Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to Harry Potter or Spartacus. All properties therein are those of their creators. I am only a writer working on my skills with worlds and characters that I love.
Note: The setup for what originally happened to Gaia in the show always felt a bit forced to me. All of that crap with Tullius in the past and she just goes off alone with him like nothing? I think not.
Chapter Seven - A Party And A Murder
If Harry had to describe the party of epic proportions he was currently standing along one wall of in one word, he'd have used 'bacchanalia'. It was an epic expanse of food, wine, flesh, and erotic couplings of every variety and the nobility that had come to visit was partaking in every little bit of it. Honestly, Harry was more glad than ever he'd gotten Diona out of this as Batiatus' first declaration to his guests was that every one of his slaves present was fair game for use. To that end, it seemed Lucretia had seen fit to see Mellita safe in the kitchens as well, as the body slave was currently absent the festivities while her husband stood proud to make sure his men did nothing they were not directed to. Already Crixus and Gannicus had been taken aside by salacious women and more than a few were eyeing the rest. By this point of course Harry too had already satisfied three women with tongue and cock, and only Gaia's knowing presence had halted the advancement of some of the men. The woman herself had claimed his first pairing of the night, and now was walking the event arm in arm with the mistress of the house while Quintus entertained what menfolk were not currently rutting.
Now all those currently available were lined up, waiting to be taken aside, and one man in particular was stopped in front of Asher and Dagon and examining them both a little too closely. Stopping in front of the bigger of the two, the man stated, "My, you are an imposing me, giant, where do your 'tastes' lie? Toward man or woman?"
Harry wasn't so far away that he did not hear Asher explain, "Apologies, but he does not speak the Roman tongue."
The man turned to address Asher then and asked, "Are you able then to form words to intent so that he may understand?"
"I live to serve."
"Good. I do not seek struggle or complaint. Will this man submit to all I ask for?"
With his gift for tongues, Harry heard Asher convey false words to send his compatriot into the arms of the man, no doubt in retaliation for showing him up in the sands so thoroughly during their tournament, and the wizard simply could not allow that. For one, asshole or not, he liked Dagon more. The man could actually back up his boasting with strength.
So, forming his words in the odd language carefully, he called to the man. "Dagon." When the giant turned to him he explained, "Asher is attempting to sell your ass to that man."
Dagon's head shot around to the shocked Asher and in a flash he shot his own down and headbutted the shorter man, knocking him to the ground, and flustering the guest into fleeing before turning back to the Briton. "Gratitude." He grudgingly said before looking forward once more. "Someday I will repay you."
"I look forward to it."
Any further conversation was stopped then as two things happened in quick succession. First, of all the potential people that could attend this event, Tullius showed himself. The blonde entrepreneur, and thorn in the side of Quintus, arrived with much loud gloating and sarcastic 'praise' for the house of Batiatus, before snatching a slave girl by the arm and dragging her off to much laughing from the gathered nobles.
Second, Lucretia arrived with over two and a half dozen masks depicting the roman gods and various beasts, and inspired the guests to donn them and thus live out their carnal fantasies without fear of reprisal or recognition. It was a poor excuse, but the guests took to it like the sweetest of wine, and soon the sounds of the vast space were filled to bursting with rejuvinated grunts, cries, and screams of passion.
Harry, however, was not party to this new impetus as Quintus soon broke from the crowd to reach his side, dragging him off into a nearby hallway to speak alone. "Did you see that bastard, Tullius?" The lannista snarled, clearly enraged by the interruption to his great plan.
"The man was kind of hard to miss, dominus."
"Sadly that is so. He claims publicly to only be here to enjoy my wares like all the others, but I do not trust that snake further than I can piss off my cliff face." Looking both ways warily, he leaned in to whisper in his slave's ear, "I give you leave to refuse any further requests this night and charge you with following Tullius's every move. If he starts trouble in any way, then handle it."
Just as quietly, Harry sought clarification. "Just so I'm clear, when you say to handle it…"
"Crush skull to stone if you must, but do it where none may see." The Roman practically snarled, so great was his contempt for the man in question. "He cannot be allowed to ruin what I have fought so hard to create this night. Am I understood?"
