We have some more sex and a bit of action in this chapter, and the plot moves along.

Reminder: This is an adult fic, expect sex between male and female teens.

(*-*)

"This is someone speaking out loud."

" This is someone speaking a magical language."

This is someone's inner monologue.

(*-*)

Dragon Concubine

Chapter Two

(*-*)

The next morning Harry and Hermione woke when the first rays of dawn reached through the bedroom's east-facing windows. Groaning, Harry woke up to find the healing potions had relieved most of the muscle fatigue and chafing, but he was still stiff and somewhat sore. With a bit of flailing he retrieved his glasses from the bedside table and donned them. Looking out the window, he realized that they had spent the night together. Thoughts of what others would think if they found out danced through his head, but the fact that last night had been an incredible experience was reason enough to ignore those concerns. Not to mention that he still had a beautiful, bushy-haired, naked witch in his arms. As Harry shifted, he realized last night's 'fluids' had dried while they slept. As more light flooded into the room, Hermione shifted from where she'd been spooned against him all night and turned towards him, burying her head in his shoulder. With a chuckle, Harry shifted and kissed her neck. The way she wiggled against him was wonderful, but he was far too sore to even consider another round right now. Though the reaction to his touch suggested that some of the sensitivity and that obscure emotion-from-touch potion had become permanent.

Soon Hermione let out a groan of her own as she blinked awake and Harry spoke to her. "How are you feeling beautiful? As sore as I am?"

"Probably worse. I wish I'd thought to get clean before we went to sleep, even a basic cleaning charm would have been better than this."

Harry laughed and kissed her, reminding them both about the dangers of morning breath. "Go ahead and take the first shower. I'd join you but I think we need more time to recover."

He couldn't help but enjoy the view as a naked Hermione walked to the bathroom, attempting to but not quite succeeding at sexily swaying her hips as she went. Harry smiled and swung out of the bed himself. It only took him a few moments to clean the room, though even after several Scouring Charms the bedding obviously needed to be laundered. By the time Harry made it out of the shower and redressed in yesterday's robes, (Dobby had cleaned them for him) it was too late for either of them to make it to breakfast. Once again Dobby had come through for them though and left several rolls with bacon and eggs inside on a desk in the classroom they'd claimed. With all of their supplies for Charms packed and ready, Harry pulled Hermione close and gave her a light kiss, reveling in the soft sigh she gave as they opened their classroom's door, breaking the magic that had kept it hidden all night. To their great surprise, Professor McGonagall was waiting on the other side.

(*-*)

Minerva McGonagall was something of a 'hands off' head of house. She visited the common room only if there was a severe problem and relied on the students to maintain order. As far as she knew, there were no problems in Gryffindor Tower. So, she was extremely surprised when a prefect had knocked on her door early that morning and informed her that Harry Potter hadn't returned to his dorm last night. Apparently Misters Finnegan and Weasley had chosen to inform the prefect, who had verified it before coming to her a few hours ago. Minerva's first thought was concern that Miss Granger was missing as well, and had sent a message to a female prefect to find out. Thanks to the school's portraits, she had reported back that two of Hermione's dorm-mates claimed to have seen her come in just before curfew last night and leave early, probably heading for the library. As she watched the two exit an abandoned but obviously clean and tidy classroom sharing a closeness she'd never seen from them before, Professor McGonagall suspected Hermione's roommates had attempted to cover for her. Hermione was obviously mortified, but Harry simply met her gaze, neither overtly challenging her or backing down. There was little doubt in her mind what the two had done last night. She was aware that some of the older classrooms had attached living quarters, after all.

"Mister Potter. Miss Granger. You did not return to Gryffindor Tower last night. You will explain why you believe you are exempt from the rules every other student managed to follow."

Mister Potter snorted at her. The arrogance! "Professor, I don't really care about the school's rules right now. The absolute shite security here is throwing me into mortal peril yet again, and Dumbledore hasn't even had the decency to tell the school I'm competing against my will. Given that you're forcing me to fight a dragon or die on Saturday, I feel I'm entitled to ignore your rules as I please. They certainly haven't kept me safe." In response to an unhappy sound from Hermione, Harry continued. "The organizers said I had to compete or lose my magic. What they didn't say is that tearing the magic out of someone leaves them a husk and sentences them to a slow , lingering death. Trust me, I looked it up on November first."

Minerva, who was well aware the first task involved some sort of dangerous creature given how excited Hagrid had been lately, had not been informed exactly what to expect. "And what makes you think you're going to fight a dragon on Saturday, Mr. Potter?"

