CHAPTER FORTY: SETTLING IN
TUESDAY, JULY 16th, 1996 – Potter Manor, Charenwell.
Tabatha awoke the next morning in the most comfortable and warm bed she could ever remember. It took her a few moments to remember where she was as the sleep faded and she saw the huge and elegant bedroom illuminated with sunlight. She remembered then the day before and remembered what had happened to her. Still, she was alone in the bed which was not something she was expecting after last night, which was itself hard to understand. He had told her once they had bonded – once he had taken her in front of all those women – that he would never demand that from her again. And yet she let him do that to her three more times.
She was actually hoping he'd still be in bed with her!
This was not what she had thought would happen when he first ordered her to take off her clothes. She had been terrified and feared … Well, her worst fears did come true, didn't they? He had … he had … was it really rape if it was that wonderful? Okay, it probably was. She hadn't asked him to and knew the magic prevented her from saying no to him. But by the time it happened? No. By the time she first touched him? He had already made her feel so wonderful. Still, she thought, this is not what I wanted. Well, it wasn't what I wanted, until it happened and then? Why was I not more scared?
Scared? Why did I want more?
She wondered if it was the bond, but she had heard that while it stopped you from refusing and made you enjoy it – at least if that's what he wanted you to do – it did not totally shut you off. If you really were terrified or really hated it, you would be that way deep inside and remember it, she was told. Yet, those thoughts all vanished when he first kissed her. What was that about? She had kissed a boy before; one she thought she really loved and while that seemed amazing at the time, it was nothing like his first kiss, his first touch and everything that seemed to flow so naturally from that moment.
And where did he go? She thought. She didn't remember him leaving her. All she remembered were wonderful dreams. Tabatha rubbed her eyes, clearing the last vestiges of sleep away and saw a piece of paper laying where he had been sleeping. She picked it up.
Good Morning Beautiful Tabatha:
Sorry. I was hoping you'd wake up in my arms, but you were still asleep. I had to get up. I didn't want to, but I do have things that need doing. I didn't want to wake you as you looked so peaceful. Sorry.
Anyway, the bath is to your left through the door. There should be a change of clothes for you on a chair in the Dressing Room (which is between the bedroom and bath). Breakfast should be waiting for you in the Dining Room (door on your right, at end of hall turn left and keep going to the Great Room. As you enter, it's the double doors on the other side to your left.)
Most of us are busy this morning, but I know this is all new to you so I've asked Stacey and Daphne to show you around and answer any questions you have, or just talk. I'm told Stacey was your friend in School and as you are now a Black, Daphne is there as well (she's a Black too, although her sister Astoria is a Potter like Stacey.)
The rest of us will be back at lunch time (and hopefully that's not just after you get up, but if it is don't worry about it.)
I hope you don't hate me. I really want you to be a part of this wonderful life we are building here. I tried to make yesterday as wonderful as I could for you, but somehow I feel that I failed you and for that I am terribly sorry. Please don't blame yourself for anything either. It's not our fault we were born into this sick world. One day, I hope to change all that and I hope you are there with me when WE do. Until lunch, then.
With all my Love,
Harry.
It was around ten in the morning when Tabatha walked into the Dining Room. She now knew all of this was real as she remembered having dinner here last night, and of course what followed. There were two young women and one older woman seated together at the center of the huge table. One of the younger ones was Stacey and the other one she remembered was named Daphne. Tabatha did not recognize the older one.
"Good morning Tabatha," Stacey said with a genuine smile. "Have a good night's sleep?"
Tabatha blushed a little. "As a matter of fact and much to my surprise I did," she said. She had done it with Harry a couple of times after they had retired, which still confused her since the closest he came to initiating it was by being in the same bed. She looked at the older woman and still could not place her. "I'm Tabatha Collins," she said. "I don't remember seeing you at all last night when I was…" she really did not know how to describe it.
"Raped?" the woman added. "It's what it is in a way. Unless you were going to have him anyway, that is. I'm Cissy Mal … Black. Cissy Black. I might live here, but I'm not a party to whatever went on last night."
"Just as you were not a party to what your husband and his friends used to do to us?" Stacey hissed back.
"Or her son for that matter," Daphne added.
Tabatha looked at the older woman. She was silently crying after the brief onslaught. "Are you okay?" she asked wondering what all that meant.
"S-sorry," Cissy said. "I … I didn't mean it the way it … I wish …"
Tabatha listened as Stacey and Daphne explained all about the woman's former Husband and son.
"Past few days have been hard for her," Daphne said indicating Cissy. "Perhaps we shouldn't be so hard on her as well."
Stacey snorted. "I spent three years in hell thanks to that woman's ex."
"I don't blame you," Cissy said. "I'd hate me too, if I were you. I wish there was something I could have done. I really don't know what I could have done, but I wish I could have done something. I knew he probably had a concubine or two…"
"Three," Stacey said. "He always had three. He replaced us after three years. According to Verity, who was there when I got snatched, he sold us when he was done. Verity remembers he was most put out whenever a buyer insisted he wanted the girl to have her wand. The man didn't think we deserved such luxury. I wouldn't doubt if he complained about needing to feed us, because in his care food and a cot were all we had to ourselves. Once I took my O.W.L.s, my books, wand and clothes were taken. He said a whore doesn't need such things.
