Capítulo 408: hpml411-420
Chapter 411
Harry ground his teeth and mumbled unintelligibly about singed dog while Viktor just
laughed harder. "To answer question, we wear Seeker uniform to present united front. It
shows you are strong and determined and successful. Sleeves rolled up to show off your
tattoos further reinforcing image." He paused and shrugged. "Also, Minister is huge fan of
Quidditch."
Harry groaned as his two friends smirked at him. A few moments later the doors to the
office opened and the trio was beckoned inside. After shaking hands and sitting down the
man behind the desk started the meeting off. "Mr. Krum, Lord Potter, Lord Black, velcome
to Bulgaria. I am Minister Anton Oblansk. I do hope the portkey wasn't too bad. The
international ones can be so very nauseating at times."
Harry nodded. "Thank god I'm not alone. One day I hope to fix that issue."
"I had heard you were vorking on that. You vill certainly have me lined up at the store
should something come of it!" Anton said smiling. "Though that is neither here nor there.
Lord Black, you are Minister Bones' representative, yes?"
"That's correct," Sirius said leaning forward. Harry was pleased to note that most of the
joking nature present in his face and posture just a few moments ago had fled leaving
Sirius' expression hard and piercing. "Minister Oblansk, I am sure you're already aware,
but we've been gathering allies for the battle against Voldemort. We were hoping we
might be able to reach some agreement with your government."
Anton leaned back with his hands clasped. "I am certainly open to speaking vith you. Now
that Fudge is gone at least. Vhat has happened to the little schemer by the vay?"
The grin that crossed Sirius' face was all teeth and helped to remind the people in the
room that he had been incarcerated in Azkaban for quite some time previously. "From
what I hear Fudge had…run into some unhappy constituents."
Anton raised his eyebrows and smirked. "That is vhat you get for pitting teenagers against
manticores, chimeras and hydras. Good riddance. Bulgaria is prepared to offer three Auror
squadrons in assistance."
"Wow, just like that?" Sirius asked leaning back and blinking quickly. "What's the catch?"
"Ve'd like access to Lord Potter's exclusive rune stone stock, vith similar arrangements that
the French received. Ve vould also request that Britain assist us should a similar issue arise
in our country."
Harry and Sirius both nodded quickly. "Certainly," Harry said. "Both conditions are easy to
meet. I brought some order forms along if you wanted to take them to your Magical Law
Enforcement department after the meeting. We might be a bit behind in filling any orders
not going to the war effort though so please don't expect everything immediately."
"Of course," Anton said nodding. He leaned forward and smiled flicking his eyes between
Harry and Viktor. "Now, one more stipulation before anything is written down." A bead of
sweat dripped down Harry's back. This was going to end up embarrassing him yet again. "I
vant a personal assurance that, should you ever play a professional or exhibition Quidditch
match, I vill receive an invite to vatch. And I vant both your autographs."
Harry leaned back into his seat with a hand over his eyes groaning. Sirius and Viktor just
started laughing.
The day prior to returning to Hogwarts, Daphne strode through the main doors to
Greengrass Manor. The reverberating gong signaling the master – well mistress now – of
the grounds had arrived saw a large smile spreading over her face. Barely 16 and already
Head of her family…going after Harry, Neville and Hermione that day so long ago had been
the best decision of her life!
"Daph! You're home!" Astoria shouted as she ran up to hug her sister. "Did you sic the
goblins of Father? Or was it Harry? Or did Mum do it? Tell me please!"
"Calm down, Tori. Breathe," Daphne said smirked and patting her sister on the head. "It
was actually the goblins' idea. Harry and I certainly had no objections to it though, I'll
admit."
Astoria nodded. "I see, I see. So you're the Lady Greengrass now?" At Daphne's
confirmation Astoria quickly continued. "And you're still keeping the betrothal to Harry?"
"I am."
"Darn," Astoria mumbled. She heaved a great sigh and shrugged. "Well, at least he'll make
a cool big brother. Can I date whoever I want now?"
Daphne laughed and started to walk around her sister to head deeper into the house. "Tori,
I don't care who you date. I just draw the line at sadistic murderers. Stay away from those
types and you're free to do whatever you want."
Astoria snorted as she moved to keep pace with Daphne. "Please, I'm a Greengrass! They
should be afraid of me!" The brunette looked up at Daphne and smirked. "Especially
considering who my extended family is."
"So true, Tori, so true." Daphne stopped outside the doors to the family study and squared
her shoulders. "Are you coming in as well or do you want me to give you the highlights
later?"
Astoria frowned and narrowed her eyes at the door. "Father may have liked me better than
you, but that really doesn't mean much…you're not going to kill him are you, Daph?"
"Not unless he tries to kill me," Daphne said shaking her head. "If I had thought he would
attempt it, I would've brought backup."
Astoria sighed again. "Then I'll head up to my room. I'll see you in a bit, sis." She padded
softly down the corridor and Daphne turned back to the doors. Taking a deep breath,
Daphne stepped forward and pushed inside.