Refusing to back down, Harry snapped back. "The fact that you've got four of them chained in the Forbidden Forest. I was going for a fly two weeks ago to clear my head and smelled smoke. Since I figured that if the forest was on fire someone should be warned, I followed the smell and found a dozen dragon keepers struggling to restrain a very unhappy dragon. So after Voldemort's Wraith possessing a professor in first year, the Basilisk Voldemort tortured into insanity second year, and the clusterfuck that was third year, with Dementors and Pettigrew hiding as a rat in my dorm for years, this year someone just dropped my name into the Goblet to get me killed. This year I'll fight or die in front of everyone like a gladiator. "

Minerva was stopped short by the bitterness in Harry's words. She paused for a moment to consider his words. He was right that the last few years had been unusually dangerous, especially for him, and it wasn't like he was claiming he hadn't been partially at fault for the dangers plaguing him. Given the last few years and Albus' increasingly strange decisions, she sadly believed the Headmaster would allow students to fight dragons, even a fourth-year with the bad luck of two useless Defense Professors. By all rights, she should have assigned detentions but instead her stern expression softened and she spoke quietly. "Do you have a plan, Mister Potter?"

Nodding his head, Harry replied. "I do. It might not be the best, the spellwork is difficult, and I'm sure it'll piss some people off, but it's better than Moody's suggestion. Can you believe he wanted me to fight a dragon by flying on a broomstick? A fire-breathing predator with wings?!"

Minerva sucked in a deep breath, considering what words she would have with Alastor Moody. "There is a chance that could work, but it is absurdly dangerous. If you made a single mistake or if the dragon reacted faster than you expected at any point… Dragons breathe magical fire, and normal protections don't completely work. If its flame touched your broom nothing could stop it." Minerva took a moment to calm herself. "So the two of you were researching and practicing spells in this old classroom and simply lost track of the time?"

She was choosing to ignore the near certainty that the two had slept together. She was aware that despite the Professor's efforts to prevent it, the older students often had sex in out of the way places. In most cases, as long as the students in question took the proper precautions she felt it wasn't any business of hers. If Harry had known he would be fighting a dragon, well she could understand the stress he was under. Both Harry and Hermione replied that they had lost track of the time while working on preparing him for the Tournament. Feeling the need to ask one last question, she spoke up again, softly this time. "Harry, are you ready for the First Task?"

Minerva could easily read the hesitance in his expression, so did something she hoped she wouldn't regret. "In that case, I am excusing both of you from your electives, History of Magic, and Potions until Monday. Make the most of this time, both of you. My only condition is that you take the proper precautions when 'experimenting,' am I clear?" At the student's eager nods, she continued. "Good. I'll speak to the other Professors at lunch, now if you hurry you can still make it to Charms on time."

(*-*)

From there the day progressed as usual, classes were attended and meals were eaten. Harry had made the suggestion of telling anyone who asked that Hermione had been helping him prepare and they had simply lost track of the time, missing curfew. It helped that the explanation was completely true, if lacking a few facts. As the day progressed Hermione found herself always inching closer to Harry and drinking in his every word of praise or touch like a woman dying of thirst would water. When he realized how much Hermione enjoyed a simple touch or encouraging word, Harry made the effort to ensure Hermione knew how much he valued her. As the day continued, Harry found himself feeling more assertive, more comfortable in his own skin, and openly affectionate with his lovely concubine. When their double Transfiguration class let out that afternoon, the two quickly moved back to what had become their classroom and sealed themselves in. Harry pulled Hermione close and kissed her. When they broke apart, he spoke. "I wish there had been more time this morning. I wanted to thank you for your gift Hermione, last night was the best of my life."

The two were silent for a moment, standing there in each other's arms in the empty classroom they'd cleaned and spent many hours in. "I know you fought the ritual, but you know I couldn't have stopped at that point, right?"

Hermione looked up at him and responded softly. "I know. It would have killed you and probably me too so I'm glad you didn't."

"How do you feel?" Harry asked as they moved to a pair of previously transfigured chairs.

Once seated, Hermione leaned back and closed her eyes. "Physically, I'm still sore even with the potions having done their work. I have no idea how to describe it, but my magic feels different, and from our classes today I'd guess it's a little stronger, maybe? I know the ritual said some of your magic would permanently blend with mine, but I didn't expect it to make me stronger." Hermione let out a sigh and opened her eyes, locking them with Harry's. "Other than that, I don't really know. It's just a lot to take in; I can feel the magic encouraging me to submit, to be affectionate and loving with you. Your approval means more to me now, like I hang on your every word. It scares me a bit, honestly."