"I used to wonder if the sick bastard was married and if so what his wife was like. Was she as vile as he was? What kind of life did she have? Did she know? If she did, what did she think? Did she not care either? Could she? The man destroyed my life and the lives of my friends because he could. No other reason for it as far as I could see. He could ruin us, rape and laugh at our misery when his friends had their way with us. I always wondered what kind of woman could marry that."
Cissy snorted. "One like me," she said. "My father paid him a lot of money to take me as his betrothed when I was eight or nine after my older sister did the right thing and became a Consort to another. All I was told was that I had been betrothed to him. I never even met him. The first time I ever saw him I was sixteen. It was the summer after I had taken my O.W.L.s and just the day before I was told I would marry the next day. Apparently my father paid him a lot of money to take me before I could wise up and find a Consort. I had no say in anything."
"The more I learn about that world, the worse it seems," Tabatha said.
"You wanted to envy me," Cissy said to Stacey. "You probably thought if he had a wife, she'd be pampered or some such and living in luxury while you … while you suffered as you did. In a way, I envy you that. At least you couldn't fool yourself into believing your life with him was the way things were supposed to be. I tried to.
"Every girl dreams of her wedding and after. Of course, dreaming about the after comes later when you know about what the after means. Every girl dreams it would be perfect and wonderful. My mother encouraged that." Cissy snorted. "Perfect and wonderful. The man barely looked at me. He danced with me once at the reception for appearances sake and then left for hours; no doubt to spend time with his concubines. He returned smelling of them and totally unashamed. He barely said a word to me or anyone else as he dragged me from the reception to his bedchamber where he told me I had two minutes to undress before he ripped my gown from me. That was the extent of his romance and foreplay with me from that point on. As soon as I was naked enough, he pushed me onto the bed and took me. When he was done, he left. It was that way every night until I was pregnant.
"Once it was confirmed that I was pregnant, he never touched me again. He might have had I given birth to a daughter, but it was a son. Not that I was all that upset about being left alone by him. He made me feel dirty and soiled. I was nothing to him. I was a Pureblood wife. My role was to look good in public, say the right things and bear his heir. Anything else, he said, was a waste of his time and talents.
"For a few years, at least I could enjoy being a mother. I did enjoy that. But he even took that away from me. When the boy was six and starting to become the kind of young man I thought could be different from his father, his father took him from me complaining that the boy had far too much feminine influence in his upbringing. Oh, I did see him. I had the privilege of watching as the kind and curious boy I had raised turned into a hate filled copy of his father over the years. In many ways, he was even worse than his father as I found out a couple of weeks ago.
"My son is betrothed," Cissy continued. "Unfortunately for her, she knows him, and through him any man he wants her to know. He takes her when and where he pleases and allows his friends to do the same. She complained to me about it, complained that whenever he wanted to 'influence' someone at school, she was his tool. I said something to my son about it and his response was to gang rape me with the help of his friends. She was there and cheered them on. Apparently, all she really wanted was someone else taking her place as the family slag."
Cissy looked at Tabatha. "Stacey was at one end of our vaunted society back in Britain. I was at the other. There was a difference between us. But was it really a difference?"
"The Malfoys are an extreme," Daphne said. "They are Pureblood Supremacists of the worst sort. The man is a convicted Death Eater and the son will probably take the mark as well. Not all wizards are like that…"
"That's for certain," Tabatha said. "Harry's not," she added somewhat surprised at herself.
Daphne nodded. "No, he is not at all like that."
"I'm sorry for yelling at you," Stacey said.
Cissy nodded. "I'm a product of the society that did what it did to you. I looked the other way all those years. I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."
"Is Harry the exception?" Tabatha asked.
Daphne laughed. "He definitely is an exception in so many ways. But, if you meant was Cissy's life normal for a witch? Was Stacey's life before she came here? No. Their life, however, is the life most witches could expect should the Pureblood Supremacists prevail, regardless of which banner they raise. My father is a pureblood. He's not like that at all. He loves my mother very much, and me and my sisters."
"He sold you," Cissy began.
"The Death Eaters and your son left him no choice really. He either sold me and Astoria to the next Lord Black, or he could watch as the rest of us were raped, tortured and killed. Fortunately, the next Lord Black turned out to be Harry. We think the bastards thought it was Cissy's demon spawn. Astoria and I knew as soon as we found out it was Harry who would bind us to him that we had dodged a Bludger. We knew if he made a promise to us he'd try to keep it and we knew he would never be mean to us or hurt us. We both wanted to be his once we knew we could be. One might even say that our bonding was as much our desire as his decision. It certainly was wonderful."
"It was," Stacey and Tabatha said together. Tabatha was surprised she thought that much less said it.
"Is that the bond?" she asked. "Should I feel this way about what happened?"
"The bond doesn't work that way," Stacey said. "If your Bonder wants you to enjoy the sex, you will enjoy it physically. But emotionally? No. The Bond cannot make you enjoy it that way. The Bond prevents you from expressing yourself to him and to others not bonded to him except as he would allow. But between us? You can say what you really feel and it will be the truth and not the bond."
