were wondering if you wanted to have dinner with us… Teddy wanted to go out to the muggle world. Lately, he's been obsessed with the kiddy meals since they come with a free toy."
"TOY!" Teddy cheered in agreement.
Harry laughed at his godson's exuberance. Figuring he could use the break and the company, Harry accepted her invitation.
"Give me a second and I'll go get changed into something more appropriate for muggle London."
Harry passed Teddy off to his grandmother, stealing a quick kiss from her in the process. He gave her butt a subtle grope, eliciting a soft moan from her lips, before making his way out of the study.
Andi bit her lips trying to stifle the threatening moan, not wanting to set a bad example in front of Teddy. She huffed silently in indignation as she felt herself getting a bit wet. Her thoughts straying a little. Maybe she could entice Harry into her bed for some late-night adult fun after putting Teddy to sleep. She clenched her thighs together in anticipation.
Teddy giggled innocently at the sight of his grandmother's rosy cheeks and gave her a kiss as well.
~v~
It was well past Teddy's bedtime by the time they returned to the Black Manor.
After a quick goodnight kiss to the both of them, Harry made his way back to the lord's study. He has to clean up the stuff on his desk and store them somewhere safe after organizing them. Especially the voodoo dolls.
The lord's study was inaccessible by those without Black blood or the lord's permission, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
A couple minutes later, Harry had everything stored into the Black desk. He also erected a couple more secrecy and protection wards he had learnt during his journey, and topped it off with a lock charmed to his magic signature.
A bit of an overkill, but he's gotten used to placing the specific set of wards.
Harry sat back down in the lord's chair and began rummaging through the top drawer of the desk.
Before long, an ornate black jewellery box lined with gold sat on the desk in front of him. Gazing at the box pensively, Harry pricked his thumb with a needle he conjured wandlessly, and swiped his blood on the golden clasp.
Click.
Lifting the lid carefully, Harry studied the two rings resting side by side in the velvet casing. On the right, a beautiful ruby stone sat majestically on top as the centerpiece of the golden ring. The Potter Family crest was etched deeply into the stone with magic, shining with a light of its own. On the left, a silver ring crowned by a Black Onyx stone sat, pulsing with power in tandem with the Black family magic that Harry can feel coursing under the wood of the desk.
Harry extracted the Potter ring with dexterous fingers and rolled it between his fingers, feeling the Potter family magic thrum in his veins. After a moment of hesitation, he steeled his nerves and slipped the ring onto his left pinky. The Potter family magic in him roared to life, turning his eyes a blinding gold before settling back down in Harry's core.
A connection was formed. A connection that wasn't there before. It was linked to his family magic, which leads to something bigger and grander. But it was still slumbering. Instinctively, he could tell it was related to the foundation of magic in Britain. He could feel subtle nudges coming from the connection directing his attention towards several matters that he would have to attend to in the near future.
A single word resonated in his mind.
Power.
The Potter family were the guardians of power in Britain. Magical power in Britain has been dwindling over the past century. The destruction of numerous noble families had exacerbated the problem, and inbreeding has led to new generations being born weaker magically.
He will have to fix the problem soon.
Harry reached out for the second ring and slipped it on the same left pinky. The rings merged together, as the goblins had warned him. He could split the rings apart in the future, if he wanted two separate lines of succession. The houses would remain separate entities due to their nature as noble and most ancient houses since the duties upheld by each house have to remain distinct.
A second surge of magic poured into Harry's body, this time from the ring and the desk. The surge entered through his meridians before settling down in his core. This time, the surge was quieter, subtler, a more ethereal feeling.
A second connection was formed. Linking him to the same slumbering foundation, through a different path. Harry can also feel several nudges coming from the connection.
Spirit.
Harry understood his task with surprising clarity. He has to send the lingering ghosts to the afterlife. There were way too many ghosts lurking in Britain right now, no doubt a by-product of the Second Wizarding War. The dementors were also a problem. The souls that should have gone on to the afterlife were trapped in them.
