Chapter 33
Chapter Text
Harry had a lot to think about on the way back. Now that he had 'found' a room he could approach Hermione about setting up a study group. It was nice of Percy to offer his office, but Harry didn't want the group to be discovered and have it come back hurt his new favorite professor. Percy had proven himself not only as a competent teacher, but as an intelligent man who knew how to ask the right questions. The often-overlooked Weasley knew he publicly he couldn't say he believed Harry. The fact that he did at all was more than enough.
"I'm going to check out a few things," Nym said as they walked together. "There are a few people I can ask for more strenuous exercises."
"Thanks," Harry replied. "I'd rather not accidentally turn my quill into a chicken or something if I lose track of the buildup."
"Do you think you could?" Nym asked, wrinkling her brow in thought. "It would be a great party trick."
"I don't know," Harry said shrugging. "My magic just kind of does things. I'd like to be able to control it when that happens. That's what I was hoping to do before we met Rowena. Or Hogwarts. I'm not going to think about that too hard."
"We can figure something out once I get back," Nym suggested. "You don't have to limit yourself with just one approach. Her plan is going to take time, if it works."
Nym stumbled a couple of steps. She glared at the floor as a slightly raised tile sank back into line with the others.
"Did you see that?" Nym yelled. "She tripped me!"
"You should probably apologize," Harry chuckled.
Nym glared at him. Harry smiled widely back at her.
"I'll be back after dinner," Nym grumbled. "If she lets me in."
"She will," Harry said taking a step closer to the wall to gently stroke the wall.
"Please don't fuck the castle," Nym pinched the bridge of her nose. "I never thought I would have to say something like that."
"Welcome to my life," Harry said with a shrug. "Improbable is just another Tuesday for me."
"Not impossible?" Nym asked.
"Anything that can happen isn't impossible," Harry did his best Dumbledore impression. "Anything that can be highly improbable but never impossible."
"Thanks, Gandalf," Nym rolled her eyes.
Harry raised his eyebrows at that.
"Gandalf?" Nym repeated. "You don't know who Gandalf is?"
"Should I?" Harry asked.
"My poor, sweet Harry," Nym pulled him into a tight, overly dramatic hug. "I will show you the works of Tolkien."
"Is it Gandalf Tolkien or Tolkien Gandalf?" Harry asked.
"Stop," Nym shifted him back to arm's length. "I have other things to do than to go get you the entire series." She paused. "Don't think you'd need to read The Silmarillion or The Children of Hurin until you've at least read The Hobbit."
"I'm going to pretend that I know what you're talking about," Harry patted her hand as he spoke.
"I should be back after dinner," Nym repeated. "Tomorrow morning at the latest. I'll need to pick up a few things to properly educate you."
"Should I be worried?" Harry asked.
"Nah," Nym replied. "You'll love it."
Nym gave him a quick kiss and left him to his own devices. His mind drifted as his feet moved on instinct. It wasn't until he found himself in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady that he realized where he was. He hadn't spent much time in the common room yet. Granted, it hadn't been that long since the school year had started, but he usually hung out there a few nights a week. Well, that wasn't completely true. The last time he had been in the common room he had ended up having sex with Lavender. Maybe it was his subconscious hoping for a repeat that led him here. The watch only had a small stripe of yellow in a sea of green, so it wasn't that he needed to release the excess magic. He had to admit the truth, he really liked sex. There were many, MANY less enjoyable ways that could work to ease the pressure, and he was in no hurry whatsoever to find them.
He shrugged, gave the password, and entered the common room. There weren't many people around. He stepped out of the way to make sure he wasn't blocking anyone. Since he was here anyway, he took a seat at one of the study tables. His classes had taken a backseat to the various crisis of the year. This was the time he was supposed to be preparing for OWLs. He could see the stress already working its way into the daily lives of his classmates.
Parvati dropped into the seat next to him, pulling him from his thoughts.
"Hello, Harry," she beamed at him.
"Hi, Parvati," he smiled back.
She pulled out a couple of books and some parchment. Harry sneakily studied her as she went about her task. Her Yule Ball last year had been an utter disaster, thanks to him, and yet she didn't seem to hold it against him. She was still nice, smiled at him, and there hadn't been any sudden rumors popping up about him in some negative light.
"Hey, Parvati," Harry spoke softly. "I wanted to apologize for last year. You looked amazing and I ruined your night."
"That's sweet, thank you," Parvati set down her quill and turned to face him. "I almost cursed you a few times. Padma may seem innocent, but she has a vindictive streak that is impressive. She came up with a spell that targets clothing."
"Like making it disappear?" Harry asked.
"No," Parvati chuckled. "That would be too easy. She made it so that whichever piece of clothing it hit constantly shifts. It will flip inside-out, turn backwards, and a few other tricks that only the person wearing them will experience."
"Damn," Harry nodded in appreciation.
"I was going to hit your boxers with it," Parvati admitted.
"How do you know I wear boxers?" Harry scrunched his brow as he asked.
She just flashed him a smile.
"Still, I am really sorry, and I'd like to make it up to you," Harry said. "Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?"
"Aw, that's sweet," Parvati flashed him a dazzling smile. "I can't go to Hogsmeade this next time. Padma and I have some family business that we have to do a few weekends."
"Anything you need help with?" Harry asked.
"No," Parvati chuckled. "I swear, just because we're Indian doesn't mean we have arranged marriages. I mean, we can, but that's common here too. Why do you think Parkinson follows Malfoy around?" She paused to take a deep breath. "Sorry, it gets annoying when people assume things."
"I know the feeling," Harry muttered.
"I bet," Parvati patted his shoulder. "That's what helped me get over the Ball. After everything that happened last year it was clear that you were going through a lot."
Harry stopped himself from muttering in agreement.
"That doesn't mean you're off the hook, mister," Parvati mock-scowled at him. "You do owe me a nice evening out. We're talking about me in a nice dress, you in a suit, dancing, and all that we missed."
"Gladly," Harry replied with a big smile.
Parvati went back to her schoolwork. Harry tried to remember if there were any assignments that he had forgotten about. This year already had been a chaotic mess. Things didn't usually get started until Halloween.
"You know," Parvati whispered. "Lavender told me something interesting about you?"
"Oh?" Harry felt his mouth go dry.
"She said that you two had sex, right over there, and no one noticed," she pointed to where Harry had been reading the other night. "Is that true?"
Harry nodded. He didn't trust his voice.
"Want to try again?" Parvati asked as her tone filled with want.
"Yes," Harry squeaked out.
Parvati giggled. She stood and scanned the room. A couple people looked at her briefly simply drawn by the movement.
"Did you turn invisible or something?" Parvati asked.
"No," Harry shook his head. "People couldn't see us."
Parvati raised her eyebrows in an unspoken question. Harry took a breath and focused his magic to take the shape of a bubble around him. Parvati's eyes went wide as she searched for him. Every time she would look at him her eyes would drift off to the side. She reached out to touch him where she knew he had been a moment ago. Her hand neared him, then slightly veered away as it got close.
Harry let his magic relax. Parvati jumped back at his sudden appearance.
"That's amazing," Parvati whispered. "Do it again."
He did, this time allowing Parvati into the bubble with him. A playful smile crossed her face as she realized that she was 'invisible' too.
"How much does this work?" Parvati asked.
"Enough to have sex without people knowing," Harry replied with a roguish grin.
"Hey," Parvati turned to address the rest of the common room.
She scanned the room until she found a target.
"Oi, Finnegan," Parvati yelled. "I'll flash you if you look at me."
Seamus seemed to hear his name. He looked around the room, but his eyes passed right over Parvati. The wizard shrugged and went back to reading a course-book.
"I thought he was going to see me for a moment," Parvati laughed.
"I was tempted to let it drop," Harry teased.
"You wouldn't dare," Parvati gasped.
"I don't know," Harry crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "I would get a front row seat."
Parvati had a hunger in her eyes that he recognized. She pulled him into a kiss. A bolt of energy rushed along his spine, straight to his cock. Harry rested his hands on her hips as the kiss deepened. He reached lower and grabbed a handful of her surprisingly firm ass.
"Here?" He asked.
Her eyes flashed with mischief as she nodded. She let out a squeak of shock as he lifted her up onto the table. Harry flipped up her school skirt. His hands grabbed the band of her panties. He paused, looking up at her for a signal. She nodded. Harry tore the panties away, exposing her beautiful petals.