"I'm so confused," Tabatha admitted. "I should have hated yesterday. I should have been disgusted at what happened. Even if I might have wanted to be with Harry – who I never had met before and I wouldn't have done that – I should have been revolted at having my first time so public. But I wasn't. If anything I wanted more. It shouldn't be that way, should it?"
Daphne shrugged. "What can I say? Harry is a very nice boy. Under other circumstances, he's perfect boyfriend material. It's hard not to like him if you actually get to know him. He also knows how to push your buttons to maximize your enjoyment of him, doesn't he? Basically, he's perfect man material and it's hard not to melt away with him. But, if you add to it the fact that he is without a doubt the most powerful wizard alive? We witches are drawn to powerful magic and that being the case, he's the flame to our moth like tendencies."
"Is that why that couch seemed so special too?" Tabatha asked. "I mean for me it seemed as if it was the only place where doing that was absolutely right."
Daphne shrugged. "Could be. A lot of powerful magic has happened on that spot over the past few weeks. Harry lost his virginity on that spot with Hermione. Six others have lost their virginity there as well when they bonded with him. There have been ten bondings there to date, all of them infused with at least some love, making the magic there even more powerful."
"You can feel it if you try," Cissy said. "I'm not one of Harry's – er – wives. But I've sat there and could feel something wonderful. I do envy you girls. I will never have what you have with Harry."
"Why not?" Tabatha asked. "I mean it's not like it's truly and exclusive club."
"It would have been and could be," Daphne said. "All of us are here with Harry not so much because he wishes it, but because Hermione both allows it and expects Harry to help us."
"But all of you could be bound to him," Cissy said. "I cannot. I cannot be a Consort as he has all magic will allow. I cannot be his concubine as he has no basis to claim me or bind me. I envy you that. Were I sixteen again and know then what I know now, I'd choose to be one of Harry's multitude over most any other option. I would only consider not being Harry's if I were lucky enough to have found the one true love of my life. Aside from becoming a Consort, which is far easier said than done, the best fate for a witch right now is the one you find yourselves in. I can see it in all of your faces and to be honest, I can't say I ever really saw that in the faces of any other women before. You may not have wanted this life before, but believe me when I say whether by accident or design, you are very, very lucky women. My penance for my life before is to live here and not be a true part of here like you are."
"What's that mean?" Tabatha asked.
"I wasn't there yesterday when you joined this family," Cissy said. "I am not bonded to Harry like that, nor can I be. As such I cannot attend bondings. Harry is the Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Black. Through that House we share a common ancestor. My Great-grandfather was the father of his Great-Grandmother, Dorea Potter. As he is the head of my family and because I left my husband and his family, I've asked for and he has taken me under his protection. But as I am not otherwise bonded to him, all I can hope to have is a roof over my head, a fairly nice life and safety from those who would wish me harm. What you can have is far more than that, if you wish it to be so."
"Surely he wouldn't prevent you from more?" Tabatha said.
"I don't think he would," Cissy replied, "if that were to happen. But I can't count on finding love. I'm thirty-three. My 'husband' did not allow me to continue my education beyond my O.W.L.s and was of the opinion that as we had House Elves, I had no need to learn or even practice magic so I have few skills to offer other than the ability to smile and act polite to even the most loathsome of people. I have no fortune or political connections to attract a husband. I had my shot at it and my family chose poorly."
"So what will you do?"
"One of the things I am to do, I 'm doing now," Cissy said. "I'm trying to help you ladies adjust to this new life. I'm hoping to help Stacey. Whether or not I could have done something before, I owe it to her now. I want her to be proud of what she is now. I want all of you to, because you should be. Whether you agree with what our society has done to you and to many others – including me in a way – or not, you should know just how lucky you life has turned out for you. As I said, I envy you. I wish I could be in your shoes right now.
"The other thing is I've been asked to act as the Duke's Private Secretary. Basically, that means I'm to supervise and arrange his calendar for his official functions and, as time goes on, to arrange such things for his Ladies as well. You are a part of the family and as such the people of this Country expect to see you out and about eventually. My job is to help decide when and where and make sure you are all up to your duties. Right know, you venture out in groups. One day, you will each need to go out on your own to represent this family and this Country. I also will be in charge of the Family side of State occasions. The Duchess has her attendants to help her and the Countess will have hers as well in time. My job is to help all of you and make sure we put our best foot forward for the world.
"Right now I admit there's not much to do. But there will be. In fact there already has been. Two Investitures in two weeks? I looked it up. That's never happened. And we had the Queen's State Visit just a few days ago. We think we'll be entertaining the Prime Minister of Britain soon, which will be another major event. So I hope to be very busy very soon."
"We'll be busy," Daphne said. "My sister Astoria and I are the Duchess's Attendants and we are to help the Duke's Private Secretary with her job, although our focus is supposed to be on Hermione. Then again, for Cissy it will be her main job while we have other things as well."
"Such as?" Tabatha asked.
"Same things you'll be doing," Daphne said. "We'll be continuing our schooling here sometime soon. But there's other stuff as well. Most of the others are out right now flying."
"I'm not into brooms," Tabatha confessed.