"Hermione, no matter what happens, I never want you to feel like you can't talk to me openly about anything. Some things shouldn't be spoken in public, but I trust your judgment." Feeling like Hermione could use some physical contact, Harry stood for a moment and began transfiguring his chair. It took a number of tries, but with a little extra material from other desks he managed to create a comfortable couch next to the desk. He was sorely tempted to make love to her again, but he refused to hurt her. "Come sit next to me, Hermione. You can read, study, or work on whatever you want while I work on a few things."

With that, Hermione moved to the couch, taking the day's homework and an obscure book on magical creatures with her. Harry fetched the third Parseltongue book, the one that dealt with transformation magics, and began working through an exercise in transfiguring serpents. By the time Dobby interrupted them by bringing dinner, Harry had transformed the stone he took from the lake a few days ago into snakes so many times that it refused to return to being a stone. Each time changing it into a specific shape became easier, and by the end he was getting the shape and colors exactly how he pictured it in his mind. The final form of the snake, a cobra with unnatural emerald scales, had even developed a rather sarcastic personality. Hermione laughed over dinner as Harry argued with his creation, eventually convincing it to watch this room and let him know if anyone entered other than the two of them. "If I succeeded it should be able to eat rodents and use magic in the air to sustain the transfiguration. Hedwig should be bringing me a mouse after dinner and we can try some medical diagnostics on it."

After dessert, Harry and Hermione took turns casting medical diagnostic spells on the transfigured snake as it ate a dazed but live mouse Hedwig delivered through the window. While the Parseltongue diagnostic spells were better suited to their task, Hermione's skill with magic and the book checked out from the library let her keep pace. Eventually they were fairly certain that the snake, formerly a stone, was now a living creature though it lacked a soul. As the unnamed cobra slithered under a desk by the classroom's door to digest its meal and begin its watch, Harry flopped onto the couch and relaxed.

"That's a big load off my shoulders. I don't have enough knowledge to get all the organs right so I had to let the magic guide me." Harry paused then looked at Hermione for a moment, giving her a playful leer. "How do you feel about being a model? The next thing I need to practice is transfiguring the human form."

Understanding Harry's intent, the two teens double and triple checked all of their privacy charms (including a few in Parseltongue) before stripping and standing on the throw rug Harry pulled out of the attached bedroom. Harry paused for several moments to drink in her naked form, he couldn't believe he'd never realized how beautiful she was. While there was some obvious irritation from last night's activities, the minor bruising and love bites had faded. (Just as Harry's had. He was glad that she hadn't been a passive participant, and once she had gotten into the swing of things Hermione had turned into a lioness.) Unable to help himself, Harry walked up to her and kissed her briefly, whispering into her ear. "You are so beautiful."

The way Hermione blushed deeply and shifted hesitantly were almost enough to make Harry throw out his plan for the evening and ravish her, but he did need to practice his next spell for the upcoming task.

(*-*)

For the next hour, Harry alternated casting transfiguration spells on a statue and walking slow circles around Hermione as she took different poses. A nearby desk was transfigured again and again into a statue of Hermione's form, but without any animating magic. The first attempts were crude and Harry quickly moved on. After half an hour, he had a near perfect replica of Hermione's naked form, but the statue unnerved Harry since it lacked Hermione's vibrancy. Once he had a fair approximation of Hermione, he started to vary the statue, different hair, proportions, even skin tone. From there, his first attempts to add scales and other inhuman features to the statue were a mix of grotesque and humorous. When Hermione came up behind him as he was focused on giving the statue a sense of balance, he jumped just a little. "If you want to balance 'her' out, try giving her bigger breasts. You don't have to limit yourself to what mine look like, you won't hurt my feelings. It isn't like mine won't grow more either, my mother has a full cup size on me still."

Harry's next attempt got a chuckle from Hermione. "Well, 'she' looks like my older sister that lucked out with genetics, but then made a mistake with Polyjuice. I think the general body structure works, but the legs seem off."

Stepping back, Harry circled the statue twice thoughtfully. "They do. I can try animating it tomorrow, but this is just sort of getting ideas in my head; doing this for real was described as 'following the flow' or 'listening to magic's whisper.' It's more about perfecting what already exists than imposing your will on the spell. It isn't like I can practice the real spell anyway."