Parvati let out a gasp as she felt his hot breath on her pussy. She looked down to see a mop of black hair. Harry looked up at her with a roguish smirk. He kept eye contact as he lowered his mouth on her. His tongue licked her slit top to bottom before swirling around her clit. She could feel her juices starting to flow with each flick of his tongue.
Parvati was about to ask what she meant but it was that moment Harry shoved his tongue as deep as it would go and grinding his nose into her clit.
Parvati's thighs clamped down on his head. She let out a shocked squeak at the sensation.
Harry could feel the wetness on his face. It was a good start, but he wanted to make sure that she enjoyed this impromptu hook-up. His tongue vibrated against her clit and within mere moments of using parseltongue her thighs clamped onto the sides his head, somehow even tighter than before. She screamed something in a language he didn't recognize but took it as a good sign considering her hands in his hair were pulling him closer. Even after the cumming half a dozen times her cunt looked practically untouched.
Harry had to pry her legs away from his head, so he was able to breathe. He moved up from the between her legs so they would be face to face. Carefully, he pulled her closer to the edge of the table. His head of his cock let out a meaty thwap as it landed on her trimmed bush.
"Are you ready?" Harry asked.
Parvati opened her mouth to say something, but only gibberish came out. Harry flashed her a hungry smile. The new position gave him a close view of her expression as she sank down onto his cock. A high-pitched squeak was cut off halfway, leaving Parvati with her mouth open but soundless. Her eyes were as wide as could be, staring straight ahead without actually seeing anything. All Parvati could focus on was just how much Harry's cock was stretching her pussy.
Harry groaned through clenched teeth. His cock felt like it was in a vice. Parvati screamed when Harry pulled her down to get more of his thick cock into her tight, searing hole. Her body shuddered in his grip as her legs lost their strength. They were still loosely around Harry's body. The only thing keeping her hold was the fact that her ankles had locked together. Her already muddled mind couldn't figure out how her pussy could take in Harry's cock in the first place.
"You are so fucking tight!" Harry growled as his cock a few inches deeper into Parvati. "Do you want me to pull out?"
"Don't you fucking dare!" Parvati yelled before he could finish speaking.
The tinge of desperation in her voice showed how deeply she was enjoying herself. She completely missed the smug smile he gave.
"Brace yourself," Harry whispered in her ear.
Parvati's hand gripped Harry's arms tightly in expectation. She wasn't prepared for Harry to pull her down his cock in one earth-shaking motion until their bodies clapped together. Her body spasmed as her pussy was well and truly stretched to its limit. Harry's cock was reaching places inside her that she didn't even know she had. The crown of his cock knocked against her cervix causing her vision to flash white.
Harry groaned at feeling the tight, wet cunt surrounding his cock. Parvati's pussy was trying to strangle his shaft as she continued to orgasm. The feeling just made him want to go harder. He didn't wait for her orgasm to end. Harry fucked her through the body-wracking sensation. The hint of a drunken smile settled on her face as he pulled a little of his cock out of her vice-like cunt before slamming back in.
Parvati moaned as her fingers lost the strength to hold onto his arm. Harry lifted her up along his shaft until he was level with her fuck-drunk face. She let out a little sad sound. Her pussy felt empty with only the tip of his cock still inside.
Harry thought Parvati never looked sexier. He wasn't too proud to admit that she and her sister had starred in quite a few fantasies. It was cliché to think of having a threesome with twins, but masturbation material didn't need to be complicated. Her usual cheery expression was replaced with a loopy smile on her flushed face.
A loud clap of flesh smacking into each other echoed around the room. Her cunt fought to keep his cock inside when he was sheathed fully. No matter the motion, her pussy clamped down so he tight that he had to work for every little movement.
"Fuck," Harry groaned as he luxuriated in the sensation. "I think I might keep you."
Harry paid no mind to Parvati, who was quivering on his cock as her pussy gushed out orgasm after orgasm on his cock. He lifted the cumming witch up his shaft. Her scream told him the move pushed her to another peak in her near-constant orgasm. He paused for just a moment to admire the woman before hammering her down until his balls bounced off her ass.
The only sounds that filled the room were the rapid claps of Parvati's ass meeting Harry's pelvis. Parvati mewled as he used her like a toy. She never thought sex could be something amazing. The thought of being Harry's was becoming more appealing every thrust. Her head lolled from side to side as her vice-tight cunt to squeeze his cock.
"Fuck it," Harry growled out between harsh thrusts into Parvati's pussy. "I'm going to fill you up."
Parvati's eyes fluttered closed as she felt another orgasm slam into her. His words were lost in her haze. Harry let go of her hips to get two handfuls of her ass. The primal need to fill Parvati's tight cunt with as much cum as he could.
Parvati sighed into Harry's chest when she felt the first shot of cum blast into her depths. A wonderful, warm feeling spread through her lower body. Harry pumped rope after rope of seed into her. Each one was just as strong as the first. It got to a point when Parvati could feel his thick cum leaking out of her filled pussy and down her dangling legs.
"Damn, I didn't realize how much I needed that," Harry sighed as he carried her limp form back to the table and chairs.
He set her down gently, drew his wand, and cleaned them of their mess. She cooed as the air touched her skin. The heat from their coupling fading made the room feel a few degrees cooler than before.
"We should do this again," Parvati cooed.
"Maybe in a bed?" Harry teased.
"Or in the Great Hall," Parvati countered.
"I don't know if my magic would work on that scale," Harry said thoughtfully.
"Well, there's only one way to find out," Parvati said as she kissed along his neck.
"Put up this shield the next time I go eat?" Harry asked.
"No, silly," Parvati chuckled. "Sex on the Slytherin table, obviously."
"Obviously," Harry joined her laughter. "You're going to be trouble, aren't you?"
"Only the best kind," Parvati said winking at him.
"We should get cleaned up," Harry rubbed a hand along her spine as he spoke.
"Yes," Parvati nodded.
She sat up and tapped her chin in thought.
"What's up?" Harry asked.
"I'm just trying to remember if either of us used a contraception spell?" Parvati breezily replied.
Harry knew for a fact that he didn't. He was pretty sure she hadn't either, unless she had somehow manage to do it without him seeing.
"I'm just teasing you," Parvati laughed. "Most witches have a monthly potion to stop just these sort of things from happening."
"Most?" Harry asked, almost dreading the answer.
Parvati shrugged.
"I really need to use that spell," Harry muttered.
Chapter 34 - Dreams
Chapter Text
Harry knew he was dreaming. The signs were easy to spot considering he wasn't made of gingerbread and there was no reason for him to be in the Ministry of Magic. He knew this feeling too. It was the same one that came from Voldemort trying to get into his head, only the sensation was muted. Harry considered just ignoring it, but curiosity got the better of him.
He focused on the connection and listened. Shock registered from the other side. Harry latched onto that feeling and raced through the dreamscape to chase it down. A vague humanoid outline made of smoke hovered in the air. It tried to flee at his approach, but Harry was too fast. A door opened behind the specter. It stepped through and Harry followed closely behind. He found himself standing before Voldemort as the pale man sat on a throne. Red eyes full of alarm stared into his emerald. Harry took in the scene as quickly as he could. The Death Eaters gathered were kneeling with their faces down in deference. They lacked details, but the platinum blond of Lucius Malfoy was easy to spot. Harry scanned the wider room for a clue of the location. He caught a glimpse of a House Crest before he was ejected from the connection.
Harry jolted awake. Luna lay snuggled tightly against his side. She stroked his bare chest and mumbled something in her sleep at his movement. Harry smiled. He knew that House Crest. It was one that Draco proudly wore as a pin on his tie.
Voldemort was at Malfoy Manor.
Harry tried to move into a sitting position only to realize he was being held down. He looked at his other side to see Nym had wrapped his arm in a tight grip and wasn't going to let go. Harry grumbled but couldn't be all that mad.
"Dobby," Harry tried to keep his voice low.
Dobby popped in near the side of the bed. The poor elf only had one eye open, and it was drooping ever so slightly.
"Great Harry Potter calls?" Dobby mumbled out.
"I need you to deliver an urgent message to Dumbledore," Harry said. "It's about Voldemort."
Dobby snapped awake.
"Voldemort tried to send me a vision. I was able to follow the connection back and got a look at where they were," Harry explained. "He's at Malfoy Manor. Go tell Dumbledore, as fast as you can. If he doesn't wake up then tell Amelia Bones." He paused. "Do you know who that is?"