"Not brooms," Stacey said. "Airplanes. Real ones! It's blood brilliant. Daphne and I are here to show you around this morning and will be off to the Field this afternoon. The others are there now and will be here this afternoon. I think Ginny will be helping Astoria will be showing you around later."
"Showing me around?"
"This is a large Manor," Daphne said. "You haven't even seen your room yet, among other things."
TUESDAY, JULY 16th, 1996 – Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Albus Dumbledore had slipped away from Hogwarts on June 22nd, the same day the train took the students home for the Summer Holidays. He left confident that things would continue along at a slow pace and that his little research trip could not have happened at a more opportune time. Voldemort had suffered a major setback just a week earlier and was unlikely to try anything of significance for a long while. More important, Harry had reluctantly agreed to return to his relatives for at least part of the summer. When he returned from his enforced exile, the plans for the boy would be well under way.
He had returned from his little research trip on July 10th very confused. The object he had sought, although very well protected by some very vile magical traps, had already been destroyed. This was, in a way, good news. Voldemort had made at least four of those vile things and the fact that two were now known to be destroyed meant the creature's lives were being used up. But the news was disturbing as well. So far as he knew, only he and Voldemort knew the things even existed. Someone else, obviously, knew of them. Someone else was destroying them. Someone else knew how to kill Voldemort once and for all.
This would not do! The essence of the Greater Good meant that the demise of Voldemort and the Death Eaters needed to be controlled by those who worked towards that end; in other words by Albus Dumbledore. The Muggles would never submit to his guidance unless the salvation of their world from a Dark Wizard bent on their ultimate destruction was vested in him and his Order. Should another succeed, they would be the one the Muggles would lionize and turn to for advice. Only Dumbledore and his Order were prepared in any way to fulfill the role destiny had placed before them. To allow another, one not versed in the Greater Good or worse a wizard from a wholly unacceptable political and philosophical background to become the recognized savior of his world was unthinkable. That road led to disaster.
Over the course of his long life, Dumbledore became convinced that mankind would destroy itself if they were allowed to continue along their path. As a young boy in the 1870's, he had seen the demon factories and the price of allowing the Muggles to develop their industry and technology. They were termites consuming whole forests and raping the land in their pursuit of wealth and comfort. He had seen the ultimate horror those industries were capable of in his forties when the Muggles waged a war the likes and horrors of which had never before been visited upon the human race. Many had called it the War to End All Wars, but that proved to be wishful thinking as millions died in vain in a war that decided little or nothing.
The next terrible Muggle War began a short twenty years after the first had ended and was far worse. But it provided Albus with his opportunity. Before that terrible war his idea of the Greater Good was just that. It was that war that started wizards and witches talking and taking notice of how dangerous a Muggle controlled world had become. He himself found added opportunity in the guise of an old friend turned rival: Gellert Grindelwald. Grindelwald was trying to conquer magical Europe using the chaos of a global, Muggle war as cover. Magical Britain stayed out of that struggle until the very end when Albus himself defeated Grindelwald, a fete which would catapult him to near absolute power.
It made him head of the International Confederation of Wizards, an organization that regulated magic throughout the world. As its head, he kept that troublesome body out of Britain altogether. He picked up several seats on the Wizengamot, enough in the end to allow him to become Chief Warlock. He also gained influence in other areas, becoming Headmaster of Hogwarts even though he was not the senior member of the faculty at the time. Those two positions gave him access to money. Most notably, it gave him control of the Concubine trade, which was a very profitable business for him and allowed him to ensure the Muggle Borns were controlled. They were a major thorn in everyone's side as they always complained about the way things were in Magical Britain and were hardly subtle about it. But their witches were now under his control and only those few lucky ones who stumbled into a Consort Bond avoided the Auction Block and total subjugation. This control was necessary. Muggle Borns tended to be supportive of Muggle culture and might prove to be a problem should they learn that it was the destiny of the magical race to rule the non-magical world.
Still, despite his seats and titles, Dumbledore was no nearer to his goal. The magical world was too loosely controlled for his positions to equal the control needed to set up a ruling class over all. His position at Hogwarts was useful for finding young talent and molding it to his cause, but he needed more. This was particularly true as his primary political rival, Lord Potter, was very good at keeping him in check. Potter controlled far too many votes directly and through his alliances. Any laws Dumbledore needed had to meet with the Blood Traitor's approval or be so subtle as to escape notice lest it go down in defeat.
Fate seemed to smile on Dumbledore. In 1970, a Dark Wizard began to rise to power in Britain. Dumbledore considered the young man a threat, for there could only be one ruler in Britain and he was not about to move over for the usurper. Although Voldemort championed the agenda of the Pureblood Supremacists, he was even less pure in blood than Dumbledore. Tom Riddle had a borderline Squib for a mother from an inbred family and a Muggle for a father and had been raised in the Muggle World when his mother died in childbirth. Dumbledore was Pureblood, but not inbred on his father's side and his mother was a Muggle Born witch who had become his father's wife and Consort. Although Dumbledore felt his father had been weak to succumb to the seduction of a Mudblood, at least she allowed her children to be raised in the magical world and observed magical traditions.