Harry turned around and wrapped Hermione in a hug, considering how to reward her. From what he understood, part of getting her used to her new role was rewarding good behavior. Hermione had been hesitant and bashful exposing herself first, but gradually became comfortable fully exposed to his eyes. But she hadn't complained or tried to hide from him even though she was uncomfortable, which was a good sign that the Treasured Concubine ritual had settled correctly. (While the risk of the ritual going wrong were small, the effects it would have had on both of them were unpleasant to think about. Mutual insanity was just one of them.) Harry started moving his hands up and down Hermione's back while talking softly into her ear. "You did very well, Hermione. I know you were uncomfortable at first but you didn't complain or argue."

As they stood together, Harry slowly rubbing his hands across her back and Hermione simply enjoying the attention, he was sorely tempted to seduce her. With a will of iron, he beat back his libido. Instead, he spoke again. "Let's go to bed and set an alarm early enough that we can have some fun before classes tomorrow. Does that sound like a good plan?"

Hermione's shudder of anticipation was delicious, and Harry's hands slipped down and grasped her rear, appreciating the firm muscles granted by the many, many stairs of the castle. It was more difficult than he expected to break away and get ready for bed instead. Normally both teens wore pajamas to bed, but that was in rather drafty dorms with other students. With only the two of them Harry opted for just his boxers and insisted Hermione sleep nude. He'd have done so as well, but he knew he'd never be able to wait until morning if he did. As the two of them snuggled under the silk sheets and spooned they reveled in the closeness. Harry had been isolated from the simple comfort of physical touch ever since the Headmaster had left him on his Aunt's doorstep without so much as a basket. Hermione's parents cared, but they were often cared more about their careers and rarely made their daughter a priority. Harry felt so content with Hermione clutched to his side he could barely believe it, and Hermione truly felt wanted and secure. She was very much looking forward to tomorrow morning, and could feel Harry was as well.

(*-*)

Hermione realized Harry must have set his alarm spell earlier than hers when she woke not to her alarm but warm hands roaming her nude body. She was so comfortable right now, being Harry's little spoon under the warm covers. For a while she simply luxuriated in the sensations, drifting in that comfortable state between sleep and wakefulness, perfectly content to let Harry take whatever liberties he wanted to. She really didn't understand how he could enjoy her breasts so much but given that about a third of the effects of the two potions that amplified the sensations from Harry's physical touch had been rendered permanent by the ritual, she wasn't complaining at all. Harry was so close that when one of his hands dipped lower and proved to Hermione she'd fully recovered from the ritual night's sex marathon, she felt his smirk at her soft moan. Now fully awake Hermione turned on her side until she was facing Harry and went to kiss him. Seeing Harry's wand sitting on the simple but sturdy wooden headboard, she guessed he'd taken care of their morning breath. (Hygiene spells weren't quite as good as a toothbrush, but it would do for the moment.)

The fact that the two touch-enhancing potions were still active made her wonder what the third one Harry had chosen for her was. Before the ritual last knight she'd drunk potions to improve her skin and hair, but there was one oral potion Harry had picked out. Between the kissing, his roaming hands, and the fact she could feel him through his boxers, hard as a stone and leaking pre, she realized if she wanted an answer she'd better ask it soon. Pulling back, she panted softly for a moment before she spoke. "Harry, I think a portion of those touch-enhancing potions are still active, and they're very nice . But what was the third one you picked out? I didn't think to ask before."

Harry reached for his wand and cast several warming charms on the bedroom before pulling back the sheet and removing his boxers before sitting up. Given the room's clock said they had two hours until Transfiguration, they had some time, but not nearly as much as he would have liked. "It's something normally given to a woman alongside a fertility potion, its proper name is Latin gibberish, but in shorthand it's the 'Easy Pregnancy' potion. It doesn't directly help a woman become pregnant, but it makes the nine months easier and helps prevent defects. Normally it is ridiculously expensive, but given all the insults and hatred Snape's thrown at me over the years Dobby felt his private ingredient stock should get some use."

Hermione let out a gasp as he penetrated her with two fingers. Harry's other hand went to her hip and pushed her onto her back as he rose his knees. Distracted by the fingers slowly pumping into her, it took Hermione a moment to respond. "Do you want to start a family already, Harry?"

Chuckling as he withdrew his fingers, exposing the dampness and smell to the light, he responded. Hermione was so distracted by Harry sucking on his fingers she almost missed his next words. "Not right now maybe, but I am absolutely looking forward to having children with you Hermione. You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to building a family together." Harry locked eyes with Hermione as he positioned himself over her. "I know when the time comes you'll be a wonderful mother."

