Mudbloods and Cumbloods

by Succubi-Lover

An Anthology of Harry Potter based smut, I take requests, Rated MA, no flames will be tolerated given the manner of the material.

9. Know Your Place 36-43

Contribution

Title: Know Your Place

Author: Oraldeviant

Categories: Harry Potter

Characters: Harry Potter, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Lee Jordan, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, Draco Malfoy, Andromeda Tonks, Ginny Weasley, Tom Riddle, Luna Lovegood, Lucius Malfoy, Albus Dumbledore, Vernon Dursley, Dudley Dursley, Narcissa Malfoy, Walburga Black, Kreacher

Contains: Multiple Partners, Underage, Teacher/Student, Hufflepuff!Harry, Catgirl Transformation, Neko, Political Power, MILF, Handjob, Basilisk, Furry, Magical Orgasm, Harmony, Blowjob, Public Orgasm, Foot Worship, Oral, Pussy Licking, Cum Drinking

Summary Harry learns how to serve women from a young age; Petunia's training will have far reaching consequences.

Chapter 36

"There has been an incident; Ms Granger is in the Hospital Wing."

"What the FUCK?"

More than one person stopped and stared at Harry with wide eyes following his exclamation. He glanced around, briefly locking eyes with the Weasley girl, noting she was looking far better than she did before the holidays. Less haggard and worn, must have been homesickness. She blushed brightly when she met his eyes and Harry forced himself to focus on the present. Hermione. Hospital Wing.

"Mr Potter! Never in my..."

He didn't stop and listen to McGonagall's no doubt exhausting lecture and instead legged it towards the castle, his destination obvious. More than a few eyebrows were raised at his rapid departure, especially in front of a teacher. Harry was known for being unerringly polite to female teachers, this swearing and sprinting off hinted at something bad.

He blew past the great doors, his magic coiling around his muscles, speeding up his every movement as he took the stairs three at a time. Had someone seen him they would have wondered why he wasn't even breathing heavily, but such things were the last thing on his mind as he ran into the Hospital Wing, anxiously staring at the one closed off bed in the corner.

"Hermione!"

"Huh...? Harry?"

He exhaled in relief at hearing her voice, not the basilisk then, she would have been either dead or petrified if it had been the culprit; there was no middle ground.

"Thank Merlin, I was worried when you didn't greet us on the on the platform."

He moved towards her curtain only to be stopped by her frantic voice.

"Wait! Don't come in!"

"Wha.. Hermione what happened?"

"N-nothing, you can't enter though."

"If it's nothing then why can't I enter?"

He spoke softly, like dealing with a skittish animal he was afraid would bolt at the first sign of hostility.

"You'll think I'm a freak."

The ugly word from his childhood sent a flare of anger through his system before he choked it down, if there was one thing he would never do, it was to utter that word to one of his friends.

"Hermione. Do you really think I would do that?"

His answer was silence but by straining his ears he could make out choked sobs coming from the other side. Well, that was all the information he needed.

"Hermione, I'm coming in."

Not waiting for an answer he slipped past the curtain, letting it fall back in place behind him. When his eyes came to rest on Hermione he froze, all previous thoughts slipping out of his head. Well, this wasn't what he was expecting. Her eyes were staring into his and when he made no action to move or speak she started sobbing again, which snapped him out of his paralyzed state. Moving quickly he engulfed the girl in a deep hug, one which she eagerly returned, her soft cries against his neck only increasing in volume. He tried to calm her and moved his hand up to her neck to rub her...fur? Well, that wasn't important now, what was important was how it had happened and if it could be reversed. His calloused hand running up and down her neck seemed to work better than he expected as he could feel her relax against him, her fear of rejection must have been crushing.

"Just so you know Hermione, this isn't a problem for us, you'll still be our friend, all right?"

His answer was only a shaky sob as she nodded against his chest. He carefully pried her away, sitting down on her bed right in front of her before he looked into her eyes, trying to keep from marvelling at her slitted pupils.

"Now, do you think you could tell me how this happened?" And whether I have to kill someone if they caused this. He was surprised at how easily the thought came, but he had little doubt his revenge would be monstrous and without mercy if it came to that. She sniffled slightly before blowing her nose into a hanky.

"You know how I said some class mates had asked me for help with an academical project over the break?"

"Yes..." Uh-oh.

"Well, they wanted to make this potion, one I had never made before and the idea seemed fascinating."

"Uh-oh." He didn't bother hiding his dread this time.

"It was Ron and Dean you see, they figured that they could prove that Malfoy was the Heir, something I thought was ridiculous but the academical challenge behind the potion seemed fascinating."

"Mhmm." Trust Hermione to look at that aspect.

"It was Polyjuice Potion, a potion that allows you to mimic the form of another person…or well... being."

"Mhmm." That last addition didn't sound promising.

"Well the brewing went well, they had already been at it for a while; it was just the last part they needed my help with as it was quite tricky."

Quite tricky, she would call a NEWT level potion that. He was honestly quite impressed she had managed to finish it in the first place.

"Well, Ron and Dean drank the potion to impersonate Crabbe and Goyle before slipping in to the Slytherin common room. After they were gone I noticed there was a bit of the potion left and I really wanted to know what it felt like. Did you have full control over your limbs? Did your nervous system adapt? What about the muscle memory? So many questions."

Harry groaned softly and palmed his face, he'd ask why she wasn't in Ravenclaw but the fact that she would drink a NEWT potion she made in second year told him all he needed to know about her Gryffindor traits.

"That's when I made a slight...miscalculation. The hair I took from the brush wasn't strictly speaking a human hair. It was the hair of a cat."

Well, that part he had already figured out. He looked her over, noting the very thin layer of soft white fur covering her entire body, ending in a cute pair of cat ears sticking out of her brown locks. Her slitted pupils seemed to shine every time they were shadowed and her canines were more pronounced. Even her nails had elongated slightly, getting a sharper more feral tip to them. A few very small and light whiskers protruded from her nose and he could see the hint of a tail twitching behind her back to finish the look off. Honestly, now that he had gotten over her shock he actually found her to be pretty cute.

"Yeah, that part I kind of figured out."

She gave a hesitant smile, one which he happily returned. At least she wasn't crying her eyes out anymore.

"So, what's the word from Madam Pomfrey?"

Her face fell again and she seemed to be gathering her courage to continue.

"She...she doesn't think it's reversible."

Harry inhaled sharply, she was cute yes but in the Wizarding world…well, in both worlds, anything that was different would be subjected to scorn. The fact that she was muggleborn was bad enough, if the purebloods found out she was a half-breed now, they would gladly make her life hell.

"The potion isn't supposed to be used with animals. It's designed to temporary override your form with another human's form, like completely clearing the slate from start to finish. When I used a cat it wasn't really overriding, really, what could a cat override in a human...it was mixing. I don't know if it was my innate magic as a witch or simply the strength of my human form that allowed me to stay as close to what I originally looked like."

Harry grunted softly at that, the mixing could have left her in a far worse state to be honest, the fact that she seemed to retain her mind, which he knew she prized, was a stroke of luck indeed.

"I assume you've tried using Polyjuice potion again with another person's hair?"

She nodded softly, still staring at her hands.

"Yeah, when it ended I just returned to this form. Madam Pomfrey said it's because it's my new b-base form."

Noticing she was about to crack again he swiftly moved up next to her and pulled her into his lap. She quickly grabbed him in bear hug, squeezing him like her life depended on it. He briefly noted that she was significantly stronger now, but it really wasn't an issue for his magically reinforced limbs.

"Hey, hey, relax. It's not the end of the world."

He started rubbing his hand up and down her back, feeling her grip relax again as she settled into his embrace. He was surprised to feel her nuzzling his neck and was even slightly aroused by the feeling. Not the time for those thoughts.

Harry gently moved his hand down and grabbed her fluffy tail, running his hand through the soft fur. He chuckled slightly when it twitched away from him and returned to caressing her back and neck. Her fur felt like soft velvet underneath his hands and he could tell she enjoyed his ministrations; the soft sighs of pleasure were very endearing. He almost froze when he both heard and felt a repeating sound deep in her chest; it took him a second to recognize it for what it was. Purring. When she however nipped at his neck and slowly licked it he couldn't contain his gasp of surprise, which in turn startled her, making her snap away from him like she was burned.

Hermione felt mortified, she had no doubt her blush right now was putting Susan's brightest ones to shame. She hadn't meant to do that, it had just felt so good. Harry had been an attractive wizard earlier, but now with her animal instincts messing with her mind she could only considering him an alpha, by far the best potential mate she could find and someone she needed to submit to. Being that close to him with his hands rubbing her as his magic flooded her senses had been heavenly. She flushed even further when she realized the slight shift in scents she had detected was his release of pheromones as he got aroused. Merlin, this increased sensitivity of her senses took some getting used to. Part of her still wanted to bend over on the bed and wiggle her ass at him in hopes of enticing him to plow her into the mattress. These thoughts weren't helping her blush any; neither did the little amused smile on his face as he watched the different hues of red pass over her white fur.

"So…" He inquired, still smiling. "I take it your changes extend past just the appearance?"

She tried to send a glare at him but the effect was ruined by her embarrassment; making her look more cute than anything.

"Umm, yeah, it's messing with my head. Everything is, well, better. Hearing, smell, taste, even my vision, especially in the dark. When I went to the toilet I forgot to turn on the light but had no issues navigating the room. I feel stronger too and I'm pretty sure I'm far more flexible."

"Well...sorry if I'm insensitive, but at least that aspect of your condition doesn't sound too bad."

Hermione chuckled drily in return as she ran her hands through her fluffy tail.

"Yeah but I've got these, well, instincts and desires rushing through me that seem to amplify everything I feel. It's pretty rough to control."

"Hmm." He didn't really know what to say, her bright blush and her actions from earlier gave him a pretty clear image of what these desires might be. He reached over to play with her tail, enjoying the moment of silence before meeting her slitted eyes.

"Just so you know, the way you look doesn't bother me at all, in fact I find it very attractive."

She reddened prettily, her small embarrassed yet clearly pleased smile making her canines stick out.

"But, you're going to have to hide it, you know this right?"

Her smile slipped and she sighed.

"Yeah, I'd imagine someone like Malfoy would have a field day if he found about this. Knowing him he would probably ask his father to have it in the press the very same day he found out, another way to mess with the 'filthy mudbloods'."

Harry grunted in agreement, not mentioning that he would probably break every single bone in the bastard's body if he did that.

"Professor Flitwick has actually agreed to help me with that."

She brightened as she spoke, clearly impressed by the Charms Master.

"He's enchanting a little ankle bracelet to carry the glamour of my older look, preventing them from fading away; the way glamours cast directly on the skin usually do. It's really fascinating stuff and Headmaster Dumbledore said there are few people in Britain who could make an item like that so swiftly."

"Wait, Dumbledore knows about your condition?"

She frowned before hesitantly nodding.

"Of course he does."

"And I assume Snape knows as well?"

"…Madam Pomfrey said she would need to discuss my results with a potions master..." She seemed to shrink before his eyes. "Do you think he would spread the word about my condition?"

Harry wasn't sure if he had ever seen her looking more vulnerable than right now, like a frightened kitten desperately wanting reassurance. Still, he was not one to lie to a friend when presented with a direct question, especially not about a matter that concerned them. He pulled her close before answering.

"Yes." She instantly stiffened at that.

"However, I will make sure he doesn't speak; one way or another."

Hermione backed away slightly while still keeping her arms around him, sceptically staring into his green eyes, noting the faint wisps of magic dancing around his pupils. She swallowed softly, that was usually a pretty clear sign that he was not in the best of moods. He just smiled in return, making sure she knew his agitation wasn't aimed at her.

"Just trust me Hermione."

Harry extracted himself from her embrace and stood up.

"You just worry about getting better; I'll make sure this stays a secret, all right?"

"All right Harry... just don't do anything too insane okay?"

His answering grin did nothing to alleviate her worries as he slipped out of the room.

Harry brought the full strength of his Occlumency to bear as he stalked towards Snape's quarters, to run in there shouting like an emotional child would no doubt achieve nothing. The man had been a professor at the school for years; he had probably seen every single temper tantrum imaginable. He felt his mind clear, yet his magic was still agitated, coursing through his limbs like a small centred hurricane. Nothing he could do about that now, he wouldn't be able to calm down until Hermione's situation was handled. Harry didn't really mind having his magic prepared, although he desperately wished it would not come down to actual fighting. Whereas he was a prodigious student he was still only that, a student. Snape was a professor and a 'former' Death Eater; Harry had little doubt that if it came down to a duel then he would be severely outclassed. No, this was, as Mistress Narcissa would say, a battle to be fought with words, not wands.

Reaching his door he took a deep breath before firmly knocking on the door twice.

"Enter."

Harry did as asked, keeping a confident posture as he walked over to the seated man sorting through what looked like essays. His office table was wide and looked very old, mahogany, Harry idly noted. Snape seemed indifferent to his presence, still reading through the paper in his hands, yet Harry had spotted the brief flash of surprise that flashed through his eyes as he spotted him.

"Good evening Professor Snape."

"Potter. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Harry ignored his usual sarcasm and ploughed on.

"I have just come from the Hospital Wing where my friend Hermione Granger was being treated; I merely came to ensure that her condition would be kept in confidentiality as the school charter dictates."

A small oily smile spread across his lips and Harry clenched his fists to keep himself calm.

"But of course, I would not dream of going against the school rules."

He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap.

"It would, however, be most unfortunate if word of her situation got out, but you can rest assured Mr Potter, I would play no part in it."

"That is good to know Professor Snape as I fully agree; it would be very unfortunate for all parties involved if word got out about her situation. For some it might even be…catastrophic."

His eyes sharpened slightly at the implied threat but he made no other reaction, keeping his smug voice steady.

"Indeed Mr Potter, but you above all people must know how rumours work in this school. Why, the students seem to practically know everything that goes on and no one can really confirm where the story originated from."

That little bastard, he would leak it to his Slytherins after making sure they wouldn't tell where they heard it, making the word spread without implicating him in it.

"Ah, that would be very unfortunate as I would be left with no other choice than to assume certain parties were guilty of springing the leak."

"Indeed? And what would you, a second year, do about these guilty parties?"

Harry grinned, his widened smile almost feral as his voice hardened.

"Let's skip the doublespeak Snape. I am no mere second year, I am The-Boy-Who-Lived. Whereas I personally might find the title ridiculous; my opinion is not shared with the Wizarding world. Should you make the monumental mistake of leaking the information about Hermione then I will bring my full fame to bear on your ass. The Daily Prophet print just about anything I say on their front page, they have practically been hounding me for an interview as of late. A sob story of the poor hero-child of the Wizarding world feeling threatened by the evil former Death Eater hounding the castle halls would sell their entire stock in an hour."

"Of course that's not even considering how corrupt wizards are, I am a Potter, I might as well bathe in gold each day if I felt like it. No bribe would be too small to have a fleet of reporters investigate and write about every single skeleton you have hidden. Dumbledore might have protected you from the Wizengamot; he can, however, not protect you against greedy corrupt reporters wishing to make themselves rich on my gold."

"As for the student body, how hard do you think it would be for The-Boy-Who-Lived to find people willing to sign a petition against you of all people? I'd offer a handshake or two, perhaps a few autographs sprinkled in with a few kisses to any girls that wanted one and I'd have a petition numbering hundreds of students willing to have you sacked in the span of a day. Make absolutely no mistake Professor Snape, the day you leak the word about Hermione's condition is the day I ruin every aspect of your life."

Snape seemed to frown slightly at his words before he spoke in a soft measured tone.

"You would do all that? Waste so much gold and influence for a mudblood?"

The way he said the word mudblood was strange, there a strange tinge of loathing in his voice, yet Harry felt like it wasn't aimed at him or Hermione. In fact it sounded like self-loathing of all things but Harry dismissed it as folly.

"Her name is Hermione and yes, I would do it in a heartbeat."

"Hmpf.. you would, wouldn't you...Hufflepuff loyalty..."

His mumbled voice was barely audible and Harry was completely caught off guard by this sudden change of demeanour. Snape seemed to snap out of his trance and he waved towards the door, seeming irritated.

"Very well, her condition will be kept silent, now go away Potter."

"... wha?"

"You wouldn't understand, now leave."

Harry wanted to question him and demand an oath yet his gut was telling him Snape spoke the truth. He simply couldn't comprehend his sudden change of heart but realized that sticking around would achieve nothing more.

"As you wish, and thank you Professor Snape."

The man just grunted in response and the last glimpse Harry caught of him, as he slipped out of the room, was when he pulled out a large unopened bottle of firewhiskey from his bottom drawer

XXX

Harry was pretty high strung the first week after Hermione was released from the hospital, yet it looked like Snape had held his word, there were no special reactions or comments towards her. Flitwick had also come through, handing over an ankle bracelet that Harry loved to study whenever he could; it was a fascinating combination of runes, enchantments and permanent charms all woven together into the gold. In general he was quite pleased; there had been no new attacks since before Christmas and the overall mood in the school seemed greatly improved.

On his personal front there was a bit of tenseness between Hermione and his Hufflepuff girls though, one significant mood change caused by the potion was obvious, Hermione absolutely loved to cuddle him now. Wherever he sat she would curl into his side, her almost inaudible purrs starting up the second he started caressing her. The girls knew about her condition and understood the reasons behind it yet their jealousy was pretty tangible at times. On the other hand they didn't act on it because they now knew that there was no possible way for Hermione to aspire to become Lady Potter, her chances were already slim because of her being a muggleborn but now with her additional condition it would never fly in Wizarding Britain.

Still, lounging in one of the Hufflepuff sofas with Hermione curled into his side he was quite pleased, things were going well and the most important summer of his life was quickly approaching. A few Hufflepuff sixth years sent a glance at Hermione then continued up to their room, she had pretty much become a permanent fixture in their common room as of late. If Harry Potter thought she could be trusted then who were they argue. Harry chuckled softly as he slipped his hand underneath her robes to run it down her back the way she liked it, making her sigh in pleasure. Playing with her fine short fur he considered Weasley and Thomas, they had clearly wanted to say something about Hermione pretty much abandoning her house, yet one look at him had quickly quelled their ardour. He hadn't done anything to them because Hermione said it was her own fault for drinking the potion, but those two were clearly walking on eggshells around him, expecting retaliation at any point. Well, Harry would honour Hermione's wishes but that didn't mean he had to tell them they were off the hook.

A soft rumbling sound made itself known; a sound Harry by now recognized as her soft purr. He softly scratched the fur around her concealed tail, skimming dangerously close to the top of her pert bum. It wouldn't be the first time he had played around with the top of her amazing ass, in fact it was pretty hard to avoid with her egging him on to touch her whenever she was close. Her feline side seemed to have decided he had pretty much free access to everything that concerned her and it was honestly tough to refuse, she was incredibly attractive and feel of her heated body rippling underneath the thin layer of silky fur was very pleasant to touch. Yet he had abstained for now, as he wasn't really certain if this was truly what she wanted or if it was just her instincts going haywire. Using someone he didn't care too much about for his own advantage was one thing, but doing it to a friend was simply unthinkable for him.

Harry glanced at the pile of Valentine cards he had collected in the Great Hall earlier in the day, frowning slightly as he remembered what Gilderoy Lockhart considered appropriate messengers. Annoying, rude and insistent dwarves hunting people down to publicly shout out any love poems they had been assigned to pass on. A small shudder ran through him as he considered all the strange verses he had received, there had been great potential for embarrassment. Yet when they walked up to serenade him he had merely cleared his mind, offered a polite smile and a thank you for each poem and card. It was hard to laugh at someone else's embarrassment when they didn't seem embarrassed at all in the first place.

Leaning back on the sofa he smiled gently at the girl curling up into his armpit, maybe this year wouldn't turn out to be so bad after all.

Unfortunately for Harry he had never heard about Murphy's Law.

Chapter 37

Harry chuckled quietly as he heard the exuberant shouts of the Hufflepuff audience waiting outside the dressing room. It was the 8th of May and time for the final Quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. It was the first time in years that Hufflepuff had a solid chance of winning the cup and the house was more united than ever before, chanting together as they greedily anticipated the clash. The upper years said they had never seen such house unity as they witnessed now, the combination of their success in both the House Cup, the Quidditch Cup and the threat of petrification had seen the house of loyalty unite together stronger than ever. Harry himself had become an even stronger figure for the house, his academic performance racked in points like no other while his prowess at Quidditch had won him countless fans.

The school had been at peace ever since the attack in December and the students in general considered the problem dealt with. Even Malfoy seemed to have lost some of his bluster when his prophesied apocalypse of the muggleborn wasn't happening. It didn't help any that the Hufflepuffs were copying the actions of Harry when it came to bullying, retaliating together as one. More than one person wondered what was happening to the house of the badgers, a few of the older ones considering what was becoming of a house built on loyalty and hard work now that a leader was emerging among them.

Harry himself was in a good mood, he was making good progress on all fronts, the personal tutoring from Mistress Andromeda allowing his ability to grow in leaps and bounds. Even his Ancient Runes self-study was going surprisingly well, yet he still puzzled over his ability to easily memorize the various runes and their combinations, he was fairly certain it should be more difficult.

Hermione continued to trouble him though; her condition had seen no change besides her growing far more comfortable with herself. No longer was she plagued by self-doubt and anxiousness, she seemed to embrace her new self with ease. She was still as affectionate as ever and Harry could only wonder what brought it all on. He had obviously considered the life-debt she owed him from first year, when he had saved her from the troll, it was after all a magical bond of sorts and she herself said the potion had increased her sensitivity to all her desires. Alife-debt in essence required service from whoever owed it and he had to wonder if it was one of the reasons she acted the way she did.

Still, he hadn't given up hope on fixing her condition, even if Hermione herself seemed rather content with the whole thing. Madam Pomfrey was good but she was no expert, getting an expert opinion on her condition might shed more light on the issue. Harry also considered the possibility of the Polyjuice potion messing with her animagus form, after all, no one knew how those two magics interacted, as no one was, well, dumb enough to drink a Polyjuice potion with animal hair in it. Yet if her animagus transformation was the required fix she would still have to wait several years before attempting it. Not only did it require basic Occlumency to prevent oneself from being lost to the mind of the beast, one also needed extensive transfiguration training as the art was in essence wandless human self-transfiguration. As far as he knew the art wasn't even taught in Hogwarts, considered beyond the grasp of even the NEWT transfiguration students.

"Hufflepufffffffffff!"

Lee Jordan's shout drowned in the massive cheers that erupted from the Hufflepuffs in attendance and Preece grinned happily as he lead them out on the field. Harry grinned in return, it was time to claim the cup for the puffs for once; he was pumped for this game.

"All students are to return to their common rooms immediately!"

Complete silence blanketed the stadium as they turned to gape at Professor McGonagall who was marching towards the pitch.

"What?!"

Lee Jordan seemed to have forgotten he still had his Sonorus spell active, or he simply ignored it, yet Harry couldn't blame him, why the hell would they interrupt the final Quidditch game? McGonagall glanced towards him and he saw hesitance flash in her eyes. He felt his stomach drop as he watched her compose herself to give a statement.

"There has been another attack, Ms Granger from Gryffindor and Ms Clearwater from Ravenclaw have been found petrified. Now move; everyone to their respective common rooms, this match is cancelled!"

Harry froze in disbelief, that fucking heir had actually dared to attack Hermione. Worry warred with rage inside of him as he clenched his fists, willing his mind to start working again. With a snap he took off, sprinting towards the Hospital Wing, he had to see her to sort his head out.

He couldn't even remember running in to the infirmary, all that mattered was the brown haired girl lying in a bed next to the other statue-like students. Staring at her motionless form he had to forcibly remind himself that she was not dead; merely petrified. The image was disturbing, to watch someone who had become so full of life as of late, be made into this caricature of herself. His nails dug into his palm, drawing blood without him noticing, he was going to make a fucking snakeskin wallet out of this so called monster.