But while Dumbledore knew Voldemort's true nature, the slippery bastard had managed to pull the wool over the eyes of the Pureblood Supremacists, gathering them to his banner and giving Dumbledore and opportunity to consolidate more power and maybe even knock the Potter block down for good. The Pureblood Supremacists did not know the truth about Voldemort and probably would not learn it until it was too late. They were his first slaves. He would use them to enslave the rest of the world, but they would always be his slaves as well, not better than a Muggle in that regard.
Dumbledore knew that one did not need to enslave to control. In some ways he was as Dark as Riddle, but he was not the psychotic killer nor did he see slavery as the end goal. That class was reserved for the Muggle Borns as it always had been. Still, Voldemort was a threat to all and a convenient foil for Dumbledore to use to consolidate power and bring the Greater Good to reality.
Then that damnable prophecy was made. Unless one knew all the facts, in particular two facts, the prophecy could easily have meant the means for the downfall of Voldemort. His followers called him the Dark Lord and the fool was too much of a megalomaniac to know that he was no Lord nor could he ever be one. Dumbledore, however, was both more Dark than Light and as the Head of and Ancient and Noble House, a Lord in his own right. He knew the Prophecy was not about Voldemort, rather it was about him and a possible end to his hope for the Greater Good.
Still, it was but a minor inconvenience at best. That and it presented Dumbledore to kill two birds with the same stone as it were. A boy would be born at the end of July who would threaten his Greater Good. Now, while it might seem easy to kill and infant, Dumbledore was opposed to killing witches and wizards. There were too few of them. Besides, killing upset the social balance. Kill too many Purebloods and the Muggle Borns would seize control. But the boy was a threat, so it was a simple matter of determining who the boy was and then setting Voldemort after him.
Who should have been easy, but two boys were born at the end of July. One was Neville Longbottom and the other was Harry Potter. Potter was the one time Dumbledore did not curse Muggle Borns. Potter's father was a Potter through and through and did not trust Dumbledore at all. But the mother was a Muggle Born and Consort, and thus the weak link. She practically worshiped Dumbledore. He used her blind faith in him to secret the Potters in a home he owned in Godrics Hollow despite the fact that the Potters surely had a Manor somewhere that was far safer. When the two boys were born, Dumbledore came calling. It was obvious which Boy would be his equal. So he used a Mind Charm on a low level Death Eater who had an unnatural interest in the Potter Boy's mother, telling him just enough of the Prophecy to set that lunatic after the Boy. Dumbledore was confident the sick bastard would kill the infant, thus sparing him from such dirty and unsavory work.
But the boy didn't die. That stunned everyone including Dumbledore. Dumbledore was even more surprised to find that the brat had a little sister. Damn Muggle Borns! Give them half a chance and they breed like rats. It was that night Dumbledore conceived his nearly fool proof plan, a plan that would see the end of the Potter line and one that would considerably enhance his personal wealth in time. In the confusion of those days, he learned a few things. First of all, the infant was surprisingly powerful. But a magical binding charm would take care of that. Second of all, the boy had become a Horcrux. This meant two things. Riddle was not dead, and would return and the boy's death could now be justified to the magical world. But he would let Riddle take care of that loose end.
Sirius Black was another problem. It was Dumbledore who spread a rumor amongst his followers that they had been betrayed. This was not entirely true. Peter Pettigrew was in fact a Death Eater spy, but he was so low in the Order that the Daily Prophet probably knew more about what was going on than he did. Dumbledore encouraged the rumors of a spy and deliberately made people begin to suspect Black. He needed Black out of the picture and after the murder of Black's close friends, it was easy enough to arrange. He had Black place the girl with the Muggle authorities in exchange for giving Black information as to the whereabouts of Pettigrew. Black proved so predictable and getting him tossed into Azkaban without a trial was child's play. With Black out of the picture, he also dropped hints to the Death Eaters as to the whereabouts of the Longbottoms and they proved all to predictable. Those who might challenge his actions in regards to the last scion of the Potter line were conveniently out of the picture.
There was Lord Potter, of course. But simple matter of submitting a false Will to the Wizengamot kept him somewhat out of sight and mind. So the baby was sent to live with Muggle relatives who hated his parents and their kind with a passion. Dumbledore knew the boy would be neglected horribly and hoped he might get lucky and see the boy die before he could attend Hogwarts. But that didn't happen. Thus it was time to focus the boy on another target. The boy would be conditioned to go after Voldemort like an attack dog. Dumbledore had no illusions about the outcome. The magical bonds were still in place and the boy would receive no training, thus making certain that Riddle would kill him.
Except that failed to happen. The boy was a hard one to kill, it seemed. Since it appeared increasingly likely he might live to see his majority, Dumbledore saw the need to keep him distracted. He had made the initial plans as a contingency long ago and now all he had to do was move forward. As the boy's magical guardian, he long ago had arranged the boy to be married to the daughter of Molly Weasley, a Pureblood Supremacist in his camp. Both the boy and the little brat of a girl had proved difficult. The boy had affections for a Mudblood and everyone except them knew it and the girl had no real interest in him.