Marcus looked up as she entered and he chuckled raising his tumbler of firewhiskey to her.
"All hail the conquering Lady!" Scowling, her father tossed the drink back and poured
another glaring at the bottle as it ran dry with the glass only half filled. "Out of ruddy
liquor. Perfect. Daphne, be a good Lady of the House of get me another bottle would you?"
Daphne raised her eyebrows at him. "I can honestly say I never expected to find you drunk,
Father. Raging, certainly; murderous, possibly; utterly depressed, likely; but not drunk."
Marcus raised his head and glared at her for a moment before draining his glass and falling
back into his chair. "Of course I'm drunk. I can't kill you…hell I bloody made you! More
successful than I had ever dreamed I was there…stole my own house out from under
me…bravo girl, bravo. I didn't think you had it in you."
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Chapter 412
Daphne stepped forward crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. "As much as I hate to
admit it, you taught me well, Father. You should have seen this coming."
He nodded and closed his eyes. "Yes I should have. Especially after you outmaneuvered me
with that bloody betrothal. Made me look like a fool and I didn't even think that you had
deeper plans…I deserve this. What do you plan to do with me and your mother now,
Daphne? Are we to 'disappear'?"
Daphne laughed though there was little humor in the sound. "Why would I go against
Mother? She has only ever helped and supported me. Unlike you."
Marcus scowled and leaned forward to glare at her again. The heavy swaying in his
movement sapped a lot of the effect. "I was making you strong and worthy to lead!"
"You were making me into a glorified baby factory! At least have the decency to admit it!"
she snarled.
"You would have had status." Marcus fell back into the seat and sighed. "Though I suppose
if Potter wins this, you'll have that anyway. Are you going to kill me, Daphne?"
Daphne almost moved to say no however she held her tongue. Her father may have been
defanged, but he could still be dangerous if his bitterness was allowed to fester. "That
depends on you, Father. As much as I dislike you…you are correct that you made me into
who I am. So if you wish to live I will require an Oath from you. You are to never harm me
or mine; you are to always pass on information that could lead to harm against us; you are
to remain out of the political arena henceforth. Do you think you can do all this, Father?"
Marcus nodded slowly. "Am I in exile as well, daughter?"
"To a degree," Daphne said. "You will live in one of the smaller houses in the countryside. I
will ensure you have a reasonable stipend to live on though it will not be to the same
standard you are used to. It won't even be close. Mother may accompany you or not as she
wishes." Daphne sighed and stood up shaking her head. "You are not evil, Father. You are
simply a bastard and a horrible parent. I don't want to hurt you, I just want you out of my
life. Stay at the cottage and keep quiet and we can both move on with our lives as we each
see fit. I'll have the necessary papers for the Oath sent over by tonight."
As she walked to the door, a shifting sound behind her saw Daphne pausing with a hand on
the handle. "You are far stronger than I ever gave you credit for, Daphne. You are more
worthy of the Greengrass Lordship than I ever was," Marcus murmured from his position
near the fire. "Don't let anyone stamp that out like I tried to do."
Daphne nodded and closed her eyes. "I won't, Father. Goodbye."
After a thoroughly uneventful train ride on, Harry and his friends filed out of their chosen
carriage and headed into the castle. Harry and Hermione immediately split off from the
others and walked hand-in-hand to the kitchen entrance. Hermione's grip on him
tightened and Harry paused and leaned over to feather his lips against her cheek. "I
promise, Mione, we'll work on getting them more rights after this is all over. Think of how
much easier it'll be if they actively participate."
Hermione sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I know and I know they'll be a
huge help if they agree but…well I just hate that we have conditioned them to slavery…"
"Mione, we've been over this, House Elves have very different values and outlooks.
They're not human, you really can't treat them like they are. You've talked with Dobby and
Winky enough to know that, Mione."
"Getting rid of a lifetime of beliefs doesn't exactly happen overnight you know," Hermione
commented with a slight huff. "Just because I learned to deal with being in a multiple
relationship does not mean I have learned to deal with an entire race that actually desires
slavery. I'm working on it. Just let me be surly for a bit."
Harry nodded and patted her back. "Yes, Ma'am." Reaching out he tickled the pear and
with a small squeak, the door to the kitchens opened allowing the two teens into the
House Elf headquarters at Hogwarts. Short shouts rang out around them and a flood of
elves rushed to offer food and assistance. Harry smiled politely at them and tried to ignore
Hermione's brief grimace. "Hello, and thank you for the food, but we're actually waiting
for dinner before eating. However, Miss Granger and I do need to speak with your primary
representative for a few minutes."
Soft murmurs flowed out from the elves before most shifted back and one ancient looking
elf stepped to the front of the group bowing low. "Master Harry Potter, Mistress Hermione
Granger, I is Kilik. I is Head Elf for Hogwarts. How can Kilik be assisting you?"