Despite not being born with Black family magic in him, Harry felt an unexpected kinship with the family magic as it settled in him. Subconsciously, he began stroking the elder wand as it purred in his hands.
Harry gulped silently. A disconcerting feeling that destiny and fate loomed ahead of him.
Harry stared at the combined ring resting on his left pinky solemnly. He had avoided formally claiming the two lord's rings after the Battle of Hogwarts, choosing to avoid the topic and leaving Britain soon after.
His visit to Gringotts after the war to smooth things over with the goblins were thankfully uneventful. He had gone in expecting them to demand for his head after his little stunt, but Harry suspects that with how influential he had become after the war… targeting him would be the equivalent of instigating a war against wizarding Britain.
Harry supposed that they were lucky that the goblins weren't in great shape either after Voldemort's short reign of terror. After a brief meeting with the goblin king, they had come to an understanding. The goblins won't mention the Sword of Gryffindor, and Harry would keep his silence about the break in and Griphook's betrayal. Harry was thankful for this, as he wouldn't have been able to go on the journey without access to his gold in Gringotts. A hasty visit to the family vaults to collect the lord's rings and a couple signatures to bring Andi and Teddy back into the Black family and he was soon out of the bank.
Harry was glad that he hadn't foolishly tried the rings on back then. With the rings on his fingers now, he was certain that he wouldn't have made it out of the country's borders. Not without solving the multitude of issues plaguing wizarding Britain that fall under his aegis.
One year.
He would solve everything in a year's time. Or have everything on track at the very least. Harry promised himself.
He liked his freedom the way it was and the shackles that bound him now as Lord Potter and Lord Black annoyed him greatly. He will be the one to decide whether or not he was leaving Britain.
A sudden vibration jerked him out of his brooding.
What was that?
Harry's eyes scanned the room several times, not seeing anything.
Ah! The charm! Harry smacked his forehead in belated realization.
The charm he placed on Ron and Hermione finally reacted to each other. A timely distraction, just when he could use one.
Harry opened one of the desk's drawers and pulled out a voodoo doll. It was a blank doll that he hasn't paired with anyone yet.
He then pulled out a vial containing Hermione's hair.
Carefully, he laid the lock of hair on top of the voodoo doll, as he prepared to cast the spell to link the doll to his target.
The spell he was using was actually a combination of voodoo magic and Onmyōdō. Instead of creating a traditional voodoo doll, it was an amalgamation with a shikigami. With the modifications he had made, not only would he be able to affect the target through the doll, Harry could also use the doll as a receptacle for the shikigami which would transmit the target's surroundings. It was essentially, magical real-time surveillance. Utilizing this additional effect, he could use the doll to spy on his target and influence his target's actions at very specific timings. He could pull off outrageous stunts that would be impossible with traditional voodoo magic.
As with all shikigami, the doll would only report their actions when it was active, so he wouldn't be spying on Hermione the entire day.
A bright light enveloped Harry's vision upon the completion of the spell.
Harry blinked furiously to get rid of the white spots dancing in his vision and scrutinized the doll on the desk. The doll has transformed from its blank state to adopt Hermione's features. Or rather, it was closer to what the Japanese would call a cutesy chibi-version of Hermione.
If Harry was being honest with himself, he would admit that he disliked the look of traditional voodoo dolls. He had spent many nights working on modifying the spell and the vessel for the doll to make it more endearing and appealing, since he would be keeping voodoo dolls of all the important females in his life.
Harry was aware that most people would view voodoo magic with suspicion and distrust, and the appearance of the doll played a not so insignificant role in fortifying such opinions.
Which was partly the reason he went through so much trouble to change it.
It's not because he liked cute stuff. Definitely not.
He's a muscular six-foot-two man. Very macho.
Curse the Japanese culture!
Harry picked up chibi-Hermione and sent a small tendril of magic into the doll. A sharp jolt came back in response to his magic.
Good, the feedback loop has been established properly. Harry smirked in satisfaction.