A minor difficulty, really. The real trick was keeping the boy in the dark about his true wealth and heritage. When the last Lord Potter died, the boy became eligible for emancipation upon his eleventh birthday. Had he been sorted into Slytherin, he would have know that fairly soon. But he was in Gryffindor and had been befriended by Ron Weasley who was being paid good money to make sure the Potter boy would not learn of his heritage. The Weasley whelp had the audacity to ask Dumbledore to sell the Granger girl to him as a Concubine, but as that would take her from Potter, Dumbledore had no issue. As for Potter and Ginny Weasley's relationship, a pair of powerful love potions and an empty Burrow would solve that little problem.
The plan was to "rescue" the boy from his vile relatives right after the reading of the Will of Sirius Black. He would be left alone at the Burrow with Ginny, both of them dosed up on love potions. Nature or the potions would take its course and the Weasley girl would be pregnant by the end of August which would require Harry to do the right thing and marry her. This would give Dumbledore access to the Potter estates. Once Ginny bore a son, he would have control over the heir as well. Surely Voldemort would kill Harry in time. If not, that horcrux would justify his execution. The son would be raised and trained to rule the world as the Heir of the Greater Good. If his mother proved uncooperative, she could be dealt with as well. Her mother was more than willing to sacrifice the girl to the Greater Good.
When he returned from his trip and went to Gringotts, he had no reason to believe his plans were not moving forward. But that trip to Gringotts had been a shock on so many levels. Sirius had told him he left the estate to Malfoy, as it would not do to leave the Black heritage to a Half Blood. Dumbledore's first mistake was to believe Sirius. The problem was he detected no lie or deceit from the man at all. Had Remus said something as unbelievable as that, Dumbledore would have suspected a lie. Being a Werewolf made him immune from the mind arts. But Sirius was not immune, or so Albus had thought. Obviously he was mistaken.
The boy who had left Hogwarts less than two weeks before was not the same person who entered the conference room and destroyed the Order with a stroke of his pen. Physically, they were one and the same, but this new Harry Potter was confident and even a touch arrogant. Then again, when you can break the backs of wizarding society, you can afford a touch of arrogance. That is what the boy had done.
Under other circumstances, Dumbledore might have written it off as youthful indiscretion. But the "attacks" were too well aimed and too calculated for maximum effect. He had either grossly underestimated the boy, or the boy had some very dangerous advisors, or both. In the following days, the Order of the Phoenix all but collapsed. Remus, Tonks and three Weasley brothers disappeared. As there were no Dark Marks or bodies, Albus had to accept the fact that they had left the country, probably joining up with that rogue Harry Potter who had turned the tables on him again by taking Molly's precious daughter as his slave right there in public for all the world to see. At least the boy had the decency not to bind her to him there. Arthur Weasley left his wife that very day. She still lived at the Burrow and Dumbledore had no idea where Arthur was laying his head. Arthur had also left the Order in disgust. Molly was a broken woman. The Weasleys were once the most revered family in the Order. That was now a thing of the past. The only Weasley still loyal to Dumbledore and of any use at all was Ron, and that was not saying much particularly as he was demanding a wench to compensate him for losing that Granger bint to Potter.
Half the Order had tendered their resignations over the last few days. True, most were lower members and were tools to be used, not future leaders in the Greater Good. But it was a blow nonetheless. The Order's ability to stand against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, which was still necessary, had been crippled in one afternoon.
The good news was Tom was in no better shape. Dumbledore had learned from his pet Death Eater that Riddle had been out of sorts for weeks. To be more precise, the man had been in a coma and few knew if he would live or die. Unfortunately, the bastard chose to live, but he had lost over half of his operation while he was indisposed and had lost over ninety percent of his finances and logistics. Basically, Tom was also out of the Dark Lord business for now, but Dumbledore knew it was only a setback, not a total defeat, so Tom would be back and probably would return mad as hell.
What made no sense to Dumbledore was the attack on the Ministry. That day he passed it off as a bluff, a poor job of extortion at best. But it seems the kid was not bluffing, or at least the Ministry was not acting as if it were a bluff. They were letting people go left and right and shutting down all but essential offices, anything to come up with the four point two million he had demanded in reparations for the girls that had been illegally sold. The Ministry expected Dumbledore to come up with the lion's share of the reparations as he had been the one to circumvent the law to sell those girls. Between the Ministry's demands and Potter's personal claims against him, Dumbledore would be broken if he paid and in prison if he did not.
Dumbledore was pleasantly surprised with his returns from this year's auction. He had earned more than ten times what he had hoped. Apparently, someone had decided to corner the market on new talent. This had driven prices through the roof across the board. Still, it was only a drop in the bucket as compared to what he would have to come up with in the next month to avoid losing everything. On top of all of that, Minerva would have to decide to retire now. If he didn't know better, he could swear she was in with Potter in some way. On top of everything else, he needed to find her replacement as Professor of Transfiguration. But he was not too worried as he had taught that subject for decades.
Now yet another crisis had come to his attention. That Potter brat was making his ancestors look tame! Dumbledore had spent almost twenty years cultivating a relationship with the Muggle Queen having managed to force the Minister of Magic to recommend to the then Muggle Prime Minister that he be named Her Majesty's Magical Counselor. It had been the then Lord Potter for over seven hundred years and he finally managed to wrest back what had been rightfully the post of his family when Charlus Potter died.
The letter had arrived that morning.