Reaching over to brush the hair out of her eyes he was at least relieved that her glamour had held, Professor Flitwick obviously knew what he was doing. Glancing at her left hand he saw a small mirror locked in her grasp and chuckled apathetically, of course she would find out what the beast was even when he told her to leave it alone. Really, what was he expecting, she was curious before but now…the expression that came to mind was 'curiosity killed the cat'. The thought made him slightly nauseous and he turned away, feeling guilt well in him. No, fuck the guilt, why was Dumbledore still refusing aurors in the school? Why was he feeling guilt when that man could have prevented all this but was letting it run its course. He looked at the row of frozen students and snorted without any real feeling, Penelope Clearwater was a half-blood. Ignoring the plight of muggleborns was one thing but the wizarding public would throw a fit when they heard the only daughter of the Clearwater family had been petrified because of his stubbornness.

His thoughts turned out to be prophetic, the second the word spread about the latest string of attacks; Dumbledore was removed as the Headmaster and kicked out of the school. Soon after, Hagrid out of all people was arrested based on suspicion alone and no doubt because of his status as a half-giant. He was naturally sent to Azkaban without any trial, why would they waste time and resources on a half-breed. Harry palmed his face at the hypocrisy and stupidity of the Ministry, to remove Dumbledore from his post was one thing, but to remove him from protecting the students was idiocy. That's not even mentioning the idea of Hagrid proclaiming himself the heir of Slytherin. It was about as likely as Lucius Malfoy being revealed as the heir of Hufflepuff

XXX

To call the school tense following the attacks would have been an understatement, lower years were escorted everywhere they went and even the teachers looked frazzled. Several students had pulled out to receive tutorship for the rest of the year; those that couldn't afford it only stared with barely hidden jealousy at the departing students.

Harry didn't care; he thought it was a good thing as it narrowed down the list of suspects. To say that he was thirsting for revenge was like calling water wet, his blood practically boiled in his veins whenever someone mentioned the heir. He spent hours every night prowling the corridors with his invisibility cloak, hoping to catch whoever it was that was responsible. He had not cared one whit about the attacks until they attacked something that was his. He did not care how sexist it sounded to classify Hermione as his, she simply was. The heir of Slytherin had made things personal.

Susan and Hannah were obviously worried about him and tried to cheer him up, yet it had little success. He had learned from Christmas and didn't snap at them or shut them out, yet there was little they could do to help him. Every morning he showed up for breakfast with bags under his eyes they would share a glance before piling up food on his plate. Harry suspected they knew exactly what he was doing and was grateful for their silent support. He was even more grateful for the fact that they didn't press him with questions, he couldn't lie for shit to them and avoiding the questions would just have made things awkward.

Harry glanced at the clock while munching his prepared plate; he didn't even notice the taste but made himself swallow anyway. He would never starve again when there was food available; that had been a promise he had made himself.

"Charms next eh?"

He nodded at Susan, Charms class with Slytherin, oh joy. If that house was disliked before, it was nothing compared to how they were treated as of late. The Gryffindors watched every single green-clad student with hawk eyes, seeming to hope for an excuse to go to war with them. Hufflepuff was little better, entire groups of students tracing the Slytherins with their eyes when they walked by. Most seemed bothered by the attention; even Malfoy's swagger seemed to die rather suddenly when he wasn't around his house. Their meetings with Daphne and Tracey had ended for now, not that he blamed the girls for their caution; he wouldn't want to walk around as a pair in the current climate either. The school felt like a powder keg waiting to blow.

The prefect dropped off their class outside of the Charms room, clearly Flitwick hadn't arrived yet. The Slytherin class was already there, lounging outside the door. The tension increased as soon as both sides realized they were alone in the hallway, hushed discussions going on within both groups. Harry was fine with the quiet; he really didn't feel like listening to Malfoy's rubbish right now. He remembered the old saying of 'speak of the devil' as he watched the blond boy swagger in between them, taking a demonstrative sniff of the air.

"Ahhhh." He muttered in delight.

Harry ignored him and started walking towards the classroom; he had more important things on his mind.

"Can you smell that? The air sure seems a lot fresher in the school as of late."

Harry froze, half trying to reign in his temper and half wishing to pummel the little fuck.

"Must be all the filth being purged as of late."

The blink of an eye later Harry's fist was buried in the wall next to Malfoy's head, his magic enforced fist breaking the actual millennia old rock, fine spider web cracks spreading out around his knuckles. The loud bang made more than a few people jump before quickly reaching for their wands, but Harry had yet to move an inch, content to keep his face inches from Malfoy, peering into his eyes. Draco swallowed softly as he glanced at the cracked rock next to his face before turning tail and legging it to the classroom.

A loud snort broke the tense silence and they all turned to Hannah who was covering her mouth her hand.

"Sorry, sorry, but that was pretty damn funny."

Susan tried to fight her giggle but failed and was soon joined in by a few soft chuckles. People glanced at each other before holstering their wands, not really worth fighting over the ponce.

"Mr Potter."

They turned around at Professor Tonks's voice, not having noticed her at the end of the corridor.

"If you would come with me, the rest of you inform Professor Flitwick I have borrowed Mr Potter."

She got a few nods in return before marching off with Harry. They walked in silence as she led him to her room and gestured towards the sofa. As he sat down she started preparing some tea.

"You realize you almost started a war between Hufflepuff and Slytherin?"

He grimaced but couldn't really refute it, Malfoy had been mouthing off but he had escalated it to violence.

"Yeah, it was dumb."

"Yes, it was. It was rash and quite simply stupid."

She walked over with the tea set, sitting down next to him and handing him a cup.

"Yet I don't blame you, your Occlumency seems to be a mess and your emotions are all over the place. Have you been sleeping?"

His answering grimace just made her nod, like she already knew the answer.

"Lack of sleep makes relaxation difficult which in turn makes meditation for Occlumency difficult. As this has been going on for some weeks you are allowing all your emotions to bleed through. The childish taunts of Malfoy should be answered with wit, not physical force like some brute. Never allow your enemies to know they are getting to you. Actual revenge can be taken later, especially when it doesn't involve your entire class. Or witnesses for that matter."

"You don't understand Mistress; I have to catch this little bastard!"

"The heir? Do you believe yourself to be in good condition to fight someone who is capable of controlling a basilisk?"

He was about to answer yes but frowned, she'd spot a lie a mile away and when he really thought about it he felt weak as a kitten. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep in almost a month. His lack of answer only made her raise an eyebrow as she sipped her own tea, prompting him to taste his.

"The Hufflepuffs look up to you; in fact almost the entire first three years follow your lead. Had you started fighting with Slytherin today then the violence would have no doubt escalated, we need to sort out your head."

He drunk a bit more tea, savouring the taste, it was actually quite good, before giving her a questioning look.

"Sort out my head?"

She moved up, sitting down behind him so that he was practically in her lap. Her hands moved up to his chest and she pulled him back, making him recline against her pert breasts. He had barely had time to put the teacup away and turned his head to look at her in question. She just smiled and kissed his neck before her hands parted his robes and gently pulled his shirt out of his pants. Harry flushed but didn't fight her; he wasn't a complete idiot after all. Her hands roamed over his slight abs before continuing to his belt, unbuckling it with deft hands. His arousal was painfully obvious by now and she just gave a pleased murmur at the sight as she pulled down both his pants and boxers, freeing his erection.

Her left hand moves to his testicles, gently cupping and playing with them while her right hand grasped her wand. A muttered spell later he felt some sort of warm lubricant cover his cock and her right hand started pumping him slowly.

"Come on Harry, come for Mistress and let your body relax."

Her mumbling voice kept washing over his ear as her silky hand kept working on his shaft, playfully massaging the head before returning to the pumping motion. Harry hadn't bothered with masturbation in ages, too preoccupied with Hermione's situation and it clearly showed now as he felt himself lose control very quickly. He panted and tried to delay his orgasm to enjoy the feel of her soft hands, but it was of no use and he soon felt himself come, covering her relentless hands in semen as he jerked in her lap. She wrung the very last drop out of him before giving him a small kiss on the cheek and picking up her wand to vanish the mess. Harry stared at her as she stood up.

"N-not that I'm objecting, but *yawn*, what was that all about?"

She gave him a victorious little smirk.

"Not only does an orgasm make your body release endorphins that affect your mood, it also relieves stress, something that you were in great need of having relieved. Above all, however, it also releases your magic and calms it."

She walked over to his cup of tea, inspecting the leftovers before smiling at his drowsy face.

"It also allows the Dreamless Sleep potion I slipped into your tea to work without your notice, you did after all say you hadn't been sleeping."

He tried to muster an angry glare at her but could already feel the potion taking effect, his vision steadily darkening.

"Good night Harry."

The last thing he saw before sleep claimed him was her tucking him in with a thick blanket. He couldn't decide if he should be upset or grateful.

Chapter 38

Harry felt a moment of disorientation as he groggily opened his eyes, trying to figure out where he was. His mind focused and he recognized Mistress Andromeda's living room, feeling the memories of earlier returning to him. He frowned slightly as he stretched, he really wanted to be upset with her for slipping him that potion, yet he couldn't deny that he felt fantastic. He glanced at the clock, seeing it was past six in the evening. He snorted softly, no wonder he felt great, he had slept almost ten hours, which was probably more than he had slept all week before that.

Feeling how calm his magic felt and how relaxed he was in general, he decided to spend some time meditating. He had been neglecting the practice and it had honestly been showing, his emotions flaring far easier. Closing his eyes he gathered his Occlumency, clearing his mind with casual ease before flitting through the happenings of the past month, analysing them and putting his mind at ease. Occlumency required constant upkeep, as ignoring emotions and significant events lead to build up, which in turn deteriorated one's emotional control.

He froze when he worked through one of the most emotionally loaded memories, when McGonagall had told him about Hermione. Ginny Weasley. The girl had clenched her teeth before snapping his eyes to him, her entire appearance practically flooding with guilt. He hadn't paid attention to it at the moment, being too occupied with keeping his anger in check. She knew something; that was not the usual blushing reaction she got when he made eye contact with her, that was pure and simple guilt, oozing out of her very being.

Harry stood up from the sofa, throwing his robe on in the process. Mistress Andromeda had apparently used a Switching spell on him at some point during the day to make him more comfortable. He glanced at the clock again, he should be able to make the end of the dinner; Weasley would most likely be there. Jogging at a steady pace towards the great hall he frowned when he heard a loud commotion down the corridor. A huge crowd was gathering and they were all whispering in a hushed tone, like they were afraid to upset something unseen. Harry waded through the crowd before reaching what had caught their attention, feeling his magic bubble in him as he saw the text covering the hallway wall.

'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever'

It was the same blood red paint that had adorned the walls in October; the dripping message sent a chill through his spine.

"All students are to return to their common rooms at once!"

McGonagall waded through the crowd with Snape and Flitwick, her stern command getting the students moving. Harry took one last glance at the text before making up his mind, heading towards the Gryffindor common rooms instead of his own. The Gryffindors sent questioning glances towards him as he waded through them before spotting his target, the Weasley girl was walking apart from the rest of them, her face clearly distraught. He moved up next to her, noting that she wasn't paying attention to anything going on around them, merely staring at the floor. As they turned the corner he slipped his invisibility cloak over them both and pulled her into a classroom. She squeaked in surprise before recognizing him, at which point it looked like she couldn't decide if she should panic or blush. To Harry it looked like she was doing both.

"Hey, Ginny wasn't it?"

"Uh, umm, yeah?"

'Always use all resources available to you.' The mantra from Mistress Narcissa rang in his head and he mentally groaned, yet knew what he needed to do. If she knew something and had kept it quiet for this long, then bullying her would probably not achieve much. He flashed a confident smile, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

"Harry Potter, pleasure to finally meet you Miss Ginny Weasley."

"Uhh, uh, umm, y-you too?"

Harry grinned mentally; at least her panic seemed to have abated; now she was just confused and incredibly flustered. He moved closer to her, his body only inches from her.

"I've been looking at you lately."

"Oh?" It sounded more like a squeak than an actual question.

"Yeah, and I have admit I'm a bit worried, you look like something terrible has happened, beyond the obvious that is."

She opened her mouth and closed it, staring at her shoes as if trying to decide what she should say. He gently cupped her chin and lifted her eyes up to his.

"Hey, hey, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to, I understand if you have been afraid to talk to the teachers. But how am I supposed to help you if I don't know what's wrong."

She blushed even deeper at his touch, seeming frozen against the wall.

"Uh, umm, y-you don't understand, I don't think you can help with t-this."

He moved even closer, placing his other hand on her back while flashing her a cocky grin, something he heard his father liked doing.

"Come on now, you know who I am right, The-Boy-Who-Lived? Do you really think I wouldn't be able to help you?"

Her eyes widened in awe and Harry had to mentally thank all those trashy adventure stories that had spread around about his supposed adventures as a child.

"W-well, it kind of started during the summer." He smiled at her hesitant face, urging her to continue.

"I f-found his strange book among my school books. It was really weird but really cool as well, it would write things back to me when I wrote in it. It sometimes even showed me these cool memories."

Harry kept his encouraging smile up, not letting his suspicion show on his face. A book with independent thought and the capability to display memories was so far out of the realm of normal charms work it wasn't even funny.

"Well, the guy in the book was called Tom and he was really nice, yet he seemed to be getting increasingly frustrated with me during the year. That was until I spoke to my friend who I think was being bullied, Tom suggested I'd give him to her so she could have a friend to help her out." She glanced at him hesitantly.

"You're doing great." He gently moved his hand slightly lower to the top of her buttocks, rubbing her lower back while still keeping his encouraging smile in place.

Her flush returned to full force but she continued her story.

"I did as he asked and my friend was really happy... but a few months after I no longer had the book I started remembering these really weird things. Like, I was doing stuff, but I wasn't really doing stuff? I don't really understand but I'd remember these parts, or well, shards of memories of things I didn't know I had done."

She was frowning now while Harry furiously cycled through her story in his mind. Memories returning meant a memory obfuscation charm that was slowly breaking down. The other part of her discussion sounded like possession or mind control of some sort. The more he learned the less this book sounded like a book, it sounded like an entity. Seeing the red head was looking at him in question he bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, while softly squeezing her bum. He was pretty surprised at how firm it was; witches rarely did any sport besides Quidditch; he guessed she must fly a lot. Harry knew there was a reason why the all-female Quidditch team the Holyhead Harpies had so many fans, and it sure as hell wasn't their performance.

Her squeak was adorable and Harry was surprised at how malleable she was; her infatuation with him must have been brewing for a good while.

"That sounds pretty strange; do you recognize anything specific from these memories?"

She gathered her breath, glancing at the hand palming her butt before flushing again. When she finally got her mind back on track her answer was the jackpot he was looking for.

"Uhh, I don't know really, like I can't really tell if I had been dreaming or not. Can't tell what's real and what's not you know? But, like, in a lot of the memories I remember seeing this h-huge hole in the second floor girls' bathroom, which is really strange because no one ever goes there. Because of Myrtle constantly hanging around there, you know?"

Harry slowly nodded while resisting the urge to fist pump, Moaning Myrtle, killed in 1943, right during the time the Chamber had been opened for the first time.

"Thank you Ginny, your help has been invaluable, maybe I'll see more of you later all right?"

"All right, H-harry."

He squeezed her again before winking at her, getting another squeak as he slipped away. Harry really did place her infatuation behind his ear, he was pretty sure that in a few years she'd get down on her knees in the great hall if he asked her for a blowjob. Something to keep in mind for sure; especially for a hormonally charged teenager.

The school was eerily quiet as he ran down to the second floor; the total evacuation of students had obviously been very efficient. He didn't worry about Ginny; he had left her practically outside of the Gryffindor common room. Reaching the girls' bathroom he snuck inside, making sure to keep quiet. Seeing it was empty he removed the invisibility cloak while studying the room. The decor was old, very old in fact. Hiding the entrance to the Chamber here sounded like something Slytherin would do, this was probably among the last places one would search. He started combing through every corner and panel before finally freezing as he spotted a small snake engraved into the side of a tap. He carefully traced it with his finger, feeling a small hint of magic hidden beneath. A snake, of course, parseltongue was a Slytherin family trait, what better way to bar the entrance from anyone that didn't belong.

Focusing on the snake he started hissing, "Door, reveal, open..."

On open a loud creak was heard underneath the floor before it magically folded in on itself, revealing a wide pipe that lead down into the darkness. Harry stared into the oppressing darkness before his rational side took hold and he realized he could use some backup. He cursed when he realized time was of the essence and he had absolutely no way of contacting Mistress Andromeda, he really needed to learn that Patronus charm she used to send messages around with, seemed dead useful. Oh well, nothing to it, if the heir really did have someone down there then this was his best chance of catching him. He wasn't really too worried about the girl, his priority was revenge, he didn't even know her.

He slid down the pipe on his feet before tumbling into a pile of carpets, grateful for the elasticity that dampened his fall. A muttered Lumos charm later he gasped quietly as he took in the corridor he was walking through. It was everything he though it should be, majestic yet intimidating, the countless carvings of snakes leaving little doubt to whom this place belonged to. He thought about donning his invisibility cloak but the place was pitch dark, meaning he would still be spotted because of his wand light. Reaching another door he repeated the command from earlier, watching with a small sense of satisfaction as it melted away, revealing a huge chamber dominated by a gigantic statue of a man. Salazar Slytherin no doubt.

The flickering torches on the wall revealed two people in the middle of the Chamber, a small blonde girl lying on her side, hopefully only unconscious, and a tall handsome boy standing next to her, smirking at Harry. When Harry got closer he saw malice hidden in those eyes, but what was stranger was the transparency of the young man. He looked like something between a ghost and a man. Studying the girl he recognized her, it was the girl that had happily skipped to the sorting hat earlier in the year, Luna Lovegood, Ravenclaw first year.

"Harry Potter...I guess I should not be surprised that you found your way here, considering the stories I have heard about you."

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Although I confess myself confused as to how you actually got in here, only one with Slytherin family magic may enter."

"I'm just that good."

The boy smirked in response.

"Ah confidence, I recognize many of my traits in you Harry. Brutality, confidence and charm, you could become great under my tutelage."

"And who would you be?"

He wrote out 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' in flaming letters, watching in amusement as Harry merely frowned at the name. With an exaggerated twirl of his wand he reached over and tapped the text, gleefully watching it reform into 'I am Lord Voldemort'.

Harry kept his face Occluded but couldn't help the tinge of panic that ran through him, he had been expecting a student; instead he got the Dark Lord. Talk about biting off more than you can chew. The last time he had fought Voldemort the battle itself had been pathetic, he had been crushed by someone faster, more powerful and certainly more skilled. He had improved, but not by a long shot enough to match what he had fought then.

"Why are you here?"

The man studied him for a while before grinning; Harry assumed he couldn't resist bragging.

"Why to clear this school of filth and to rise again."

Harry noticed the blurry boy had gained more definition, like a camera that had come into focus better. He was gaining strength. He quickly looked around, spotting a small diary in the hands of Lovegood, who looked like she was suffering from hypothermia, her skin very slowly but steadily paling. Fuck, if he was ever going to have a chance it was now. He whipped out his wand and sent an Expulso charm at the boy, frowning when he only grinned in return. The charm passed right through his body and smashed against the wall, causing a spider web of runes to light up but causing little damage, the chamber was clearly warded. While the ward was clearly old it still mitigated the damage.

"Now, now Harry, there's no need for that."

Harry pointed his wand at the diary instead, still getting a superior smirk from the man. After a moment of hesitation he moved the wand to Lovegood's head instead, watching as a flash of fear went through Tom's eyes before he eased out what looked like Lovegood's wand. It certainly looked too feminine to be his.

"Would you kill her Harry? Poor little Luna Lovegood?"

Tom sent a quick wordless cutting charm at Harry who reflexively parried it, yet he surprised at how feeble it was. It barely kept consistency and when he flicked it away it faded into nothing. Tom looked at the wand and frowned, making Harry breathe a sigh of relief. The wand was either a terrible match or he simply was still too weak to properly cast magic, or both. Either way it was a good thing for him. Tom looked at him and started speaking, his soft steady voice echoing in the Chamber.

"I was first in Ginevra Weasley's hands you know? She proved to be a real treasure trove of information when it came to all things Harry Potter, I'd be careful around that one, bit stalker-ish if you know what I mean. She also surprisingly managed to resist me, spending the majority of her time fawning over you with her friends instead of writing in the diary. Even getting her to do the slight things she did proved to be a real challenge, I knew it would have taken me years to fully control her."

Harry heard him mumble "seventh daughter of the seventh generation..." before he glanced at Lovegood, showing a cruel arrogant smile.

"Then a stroke of luck occurred, she mentioned her dear friend Luna Lovegood and how lonely she seemed. It only took a bit of compulsion before she happily handed me over to the poor broken girl. Miss Lovegood had seen her own mother die during a failed spell experiment when she was nine and never received proper counselling. Her father lost what was left of his mind in grief and let his mind follow whimsy fairy tales instead of focusing on the cruel reality where his wife was dead. Poor Luna only wished for attention from her father so she copied the only parental figure she had, talking about the same fairy tales in hopes of recognition. Desperate, yet it barely worked, letting the poor girl cope with her mother's demise."

His grin became disturbing.

"Then she arrived at Hogwarts, hoping to make new friends. Yet no one had told her that children are the cruellest of them all. They took one look at her and labelled her loony, classmates started picking on her to fit in with the rest of the cool people. Those that had sympathy didn't want to expose themselves to the bullying, so they looked the other way, pretending it never happened while the broken girl was shattered even further. Then I arrived, the first friendly person who would talk to her and listen. She devoted hours each day writing in me, letting my magic sink its hooks deeper into her, bypassing her natural mental defences before slowly possessing her body completely. Her. Very. First. Hogwarts. Friend."

Harry felt bile rise up in his throat as he fought to control his rage, that fucking bastard, that scheming cold son of a bitch. Glancing at him he saw that Tom had become even more corporeal, draining the girl of her life. He swore loudly and tried to will himself to kill the girl. Yet looking at the pale fragile little thing he could only curse his own weakness as he compared her bullying to his and her loss of parents to his own. He could relate far too well and not even Occlumency could keep his sympathy at bay.

"FUCK!"

He swore as he sent a cutting curse at the diary, watching it easily deflect the spell as it skipped across the ground. Tom's laughter was mocking in its cruelty and he switched his focus to him instead, sending every offensive spell he knew at him, yet all of them whizzed happily through his incorporeal body, letting out a pathetic fizzling sound as if to mock him. Feeling desperation rise he focused his hate into a finely honed weapon, ignoring everything but his wish to crush this man. He broke his promise to Mistress Narcissa, but he saw no other options.

"Lacero!"

The word was almost hissed out, a spell of the Dark Arts taught to him by Mistress Narcissa. Instead of the usual flush of pleasure that accompanied the art he managed to Occlude it; his rage and anger focused at the utter devastation of his enemy. Battle rage it was called among older wizards, yet Harry had never heard the term; he only knew what he felt, a thrumming sense of hunger for the fight itself.

Much to his surprise the dark magic served where light one couldn't; cutting a massive gash across Tom's leg, exposing a hint of bone for a second before blood flooded out. Of course, he was a dark magic construct at the moment, not yet human, he could no more ignore dark magic than he could his own existence. Tom narrowed his eyes in hatred as he summoned a solid dark grey shield and conjured a set of bandages around his leg.

"You little shit, you don't know what I am capable of!"

He switched to parseltongue, his voice triumphant.

"Speak to me Slytherin, Greatest of the Hogwarts four!"