Hermione took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "Hello, Kilik, it's a pleasure to
meet you. If at all possible, we'd prefer to be addressed as Harry and Hermione though it is
of course up to you how you address us. As to what we want, we'd prefer to ask in
private."
Kilik's face took on a thoughtful bent as he cocked his head to the side and scrunched up
his mouth. After a few moments, the old elf shook his head and waved them towards a
table just behind the group. "Master Potter and Mistress Granger may speak here. Elves
have no secrets in the castle."
"Okay, we understand," Harry said taking the offered seat. "Kilik, I'm sure you're aware
that Voldemort is gathering his forces and that things will likely come to a battle sometime
before the end of the year."
"Kilik knows this, yes." The elf bobbed his head while many of the other nearby beings
twisted their hands and frowned. "Does Master Harry expect the Dark One to attack
Hogwarts?"
"I do." Harry grimaced and shook his head. "I hate to ask you this, Kilik, but we need to be
sure that the school and the students will be safe. When the attack comes would any of
the House Elves here be willing to assist in the defense efforts?"
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Chapter 413
Kilik stayed silent for a long time as did the rest of the elves. Harry couldn't help but notice
that all of the background noise had ceased – all of the House Elves in the kitchen had
drifted closer to listen in. Finally Kilik nodded his ancient head. "House Elves not supposed
to harm wizards or witches. However…to House Elves, protection of their family and home
is most sacred vow."
"Kilik," Hermione said softly. "You don't have to do anything that would make you
uncomfortable. This is not an order or it would be the Headmistress coming down here
asking you. We are asking for your help as people fighting against the darkness, not as
superiors and not as Harry Potter Savior of Elves." Hermione steadfastly ignored Harry's
brief glare. They had heard Dobby quietly referring to him as that to Winky the other day
and he'd been adamant about no one ever repeating that title near other House Elves. "If
you agree to help, please don't agree because of who we are. If you want to fight with us,
fight for yourselves, fight because it is right, fight because you want to."
The old elf smiled at her and patted her hand. "Kilik and Hogwarts' elves consider students
our family. We consider castle our home. Elves will protect family. Elves will protect
Hogwarts. When the Dark One comes, Kilik will lead elves to war."
After dinner, Harry collected Luna and moved off to his final – theoretically at least – ally
recruitment mission. He nodded to the others and took a second to collect himself as they
reached the main doors. Luna just smiled at him as he paused and looped her arm through
his, pulling him along behind her. "No need to worry, Harry. I'm sure they already know
you're coming."
"Luna," Harry said rolling his eyes and picking up his pace to keep up with her. "You can't
play the psychic card. We all already know that you aren't actually a Seer."
Luna looked at him with wide eyes and tilted her head just enough that she appeared so
innocent even Santa would cry. "I didn't say anything about seeing them being ready,
Harry." She tapped her chin with one finger before shrugging. "I did however neglect to
mention that I saw Bane and Firenze near the Forest border waving to us as the carriages
emptied."
Harry groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Luna, please warn me if you ever go into politics.
I think any session you attend in the Wizengamot would leave me with nightmares."
"Not you, Harry, just our enemies," Luna said with a spreading smile that promised pain to
anyone standing in her way.
Harry raised his eyebrows at the younger blonde. "Yup, nightmares." Luna's smile shifted
to something radiating sweetness and contentment and she hugged Harry's arm. He
reached over and patted her head suppressing a chuckle. They stopped at the edge of the
Forbidden Forest behind Hagrid's hut and waited patiently for the centaurs to arrive.
They didn't have to wait long. Less than a minute after arriving, two of the magical beings
melted out of the gloom and stepped forward to stand in front of the humans. All four
bowed slightly to each other. Not enough to show any deference or fealty, but enough to
prove mutual respect. The smaller of the centaurs pawed the ground and pointed
hesitantly at Harry. "Harry Potter. The stars have said you would come bearing ill tidings.
We have foreseen Change sweeping behind your path like a hurricane. Luna Lovegood
speaks highly of you. I am Firenze. My companion is Bane."
Harry smiled politely at them. "It's an honor to meet you Firenze, Bane. Has Luna
mentioned why we're here?"
Bane scowled and turned narrowed eyes on him. "She did not have to. Tom Riddle has
recently invaded our territory and sought out the acromantulas. We do not know what
exactly was discussed, but it is not hard to reach the correct conclusion even without
consulting the heavens. The death of Aragog before the end of the meeting certainly left
out all possible doubt."
Harry frowned at that. "Aragog?"
Firenze waved a hand to indicate the forest. "Aragog was the one rescued and raised by
Hagrid. Aragog was the sole acromantula capable of keeping his spawn tame. Aragog was
the reason the school has remained untouched. Aragog was the reason we have allowed
the monsters to remain in our forest. Now Aragog is gone. Now the spawn will swarm at
Tom Riddle's command."
Harry growled and ran a hand through his hair while Luna just sighed heavily. "One bloody
thing after another," he muttered. Looking up at the centaurs Harry spoke louder, "Firenze,
Bane, we have reason to believe that Voldemort, Tom Riddle, will attack Hogwarts in May.