After lengthy and enlightening consultations with His Highness the Duke of Charenwell, We are of the opinion that We have been ill advised by you. This is certainly true in light of our most recent discussions and We are of the opinion that you misled Us on matters of critical import and in such times and on such matters that We are forced to question whether you ever served our interests.
You are hereby discharged as Our Magical Counselor forthwith. You are banned from Our presence and a note has been dispatched to the Prime Minister to consider changing his contacts with your world as well. Do not attempt to reply to this note.
It was signed by the Queen. Of all the blows the Greater Good had suffered, to lose his ability to influence the Queen and her government was the greatest. Worse still was the suggestion that he had not only lost his contacts, but had cost the Ministry its contacts with the Prime Minister and that the Potter boy was now the only contact between Muggle Britain and their world. He had truly underestimated the lad.
TUESDAY, JULY 16th, 1996 - Potter Manor, Charenwell.
Tabatha was amazed at this world she had now entered. The Manor was a palace, there were no other words for it. Daphne had taken them around the Ground Floor and First Floor. While Stacey had seen much of it, she had not seen all and was still stunned at the place. They had gone out front to the lawn their Harry called the pitch and watched as the Elves were building Black and Longbottom House. Already, the frames were rising and the stone masons were at work. Tabatha was amazed at all she saw.
"I didn't know this about him." Daphne said at one point. "Not that it would have really mattered to me or my sister. Harry's a great guy, period. But if you must know, his family wealth makes him one of the top five wealthiest on earth, Muggle or Magical. He's richer than the Queen really. Could care less myself. He'd treat us right with far less and that's all that matters really. He promised us that. He promised my family that."
"Your family?" Tabatha asked.
Daphne nodded. "He promised my Mum and Dad he'd take care of us. He promised to keep us safe and to see to their safety too."
"So they know about what happened to you?"
Daphne nodded. "Daddy was forced into it. Harry says he and Mum were relieved to learn he was to be our … our wizard. I don't think they yet know just what we are. They know we are his concubines, but not what kind. When they come, they will be pleased as punch to know we are his wives. At least they will be when we tell them."
"And what about my family?" Tabatha asked.
"They will be told as well," Daphne said. "All families will learn of their daughters' new lives. All will be invited to move here to Charenwell and to remain family with their daughters."
"All?" Tabatha and Stacey asked.
"All," Daphne replied. "Your families are important to Harry too it seems. Should they accept this, they will move here and … and he will keep them safe as well. He made us that promise. Every promise he makes to us and to others applies to all. Even as we speak Minerva is out to speak with your families and invite them to move here in time. This includes you, Stacey."
"He'd do that for me?" Stacey asked.
Daphne nodded. "Wouldn't you do that for your family?"
"But he isn't my family," Tabatha said.
"As strange as it may seem," Daphne replied, "we are his family. He has a sister he barely knows and is afraid to know too well as she is happy in her life. For all practical purposes, we are his family. Harry would die to keep us safe and do anything to keep us happy. He never had that apparently. He never had a family. Now that he does … well, he'll do anything for us. This is why we'll do almost anything for him. He wants us to fly in his Air Force, we'll do it. Of course, it does help that it's fun. He wants our help where we can be of help, we'll do that too. We are his family and that's what we should do."
"So he's going to have all this explained to my parents?" Tabatha asked.
"Maybe not all," Daphne said. "As wonderful as my bonding was and my sister's, I'm not sure I want Daddy knowing about those details. But yes, he wants our families to join us here in Charenwell. I would take his promise to try to the bank."
"And what will we tell them?"
"I think that will depend on you, really," Daphne said. "All of our circumstances are different just as our families are. Hermione is a Muggle Born like you and an only child. Her parents know she's somewhere safe, but that's about it - although I don't think they'd be surprised to learn she's with Harry and they are legally married as they did discuss that with her parents. But the rest of this might be a shock.
"Minnie and Luna have no family left, so obviously they have no one to explain things to. Dora's and my sister and I? Our parents already know. Dora's already have moved here. My parents knew we were to be bonded to Harry, knew what that means and know about Hermione and at least some of the others. What they don't know is how happy we are here. They are on an extended holiday now, but Harry will bring them here. Ginny's family already knows. Three of her brothers live here.
"Mallory and Stacey have been missing for years. Stacey's family hasn't seen or heard from her in three years and Mallory's family has not seen or heard from her in twenty-three years I think. Don't know about Mallory for certain. There was a time when she might have reconnected, but I don't know.
"Then there's you, Tabatha. You've been gone a day. But I supposed to tell you that your parents have been contacted. We haven't told them everything, of course, but we did tell them there was a threat to you and you've been placed into protective custody, which is true to an extent. Harry asked me to tell you that you should write them a letter."
"What should I tell them?" Tabatha asked in shock.
"Harry said you can tell them whatever you want," Daphne replied. "I'd probably leave out certain details like the bonding, but aside from that, tell them what you want."
"I don't want to tell them I'm a concubine."
"Then don't be one," Daphne said. "We're not. We're his wives."
Daphne then explained in detail the difference and how it came about for each of them. Stacey also told her that it was fairly easy to change. All she had to do was want to change and to take the bonding with Harry of her own free will.