The last hissed sentence caused the entire Chamber to light up in runes, pattern after pattern traced on each wall and leading to massive Slytherin statue that was slowly opening. Tom saw Harry look at the runes in surprise and let out a gloating laugh.

"Shocked? Parseltongue is but a fraction of the Slytherin family magics; those of us touched by his greatness can instinctively learn all languages and runes at an incredible rate. All descendants of Slytherin have been Rune Masters; the skill is in our magic."

Harry barely kept his face neutral as a sense of shock passed through his body as memories started flashing through his head.

Harry, nine years old, being tutored by Miss Brown, the alias of Andromeda Tonks, as she seemed shocked yet incredibly pleased at the rate he was learning Latin.

Harry, eleven years old, reading the musty Wizengamot tomes under the direction of Mistress Narcissa, as she marvelled at his ability to read and memorize the almost ancient version of the English language with such ease.

Harry, twelve years old, learning Ancient Runes at a rate the books told him was impossible, wondering why it all felt so easy to him.

It was all connected. All of it. He had some Slytherin magic in him, the Horcrux had given him far more than just parseltongue.

A loud scraping noise combined with a jumbled hissing noise snapped him out of his thoughts and he glanced at Tom, seeing a gleeful smile on his face as he stared right back at him with a feverish stare. Harry ran through everything he had learned, the basilisk gaze supposedly had no effect on Salazar Slytherin himself and he had 'bestowed the same gift upon his heirs'. Harry swallowed nervously as his Potter blood thrummed in anticipation for the fight. If he closed his eyes he was dead, there was no way he could fight a beast like that while keeping an eye on Tom without vision. Trying to use his peripheral vision was just as doomed, it only took the slightest glance for the basilisk to send its magic down his eyes all the way to his core. No, he would face this enemy like a Potter of old, with eyes open and facing the enemy head on.

When Voldemort came for his grandfather, Charlus Potter, he had met him at the front door of Potter Manor, wand in hand, knowing he had no chance of victory but willing to buy time for his wife. When Voldemort broke down the wards at Godric's Hollow, James Potter waited in front of the door, knowing he could not win, yet willing to give his life for his family. The same unyielding quality now resided in Harry Potter as he awaited the beast, knowing his chance of survival was slim at best, yet also knowing he would never back down, never flee from a challenge.

The moment the gigantic head of the snake slithered out of the hole in the statue Harry met its eyes, feeling a burning magic travel all over his corneas, like small fingers poking and prodding, attempting to break through. Something within him rebelled and lashed out, neutralizing the magic in its tracks. Harry shuddered in relief before the battle lust returned with a vengeance, flooding his limbs with concentrated magic.

"EXPULSO!"

This time his curse was aimed at the wall above the hole in the statue, his intentionally grossly overpowered spell breaching through the old and weakened wards like a hot knife through butter. A huge explosion caused the wall to cave in, raining down huge chunks of heavy sharp rock on the basilisk that desperately tried to escape. It was far too late for that, the heavy Hogwarts stone cutting deep lashes into its skin while crushing the entire tail end of the dark green snake. It slithered free while letting out a hissing roar of pain, its clearly crazed yellow eyes homing in on him.

His Potter blood thrummed as he met it head on, his magic swimming in joy at the challenge. The snake attempted to bite him down but his magically reinforced body dodged the attack, especially as the crushed back end of the snake prevented it from coiling its muscles the way it usually did for lunges. Potters had always excelled at transfiguration and the current battleground he had created for himself with the explosion was a Transfiguration Masters wet dream, rocks and stones littering the floor. Harry let his magic go free, transfiguring every single scrap of rock into spears, knives, gigantic cleavers and spikes that he banished towards the snake, grinning in hazed joy as he watched his physical weapons dig deep into its skin. Basilisk hide might be resistant towards magic but there was a reason why Potters were considered a beast's bane, transfigured weapons cared little for magical resistant hides. He had not forgotten the effectivity of the porcelain shrapnel he used against the troll more than a year ago.

In his haze he did one key mistake though; take his eyes off Tom for too long. It only took a moment but Tom used that time to drop his grey shield and throw a cutter at him. He barely noticed it in time, dodging out of the way, but it still grazed his chest, cutting all the way to the ribs. His wound made him stumble, tripping on all the rubble the explosion had caused. The basilisk instantly capitalized on his weakness, dragging its weary body forward for one last attack. Harry tried to dodge it while banishing a rock spear at its mouth but it was too late, he felt a large fang cut open the side of his thigh the moment the spear pierced through its brain. He grinned at his victory over the beast before staring at his leg in muted horror, watching the clear green liquid that marred the sides of the wound. A sense of burning hit him only seconds later, like someone had taken a glowing hot poker and shoved it into his leg. He gasped in pain as he fell to his knees, feeling the burning spread up his leg, like a growing vine made out of molten lead, eating its way through his veins.

A cold laughter spread in the Chamber and he turned his sweat-soaked head towards Tom, seeing the superior smug grin still on his face. He was giving him satirical applause.

"Very impressive Harry, such a shame it had come to this. You, on your knees, recognizing my superiority while you rot away in pain from the venom."

Harry stared apathetically at him, realizing the truth of his words. The venom was lethal, there were no cures for a basilisk bite.

"I'll make sure to send that mudblood bitch you like your regards when I finish the job I started."

Rage. Unholy unhindered rage drowned out the searing pain, overrode the remains of his Occlumency and flooded his body.

"Fuck you!"

If he was going to die he was going to take that fucker with him. Not even noticing the lack of a wand in his hand he reached out for the diary across the room, watching it lift up from Lovegood's grasp and fly the distance of the Chamber into his hands. He gave one last snarling grin at Tom who lifted his wand in a panic, no doubt to stop him, before he smashed the diary into the mouth of the dead basilisk, watching row after row of sharp teeth pierce through the magically reinforced leather with childish ease.

"NO! What have you done!? You fool!"

A row of serrated holes appeared across his chest and he started screaming in pain and disbelief as the venom devoured the diary. Hole after hole appeared across his almost solid body, throwing him to the ground as he bellowed in anguish, dark blood-like smoke leaking out of the holes. Harry watched with a sick sense of satisfaction as Tom's very soul seemed to seep out of him, a dark shriek echoing from both the spectre and the diary. Tom collapsed in on himself and disappeared into thin air while dark, almost black blood bled and boiled out of the now silent book.

It was done.

As Harry's rage depleted, he felt the incredible searing pain return, every limb, every bone, every inch of his body felt like it had been doused in liquid fire, his nerves sending panicking signals to his brain, making him twitch and scream in agony as his death approached.

Yet something else incredibly significant had happened the moment he decided to extract vengeance.

On October the 31st, 1981, Tom Marvolo Riddle attempted to kill one Harry James Potter. His spell was reflected back at him and Harry defeated him in single magical combat, gaining a sliver of Slytherin magic through Riddle's soul.

On June 6th, 1992, Tom Marvolo Riddle possessing the body of Quirinius Quirrell attempted to kill Harry James Potter. Harry's touch proved poisonous for him and Harry defeated him in single magical combat, elevating him to second in line for the title of the heir of the Slytherin family.

And now today, Harry James Potter defeated Tom Marvolo Riddle, Heir of Slytherin for the third time in single magical combat. The magical energy released from the Horcrux, the ambient magic flooding the chamber, the magic of the Slytherin family, recognized this event for what it was. The moment one potential heir defeated the other one for the third time and claimed the title for himself. It surged into the victor, bolstering the amount that had been given by the original Horcrux, pushing forward his magical right as the true heir. The family magic seemed almost amused as it detected snake venom within the body, gathering its significant power and knowledge. No snake could ever harm the lord of serpents or their spawn. The diary had lacked a circulatory system or anything the family magic might recognize, not to mention being weakened because of the drain on the Lovegood girl, rendering it useless against the venom that stained its pages. Harry Potter on the other hand was in incredible shape, brimming with magic of his own that happily assisted the Slytherin magic in attacking a common foe.

Harry barely noticed the surge that passed through him before he suddenly felt a heat spread across his limbs, which instead of increasing the pain as he expected it to, started dampening it. His screaming changed to clenched teeth before he suddenly gasped in relief, feeling the last vestiges of pain leave him as a foreign magic washed over him like a hot pleasant shower. Staring at the wound in his thigh he watched in awe as his body expelled the green venom, seemingly ignoring its acidic quality. His hands were still trembling, phantom pain lingering in his nerves, but he didn't care. He started laughing at the whole situation, he laughed in relief, in joy, in disbelief at his own survival, in victory over his foe. He simply let go, lying on the damp floor of the Chamber of Secrets laughing his heart out.

A small groan of pain made him abruptly stop.

Sitting up he looked at the small awakening blonde girl, watching her groggily open her silvery grey to the world. He gave her a small smile and a wave, his own euphoria of survival still bolstering his mood.

"Hello, do you come here often?"

Her eyes widened as she took him in, before expanding to small tea plates as she saw the chamber and the basilisk. Harry expected a multitude of questions yet the one he got still surprised him.

"Is he dead?"

Her hesitant voice left little to question about whom she meant. Harry gave a grin and nodded, kicking the head of the basilisk next to him to call attention to the diary. She looked at the diary for a few seconds, her face unreadable before she dove at him, hugging him desperately as she started to cry deep heart-wrenching sobs. Harry sighed before returning the hug, a part of him wanted to lecture her on trusting a god damn self-aware book but with the state she was in, he didn't think she needed any more chastisement. He started rocking her gently as he murmured in her ear, promising things would be all right. The words meant little but the effort counted, he knew from experience.

Deciding he was tired of being wet, cold and bleeding he stood up, easily carrying her bridal style as looked around the Chamber. He briefly entertained the idea of finding some private study of Salazar Slytherin's, before he discarded the idea. Voldemort had known about this place for years, even in his arrogance he would never leave information that was dangerous to him this close to Dumbledore. Still, he would return to search the place later, just to make sure, but he highly doubted he'd have any success.

Summoning his and Lovegood's wand he started leading them out of the Chamber, already wishing for some fresh air. After a moment of hesitance he summoned the diary, Lovegood would need it for evidence. He froze briefly at the door when he realized he had wandlessly summoned the wands, barely muttering Accio. He remembered summoning the book during the fight without a wand as well. Huh, interesting.

Reaching the pipe he frowned for a second before twirling his wand, creating a set of stairs leading up. He was fairly certain Salazar probably had a better system in place but he wasn't really interesting in investigating that now. His limping walk to the Headmaster's office was only interrupted by Lovegood's quiet mumble.

"Thank you."

He glanced at the small shaking girl, before giving a small smile.

"You are welcome Lovegood."

"Luna, please. You saved my life."

Harry nodded. Another life-debt. Not planned but he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Then call me Harry."

She smiled in return before curling up against him again. He was pretty sure she could walk but didn't really care either way by this point; it wasn't like she was heavy.

The gargoyle outside of Dumbledore's office jumped out of the way the moment he approached, he briefly wondered if it did that automatically for wounded students or if Dumbledore knew he was approaching. He heard a loud argument going on inside, two distinct voices arguing, neither of them the Headmaster.

"Even if the Lovegood girl is missing you have no right to sit in that chair Dumbledore, the Hogwarts Board of Governors suspended you from the post!"

Dumbledore just smiled genially at Lucius Malfoy, not seeming the least bit disturbed by his shouting, before turning to Harry who had just entered. His look made the other two men turn around and the tall confused looking man with similar hair as Luna's, merely more faded, started out of his chair with a look of relief on his face.

"Pumpkin!"

Luna looked up from Harry's lap and quickly scrambled over to the man to hug him. Harry briefly glanced at the strange yellow robes the man wore before turning to Dumbledore and Malfoy.

"The beast in the Chamber of Secrets is dead. As is the heir of Slytherin."

Malfoy sneered at him.

"And what would a child like you know about that?"

Harry grinned, the coagulated blood in his mouth tinting his teeth a dark red and giving him a macabre grin.

"I killed them both."

Malfoy seemed to falter slightly before he composed himself, yet Dumbledore became tense.

"Mr Potter; who was this heir?"

Harry threw the ruined book on the desk.

"One Tom Marvolo Riddle who seemed to reside in this diary. He had somehow managed to control students during the year, Lovegood was just another victim."

The very air in the room seemed to shift and something within Dumbledore's posture shifted. It was nothing you could see with the naked eye yet it was terrifyingly obvious to the people in the room that something in the atmosphere had changed. The magic felt like a sharp poised sword, hanging invisibly in the air. Harry was acutely reminded of the fact that the genial old man before him was also the reason why Voldemort had always hesitated to attack the school. Swallowing nervously he continued, sending a significant glance towards the now stiff Lucius Malfoy.

"It was originally found among the books of one Ginny Weasley. One can but wonder how Miss Weasley came to be in possession of such an incredibly dark object."

The magical pressure in the room kept increasing as Dumbledore carefully inspected the diary, casting a few nonverbal detection spells, his clear blue eyes shimmering with contained power. When they shifted to Malfoy Harry almost exhaled in relief that the stare was not directed at him. Say what you want about the man, but Mistress Andromeda was very correct in her advice to not make an enemy of the Headmaster. Malfoy looked like he'd rather be anywhere but in the room right now, a small bead of sweat traveling down the side of his face.

"Indeed Mr Potter, it seems like quite the mystery. Who would want to so harm the Weasley family, especially right before the vote for the new Muggleborn Act in the Wizengamot. The Act which is sponsored by Arthur Weasley and if I remember correctly; quite staunchly opposed by one Lucius Malfoy."

His voice was genial and seemed quite friendly yet the pressure in the air was anything but, Harry felt like he was choking; yet he knew it wasn't even being directed at him.

"In fact should it had come to pass that Ginny Weasley had been found guilty for attacking fellow Hogwarts students, I'm quite certain that the scandal that surrounded the Weasley family would have been most upsetting."

Harry glanced at Malfoy's hands and saw a faint tremor in them as he attempted to compose himself.

"Professor Dumbledore, certainly you can't be insinuating that I would have had anything to do with this tragedy?"

The pressure increased even further and Harry could see Malfoy's feet wobble slightly. He felt slight awe at the sheer amount of power the man sitting before him possessed, he was well over a hundred yet his magical core seemed as terrifying as the stories told.

"Of course not Lord Malfoy, there will however be an investigation launched into this matter. Until there is sufficient evidence I would never make such an accusation. Yet I feel it prudent to inform you that should any similar objects, or any Dark object for that matter, find their way into the hands of Hogwarts students, then I will have little choice but to take matters into my own hands."

The pressure abruptly disappeared completely and Harry drew a shuddering breath.

"Now, seeing as the monster is dealt with I assume I will have little worries of regaining my position as Headmaster. I believe our discussion is concluded Lord Malfoy."

The man didn't even seem to care about the abrupt dismissal, happily slinking out of the room with a scowl. Harry scoffed quietly; deep down the man really was a coward. An intelligent and highly dangerous coward though.

When the man had left Dumbledore smiled at Harry before frowning at wounds he carried.

"Hmpf, seems like old age really is starting to slow my wits. A wounded student standing in my office, Madam Pomfrey would have my beard if she knew. I believe we have much to discuss Mr Potter, but I also believe it can wait until tomorrow, you and Miss Lovegood look like they could use a night in the infirmary."

Harry wanted to argue but the man played dirty, including Luna in suggestion. He could ignore his own wounds but who knew what was wrong with the girl after what she went through. He sighed before nodding.

"Yeah, sounds good Headmaster."

His mind was whirring as he walked towards the Hospital wing with Mr Lovegood and Luna, the older man thanking him profusely and promising his help in anything he might require. He absentmindedly nodded in return while thinking over everything that had happened. Why was he not dead? This was the second Horcrux he had encountered, how many had Voldemort made? He had Slytherin family magic in him, what did that mean for his future? Harry sighed as Madam Pomfrey shouted in surprise upon laying eyes on his bleeding form, so much for a quiet year.

Chapter 39 – The Second Year at Hogwarts

Ends Harry yawned widely as he led their little group towards the now familiar girls' bathroom, frowning at the tattered clothes he was wearing from the day before. Little to his surprise Mistress Andromeda had shown up at his infirmary bed last night, starting by politely yet firmly calling him a total moron before requesting the full story. She had calmly and attentively listened to the entire story before pacing the room in thought.

"You managed to resist the alluring aspect of the Dark Arts completely?"

When he nodded she frowned, continuing her pacing.

"Must be the Black blood from Dorea Black, your grandmother. Black's were always gifted at the Dark Arts but it is surprising that you would manifest that trait on top of all the others. Hmmh, on the other hand your magic is unusually potent, it might be using anything in your blood and body to its full advantage, no matter how dormant."

She stopped for a second, studying his scar before continuing.

"Your assumption that the book was a Horcrux is most likely accurate. To able to manifest the many abilities you described is one thing, but the fact that the spectre spoke parseltongue proves the book had Slytherin family magic, which brings far more credence to the theory."

Andromeda continued pacing, her mind working over the whole incident.

"That you have some of that magic is fantastic, which by the way means that I will be adding French, German and Ancient Runes classes to your summer schedule, a gift like yours should not be neglected."

She only grinned at him when he groaned, like she'd ignore a useful gift like that. Her smile slid off her face when she continued though.

"How you survived the venom is however questionable, as only Slytherin's direct heir could have done that. While the magic you had was enough to repel the gaze, the venom is something vastly different, legendary in its potency. You said it happened right after you destroyed the book?"

Harry nodded, feeling a sense of achievement flood him as he thought about it.

"Yep, right after I smacked snakeface for the third time."

Mistress Andromeda abruptly stopped in her tracks, her wide eyes turning towards him.

"Third time…? Of course, Godric's Hollow, your first year and now this. You beat him alone every single time! In fact you defeated him in... Single magical combat."

She purred out the last part, like a particularly tasty vintage of wine she was savouring.

"Umm, yeah. So?"

Mistress Andromeda just grinned at him, her smile as wide as he had ever seen.

"It means Harry, that by defeating him thrice; you most likely have claimed his title as your own."

Harry was utterly stupefied, even more so when she leaned over and kissed him deeply on the mouth.

"I really should be berating you some more for your stupidity, but Merlin if this wasn't a stroke of luck. If all goes well we'll be in control of three votes by the end of summer."

She looked him over, lust clear in her eyes as she softly purred "Lord Slytherin". Harry flushed slightly; he knew better than most how attractive she found power. He cleared his throat, wanting to change the subject as he really didn't want to contemplate the fact that he might be the lord of on the most hated houses in wizarding history.

"About the basilisk..."

He got no further before Mistress Andromeda cut in again.

"Yes, of course, in what kind of shape is it? Intact I hope?"

"Yeah, it's in pretty decent shape, I had in fact considered having it chopped up for sale; it's supposed to be worth a bit."

She just waved his sentence away.

"Yes, yes, but that can wait. No, while the beast is intact it is worth more than its weight in gold."

Seeing his frown she let out a tinkling laugh before continuing.

"Do you not see? This is the best publicity you could possibly dream of. The-Boy-Who-Lived defeats Slytherin's beast, the Daily Prophet will sell out their print featuring this story in the first ten minutes. Families all across the country will hear about how you, not the Ministry, not Dumbledore, but you, killed this mythical beast to protect the children."

Then she did something he wasn't sure he had ever heard her do, she actually giggled in glee.

"Do you still have the robes you wore in the Chamber?"

He nodded, stunned at her exuberant mood.

"Good, good, make sure you wear them tomorrow. I'm going to contact a friend at the Prophet, tomorrow we'll be visiting the Chamber for a nice little photo shoot, it wouldn't do for you to look unscathed, not quite as heroic."

He stared at her with wide eyes as she practically skipped out of the Hospital Wing.

.

Harry was startled out of his thoughts as their little retinue reached the bathroom. Mistress Andromeda had invited a reporter and his cameraman to cover the story, both of which looked like fourteen year old boys who had just been told they were going to spend the summer at a Veela enclave, practically drooling at the mouth. He made it seem like he muttered a spell at the entrance, waving his wand around, but in reality he just whispered the command to grant entrance to the Chamber.

What followed was an arduous two hours where he described his censored story of the battle to the spellbound reporter while the cameraman snapped one picture after another. To explain away how he dodged the gaze, he spun an elaborate story about casting Bluebell Flames charms all over the Chamber and using the shadows provided to dodge the massive snake. He made sure to send compliments towards Professor Flitwick for being an exceptional charms teacher. After all, Harry felt like he owed the little man for what he did for Hermione.

The last half hour proved to be the most embarrassing as Mistress Andromeda quite happily tore away parts of his already ruined robe before having him pose 'heroically' next to the dead beast. She waved away his protests, mentioning that it was always a good idea to get some more influence over the witches of Britain and showing his trim body certainly wouldn't hurt. Harry had to continuously Occlude his mind to keep from flushing in embarrassment as the reporter and Mistress Andromeda took turns in positioning him around the corpse. He let out a huge breath in relief when they were finally done, Mistress Andromeda having some last minute discussions with the reporters. Both of them were profusely thanking her and promised the series of articles would be in tomorrow's Daily Prophet.

The cameraman had briefly asked him how he could fight such a beast yet obey Professor Tonks without question, but Harry didn't even find the question worth answering. The basilisk was an enemy, Mistress Andromeda on the other hand was the closest to an older sister, or a lover, or something in between, he had ever had. He practically owed his life to her, they were so far separated they couldn't even be compared.

XXX

The next day Harry and the girls watched with rapt attention as Madam Pomfrey walked around with a small bottle of draught made out of Mandrake roots, pouring a small amount between the lips of all victims before using a charm to force it down to their stomach. Some older wizards and witches were present as well, parents and cousins of the petrified, yet no muggles, as they had no way of bypassing the formidable Hogwarts wards. While Harry felt a tinge of sympathy for Hermione he didn't mind too much, there were some things that should be kept hidden from the muggles.

Only a few minutes later did the girl draw a shuddering breath, the absorbed potion breaking down the basilisk magic even quicker as blood flow was restored. Soon Harry was grinning as he felt her squeeze his hand before her brown eyes blinked and focused on him. He was surprised at how fantastic it felt, the pure elation of watching her return to life. Harry knew she hadn't been dead but that did not change the surge of feelings that bubbled up within him. Having never had any friends, the thought of even having lost one temporary had been crushing. Without even registering that he was moving he grabbed her in a tight hug, barely hearing the little squeak she let out.

"Hey Harry." She glanced at the girls behind him over his shoulder.

"And hey Susan and Hannah."

"Hey Hermione." The girls replied, sending small amused looks at the boy who had yet to reply.

Harry finally released her; yet stayed sitting on the bed right in front of her, not really willing to go anywhere yet.

"Hey Mione."

She smiled at the nickname before focusing as memories returned to her.

"Harry, the beast is a basilisk!"

Hannah snorted quietly, having pried the story out of him with Susan. Harry just rubbed his neck in an awkward manner.

"Uh yeah, kind of figured it out. It's not really an issue anymore."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.

"What do you mean, not an issue?"

Floundering for a moment he grasped for another subject to discuss, anything to distract her.

"Oh, by the way, it's the 30th May, the exams are in two days."

She froze before her eyes widened in clear outrage.

"What? How, what, I mean, I haven't had any time to study, how can they expect us to sit them now?!"

Hannah started giggling and Susan just palmed her face, sending a meaningful look at Harry, she knew exactly what he was trying to do. Not willing to cut him any slack Susan cut in.

"The exams were cancelled because of the petrification, as you very well know Harry."

Harry cringed as soft brown eyes narrowed at him, his distraction had lasted a whopping ten seconds. Luckily for him her stomach growled soon after, making her blush slightly and giving Harry then opening he needed.

"Ah, you must be starving. We'll give you room to change clothes so we can go have breakfast, Madam Pomfrey said you were free to go once the petrification broke."