If I can assure you that the acromantulas will be exterminated afterwards – one way or
another – will you agree to fight by our side during the battle?"
Firenze moved to speak, but Bane cut him off. "I wish to hear from Luna Lovegood first."
Luna nodded happily and smiled up at the two. "Certainly. Voldemort is going to try and
destroy Hogwarts. He won't stop there though, he'll raze the forest just to make certain he
kills you all. Voldemort won't do this because he cares about killing you. He'll do it because
he needs to in order to maintain his power. Voldemort is every bit as much of a monster as
the acromantulas you hate so much. Help us with our monster and we will ensure that our
friends help you with your monster."
Bane nodded and Firenze looked up at the stars just starting to twinkle in the darkening
sky. "Thank you for the candor, Luna Lovegood. Harry Potter, the stars say that you keep
the promises you make. You promise to ensure our forest is cleansed of its infestation?"
"I do," Harry said.
Firenze and Bane both bowed their heads. "Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood," Firenze
proclaimed, "you both are trustworthy and the stars have foretold that our fate would lie
in your hands. Our bows will sing at your command."
About an hour before curfew Harry walked into his mother's room – after having
thoroughly knocked and received the all-clear…several times just to be sure. He collapsed
onto the couch with a muffled groan and ran his hands through his hair. "Done. They're in.
I think we have everyone we're liable to get now."
Lily smiled and sat down next him patting her son on the leg. "Excellent. You do realize
you've not only made alliances with three separate foreign nations, but you've also
managed to gain the assistance of House Elves, centaurs and goblins? I may be Muggleborn,
but I read more than Binns' lessons…those three races haven't fought together on a single
side for four centuries. They haven't fought as our allies for nearly six."
Harry pulled one hand away from his face and cocked an eyebrow at his mother. "Way to
make me feel more normal, mum."
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Chapter 414
Lily just laughed and went to get some tea. "Harry, I am the wrong mother to go to for
normal. Physically I'm barely older than your future Lady Black. In no way are you and I
normal!"
Harry grimaced. "Please don't remind me of how weird that is. On a scale of one to
shadow panther I think we hit Giant Squid on that one."
Lily's hand hovered over the tea kettle as she turned her head to stare at Harry with wide
eyes. A moment later she just shook her head and finished with the tea. "You are one
strange child."
"Thanks," Harry said rolling his eyes. "So you're only physically older than Nym huh? How
about mentally?" he teased.
Lily set the cup in front of him with raised eyebrows and a smirk. "Really? Half the time I'm
amazed she's mature enough to tie her own shoes."
"She's not that bad," Harry laughed. "She's like, seventeen tops. Well…minimum? Anyway
yes, mum, I realize that I have a veritable army ready to fight under my banner. I just hope
it's enough."
Lily shrugged and snorted into her tea. "You obviously have developed a very poor sense of
overkill."
Harry turned to her and gestured with arms wide. "My life is overkill. I blew up a troll's
head as an eleven year old! My mind is guarded by the bloody Death Star and the
Xenomorph Queen! I have Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel on my comm stone!"
Lily laughed and held up her hands in surrender. "I give, I give! I wasn't criticizing, Harry, I
was making a comment. Besides…I like overkill. I married your father to keep him out of
trouble after all," she said smiling.
Harry shook his head at her. "You did not marry Dad just to keep him away from pranking."
"Well it was part of the reason. He also had the most beautiful hair…" Lily commented
reaching up to playfully ruffle Harry's own hair.
"Mum!"
"Spoilsport," Lily said pulled her hand back and leaning back into the couch. "I was serious
about the overkill though, Harry. I am a huge fan of it. If you're going to do something,
might as well make sure you don't have to do it a second time. If you want to secure a
home, make it a fortress. If you want to kill someone blow up their house and Fiendfyre
the ashes. If your enemy is bringing an army, bring your own five times as large. I'd almost
say we should try to ask the ICW for help, but they are rather useless for the most part
unfortunately."
Harry chuckled at that. "Agreed. Plus I think we recruited pretty much everyone we could
possibly get already."
"That you have, son. I'm proud of you, Harry," Lily said giving him a hug and a kiss on the
head.
Harry leaned against her shoulder and nodded. "Thanks, mum. That…that means a lot."
Lily could only smile at that. Until a few moments later when a stray thought crossed her
mind that she seemingly just had to voice. "What about dragons? Could we use them? It's
not true overkill until there is fire raining down from the sky."
Harry was torn between laughing and facepalming. "Mum!"
XXX
The weeks after returning to Hogwarts passed in a sort of daze for Harry. Always
dominating his thoughts were Voldemort and the uncertainty of when the attack would
come. Snape could have been fed false information. The quiet infiltrations of the country
that Amelia kept finding could be a diversion. The pattern from the past years could be
broken. Voldemort could get spooked. His allies could get spooked. So many things could
force the conflict before Harry's side was ready.