With that he reached down and positioned himself above her. His fingers gently teased her folds for a moment, then he used the hand not holding himself steady to grasp his manhood. He dragged his head over her folds and clit a few times before slowly sinking in, groaning as her hot, wet, silken embrace wrapped around him. Hermione let out a soft moan of pleasure and started trying to match his movements as she adjusted to his size. It felt so right having him inside her again, like Harry completed her. Looking up into his face, seeing the passion burning in his gorgeous emerald eyes, Hermione felt faint in a way that had nothing to do with how their hips were moving together. Harry was her best friend, but he was also handsome, a powerful wizard, and he was hers. Or rather, I am his!

Their first time had been a little painful for Hermione, though the haze of other sensations had mostly masked the pain. From what she'd overheard of her roommates gossiping, Harry's manhood was larger than average, but only by an inch or so. Nearly six inches at fourteen was big enough to feel very good to the teenage girl who, thanks to a time-turner, was only a few months from turning sixteen. He was large enough that she swore she could feel every contour, every vein, every beat of his heart as he moved within her. Harry leaned down and started a hungry, possessive kiss. Hermione's toes curled and her mind lost track of everything but timing her movements with his. Hermione had chosen to be Harry's concubine, so she was going to be the best damn concubine ever or die trying!

Harry groaned, feeling Hermione's walls flutter around him. There was no better way to start the day than this, he was absolutely certain. He felt strong and powerful as Hermione whimpered and moaned beneath him with her arms on his shoulders. Every sound he coaxed out of Hermione was a boost to his ego, his confidence. He had never imagined Hermione moaning and whimpering under him but as god was his witness, it was the best experience of his life. He bit his lip hard, trying to drag their morning love making out, but it was hard. His best friend was so hot, wet, and tight around him, he could feel every bump and ridge as he moved in and out in long strokes, trying to bring her off before he lost the battle. But his lovely concubine was not making it easy on him.

Hermione, wanting to feel even closer to her man, wrapped her legs around Harry's back. The new angle forced him to change his motions from long, languid thrusts to short, fast drives with his hips. To her surprise, he started to hammer into her with all of his strength, coaxing an especially loud moan from her. From her hazy memories of Tuesday night, she guessed he was about to spill his seed into her again and was only slightly disappointed she had yet to reach her own peak. To her surprise Harry moved a hand down, wet his fingers in her arousal, and fumbled for her clit at the same time his other hand gave up on holding himself up and reached between her back and the sheets, holding her close. As the physical sensations and the way her magic resonated with him brought her to a very satisfying climax, her last clear thought for several moments was that the damn book Sirius had sent to Harry over the summer was apparently good for something after all.

When she opened her eyes again she saw Harry sitting up and his 'wand,' if it had ever gone soft, was hard and ready again. Looking down, Hermione saw that her folds were leaking a trail of Harry's seed and she felt disappointed that she'd been so distracted by her own climax that she hadn't noticed Harry's. Glancing at the clock, she realized they still had time to continue. Harry leaned down, dominating her in a kiss, before he got onto his knees. "Get on your hands and knees Hermione, let's try something different this time."

With a full body blush, she moved to obey. As she did, she briefly thought about how she was falling into the role of obedient submissive so easily. It felt strangely natural how she obeyed Harry now, like there was some part of her that had always wanted this but she'd been too afraid to admit her desire. Before the ritual I was always stressing over my grades or what others thought about me. I feel more content than ever before now that I've given up control of everything to Harry. Was that part of the ritual or is this just what I am? As she moved, Harry reached out and gently stroked her face and she found herself leaning into his touch. "Such a good girl, Hermione. We're going to have so much fun together, I promise."

It struck her that Harry was as new to the role of dominant as she was to submissive, and resolved to tell him he was doing very well so far. Harry, now behind her, used light taps of his finger to tell her how to position her body, knees wider, back arched more, (Sirius' book once more proving its worth) and then he was inside her again. Oh, she could get used to this … As much as she enjoyed making love to Harry face-to-face, in this new position Harry's member was hitting a new spot inside that lit up her nerves like a Christmas tree. Feeling Harry inside her, every vein and ridge pistoning in and out, his breath mixing with hers as he leaned his chest against her back, his lips on her neck, and hands that couldn't decide which part of her breasts were the most fun to grope and knead… It was wonderful.

