Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to Harry Potter or Spartacus. All properties therein are those of their creators. I am only a writer working on my skills with worlds and characters that I love.

Note: This will be a collection of shorts to sort of summarize the events occurring to Harry and those close to him during the interim years between the prequel series and season one of Spartacus. The next chapter I post will be starting season one.

Chapter Nine - Shorts

Six Months Later

The crowd below let loose with bloodthirsty cheers matched in intensity by Quintus Batiatus himself as the man nearly leapt off the ledge in the noble's box with joy. Behind him, Gaia leaned against the wall and took several deep, incredibly pleased, breaths as below she watched her lover take the head of his eighth opponent in a row. Harry had been on a bit of a tour since his victory over the Primus of Capua and he'd quickly become one of the most desired names in the gladiatorial sport. He had just now won the exhibition melee of the Great Games of Londinium and already she knew Batiatus was fielding offers from the Roman Coliseum itself as well as the Flavian Amphitheatre and the Circus Maximus to feature him. Everyone who was everyone knew who the Lion of Capua was now and they were all in a massive hurry to attach their names to games he took center stage in to cash in on his fame.

As Harry let loose his customary Lion's Roar of Victory below, the nobles seated in the booth quickly moved to have quiet words with Batiatus, likely to inquire how he'd managed to train so great a champion, or ask if they could make an investment in his career. Meanwhile, all of the wives likewise made their way over to Gaia herself.

"My, Gaia, you must be so proud of your beau down below." The leader of the pack simpered as she came level with the taller woman. By that point her relationship with Harry had been too obvious to hide as she was often spotted on his arm at galas following his victorious bouts in the arena. "And a 'younger' man at that." The emphasis was hard to miss, as was the jab at Gaia's age. That said, she also picked up the annoyance in the woman's tone as she added, "Though I must say you also look… good for one of your years."

"Good, Calliope?" Another woman in the que gasped, "She looks ten years younger than the last time we saw her!"

The brunette preened at the praise and ran a hand through her silky hair for emphasis that had everyone's eyes riveted to the silhouette of her svelte form. "I know."

"What's your secret?" The gaggle of noblewomen abandoned Calliope to swarm around the other woman who merely giggled behind her hand.

"Fine physical delight from a wondrous lover. And I do mean wondrous." The woman smirked at the awed looks of all the young women gathered and she lowered her voice to a tone of pure discretion, "And he's willing to offer his wondrous skills to any interested parties… for a price."

Before anyone else could agree, Calliope sneered, "You would just let your lover lay with others for money like some two bit mistress?"

Gaia sneered right back and answered, "If you're good at something never do it for free. And also, why shouldn't I share his glorious manhood with others? It's too good to be kept locked up when it could be of use. He desires money, I desire money, and we have happiness with each other even if I share him. So how about it? His going rate is two hundred denarii a night."

Meanwhile Batiatus was working a similar game with his crowd. He and Harry had made an arrangement months ago. If he arranged good deals on his behalf then he would receive a twenty percent gratuity. "How about it, men? We're spending two more weeks in this city and Harry's time could be yours during it for the right price. Imagine, two weeks of training, guidance, and combat expertise for your children and guards. Also the prestige of housing the Lion of Capua in your homes. We shall start the bidding at one thousand denarii."

Two Weeks Later

Harry breezed into the balcony room of the villa Batiatus had them staying in and embraced Gaia from behind. "Hello, love."

"Greetings, Harry." The brunette kissed her lover deeply and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted and wrung dry."

"Oh, my poor love, forced to spend his days training snot nosed brats in the art of the sword and his nights satisfying beautiful women until they become naught but drooling puddles of ecstasy beneath him. You must be so tired of ruining them for all other men."

"Not tired enough to keep from satisfying you as well!" As his woman squealed with surprise he scooped her into his arms and deposited her firmly on the bed before climbing on top of her. "I'm sorry, Gaia, but I've been apart from you too long to wait for foreplay."

"Don't worry," She swept the hem of her dress up and ripped the waist rap from his body in one swift move, "I've been drenched and ready ever since Diona informed me of your return." All other words ceased as her lover drove himself home within her and sparks flew before her vision. For thirty minutes they rutted together like animals until they were both drenched with sweat and sated; and only then did the door to the room open and Diona herself enter with a tray of refreshments.

In the time since the primus she had taken on the role of Gaia's personal body slave, and she took her duties seriously. Especially since she was just as knowledgeable about Harry's eventual plans for the future as the noblewoman herself. "Did you two enjoy yourselves?" She asked as she handed over glasses of chilled wine to the two before pulling a silk sheet over their forms.