She just frowned at the quick little speech, watching him back away from his shrouded bed.

"Fine, but don't think this matter is over Potter, we will be discussing this."

He twitched slightly but nodded, the version he had given Susan and Hannah had been very glossed over, lacking any real details and minimizing the risk. They knew he wasn't telling the full story but were too polite to dig deeper, Hermione on the other hand had no issues with calling him out, demanding more details.

As soon as she was wearing her Hogwarts robes again they headed down to the great hall. Even with the coming inquisition Harry couldn't help the smile on his face, everything was back to normal; their group was back. The girls spoke quietly about the past month as they entered the hall, taking their usual places at the Hufflepuff table. As he sat down next to them Susan and Hannah started piling food on his table by habit while continuing their talk, missing the questioning look Hermione gave him.

"Eh, thanks girls, but I think its fine now." They looked up from what they were doing and grinned, letting him sort out his own food.

"What's that about then?"

Hannah sent a mischievous look at Harry before happily answering Hermione.

"Oh he hasn't been eating well at all after you got petrified, barely slept either."

A small, almost tender smile spread on Hermione's face and Harry desperately fought with his Occlumency to keep from blushing furiously, a small tint of red leaking through regardless. He didn't understand why he had such a reaction, it was similar to the time Susan and Hannah had kissed him on the cheek in thanks. Clearing his throat he tried waving away the current discussion, digging into his eggs while mumbling with a rough voice.

"It's nothing, it's fine."

The small giggles from around him told him this matter wouldn't be ignored as easily as he hoped. The almost packed hall suddenly quieted and Harry looked up from his breakfast to see the morning mail arriving. Saved by the bell. That was until he briefly glanced at the front page of one of the Daily Prophet's flying past him, watching his own face look back at him. Or not.

Susan and Hannah took their copies, Hermione looking over Susan's shoulder, staring with wide eyes at the picture that took up almost the entire front page. The larger text on top read 'The-Boy-Who-Lived conquers Slytherin beast!' with a small caption under it, 'ends threat against Hogwarts students'. The picture was the most ridiculous one in his opinion, where he stood with his foot nonchalantly leaning against the massive jaws of the snake, wand in hand and torn robes and hair rippling in the magical wind Mistress Andromeda had gleefully provided from outside of the camera.

"Holy shit Harry."

Hermione was too stunned to even correct Hannah, trying to comprehend the sheer size difference between the boy in the picture and absolutely gigantic snake next to him. Hushed whispers soon exploded in the hall, gasps and surprised shouts being heard as more people laid their eyes on the newspaper. Harry groaned softly, he hadn't expected it to be front page news, which in retrospect was rather stupid of him. He stared in disbelief at the article, wondering how they could have written twelve pages about an encounter that took minutes. Trying to ignore the multitude of stares being directed his way and the ever more incredulous looks being sent his way by the girls he leafed through the thing, groaning softly at the sheer amount of pictures of him in it.

He briefly glanced at the staff table, watching Mistress Andromeda avidly reading the newspaper with a shit-eating grin on her face. Snape on the other hand looked like he had swallowed something rotten and even Dumbledore looked annoyed. Mistress Andromeda had speculated that he'd want to push this under the rug like he did about the events during the first year, the article had obviously ruined those plans.

"The snake was pretty big but it wasn't really a big deal."

Hannah mimicked his voice and he cringed, so perhaps his glossed over story might have been slightly inaccurate.

"Oh I barely got a scratch on me."

Susan's voice was identical as she stared at his ripped robes in the picture, making him groan softly. At least she had a bit of red on her face as she seemed to...study that picture for quite a while. Sigh, like he needed more evidence Mistress Andromeda had been right. Reading page six he frowned, it was filled with quotes and statements from various politicians, even the Minister, all of them praising anything from his Potter lineage to his actions and performance in school.

"Huh, what's with all the suits kissing my ass?"

Susan just laughed at his scrunched up face before responding.

"Harry, with this article you might just be the most influential person in Wizarding Britain for the coming month. These people are terrified of you, one negative word from The-Boy-Who-Lived, who just protected almost all school going children in Britain, about their policies, would send a massive wave of opinion against them. On the other hand, a supportive word from you would greatly increase their status. No, not even Lucius Malfoy would want to come across as your enemy right now."

He nodded slowly, it made sense. That reminded him of something he needed to do. Standing up he felt almost the entire hall focus on him, but this was something he was very used to by now. The only new exception being the blushing female faces, Merlin, Mistress Andromeda must be loving every second. With a confident gait he strolled over to where the Ravenclaw prefects sat, sitting down next to them to lose the hall's focus. Casually reaching over he took on of the wrought iron candleholders in to his hands and started bending it around his fingers like it was clay. That certainly kept their attention. He made eye contact with each of them before he finally spoke.

"You might notice that a student of your house has gone home for the term, one Miss Luna Lovegood. Now I thought it prudent to inform you that Miss Lovegood is now under my protection, which means that the unsavoury behaviour towards her will end. Completely. Should this matter not be resolved then I will have no option but to personally deal with it, which also includes informing Professor Flitwick. I do not believe any of you would hold your current post for very long after that. Good day."

Not even waiting for a response he stood up and walked back to the Hufflepuff table, leaving more than one surprised face behind him. The Ravenclaw prefects looked at one another in surprise before Robert Hilliard, a sixth year prefect spoke.

"Unsavoury behaviour? You reckon she's been bullied then?"

Sarah Fawcett, a fifth year one fidgeted slightly.

"I've heard some, erm, talk about it yeah. Do you think he'd really do what he says?"

Hilliard just looked at her like she was an idiot before replying very slowly, like speaking to a young child.

"Hufflepuff. The-Boy-Who-Lived."

This didn't sit well with her.

"Yeah but do you really think Flitwick would listen to him?"

A small pleased giggle caught their attention and they turned towards the staff table, watching a happily grinning Filius Flitwick read the article about the chamber fight. The positive comment from Harry had spurred the Daily Prophet into including a side note about his prowess as a Charms Master.

Hilliard palmed his face before turning a stormy gaze towards Fawcett and the rest of the prefects.

"This shit will be dealt with, I'm not going be losing my prefect status during the last year of Hogwarts, that's not a fucking mark I want on my record, clear?"

She swallowed nervously but nodded, Cho's little clique was going to change their ways or suffer for the rest of the year when faced with an angry Hilliard. The man was aiming for the Unspeakables, something which not only required near perfect scores but also a spotless record.

XXX

The fallout from the article was hugely positive where Harry Potter was concerned, he was practically drowned in owls thanking him and congratulating him on the victory. The amount of pictures of scantily clad witches included in some of the envelopes didn't hurt his ego any either, Harry sure as hell knew to appreciate female beauty. The various marriage proposals came as a bit of a surprise to him but Mistress Andromeda said it was expected, usually they might have waited a few years but with his publicity increasing they liked to get the offers in early.

Hermione had seemed more attached to him than ever after reading about the fight and finding out about his concern during her hospitalization. He wasn't sure if it was the teenage girl within her that was enamoured by the thought of him battling the beast, or the animal within her that was turned on by the fact that he had beaten such an enormous enemy. Either way her advances came more often and were far more blatant, making him have serious trouble in keeping his hands to himself. The way she would rub her toned butt against his crotch had made him spring countless erections, each and every one which she seemed to appreciate. He shouldn't really be surprised about how nice her bum was; she practically walked the never ending Stairmaster that was Hogwarts castle every single day while carrying a small library with her.

On the day of the Leaving Feast Harry was awarded with a trophy by Dumbledore for outstanding services to the school. He wasn't entirely sure if he would have received the thing if it wasn't for the articles, but he dutifully accepted it with a polite bow and wave towards the cheering students. Professor Sprout looked like she was going burst from pride at any second as she was handed first the House Cup, then the Quidditch Cup following the award ceremony. They had replayed the cancelled game and Hufflepuff had come out as the victor, cementing Harry's reputation as unmatched within his house.

XXX

When it was time to board the Hogwarts Express Harry spotted Ginny Weasley boarding the door next to his and decided to fulfil his little plan. He had seen the look in her eyes when she had read the article, if she adored him before then what had followed was practically worship. Harry honestly felt rather annoyed at her, because she hadn't spoken up earlier Hermione had been petrified, not to mention if he hadn't coaxed the information out of her then Luna would be dead and Voldemort would be roaming free. Yet his rational side also pointed out that this was an eleven year old little witch, with what he had seen from the way her mother behaved she was no doubt afraid of the repercussions of speaking up.

Harry had seen multiple examples of the way the Weasley Matriarch behaved and it was honestly quite terrifying. He wasn't sure if he had ever seen a more overbearing and prudish woman than her. The howlers to the Weasley kid publicly humiliated the boy in front of the entire school, he understood wanting to chastise the boy but why ruin his reputation as well? The magical community was fairly small and your reputation mattered immensely, why go out of her way to destroy it? That hurt the entire family as well as his future in particular. The comments he had heard from her when he saw her at King's Cross station were also almost humorous, calling any woman that showed off their curves a scarlet woman or something equally antiquated. That was what had spurred on his little plan in the first place.

Moving over to Ginny he smiled at her before indicating an empty compartment next to them. She blushed but nodded, following him in. He closed and locked the door before drawing the blinds.

"Hey Ginny, told you we'd meet again."

"H-hey Harry."

Harry grinned before reaching into his trunk for a special book he had ordered from the muggle store. He was fairly sure that Mrs Weasley had probably not taught her daughter much about sexuality at all, something he was happy to correct, especially with a girl that was so infatuated with him. The book was more a compendium of various sexual acts, including stories and pictures where various women submitted to men and obeyed their wishes. If her mother was not willing to teach her then Harry would be more than happy to corrupt her a bit. After all, he was merely providing her with some information. He handed the thick book over with a wink.

"As a thank you for telling me about the bathroom. I'd keep it a secret if you want to keep it, I'm pretty sure your mother wouldn't approve of it."

Pointing out that her mother wouldn't like it seemed to spark her interest in it even further, he'd be lying if he said he hadn't been expecting that reaction.

"Umm, t-thank you, what is it?"

He just grinned in return.

"Read it and find out, I'd do it in private though. Have a great summer Ginny!"

He gave her a kiss on the cheek and slipped out of the compartment, letting her have some time to explore the book.

XXX

He was smiling as he started looking for the compartment the girls had picked, remembering the discussion he had had with Mistress Narcissa about sex. His question about why wizards and witches were so prudish compared to the muggles had been met with loud unrestrained laughter.

"Haha, oh please, tell me Harry, how many muggle boarding schools do you know that organize multiple patrols each night just to stop people from shagging each other in the broom closets?"

Her laughter faded to a small tinkling sound before she continued.

"What about all the marriages that happened during their time in Hogwarts? Do you really think they were all political marriages? Or perhaps people meeting their soulmates as teenagers?"

She snorted loudly at the thought.

"Of course not, they shagged and forgot protection. Heirs are very important matters in the magical world so the families quickly arranged marriages. In fact I'm pretty sure that's what happened with Andy, not that she'd ever talk about it. Going home to the Black household pregnant with a child from a muggleborn would have made her life hell, provided she and the child even survived it. That's probably why she married that boring Tonks fellow in the first place."

Mistress Narcissa smiled at the memory.

"Of course Andy would never admit defeat in such a matter, she even sent mother a Christmas card a few years later, included was a picture of little Nymphadora displaying her talents as a metamorphmagus. The card had a little text where Andy expressed her joy that her daughter showed such strong Black blood abilities."

She giggled.

"I don't think I've ever seen mother that angry."

She pushed her smile away and returned to the matter at hand.

"Anyway, regarding sexuality; whereas muggles might have sex visible everywhere in their media, us magical people have another thing. Magic. Sounds simple I know, but it truly is a bit of a dangerous cycle, especially for teenagers. Magic increases hormonal production which in turns affects your emotions. Your emotions in turn of course affect your magic, making for a rather humorous wheel of passion. The short story is that we aren't really as prude as we make ourselves out to be. Sure, old purebloods like to pretend like they are very prim and proper but what goes on behind the scenes is usually very different. After all, how do you think families like the Weasley's ended up with an entire house full of kids?"

.

Harry's mind returned to the present as he spotted the girls, slipping into their compartment with a polite greeting. Daphne and Tracey had happily re-joined their group once the basilisk had been dealt with, putting an end to the tension that had permeated through the castle. The fact that their parents had strongly encouraged staying within his social circle after the Daily Prophet article didn't hurt their motivation either. By now even the densest student in Hogwarts could tell that he would never be any normal or mediocre wizard. He was, much to the surprise of many, living up to the fairy tales they have heard about The-Boy-Who-Lived in the past. Harry could only groan as he thought about what his third year would be like, when the public found out he was the future Lord of two Ancient and Noble houses. Claiming the Slytherin title was something he was still very sceptical about, provided he even could claim it. It was power yes, but it also came with a hefty price tag.

"Oh Merlin I'm still hungry. Harry would you mind accompanying me looking for the food cart?"

He looked up in surprise at Hermione, not having paid attention to their discussion.

"Uh, sure, can do."

She smiled and lead the way back out into the long narrow train corridor, taking his hand as she strolled towards the end of the train. He raised his eyebrows at the gesture but didn't complain, compared to the other stuff they had done a little hand holding was nothing. Not to mention that her soft slightly furry hand felt quite nice in his hand. Was it just him or was she swaying her hips more than usual? Well, he wasn't one to complain, admiring her tight behind was one of his favourite pastimes. She glanced behind him as if to make sure there was no one watching before abruptly opening a compartment and pushing him in, closing the door behind her as she followed. Harry watched in appreciation as she threw a multitude of small wards on the door, it was very impressive for a second year; she must have studied those in advance. Wait, studied them in advance?

When she was done she turned to him with an almost hungry look, pushing him down on one of the seats and straddling him.

"Harrrrryy."

Her purring voice sent a shiver down his back and couldn't hold back the groan as he felt her press against his crotch.

"My desires haven't changed Harry, if anything I just want you more now. No, not want, need you more now!"

She kissed him hungrily, practically devouring his mouth. It was unlike any kiss he had felt before, her soft lips moulding to his, a faint taste of orange she had for breakfast pushing through as she explored his mouth. Her continued movement was however making it hard for him to control himself.

Placing his hands on her hips did nothing to stop her gyrating and he doubted Merlin himself could have prevented him from grabbing her firm ass, squeezing the toned flesh in his palms. She briefly broke the kiss, her panting breath washing over his neck making his magic go haywire. He had a sudden urge to throw her on the bench and fuck her brains out as she continued grinding her crotch against his erection, her gasping voice quivering slightly.

"When I saw that picture of you and knew you had once again protected me, that you had once again killed the thing that had hurt me, something within me just demanded I'd take you. No, the other way around, for you to take me. I could fulfil whatever command you had for me."

The continued friction was driving him mad, the thin summer robes offered very little insulation and her last declaration had hit far too many of his fantasies spot on. When he opened his mouth to talk she cut him off by kissing him deeply, entwining their tongues while her hips kept working over his arousal. A lust filled haze was filling his mind and he knew that he was going to lose control soon and give in to his own desires.

Needing to stop this but knowing any other way he slipped his hand up her skirt, skimming her soft fur as he entered her modest white panties. His calloused hand gently engulfed her heated pussy, easily feeling the moisture gathering there. Rubbing it he channelled his magic into his palm, making her mewl against his mouth as sudden incredible pleasure and heat flooded her groin, overloading her nerves with pleasure. Only a brief moment later did she come, moaning out his name against his mouth as her lithe body twitched against his hand. The feel of him and his magic was unlike anything she had ever felt and the orgasm far surpassed any she had achieved on her own. It was beyond anything she even knew was possible, it was like his very being was being channelled into her through her sensitive flesh, sending one wave of pleasure after another coursing through her limbs. She licked and nibbled his neck like a cat as she rode it out, repeating his name over and over again.

When it finally ended she slumped in his lap, letting Harry extract his hand from her skirt. Not realizing that she was staring at him in rapture as she attempted to regain her breath, he carefully licked his hand once, sampling her taste. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't wanted to know what she tasted like. Her voice sounded slightly awed as she spoke.

"Wow...but what about you?"

"What do you mean?"

Her response was to rub her thigh against his rock hard cock, leaving little doubt to what she meant. He avoided her eyes.

"I don't want to take advantage of you... you know, because of your condition."

"Psht! If this is how you take advantage of me then you can rest assured I am quite willing, part cat or no."

He blushed slightly but he couldn't avoid the slight flood of pride at her comment. She slipped her hand inside of his robes, grinning as she felt that he was only wearing a pair of boxers underneath. It was early June after all; with jeans on he'd have to constantly apply cooling charms. He grabbed her wrist to stop her but she only continued fondling his shaft, using both her hands.

"Harry, just let me return the favour."

Her silky hands dancing over his cock made him groan and the last of his willpower shattered as he made the mistake of looking into her soft brown pleading eyes. He exhaled loudly.

"Fine, but just this once."

She grinned before fishing out cock, her sounds of appreciation not unwelcome. Harry chuckled softly when he realized she was treating this is as an educational assignment as well, studying the way he felt and reacted as her hands ghosted over his flesh. He wasn't sure if he should be embarrassed or aroused when she leaned forward and sniffed at him, rubbing his length against her cheek, the soft fur providing a startling contrast to the firm grip of her hands. He almost did swallow his tongue when she reached out and licked the underside of his length, both the image of her lapping it, as well as the sensation making him groan.

"Mione! What are you doing!"

Her grin was very much like the cat that got the cream.

"What? You did say I could return the favour. It's my choice how I do it."

"Yes, but-"

He got no further before she slipped the sensitive tip of his cock into her mouth, grinning around it as her tongue danced over the skin. He moaned at the rush, a small part of him realizing she most certainly had planned this, yet his mind wasn't sure if it should be annoyed at a girl who would trick him into getting a blowjob. That simply didn't make very much sense and he had a feeling James Potter would turn in his grave if he protested. The feeling only increased when she started applying suction, clearly testing out different techniques as her cheeks hollowed out. He got the weird image in his head of her asking Madam Pince for books on cock sucking before his mind scattered as she started moving her head, the small slurping sound sounding disproportionately loud in the small compartment.

Whereas he couldn't say it was the best head he had ever gotten; her experimental and playful approach combined with the emotional attachment he had to her made him feel overwhelmed. Her smile when he caressed the side of her head as she worked him over only added a strange tinge of dirty innocence to the image and he could feel his release building fast. He knew he should feel guilty, he knew a large part of the change in her personality was both her animal instincts and the life-debt acting up, yet just at that moment he simply could not give a single fuck. He grunted out "Mione" in warning but she only increased the pace.

With a gasp he flooded her mouth, load after load being deposited into her greedy vacuum, expecting her to cough or splutter at the foreign taste. Instead he saw throat working, heard the loud swallowing as she clearly was making it her life's goal to suck him completely dry. The contrast between her soft hands and insistent wet hot mouth was incredible and he twitched in his seat at the force of the orgasm. When he finally went limp she released his oversensitive flesh, grinning slightly at the dazed look on his face. She licked her lips with a strange look in her eyes.

"You taste like your magic; the books didn't say anything about that."

He had no idea what she was talking about so he just shrugged, too relaxed to make any intelligent conversation right now. When his wits finally returned he suddenly started feeling guilty about what happened and attempted to talk to her about it.

"Mione, we really shouldn't do this again, it isn't right."

"Oh, so both of us enjoying something isn't right. Why exactly?"

"You're too young."

She just raised an incredulous eyebrow.

"I'm born in September; I'm almost a full year older than you. I'll be fourteen in three months."

He flushed slightly, he had forgotten about that.

"But your condition is affecting your mind."

She just nodded, entirely unconcerned.

"Yes, it is. But even before I drank the potion I was quite clearly attracted to you, in fact I have been since first year. The only thing the cat is doing lowering my inhibitions and letting me act on what I feel when I feel it. In fact I am quite grateful."

Well, that just killed all his arguments. He wasn't even sure why he was arguing anymore. 'Please stop wanting to have sex with me, you kind, compassionate, sexy young woman!' Yeah, not even in his mind did his point make any sense anymore.

"I'm just saying; we shouldn't hurry anything."

"Oh, sounds good, I'm quite okay where we stand right now."

Wait, that didn't sound right either. Noticing his confused face she leaned over.

"Harry, do you find me attractive?"

"After that, you have to ask?"

She smiled before giving him a small kiss and standing up.

"Then don't overthink it and just enjoy it, next term could be a lot of fun. For both of us."

He sighed, admitting that she did have a valid point. All his arguments seemed to end being dumb when he tried to vocalize them. That moment the train whistle chose to sound, meaning it was time to get their luggage. Slipping into the hallway he bumped into Ginny, her surprised squeak and blush upon running into him making him grin. She meekly returned his greeting before running off, yet Harry noticed the book he had given her was nestled under her arm. Well, Hermione did have a good point in that matter at least; next term could be a lot of fun.

Chapter 40

Harry swore softly as tore out another weed, his magic made the matter childishly easy but it still annoyed him to be doing such menial labour again. It was a startling contrast, going from the adoration of the magical world to the sneers and hatred of Privet Drive. He had agreed with Mistress Andromeda to return one last time to the Dursley's, his freedom was so close that he could taste it, making it was pointless to antagonize Dumbledore right before it. So he had swallowed his pride and returned to a place he had now learned to hate.

He could only shake his head at the philosophy Dumbledore kept trying to push at him, about how important and good the muggles were. Harry completely disagreed, and honestly, looking back at his life he didn't understand what the old wizard was smoking if he thought he out of all people would support him. The Dursley's had treated him like utter shit since the day he showed up at their door, their abuse stretching through the years. Even at the Muggle School he was ostracized by his peers. Granted it was mostly Dudley's doing but that did not absolve the rest of them. All the people in the neighbourhood had naturally swallowed whatever lies the Dursley's had spread about him, calling him an incurable criminal and what else. Was it little wonder Harry Potter considered the muggles little more than cockroaches after suffering at their beck and call for a decade, only to be hero-worshipped by the magical world the moment he entered it. Hardly. The only exception to the rule he had seen so far were Hermione's parents, but he had only spoken to them a handful of times.

At least he took great pleasure in needling the Dursley's now that he had enough power to stand up for himself. He had visited London to buy himself a new wardrobe, not fearing the repercussions of his so called family in that matter anymore. The seller at the store had looked down his nose at him until he had flashed the black credit card the goblins had given him after the sale of the basilisk. Judging by the way his eyes had widened and how eager he had become to serve, Harry assumed the credit limit on the card bordered on the ridiculous.

Walking around in his new clothes around Privet Drive had however provided great entertainment. His polite demeanour and clearly expensive clothes made more than one people raise their eyebrows, knowing such things were outside of what the Dursley's could afford. He could almost feel the way people started questioning the rumours of his so called criminality from the moment they had interacted with him. People were ridiculously shallow; Harry knew that better than most.

The Dursley's had naturally thrown a hissy fit when they saw his clothes, Dudley wailing like a little girl when he realized 'the freak' had something better than him. Vernon had loudly demanded to know where he had got the money for the clothes, greed shining in his pig eyes. Harry's succinct answer of telling him to go fuck himself had briefly stunned the house before the fat man had become enraged, a shade of puce colouring his oily skin as made to swing at him. Harry tensed for a second; memories of how the man had terrorized him as a child flashing through his mind, before he engaged his Occlumency and truly observed the whale-like man. Compared to the bombardment of spells from Madam Bones his arm might as well have been moving through glue.

A sinister smirk spread on his face has easily caught the fist in his hand, startling him for a second before he started shrieking. Harry kept the smirk up as he increased the pressure, his magical digits like steel as they crushed the meaty hand. Joints snapped out of place, tendons surrendered, bones cracked and skin broke as his hand deflated like an overripe apple someone had stepped on. Vernon collapsed to his knees, feebly wailing and attempting to fend him off but his mangled flesh was locked in a grip that could bend steel. When he finally did release him he knew that it was the last attempt any of the filthy swine would make towards him. Petunia had paled when he met her eyes. Oh they knew their little fun was over.