Elsewhere, Hermione was walking back to her apartment in downtown London with Ron after a long day of research at the ministry. They had met up at the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron when Ron sent her a message that he would like to meet up, and after thinking about it for a while, she acquiesced.
They haven't seen each other for over a month, now that she thought about it. When she asked if he would like to go out for dinner together, Ron would tell her that he ate already or he was busy helping out at the store. Which honestly makes no sense to her. It's not like he was involved with the research and design for new joke products, so what's keeping him so busy after the shop was closed for the day. She'd rather not spend too much time thinking about what inane things he was busy with. More chess probably. Or Chudley Cannon games.
So it was a pleasant surprise to see him take the initiative for once. They were a couple blocks away from her rented apartment when Hermione felt something latch on to her. A magical connection, her sharp mind supplied. She was certain of it. Not that she was bragging, but she has the finest magical senses in the entire Department of Mysteries.
She paused for a second to analyze the connection.
Ron turned around to look at her impatiently.
"What's the matter? Did you forget something?"
"U-uh no. Just give me a second."
A familiar jolt of magic sent her jumping in shock.
"Geez woman! What's wrong with you?" Ron frowned at her odd behaviour.
"N-nothing. It's nothing. I just felt a shock." Hermione placated him, all the while she was glancing up and down the street in suspicion. It couldn't be Harry… could it?
She checked on the connection again. It was a stable connection, which was kind of worrying. It would bypass many of her magical defenses and she had to rely on her innate magical resistance.
"Come on then. I'm freezing out here." Ron tugged her hand as he directed Hermione towards her apartment.
Hermione trailed along behind him obediently, lost in her thoughts.
Harry leant back in his chair.
Audio, check. Visual, check.
Now I'm just missing some popcorn…
Tilting the chair further back on its hind legs, Harry watched as the couple made their way back to the apartment.
Hmm… Hermione is already suspecting it's me. Harry grinned mischievously. She truly is the smartest witch of our generation and very keen senses too, when she's not buried halfway in her books.
Harry had to restrain himself from doing anything more before the main event. It would tip his hand too early, and Hermione would hunt him down before he had his revenge on Ron.
He waited patiently as the two began to relax in Hermione's bedroom.
From what he could see and hear, Ron was trying to cajole Hermione into having sex. Harry wasn't that surprised… Ron had a one-track mind most of the time. Food. Quidditch. Chess. Girls.
Obviously, he's in the mood for girls right now.
After several minutes of wheedling, Ron's efforts seemed to have achieved some measure of success.
Ron hurriedly unzipped his pants and dropped his boxers as he laid back on Hermione's bed.
Harry watched in anticipation as Hermione crawled onto the bed besides him. He picked up chibi-Hermione as the real one wrapped her right hand around Ron's erected cock.
One pump, two pump…
Harry pushed his magic into the doll along with a powerful mental suggestion.
Hermione's third downstroke was much much harder than she had intended.
"F-FFUCK!" Ron leapt up from the bed as he covered his privates with his hands. Ron groaned in pain as he hunched over trying to relieve the burning sensation.
Hermione stared at Ron in horror. "Oh damn! S-sorry, I didn't mean to tug that hard!" She hurried over to Ron's side, trying to find something to distract him from the pain.
Harry was content with just observing their reactions.
Ahhh, payback! That one was for your insensitive comments. It's never too late to get your revenge. Harry mused in vicious satisfaction.
Oh, what's this?
Ron had managed to convince Hermione to give him a blowjob to distract him from the pain. He was back to lying on the bed with his legs spread as he waited for Hermione to get in position.
Hermione started off with a tentative lick.
"Come on, I'm hurting here! Suck it already!" Ron demanded hotly. Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation.
Gathering some spit in her mouth, she slathered Ron's cock liberally with her saliva. She held his cock between her hands, pumping it slowly as she closed her lips over the tip of his penis.
"Oh, yes. That's it. Deeper. Come on, take it deeper." Ron urged her on. His hips bucking slightly trying to shove it deeper. One of his hands reached up to grab Hermione's hair.