Gaia stretched luxuriously and answered, "Thoroughly. Is this Spanish wine? Diona, you spoil me."

"I try, Domina." The slave gave a wink before rounding the bed and providing Harry with his own refreshments. "How was your time away, Harry?"

"Horrifyingly dull." He answered with an eye roll. "I swear, the things I do for money. Those children were all hopeless, but their fathers were ever so proud that any progress at all was made from my lessons. The women just laid there like dead fish. I had to spend most of those nights teaching them some of what you taught me, Gaia."

"That is what happens when a woman is taught that sex is only about childbearing and not pleasure." The brunette huffed between replenishing sips. "All the same, we made a handy profit out of these ventures, even after giving Quintus his percentage. I assume you want me to transfer funds to your little project back in Capua?" She'd been handling his finances for months by that point.

Harry grinned and answered in the affirmative. One of the first things he'd done with his winnings upon gaining freedom was purchase a massive warehouse in the Capuan countryside and start filling it with raw ingots of metal and blacksmithing equipment. As of yet he hadn't told the others what it was all for. He wanted to figure a few things out first and build up a better supply before finalizing things. Oh yes, he had plans in spades.

Eventually the call of nature presented itself and as he left to the balcony to drain the proverbial snake in a chamber pot Gaia reclined back on her pillows and patted the bed to bring Diona closer for a private conversation. She was very fond of the girl, and she knew that Harry considered her a friend close enough to bring her into his inner circle, but she was incredibly confused by one thing. "Diona, dear, why have you not joined Harry in bed? If it's about me I would not mind."

Diona blushed and shook her head in the negative. "It isn't like that with me and Harry. After what happened to me…" the slave took a moment to center herself like Harry had taught her to do when she began to get depressed and continued, "I just… don't have those urges anymore. I can't think about it without getting physically sick. Harry understands that, and he's happy to just be my friend. He helped me heal when I was broken, and I'm loyal to him above all others for it, but I'll never be a lover to anyone. It's no longer in me."

"That's perfectly fine, dear." Gaia brushed a bit of hair free of the younger girl's forehead and asked, "Does it bother you to hear us when we play? I could arrange for you to be elsewhere if it is a problem for you."

"Thank you, Domina, but I am fine. Harry calls it exposure therapy. The more I can hear and still stand tall, the stronger I become. After all this time serving you both I have managed to find at least a modicum of peace with it."

"Well, you tell me if that changes. I would like for us to be friends as well."

Blushing freely once more Diona answered, "I also would like that, Domina."

Two Years Later

"Harry!"

"Harry!"

"Potter!"

"Lion!"

"Capua!"

The crowds gathered amongst the stands of the Roman coliseum cheered the gladiator's name as he dodged between swipes of a trio of hangry tigers. This was the third day of the Great Games in Rome and he'd asked for the coup de gras in return for performing there. Ergo, the greatest beasts at the arena manager's hand. So it was that he danced between the lunges and swipes of the great beasts, all as the crowd continued to be drawn into his performance. Long ago he'd elected to win the crowd as his prime motivation for performance and it seemed he'd at last succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.

What was even more surprising was just how much he loved it. In England he had been respected and admired, sure enough, but here he was absolutely adored! And it was all going according to plan. After this showing there wouldn't be a person in the greatest city in the Republic that didn't know his name. Perfect.

Timing his next move perfectly around the rising crescendo of his audience he rolled forward under the nearest lunging cat and upon his rise used the momentum to drive one sword into the breast of another. Not giving his remaining foes time to flank him once more he leapt to the side, torqued his torso, and sliced his remaining blade down into the neck of the second tiger that he'd known would be coming hot on his tail. Unfortunately… the blade got stuck between the bone and meat and the pommel was ripped from his hand as he dove away once more to build some space from the last beast, though he needn't have worried as it had seen what became of its fellows and it was holding back a bit, appraising him with eyes far too keen for Harry's liking.

Slowly the two circled each other while Rome's populace hushed in expectant whispers as they leaned forward in their seats to see what would happen next. With a puff of dirt in the air from the passing of two sets of feet they found their hopes rewarded as the gladiator and tiger defied expectations and ran straight at each other.

Only Gaia, watching from the Box of Honor above the others with her eyes enhanced by years of Harry's ambient magic, noticed the way her love had loosened the straps of his right wrist greave and shuffled it down past his knuckles while he was circling the great beast. Only she knew that he sharpened the ends of them before every battle in case he was ever disarmed as he had been. And only she could have guessed what he would do next as he skidded beneath the beast the moment before contact could be made and drove his improvised weapon up into its soft underbelly as it passed by through the air to disembowel it.