A large part of him wanted to rip out his wand and make them suffer for every slight against him, yet his Occlumency fended off the thought. He would have his revenge, but not today.

Looking at the amorphous blob of wailing fat that lied on the floor cradling its bleeding fist, Harry truly did understand why Voldemort had been able to gather such a following. When Salazar Slytherin had originally preached against muggles people had mostly politely agreed, yet few of them took him seriously. Muggles at the time were ridiculously primitive and no one honestly even considered the thought of them being a threat. Sure, if they got caught unawares they might be in trouble, but with the help of wards no such thing really happened. And really, the muggles had discovered black powder some time during the seventh century, yet it took them until 1450 to make the first matchlock gun. It took them almost another half a millennium to make a gun that fired at a somewhat decent pace. Wizards considered the whole process proof of how slow the muggles were.

Of course Wizarding Britain was in for a rude awakening when the First World War broke out. The muggles which they had considered little more than advanced beasts were suddenly dropping ton after ton of explosives all over their country. At first people thought they had gone to war with the magicals, but the truth turned out to be even more terrifying. They were accidentally killing magical people while fighting each other. For most it was utterly inconceivable, the stories told about mad muggles running around with torches trying to burn witches, yet now they were desperately reinforcing the wards around their homes to protect against forces even explosive charms could not match. Luckily the slow Zeppelins and early planes were rather easily destroyed simply by riding a broom up to them and throwing a few well aimed hexes. Magical Britain had prevailed, yet their eyes had been brutally opened.

It was during this time that Salazar's message began to gain more ground. What had been considered more of a joke than anything else was now taken as a prophetic message, warning the magicals of the threat of the muggles. The fact that the Slytherin house in Hogwarts had never let a muggleborn in was also noted; bringing great pride to the purebloods that had been Slytherins. Peace was however kept as the damage was minimal, but the seeds of suspicion had taken root.

The muggleborns' themselves did nothing to help the situation, making fun of wizarding traditions, calling the magical world a stuck-up backwards place. They disrespected anything and everything around them, yet they had the nerve to cry out when they got the same treatment from the wizards. Discrimination they shouted, how can you do this to another person they asked, happily ignoring the way they themselves discriminated among each other in every possible way. Muggles managed to hate each other and start wars over caste, colour, religion, country, wealth, birth right, sexuality, just about anything one could think of, yet they had the nerve to call the magical world backwards when they got the same treatment.

Nothing however could have prepared the magicals for the Second World War. On 7 September 1940 Hermann Göring initiated The Blitz, a gigantic bombing raid aimed at causing panic in Britain. According to a press notice the Luftwaffe released later they dropped 1,000,000 kilograms of bombs on London in twenty-four hours. Sheer panic spread among the magicals as bombs suddenly broke through their wards, ripping apart wizards and witches as easily as the darkest of arts. What good was a magical shield when hit with an explosive that could level an entire block. It was little surprise that for the first time in history the magical world assisted the muggle world in their war, yet they were once again shocked when they found out they were not the only ones. The Dark Lord Grindelwald had happily taken advantage of Germany to manufacture his own incredible rise to power. His story was however cut short by one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore who would later become an icon for the whole magical community.

During all this, one Tom Marvolo Riddle arrived at Hogwarts during the end of the summer 1938. Sorted into Slytherin his cunning and ability quickly drew attention, people flocking to his power as magicals tended to. Having grown up in an abusive orphanage he gladly spoke of his hatred towards muggles, a message that was gladly received by the children around him as their parents and family died during the bombings by the 'cursed filth'. By the time Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts in 1945 Tom was already a seventh year, the prince of Slytherin house with a staunch following of people who felt the same as he did. Dumbledore's hopes of the end of the war cooling hot heads was in vain when the news spread about how it had ended. The muggles had a bomb. A bomb which could level entire cities. Incredulity gave way to fear, which in turn gave way to hatred. A surge of anger rose against the muggles, more and more purebloods happily passing one law after another that limited the muggleborns as much as possible. Never before had The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy been reinforced as harshly.

During this time Tom Marvolo Riddle disappeared, yet only a few years later whispers of a new Dark Lord were heard in the darkest pubs. Whispers of his travels around the world and his mastery of the darkest arts drawing more than one shudder, or excited shiver depending on who you asked. When almost ten years later he appeared on British soil, more than one old pure-blooded Lord wished to use the 'young and naive man' to their advantage. Voldemort ever cunning; happily let them think he was their puppet, drawing on their funds and influence and increasing the amount of followers he had. Muggles suddenly started dying, muggleborns were disappearing and a tinge of panic was spreading. The whispers of Voldemort grew ever louder, yet because his followers always wore masks no one could tell who was an enemy or a friend. This only increased the paranoia, leaving the Ministry helpless as his followers had already infiltrated their ranks.

The old blood wanted a meeting with him and his followers to stop him from doing anything stupid. After all, they might dislike muggles but they disliked losing their power even more. Voldemort gladly agreed, showing up at the meeting dressed in the most impressive of Slytherin robes. It was there he displayed what his inner circle already knew, the Slytherin ring on his finger, showing off his status to the entire world. More than one Lord shouted in outrage at the deception, challenging him to a duel. With a cold smirk he agreed, for the first time allowing Britain to see what he truly was. It was no duel, it was slaughter. Like a cat that played with their prey he played with powerful men, throwing them around as they slowly realized that he was no longer a man, he was a monster.

After that night he came out in public to lead his raids, something that sent a fresh wave of terror across the country. Almost no wizard or witch could match him, his immense power and skill always leading to success. The only beacon the Light side had was Albus Dumbledore, the only wizard capable of facing the Dark Lord. Yet stopping him half the time meant little when his followers succeeded everywhere else, destroying the very foundation that made up magical Britain. More people switched sides as they saw the end looming, hoping to at least be one of the winners when it all came down.

Of course, Harry thought; that is until his mother decided to outwit the Darkest Lord of the century. He smiled wryly as he walked up to his room, there was something painfully funny about a muggleborn outsmarting the heir of Slytherin, making him blow himself up on a little babe. 'Confidence is good but overconfidence leads to downfall' Mistress Narcissa used to say, wonder if Voldemort has learned that lesson by now.

Checking his watch he swore softly, he needed to get moving. He had contacted Mistress Narcissa through owl, asking her to meet him as he really needed to talk to her. The tutorship contract would formally end as he claimed his titles, but he was hoping she would agree to more tutoring. Twice now her teachings had saved his life, not to mention how many other times they had helped him. Opening his closet he was very thankful for his new wardrobe, as Mistress Narcissa had suggested they meet at a very high class muggle restaurant. Showing up in his old clothes would not have made a very good impression on her.

As he undressed for the shower he couldn't help admiring his body in the mirror, the changes he was going through were very nice indeed. He had almost fulfilled his three weeks at the Dursley's, yet the image in the mirror definitively suggested it had been a longer time since he arrived. The same way muscles, skin and ligaments would stretch around bones; Harry's body was stretching around his magic. He had noticed it during the spring yet it showed no signs of slowing down, his magic was fuelling his hormones, increasing growth in all directions. He had focused on eating a very protein heavy diet to allow his muscles to grow, feasting on meat, eggs, various milk products and fish, yet the results still surprised him. No normal man or wizard built muscles this fast, his condition was practically a steroid users wet dream, his body growing more defined by each week that went by. What baffled him was the fact that he did very little heavy lifting, the growth should be an impossibility, yet the swimmers body he was developing didn't seem to care one whit about that. He did appreciate it, especially the fact that he was still growing taller. It was much harder for a shorter man to appear imposing than it was for a tall one. Unfair, but a simple fact.

He chuckled softly as he looked at his hairless body, he wasn't sure if he should blame or thank Mistress Narcissa for that. Having grown so used to it he saw no point of reversing the curse anymore, as far as he knew no women close to him had ever spoken negatively about the fact, on the opposite they seemed to enjoy the smooth skin. Flexing his shoulder he felt the tightly coiled magic rolling within, it felt almost over charged ever since the inclusion of the Slytherin magic. It was quite funny to consider that Voldemort's Horcrux had in fact helped him in so many ways, not only the gifts it provided but the simple fact that it had siphoned off his magic for a decade, providing a twisted form of resistance training for his core. Most children never even touched their core consciously, Harry's had been in constant use ever since the day he reflected the Killing Curse. Strange how he had been made so much stronger by the man determined to kill him.

XXX

Twenty minutes later he exited the Knight Bus on wobbly legs, really looking forward to both learning and being able to use apparition as a form of travel. He swallowed the bile his roiling stomach kept trying to push up and strode towards the fancy looking restaurant hidden in a side street. The man at the door gave him a long look before asking for a name.

"Reservation under the name Black."

"Of course Sir, she's already here, through the left, at the end, left corner table in the alcove."

"Thank you."

Following his directions be snorted mentally, Miss Black indeed. Mistress Narcissa would never use the Malfoy name in the muggle world, could lead to far too many complications. Thus she was Ms Black everywhere she went, a huge favourite to any of the stores she visited, her practically endless credit limit making her a valued customer everywhere.

Approaching the table he had to swallow, she was not a hard woman to spot. A shimmering dark green cocktail dress hugged her every curve, exposing a large amount of pale flawless cleavage while ending at mid-thigh, showing a hint of where her stockings hugged her firm legs. Sinfully sexual in every way, even in the dim light her silvery hair seemed to draw the light in. That was nothing compared to the smouldering look in her clear blue eyes as she spotted him, her dark red lips curving into a sensual smile. Yes, Harry fully understood why the man at the door knew she had entered and exactly where she sat without consulting his ledger, no straight man was likely to forget that vision in a while.

Occluding his mind he kept his gait steady, greeting her with a bow and a kiss on her knuckles, making her smile in appreciation.

"Good evening Mistress Narcissa."

"Good evening Harry, nice work on the bow."

He thanked her; not bothering to point out it was she who had perfected his greeting, as she obviously knew that judging by the way her eyes glittered.

"I must admit I am surprised you requested a meeting, what is it you have on your mind?"

Harry pondered for a second, trying to figure out how to formulate his request.

"Or perhaps you simply asked me here for more sinful purposes?"

His thoughts ground to a halt as he heard her question, looking at her mischievous smile he wasn't sure if she was joking or not. Knowing her it could be either way, it only depended on her mood.

"Oh, uh, no, t-that was not the purpose."

"Oh? Am I not attractive enough anymore Harrrry?"

Her purring voice and the way she displayed her cleavage as she leaned into him made him scramble for a save, but she only let out a small tinkling laugh.

"Relax Harry, I'm joking. Let's enjoy a nice meal before we get to business, all right?"

He flushed slightly but nodded, he knew she liked to play these games with just about every man she ran into. If there was one thing Narcissa Malfoy did not lack, it was self-confidence. Summoning the young male waiter Harry could only watch in awe as she practically tied him into a knot, using only innuendo and suggestion, yet still managed to order their meal. He knew she was dangerous, incredibly so, yet he couldn't help being so attracted to the way she wielded her own power.

The steak and red wine she had ordered was exquisite, but then again he had expected little else, her tastes were very expensive. They chatted amicably during the meal and he had to admit her congratulations about the whole chamber thing felt good, she was most impressed with how much space he had managed to get dedicated for himself in the Daily Prophet.

"The base and reputation you have built for yourself is one every aspiring politician would dream of."

The way she said it sounded like it was almost guaranteed that he would at some point enter the political world. A few years ago he might have argued but now...? He wasn't sure, the feel of power and influence was quite addicting. The thought of being as helpless as he had been when young; when one Albus Dumbledore had decided to cast him among muggles using only his own influence to accomplish it, was quite motivating. Harry knew his ambitious side grew ever stronger each day, after all, how could it not, with the tutors he had.

After the flustered waiter had taken away their empty plates she raised her glass of wine, tipping it to him.

"Now then Harry, why did you wish for this meeting?"

Having had time to gather his thoughts during the meal, his answer was short and concise.

"I will claim my Lordship when I turn thirteen, nullifying the contract we have. That does not however mean I wish for our classes to end. Your teachings have proven extremely valuable to me during the years and the reason I requested this meeting is because I wish for them to continue."

She sipped her wine, mulling over what he had said. He didn't know how much of it was an act, she was an incredibly intelligent woman, he had no doubt she knew exactly why he had requested the meeting from the moment she received the owl.

"Extremely valuable? Hmmm. You used the Dark Arts I taught."

His jaw slackened in awe at her deduction before he mentally cursed as he saw a triumphant smirk on her face. She hadn't known; she simply acted like she did to watch his reaction. His reaction which had now confirmed her guess.

"You broke your word Harry. Didn't you swear you would never use them except under my supervision?"

Fuck.

"Yes Mistress, but my options were either to break my word or to die."

She raised an eyebrow at that; the argument sounded stupid even to his own ears.

"And how could you possibly end up in such a quandary?"

"The man who controlled the basilisk proved impervious to other types of magic."

She was clearly intrigued now, sipping her wine slowly as she studied him.

"Hmmm, the article spoke of no man controlling it, meaning it was kept quiet. The only reason to keep it quiet would be because he is dead. What was his name?"

Harry mulled over her question, he didn't know how much to trust her. Yet if he kept it secret he strongly doubted he would get the help he required. What were the odds of her recognizing the name anyway?

"Tom Marvolo Riddle."

Her eyes widened at the name, making him clench his jaw at his stupidity. She had been a social politician for the Dark families for years, digging for any hidden secrets she could use to her advantage, of course she would recognize the name. He was surprised to see her gaze was rather heated when she looked at him. She licked those dark red lips before asking.

"And you killed him with the Dark Arts?"

"Only wounded, I did however kill him with basilisk venom."

Her eyes were hooded as she studied him intently, a slight blush on her cheeks. Merlin, she was turned on by the thought. After a while she spoke, her voice husky.

"I will agree to continue teaching you if…you agree to owe me a favour of my choosing. I promise it will not bring you permanent economical; political or personal harm."

Harry downed the rest of his wine as he considered the offer. He had accepted a similar one after he had first met her, which had led to a rather eventful Christmas party. He blushed at the thought, Merlin it was more than a year ago but it still affected him. Would she do the same thing again? No…it was unlikely; she tended to like spicing things up. She knew he was about to claim his Lordship soon, meaning it could just as well be a political or economical request. One where he gave his power over to her? No, that would bring him permanent political harm. Money? Unlikely, the Malfoy's were far from poor and it would go against her promise.

He studied her while thinking; she had a pleasant smile on her face as she watched him mull it over. He could decline the offer and walk away, yet that would make him lose out on unmatched Dark Arts training. Mistress Andromeda knew nowhere as much because the time she had spent in the muggle world and he doubted Madam Bones had even touched them. The Dark Arts had saved him against Tom, would he truly be able to discard such important training?

There was also the Wizengamot training she provided. Sure Mistress Andromeda had been given the same basics as her, but those were just basics in comparison. While she had been off in the muggle world, Mistress Narcissa had spent almost every single day for the last two decades playing the political games, the wealth of knowledge was just not comparable. Madam Bones spent most of her life in the DMLE, political games interested her little. He looked at her smiling face and realized she already knew all this; she merely wanted him to realize it. Fuck. There were no options, to choose pride meant to screw himself over in the long run, so instead he swallowed his pride and spoke.

"I accept."

Her feral smile sent a shiver down his neck, she was clearly pleased.

"I'd ask for a magical oath or contract but I know you far too well Harry, I won't be needing that, now will I?"

He grumbled but nodded, Hufflepuff indeed. It literally did take the threat of death to make him break his word. He wasn't sure if that was a strength or a weakness.

"However..."

Her smile grew even wider as she sipped her wine and calmly uncrossed her legs under the table, dragging her foot up his calf.

"You do still owe me an apology for breaking your word, regardless of the situation that caused it."

Her husky voice made him blush as much as the implication did.

"Here?!"

His loud voice made more than one guest at the restaurant glance at him, making him even redder.

"Shush, that is, unless you want everyone to watch?"

He gaped at her twinkling eyes before snapping his mouth shut. Covertly glancing around if anyone was still looking at them he felt like his blush was going to make his face explode. He hesitated as he looked at her, was she truly serious? She merely tipped her glass at him and gestured towards the table. He poured another glass of wine for himself, downing the expensive vintage in one swallow; he could use some encouragement right now. Giving the room another glance he almost sighed in relief when no one looked their way, stealthily slipping underneath the thick tablecloth. As soon as he was completely underneath and covered in darkness he froze for a minute to see if anyone had noticed him and was causing a commotion. Only the steady noise of people quietly conversing drifted through the cloth. He was uncertain if this was a good or a bad thing.

A soft silky foot came up and rubbed his chin, the suggestion behind the move obvious enough. He gave her stocking clad calf a soft kiss before his hands trailed up her smooth legs up to the hem of her dark green dress. She quite eagerly moved her hips closer to the edge of the chair while leaning back; she was obviously very excited already. Well, if she wanted an apology she would get one. He found a tinge of humour in that; she obviously knew nothing about his ability to channel magic through his mouth yet.

He traced the stockings underneath her dress, kissing and nipping her bare skin where they ended, feeling the way her flesh shivered gently at the sensation. Bunching the dress up almost around her hips he managed to slip his hands underneath it, hooking her small black panties in his fingers. One assisted pull later and they were yanked off, the small musky black cloth obviously of muggle design. Slipping them into his pocket he moved up, spreading her eager thighs with his hands, the dim light leaking through the tablecloth glistening off her moist lips. The scent of her arousal easily permeated the small enclosed space.

Moving up he used the flat of his tongue to lick her from the very bottom of her slit up over her sensitive nub, her unique taste filling his mouth as she softly gasped at the sensation. He was somewhat surprised when she lifted her thighs over his shoulders and crossed her ankles behind his back, in effect trapping him against her wetness. It didn't change what he was doing so he merely dug in, licking and sucking at her aroused flesh, slowly working his tongue deeper as he lapped the sensitive skin. She relaxed against his ministrations, only small twitches in her hips giving away her enjoyment.

"Excuse me, waiter?"

Harry briefly froze as he realized she had called over the young man she had been toying with earlier. A hand grasped his hair and pushed him harder against her pussy, the message clear. He continued eating her and the hand started softly playing with his hair instead. Mistress Narcissa explained to the waiter that he went to the toilet, before starting to blatantly flirt with the young man under the guise of discussing the desserts. Harry could hear his stammering voice and felt how her wetness increased, the excitement of the whole scenario clearly turning her on. He had to take great effort in being quiet as he swallowed her juices and carefully sucked her, her shivering hips and engorged clit the only real tell of how turned on she was.

He knew she was fucking with him, the whole action of calling the waiter over was both meant to humiliate him and to display power over him. It was one of the mental games she played and it made him grin, because this time she did not have all the information before starting the game. Moving his right hand underneath her he eased two fingers into her sopping wetness, sinking them all the way to the knuckles before starting a steady come hither motion. He heard her breath briefly catch before she continued on, her husky voice easily entrancing the clueless waiter.

Harry engulfed her entire clit in his mouth, sucking on it deeply as he let magic loose both in his mouth and fingers, flooding her entire groin with magic, enflaming every single oversensitive nerve ending under a flood of tingling rushing power.

"So you would suggest the cappuccin-OH!"

"Are you all right Ms Black?"

Harry grinned underneath the table, the relaxed thighs were now gripping him in a quivering iron grip and the hand was painfully tangled in his hair. He could almost imagine her biting her tongue as he felt her inner walls flutter wildly against his intruding fingers.

"I, I am f-fine. The cappuccino will be, oh, fine."

Harry had to admit he was impressed with her control; her breathy voice only gave away a fraction of what was truly going on with her body.

"Are you certain Miss?"

"Yes, yes! Now go!"

Harry couldn't keep the grin off his face as he heard the waiter walk away, no doubt perplexed at her sudden change of attitude towards him. Still he did not stop devouring her, even when the hand in his hair alternatively pulled him either away from her or against her, clearly overwhelmed by the sensation. With a muffled drawn out groan she came, her teeth clenched and her nails digging into the table, her hips waving wildly against his face as he continued sucking her down. The orgasm didn't seem to have an end, a few seconds stretched into almost a minute and her muffled groans turned into gasping squeaks. The combination of the sensation, the location and her excitement all being too much and she realized if this went on any longer she would howl her release for the entire restaurant to hear.

Harry felt her wobbly legs release his head but made no move the back off, until he felt her pull his head away with a stifled "Harry, please, no more."

With a soft pop he released her puffy wetness from his mouth, toning the magic down at the same time as he slipped his fingers out. Her entire body seemed to sag as she slumped in relief, small shivers running along her legs as she tried to compose herself. With a gentle tongue he licked her clean before sucking off his fingers, was it just him or did she taste far better when she was pleading?

Slipping out from underneath the table he took his seat, dabbing his mouth with his napkin, unable to keep a small grin off his face when he finally laid eyes on her. Her eyes were lidded, a light coat of perspiration covering her flushed skin as she panted heavily while staring at him. Her eyes held equal amounts hunger, disbelief and a small coating of what looked like awe. She downed her mineral water in one go before finally speaking.

"You...have learned some new tricks."

His grin was both smug and teasing.

"You don't say, Mistress?"

She kept studying him as she fanned herself with her napkin, her flush slowly receding as she got her breath back.

"That was indeed the best apology I have received thus far and it is most certainly accepted."

Standing up on slightly wobbly legs she gathered her purse before handing him a chocolate frog card. His own chocolate frog card to be exact.

"That is a portkey for Malfoy Manor for the usual time, do not miss it."

She laid a gentle kiss on his cheek, her purring voice sending a shiver down his back.

"I look forward to continuing our lessons."

More than one man stared at her as she walked out of the restaurant; the figure hugging dress combined with her rock hard nipples was not something a healthy male easily avoided looking at. Harry admired her hips, especially knowing he still held her panties, before staring at the card with his face on it with a slight chuckle. What were the odds of her having this card ready unless she knew exactly what this meeting was about? None. And she wanted him to know it as well.

Harry accepted the cappuccino the confused waiter brought to the table with a wry grin, intelligent and dangerous indeed.

Chapter 41

"Expecto Patronum!"

Harry stared in dismay at the faint mist that his wand produced, unwilling to believe that a spell could be so hard for him to grasp. Having grown used to mastering new spells at an incredible rate, the last four weeks of practicing the Patronus Charm had been frustrating beyond belief. Swearing quietly he waved away the ineffective mist, he really needed to learn this charm.

Madam Bones had informed him about Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban prison and the consequent threat of dementors as soon as he arrived at Bones Manor, giving him all the motivation he needed to learn it. He had originally wanted to learn it as a means to communicate, but she had given him a far more important reason, defending himself and possibly his friends against a creature that was as far he could tell, immune to all other spells. He cycled through various erotic memories but the mist stayed the same, baffling him completely. Madam Bones explaining that it was an Auror level spell mattered little to him, it simply should not be this difficult.

Besides his abysmal progress with the Patronus Charm his time at Bones Manor had otherwise been very productive. As expected Mistress Andromeda had instantly gotten him started on German, French and Ancient Runes, all at the same time. He thought she was insane at first, before he realized he was actually understanding their lessons with ease, making her almost giddy with pleasure. It was clear she intended to squeeze every drop of potential out of his Slytherin gift.