"Yes," Dobby nodded. "Little Miss Bonesy has Twipps as her elf. Dobby can tell her."
"Thanks," Harry said with a smile. "Wait, tell them both."
"Yes, sir, Great Harry Potter," Dobby nodded enthusiastically then disappeared with hardly a sound.
Harry waited for a few minutes to see if anyone had tried to contact him. Dumbledore had a bad habit of strolling in a room regardless of where it was or what was happening. The excitement wore off and it was hard to tell how long he waited for an interruption. Finally, he allowed himself to fall back to sleep.
~§~
Harry woke up when he felt the bed move. Nym gave him a coy smile as she got to her feet. She hurried out of the room. He caught a glimpse of her as she fled. She only had on a long T-Shirt giving him a nice view of her legs and a quick flash of her bum.
The sound of voices in the main room caught his interest. He carefully extracted his arm from under Luna's head then slipped on a shirt of his own as he headed toward the sound. Nym stood behind the couch to hide her bare legs from the two visitors. Dumbledore and Amelia Bones stopped talking once they noticed Harry enter the room.
"Did you find them?" Harry asked.
"Unfortunately, no," Amelia answered. "They locked down the Manor wards. The place was empty before we could break through. We did catch a few when they tried to Apparate. Not nearly as many as I'd like. The Floo was supposed to be blocked, but the order was delayed somehow."
Her last few words were said through gritted teeth.
"Still," Amelia took a breath and let it out. "Thanks for the tip. Malfoy is claiming that they broke in and held him hostage. Fudge, of course, believes every word of it." A clever smile crossed her face. "In fact, he is making sure that the DMLE is putting their resources to tracking the scoundrels down and a protective detail. It just so happens that we need access to the Ward stone and Floo records. Not to mention a full patrol of the grounds. "
"Truly, well done, my boy," Dumbledore added. "Quick thinking as well. Dobby mentioned something about a dream?"
"Voldemort was trying to manipulate my dreams," Harry said with a nod. "He's done it in the past and I could recognize it. I chased him out of my head and found him in Malfoy Manor before he kicked me out. Trust me, Lucius wasn't a hostage."
"Dreams don't hold weight in a criminal investigation," Amelia said.
"What about visions?" Harry asked.
Amelia replied with a shake of her head.
"Damn," Harry muttered. "At least it was something."
"What do you mean he's done this before?" Dumbledore had gone pale at the information.
"He'd send me nightmares," Harry shrugged. "At first it was just a feeling a time or two, then they started to get more focused. He'd show me the graveyard or times he killed someone. This summer was the worst of it since he used my blood."
Amelia narrowed her eyes at him.
"I think it's well passed time we had a discussion about this," Amelia said shooting Dumbledore a glare.
She was waiting for the Headmaster to argue. Harry nodded. He stole a quick look at the nearby window to see the sun hadn't risen yet. The time appeared in the air before him in response to his thought to find it was only a few minutes after three in the morning.
"Do you want to do that now?" Harry asked as he dismissed the time.
The others stared at his casual use of non-verbal, wandless magic. Harry realized why they were looking at him so strangely a moment later. He raised his wrist to find the watch-face was red with only a few lingering stripes of yellow that were quickly shrinking.
"Excuse us," Nym blushed as she hurried toward Harry. "Duty calls."
"Auror Tonks," Amelia said, the hard tone in her voice stopping Nym in her tracks. "That won't be necessary. Mister Potter and I need to speak regarding private matters."
"But…" Nym motioned to Harry who still had the watch raised.
"Don't worry, Auror Tonks," Amelia winked at her. "I'll take care of it."
"Yes, ma'am," Nym pouted as she headed back to bed.
"Well," Dumbledore gave an exaggerated yawn. "This old man will take his leave. My bed is calling."
Dumbledore was fast for his age. The Headmaster was out of the room and closed the door behind in a blur of movement that left a trail of displaced are in its wake.
Amelia and Harry stood in the main room alone. She unclasped the front of her robe and draped it over the back of one of the chairs. He had half-expected her to be nude underneath, but that wasn't the case. Amelia wore a simple blue sundress that looked amazing on her, though it did make the knee-high dragonhide boots look a little out of place. She pulled something from her hair to let it fall down below her shoulders.
"I learned something interesting the other day," Amelia strutted over to him.
Her hips moved in a hypnotic rhythm.
"Oh?" Harry somehow managed to say.
"Our meeting in my office was unexpectedly fruitful," Amelia took his hand and rested it on her lower stomach. "And here I thought the Bones family wasn't going to have another member for years."
Harry gulped.
"Are you sure?" Harry whispered.
She nodded in answer. Luna had told him that Amelia was pregnant. Still, there was a difference from learning about it second-hand and hearing it from the woman in question. She trailed a finger along his chest and quickly stripped him of his shirt.
"No," Harry said catching her hands.
She scrunched her brow in confusion.
"This time," he flashed her a roguish smile. "You follow my lead."
Harry stepped forward to grab Amelia and led her into one of the unused bedrooms. He brought his face to her collar bone as he sucked and kissed her neck hard enough to leave marks. His hands ran up and down her curves trying to get a feel for what she liked. He noted every sound she made as he made sure to pay extra attention to her impressive tits to her tight ass.
He guided her onto the bed.
Amelia moaned, one of her hands moving up to squeeze her breasts as his fingers lowered to explore her sensitive pussy. Harry inserted two fingers inside her pussy while his other hand found her clit and slowly rubbed around it, making her gasp. He curled his fingers in search of a spot she would love and was glad when her back arched from the wave of pleasure.
Harry slowly pulled his hand back, making Amelia moan at being deprived of the fullness between her legs before he thrust forward making her jerk in pleasure. Amelia let out a string of gibberish as her back arched pleasure.
Looking down he could see his cock laying on her smoldering pussy waiting for her to give him the go-ahead. She was absolutely soaked and completely ready for what was to come. Amelia fought the urge to giggle at the little look he gave her to be sure she wanted this. With a desperate nod she soon felt him push into her teasingly slow.
Harry nearly came feeling her scorchingly tight pussy wrap around every inch of his cock. He knew he wasn't going to last long so he gripped the sheets to use as leverage, then he pulled back and snapped his hips forward. Amelia let out a scream feeling his cock rubbing against her sensitive cervix. Harry smiled and repeated the motion until they were both moaning.
The two then kissed as they both felt their orgasms approaching. Harry took pride that she came first, and she announced it with a scream sure to wake anyone in earshot as she felt his throbbing cock set every nerve-end alight with pure pleasure. Her tight pussy clamped down around Harry's cock, desperate for his cum. All he could do was gasp before his balls tightened and let loose his load. Even with having sex yesterday, the amount of cum was enough to overflow her pussy.
As she came down from her high, staring up at the ceiling, she slowly began to regain her bearings and realized that she was lying naked on his bed, his still-hard cock inside her. She didn't have enough brain power to wonder how he had so much stamina. Harry pulled out in a fluid movement, spun her around so that she was face down in his pillow with her ass in the air, and pushed back inside her. His cock slipped into her wet cunt with no resistance.
She screamed into the pillow at the sudden penetration. Her sensitive, cum filled pussy was already on its way to another orgasm, and he wanted to make sure she reached it. Harry thrusted hard as her hips rock back and forth to match him. He could feel his own release approaching and sped up his thrusts. He reached forward and grabbed her arms, using them like reigns to help pull her back onto his cock. Amelia buried her face his pillow, letting out a muffled scream that was still quite loud her body was rocked with another orgasm once.
Harry came right after her, his seed filling her. Amelia came again as she felt another load pump into her. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head from the pleasure. Finally, Harry pulled out and enjoyed the view of her cum filled pussy.
He lowered himself to the bed beside her. His fingers trailed along the length of her back. Amelia moaned at his touch. He wasn't sure if he could go for another round, but he would be willing to try. Instead, her breathing slowed as she drifted off to sleep. Harry kissed her shoulder before joining her in slumber.
~§~
Harry woke up again, this time to the sound of flapping wings. It was closer to that of a Snitch rather than an owl. He tracked the noise until he found an origami hummingbird hovering nearby. It zipped over to him and dropped onto his lap. He stared at it for a moment, but it didn't move anymore.
He shrugged. The bird unfolded as he reached for it.
Harry,
Last night was unexpected. I do need to speak to you in an official capacity. Contact my assistant to arrange a time for our meeting. Don't get your hopes up, Mister. There will be another person in the room to take notes.