Slurrp! Ughh!
Hermione choked a bit from the suddenness, and tried to back off but Ron's kept her head in place.
Harry's eyes narrowed in anger as he watched Ron's actions. Hermione was clearly not enjoying the rough treatment.
He sent another jolt of magic through chibi-Hermione, urging her to bite down on the cock, HARD!
The results were immediate.
He heard Ron shouting out in pain as he released Hermione from his grasp. She was coughing slightly from the rough treatment as she stared at Ron.
Ron was rolling around her bed in agony, screaming his bloody head off. She could make out the faint teeth marks around his cock but she couldn't find it in herself to pity him at the moment. He knew she hated it when he was rough with her.
She also just confirmed one of her suspicions. Harry was involved somehow. She could feel some of his anger bleed through the connection.
"W-WHAT THE BLOODY FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU WOMAN! CAN'T YOU SUCK A COCK PROPERLY!?"
Hermione huffed in annoyance and ignored him, instead going to the toilet to rinse out his foul taste.
Unfortunately, the visuals were centered on Hermione, so Harry could not see Ron storming out of the apartment. Harry could hear him cussing all the way out like a three-year old. For a grown man, that was rather pathetic. He had expected Ron to have a more expansive vocabulary of swear words, having grown up with so many siblings and Ginny. Dear Merlin, that girl has a real potty mouth.
Harry watched as Hermione gargled the mouthwash for a solid minute, before deciding to call it a night. Picking up chibi-Hermione, Harry smiled to himself. He'll have to prepare some new protective talismans for Hermione, now that he has her voodoo doll.
He stored chibi-Hermione along with the rest of his voodoo dolls after making sure that the protective wards were active.
Harry was really glad that he learnt voodoo magic during his stay in Haiti. He had further expanded on what he learnt when he travelled to western and central Africa where the magic originated. Soon after, he began experimenting with the magic by combining it with other magic to enhance its usability.
He took out his diary which doubled as his research slash spell book for everything he learnt during his journey. Flipping through the pages rapidly, he found the entry for voodoo magic. He added a new page to the never-ending book as he jotted down his observations. There were still some small changes he wanted to make.
He flipped to the previous page to read his last entry on voodoo magic.
'Instead of assuming control over her body, which was drastically harder because their innate magic would fight against it, it was easier to manipulate her actions through mental suggestions.'
His past observation was correct and it showed in the little exchange with Hermione.
He flipped further back to read his first entry.
'Voodoo magic is a branch of sympathetic magic and is a fine example of the two principles known as the Law of Similarity and the Law of Contact oft times also referred to as the Law of Contagion. Voodoo dolls fall under the first law, as using a lock of hair on the doll creates a link between the doll and the person the hair came from, so whatever happens to the doll will also happen on the person. Clothes and personal items can be used to cast a spell or curse, and this would fall under the second law.'
His next entry was a note to remind himself. He swore to himself to never use the magic he learnt for evil. He would never force anyone to do something against their will. Sure, he made Hermione bite Ron's cock and tug it a bit too hard, but he would never force her to have sex with him. He could use Ron's clothing to cast an itching spell on him, but he won't cast any harmful curses that he had learnt.
Not unless his targets were evil and truly deserved it.
In that case, anything goes. Harry had long since cast aside his naïve outlook that was conditioned into him by Albus Dumbledore. He wanted a peace-loving, self-sacrificing, forgiving hero to succeed his role as the leader of the light. Too bad! That's not how things work in the real world. Any hesitation he had was quickly set aside after a meeting with the Flamel couple. The two had disabused him of the notion and warned him that the truly powerful mages would show him no mercy if they ever attack him.
His next entry was an observation on the materials that can be used for voodoo magic.