He quickly forced himself into a routine in order to avoid dwelling on the issues. They still
weighed on him, but as long as he kept busy he could keep the stress to a minimum. No
matter the horror show coming he did still have to pass his O.W.L.s after all. The one time
he'd tried to get out of it Hermione and Daphne had both ganged up on him. Hermione
was adamant about him not neglecting his studies – completely irregardless of the fact
that he could likely pass his N.E.W.T.s for Ancient Runes in Third Year and that was really
the only important class he needed for the life he planned after Hogwarts.
"Harry James Potter! No future husband of mine is going to drop out of school with one
passing grade to his name! You march back into that library and start studying, right now!"
she had yelled, her face crimson and hands clenched into fists.
"You may be content just running Potter Runes, Harry, but I plan to change our society,"
Daphne had piggybacked into the argument. "How is it going to look if I end up the
Consort of a man who couldn't even finish his O.W.L.s?"
Harry had rolled his eyes, mumbled about domineering women ruling his life and trudged
back to his revisions. He couldn't even say he disagreed with them. It had just been a nice
fantasy avoiding the tests and all…at least for the few minutes that the idea had existed…
On the weekends Harry could almost always be found in the Defense Association's training
sessions assisting Daphne and the rest with teaching the students advanced combat spells.
Sirius, McGonagall and Flitwick were proving to be extremely welcome additions to those
extra periods as their presence allowed for greater freedom with Harry's own activities
during the sessions.
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Chapter 415
In contrast, his weekdays turned rather predictable. Harry'd go to class, finish the
homework, revise for an hour, train for an hour, help Fred and George's assembly team to
craft the more complex rune schemes for an hour, then spend any remaining time in
developing potential new combat/defense runes. Unfortunately the R&D periods weren't
proving very productive beyond streamlining the creation of already existing items.
Crumpling up yet another failed design, Harry scowled and shoved his papers away. "This
is ridiculous! I'm having better luck advancing the Gold Digger than I am finishing up this
thing!"
"The Gold Digger was the one that converts lead into gold right?" Hermione asked.
Harry nodded. "Yeah. Figure I've got like ten to fifteen years left of work to iron out the
kinks; assuming I keep leaving it as a side project."
"Well let's hope you move it up the priority line at some point. We need to be ready for
whenever the next generation starts looking at school. You have four women who all want
children, Harry. That's going to get expensive and it'd be nice to have a backup to the
store," Hermione said. She turned a page in her book and smiled before jotting down
another note on her pad.
"Are you even listening or just appeasing my fragile male ego?"
Hermione shrugged. "Both. Probably more the latter. Did you know that Nifflers were
where wizards got the idea for an expansion charm from? Magicals were interesting in
replicating the holding ability of their pouch."
"That is very interesting, Hermione," Harry said snorting in amusement at her ability to
multitask. "Mind if I borrow that book for a few minutes? I really need to look at
something besides runes for a bit."
Hermione marked her page and passed it over with heavy sigh. "Just when I was at the
good bits too. I've been trying to figure out how Newt Scamander managed to capture a
Nundu by himself…he's horribly vague about the whole incident. Want me to take a look
at this scheme for you?"
Harry shifted the book onto his lap and blinked at his partner. "How do you avoid getting
whiplash changing topics that fast?" At Hermione's arched eyebrows, Harry rolled his eyes
and passed her his own work. "I was trying to make a stone that would let me rapidly
shoot out multiple Yamato Cannons. Failing that, at least maybe just smaller balls of
energy rapid fire. I'm starting to think it's just not possible without getting more exotic
materials."
"Have you considered metal options?"
Harry nodded as he flipped through the pages to try and find an interesting article. "Yeah.
The magic doesn't work well with the metal. Ends up completely shorting out the entire
scheme. Shiva hasn't mentioned that in class?"
Hermione sighed and nudged his side. "Of course she's mentioned that. I just thought
maybe you could use that shorting effect to channel the energy without breaking the
stone."
Harry looked up at her and frowned tapping his finger as he considered that option. After
several moments he shook his head. "No, I don't think it would work. The energy wouldn't
be able to properly form into a coherent matrix before shorting out. Good idea though,
Mione."
Both students nodded and turned back their respective work. Harry finally found an article
that seemed promising and started reading. His frown returned in full force before he was
halfway through the article and he was openly scowling as he starting into the last part.
Coco started to bump into his foot repeatedly, squeaking out worried huffs as Harry
finished the article and slammed the book closed. Standing up he left it on the seat behind
him and sidestepped the little snorkack. Hermione's head rose to stare at him as he started
walking quickly to the portrait hole. "Harry? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, thank god!" Harry yelled over his shoulder. "I'm going to see Shiva for a few
minutes. I'll be back before curfew. Probably."
As the entrance started to swing closed again, Harry heard Hermione say to Luna, "He was
on this page I think. What's an Obscurus?"