"Yes, dominus." Harry nodded to the man, and only after he took his leave did the wizard slowly move out once more into the open chamber. Only this time, he decided to try something new. He'd been experimenting for a while now with the spells he remembered, and found with his many months of mental preparation that he was capable of casting most of them already to some effect or other wandlessly. In this case, he willed a Notice-Me-Not into effect, and grinned devilishly at the way the partygoers eyes seemed to glance off of him as if he were not even there. Of course, the multitude of distractions of the flesh no doubt aided in that effect, but he'd take what he could get. It was also a perfect time to practice embedding ideas through eye contact, a trick made easy when people had no idea what they were looking at. Oh the fun.
Tullius was not hard to find, even with the mask he'd donned like so many others. His blonde hair, curled in the Roman style, was impossible to miss as there were so few of the coloring present. He finished with his slave girl rather quickly and simply… meandered for a while. Showing his face to some, laughing with others, and generally making a nuisance of himself in his own way. After a while it became clear that he was trying to ingratiate his name with everyone's memories of the night, striking fond nostalgia on him for when he should meet any of them again. Opportunistic bastard.
However, things changed when the man spotted Gaia and Lucretia laughing heartily together by the nearest balcony where they'd gone to get some fresh air. His gaze grew stormy with rage and so Harry tried to meet it, but he was too far away on the other side of the gathering to make anything out. Tullius had proved remarkably paranoid with how often he panned the room so that was the closest he'd been able to get while following him discreetly. Then Gaia moved off, making a gesture with her goblet that implied a refill with Tullius suddenly changing direction to follow on her heels.
Of course Harry didn't like the look of that at all and he tried to cross the distance to intercept him, but the guests kept moving right in his path, and due to his position he couldn't just push them out of the way. No, he needed to politely either wait for them to pass or move around them. All to the point that when he finally reached the position that Tullius had just been in, it was to witness Gaia turning a corner towards one of the private rooms with the man himself power walking after her. No doubt the amorous socialite had seen a couple doing something interesting and deigned to watch through cracks in the doors as was her habit. It was a practice that was going to get her killed one of these days.
It only took twenty or so seconds for Harry to weave through the crowd once more and reach the hall, but when he did it wasn't hard to figure out where his two targets had run off to. The private hall was full of grunts and screams, but to his keen ears only one set was of actual fear. As was the severity of the smacking sounds emanating from the last room's door.
He needn't have bothered to check for bystanders seeing as most available attention was focused primarily on the main action, but he still took one moment to look around, verify he was alone, and then charge shoulder first into the door.
The portal splintered open before his assault and he stumbled into a horrendous sight. Gaia was on the floor, bleeding from both her nose and a gash on her forehead, weeping and screaming as Tullius sat astride her waist and yelled obscenities and terrible names alike as he rained down blows upon her ribs and face.
Harry didn't even stop to think about what he was about to do. Without pausing to announce his presence he ran across the floor, tackled the bastard to the ground, wrapped an arm around his throat, braced it with his other hand and wrenched it hard to the side until he heard a loud pop. Only then did he release his target and he actually laughed as it twitched in place for several seconds until falling still. A few seconds of fingertip pressure on the neck to make sure he was really dead and then he ran to a frantic Gaia's side.
"W-W-What? Harry? Did-Did you just-"
"Easy, Gaia, easy." The wizard pulled the sobbing woman into his chest, spelled the door closed with a force of will, and held her as she cried. While the woman broke down he performed a gentle examination of her body and found three broken ribs, over a dozen growing bruises, and of course the bleeding gash on her forehead that was likely from a deflected knuckle when her head turned off a blow. Most importantly, none of her wounds were life threatening.
His attention was brought back to the woman as she suddenly spoke up. "He c-came out of n-nowhere." She sniffled. "I wanted t-to watch some of the c-couples, but he s-shoved me in here, knocked m-me down, and s-started to h-hit me." She began to shake even more, "H-He called me a w-wanton w-whore who didn't deserve this k-kind of company. T-That my d-death in the h-house during the party would s-sour Quintus' name for all time."
"And it probably would have." Harry acknowledged. "Which is why I need to get rid of his body. Will you be alright if I get up for a minute to take care of it?"
"O-Only if you p-promise to come back."
"Of course I will." Harry caressed her face and kissed her head, uncaring of the blood that drenched his lips as a result. Then he gently leaned back and pulled away to move to the fresh corpse. What to do, what to do. The man's neck was wrenched at a completely impossible angle, and the window outside was open… perfect. Lifting with his legs and clenching his core, the wizard lobbed Tullius onto his shoulder, shuffled over to the window, glanced down to make sure it overlooked the massive ravine, and then tossed it over the edge like a sack of potatoes. There came three thumps of sound and then nothing for several seconds until a dull splash announced the final arrival much farther below.