When all was said and done the tiger died with an agonized howl with its guts spilling into the sand around it, and Harry reclaimed his feet covered from the torso up in its blood. The crowd erupted with awed applause and still Harry's bestial roar echoed above them all, only fueling their ardor and delight all the more for it.

After spending a few seconds perusing his body to make sure her love wasn't injured, Gaia made a decision to have him in her bed later before he could bathe the blood away. Then she looked over at her closest friend and delighted in the open awe and shocked desire on her face. Quintus had been drawn away by several senators earlier to talk business (they were interested in training some of their own stock at his ludus after so fine a showing) so the two of them were alone in the box looking down on the scene. It had been a long road to get here; letting Lucretia see how happy she was with Harry, arranging for her to walk in on him bathing more than once, and filling her mind with endless stories of all the ways he had pleased her physically since first taking him to her bed, and Gaia was sure that the time was finally nigh to make the last move in her intricate chess game of matchmaking with the regal redhead.

Leaning down to whisper in the ear of her dearest and oldest friend, Gaia noted, "You can have him if you want." Lucretia grew very still, and her eyes became panicked at being found out to be staring. "It's okay, Lucy. I share Harry all the time. I like doing it. You have no idea how hot it makes me to know all those rich bitches are paying out the nose for what I get for free."

"G-Gaia, I can't. "I-I'm-"

"Married, I know. Many of our other lovers are as well."

"I could get pregnant!" The other woman whispered harshly.

Gaia raised a brow and asked, "And would that be so bad? You and Quintus have been trying for how long now? Nothing is working there and he dearly desires an heir. You could scratch your itch and grow your family all at the same time."

"I don't know…" Lucretia trailed off and her voice became troubled, but her eyes had not left Harry during the entirety of their conversation. It was then that Gaia knew she had her, and the brunette couldn't be happier. Oh yes, she loved Harry, and she loved Lucretia, and she wanted more than anything else to love them both together. Oh yes, the joy they could share if united.

"Oh, Lucy, what would be the harm, really? Quintus has sampled the slave girls hasn't he?"

"We both have." The redhead admitted.

"Then what could be the harm in taking a free man who is more than willing? I promise you that neither of us would breathe a word of it to anyone; discretion is important to us after all. And surely it would be better to sample a free man than a slave?"

"I-I… perhaps…"

She was wavering now, perfect. "What if I were there with you both? Would you feel more comfortable then?"

Lucretia at once developed a look of gratitude and ease as she looped her arm through her friend's. "Oh Gaia, that would make me feel better about it. Does that make me weak?"

"No, it just means you want to be as comfortable as possible and there is nothing at all wrong with that."

"What do I tell Quintus?"

"Nothing. I am willing to bet he will be joining those senators he's with in the city into the late hours of the morning to celebrate whatever deal they settle on. We'll have the entire floor to ourselves for hours."

Lucretia blinked, "I hardly think we'll need that long."

Gaia smirked and conspiratorially whispered in her friend's ear, "Lucy, your husband may last long enough to give you one orgasm before finishing himself, but Harry can go for far, far, longer. I have trained his endurance well and he is a veeeerrrrryyyyy giving lover."

That Night

Gaia's prediction had been right on the money. Batiatus indeed had been asked out by his new business associates and had made it clear to his wife that he'd likely not be back until the morrow. That left the victorious gladiator sitting alone in the baths of their opulent city residence while Gaia and Lucretia prepared in the other room.

True to her thoughts earlier in the day the brunette had indeed already made love to him while he'd been liberally coated in the blood of his victory but they'd both decided the other woman they sought to induct into their life would likely not appreciate the same 'unique' circumstances that Gaia tended to. The location they found themselves was a rooftop set of apartments in the heart of the city. They were lodgings that had been prepared to house the Lion of Capua, his manager, and his entourage in advance of their visit and they were indeed quite opulent even by their usual standards.

The stones beneath the water were covered in intricate carvings of mythical beasts in motion, the walls held several pillars of marble, and the ceiling held no less than five chandeliers with lit candles that filled the chamber with pale and beautiful illumination. On the whole, it really set the mood better than anyone could have hoped.

Of course his attention was cleared from those items completely the moment the doors ahead of him opened and his eyes were blessed with the visage of two beautiful women walking towards him with only a pair of short towels wrapped around their torsos to preserve their modesties.

***Start Lemon***

"Well, what a surprise." Harry spread his knees apart in the water to offer the women an unobstructed view of what he knew they both wanted. "I expected you sooner."