Madam Bones also set aside some duelling practice for him every single day, something he greatly appreciated. She still utterly trounced him when she wanted to, but Harry made some slight advances in silent casting which pleased him. Madam Bones' stern suggestion of whispering his spells instead of shouting them out like a moron had helped that aspect a lot. He barely needed to mouth Protego anymore to summon a shield, something that had impressed her to no end. Harry was far from pleased when she sent a spell at it though, instantly shattering it. It was progress yes, but his silent spells were mere shadows of his vocal ones. He knew he needed better mental focus to overcome the lack of intent that silent casting usually caused, yet it was incredibly difficult.

What he had kept a secret from everyone was his own little practice he did in his room, summoning and banishing his wand using nothing but his hand. Ever since summoning the diary in the Chamber of Secrets he had been fascinated with the thought of wandless magic and couldn't stop playing with it. It was crude, highly wasteful and fairly inaccurate, yet Harry still found the concept mesmerizing. He knew from the way the magic flailed when he didn't use his wand that wandless magic could never be used for any sort of precision work, yet he still practiced it every evening. After all, you never knew when you might need a hidden trump card.

XXX

"Come on birthday boy, it's time we got going!"

Susan's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he sent her a triumphant grin, glad that they were finally moving. It was the thirty first of July and his thirteenth birthday, a day he had been looking forward to all summer. Today would be the day he took a significant step towards independence, the mere thought making his magic hum in pleasure. Glancing at the clock he frowned.

"It's only half past ten, the will reading isn't until two o'clock?"

Susan rolled her eyes before linking arms with him and dragging him towards the door.

"Yes, which gives us several hours to celebrate your birthday in Diagon Alley. Hannah should be here any minute."

"Oh."

He was honestly pretty speechless, still so unused to people wanting to celebrate his birthday. After being ignored or mocked at the Dursley's the concept was still strange for him. Seeing Susan look at him in question he quickly hid his hesitation behind a smile.

"Sure, sounds good."

Her quirked eyebrow let him know she wasn't buying whatever he was selling, but she still followed it up with a smile, letting the matter go for now. He grumbled slightly at that, he knew his Occlumency was improving but for some reason it seemed to have absolutely no effect on deceiving his girls. Honestly though, going to Diagon Alley early did sound like a good idea as Mistress Andromeda had organized for the Potter Will to be read later in the day. With the girls keeping him occupied he'd have a better chance of passing the time instead of glancing at the clock every two minutes.

Speaking of the devil the fireplace flashed green before a blonde young teen skipped through, scanning the room before settling on them. Almost faster than he could comprehend she had caught them both in a tight hug. He chuckled before returning the hug, hearing Susan giggle as well.

"Glad to be back from your vacation Hannah?"

She scrunched up her nose cutely.

"Vacation! Hah! Only my mother would consider running around Italy on a month long shopping spree a vacation!"

She released them with a huff, only now bothering to shake away some of the ash from the fire place. Susan grumbled at her soot covered front, rubbing her hands over bosom in an effort to remove it.

"Gee thanks."

Harry barely paid attention to their bickering anymore, instead choosing to admire the two girls. Hermione's influence on them was obvious, after they had seen his eyes stray to her jeans clad bottom more than once they had promptly poached the girl and gone on a massive shopping spree. The result was a variety of tight muggle clothes that seemed to hug every curve. Case and point being the beige tank top that currently barely contained Susan's magnificent chest, her rubbing hands making it jiggle in ways that captivated his eyes. Looking over at Hannah he watched her rub the dirt from her hip hugging jeans, her small hands dancing over her thighs.

"Harry."

He snapped his eyes over to Hannah's grinning face, spotting a light blush on Susan's face as well. He forcibly cleared his throat.

"What's up?"

"Shouldn't that be my question?"

Her comment made him cough in surprise before he grinned in return.

"So sue me, not even my eyes are immune to such beauty on display."

Hannah's cheeks pinked slightly before she grabbed his other hand and marched them towards the fireplace.

"Come on Casanova, we have a birthday to celebrate."

XXX

Stepping through the floo into the Leaky Cauldron, Harry had to forcibly suppress a groan as most of the patrons instantly recognized him. He would have preferred to wear muggle clothes like the girls to remain inconspicuous, but with the will reading coming up he had to wear his dark red Potter robes, which thanks to Mistress Andromeda were practically designed to catch the eye. Luckily the girls quickly flanked him, forcing away some of the over eager witches with small scowls on their face. After enduring a multitude of handshakes and congratulations with a fixed smile on his face, they were finally able to exit the pub and reach the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley. Slipping his hands around the girls waists he gave them an affectionate squeeze.

"Thank you for that, didn't expect the pub to be so full this early."

Hannah gave him a playful grin before dramatically wiping her forehead.

"Such great pains we have to suffer through just because we're friends with a celebrity."

He just snorted in response; leaving his hands were they were. Somehow it just felt so right, so comfortable to walk around with his girls like this. He wouldn't have minded Hermione tagging along though; he hadn't really spoken to her since their eventful train ride. Nothing he could do about that matter though, she was spending the summer in France with her parents. Thinking about her made his cheeks flush slightly, her actions on the train had fuelled more than one of his fantasies, the feel of her slightly coarser tongue dancing over his...

"That's so cool!"

The small crowd gathering outside of the Quidditch store caught his attention and he turned the girls towards it. Susan snorted quietly.

"The first place he chooses is the Quidditch store, should we pretend to be surprised Hannah?" "No, he's such an incurable romantic; he knows just what a girl wants."

He responded by pinching their sides, getting a small squeal before admiring the broom that was gathering so much attention. His eyes glassed over slightly as he read the incredible promised speeds being proudly displayed on a fact sheet underneath the wooden work of art.

"The Firebolt..."

"Is he drooling Susan?"

He closed his mouth, resisting the urge to wipe his mouth before sending a scowl at a grinning Hannah. It was with some reluctance that he finally allowed them to lead him away from the window. He was tempted to buy the broom but couldn't really honestly justify the cost. He knew he was filthy rich, but he also knew his Nimbus 2001 was more than enough to fulfil its task. Showing wealth was one thing, but flaunting it by buying an almost professional class broom for a school Quidditch game was a bit over the top.

.

The rest of the day passed in a comfortable haze, Harry simply enjoying the company while they walked around the alley gathering their school supplies and dipping into random stores when the mood hit them. Before he knew it the clock was a quarter to two and he had to bid the girls goodbye and head towards Gringotts to meet Mistress Andromeda. To his surprise he got two good luck kisses on his cheeks from both of them. His Occlumency did nothing to contain his slight blush, something which made Hannah grin as he quickly excused himself and trotted towards the imposing bank.

"Harry."

Recognizing the voice he turned in slight surprise towards Mistress Andromeda who was also walking towards the bank. He was surprised at how early she was, she was usually punctual to the minute, coming this early meant he wasn't the only one with slight nerves.

"Mistress Andromeda."

He kept his voice low so no one could overhear him, getting a small hug from her.

"Hello Harry, are you ready?"

He nodded, making her smile encouragingly at him before leading them into the bank. Not bothering with any queues she stepped right up to a grumpy looking teller.

"Harry Potter and Andromeda Tonks for the Potter will reading."

The goblin glanced at Harry who nodded in return, making the goblin ring a bell to summon someone to lead them to the Potter manager. He knew why the goblin had asked for his confirmation, if Harry had indicated otherwise then Mistress Andromeda would have been barred from the meeting, it was after all a Potter will reading. He had absolutely no plans of doing something so foolish though, he knew how greedy the goblins were, he wouldn't sign a single paper or agree to any verbal agreements without talking it over with her first. He wasn't stupid and had read a fair amount of legalese thanks to Mistress Narcissa, yet he still knew that fooling him was far easier than fooling Mistress Andromeda. His meeting with the goblins last summer had given him a healthy sense of distrust for the creatures.

They followed the second goblin deeper into Gringotts before arriving at a door marked Potter Estates, Bloodtooth. A knock and grunted "enter" later they walked into the small office, spotting an old grizzled goblin with a slight bit of grey in his hair shuffling through some papers. Knowing it was his time to speak, Harry walked up to the desk.

"Good day, my name is Harry James Potter and I am here to claim my Lordship over the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter."

The goblin raised an eyebrow before replying.

"I am Bloodtooth, manager for the Potter estates. I was expecting you to show up today."

He pushed over a stack of documents to Harry before indicating the seats. Harry was slightly disgruntled at the way the goblin flat out ignored Mistress Andromeda, but Mistress Narcissa's teachings had taught him to expect it. Only their client mattered because they meant profits, they could care less about anyone else. He started reading through the papers, handing them over to her as soon as he was done with each page. On the last page was a spot to sign. The goblin continued working on his papers while Harry waited for Mistress Andromeda to finish perusing the papers. After almost a full hour she placed them in front of him and nodded, making him exhale softly.

"Quill."

The goblin grunted, pushing over an ornate quill that glinted with red and a small trace of magic. Recognizing it was a blood quill he nonetheless picked it up, hesitating a moment before signing his name with a flourish. The familiar glow of blue surrounded the stack of papers before it split into two, one copy for him and one for Gringotts. Bloodtooth bared his teeth slightly, a sign he was pleased. As he should be, Harry thought, activating the Potter accounts again meant profits for everyone involved.

Reaching into his drawer Bloodtooth pulled out a small box that seemed to practically hum with magic. Opening it he presented the Potter ring, pushing the box over to Harry. He had expected some large gaudy thing, but was pleasantly surprised by the golden ring displaying the Potter lion on a dark red shield, standing guard over the familiar capital P. Swallowing nervously Harry reached over, plucking the ring from the box. He felt the Potter family magic coursing through the metal, not surprising as these rings were some of the most heavily enchanted objects in the magical world. Impossible to forge, impossible to wear if not worthy, some of them even lethal to enemies. Bolstering his courage he slipped the ring on his finger, the magical metal feeling warm against his skin, staring expectantly at the thing. After a minute of waiting he glanced at Bloodtooth in question.

"That's it?"

"Of course. It's a ring that belongs to your family, what were you expecting? Fireworks?"

The goblin scoffed at the thought, making Harry colour slightly. He had in fact been expecting something special, which in retrospect was pretty silly; the rings were a status symbol, important in the Wizarding world yes, but hardly anything more than that. Clearing his throat slightly to rid him of his embarrassment Harry spoke up.

"Very well, as my first order I want any and all magical and muggle guardians removed from my person, as well as any contracts or obligations pushed upon my person without my personal approval."

Bloodtooth grunted in acknowledgement.

"Will take a day or so but is easily achieved."

"Good. Once that is done I wish to appoint Andromeda Tonks as my guardian as well as my votes holder for the Wizengamot."

Having a guardian stung him a bit, but he knew it was necessary for a multitude of reasons. As a thirteen-year old without a guardian he was susceptible to a variety of political schemes, like Lucius Malfoy suddenly declaring to the Wizengamot that he was not fit to take care of himself and should be placed under his care. Anyone under the age of seventeen and without his NEWTs was generally considered a child in the Wizarding world, calling himself a Lord and attempting to protest would be met with mostly humour.

There was also the simple fact that he couldn't even touch his votes unless he had an adult wizard or witch hold them for him. The thought of a Hogwarts student being allowed into the Wizengamot chamber was ridiculous at best; the magical world was far too steeped in tradition to even consider that. Even if he managed to force himself in there, not a single person would take him seriously, most would consider him brash and arrogant for doing it in the first place.

No, having Mistress Andromeda as his guardian gave him the most freedom and power out of all the options, not to mention the most protection. Harry knew quite well the reputation the Black women had in the political world, now that Andromeda had both his economical and political backing there were few that would openly move against him.

"Will be done."

Now that her position had been made clear, Mistress Andromeda spoke for the first time during the meeting.

"Goblin, I want any and all wills pertaining to my charge unsealed and read right now."

Bloodtooth bared his teeth again, this was an order he happily agreed with as it had a high probability to grant him further profits. Punching a button on his desk he spoke their garbled guttural language, getting a short answer in return. Only minutes later a harried looking goblin arrived in the room carrying a stack of papers. Bloodtooth picked up the first paper and started reading.

"The will of James and Lily Potter, sealed by order of the Supreme Mugwump Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, October 31st, 1981."

Harry hissed in anger, how long would this have stayed sealed if he hadn't asked? What gave that man the right to touch his parents will? He felt Mistress Andromeda place her hand on his shoulder, giving him a tight squeeze, reminding him that this was not a place for temper tantrums. He quickly occluded his mind and listened to the droning of the goblin as he listed their assets and requests. He felt his anger return when no mention of the Dursley's existed in the section regarding his future guardians, yet he quickly cooled it when most of the other names listed were either dead or people he had never even met.

"To Remus Lupin, for taking care and teaching our child we leave..."

"Wait what? Who the fuck is Remus Lupin?"

A sharp pinch on his shoulder reminded him to watch his language, yet he was far too high-strung to pay attention to it right now.

The goblin looked annoyed at the interruption before replying.

"You have never met the man?"

"No, never even heard about him."

"Do you wish to object to the monetary amount being left to him?"

Harry ignored the glint of greed in Bloodtooth's eyes, this wasn't about money for him; this was about this man clearly ignoring his parents' wishes.

"Yes, he shouldn't be rewarded for taking care of me if I have never even met the man."

"Your objection is noted, unless Mister Lupin shows up and provides proof about his contact with you, his money will be withheld."

When the will went on to want to reward Sirius Black of all people, Harry swore loudly again before objecting, this time getting a far sharper pinch of his shoulder.

When the will reading ended Mistress Andromeda requested tea be brought to them before they continued. The same harried goblin brought a whole set to them, making her smile in appreciation as she smelled the fragrance. Pouring herself a cup she looked at Bloodtooth with a small grin.

"Now that Lord Potter has claimed his birthright he is legally recognized as an adult, thus any other wills pertaining to him should also be read now."

In response the goblin merely pulled out the next thick parchment, the Black crest easily visible on the surface. Mistress Andromeda's grin grew wider.

The will was fairly straight forward, something Mistress Andromeda said she expected from Sirius Black. He left small monetary amounts to various people before giving his title and complete wealth to his godson, one Harry James Potter. By the time Bloodtooth dug up the Black ring Andromeda was practically humming in pleasure, sipping her tea as she watched her charge slip the intimidating Black crest on his finger. She stared at the black raven on the green background, a smaller version of their family crest, feeling a smile grow on her lips. The raven and the lion, both would be hers to command during the next Wizengamot session in early August. She still had one important matter to take care of though.

"Lord Black."

Harry looked up in surprise, realizing she was addressing him.

"I Andromeda Cassiopeia Tonks ask that you would grant my request to re-join the family of Black so that I might once again be a true Black daughter."

Harry felt his eyebrows practically reach his hairline as he stared at her in surprise.

"B-But what about Ted?"

He knew the man strongly disliked associating with the magical world and highly doubted he had any interest in joining the Black family. In fact Harry didn't even want him to be a part of his family.

Andromeda gave him a sardonic grin.

"I divorced Ted during the spring. Oh, no need to look so surprised, we parted on quite good terms; this was something that had been coming for years. The only reason we stayed together was for little Nymphadora, but she is a grown woman now. We married right after Hogwarts, we were young and we were dumb. Yet I cannot regret my decisions because they gave me my daughter. My marriage is however now over, so do you, Lord Black, accept this former daughter of the Black back into your house?"

He blinked at the onslaught of information before nodding; he honestly couldn't say he was that surprised at their divorce. They never even had a real magical marriage with oaths and mixing of magic, they had that muggle thing where you sign a few papers. Knowing what was expected of him he placed his wand against his palm.

"I Harry James Potter-Black, Head of the House Black, do accept you Andromeda Cassiopeia Black, formerly Tonks, back in to the House of Black. I also accept your daughter, Nymphadora Black, formerly Tonks, to the House of Black. So mote it be."

Harry was surprised to feel his magic briefly mix with hers, the ring on his finger heating slightly as he spoke the words. The rush quickly disappeared and Mistress Andromeda had a huge smile on her face as she hugged him.

"Thank you."

"Any time."

He was honestly very happy now; she was really family for him now.

What followed was an hour of signing various papers, Harry's hand cramping at all the blood quill signatures he had to leave behind. Mistress Andromeda's inquiries into the matter with the Slytherin House was met with a dead end though, Bloodtooth told them no one could claim that Lordship unless they were seventeen and had completed their NEWTs, or alternatively, if they were married. Apparently no votes holder could ever vote for Slytherin House, only the Lord himself had the right to use that vote. Mistress Andromeda had glanced at him speculatively when the goblin mentioned marriage, sending a chill down his spine, he knew how strongly she approved of his friendship with both Hannah and Susan, both who also happened to be Heiresses of their Houses.

His shiver made her grin.

"Maybe not just yet."

He sent a glare at her which only made her smile wider, she quite enjoyed playing matchmaker.

Harry was quite surprised when Mistress Andromeda asked him to nullify Bellatrix's marriage before throwing her out of the family. Apparently the dowry had been considerable and cancelling the marriage because of their various crimes allowed the House of Black to claim it all back. Looking at the goblin he could almost see a spot of drool on his face as he stared at Mistress Andromeda, happily obliging with all her requests. Bloodtooth grinned toothily when he announced that because the House of Lestrange had used most of the dowry to fund the Wizarding war, they could claim their vaults as recompense. Harry exhaled in relief when they finally left the gloomy bank, only to groan in disbelief as he watched Mistress Andromeda lead them to a solicitor. He had forgotten about this part but knew it needed to be done, he was sending out notices demanding his just royalties for all the stories and figurines where his name had been used without his knowledge or permission. Harry had originally wanted to sue every single one of them but Mistress Andromeda suggested keeping it quiet instead, as there was no point in stopping the series now, not to mention she didn't want to ruin the great PR work the stories had done for Harry. So instead of bankrupting the people responsible he demanded a ridiculous percentage of their past and current profits, a request Mistress Andromeda was certain they would oblige with, especially after today's happenings hit the Daily Prophet.

"It's going to be in the paper?"

She looked at him like he was idiot before nodding.

"Yeees, Gringotts is obliged to provide copies of all Lordships to the Ministry. Not to mention when I claim the votes in a few weeks it would be public knowledge either way."

He groaned in response, palming his face, knowing any dreams he had of a quiet third year had definitively evaporated. She just chuckled at his despair before leading them to an apparition point and dual apparating both of them to a gloomy street in what looked like a muggle neighbourhood. He looked at her in question, not recognizing any landmarks.

"You are technically Lord Black now, even if you do not wield all the responsibility that entails. You do however wield the family magic. We are currently standing outside twelve Grimmauld Place, the ancestral home of the Black family."

Seeing him glance around in question she chuckled.

"Unlike the Potters or other notable families, the Blacks did not rely purely on powerful wards or strong castles to keep their enemies out, but also cunning, hence why it was hidden here. In order to see the house you must focus on your ring, feel the family magic coursing through your veins and will the home to appear before you."

Harry did as he was told, focusing on the familiar heat on his finger while using his Occlumency to ignore everything except his fervent wish to have the house appear. A feeling of displaced magic washed over him and he opened his eyes, only to freeze in awe. Between the two clean muggle houses a third dirty one had appeared, seemingly popping out of thin air. He had read about something similar.

"Fidelius Charm?"

Mistress Andromeda smirked.

"No, Black wards. No one except a member of the House of Black and anyone they give permission to can see the house, let alone enter it. A Fidelius Charm would however be a similar replacement if for some reason the family magic stopped working, yet that would not only require an exceptionally strong wizard to cover the entire property, but also place the entire security on one man."

Harry followed her in through the front door, feeling a thick coating of magic roll over his skin as he stepped inside. He felt the hairs on his neck stand up at the sensation, she wasn't joking when she said this place was warded. A sudden screeching snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Intruders! Intruders! Who dares befoul the Noble House of Black! Kreacher! Assist me!"

Following the noise they came to a portrait of an old woman with bloodshot eyes who was practically foaming at the mouth as she spotted them. Harry was surprised to note Mistress Andromeda had her wand out.

"Ah, Aunt Walburga. What a pleasure to know you are still the wretched hag you used to be."

The woman seemed stunned at being addressed in such a manner before she narrowed her eyes in recognition.

"You! Youuuu! Blood traitor! Low-life scum! Kreacher, throw them out of my house!"

An old elf, covered in filth and wearing rags showed up, seemingly ready to fulfil the portraits wishes.

"Stop."

The elf froze in surprise under Mistress Andromeda's command, both his and the portrait's eyes bulging. Andromeda's smile was vicious as she watched them both, her dark eyes glinting in the sparse light that made it through the windows.

"A living Black's word always supersedes a dead ones."

Walburga's eyes widened in outrage as she understood; her screeching voice grating on their ears.

"Lies! Deceit! Throw them out now Kreacher! Get rid of that filth!"

Andromeda merely stared at the twitching elf with some amusement; she knew what a twisted being it was. Years of being poisoned by the Black dogma had driven the thing mad, yet she knew it took amusement in causing pain to anyone it deemed unworthy. She had no sympathy for the creature.

"Kreacher, remove this painting from the wall and burn it."

Kreacher stared at her for a second before toppling over on the ground, clearly dead. Andromeda nodded, she expected something like this. The elf had wanted to disobey her and the elf bond had instantly robbed the being of its magic. Seeing as it was a magical creature this also meant the loss of its life. Brandishing her wand she quickly incinerated the elf and vanished the ashes, leaving no trace behind. Turning to the still screeching painting she considered the warding tied to frame for a second before making her decision, tracing her wand around the whole thing. She started humming softly as she cut through the wall, Walburga Black had been the very definition of a pureblood bigot and she had once told Andromeda she would gut her half-blood child if she ever laid eyes on her. Walburga never realized she would have been the one gutted the second Andromeda laid eyes on her, threatening her child was a certain way to end up without a head. Seeing as she could never get rid of the living woman Andromeda had to take her satisfaction in destroying her painting, the legacy of a hateful woman.

With a loud crash the whole wall toppled over, the warding and sticking charm on the painting doing little to prevent it. Harry swallowed nervously and stayed quiet as he watched his Mistress work around the painting, humming a soft tune while her eyes were carved out of steel. He didn't have to be a genius to realize there was some serious bad blood between those two. He stared as she picked up the wide painting and carried it to the huge fireplace that dominated the first floor living room. Even the painting seemed to realize what was about to happen, the loud screeching stopping for a second. A thirsty smile appeared on Mistress Andromeda's lips as she started shoving the painting into the fireplace.

"Oh Aunt Walburga, no need to stop for my sake. After all, you never saw reason to close your mouth in the past. What was it you said about little Nymphadora? That she was a degenerate half-breed that should be disposed of?"

Hearing that Harry decided to step entirely out of the room, he knew she was beyond pissed now. The painting started wailing again, but there was a tinge of desperation in the sound now; a certain knowledge in her voice that there would be absolutely no mercy to be had here. Mistress Andromeda stepped away from the fireplace before levelling her wand at Walburga Black's face. The painting quieted and an almost eerie silence passed over the house before Andromeda's ruby red lips parted in a sensual smile.

"Fiendfyre."

The almost whispered spell was accompanied with a huge roaring and billowing flame that shot of her wand and engulfed the entire fireplace, eating through the warding covering the wooden frame like it was ice left on a hot stove. Harry stared in awe at the black tinted flames that seemed to dance over every surface, seemingly trying to escape the narrow space at any cost. He had read about Fiendfyre and knew what it was. Dark flames. Bewitched flames. Cursed fire. Fire that eats through anything and cannot be extinguished by any means, the only way to control it was to overpower it. He stared at the melting painting, Walburga's wails of agony having long since quieted before noticing the way the iron itself surrounding the fireplace was starting to glow. The whole room felt like a furnace and he saw sweat running down Mistress Andromeda's face as she struggled with her wand. He saw shapes in the black, red and yellow flames, faces and animals, demons and beasts, all of them hungrily grasping any sentient being they could reach. After what felt like an eternity the flames finally tapered off and died, Mistress Andromeda slumping to her knee as she forced the last of the fire into submission.