With a mental nod given to a job well done he rushed back to Gaia and pulled her once more into his arms, simply rocking her through the pain of what had to be the worst assault of her life. Medical magic had never been his forte, but he did use a silent episkey to clean and close the forehead wound before kissing it to ease.
Time began to blur, and Harry wasn't sure how long the two of them were alone before anyone came to check on them, but it must have been a while as many of the background sounds had quieted by the time the door opened once more, this time to allow entry for Lucretia, who was no doubt searching for her wayward friend. She gasped and rushed to pull said woman from his grasp and into her own the moment her eyes came upon her. "What happened?"
"Tullius. He's been dealt with." He answered simply.
"Gratitude." She emphatically gave back as she combed her fingers through her still emotional friend's hair. "The festivities beyond are wearing easily down. I give you leave to return to your cell below ahead of weary comrades. In the morning the dominus will have need of your explanation."
"Understood, domina." Harry stood warily, nodded to a still wide eyed Gaia, and took his leave, sticking close to the walls to avoid the few continuing revelers until he made his way into the villa proper, and from there to the kitchens. His mistress had not said he could not stop in to check on Diona after all. Plus it was on the way to the cells below.
Stopping to knock on the door he was only waiting a second before it opened and Mellita was hugging him dearly and letting him inside where the pair of Diona and Naevia were both sipping at some sweet wine It did him good to see them safe, though the way the former ducked her head had him a bit worried.
"Diona?" He queried as he moved over and knelt before her. "Is everything alright?"
She didn't say anything for a moment, so he gently took her chin and turned it toward him so he could see her eyes. "Tell me."
"T-The mistress informed me that I was to be given to you and-"
"And you thought something cruel? Do you truly believe I would misuse you so?"
"No!" She exclaimed at once before the nerves came back. "I only-"
"Couldn't help remembering what happened the last time you were 'given' to someone?" He guessed. Her guilty nod was answer enough. "Diona, I asked to have you from the dominus 'because' of what happened to you. Surely you know what is happening above us, the way the slaves are being carted out and passed around. I did not want that for you, so I asked to have sole access to you. Now you're safe from being hurt that way ever again." With a smile he grazed her cheek with a finger and tok one of the empty seats to pour himself a glass of wine. "I promise to never abuse or hurt you, Diona. I only want the best for you and to make you happy."
"You have made me happy, Harry."
"Then I'm glad. Now, what were you three talking about before I walked in?" He grinned conspiratorially, "Gossip, perchance?"
The way the others all smiled back told him he'd hit the nail right on the head. "Well," Mellita spoke in the same tone, "we were just discussing the mystery jar the domina has hidden in the pantry shelves."
"Mystery jar, eh? Tell me more."
The Next Morning
True to the domina's prediction Harry was indeed summoned to see the dominus, but instead of an interrogation he was met with a wide smile and a bottle of wine offered to share. "Fucking Tullius gone from the world and with him all my greatest woes!" He cheered before insisting that the gladiator take a drink. "I must admit, I'd not thought idle words on my part would earn such result, but you could not have timed it sooner. Everyone saw him heading to the private rooms, and with another exit around that hall corner they all assumed he left my grounds of his own volition."
"He did leave, dominus, only out that window rather than the door."
"Cheers to that!" Quintus grabbed the bottle and downed a healthy gulp before laughing once more and moving out to the balcony and spitting over the side. "May this thought reach fucking corpse down below. You, Harry, have served me well and I'll not forget it."
"I shall hold you to that, dominus. But what happens now?"
"The future, Harry, that is what." The slavemaster spoke. "First, the games. I have the authority of several promises backing me to place my top men in the primus of the arena's games and you shall be amongst them. Then, I deal with Vettius."
"What of Vettius?" Harry didn't know much about the man other than that his Brothers thought his stock of fighters were all overhyped piss brains.
"He is an incorrigible little shit that has managed to piss off every major lannista and merchant in Capua. The boy is entitled and has run his mouth on more than once occasion, all with the name of Tullius on his tongue as a patron to keep him safe. Now that he is gone, the boy is alone and surrounded by fiends, admittedly like myself, that would like nothing more than to see him buried. He will need to flee capua, but that takes money he does not have, so I will arrange to purchase half of his current stock."
"Why only half?"