Harry hurried along the corridors and coming to a stop in front of the door to Shiva's office
he started knocking insistently. A muffled, "Give me a minute!" sounded from the other
side. Harry just kept knocking trying to calm his roiling stomach and stop his tattoos from
itching. "Jeez, I'm here, I'm here! Who wants what?" Shiva asked yanking the door open.
As soon as the there was enough clearance Harry leapt forward and wrapped his arms
around the woman. "Harry? What's wrong, kid?" Shiva patted his back and awkwardly
stepped back into the room flicking the door closed as she dragged him fully into her
quarters. "Lils, it's Harry. You should put some clothes on."
"Roger," Lily's muffled voice said through the closed bedroom door. Harry dimly noticed
that Shiva was in a bathrobe and shorts though he couldn't really be bothered to care all
that much.
"Hey, kid, what's wrong?" Shiva asked gently lifting Harry's face from her chest and wiping
a finger down his cheek. He hadn't even realized he'd been crying until then…
"Thank you," he whispered and buried his head into his adoptive mother again. "Thank
you!"
The bedroom door opened and Lily came out with a small frown. "Harry?"
"I got this, Lils," Shiva said waving the other woman to the couch. "What am I being
thanked for, kid?"
Harry strangled the manic laugh that tried to bubble out though he didn't quite manage to
catch it all. He took a few deep breathes and when he was sure he wouldn't devolve into a
blubbering mess he said, "You got me away from the Dursleys. I…I never realized how bad
it could've been. I've always said I was fine. I've always avoided talking about them. About
how much I hated being different and getting punished for something I couldn't control
and didn't understand. I never knew that…I didn't…I could've…thank you, Shiva!" He felt
the tears start streaking down his face this time. "Thank you!"
Harry felt a third hand settle onto his back and knew his other mother had left the couch.
"What prompted this, Harry? Did someone say something?"
"I read about Obscurials," Harry said softly. A gasp from above him and a tightening of
Shiva's arms told him he didn't need to explain further.
"Goddess, I never even thought of that…" Shiva muttered. "Lily, when a magical child
actively suppresses their magic due to mental or physical trauma it bottles up like a
volcano. Given enough time, enough pain and enough power the child becomes an
Obscurial releasing a destructive rage force called an Obscurus. There's…never been a
documented case of someone surviving that for long and only one who even managed
lived past ten that I know of…"
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Chapter 416
That annoying, manic laugh escaped Harry's control as he shook his head. He felt his
mothers' hands tightening on him more. "We all know the rules don't tend to apply to me.
I would've been the second case of that probably…Good thing Vernon usually stayed away
from actual beating huh? There probably wouldn't have even been a Privet Drive…"
"Ariana," Lily whispered. Harry felt her shake for a moment before she moved to envelop
the other two. "Yet another thing my family owes you apparently, Shiva."
Shiva stayed silent for a long time. Eventually all three seemed to calm down enough for
her to say quietly, "Once Voldemort is gone, those relatives are following right along in his
wake, kid. I promise you that."
The next day, was the regular DA meeting though Tonks had stopped by to help out for a
bit this time. Harry'd given Hermione and Luna a brief, heavily edited, explanation of why
he'd run off the night prior and proceeded to use the perfectly timed meeting to take out
some of his remaining stress. His spells were more powerful, his casting faster, his runes
more prone to breaking, his tattoos more itchy…he'd even swapped into Midnight for a
few minutes to practice jumping between the shadows of different people in the room.
Breathing hard Harry finally sat down on a bench to take a break when Su came up to him.
"Someone's worked up," she said arms crossed and eyebrows raised.
Harry shrugged. "It's not really a secret. Just needed to work through some stuff."
Su shrugged. "You make the mistake of thinking I'm criticizing. I'm not. I think this is a good
time to step up your dagger lessons if you're game. You channel that energy into your
stances and movements and we'll make you into a martial master in addition to a rune
master and a duel master."
"I don't need to be a master at hand-to-hand, Su," Harry chuckled. "I just need to hold my
own. "Master is a bit out of my reach for the time we have."
Su rolled her eyes and yanked him to his feet pushing him towards the little section where
she taught her – admittedly small – group. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just grab the black and
silver ones. Colin's up to this point too so you two are facing off against each other. Harry,
use your longer reach. Colin, use your agility and size."
The older Creevy brother nodded to Su. He cast a nervous smile at Harry which Harry
quickly returned. "Ready, Harry?" Harry nodded and they set off.
The fight was hard. Harry was used to firing off spells while he jumped around the
battlefield yet for this they were going without wands or magic of any sort. Colin actually
had a bit of an advantage because of his slightly higher speed and his smaller build
presented a reduced target. Harry finally managed to get in a jab to the stomach at the
same time that Colin skidded and slashed across Harry's inner thigh.
"And goal!" Su called. Both students helped each other up and Su came over shaking her
head. "Not bad overall, but the aim is to survive. A pyrrhic victory isn't a true win.