Gaia offered the man a wink and dropped her towel to the floor as she struck a pose, cocking her hip and combing her fingers up into her hair. She knew from his pleased smirk that she'd done the right thing. Her man loved it when she modeled for him. "Well I just couldn't decide what to wear. I thought about my silk robe, that eastern dancer attire you ordered last year, and even that article you called a… thong. But eventually I remembered that tonight isn't about me, or you, it's about Lucretia." And so saying the brunette gripped her friend's towel and ripped it free of her grasp, revealing the redhead in all her glory as the woman herself blushed up a mighty storm.

For her own part, Lucretia found herself frozen. Her immediate instinct was to crouch down and retrieve the covering, but then she saw Harry's eyes upon her and… some deep and carnal part hidden within loved it. He looked upon her with open hunger, desire, and appreciation, and it was the first time in her life anyone besides her husband and Gaia had ever seen her in such a way. She'd never felt more exposed… or aroused. Hell, she thought she must be leaking down her legs.

Gaia must have seen the look as she moved in from behind her and began running her hands over her body. Her back, her shoulders, her arms, and then her breasts, and all the while she cooed into her ear and told her to keep her eyes forward as the gladiator slowly pulled himself free of the water and began walking over to her. If the appreciation in his eyes hadn't been clear enough then the glistening erection between his legs would have keyed her into his feelings toward her without much pause.

Like a frightened mouse Lucretia's former delight turned to fear, and she almost made to turn away, except Gaia had a firm hold of her. Her hands still cupped her breasts but her arms were clinched tight over her torso holding her fast. "Now, now, dear, just wait and see. I promise you'll love what comes next." She punctuated her words with a hard pinch to her friend's nipples that had the redhead moaning with shocked pleasure.

Taking his cue, Harry strode easily through the last vestige of space that separated him from his quarry and leaned in close, pressing his member flush to her taut abdomen while reaching behind to cup her rear and begin massaging it. "Tell me to stop and I will." He whispered in her ear, grinning through his loose hair at the labored breaths he could feel rapidly escaping her lips near his ear. "But ask me to continue and I'll show you pleasure the likes of which you've never known."

"P-P-Please-" Lucretia gasped.

"Please what?"

"T-Touch me!" The redhead finally moaned as one of her friend's hands left its former home to trail down and begin teasing her lower lips.

Harry chuckled deeply and surprised the woman by slowly dropping to his knees. "Your wish is my command." Maintaining his grip on the redhead's rear, he pulled her hips into his face and as his tongue delved into the delight of her core he began whispering in parseltongue, setting his own appendage to a high tuned vibrating frequency.

One minute in and Lucretia lost the faculty of speech. Two minutes and her legs buckled. Two and a half and she was screaming Harry's name in the screeching pleasure of release while Gaia held her aloft. Without her she'd have likely passed out. As it stood, Harry kept up his relentless assault for another five minutes after, driving her into four more crescendoing releases before he pulled back and nodded his head, directing Gaia to pull her friend into the heat of the water. She kept pulling until her back was flush to his former resting spot, a bunching of towels that just felt delightful against her back. Then she settled the redhead's back flush to her chest and wrapped her legs around her knees, pulling them wide moments later as Harry floated his way over to them.

Lucretia finally came back down to earth from her pleasure high as he reached his place over her and waited, looking deep into her eyes. All at once all of the remaining reservations she held about going all the way disappeared. In the space of her mind all that remained was her appreciation for Harry, her desire for him, her will to make him feel happy, fulfilled, and satisfied. She wanted him… she needed him… she…. Loved him.

Harry could see the moment his mental commands took hold and he couldn't help the self-satisfied smirk that came to his lips as a result. Weak from pleasure, delirious from overstimulation, the woman had been easy to turn to his control. Surely the old him would have had a problem with mentally dominating a human being, but the current one had lived far too long with the cruelties of the world to care over much. He wanted Lucretia. More than a quick lay he wanted her for his own. Her, Gaia, and more women besides. And Gaia at least he knew was more than happy to share that desire. Oh yes, they wanted the same thing, a harem of women devoted to them both, and they would have it.

"Please… do it." Lucretia's lips formed the words she never thought she'd ever say to any man other than Quintus. "Make me yours. Make me whole."

"As you wish. Gaia, a hand please." The brunette smirked at his choice of words and reached forward to grab a hold of his manhood. She'd been the one to set this event in motion so it seemed right that she be the one to see it driven to its conclusion. So, staring deep into his eyes the entire time and licking her lips with rapture, she pulled him the last bit of distance through the water, lined him up, and then took a hold of his right butcheek and dragged him the rest of the way home.