"When did you do it?" Tabatha asked.
She was told they both had taken the bond not long after they were initially bound to Harry. So far, the longest one of Harry's witches lasted without being love bonded to him was four days. Dora and Luna held that record. They counted Luna because Hermione had not lasted four hours before she and Harry were bonded.
"Okay, maybe more than four hours according to Hermione," Daphne said. "They took their time bonding apparently. But she jumped him after only a couple of hours. At least they waited until after lunch."
"Speaking about lunch," Stacey said.
Within a few minutes the three entered the Family Dining Room and noticed that the others had arrived, along with what Tabatha was told was House Longbottom. Tabatha listened as the large group talked about flying, for that's what they had been doing that morning.
"So what'd you think?" Daphne asked Dora.
"Bloody brilliant!" she replied. "I think there's a Spitfire with my name on it!"
Harry was the last to enter the room. Even Tabatha could see that something appeared wrong. Harry had a grave expression on his face and a few pieces of paper in his hand as he sat down.
"What's wrong Harry?" Hermione asked.
Harry sighed. "Got a letter from Gringotts about the evictions from the Black properties," he said. "The Goblins confiscated a lot of stuff from the homes. Apparently the Death Eaters were stockpiling supplies and now we need to arrange shipment from Britain. Several hundred tons of stuff including potions, potions ingredients - some really rare ones as well - ward stones, basically a lot."
"So the Death Eaters lost more than some houses," Hermione said, "why the long face?"
He handed Hermione the papers and she looked them over.
"I should have known," she said. She looked at Harry.
"I want a meeting with all the families," he said. "This afternoon, if possible."
Hermione nodded and handed the papers to Cissy who got up as soon as she finished reading and left the room.
A/N: RELATIONSHIP SCORECARD:
If you didn't read the Intro, you missed that. This is so you can keep up with who's with who and how.
Key:
Names in Italics = OCGr – Gryffindor, Hu – Hufflepuff, Ra – Ravenclaw, Sl – Slytherin. SG – St. George's School, PE – Prince Edward School, SA – St. Andrew's, SP – St. Patrick's, SD – St. David's.(Number indicates last year completed. No number means they finished all seven years.)
P = pregnant.
Harry James Potter, age 15.*
1. Hermione Jane (Granger) Potter, age 16; CONSORT (POTTER).*
2. Luna Celeste (Lovegood) Black, age 15; CONSORT (BLACK).*
3. Dora (Tonks) Black-Potter, age 22; CONCUBINE (BLACK).*P
4. Minerva Grace (McGonagall) Potter-Black, age 68; CONCUBINE (POTTER).P
5. Mallory Michelle (Grant) Black Potter, age 39; CONCUBINE (BLACK).P - boy.
6. Daphne Renee (Greengrass) Black-Potter, age 16; CONCUBINE (BLACK).*
7. Astoria Lynn (Greengrass) Potter-Black, age 14; CONCUBINE (POTTER).*
8. Ginevra Molly (Weasley) Potter-Black, age 14); CONCUBINE (POTTER).*
9. Stacey Marie (Campbell) Potter-Black, age 17 (SA-5); CONCUBINE (BLACK).*
10. Tabatha Simone Collins, age 16 (SA-5); CONCUBINE (BLACK).
Bill Weasley, age 25.
1. Fleur Patrice (Delacour) Weasley, age 19; CONSORT (BILL WEASLEY).P
2. Mary Ellen (Howard) Weasley, age 18 (Hu-5); CONCUBINE (BILL WEASLEY).*
3. Samantha Christine (Johnson) Weasley, age 17); CONCUBINE BILL WEASLEY).*
4. Peggy Louise Nolan, age 17 (9/6/78) (Hu-6); CONCUBINE (BILL WEASLEY).
5. Elizabeth Olive Nolan, age 14 (Gr-3); CONCUBINE (BILL WEASLEY).
Neville Algicyrus Longbottom, age 15.*
1. Susan Marie (Bones) Longbottom, age 16 (Hu-5); CONSORT (NEVILLE).*P
2. Amber Selma (Harker) Longbottom, age 33 (Sl-5); CONCUBINE (NEVILLE).*P
3. Penelope Ann Clearwater, age 20 (Ra); CONCUBINE (NEVILLE).
Fred Weasley, age 18.
1. Alicia May Spinet, age 18; CONSORT (FRED).*
2. Verity Nicole (Smith) Weasley, age 21; CONCUBINE (FRED).*P
3. Danielle Louise (Carter) Weasley, age 20; CONCUBINE (FRED).*
4. Victoria (Vicki) Peters, age 17 (Ra-6); CONCUBINE (FRED).
5. Rachel Francine Peters, age 15 (Ra-4); CONCUBINE (FRED).
George Weasley, age 18.
1. Angelina Olivia (Johnson) Weasley, age 18; CONSORT (GEORGE).*P
2. Shelly Ann (Parker) Weasley, age 22; CONCUBINE (GEORGE).*
3. Ellen Suzanne (North) Weasley, age 20; CONCUBINE (GEORGE).*
4. Anna Melissa Jenkins, age 17; CONCUBINE (GEORGE).
* - Indicates in flight training RDCAF.