Harry quickly grabbed her and helped her over to the sofa, yet her eyes were glued to the ashes still lingering in the fireplace. She smiled again, this time lacking the viciousness she had displayed earlier before turning to him.

"Do you know why I am here, why I did what I did?"

"Revenge, Mistress…?"

She chuckled slightly before nodding.

"Partially, yet that is not the only reason. No, this house holds many memories, some good with my sisters, some terrible with the rest of my family. No, I am here because this will be my home now."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise before she continued.

"The Most Noble and Ancient House of Black is going to rise again, stronger than ever. Different as well. It will all start here, I will buy a few house elves and practically level this entire building and rebuild it from the bottom. By the time you graduate from Hogwarts, all will know of the House of Black and all will either respect it or fear it. That I swear... my Lord Black."

Chapter 42

"Harry, please join me in living room."

Harry nodded, wiping his mouth and standing up from the breakfast table to join Mistress Narcissa. He assumed they would be having one of their talks again, something which had surprised him quite a bit when he first arrived at Malfoy Manor three days ago. Mistress Narcissa seemed incredibly interested in picking his mind now that his change in status had become public; spending hours simply discussing various issues and past events with him. He didn't mind to be honest, he enjoyed their talks. Not only was she a gorgeous and charming woman, but she also had a terrifyingly sharp mind to accompany her feminine charms.

Much like with Mistress Andromeda, his training had been increased on all fronts, now that she truly knew he held two votes, she spent every single afternoon cramming his mind full with information and any wisdom that might serve him. The Dark Arts training in the morning had also increased, as she was pleased at his improvement in Occlumency as well as the advantage the Black family magic gave him over the perilous art. Yet Harry noticed that she never let him out of her sight when he cast the Dark Arts, he assumed that regardless of her praise she was still sceptical to leave him alone with such potent magic. He couldn't help but wonder if it was connected to her older sister, Bellatrix no-name, formerly Black. He remembered the story Mistress Narcissa had told about him about Bellatrix's fall to the Dark Arts, and he especially remembered the tinge of regret in her voice when she told it.

Walking behind her he couldn't help but let his eyes travel down the tight dark green robe she wore, admiring her shapely behind as her hips rolled with every step. The light seemed to make the material sparkle, showing off her curves while highlighting the pale skin of her legs that peeked through the high cut in the robe. He was caught off guard when she suddenly stopped, looking up in surprise. Looking over her shoulder he saw her look right back at him through a wall covering mirror, smirking at his furious blush. Not giving him any chance to come up with any feeble excuses she continued to the living room, crossing her legs as she sat down in a plush dark blue sofa, the cut in the robe allowing the fabric to glide up scandalously close to her hips. She patted the seat next to her, still smiling at his red face. Harry swallowed softly as he sat down, trying to distract himself from the toned flesh being presented to him.

He knew it was a part of who she was, she used her sexuality without any excuses or shame. She had absolute confidence in herself and used her sex appeal as a way to confuse and distract anyone she spoke to. With the majority of the people in the Wizengamot being men, it was hardly surprising that Lucius often let her handle the political discussions. People stared at her beauty, forgetting the mind that hid behind the sensual smile. In all honesty he found it to be an incredible turn on; he couldn't help his attraction to her.

Harry watched as she summoned a house elf to fetch them tea, wondering what today's talk was going to be about. He found these conversations fascinating, often learning far more about himself and the people around him than he expected. Just yesterday Mistress Narcissa had discussed Sirius Black with him, leaving him both wary and confused.

"Sirius Black is an enigma. A mystery even. Was he a turn-cloak from the start? Did he serve the Dark Lord the entire time and deceive everyone, including Dumbledore? Hard to say, as he was without a doubt an excellent Auror. Make no mistake on that matter Harry, your father and Sirius were a devastating combination on the battlefield. His aptitude in combat magics combined with James's transfiguration made them a duo that very few, if any, could combat. Their arrests numbered in the hundreds and both of them were reportedly very high on the Dark Lord's hit list."

"I find it hard to believe he could have been a traitor from the start, their work with the Aurors caused far too much damage to the Dark Lord's cause. So when did he turn then? Why did he turn? Did he in fact turn?"

Harry looked up in surprise at that.

"I looked up his trial records you know, he was, after all, still family, regardless of what Aunt Walburga might have said or done."

He caught the scornful way she mentioned her Aunt, clearly there was little love lost between the Black sisters and the Black matriarch.

"No trial. No evidence. In fact the only mention of Sirius Black I found was an Auror report of his delirious shouting of how guilty he was before being shipped to Azkaban. Was the trial hidden? The court records closed? Possible, yet questionable. Then there is also his will, leaving everything to you. Why would he do such a thing? Maybe he didn't expect to be caught? Maybe he expected the Dark Lord to kill you off? So many questions, but so few answers."

Harry frowned at his cup of tea, never having heard any of this before.

"Still, I advise you to not seek the man out. Whether he was good enough to deceive everyone or if he truly was innocent, he is still a very powerful wizard that has enjoyed a whole decade of Azkaban hospitality. I very much doubt any man could remain stable after being in close proximity to Dementors for such a long time."

.

"Harry, it's not very polite to ignore your hostess."

He looked up in surprise to see Mistress Narcissa offering him a cup of tea.

"Uh, sorry Mistress, mind wandered."

"Was it following your eyes?"

He coughed slightly as he accepted his tea, trying to ignore her teasing smile.

"Never mind that, I'm sure you're wondering what we shall be talking about today?"

Watching him nod she smiled even wider.

"Why, your love interests of course! After all, with everything that has happened this summer I'm certain you will be attracting quite a bit of female attention."

There was nothing slight about his next cough, the hot tea slipping into the wrong throat, making him sputter.

"W-what?"

"Come on now, surely you must have been considering it. I have heard all sorts of rumours but I'd rather hear it right from the source, are there any girls that truly interest you?"

He froze in surprise, of course he had thought about it, but it was usually in the form of various fantasies. Truly considering the girls seriously, he started ticking them off one by one.

Tonks? He really had no idea, he was pretty sure she was his first crush, but their difference in age was rather large. Not to mention he had barely seen her during the past year, her Auror training eating all her free time. He doubted it would ever become anything serious, at most he expected what the muggles called 'friends with benefits.'

Luna? No, she was more of a little sister to him than anything. He felt sympathy for her plight and had offered her his protection, something she had gladly hung on to. At the moment he knew he had absolutely no romantic interest in her.

Ginny? He almost audibly scoffed at the thought. She was a hot little thing, of that he had no doubt. A fiery redhead that had a very tight body, no doubt thanks to all the Quidditch she loved. But really, sexual attraction was all there was. He had no real mental attachment to her, he doubted he could ever be in a serious relationship with someone who treated him like a god and happily agreed to any nonsense he spewed. With the other women he could at least maintain a discussion, Ginny simply worshipped him. He wouldn't mind shagging her, yet he had little interest in anything else.

Daphne or Tracey? Both were attractive and they had the cunning fit for a real Slytherin, yet Harry didn't really have that much interest in them beyond their looks. They were a wild card; he couldn't trust them at all. He was a Hufflepuff for a reason, if he couldn't trust the person then any thoughts of pursuing them, beyond sex that is, simply didn't exist.

Hermione? The thought made him uncertain. She was very meek, actually submissive. He had a hard time considering her as a serious girlfriend; in fact the only thing she reminded him of was a pet. A highly attractive pet that he thought of as a good friend, yet her behaviour had been very insecure, even before her Polyjuice accident. She had merely channelled it by attempting to please any and all authority figures around her. Her new side had given her some confidence, something he greatly enjoyed, as clearly evidenced by what they did during the train ride from Hogwarts, but he knew she seemed to consider him more of an, well, owner, than an actual boyfriend. The way she behaved lately, Harry could almost swear she would actually enjoy it if he bent her over the table and fucked her raw.

No, in terms of a serious relationship the only people he really considered were his first two actual friends, Susan and Hannah. They were highly attractive, intelligent; loyal and above all, they didn't treat him like a celebrity. Neither had any issues with calling him out on his mistakes or faults, yet both of them also managed to encourage and drive him to perform better. Harry knew he already cared about them a lot, he had little doubt he would absolutely destroy anyone he considered a threat to them. For some reason they also seemed capable of completely disabling his Occlumency, he didn't really understand it, but he knew that whenever they kissed him his Occlumency seemed to falter. Mistress Andromeda had only smiled knowingly at him when he complained, not really helping him understand what the issue was at all.

"Judging by the look on your face you seemed to have a reached a conclusion."

He looked at Mistress Narcissa in surprise, noticing the tea in his hands had already cooled. How long had she been waiting? He forcibly cleared his throat.

"Yeah, uh, I'd say Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott."

She studied his eyes for a while before nodding, seeming to have expected the answer.

"Yes. The Bones Heiress and the Abbott Heiress. I wonder if you even realize what you are doing there?"

He scrunched up his eyebrows, not understanding her implication. She smiled in return.

"Harry, if you were to marry them, you would in essence be forming a political block."

He coughed in surprise.

"M-marry? What?!"

"I'm just speculating." Her voice sounded far too innocent to be genuine when she said that.

"Have you ever heard anyone insult the girls? Any pure-blooded Hogwarts boy insulting them?"

Watching him shake his head in confusion she continued.

"Of course you haven't, their parents have forbidden them from doing such stupidity. Both those families are almost dead, with very few members still alive. Anyone marrying their daughters would be almost guaranteed to gain control of their houses at some point in the future. Can you even comprehend how many hopeful fathers have been sending their parents or guardians marriage contracts?"

Harry felt his eyes bulge in surprise, never having considered it.

"Madam Bones and Mrs Abbott have however completely denied any such requests though, being women themselves they seem to have left the options open for their daughters."

Twirling her tea cup she looked at him.

"And there is only one male student who is currently close to them."

Realizing the boy had become absolutely speechless she chuckled, her tinkling laughter sobering him out of his daze.

"I am merely informing you about different possibilities, no need to look so shocked Harry. I doubt there are any plans for marriage on the horizon yet. One should however, always plan for the future."

"Yeah. Umm, thank you Mistress, I had actually never even considered that."

She just hummed in return.

"You asked for tutoring, which is what I will give. Preparing you for various things is in a way my duty."

Reaching over she placed her hand on his arm.

"That reminds me of something that must be discussed, even if you do not wish to do it."

His green eyes looked at hers expectantly, a hint of nerves breaking through his Occlumency.

"Your former muggle guardians."

He flinched briefly, it was quick but she caught it. Moving over she draped her hand over his shoulder, hugging him to her body.

"I know you do not wish to speak about it, but I am almost certain they abused you, yes?"

She saw his jaw clench before he nodded, his entire body stiff in her arms. Deciding to come straight with him she didn't bother sugaring her words.

"It is a potential massive problem. Should any unsavoury aspects of the Wizarding world find about what has happened to you, they would without any doubt plaster it all over the Daily Prophet and any news inlet they could find. Not only would it paint the muggles in a terrible light, but it would also completely destroy your reputation. It would be dragged through the press for years to come."

Narcissa saw a hint of panic bleed into his green eyes as he stared at her in question.

"This problem can however be resolved, by venturing to the grey side of morality and magic. I am no master of the Mind Arts, yet my Legilimency is quite proficient due to my Occlumency. Should we meet with these muggles I can sift through their mind and obliviate any...uncomfortable dealings they might remember with you."

Watching his eyes widen she continued,

"However, obliviating so much from someone's mind can be quite harmful to them, I doubt they would ever be the same. Do you still wish to do it?"

She watched him hesitate for a moment before his face hardened, no doubt remembering past events. His voice was rough when he finally spoke.

"I do."

Narcissa gave him another squeeze, mentally sighing in relief. After finding out the boy had become Lord Black she realized many of her potential plans could become reality, most of it however hinged on Harry rising to become a powerful member of their world. Those disgusting muggles were however a huge threat, she could only imagine what might have happened if her husband had found out even a word about their past actions. It also allowed her to help him not only conquer some of his past demons, but also exercise his right to take some revenge.

"Harry, can you tell me the names of the people who wronged you?"

He seemed to swallow before almost spitting out his words.

"Petunia Dursley and Marge Dursley."

She smiled encouragingly at him.

"Good, now do you know where they live?"

He nodded.

"Do you think they would be home right now?"

Harry glanced at the clock, seeing it was only a little past nine in the morning. They would in fact be home alone. Another nod.

"Good, if you want, we can deal with this issue now."

Seeing his steely nod she smiled encouragingly, staring into his eyes.

"Please lower your Occlumency shields and visualize the area, that way I can apparate us both there."

Gently sending out a soft probe of her mind she felt herself sink into his emerald eyes, seeing flashes of a row of identical houses and gardens, glimpsing various people before seeing a street sign that read Privet Drive. Dispelling the connection she felt herself snap to reality, staring at his puzzled eyes.

"You felt that I assume? It was a part of my mind. That is why mastery of Occlumency is so important for Legilimencer, unless you have solid control over your own self, you can lose yourself in the mind of others. You are never to attempt anything similar until I deem you ready, clear?"

"Yes Mistress."

She smiled before grabbing his hand.

"Let's get this dirty business over with so we can enjoy the rest of our stay here, alright?"

A small hesitant smile spread on his face, making her squeeze his hand in return, before apparating them both straight to Privet Drive. She chose a small shaded alley for their apparition, hiding themselves from public view. Tapping her own head she glamoured her robes into a smart business suit, changing her striking hair to raven black in the process.

Waving her wand over Harry she changed both his eyes and his hair, his casual dress would serve among muggles.

Harry swallowed heavily as he followed Mistress Narcissa to the Dursley's, feeling incredibly tense. He understood what she wanted to do and honestly, he agreed. With the way the press hounded him he could only imagine what happened if this got public, The-Boy-Who-Lived abused by muggles. He spat in disgust, it would be on every cover. Staring at the identical houses and the clueless muggles they passed he felt a sneer grow on his face, there was also a certain amount of satisfaction to be had here. He doubted Mistress Narcissa would be particularly gentle in her obliviations, yet he had no sympathy from Petunia.

The woman had used him as a sex toy. As a slave. Occlumency allowed him to view memories with startling clarity and he now recognized the multiple times she had manipulated him by playing on his lack of human contact. Unlike either of his Mistresses who seemed to greatly wish he would become someone great, Petunia only wanted him to remain her toy. There was no warmth to be had from her, no actual love, only her quest for sexual release. Whereas Mistress Andromeda wanted to nurture him; Petunia had done everything to stifle him. Mistress Narcissa on the other hand never did anything without asking him first, it was always with his permission, never otherwise. No, Harry did not feel any sorrow for what was about to happen.

A few seconds after ringing the doorbell Petunia opened the door; looking down the nose at them.

"What is it? I'm not buying anything."

A flicker of a grin flashed on Mistress Narcissa's face before she tapped Petunia with her wand, the Petrificus Totalus curse freezing her like a statue. Before she could even begin to fall down she levitated her inside the house, propping her against the wall. Harry glanced nervously around to make sure no one had seen what just happened before closing the door behind them.

Narcissa shivered as she felt the oppressive wards humming around the property. Harry seemed oblivious to the fact, no doubt having grown used to them after having lived here for so long. She on other hand was grateful she had been invited here by him, she was fairly certain that if she had tried to do this without Harry's approval the wards would have fried her where she stood. She narrowed her sharp blue eyes at the muggle woman propped up in front of her, wondering if she had ever realized where her actions would lead her. Personally she cared little for the muggle, yet she knew this needed to be done with Harry's full approval.

"Harry, if I do this, there is no taking it back, you understand this yes?"

He swallowed before nodding.

"I do Mistress. Do it."

Harry watched Mistress Narcissa place her wand against Petunia's head before locking eyes with her, no doubt delving into her mind through Legilimency. He found the magic fascinating, to be able to dig out any and all secrets of anyone he wished. A shiver ran through him at the thought of it being used on him, it was indeed a powerful aspect of magic and he couldn't help being surprised that it wasn't taught at Hogwarts at all. Now more than ever he was grateful for being taught Occlumency. Staring at her wand he saw small pulses of white light wash over Petunia's head, correctly assuming that this was her obliviating memories as she stumbled upon them. A small surge of anger passed over him that she would get away with her actions this easily, before he looked into her eyes. There was a dazed emptiness there, like something vital was missing, and it only grew worse with each pulse of white.

It wasn't until almost an hour later when Mistress Narcissa finally blinked and removed her wand, steading herself against the wall. Harry saw a bead of sweat traveling down her brow; he had little doubt doing so much magic had taken its toll on her. Using a napkin to wipe her face she gave him a studying look.

"There was...more...than I expected."

He clenched his jaw at that, but looked up in surprise when she placed her hands on his shoulders and peered into his eyes, a sliver of pride in her blue eyes.

"You have nothing to feel ashamed of Harry, after having seen what I have, I realize you are far stronger than anyone gives you credit for."

She threw a disdainful look at Petunia, removing the Body-Bind curse at the same time.

"Also you can rest assured she will never be a problem for you again, too much has been removed from her mind to ever allow her to function normally again."

Harry stared at the once daunting woman who had so used him, watching her slump to the ground with a marionette that had its wires cut. Her eyes were open yet seemed to see very little, she had a permanently dazed look on her face, even allowing a sliver of drool to slip past her lips. A surge of satisfaction went through him, for someone who strived so ardently to be perceived as normal, she was now cursed to be abnormal for the rest of her life. He watched in surprise as Mistress Narcissa grabbed her under the chin and slammed her head against the table corner, creating a clear cut on the side of her head. Noticing his surprised look she merely wiped her hands.

"Muggles like to have logical explanations to things. Brain trauma following a hard hit to the head is as logical as you can get."

Leading them away from the house and especially the wards, she traced their steps in to the same shaded alley where they arrived. Turning to Harry she peered into his eyes again, sharp blue locking with emerald green, seeing a certain satisfaction in his green pools. She was not surprised, while he might use his Occlumency to hide most of his reactions, Narcissa had little doubt they were exorcising some serious demons this day.

"That was one, you mentioned two. Do you know where she lives?"

His response was a slight shift in his eyes, as she noticed his Occlumency withdraw, allowing her to spot their next destination. A short crack later they arrived on the back yard of a upper middle class house, a loud barking noise greeting them. Harry hissed as he recognized Ripper, the bulldog Marge loved sending at him, running towards them from the house.

"Stupefy!"

His stunning spell slammed into the beast, throwing it across the grass like a sack of potatoes. He had briefly entertained the idea of killing it, yet it simply didn't feel right. It was not prudent to blame a beast for how it was raised; the blame lay at Marge's feet. Speaking of the devil, he saw her round form look out in shock through one of the windows before she drew open the door and started shouting at them.

"What the devil do you think you are doing in my yard?!"

"Harry."

He glanced at Mistress Narcissa, keeping the foaming woman in his sights.

"You have practiced the spell and should know how to use it. Merely focus on the memory, or memories, you want to remove in your head; then cast it on her."

"Spell!? Are you some of those cultist madmen that have been on the telly? You take your abnormal garbage elsewhere!"

Harry stared at one of the few people he had truly learned to hate, feeling his magic boiling underneath his skin as he watched her rage. Instead of answering her he raised his wand to his head, briefly flooding his glamour with magic to make it dispel. She froze as she saw his form ripple before she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You, you're that freak!"

Harry's smile was chilling as he raised his wand.

"Hello Marjorie, enjoy the rest of your hellish life."

"Wha- ?"

"Obliviate!"

She got no further before a flash of white light erupted from his wand, smashing into the meaty woman and throwing her through the glass door. Narcissa raised her eyebrows at the reaction, an obliviation was supposed to only affect the mind, she could only imagine the amount of power that had ran through that spell to make it physically throw her. She looked at Harry and saw a small victorious grin of relief on his face; he was clearly enjoying his newfound right to cast magic outside of school. Walking up to the fat muggle she sighed, might have been better to just kill her. Based on the blank look on her face she would need to be spoon-fed for the rest of her life. Oh well, Harry clearly felt better and she had eliminated a possible threat to both of their futures, regardless of the small complications Narcissa was still very pleased with the outcome.

Looking at the panting young man she felt a small smile spread on her lips, he might not know it but he had just taken a significant step towards power. The ability to permanently deal with enemies, past or present, was very important.

"Harry."

He seemed to snap out of a daze as he turned to her.

"It's time to go."

Receiving a nod she grasped his arm before executing the usual half turn required for apparition, instantly moving them back to Malfoy Manor. He stumbled slightly as they landed; something that was unusual for him these days.

"Why don't we take today off? Go down to the basement and practice some of your spells, blowing off some steam might help you relax. No Dark Arts though."

"Sure…uh, thank you Mistress. For, well, everything."

"Of course Harry. Always know that if you have anything you wish to talk about, I will be available."

His emerald eyes seem to study her for a while before he gave a little grin and nodded, walking off towards the basement.

She stared at his retreating back, thinking over his future. And quite possibly, her future as well. Narcissa Malfoy was no idiot; she recognized what it meant that he had fought the Heir of Slytherin. There was only one person she knew that fit that description. The rumours surrounding Albania and Quirrell from last year had already raised her hackles; her husband had been very interested in all news coming from the small country. Then Harry Potter of all people killed him, a fully grown wizard and DADA professor to boot? He had been very tight lipped about what had occurred but she could draw her own conclusions on the subject.

Narcissa knew what would happen should the Dark Lord rise again, her husband would run to him like a whipped dog, his son following just as he had been taught. She sighed thinking about him; if only Draco would have listened to her, yet his father's fanciful tales of powerful wizards had been far more interesting. She knew without a doubt that he would force his disgusting brand on her if he returned. Narcissa shuddered at the thought, to be branded like cattle. She, a daughter of the most Ancient and Noble House of Black, being branded for servitude. The whole idea raised her hackles and she fingered her wand in agitation. No, she knew quite well what her only way out was, it had been confirmed last week.

She like the rest of the Wizengamot had stared at Andy as she walked into the early August session right as it started. Not letting anyone get a voice in she had marched right up to Dumbledore and stated that she, Andromeda Cassiopeia Black, not Tonks, was claiming the empty seats of the House of Black and Potter as a proxy for one Harry James Potter-Black. A stunned silence has settled over the room as she handed over the required documents to the Supreme Mugwump. Narcissa had spotted a brief smirk on Andy's face as Dumbledore looked like he had swallowed a lemon while reading over the papers. Only minutes later she was awarded the votes, quite calmly taking a seat next to Amelia Bones and starting up a discussion.

More than a few eyebrows were raised at her seating, a Black sitting next to a Bones? Yet those with students who informed them about the happenings in Hogwarts knew what it was about, Harry Potter was already drawing alliances in the school. When she looked at Andy she saw not only power, but also her salvation. Harry still owed her a favour of her choosing and she had already chosen it, he simply didn't know it. Yet there was no hurry in the matter, right now she was at the centre of all information regarding the Dark Lord, her husband and his circle of friends were an excellent source of news. She was above all a Slytherin, she could lie in the tall grass, bide her time and wait for the most opportune time to strike.

Chapter 43 – The Third Year at Hogwarts Begins

Harry Potter took a deep breath to fortify himself before stepping through the barrier at King's Cross Station, the bright Hogwarts train filling his view. Engaging his Occlumency he allowed Susan and Hannah to lead him towards the train, feeling several eyes focus on him. Gradually more and more people noticed him, hushed whispers being traded regarding both his Potter robes and the fact that he now wore two rings on his hands, confirming what the front page of the Daily Prophet had told them earlier. Naturally it didn't take long before the press that had been expecting him showed up, crowding around him to bombard him with questions. Squelching his urge to tell them to piss off, he instead greeted them with a charming smile that would have made Mistress Narcissa proud.

"Good morning, how may I help you fine folk?"