Gryffindors…getting killed while you strike the lethal blow is not a good strategy. Work on
shifting the opponent's lunging blade with one dagger and striking with the other for next
time guys."
As Su walked away, Colin visibly gulped and turned to Harry shuffling his feet. "Harry, um,
can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, Colin. What's up?"
"Well, you see I was wondering if…It's just that…Would you go to Hogsmeade with me?!"
Colin finished in a rush, his cheeks flaring crimson.
Harry sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Colin, you're a really nice guy, but I'm already
dating four people that I love very much. I'm not planning to break anything off with any of
them at this point in our lives."
Colin grimaced. "I figured. Just wanted to be sure, you know…did I ever have a chance?
Maybe if I'd asked earlier? You know…before the whole thing with Daphne?"
"Err," Harry fumbled for an easy way to put it and came up blank. Running his hand
through his hair Harry decided it was probably better to just rip the band-aid off. "I don't
really think so, Colin. I just don't really swing that way…I'm sorry…"
"It's not your fault," Colin said his lips widening into a semblance of a smile. "We're born
how we're born. Thanks for being straight with me, Harry." He walked a few feet away and
stopped to turn back with a frown etched across his features. "I can still keep taking
pictures though right? I promise they're all innocent and um well um – "
"Sure, Colin, you can keep taking pictures when mood strikes you as long as they are
wholesome," Harry said rolling his eyes. Keeping the younger boy away from his camera
for even a day would probably win Fred and George some money, but Harry wasn't going
to be the one to dash that hobby. Colin smiled widely and nodded hurrying off.
Harry had just put the knives back into their sheathes when Daphne called the group's
attention. "Okay, everyone is doing very well. I want you all to keep practicing what we
learned today. Next week's class is cancelled for Fifth and Seventh Years in order to allow
them a final study weekend." Harry snorted at that. He still wasn't sure whether that had
been Daphne's or Hermione's idea though he could see both reaching that conclusion
independently considering their class ranking. "Professors Black, Flitwick, Potter and
McGonagall have all offered extended office hours throughout the week in order to make
up for the lost time. Have a pleasant evening and don't hesitate to ask one of your peers
for assistance if required!"
The group started to file out of the Room while Harry continued to clean up the area near
him. Tonks threaded out of the throng and paced over to him. "You know, the Room resets
all that stuff the next time we open it up, Wonder Boy."
"Still seems like we should clean-up though," Harry said shrugging. "It only takes an extra
few minutes."
"Well let me help then," Tonks said picking up some of the mats and lugging them into the
corner. They worked in comfortable silence for a few minutes as the last of the DA
members left. When it was just the two of them left Tonks asked, "So...what got you so
worked up last night? Hermione mentioned it to me this morning."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Chapter 417
Harry grimaced and shrugged. "Guess that's why you showed up to help with the training
today?"
"That and the war council meeting in the afternoon," Tonks agreed with a smirk. "It's not
always about you, Wonder Boy."
"Oh really?" Harry's raised eyebrows and askance glance had them both laughing in short
order. Coming down from the amusement Harry shrugged again. "Honestly, Nym, it's not
that big of a deal. I was reading Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and found the
article about Obscurials is all."
Tonks frowned at that. "I remember hearing something about that in training...some sort
of super powerful, invisible raw magic force or something?"
"Something like that. That's the Obscurus itself. The Obscurial is the wizard releasing it.
Basically repressing your magic while still young leads to bad things. And death," Harry
said. He leaned against the wall folding his arms across his chest. "I just got spooked that
that could've been me if Vernon had gone one step further or if Shiva hadn't gotten me out
when she did is all."
Tonks nodded and stepped forward to lightly kiss him. "See, not so bad talking about your
feelings is it?"
"You should take your own advice sometimes, Nym," Harry replied with a low chuckle
snaking his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. He sighed at the feeling of
her pressing close. "This is nice."
"It better be nice, Wonder Boy," Tonks murmured, smirking in amusement. She pulled back
and tilted her head to look at him with a playful grin. "You need to loosen up and relax a
bit, Harry. You're way too worked up. Close your eyes for a minute, I've got a surprise for
you."
Harry raised his eyebrows in question, but did as he was told. He found it was best not to
try and predict what his partner was up to. He felt Tonks pull away and heard a rustling of
fabric, followed by a muffled curse as a dull thump sounded. "You okay, Nym?" he asked
cocking his head curiously.
A grumble was the answer, before she spoke up. "Don't mind me, the crash dummy and I
got into a disagreement," Tonks said. "Ah, much better. You can open your eyes now,
Harry."
\/
MATURE SCENE BELOW
\/
As Harry cracked his lids, it was all he could do to not drop his mouth open at her. Tonks
had tossed most of her clothing onto the mats in the corner leaving her clad in just her
combat boots, fingerless gloves and black thong. Her toned voluptuous legs, firm bum and
athletic form weren't the product of any sort of metamorphic talent, he knew. He'd seen
her enough to know that Tonks' sensuous form was the result of real hard work. Harry
licked his lips as she paced closer swaying her hips seductively.