"I cannot afford the full bit, but I'm sure my friend Selonius will jump at the chance to take the other half. Once he is made aware of the opportunity of course." As the man sipped once more from the bottle, Harry met his eyes and actually found himself impressed by what he saw there.
"You already sent an offer to Vettius with chosen names."
Quintus raised a brow. "My, you are perceptive. Yes indeed, I've had my eye on a few prime members of Vettius' stable for a while now and since Tullius always announced himself wherever he traveled, lack of such bombastic word is noticed, and news has already spread about his disappearance. Vettius is no doubt running around like a chicken absent head, and the man I sent was weighed with a bag of silver and a list my demands. By the time Selonius arrives to pick up the rest I'll already have the cream of the crop titled under my name as they fight in the primus."
"Bringing more gold to you for still allowing them to participate."
"Indeed."
"But what is the primus?"
"As you may have heard, it is the pinnacle event, the crowning matchup to end the games, the one that the people talk about even years after the fact. To fight in it is to be memorialized, and according to good Varus, it shall be a melee between my men and what were once Vettius' men. Last night he confirmed it, as he was only too happy to have me back, and he liked the idea of two ludus's battling it out in front of the crowd.
"Too bad he couldn't have known about your new purchase. So no matter what, you earn the victory purse."
"Exactly. It is hardly my fault that Tullius cashed favor upon favor to put his little whelp's men in the primus. Nor is it my fault that it is too late to move them or notify anyone of my purchase. The primus is in two days after all. Though it shant all be for show. The men Selonius purchases will have a chance to win accolades as well if they prove strong enough."
"Will not your friend be angered by this blockage on your part?"
"Perhaps, but it is only good business. I am sure he will see that with enough time, and he will still gain in number and prestige regardless." Quintus waved off the concern.
"Your men or not, I will be fighting to win, which means men will die."
"I'm a lannista, Harry, I am always prepared to lose men in the arena. Do as you will and provided you put on a good show you'll see no complaint from me."
"You are a cunning man, dominus."
"Yet you are of similar quality of mind, I think." Quintus' shrewd gaze locked once more onto that of the younger man. "The beast within you is a keen one. I can see that, and I can make use it." He gestured to the pit below the balcony upon which they stood. "I reward greatness in all forms, Harry, remember that. Now what would you have of me for what you did last night?"
The wizard thought about it, and then shook his head. "Pardon, dominus, but at the moment I do not need anything. Might I hold onto this favor and cash it at a later date?"
"Of course. Just wait, Harry. Soon enough this house will rise to the heights of the heavens, and our wealth shall flow like the river. Perhaps we might even reach the level of Crassus himself!"
"Crassus?" Harry questioned, the name tickling a nerve in his brain, drawing forth a pair of memories from his youth. One from his time in primary school, and the other… from Hermione. His first love had adored history. "Marcus Crassus? The richest man in Rome?"
"Aye? Do you know of him?"
"Only vaguely, dominus. When I was made a slave I heard the Roman officers speak of him in passing." He lied, the possibilities of this new revelation making his head spin. "May I head back below? I would practice a bit with Crixus. Wouldn't want my skills to be rusty before the big event."
"Indeed not." Quintus clapped him on the shoulder and waved him off to do as he would.
As he went, Harry started to piece some things together. Things he'd heard, things he'd seen, stories he'd picked up from the guards and Gaia's memories. Crassus existed in this time, Rome was still a Republic, and there had not yet been a massive slave rebellion. That meant one thing. Spartacus. He was coming. Change was definitely going to be coming with him. And with change came opportunities…. Of course none would matter if he was not free to take advantage of them. Luckily he had some ideas to that effect. All that remained was to bide his time and plant the right ideas in the right heads. Much as he had the night before with many of the noble men including Varus himself. Wasn't it nice what one could get up to when forced to stand and wait for long stretches of time? Legilimency sure was fun. Mwahahahahahaha.
Crixus was indeed waiting below and as they started stretching out on the sands he became ecstatic at the news that the primus was coming their way. As a member of the top three it was a guarantee that he would be amongst those entered. The rest of the gladiators were still thoroughly exhausted from the night before but Oenomaus and Gannicus were up soon enough and they too joined in on the fun. They ran together, exercised together, and eventually ended up sparring, much to the anger of many of the hungover Brothers annoyed by the loud sounds of wood impacting wood. They did not care though.
The primus was coming and with it glory. They needed only to reach out and take it.