This position was a little awkward with Harry hunched over her, but both thought it was worth the extra closeness. Hermione tried to match Harry's rhythm but kept throwing them both off, so instead she stopped moving and simply let Harry do the work, enjoying the sensations as sweat began to build up. With his warm touch kneading her breasts and his breath mingling with hers she came first this time, moaning and shivering and barely holding herself and Harry up. Harry refused to even slow down, dragging out her orgasm. She noticed he was lasting a lot longer the second time, which was wonderful. Harry kept his efforts up until he spent himself inside her again and pulled out, leaving both of them panting and sweating. "I could do this again and again Hermione, if we didn't have class I could do this all day. You're so beautiful and sexy I'll never get tired of you."

A rush of warm emotions flooded through her and Hermione smiled as they untangled and laid on their backs next to each other on the silk sheets. After only a second's thought, she moved closer until their sides were touching. Looking down, she was leaking even more of his seed and he was still mostly erect, she guessed it would only take a touch or two to bring his erection roaring back to full strength. Taking a glance at the clock, there was still a little extra time before class. Blushing deeply and unable to look Harry in the eye, she spoke. "Harry, would you like to join me in the shower?"

Harry's erection surged back to full strength at that suggestion and the two teens quickly made their way into the shower that was easily large enough for two. With a coy smile, Hermione walked Harry through washing her hair, and then she repaid the favor. Their lingering touches as they washed each other used up a lot of time unfortunately, and when they checked a clock Harry reached for his erection, planning to beat off quickly so they could make breakfast in the Great Hall. Hermione had other plans, and sank to her knees in front of Harry. Taking him in her mouth, she really had no idea what to do other than avoid hurting him with her teeth, but once more enthusiasm made up for skill. (admittedly, overheard gossip did help a little) After washing him clean of his seed and her natural lubricant, he really didn't taste like anything at all. Hermione was surprised that part of her was disappointed at that. Keeping up eye contact the whole time amplified the emotions both teens were feeling. Looking down into earnest brown eyes it didn't take Harry long to climax for the third time that morning. Hermione found she didn't mind the taste. Objectively , it was bitter and a little unpleasant, but that was only the physical side. A wizard's magic was present in every part of their body, but like blood, a wizard's seed was especially magical. Harry's seed… it carried an imprint of his magic, of who he truly was at his core. She could taste Harry's determination, his inner strength, his compassion. That was more than reason enough for Hermione to kneel in front of him, maintain eye contact, and slowly, languidly, swallow the load he'd left in her mouth.

After hurriedly drying each other, the two dressed and were about to leave their little sanctuary when Harry stopped to check the Marauder's Map. Instead of Professor McGonagall, Severus Snape was not far from the entrance to their room, lurking in an alcove. Thankfully with Dobby's help it was the work of a few moments to pack up all of their notes and books and Dobby promised to leave no trace of them being here. Even Harry's transfigured snake was packed up. Having no desire to deal with Snape on what had so far been a wonderful morning, Harry convinced Hermione to ride his Firebolt and flew them out the window and through the front door that was open so the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students could get breakfast. Harry may have attracted a few looks, but he really didn't care. He landed just outside the point where those inside the Great Hall would be able to see them and helped Hermione steady herself before they finished their trek towards breakfast on foot. Harry simply shrunk his Firebolt and hid it away inside his pocket.

Thanks to Harry rushing, the two were fairly early to breakfast and ate leisurely as the other students trickled in. While Harry wasn't exactly on speaking terms with Ron or most of the boys he shared a dorm with, Hermione's relations with Parvati and Lavender had improved lately as they discussed various beauty potions. Hermione had scored serious points with the other girls in her dorm when she shared several vials of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion with the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw fourth years. The ingredients were not terribly expensive, though the potion was somewhat difficult to brew. Hermione had chosen to make her own instead of buying some for whatever upcoming event required dress robes. The other girls in Hermione's dorm knew she hadn't been in her own bed for two nights now and had certainly noticed the change in her demeanor, looking more relaxed and comfortable in her own skin than they had ever seen her before. Needless to say, they had guessed what she and Harry had been up to in addition to practicing magic for the tournament.

Their time together hadn't just changed Hermione, Harry felt different as well; his world felt brighter, richer. He had something in his life vastly more important than schoolwork or the pressures that bore down on him constantly. His life felt more complete than ever before. Harry even lost himself in thought as he sat next to Hermione with her dorm-mates on her other side, enjoying a pleasant conversation. It was only the sudden silence around him that caused him to look around and notice Professor Snape standing behind him with a rather unhappy look on his face. Snape's face was turning a rather unpleasant shade of purple. Looking up at him, Harry spoke before taking a sip of tea. "Good morning. Can I help you Professor?"