Yours,
Amelia
Harry smiled at the note. Another person? Maybe he could convince her to have Nym do it. Then the three of them could spend some quality time together.
"Harry," Luna called from the other room. "No fair having sex with other women when I can't watch."
"I didn't know you would want to," Harry replied.
"I will accept your apology in the form of piggy-back rides," she said as she skipped into the room. "You're still naked."
Harry looked down at himself. "Yes, I am."
"Shower?" She asked hopefully.
"A quick one," Harry replied.
"Poo," Luna pouted.
"You can still help me wash," he offered.
Luna brightened at that. Today was going to be a good day.
Chapter 35 - Interesting Meeting
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Harry leaned back in the seat. The Ministry had sent a car since the floo wasn't an option. It was mundane to avoid the possibility of him accidentally stripping any enchantments. Unfortunately, it meant that the trip took a lot longer than usual. They had sent a carriage for Harry to get to Hogsmeade, then a Jeep that looked like it was made somewhere around World War Two, and finally a town car once they reached an actual road.
He didn't realize how much pressure he had been under until he was away from the magical area. Literal pressure. Magic itself was pushing in on him. It eased the farther they got from Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. After an hour he felt relaxed enough to take off his rings. He could still feel magic being drawn to him, but it had eased to a stream rather than rapids. Three more hours later the car pulled to a stop in front of a tavern. There were still another four hours to go before they reached the city. The place didn't look to be anything special or magical.
"What are we doing here?" Harry asked the driver.
"They got tired of waiting," the driver replied. "This place is out of the way enough for them to feel comfortable."
Two Aurors approached the car and waited for him to get out. They didn't even bother to try looking muggle. The two still wore their red robes and had their wands out. Harry stepped out of the car, noting how the Aurors kept their eyes on the surrounding area rather than him.
Another trio of Aurors waited inside. He didn't recognize any of them. It wasn't that odd, he told himself. The only Aurors he really knew by name were Tonks and Moody. There may have been more in the Order, but he had been busy during that stretch of time.
The place was empty aside from the Aurors and the staff. They didn't seem to mind the strange customers. Either they had been charmed, were magical themselves, or simply didn't care. Harry wasn't going to fault anyone in the service industry for ignoring strange things. They probably dealt with annoying people all the time.
"Another for the private room?" An older waitress asked.
She was dressed in casual clothing. The only thing that distinguished her as a member of the staff was her apron. She didn't even have a nametag. This place wasn't one of those chain restaurants with fake memorabilia on the walls and vests full of 'flare' to add character.
"Yes, thank you," Harry replied.
The woman led him to a side room that was guarded with another couple of Aurors guarding the door. There was something about the group of Aurors that tickled the back of his mind. He couldn't put a finger on it, but they put him on edge. It didn't help that the magical pressure increased whenever he got close to one of them. Their robes looked normal, they didn't give off any sort of magical aura. Wands hadn't bothered him, so it wasn't that. Still, there was a bit of magic energy hovering around them that rushed for him to absorb. They were jumpy too. Sneaking looks at him when they thought he wasn't looking. Each one had their wands in hand.
Harry paused as he stepped into the room. Amelia wasn't alone. Minister Fudge, some random ministry employees, and Lucius Malfoy of all people waited for him. Not one among them looked happy to be here. Of course, Lucius only ever appeared to be annoyed or disgusted.
"Mister Potter," Fudge was sweating for some reason. "Take a seat."
Harry did.
"I thought this was a meeting with Lady Bones," Harry said after a moment.
"The DMLE works for me," Fudge said a little too fast. "I want to be kept aware of important investigations. Your information saved the life of my dear friend Lucius. His safety is something that I have personally guaranteed."
Harry had to hand it to the man. Fudge knew Lucius couldn't pay him if Malfoy was dead. Not that the Death Eater was in any real danger. Judging by how annoyed Amelia looked, he bet Fudge picked out the Aurors himself. That fact would explain the weird feeling he was getting from them. Anyone loyal to Malfoy was likely a Death Eater.
A slow dread creeped up along his spine. He knew he could trust Amelia, but he didn't know any of the other Aurors and they were in the middle of nowhere. He was always a big target. Adding Amelia to the mix just made it all the more appealing. Having Fudge here would only sweeten the deal. All they needed was to have Dumbledore pop in for a visit to take out the main opposition.
This was the perfect place for an ambush. His eyes drifted along the group until he was looking at Lucius. The self-important smirk on Malfoy's face told him everything he needed to know. Definitely an ambush. He shifted his gaze to the most important person in the room. Amelia was a professional, she wouldn't miss the clues if he was able to put it together. Now he just needed to figure out how to tell her he knew without giving everything away. The last thing he wanted was her to think she needed to protect him.
"Madam Bones," Harry said with a polite smile. "Please be careful."
She raised an eyebrow at that. The little twitch of the corner of her mouth told him she was pretty much telling him the same thing. He felt the change in the air when a set of wards activated. The flow of magical power into his core increased. Thankfully, wards were akin to a constant low-level hum. The twitch of her eyebrow told him she felt it too.
He shifted his attention back to Malfoy.
"Lucy," he shook his head to show his disappointment. "This is heavy-handed even for you."
The smug smirk twisted in a glare.
"Mister Potter," Fudge smacked his hand on the table. "I will not have you speak to my guest in such a disrespectful manner."
Another, much closer, bit of magic made the world beyond the private room completely silent. The spell started to fade with Harry close to the door. Each bit of magic eagerly flowed into him since there was so little in the area. Soon enough, screams and spell-fire could be heard clearly through the doors. Harry could feel the spells of varied power flying around in the area around them. He inadvertently syphoned off some of the energy to the ones that were closer to him. Either there were more loyal Aurors among the group, or Amelia had brought her own squad.
Fudge went white while Lucius sat beside him with that smug glare. Amelia pushed out her chair, got to her feet, and positioned herself at an angle to the door. She used a tidy bit of transfiguration to shift the floor into a barrier. Lucius jumped to his feet, ready to blast it to pieces.
Harry held out his hand and focused. Whatever spell was about to leave Lucius' wand fizzled as the magic flowed into Harry. Malfoy scrunched his forehead in consternation before trying again only to get the same result. He changed his aim from Amelia to Harry thinking he'd have more success. The next spell was certainly a nasty one and it packed quite a punch. Harry could feel a heavy weight press in on him as he absorbed the magic fueling it.
"Not bad, Lucy," Harry nodded. "Mind if I give it a shot?"
Lucius increased his speed. Spell after spell rushed at Harry in a nearly constant stream. He held up his hand, Lucius' wand jumped out of his hand and sailed over to Harry. He caught it, snapped it, and dropped the pieces on the floor. Lucius' usual pale face turned an unhealthy red.
"I guess you didn't hear about all this?" Harry flicked his wrist; his wand appeared in his grip.
The Ministry had many, many chances to take Malfoy down over the years. That wasn't even counting the obviously fake Imperious Defense from the first war. It was time to fix that. Harry sliced his wand in a diagonal motion. A near neon yellow swirl of magic flew across the room at blinding speed. Harry didn't know if it was an actual spell. He simply visualized the effect he wanted and directed his magic to follow his intent.
Lucius tried to dodge but he may as well have been moving in slow motion. The spell struck him in the center in the chest. He got out just a squeak of a scream before his arms, legs, and head twisted in a couple of full rotations. The sound of bones shattering combined into one big CRACK. Lucius fell dead to the ground. Fudge hadn't moved yet, frozen in his seat. Even the Ministry workers had the good sense to get under the table.
"Now," Harry turned toward the doors. "Let's see who came to greet us."
The doors opened to reveal a battleground. He couldn't see the waitress, but there was a discarded, partially melted double-barrel shotgun next to the body of a Death Eater. Harry did wonder how a firearm would work in a fight with a wizard. The fist-sized hole in the Death Eaters chest was rather informative.
There was one Auror on the floor with a vacant stare. Another one was pinned down behind some improvised cover. Three Death Eaters and a couple of Aurors were slowly working through the physical layers of protection. The front door had been explosively removed, the windows were shattered, and there was some smoke drifting from the outside.
"Excuse me," Harry spoke up.
The Death Eaters and the remaining Auror turned to look at him.
"Could you keep it down? We're trying to have a meeting here," Harry said casually.