Lucretia's orgasmic moan at the act was music to her ears, and the near continuous wails of pleasure that erupted from her throat as her man began to thrust were akin to an orchestra. Yes, she maintained eye contact for the next two hours, all while her man drove her closest friend to orgasm after orgasm. Every time he came close to his own end he would stop and wait for her to turn Lucretia into a new position, and then he would start up again. But he didn't finish. No, he was saving himself, waiting for the signal, and when Gaia finally gave him her wink he pulled swiftly out of Lucretia, pushed her aside, and then slammed home one last time in his first lover's core. The swift and merciless act, paired with the hours of teasing she'd received from watching him with another woman, set Gaia off like a rocket; and as her core squeezed and massaged his length Harry finally let loose, coating her inner walls with his vitality granting release and biting her shoulder with supreme joy as he shuddered through it all atop her.

*** Lemon End***

When they finally came down to earth once more they all floated back together and cuddled in the wet heat of the bath. As he felt Gaia and Lucretia resting their heads on his chest Harry allowed himself a moment to release a sigh of bliss. Life certainly hadn't turned out how he'd expected, but he was far from complaining. Who could when they had a beautiful brunette and a redhead completely devoted to them?

A Few Months Later

Ten Miles Outside Capua

"So are you finally going to tell me what all of this is then, Harry?" Gaia asked as her horse pulled to a stop beside her lover's outside a large warehouse standing alone with nothing but open land visible on all sides of it. Beside her Diona dropped from her own saddle and helped her to do the same in a far more dignified manner. "You've had me siphoning money here for years now and all you would say was that it was a surprise."

Meanwhile, Harry was letting out a low chuckle as he looped the reins of the three beasts to a nearby post. "Would you believe me if I told you it's the future?" Moving over he took the hands of both women and led them to the large doors before waving a hand and summoning them open with his will. At once the air filled with the clanging of hammers on metal and the heat of forges in action and the woman quickly pulled their fans free to begin pumping air at their faces as the man pulled them inside.

It took a few moments to make out the scene within as the light was much dimmer from a lack of windows, but the ambient light of the fires and forges soon allowed them to make things out, and what they saw made little sense. Over a dozen men were bent over anvils hammering materials while a dozen more were pouring molten material into a mold. Six more were in the back carefully rolling a few barrels as far away from the heat as possible to join the stack of similar numbers already waiting.

"Who are all these people?" Gaia wanted to know.

Her lover answered, "Laborers and slaves I purchased and freed. I provide for them here and in return they keep my secrets. When the time comes they know I'll send them on their way with enough gold to start a blacksmithy of their own. Batiatus was right in his own way, gold greases many wheels."

Harry led them over to another wall that held a number of odd wood and metal objects mounted in neat rows. Selecting one he grabbed a package from nearby and then led them back outside. "Back in my old timeline I had a friend named Hermione. She and I realized a war was on the horizon and that we were hopefully unprepared to fight it. So we started researching many ways to gain an advantage over our enemies and one that appealed to us a great deal was firearms. The issue came from how difficult it was to acquire them in our country, so we researched how they were made historically. Our hope was to get a hold of the raw materials and then use our magic to create the final products from them. Sadly the event that brought me here happened before we could use what we'd learned."

"Firearms?" Diona asked curiously. "What are those?"

"Give me a moment and you'll find out." Tearing open the package he poured powder down the barrel, then lifted a rod free of the tube to stomp a cloth wrapped metal ball down after it. Once everything was set he slid the rod back under the barrel, lifted the stock to his shoulder, and aimed at a large rock about thirty yards away before pulling the trigger. Before their eyes a large chunk of the right corner exploded free in a cloud of dust.

"Huh, it pulls a bit to the right. I'll need to notify the artificiars." He mused before slinging the spent rifle over his shoulder and turning to enjoy the shell-shocked expressions on the women's faces. "I would have shown you both what all this was sooner but the black powder was the scale upon which this entire operation balanced and it took a bit longer than anticipated to set up trade for it with reliable merchants along the Silk Road who knew how to keep a secret."

Gaia gulped and noted, "With such a weapon you could…."

"...Conquer the world." Diona finished for her.

"Perhaps." Harry mused before letting out a full laugh. "Just wait until you see what the cannons are capable of when they are finished. As a great General named Napoleon once said, 'In war, God favors the side with the better artillery.' Of course, before we can make use of these we'll need to grow our stockpile, recruit an army, and build up a symbol for them to rally behind. If I'm right then we won't have to wait much longer."