"You have detention with me for the next two months Potter, from after dinner until curfew and all day on weekends. I know you've been stealing from my potions stock, you've stolen some extremely valuable ingredients from me."

Harry, deciding to remain calm instead of letting his anger get the best of him, replied calmly. "What makes you think that Professor? I haven't been anywhere near the school's potions stocks except for what I need for your lessons."

"Three months for lying, Potter! And I don't know how you found my personal ingredient stores but I'll have you expelled if you don't reimburse me for the cost!"

Setting his cup of tea down, Harry paused for a moment before speaking. "I'm afraid that won't work, Professor. I have a Tournament to prepare for since the school can't be bothered to secure a dangerous magical object capable of forcing people into binding magical contracts against their will. If you think I've stolen from you, you're welcome to contact the DMLE and ask them to investigate."

"So arrogant, just like your worthless father!" Harry's expression went cold at that. A brief glance at the head table revealed the Headmaster watching but choosing to do nothing as usual while Professor McGonagall wasn't there but it wasn't like he expected her to stand up for him even if she was. Drawing his wand inside his sleeve, Harry stood and spoke up after casting a variation on the Amplifying Charm in a whisper. This variation let everyone in a room hear you speaking in a normal volume no matter how far.

"Professor Snape, I have really had enough with you. You bully students, spend your lessons hovering over us to ensure we make mistakes , and constantly encourage the worst traits of students in your house. Salazar Slytherin himself would have thrown you out after a single day of your abysmal lessons! How many people have given up studying potions thanks to you and your spite? And I have had enough of your unending hatred of a man who died before I turned two! How dare you constantly berate a father I've never known whose only crime was earning the love of Lily Evans after you called her a mudblood and threw away your childhood friendship to join the Death Eaters?" To say Harry had been bored the previous summer was something of an understatement. He and Sirius had exchanged a number of letters, though poor Hedwig hadn't been able to deliver many of them. Instead Remus had copied the post-owl charms onto a small school of ravens for Sirius and Harry.

The Great Hall went deathly silent. The only reason Harry had gotten through his entire speech was thanks to Hermione quietly casting a Silencing charm on Snape, having picked up on what Harry wanted to do. Harry moved into the aisle between the two tables as Snape was apparently too furious to remove the silencing charm. "The man you chose to serve made sure I never got to know either of my parents, but from the few things I've heard James Potter was a far better man than you. You don't deserve to lick his boots, much less curse his name."

That turned out to be a step too far and Snape's wand flicked out, a spell silently sent Harry's way. Snape might have been a superior duelist, but Harry was a seeker who regularly dodged objects just as fast as this spell with less warning. Leaping to the side, he barely noticed a feminine scream behind him before he lashed out with a spell of his own. Thankfully he'd been working on some of the Parseltongue spells he'd come across enough to be able to use them near-silently. His first spell lashed out and struck Snape's shield, but instead of reflecting or dissipating, the neon purple light diffused into a gas and rushed through. It wasn't strictly an offensive spell, instead it altered one's perception; with a direct hit it could cause enough vertigo to make one collapse and vomit. (In exactly that order, the book was exceedingly clear on that point.) An indirect hit like what had gotten through Snape's shield would still give him vertigo and heavily distort his vision.

As Snape threw out another spell that came close despite his distorted vision, Harry dodged again and threw out another spell now that Snape's shield had fallen, the vertigo disrupting his concentration. This spell was a bit more aggressive and once it hit Snape's skin it conjured venom inside his bloodstream. Exactly what kind of venom varied, driven by the user's intent. While the possibility of ending Snape briefly passed through his mind, Harry instead willed the spell to cause pain until he collapsed. A bare second after he got the spell off, he was hit by a disarming spell from behind. Thankfully the initial wave of pain was enough to drive Snape to the floor as he bit back a scream, causing him to drop his wand. Turning around in disbelief, Harry looked to the Headmaster as his wand fell somewhere near the Slytherin table. Angry now, Harry locked eyes with the Headmaster. "What part of that made you think disarming me was the best thing to do? He insulted my family, I insulted him, and he started casting spells. Why the bloody hell would you disarm me and not him? "

Harry's diatribe was interrupted by a quiet snap from where his wand had hit the ground, where Draco Malfoy's boot was lifting off Harry's broken wand. The smug expression on Draco's face proved snapping Harry's wand was no accident. With no movement from Harry at all, a wave of magic flashed forward and lifted Draco Malfoy from his feet and threw him back twenty feet into the wall hard enough he didn't rise, though was still breathing. "And now I have no wand two daysbefore the First Task. Thank you Dumbledore, once again you've made my life oh so much better. If you'll excuse me, I need to purchase a new wand." After canceling the Amplifying Charm, Harry spoke again, much more softly. "Hermione, please watch your back today, all right? Snape and the Slytherins will be out for blood."