"Lord Potter! Many expressed surprise to find out you had appointed Andromeda Black to be your guardian, any comments?"

He smiled genuinely at the harried looking man.

"The Lady Black has taught and helped me for several years, there is no one I trust more than her to look out for my interests."

"Lord Potter! Any comments on your actions towards Bellatrix Lestrange?"

Harry removed his smile, showing a neutral face to the stern looking witch.

"Bellatrix no-name performed actions unbecoming of a member of an Ancient and Noble House, actions that were simply unforgivable. Sadly the house of Black cannot remove her stain of shame, nor can we replace the victims that her crimes hurt. What I can however do, is make sure she is as far removed from my house as possible."

He watched them furiously scribble in their notepads as a young witch in the back caught his attention.

"Lord Potter, Witch Weekly. There are quite a few rumours about your romantic escapades, tell me, how are you and the ladies next to you getting along?"

Harry felt his mind grind to a halt, not having prepared for any such questions. Furiously occluding his mind he hid his blush, merely giving the young witch a small grin.

"No comment."

"Lord Potter! Rita Skeeter from the Daily Prophet, are you scared to return to Hogwarts with notorious serial killer Sirius Black being loose?"

He briefly narrowed his eyes at the short woman as he heard her name; he had been warned about this reporter, both by Mistress Narcissa and Mistress Andromeda. Turning to face her he paid attention to her short curly blond locks and the predatory eyes that lurked behind her jewelled spectacles, if both his mistresses thought she was a potential threat then Harry would do his utmost to keep her on his side. He adopted a confused expression as he started speaking, crossing his arms and grabbing his chin.

"I am actually glad you asked that question Miss Skeeter, this whole business with Mister Black has greatly confused me. You see when I found out about the man, I naturally wanted to read his court transcript; after all, he's a member of the Black family. Much to my surprise however, one couldn't be found!"

He saw her eyes light up at that, practically smelling a scoop. He didn't bother mentioning that he had never been the one to investigate the matter, it sounded better to the press if he was the instigator.

"Thinking there might have been some sort of mistake with the papers I had my good friend Amelia Bones investigate the issue, using her considerable power as the Head of the DMLE. Why, I even had the Lady Black peruse the Wizengamot records! Do you know what they found?"

The entire crowd was practically hanging on his every word as he dramatically spread his arms.

"Nothing! No trial records, no court transcript, no court order, nothing! In fact it seems the man was just shipped to Azkaban on a whim! If that is the case, then this truly is a travesty for the justice system, even the worst criminal should have trial, let alone a Lord! As far as I can tell, the only reason I could claim the Black title was because the Ministry sent out the notice informing Gringotts that the former head of the House had been sentenced to a lifetime in the dreadful prison. The Ministry! Not the Wizengamot that is in charge of such matters!"

He gave them a charming smile.

"Of course, it is quite possibly my research is mistaken, so I will leave the investigation in the capable hands of the ever talented magical press, I have little doubt you will get to the root of this matter in no time."

Seeing their pleased looks he chuckled internally, a bit of flattery never fails. Bidding them goodbye he accompanied the girls to the train, missing Narcissa's heated stare aimed at his back. She had to forcibly suppress a smirk after watching him handle the press, silver-tongue indeed. She couldn't help taking some pride in his transformation, going from the nervous wreck that had to continuously occlude his mind just to walk straight; he had grown into this in just two years. Her smile still threatened to break through as she watched the press scurry to investigate the story; she could only imagine what he would be like in another five years.

XXX

Harry had barely stepped inside their compartment before he was engulfed in a tight hug, chuckling at the girl who jumped him.

"Hello Hermione, nice to see you as well."

Hugging the girl back he realized how much taller he had grown over the summer. Granted, he had already been far taller than her during the spring, but now he however towered over her petite form completely, letting him place his chin on her head.

"Hello Harry, you look good."

He grinned in return but was starting to get a bit uncomfortable at the multitude of suspicious looks they were attracting from the other girls as Hermione made no attempt whatsoever to release him from her grasp. Coughing slightly he extricated himself from her arms, picking up their trunks and stowing them overhead. He could've used his magic for the task but he was quite enjoying the way physical labour had enhanced his body over the summer. Harry had always been fit, but the combination of a three months of duelling practice, one year of Quidditch practice, eating protein like a horse and naturally, his magic helping, had given him quite a chiselled physique. Based on the looks he had been receiving on the platform he knew others had noticed it as well. Now he didn't want to seem vain, but he couldn't help enjoying the attention on a certain level. He also knew a larger size would benefit him a lot in Quidditch, mass mattered when you played Chaser, a very physical role especially when playing against Slytherin.

Sitting down he greeted the other girls in the cabin.

"Hello Daphne, Tracey."

"Hello Harry, or should we be calling you Lord Potter?"

Recognizing Daphne's teasing grin for what it was, he answered while exaggeratedly brushing the dust from his shoulders.

"Naturally, can't have you plebs getting uppity with nobility."

Hannah and Tracey snorted at the same time, both sounding almost identical. They froze and looked at each other in surprise, prompting Susan to break out in giggles at the similarity. Hermione palmed her face.

"Oh Merlin, don't tell me there's two of them."

Harry grinned at her; he had honestly missed her company a lot. Unable to resist, he allowed his eyes to roam over her body as she sat opposite to him, admiring the way her usual muggle clothes did nothing to hide how much she had been growing. The summer had clearly been nice to her; soft breasts seemed to press against the pale blue tank top while her faded jeans did nothing to hide her fantastic arse. She had been cute a few years ago, now she was however turning flat out hot, a transformation Harry certainly did not having anything to complain about. Looking at the Slytherin girls he noticed the same sort of progression, having trouble to keep from blatantly ogling their assets. He chuckled quietly, imagining the sort of jealous ribbing he was going to have endure in the Hufflepuff dormitory this year. His roommates had actually called him strange for only hanging out with female friends in the first year, he was pretty certain they would be choking on those words now.

Feeling a kick to his shin he looked up in surprise, meeting the slightly embarrassed brown eyes of Hermione. He flushed as he realized he had been admiring her chest when she kicked him, yet her mischievous smile didn't really look that upset. Suddenly standing up she interrupted the girls' discussion about what they had done during the summer.

"Ah, I never had time to eat any breakfast before getting to the train. Harry, would you mind joining me in looking for the food trolley?"

Caught by surprise he nonetheless nodded, joining her at the door.

"Sure, catch you guys in a bit."

Glancing at Susan and Hannah he noticed that they were sceptically staring at Hermione, something he actually understood quite well. Her excuse might have been better if she hadn't used a scheduling error as her excuse; she was after all pretty infamous for meticulously planning everything.

Walking behind her he grinned before voicing his suspicion.

"So, did you actually not eat any breakfast?"

She grinned right back at him, blatantly giving him a once over.

"Not the kind I had in mind."

Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise but didn't get any further as she yanked him into the first available empty compartment; spelling shut the door behind them with admirable speed.

Hermione took a deep breath before turning around and studying him, letting her eyes trail over his body. She could feel both heat and want churning in her body, her every instinct asking her to submit to his every whim. Her attraction to him had been obvious ever since the start of school, only growing worse when he saved her life. The life debt had only encouraged her magic react to his presence, seemingly drawing her eyes to him. Then the Polyjuice accident occurred and she could feel another side of her, more primal, more basic, all instincts and emotions, all of it practically mewling in his presence. That was why she had pleasured him before the summer, brushing it off with an excuse and pretending like she didn't love every second of it.

She thought a summer in France, far away from his presence would help clear her mind. The different environment had helped during the days yes, yet her nightly dreams and fantasies had always featured one single person, flashes of his glowing green eyes blazing in her mind as her fingers slipped underneath her panties. She knew he was attracted to other girls and knew that should have tempered her attraction, yet when she shouted out her orgasms that thought was far from her mind. All her hopes of keeping control had crashed and burned the moment he stepped on the train, somehow seeming even more impressive than before. Hugging him she had practically basked in his magic, both the witch and the cat in her purring in pleasure.

"Herm -"

He got no further before she kissed him deeply, her soft lips moulding to his as she practically ground her body against him. Slipping his hands around her he gladly reciprocated, allowing her to suck his tongue into her hot mouth, tasting a hint of orange juice. Rubbing her back he allowed his hands to roam downwards, grasping what he by far thought was her best feature, her incredibly tight arse. She moaned against his mouth as he palmed her firm flesh, her tail twitching wildly as she pressed her hips against his front. He was quickly becoming hard and it was painfully obvious because of the light summer robes he wore, his length starting to press against her stomach. A grunt slipped past his mouth as she moved a hand to grasp him, finally breaking their kiss.

Looking down at her he was surprised to see her real form; his wildly fluctuating magic had no doubt temporarily overloaded the glamour charm on the ankle bracelet. Her slitted eyes seemed feverish as she stared at him, her hand trailing up and down his now rock hard erection.

"Mmm, Harry, please let me…"

She was speaking through panted breaths while sinking to her knees, but he got the gist of her wish, nodding at her, trying to keep from seeming too eager. Honestly, he'd like to see anyone in his position who would actually turn down her offer.

Apparently having all the permission she needed, she quickly parted his robes and fished out his flesh from his boxers. Her soft hands danced all over it, the soft fur combined with the tight grip making it hard for him to keep his hips from thrusting. She grinned at him, showing slightly enlarged canines before dragging her rough tongue all over him. He groaned audibly at that, instead of feeling uncomfortable the soft texture merely seemed to add more sensation, making him twitch as it lapped over his sensitive flesh.

Feeling need burn in him he reflexively grabbed her head, planning to push himself into her hot wet mouth. As his fingers tangled in her hair he came to his senses, expecting some argument from her, but she just seemed pleased he was taking control. Needing no further encouragement he aligned his cock with her mouth and applied pressure to the back of her head, panting as he watched his length disappear between her impossibly soft lips. She eagerly sucked him down, wrapping her lips around him while her tongue danced underneath his crown. Harry was surprised how much he enjoyed directing her, pumping his hips into her face while she sucked and licked in rapture. The feeling was incredible; the scorching wet heat combined with her constant suction had his balls boiling, her blissful face only enhancing the experience.

He knew he was getting close and had to fight the urge to come, wanting to prolong the moment as long as possible. He made the huge mistake of looking down though, seeing not only her closed eyes as she moaned around him in pleasure, but also spotting that her hand was in her jeans, clearly rubbing back and forth as her hips undulated. That was all it took and he groaned.

"H-Hermione, coming!"

What control he had left at the moment urged him to let go of her head, in case she wanted to remove him from her mouth, yet her other hand only grabbed him around the waist as she swallowed him deeper. That was the last drop for him as he came explosively, blasting his seed into her throat, feeling her wet mouth suck him dry as she constantly swallowed, apparently trying to milk the last drop out of him. The feeling quickly became too much and he stumbled to a seat, his legs no longer able to keep him standing, yet she followed him down, moaning and sucking around his twitching member as she rode out her own release.

After what felt like a lifetime of pleasure she finally released his softening member with a wet pop, licking her lips as she looked at him. Harry was caught off guard by the clear look of satisfaction she had, the best comparison he could think of at the moment was like a cat that got the cream. Literally in this case. Her smug smile faded as it seemed like her brain caught up with everything and she hurriedly stood up, waving her wand to clean herself. Her glamour reactivated as she moved away from him, hiding her fur yet doing nothing to hide her flustered face.

"Uhh, umm, well, yes, we should probably be heading back now, they are probably wondering where we are!"

Harry just stared at her incredulously, trying to understand what just happened.

"Hermione, I think they can wait a..."

He cut off as she slipped out of the room, either ignoring him or pretending like she didn't hear. Standing up he adjusted his robes, shaking his head slightly. He really did not understand that girl at all. He chuckled quietly as he headed back towards their compartment, even if he didn't understand her didn't mean he didn't enjoy the perks though.

.

Harry greeted the girls as he entered, allowing Hermione to field any questions about why they didn't have any food upon returning. Her nonchalant answer of not finding the trolley was quite convincing, even if he saw some frowns on the Hufflepuff girls. Deciding to distract them he brought up the summer, something everyone seemed happy enough to discuss. Looking at Hermione he saw her avoiding eye contact, making him mentally shrug. It was probably was true what they said about men not understanding women, because right now he had absolutely no clue what was going on with her.

The rest of the ride continued in relative peace, with Tracey and Hannah occasionally bickering about which Hogwarts house was better. It lacked the usual sting such arguments tended to have and was rather being in made in good humour, making the rest of them look on in amusement.

The sudden screeching noise of the metal grinding against metal startled them, making Harry glance out the window in surprise. It was the brakes and they were in fact stopping. There was nothing but dark foggy forest there and his internal clock told him they were still hours from Hogwarts.

"Tempus."

Daphne stared at the time, scrunching up her eyebrows in question.

"Maybe some kind of malfunction?" Hannah suggested.

"The train has been running without a fault for almost two hundred years; that sounds unlikely."

Harry had to suppress a smile, trust Hermione to know such useless titbits of knowledge.

The lights suddenly flickered before going off entirely, making the hairs on his neck rise. Opening the compartment door he glanced down both ends of the hallway and saw the same thing happening in every carriage, a sudden darkness bathing the entire train. Retreating back in to their compartment he felt tense, those were enchanted lights, they didn't suddenly just drop dead. One rune might malfunction, but every single one on the train? Impossible. He pulled out his wand and conjured a jar, casting Bluebell Flames inside of it, bathing the cabin in an eerie blue glow.

The silence was oppressing, like a weight that had settled in the air. The girls followed his example by drawing their wands. Harry exhaled in disbelief as the flames he had conjured sputtered and died, before realizing he could actually see his breath. Glancing at the window he saw frost travel down the length of the pane, shivering slightly at the sudden change in temperature. The whole scenario was unnatural. The oppressive feeling in the air changed and he felt magic flowing around him, slipping into his mind and confusing his Occlumency. He tried to keep an iron control of his mind but started seeing flashes of memories in his mind.

Vernon using the belt on him. Petunia using him. Marge using him. Despair was flooding him and he shivered at the emptiness inside of him. Movement outside their compartment drew his eyes, eager to find anything to distract him from the sudden onslaught of depressing memories. His eagerness died when he saw a long skeletal hand reach for their door, strands of cloak sticking to its black, dead looking flesh. Following the hand he saw what he could only describe as a monstrosity, far taller than any man, it seemed to glide in the air, filling the entire entrance to their compartment. If anyone asked him to describe the grim reaper, this thing of darkness was what he would have used as a reference.

Recognition flooded him. Dementor. The very thing Madam Bones had warned him about. Pointing his wand at the thing while struggling with his chaotic mind he wheezed out his spell.

"Depulso!"

The spark of magic briefly illuminated the cabin, showing the girls huddling and whimpering on the benches before hitting the being. Hitting and being absorbed while causing no damage whatsoever. Harry struggled with his memory, remembering that no direct spells besides the Patronus Charm worked. He needed a good memory, anything. Various erotic memories flitted through his mind as he cast the spell, yet the brief mist he produced barely bumped the Dementor. Feeling despair flood him Harry almost broke down, digging deep he searched for any erotic fantasy he could think of and pointed his wand again.

"Expecto Patronum!"

He saw through hazy eyes as the same feeble white mist pushed the Dementor back a step before it quickly returned, starting a strange wheezing sound that seemed to affect him personally. He could see himself as a child. Weak. Pathetic. Marge using him as a toy. The thought that he was going to die here briefly flitted through his mind. No. NO! Anger started to replace the despair, he had beaten them. Marge was a husk, Petunia was no better. He was stronger, better. He had conquered them. He felt his magic react as it flooded his veins, fighting against the hopelessness. He would not fear what he had beaten!

As his mindscape shifted he saw one memory he wished he never had, his mother dying before his eyes as Lord Voldemort struck her down. Dying as she attempted to protect him. Dying as she begged to spare him. The tears in his eyes dried as magic made them glow, basking the Dementor in emerald green light. White hot rage made his magic boil as it washed down his limbs, making him feel like someone had dumped a pot of boiling water over his flesh, dispelling any weakness he had previously felt. He would not die to this fucking thing. This was not the first time he faced a creature that was resistant to magic, was he going to give up? Surrender like a weakling? His Potter blood practically boiled at the thought as he suddenly conjured a gigantic wooden stake out of thin air.

"DEPULSO!"

This time he cast it at the stake, driving it through the chest of the cloaked monstrosity and practically nailing it to the wall on the other side. A strange piercing shriek erupted from the Dementor, sounding like nails on a chalkboard, yet to Harry it was pure music. The brief space he created between them allowed him to better control his mind while breaking the strange connection the thing had started. Quickly using that to his advantage he waved his wand, muttering through gritted teeth as chains the thickness of his forearm erupted around the Dementor, driving through its flesh as Harry weaved the metal through both train and monster, tying it down like a lamb for slaughter. A bloodthirsty grin spread on his face as he stared at the thing, watching it writhe against the metal. For all he cared it could suffer there a lifetime.

Sensing movement to his side he turned his head, only to have his triumphant grin wither at the sight that greeted him. The entire train was surrounded by the things. One, two, ten, maybe hundreds. Their eyeless gazes directed at him now. Their dark cloaks fluttering in an unseen wind as another silence settled over the train. His whirling mind made it hard for him to concentrate, endless despair fought against unyielding rage and he was uncertain how long he could remain standing.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Looking to the side he saw a tall ragged man, wearing what looked like rather shabby robes, pointing his wand in his direction. Harry saw a bright white shape whiz past him, practically tearing the Dementor he had tied down from his bindings, throwing it out of the train. He watched with wide eyes as all the creatures fled the light, some of them shrieking as it got close.

The lights turned back on Harry felt his adrenaline fade away, prompting him to run to the compartment window and throw up his entire breakfast. His mind wouldn't stop spinning and he had a massive headache, his head had clearly not taken kindly to his actions. Wiping his mouth on a napkin he also threw it out the window before collapsing in his seat.

The man who had cast the Patronus peeked into their compartment, checking their state. He broke off a large block of chocolate, handing it to Harry.

"Break that up and make sure everyone eats a piece, it helps counter the effects of the Dementors."

Having read the same thing he nodded, instantly stuffing a piece in his mouth and starting to break up the rest of the block. The man at the door stalled briefly before moving on.

"I saw what you did by the way, very nice job."

Harry gave him a weak grin, thankful for the praise but not really feeling up to much at the moment. With a bit of cajoling he managed to get girls to munch on their chocolate, letting him consider the man that had probably saved him. So that was Remus Lupin. Mistress Andromeda had informed him last week that he would be their DADA teacher. Apparently Lockhart had heard about Sirius Black targeting the school and decided his talents were needed elsewhere. In other words he had ran scared. Which turned out to be a rather good thing Harry thought; he could only imagine how useless Lockhart would have been when faced with a Dementor.

Chewing on his chocolate Harry wasn't sure what to make of this Lupin. At least he seemed to know the Patronus, so regardless of everything else they might actually get a decent teacher this year. The Potter will had mentioned him taking care of Harry, yet he had been missing, something that instantly placed him on his negative side. Swallowing the last of the chocolate he shrugged, he knew far too little about the man to have any real opinion right now.

Feeling someone press against him broke him out of his thoughts, making him pay attention to the girl cuddling up to him. To be blunt Susan looked like crap, but Harry was smart enough to not mention it. Having also suffered through Dementor presence he could understand her needing some comfort. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and hugged her to his side, trying stoically ignore how relaxing it felt for him as well.

"Me too."

He gave Hannah a little grin and offered his other hand to her, now having both of them wrapped up against him. After all the turmoil it felt both warm and comfortable to lie against them and before he knew it he had nodded off.

.

A loud blaring horn snapped him awake, groggily looking around the cabin. Looking out the window he realized they had arrived and it was the train horn that had woken him. The girls had apparently also decided to nap, stretching as they stood up from his grasp.

"You make a good pillow."

"Thank you Hannah."

"You are welcome."

He was too tired to get into a verbal match with Hannah right now, waving her away with a slight grin. He knew she could keep going as long as he did if he got her started.

His grin died when Draco Malfoy out of all people showed up outside their compartment, a victorious sneer on his face.

"Hah, I heard someone here actually threw up because of the Dementors. Was that you Potter?"

Harry felt the urge to plant his fist into his gloating face, already feeling the magic build. He knew Malfoy was salty over the fact that he hadn't become Lord Black. Especially as the little prick had been boasting about claiming the title; hoping to win more support in Slytherin. Yet before he could take a step Susan spoke up.

"I was the one who threw up; they bring up bad memories for me. Why?"

Malfoy seemed caught off guard by her statement, not knowing how to react. Susan Bones was one of the few people his father had expressively told him to stay away from, not wanting any additional attention from her Aunt. He huffed before turning tail.

"Never mind."

Harry barely paid attention to the leaving boy, instead staring at Susan in complete surprise.

"B-But, why? I was the one who did it?"

She just smiled at him.

"So what, he doesn't know that."

"You didn't have to do that Susan."

The other girls moved out of the compartment as she moved up to him, still smiling.

"I know that Harry, but I wanted to. I know you protected us earlier and if I could somehow repay the favour, even slightly, it was obvious I was going to."

Then she kissed him on the cheek before grabbing her trunk and leaving.

Harry felt himself smiling as he stared at her retreating back, he just couldn't help it. Just the fact that she would do that, simply because she wanted to, meant a lot to him. Feeling good for a change he considered the fight against the Dementor, absently casting another Patronus while briefly thinking about Susan, only to yell out in surprise and almost drop his wand as he saw a shape form from the Patronus mist. Staring in disbelief at the disappearing mist he looked at his wand before frowning. Compared to earlier attempts his mind was not fully focused and his wand movements were far shoddier. They were good but nowhere near the perfection he had achieved during his constant practice during the summer. Even the amount of magic he had used was far weaker. Then why had this been his best attempt at the charm so far?

It hit him like a sledgehammer, instead of thinking about various erotic fantasies or memories he had merely thought about Susan and how happy she made him. Was that truly it? Were the memories so fundamentally different that one worked where another failed?

He grasped his wand almost hesitantly before focusing on both Susan and Hannah this time. Thinking about the times they had shared, the way their soft hugs would make him feel better and the way their kisses would bring his Occlumency down. Feeling the same warm feeling in his chest he focused his magic before uttering the charm.

"Expecto Patronum!"

The entire compartment was flooded with light as raven coalesced out of the bright mist that shot out of his wand, circling the cabin, looking for any possible threat before calmly landing on his shoulder. He stared in awe at the creature, feeling it radiate warmth and magic all around him, like a newly washed warm blanket being wrapped around him. He wasn't even surprised to see it took the form of a raven; it was after all the Black crest. Both Black sisters had done so much for him; they had literally changed his life and made him the person he was today. He couldn't even imagine where he'd be without them. That his Patronus would symbolize that wasn't surprising at all.

Reluctantly dispelling the potent magic he holstered his wand before grabbing his trunk. As he walked out of the train and headed towards the carriages that would take him to Hogwarts, he couldn't help thinking that this year was probably going to be just as hectic as all the others.

A/N And that is the final segment of Know Your Place, hope you all enjoy the fic and do let me know if you have copies of any other fanfics that were taken down and you can send them to me and I'll re-upload them to preserve them.

Also I am considering doing works like this within the anthology alongside the usual oneshots, would there be interest in an ongoing story like this (though hopefully to completion) or would you prefer to keep it to smut centred oneshots soley? Let me know.

Chapter 36: 4200 Words
Chapter 37: 2871 Words
Chapter 38: 6779 Words
Chapter 39: 6428 Words
Chapter 40: 5762 Words
Chapter 41: 5671 Words
Chapter 42: 4997 Words
Chapter 43: 5923 Words
Segement Word Count: 42,826 Words
Know Your Place Final Word Count: 155,543 Words