The Death Eaters turned their wands on him. A flash of spells rushed toward him, only to fizzle out before they got half-way across the room. Harry gave them a feral smile. He didn't bother using his wand, he held up his hand and snapped.
A long string of pops was followed by screams of agony as the Death Eaters wands broke into little pieces. The spell continued on, cracking the bones of their fingers and along their arms. It only stopped when it reached their necks.
"Put too much power behind that," Harry muttered.
The surviving Auror slowly stood up. He stared from Harry to the now dead Death Eaters.
"Head inside," Harry motioned to the Auror. "I would appreciate it if you provided Madam Bones with some support if she needs it."
A powerful rush of magic rocked Harry back on his feet. The magic he was using kept the pressure at an even level, but this was something special. He could practically see the miasma of darkness that filled the air. There was only one person who could possibly have that sort of impact.
Harry strolled outside to see Voldemort flanked by three masked Death Eaters on either side. They were well dressed, but Wormtail wasn't among the number, so it didn't matter.
"Potter," Voldemort growled.
"Tom," Harry waved. "Fancy seeing you here. I've heard the Shepard's Pie is good."
"Your humor does little to hide your fear," Voldemort snarled.
"Your minions are dead," Harry dropped the fake smile. "Your ambush has failed. Surrender and you'll get a quick death."
Voldemort let out a genuine laugh. The Death Eaters beside the Dark Lord were visibly uncomfortable. Harry had to admit that it did make his skin crawl.
"This confidence, Harry," Voldemort said after a moment. "I am tempted to keep you as a pet just to break your spirit. It would be a nice treat to see the hope leave Dumbledore's eyes."
"Is this going to be you and me, or do you need your minions for support?" Harry asked. "Pardon my manners, I had to spend a few hours on a car ride."
Voldemort narrowed his eyes at the statement. There were rumors around Potter having spikes in accidental magic. The meeting in the middle of nowhere was obviously more about staying out of sight rather than some whatever gossip the cattle were on about. His gnarled wand moved in an elegant blur. He didn't give the young wizard a chance to say anything more.
Harry felt a flood of magic. He could feel the spells make it through the vortex that was his magical core. The sudden influx made the pressure return with a vengeance. Harry could feel the air around him ripple from the overflow.
The ground in front of him rose in a solid sheet of stone to block the incoming spells. He felt another powerful cluster splash against the barrier. Somehow Voldemort managed to cast a chain of Killing Curses back-to-back faster without losing speed. Harry wasn't going to test his luck that far.
He took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself. The magical overflow was pulled into his core, forcing it to move even faster. Hogwarts, in the shape of Rowena Ravenclaw, told him that he needed to find a way to increase the rate he absorbed magic. She had said that he needed to push himself to magical exhaustion, but he had inadvertently stumbled upon another method. The 'drain' from his magical basin to his core was being forced to expand and the pressure around him faded as his core managed to the take in the energy at an increased rate. It was moving so fast that there wasn't enough time for any Wild Magic to gather.
Another barrage brought down the stone wall. Harry stumbled and fell flat on his back. He closed his eyes to stop the world from spinning out of control. The flood of magic practically drunk on the rush. His breath was short and ragged. Whatever pressure had accumulated around him vanished. It felt like his body was being pulled in on itself similar to the initial part of Apparition.
Voldemort stopped casting as he finally saw Harry. A cruel, mocking laugh floated through the air as the Dark Lord approached the fallen wizard. The pale figure stopped when he saw the small movements of Harry's chest. It would be so simple to kill the boy here, but he wanted to send a message. Metal chains wrapped around Harry, binding his arms and legs tightly. Voldemort motioned for his followers to grab the boy. He picked up the dropped wand and paused went he felt a familiar harmony. It wasn't perfect, but it was quite close to his own. Voldemort tucked the wand away.
He turned to see his minions still here. They were holding onto the boy. One of his minions was breathing hard.
"Why are you still here?" Voldemort narrowed his eyes at the group.
"We can't apparate, my lord," one of them said.
A wave of his wand brought down the wards that blocked travel. His minions tried again, only for another to start breathing heavy as well. Voldemort stomped forward, he grabbed Harry by the upper-arm, and apparated away. They vanished in a thunderous crack and appeared with an even louder one. The ride had been rougher than usual, but Voldemort arrived intact with his prisoner in hand.
This mansion didn't have the comforts of Malfoy Manor, but it was decent. In fact, it was more of a big house than an actual mansion. The previous owners didn't even have a house elf. His minions had claimed it from some half-bloods that didn't need it anymore.
"Take him to the basement," Voldemort let go of Harry, who dropped heavily to the floor. "I will be down shortly. No one is to touch him until I give the order."
Chapter 36 - Waking Up
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Harry wasn't sure what had happened. One moment he was fighting Death Eaters and the next he was unconscious. He thought for a moment. It said something about his life that situations like these were becoming common. Around six months ago he had been tied to a gravestone alone. Slowly, the memories of Voldemort showing up started to form. It hadn't gone as bad as he had expected, but it didn't go well for him. He had always known that Voldemort was powerful. That was a fact that he didn't doubt, but this had been insane.
Hogwarts had told him that he needed to increase his ability to absorb magic. Her method was a targeted erosion, slowly expanding to allow a smoother flow. Fighting against Voldemort was like using a pressure washer to carve a path much faster. It traded control with speed. The sudden influx of power had knocked him for a loop.
If he stayed with the water metaphor, his drain had expanded to allow more magic to be absorbed at a better rate. Previously, the entrance from ambient magic to his core was similar to a basin with a standard size drain trying to handle a constant river that would overflow due to the unbalanced transfer. Now, the drain had expanded to the point where it was basically the same size as the basin. It was a pipeline directly into his reservoir.
He slowly came back to awareness surrounded by darkness. Rough chains wrapped around his body tightly, making breathing a chore. The room around him took form as his mind cleared. He scrunched his brow in confusion. This wasn't a dungeon, it was a basement. The floor had nicely laid tiles and wooden pillars were spaced out along the walls. He noticed that the chains were bound to the chair, just wrapped around him. This place didn't read 'Death Eater' to him, but it lacked the little touches that would mark it as Muggle.
There was magic in the air. He could feel it slowly flowing into him. It felt stronger than the isolated tavern, but not quite the level as Hogsmeade. Until now, the wars he had encountered in the past had been a constant, low hum of energy. Here, there were half a dozen layered on top of each other to the point where it was almost a roar. Whoever set them up did not want to be found. It struck him as odd that such excessive use of power didn't attract any attention.
He waited for someone to come check on him. Time passed way too slowly for his liking. Knowing Voldemort, the ego-maniac was probably gathering all of his followers to make a big show. Harry didn't understand the thought process. The self-proclaimed Dark Lord kills a wizard that hasn't even finished his schooling. Truly, a feat worthy of legends.
The fact that some spells tossed by Voldemort kicked his progress into hyperdrive was a little concerning. Harry had been around Dumbledore when Headmaster had used magic, and it hadn't felt any different than anyone else. Maybe Voldemort was putting more power into his spells while Dumbledore was more controlled. He would have to test the idea once he was back at Hogwarts.
If he ever got back to Hogwarts. He hoped that Amelia had gotten to safety. Most of the Death Eaters had been taken care out. Lucius was dead. Fudge probably survived, though he didn't know if that was a good thing or not. There was that one surviving Auror that hadn't been a Death Eater. The lockdown wards most likely vanished once they captured him. That would mean Amelia could have called for more Aurors for backup.
Harry felt the chains around him loosen. It was more than that, the conjured material was fading away. He was absorbing the magic that had created them. Another few seconds and they vanished completely. Harry stood, stretched, and felt around with his magic. A cluster of energy was growing upstairs. He took that as a sign that the Death Eaters were gathering.
There was a beacon of power among them that was obviously Voldemort. The rest didn't feel all that strong. Sure, they had more power than the students around Hogwarts, but that was expected. A few were actually weaker than some fifth-year witches and wizards. Pureblood supremacy indeed.
Harry didn't have his wand. That made sense. It wasn't in the basement either. He couldn't feel it. The last time he remembered having it was at the tavern. He had no clue if they had grabbed it when they took him. There wasn't reason beyond a trophy for them to take it. Hedwig had hidden the second wand Sirius had given him but didn't want to gamble with her safety to deliver it. They probably would have seen through any obscuring charms on the holster even if he had been wearing it. He could only hope that his wandless magic was good enough. Well, he had wasted enough time. There was only one way out of this place, and he wasn't going to wait until someone came down to get him.