'Hair is most commonly used in voodoo. Other items such as fingernails and so on can be used as well. Access to a piece of the target's soul, like a Horcrux would give the caster immeasurable power over the target, since they can't put up any meaningful defenses. It bypasses even their innate magical resistance, and thus they would be at the caster's whims. It's a matter of efficiency, the more closely related the item is to the person, the easier it is to affect them. With a piece of soul, anything you do would be translated to the target. Blood would be the next best alternative. With hair, the caster would have to be significantly stronger than the target to achieve results anywhere close to what a soul would produce. Magic resistance is an important factor too. Voodoo magic wouldn't be very effective on giants, unless you had a piece of their soul to work with.'
Harry wished he had known about voodoo magic back when he was dealing with Voldemort. The idiot left pieces of his soul all around for others to pick up. It would have made things so much easier and less costly. Once the magic was established, there wasn't much the target could do about the connection, short of destroying the doll. Sure, Voldemort would have noticed the connection the instant it was made, but there would be nothing he could do. It was one of the reasons why voodoo magic was so dangerous.
A sudden knock on the door startled Harry out of his musings.
"Master Harry, your lady friend… Miss Granger is requesting your presence on the floo." Kreacher's gravelly voice could be heard through the door.
"Thank you, Kreacher. I'll be right there."
Looks like I won't be doing my Shaolin exercises tonight. Going to have to double my work out tomorrow morning. Too bad I can't teach others the technique. The eminent monks had him swear an oath not to spread the secret technique around. It was highly coveted after all. A technique to increase the practitioner's magical power.
Harry quickly made his way to the kitchen. Hopefully, she was in a reasonable mood and he would have an opportunity to explain himself.
Entering the kitchen, Harry spotted her head floating in the green flames.
Hermione's eyes narrowed upon seeing him.
"Harry James Potter!" She drew in a deep breath, no doubt ready to rip him to pieces.
"Hermione Jean Granger!" Harry countered equally sternly. His abrupt return left her somewhat stupefied and he seized the advantage. He gave her an understanding smile and invited her through to Grimmauld Place.
Hermione hesitated briefly, before stepping through the flames.
Harry took in her appearance with raised eyebrows. She was dressed in a thin night gown that offered glimpses of the bounty hidden underneath it. Her shapely body's outline was highlighted by the roaring fireplace behind her.
Harry swallowed the saliva that was starting to pool in his mouth. What a sweet distraction, he thought distractedly.
"Harry! I need to talk to you." She demanded as she noticed his attention begin to stray.
His eyes refocused on her as she called out to him again.
"Relax, Hermione. Let's move to the living room and we can talk, yea?"
She gave him a cute pout but followed behind him obediently.
Harry directed her towards the loveseat before settling into the sofa opposite her.
"Explain. Now." Hermione said in a curt tone.
"Okay, fine. I assume you've noticed a connection to you… That was me using voodoo magic on you." He held up both his hands to ward off her objections and gave her a brief rundown of what voodoo magic actually entails, beyond the usual superstition and horror stories.
After absorbing everything Harry said and cataloguing it in her mind, she scowled at him again. "So you did that to get revenge on Ron? Why don't you just use it on him instead? Why the roundabout approach? Is the connection permanent?"
"Whoa, slow down there beautiful."
Hermione blushed prettily at his nonchalant and abrupt compliment. She really missed Harry after all these years. He was always so gentle and kind to her. Unlike Ron… she scoffed in her mind at that reminder.
Harry continued after taking note of her reaction. "True, I wanted to get revenge on him… But the doll serves another purpose, and I figured why not do both at the same time… You see, there are plenty of other magic that I learnt during my travels and I've been experimenting with combining the different magic to provide protection for the people I care about. The voodoo doll is how the protective magic is transferred to my intended targets. I will tell you more about it when I have time to create a talisman. And yes, it's permanent unless the doll is destroyed."
Hermione pouted again when Harry denied her further information. Her researcher brain was running wild with all the possibilities as he slowly revealed more information. It was agonizing to know that he was keeping more from her.
"Ahem. Hermione." Harry gave her a serious look.