Parvati and Lavender moved to stand on either side of Hermione. "We'll keep her safe while you're out, Harry."

Ignoring the Headmaster, Harry walked over to the Beauxbatons student who had screamed earlier. There was a little blood around her mouth and she was sweating profusely, but at least she seemed aware. Headmistress Maxine was tending to her until a healer arrived, and their school's champion was standing nearby visibly shocked. Seeing the injured student notice him, Harry bowed and spoke. "I apologize. I should have realized there was someone behind me and shielded instead of dodging."

Harry briefly glanced over at where Dumbledore was tending to Snape, and watched the headmaster wake his potions professor only for the man to scream and collapse unconscious again. Leaning in close to the Headmistress Harry whispered into her ear. "If the healer needs to know what curse Snape used, tell them to treat Snape for magical venom. Otherwise please let that awful man suffer the consequences for his actions just one goddamn time."

Headmistress Maxine drew in a deep breath, her nostrils flaring briefly. "You mean this man's conduct is a regular occurrence?"

"Yeah, but usually it only affects me so no one cares. Well I need to head to Diagon Alley, I'll miss class but it isn't like I can do Transfiguration wandless anyway. And once again, I'm sorry."

Harry bowed again and moved to leave the Great Hall when he was stopped by the Headmaster. "Mr. Potter, you must tell me what curse you've used on Professor Snape! I'm afraid there will be severe consequences for your actions today."

"I didn't cast any curses or dark magic Headmaster. And I refuse to accept any punishment for defending myself. That man has been petty, cruel, and vindictive to me for years and you have done nothing. Now he throws curses at me and you think I should be punished? You're senile if you think keeping him here is a good idea. If you will excuse me, I need to go purchase another wand and rush through getting used to it before Saturday so I don't die in this Tournament you've done nothing to get me out of."

Instead of allowing him to pass, the Headmaster summoned Harry's broken wand and repaired it with his own. Holding it out, he seemed confused when Harry refused to take it. "Ollivander himself told Ron that once a wand is broken it will never work right again, no matter how it looks on the outside. Are you seriously asking me to compete for my life with a damaged wand? Did you not hear me when I told you what happened to Lockheart?!"

There was a murmur around the Great Hall at that. It was interrupted when Madam Pomfrey entered the hall. Dumbledore tried to guide her to Snape while Maxine insisted she tend to her fallen student first. Harry spoke up again. "Professor Snape will be fine without treatment eventually, but I have no idea what curse he used except that he meant it for me and she screamed terribly when it hit her, Madam Pomfrey."

As Headmaster and Headmistress clashed and Poppy saw to the student first, Harry slipped out in the confusion and made his way towards the front door. As soon as he reached it, he ensured he had his Gringotts key on him and reversed the shrinking charm on his broom. After Snape threatened to ruin his wonderful morning, a few minutes urging his broom to full speed towards Three Broomsticks and the public Floo inside helped to lighten his mood. Reaching the pub, he exchanged a few words with Madam Rosmerta, telling her that his wand had been snapped by another student and he urgently needed to buy a replacement. A quick trip through the floor and he was jogging towards Gringotts.

(*-*)

A/N: This was the chapter where I decided to call this fic 'plot with porn,' instead of 'porn with plot.' Anyway, Harry's relationship with Hermione deepens just a little, he gets a pass from McGonagall in the most useful thing she's ever done for him, and he has a little confrontation with Snape. In all honesty Snape should have won, but Harry has learned a few new exotic spells lately and he has pretty good reflexes from Quidditch and his years with the Dursleys. Harry is feeling more confident lately, so he's going to be less accepting of harassment. In the books Snape was an utterly deplorable man who truly enjoyed making children miserable.

I have a ko-fi account at /tendragos if anyone wants to support me. I don't put my work behind paywalls, it's just a tip jar.