It was time to do something stupid.
Harry examined the door. There weren't any signs of traps, alarms, or any sort of protection. He rolled his shoulders to loosen up his muscles. Charging into the unknown was a plan he was all too familiar with. The trick to doing something stupid was to do it confidently. People can get away with a lot when they act like they know what they are doing.
He traced his finger along the edges of the door. It swung open towards him so he couldn't just kick it open. While it would have made for a great entrance, his chances of getting out of here alive were better if he took a stealthy approach. The hinges fell away, and the door wobbled in the frame. It tilted a bit, then dropped toward him. He caught it and set it to the side. There were voices somewhere nearby, but he couldn't see anyone. He couldn't make out their words. Their tone was cruel and mocking even among their peers.
Harry took a step out into the house. The house became silent as he approached the source of the voices. His echoing steps were the only sound as he entered the room. He stopped to scan the area. A long table filled with food stretched nearly the entire length.
"Nice spread," Harry commented, placing a couple of items on his plate. "A bit heavy, but it looks tasty." He paused. "A bit heavy, I sound like Fleur."
He turned to face the assembled Death Eaters. The weren't wearing their masks. He vaguely recognized a few among them. Most importantly, his eyes locked onto Pettigrew. The animagus was shivering. Harry calmly put the plate back on the table. He then strode toward the traitor. The Death Eaters put on a brave facade; he was just one wizard.
"Move," he ordered.
The group split in magically enforced lockstep. It gave him an unobstructed path to Pettigrew. The animagus changed to his rat for only for it to forcefully be undone. He tried again for the same result. The panic on his face increased as he tried to transform with even more urgency.
"Did you know," Harry came to a stop before Pettigrew. "That half of the bones in the human body are in the hands and feet?"
Pettigrew shook his head. The portly wizard raised his hands, palms up toward Harry. He struggled to put them down only managing to cause them to shake even more.
"It makes it kind of silly, right?" Harry asked.
"What?" Pettigrew couldn't stop himself from asking.
"The threat," Harry said casually. "I'm going to break every bone in your body." He rolled his eyes. "Really, all I need to do is break half."
Harry placed his foot on top of Pettigrew's and push. The cracking of bones was loud enough to hear over the screams. Pettigrew dropped to his hands and knees.
"That's what? An eighth," Harry looked over his shoulder at the assembled Death Eaters. "Do you think he'll pass out at a quarter?"
Harry set his foot on one of Pettigrew's hands.
"My, my Harry," a familiar, cold voice said. "I never expected to see this from you."
Harry shifted his attention to Voldemort. He locked eyes with the Dark Lord as he increased the pressure. Pettigrew screamed as the bones in his hand shattered at a much slower rate than his foot. Harry stopped once the popping stopped.
"Tom," Harry wiped the bottom of his shoe on Pettigrew's shoulder. "Did you grab my wand?"
"Apologies," Voldemort replied in a conversational tone. "It slipped my mind."
"That's a shame," Harry sighed. "I really like that wand."
He turned his attention to the assembled Death Eaters. They were completely still, aside from their breathing and wild eye movements.
"I'll just have to make do," he looked at Voldemort. "May I?"
"I like this side to you, Harry," Voldemort shook his head. "Shame I have to kill you."
Voldemort waved a hand in acceptance. This dance was the most fun the dark lord had had in years.
"Present your wands," Harry ordered.
The Death Eaters stiffly followed the order. Harry went down the line, testing each one. A few burst into flames turning the wands into ash, one melted, and a couple literally jumped from his hand. Finally, he came to a wizard that was tall and unhealthily thin. The wand presented looked simple enough. It was roughly a foot long and light in color with some darker swirls of natural wood grain. Harry picked it up. There was a connection. It was far from perfect, but functional.
"Your name?" Harry asked the wizard.
"Walden McNair," the Death Eater choked out.
"I know you," Harry smiled at the man. "You execute harmless little animals."
The man tried to move but found he couldn't.
"What is this made of?" Harry asked.
"Birch with a wraithworm bone core," Walden fought each word.
"Wraithworm," Harry repeated. "I've never heard of those."
"Serpents that have an affinity to the undead," Voldemort explained.
"Interesting," Harry felt the weight of the wand in his hand.
He tapped McNair on one shoulder, passed the tip of the wand across his throat, and then tapped the other shoulder. The Death Eater gasped, then fell to the ground. His head rolled a little away from where the body lay.
"The ghosts of innocent animals everywhere now rejoice," Harry muttered.
"Did you find one?" Voldemort asked lazily.
"This one will work," Harry spun it along his fingers. "Are we waiting on any more of your minions?"
"No," Voldemort replied with a cruel smile. "Are you ready?"
Harry casually walked over to the opposite side of the room from Voldemort. He took a loose dueling stance before motioning Voldemort to do the same. The Dark Lord let out an honest laugh and did the same.
"First we bow," Harry said mocking the night in the graveyard.
~
NOTE:
You have no idea how hard it was not to end the chapter here.
~
Voldemort started the moment they finished bowing. Much to Harry's surprise, the Dark Lord didn't open with The Killing Curse. He didn't recognize most of the spells, but he could feel the horrible intent that fueled each one. Harry dodged the onslaught and lifting chunks of the floor to block those he couldn't.
Harry adapted as he went, incorporating the spells Voldemort launched at him after seeing them a couple of times. They lacked finesses and weren't fueled by years of dark intent. Still, they had some decent strength to them. Voldemort was leagues more familiar with them than Harry and was easily able to deflect the spells. The Death Eaters hit by the redirected magic screamed loud enough to attest to the effectiveness.
"You would make a fine apprentice," Voldemort said as he continued his assault.
"You would have made a good teacher," Harry replied.
The comment, rather the honesty that Harry placed in the words, made Voldemort pause for just a moment. Still, he was able to deflect the short chain of spells that followed.
"Enough," Voldemort snapped.
The familiar green of the Killing Curse launched toward Harry. He flicked his wand, a nearby Death Eater lurched forward intercepting the spell. The sight made Voldemort snarl. Using the Killing Curse was not an easy thing to do. It took a considerable amount of power and intent. Still, Voldemort was able to cast it a few times in rapid order before he needed to change tactics. Each bast of green was intercepted by another Death Eater. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed that at least ten of his Death Eaters had fallen since the duel had started.
Harry came to a stop as the latest Death Eater dropped. This entire time he could feel the magic flowing into him. It seemed like each spell helped absorb the energy smoothly. There was only the slightest hitch when Voldemort put some real power behind his spells. He couldn't remember the last time he had been free of the pressure for this long.
Voldemort roared, sending a chain of spells at him meant to maim and torture rather than kill. Harry lifted his free hand. The first spell splashed against his palm, causing a raised red welt. However, the ones following it simply faded away.
The Dark Lord stopped his assault. He studied the wizard that stood across from him. The boy should be writhing in pain on the floor as his body cooked itself from the inside. It was a rather nasty chain that Bellatrix had come up with. The first was a shield breaker, followed by an altered body bind, then a blood boiling curse with a blood replenishing charm right at the end. It had reduced powerful wizards to pathetic puddles begging for mercy. The increased production of blood mixed with the boiling curse would prolong the suffering by providing some minor healing.
Yet, the young wizard acted like it was nothing more than a bludgeoning spell. Harry examined his palm and watched as the welt faded away.
"Try again," Harry said lowering his wand.
Voldemort roared as he unleashed every curse he knew. The air between them flooded with a myriad of colors from the multiple forms of magic. Grit, blood, bone particles, chunks of the home, and even pieces of his Death Eaters chumming the air.
Finally, he stopped. His red eyes burned with rage and his body thrummed with power. The air gradually started to clear. Idly, he saw that only three of his minions remained upright. Closer inspection was needed to see if they were alive. Motion on the other side of the room caught his attention.
Harry coughed and brushed off a layer of grossness from his face.
"Thank Merlin I had my mouth closed," Harry said.
"How?" Voldemort whispered.
"Sheer dumb luck," Harry replied.
The young wizard held up the borrowed wand. It was now a charred stick. He tossed it over to the tangle of body parts that had once belonged to the assembled Death Eaters.
"What are you?" Voldemort asked.
"The same thing I've always been," Harry shrugged.
"And what is that?" Voldemort growled.
Harry's green eyes sparked with power.