Hermione subconsciously straightened her back at his authoritative look. It was damn HOT! Her mind supplied traitorously.
"Do you know where Ron is right now?"
"No? He left my apartment cussing like a first year. He didn't mention where he was going."
"A-are you aware of his um… frequent dalliances?" Harry tried to soften the blow for her.
Hermione frowned prettily, "What do you mean?"
"Well, Ron might have let slip a couple things when I first met him at the twins' store. The twins and Angelina pretty much confirmed it as well. He's been cheating on you ever since I left…"
"B-but you left nearly three years ago…" She trailed off as the news fully hit her. "He can't be right? Even in Hogwarts?"
"Even then. Lavender Brown might have come up a few times when he started bragging."
Hermione's body was trembling slightly as she held back her tears. She didn't want to believe it, but Harry wouldn't lie to her. He had no reason to. But she wanted to trust in Ron…
"D-do you have any proof?" She asked in a timid voice.
Harry sighed deeply and admitted in reluctance.
"I might, but you probably don't want to hear this… if my guess is correct."
Hermione glared at Harry in defiance. "Show me! I need to know the truth."
"I have a listening charm on him. I tacked it on him a couple nights ago at the bar. Are you sure you want to hear this?" Harry reconfirmed.
She nodded her head as she waited patiently for Harry to activate the charm.
Slowly, a voice reverberated in the living room.
"OH! OH! WON-WON! THAT FEELS SO GOOOD! GIVE IT TO ME HARDER!"
Harry grimaced as he realized who was shouting her lungs out.
"Ugh." A male voice grunted out. "Lav, take it. Take it in your cunt! YEA! Shit! That feels good, babe! Spread your legs more, I want to suck on those juicy boobs."
"Mmm, suck it baby, suck it for momma. Bite my nipples Won-Won."
Harry hastily cancelled the listening charm, as he stole a quick glance at Hermione.
She was shaking in anger. "How dare him! How dare that uneducated, brainless, gormless, glutton! Pig-headed bastard!" Hermione yelled aloud, then all of a sudden, all the anger bled out of her and she started sobbing into her hands.
Harry leapt out of his seat and joined Hermione on the loveseat. He draped an arm across her shoulder and pulled her in tight.
"Hey, I'm here for you Hermione." Harry soothed gently. "Once I found out about it, I didn't want him wasting your time. I had to do something…" He wrapped one of his hands around hers in a supportive gesture.
Hermione couldn't help but notice how warm they were. The callus on his hands… She lifted her head slightly to look at Harry.
Hermione continued sobbing as she latched onto Harry's shirt. "I-I should have bit his fucking cock off!" she grumbled softly.
Harry chuckled softly, "I don't know if you would want that disgusting filth in your pretty little mouth." He teased her lips gently. "Don't worry, Hermione. We'll get back at him. Tonight was just a teaser, I promise you."
She nodded at Harry's words and wormed deeper into his embrace, her body shaking in time with her sobs as she gradually relaxed in his warmth.
After a couple more minutes, the sobbing slowly petered out and Harry found her asleep in his arms.
He smiled at her lovingly and carried her to one of the guest rooms upstairs.
He made his way out of the room and headed further upstairs. His mind was carefully analyzing Hermione's reactions as he carefully plotted out what cruelty to visit upon Ron.
Harry had gained a lot of experience with females during his journey. It was safe to say that he had also gained an appreciation of the female form. Something his father and godfather would no doubt be cheering about. If there was one thing he was certain about himself, he would never mistreat any woman. And if there's one thing he hated most, it was seeing the women in his life being cheated on and treated badly. If he could help them, he would. Hermione… Hermione was his closest friend. She had supported him through every hardship in his life before he left on his journey. That just makes things even more dire, in his opinion. There was little he wouldn't do to protect her happiness. He will have to discuss the options with Hermione in the morning, best to include her in his planning.
Shaking off the depressing mood, Harry creaked open the door to Andi's room. There's another female waiting for him right now… At least there will be one happy and satisfied woman tonight.