"Better than you," Harry lunged forward.
The young wizard cleared the distance in the blink of an eye. One hand latched onto Voldemort's throat while the other grabbed the wand. He couldn't get a handle of the grip, but that wasn't what he needed. The sharp snap of wood sounded too loud amid the enduring chaos. Voldemort still had the grip of the wand in his hand while Harry held the remaining bit.
Voldemort yelled, his unrestrained fury shaking the house down to the foundation. He yanked Harry's hand away from his throat only to find it replaced with the tip of his broken wand. The sharp wood pressed against his Adam's Apple.
"Confringo," Harry said flatly.
Voldemort's head was explosively removed from his body as his throat exploded. The headless corpse slumped to the floor leaving Harry alone with the three remaining Death Eaters. A quick look told him that one was dead, somehow drained of all fluids, while the other two were still alive, barely. He would let them sort that out themselves.
Harry picked up the other portion of the broken wand. He didn't think it was a good idea to try to use it again, but it would help his story. Unfortunately, that left him with a selection of wands that were subpar at the very most.
He shrugged and started to search for a door outside.
Chapter 37 - Debrief
Chapter Text
Harry found the exit easily enough. He grabbed the only other wand from the clump of dead bodies. There wasn't much of a selection, it should work enough to call the Knight Bus. The one he found wouldn't hold up to dueling, or even normal wand-work, but it could potentially last long enough to cast a single Lumos.
The area outside of the mansion was a nice little estate. It wasn't an estate, more of a large house in a nice part of a town. That meant there was a street nearby. The entire area had a slight Muggle flair to it with paved streets, sidewalks, and non-magical plant décor.
Harry stepped up to the edge of the street and cast the spell. Nothing happened. He didn't know the working details for the Knight Bus, but they were rather prompt. Either he was out of the range, or there was something he was missing in the process. It probably would have helped if the wand hadn't melted after providing a moment of light.
He tried to think of some sort of way he could get back to Hogwarts. To be honest, he'd settle for some random town. At least then he could find a phonebook to figure out where he was. The mansion might have had a Floo connection, but he still wasn't sure he wanted to try it. He had no idea how his magic would react and didn't want to end up trapped on an endless journey, or for it to stop half-way through and only send his legs.
Then he remembered Apparation. Tonks had taken him on a side-along a couple of times. Technically, he had done it accidentally when he was being chased. He had no idea why they couldn't just call it Teleportation.
Harry cleared his mind and pictured Hogsmeade. He focused on the street outside of Honeydukes. In his mind's eye he focused on every detail he could recall. Once the image was solid in his mind, he took a deep breath, let it out, and willed himself appear there.
The usual sensation of being forcefully yanked through a hose never came. He was about to try again when he realized that the sounds around him had changed. Voices. Someone was approaching. Considering he had just escaped a Death Eater hide-out; it wasn't a good sign.
Harry opened his eyes, ready to scan the area for threats, and potentially somewhere to take cover. Instead, he found himself standing in front of Honeydukes. The voices around him were normal witches and wizards moving along about their day. No one gave him a second look. People Apparated into Hogsmeade all the time. He turned toward Hogwarts and started to walk.
Now that he was in a magic rich area he could feel the energy flowing into him. For the first time since this entire thing started it didn't make him worry. The rate that he absorbed the magical energy was much faster, so much so that there was barely a hitch in the flow. He could literally feel the power increase as he got closer to the school. The aches and pains of the day faded with each step.
Harry felt Hogwarts reach out as he approached the gates. The tall, ornate iron swung open for him. He paused and placed a hand on the gate in a show of gratitude. A warmth enveloped him like a loving hug as he stepped onto the grounds. His foot stumbled a moment at the influx of magic pouring into him. The world wobbled and something hard hit his face.
When his vision cleared he found he was flat on the ground. His face was pressed into the ground. It was similar to the feeling when Voldemort hit him with multiple spell-chains. Only this was to a much greater magnitude. Magical energy sparked along his skin. He could see it swirling in the air and rushing through the earth.
Hogwarts sat on the convergence of three rivers of magic. The phrase Ley Lines came to mind, though he couldn't recall hearing the term before.
"Harry," a soft voice he recognized as Rowena Ravenclaw. "I'm sorry, but I need you to leave."
He scanned the area for her, but he was alone. What he did notice was rather alarming. One of the Ley Lines had slowed considerably. It was flowing into him rather than continuing on to Hogwarts.
"For how long?" Harry asked.
The pain in his chest wasn't from the influx of magic.
"Until you have filled your reserves," Rowena/Hogwarts said, there was a profound pain in her voice.
"Is there somewhere else I could go?" He asked as he got back to his feet.
"It will need to be somewhere with a convergence close to my own," she explained as her voice began to fade.
Harry ran back through the gates which also removed him from the Ley Line. The magical energy picked up speed once he was out of the way. He took in the vision of Hogwarts from a distance. Her voice could no longer reach him, but he knew she was hurting just as much. She was his home, practically a piece of him, and he didn't know when he'd be able to return.
He needed to send a message to someone inside; that he was safe and that he was here. People would probably want to know that he had killed Voldemort too. In the grand scheme of things, he should lead with that piece of news.
Harry turned back toward Hogsmeade. There was an owl post office that he could use. Hopefully, he could send a letter C.O.D.
~
Professor Dumbledore, Nym, and Amelia Bones met him at The Three Broomsticks a few minutes later. He had asked for a private room, which Madam Rosemerta happily provided. Nym rushed him, wrapping him in a hug, and kissing him hard enough to spin his head.
"Thank you, Miss Tonks," Dumbledore cleared his throat when it was clear Nym wasn't going to stop.
"Right," Nym took a step back then straightened Harry's shirt before she gave him one more quick peck on the lips. "I was worried about you. We all were."
"Mister Potter," Dumbledore continued. "Would you be able to tell us what has happened?"
"Fought some Death Eaters, got kidnapped by Voldemort, woke up in a dungeon, killed Voldemort, and escaped," Harry said easily. "You know, the usual Tuesday."
The trio stared at him, their faces blank. Silence stretched out for a moment before Dumbledore spoke.
"It was a serious question, Harry," the Headmaster said in his best grandfather voice.
"It was a serious answer," Harry replied. "Voldemort kidnapped me. I woke up in a dungeon. There were a bunch of Death Eaters gathered, like in the graveyard, but I didn't recognize them. Voldemort showed up, we fought, he died, and then I escaped."
"And why aren't we having this conversation in Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked.
"I can't go back," Harry sighed. "It's too much for her."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in question.
"I'm absorbing magic faster now," he continued in a softer voice. "The Ley Lines focus on trying to fill my magical reserves instead of going to Hogwarts. It was hurting her."
"Mister Potter," Amelia Bones said. "Could you elaborate on the claim of killing Voldemort?"
"Sure," Harry replied with a bit of levity returning to his voice. "I was captured and chained in the dungeon. It was more of a basement really. The chains must have been magical, because they vanished once I was awake. I didn't have my wand." He paused. "Did you find it?"
"Yes," Madam Bones removed in from her robes and set it on the table.
"Thank you," Harry smiled at her.
He closed his eyes and enjoyed the familiar thrum of the connection.
"Anyway," Harry said after a moment. "There was a group of them upstairs. I was outnumbered and had no idea where I was, so I went with the plan that made the most sense."
"And that was?" Madam Bones prompted.
"Act like I knew what I was doing," Harry replied with a firm nod. "I went upstairs and found a bunch of Death Eaters standing around talking about whatever evil bastards talk about."
Dumbledore cleared his throat. Nym flashed a quick grin.
"They had a nice spread of food out, so I decided to check it out," Harry said. "They stopped talking once they saw me. Voldie must have ordered them to leave me alone, or they were too braindead to think that someone would actually escape." He shrugged. "Either way, once Voldie showed up I froze them in place, and tested for a wand that would work for me. I knew this was going to be another duel for him to show off to his minions, so I played it cool. Eventually, I got a wand that worked well enough, and we started."
"Every spell he sent my way helped my ability to absorb magic. By the time the duel was really picking up his spells weren't even making contact. Naturally, this pissed him off. Every spell he sent was meant to kill me in various ways. The ones I was able to deflect hit his minions and they did not die gently. He threw a tantrum. I was able to get close enough to grab his wand, I broke it in half, and used cast Confringo with it pressed against his throat. Pretty sure he's dead, unless he can survive without a head."
"Where was this?" Madam Bones asked.
"I don't know," Harry shrugged. "I tried the Knight Bus, but it didn't show up. I'd guess a place that belonged to a Half-Blood. The decorations and landscaping didn't show off enough to be Pureblood."
"How did you get to Hogsmeade?" Bones asked.
"Teleported," Harry rolled his eyes. "Apparated, I mean."
"That's advanced magic, it's dangerous to do without training," Dumbledore cautioned.
"I didn't have a choice," Harry shrugged. "I thought you'd be happier about Voldemort being dead."
"Alas," Dumbledore sighed. "This isn't the end of things."
"Explain yourself," Madam Bones said with iron in her voice. "I have had enough of this. We are working toward the same goal and yet I constantly find my efforts undermined by your plans."
"Amelia," Dumbledore tried to sound calm.
"It is Director Bones," Amelia corrected. "Now, tell me what you know."
"It's not what I know," Dumbledore said trying to regain control. "They are theories."
Dumbledore let out a sigh. It was almost like a glamour had worn off. The powerful wizard looked ever one of his years. He set his hands on the table and leaned forward, almost like it held him up. After a long moment, he began to tell them about his investigation into the Horcruxes.
Madam Bones went through a string of emotions. Shock, anger, worry, and finally resolve. She didn't say anything once Dumbledore had finished. Instead, she stood and left the room.
"Auror Tonks," Madam Bones called from the hallway. "Come along."
Nym gave Harry a quick kiss and followed her boss. Harry didn't realize the two witches had left until the door closed. He jumped at the sound. Slowly, he turned his attention to the Headmaster. He didn't know what to say to the man. Dumbledore had suspected the diary was a horcrux, which put him on the path to search for more. He didn't know how many more there were out there. The few who had made one in the past were never documented to have more than one. The Dementors managed to remove the one in his cursed scar by chance.
"Read any good books lately?" Harry asked lamely.
"Yes, actually," Dumbledore said. "The Lost World, it's the sequel to Jurassic Park. Rather amusing idea about returning dinosaurs to life using their science. Honestly, it sounds more akin to magic."
"I think they made the first one a movie," Harry said.
His mind was still reeling. Actual higher thought was beyond him at this point.
"I'm going to lie down," Harry trudged out of the room leaving the Headmaster alone.
Chapter 38: The End
Chapter Text
Harry woke to a solid impact on his stomach. A mad cackle followed as he truly woke up.
"Eddie," Harry chided. "What have we said about jumping on people?"
"Daddy," Eddie pouted. "I'm a big boy, don't call me Eddie."
The little boy would be five years old in a couple of months. He was skinny in a way that came from the unlimited childhood energy that seemed to be a Potter family trait.
"Sorry, Edgar," Harry corrected himself. "Now what do you need to do?"
"I'm sorry, daddy," Eddie said. "It's time to get up and I wanted to do it. Momma Tonks said I could make it funny."
"Traitor!" Tonks called from down the hall.
"Where are your sisters?" Harry rubbed his stomach as he got out of bed.
"Uh…" Edgar thought for a moment. "I don't know."
Something crashed deeper in the house.
"Oh!" Edgar smiled brightly. "We're making breakfast."
Harry blanched. He jumped out of bed, scooped up his son, and hurried down the hall. Tonks was an amazing woman, great Auror, and an even better mother. However, she had absolutely no business in the kitchen. He had no idea how they convinced Dobby to allow them to cook. Hopefully the elf had the fire suppression spell at the ready.
A very pregnant Tonks waddled around the kitchen with their three daughters swarming around her. While the children had a mixture of features from both parents, all of them had the trademark wild black hair from the Potter bloodline. Sirius watched with a wide smile at the chaos. That would mean that Septima and their little gremlin were here as well. . Harry had no idea that Sirius and Septima even knew each other. Their son, James Remus Vector, was now a year old. Sirius pulled a glorious prank on the Black family by taking the name Jones when he married the Arithmancy Professor. Currently, Harry was the Steward of House Black. James had the option to take the Lordship once he was of age. Until then, Harry was the one to wield the responsibility. The one-year-old had just learned to walk and was already a demon just like his father.
The eldest of their brood at four years old and one month, Lily Amanda Potter was his daughter with Emily. The girl had decided she didn't actually want to get married just yet but allowed the girl to take his name. Amanda was her mother's name. Emily was currently at work, her time with Harry hadn't made her a witch, but she wasn't exactly a Muggle anymore. She was the equivalent of a squib, able to interact with the magical world, but not access magic. Her long black hair was tied into a single ponytail, moving on from the pigtails she had loved. Now she was a big girl and needed a big girl hairstyle. That one month was very important among the kids.
She was helping crack eggs over a bowl while Tonks observed. Neither seemed to notice the chunks of shell that were added to the mix. He really hoped they weren't trying to make quiche again. Overcooked scrambled eggs could be improved with cheese and pepper. Burned quiche was just horrible.
Edgar James Bones was the second oldest and only son so far. He was the current Heir Bones and would hold the title unless Susan had children. She had taken the place as Lady Bones but was in no hurry to marry and was perfectly happy spoiling the children rather than have one of her own. The little boy was doing his best to help Momma Tonks with everything, regardless of if she needed it.
Jane Andromeda Potter was the youngest of the first trio by two weeks. Nym had insisted on giving her daughter a normal name. She was not going to torture another generation with a strange name. Jane didn't inherit the full metamorphmagus abilities of her mother, though she did have some. She could change the color of her eyes and hair. Unlike her mother, she was almost supernaturally graceful on her feet. Couldn't ride a broom without crashing. She even managed to break her nose while using a training broom. Those things had safety features of inertial dampening and couldn't reach higher than two feet off the ground.
Currently, she was glaring at a cookbook like the words had personally offended her honor. She was smart for her age but had only started learning to read a month ago. Her eyes were a fierce emerald with flecks of gold around the edges telling him she was concentrating.
The three younger kids had just hit two years. Pandora and Anastasia Potter were twins from his relationship with Luna. The duo had bright blue eyes like their mother and had inherited her knack for knowing things. They regularly had silent conversations and were the only children that somehow avoided the trademark messy hair. Instead, they had long, straight hair like their mother, except the family color of black. The duo was tucked under the table trying to figure out how to untie Sirius' shoes. Judging by the giggles, they weren't having much success but were having fun trying.
Rosalind Minerva Potter, the youngest until Tonks gave birth, was an absolute hellion. If James was here, then there was no doubt that the two were somewhere causing mayhem. She had Hermione's bushy hair and sharp mind. Unfortunately, she used it to fuel the chaos she sowed that made her Potter ancestors proud. She was suspiciously absent, and the house was quiet.
At least that explained where Dobby and Winky were doing instead of cooking.
"What did we agree say about cooking?" Harry asked with a sigh.
"Daddy!" The twins rushed out from under the table and latched on to his legs.
"Momma Tonks isn't cooking," Lily said with a proud smile.
"What is she doing then?" Harry couldn't help but return the smile.
"I am supervising," Nym answered. "And I have my wand ready to put out any fires."
Harry turned to Sirius.
"I'm just here for the entertainment," Sirius chuckled.
"Where are the demons?" Harry asked.
"The pitch," Sirius said with a Maurader grin.
"What did you do?" Harry groaned.
"Brooms," Jane muttered.
"Please tell me you didn't bring new brooms," Harry pinched the bridge of his nose.
"No," Sirius deflated a little. "Sep wouldn't let me."
"What do you mean, Janie?" Harry asked once Sirius didn't say anything more.
"Rosie and James are getting in the shed," Jane stated.
Harry glared at Sirius. Thankfully, the shed was locked. He knew his children enough to know that wouldn't be enough. The only brooms in the shed were the custom jobs that couldn't go over five feet or much faster than the training ones. He had the real ones shrunk and stored them in the study in the quill drawer. When, not if, they broke into the shed they wouldn't be in too much danger. While the brooms were a special order, they weren't rare and came with a nice suite of monitoring charms.
Nym came over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Dobby has breakfast on stasis in the cabinet," she whispered. "I'm not going to let out sprogs near fire."
"Thank you," Harry kissed her back. "How is little Nymphadora Junior doing?"
"Bob," she flicked him on the nose. "Is doing fine." She wobbled. "He heard daddy and is dancing."
Harry smiled brightly as he placed his cheek against her belly. Who knew getting attacked by Dementors would lead to a happy ending?