The image of beauty broke somewhat as Tonks' boot caught on something and she
squawked indignantly, flying forwards through the air. Harry reached out and caught her
slamming them both into the wall behind him. Looking at Tonks glaring at the mat behind
her Harry couldn't help laughing which soon set her off as well. "You and your clumsiness,"
Harry murmured brushing a lock of pink hair out of her eyes.
Tonks' lips lifted into a rueful smile as she shrugged. "What can I say, the Room apparently
has it out for me. At least my hero was here to catch me." She shook her head and the hair
in his hand switched into cascading gold flowing down her back. Tonks lifted a hand and
held it over her forehead in mock theatrics. "Oh my prince! You have rescued me from the
horrific fate of the evil Room!"
Harry's laugh shook them both and he shook his head lightly kissing Tonks' hand. "Sorry,
luv, the innocent princess thing just does not work with combat boots and gloves on."
Tonks eyed him and rolled her eyes in amusement, shifting back into short blue hair and
pulling back to stand up. "Well I could always switch to Tracey I suppose. She's a strong
type, I could see her in boots." Tonks posed with one arm behind her back and settled into
a low stance. "What do you think?"
Harry hurriedly shook his head. "Please don't give me ideas. I'm fine, I really don't need to
see Tracey naked."
Tonks tapped his chin with a smirk and raised eyebrows. "Hmm, well anyone else you got
the hots to see under their clothes? One of your Chaser friends perhaps?"
He sighed, exasperated. "Nym, I'm dating four girls including one who can constantly shift
little things here and there to always be someone ever so slightly different. I don't need to
fantasize about anyone else."
"Spoilsport," Tonks said shaking her head. "Well, one day I'll wheedle your fantasy out of
you. Or I'll switch to Fleur and you can have two of the girl at once. There's an idea…"
Harry stepped forward and placed a hand behind Tonks' head gently pulling her into a
deep kiss. When their tongues started to twine against each other Harry pulled back and
kissed her nose ignoring the mewl of protest. "Just because I don't ask for changes doesn't
mean you have to search for ones, Nym."
"I know. But it's fun being able to choose to shift for you, Harry. You don't ask, which
makes it my choice. I'll stay me for this time."
"Fully you or this you?" he asked.
"This me. I still don't really like my default you know."
Harry shrugged. "Nice breasts though," he said with a smirk.
Tonks rolled her eyes and stepped into him letting her chest drop down into the B range.
"Just for that mister you get to play with them smaller today."
Harry laughed as Tonks started to pull his shirt over his head. "Someone's eager."
"Someone is talking far too much and ignoring his randy partner," she returned sticking her
tongue out at him and proceeding to remove his shoes and trousers in record time. Her
boots were kicked off and joined the growing pile as she let Harry drop them both to the
few mats still on the floor.
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Chapter 418
"Did you already cast the contraceptive charm, Nym?" Harry asked lightly kissing her neck.
"On the potion, Wonder Boy," she breathed out suppressing a shudder at the tingling from
his lips. "But yeah. Door's locked and silenced too."
"Good," Harry murmured. He lifted his head and without warning shifted one arm
underneath her arse and leaned forward laying Tonks out flat on the mat. Her brief protest
died as he shifted his mouth onto her nipple gently rolling it between his tongue and
grazing it with his teeth. He couldn't help but wonder if the piercings there shifted as she
did to avoid discomfort; the tiny bar certainly looked like it had to adjust slightly if she
altered her breasts too much. Unaware of his musing, Tonks gasped and wrapped her arms
around his head. Harry didn't let her keep him trapped there for long though and quickly
started to trail kisses down her delightfully muscular stomach.
Reaching her damp center soon enough, Harry lifted his head to meet her eyes. Tonks'
bright green irises stared back at him and his smile widened. Her irises always seemed to
shift to match him when he'd gotten her ramped up. Diving down between her legs, Harry,
ran his tongue briefly along her lower lips until he found the small button at the top. Tonks'
moan of pleasure, and slight tremble, was enough to let him know he was in the right spot.
Smirking to himself, Harry shifted his thoughts so that the next words he spoken were in
Parseltongue.
He didn't say anything that made sense – he'd long ago learned that simply humming in
the language or murmuring sweet nothings was more than enough to satisfy the girls. His
tongue rapidly vibrated back and forth with the hisses and flicks. Tonks gasped and
clutched his hair with her hands pulling him against her harder and her legs wrapped
around his shoulders. "Merlin! I swear, men were behind vilifying Parseltongue! No
woman would ever speak out against this!" She shuddered and bucked underneath him
reaching release ridiculously quickly and dampening his lips somewhat.
Slowly easing off his humming, Harry unwrapped Tonks' legs from his shoulders and
crawled up her body placing soft kisses as he went. He spent a moment on each breast
before returning to her mouth and plunging his tongue inside to do battle with hers. Tonks
responded eagerly flinging her arms around his neck and wrapping her legs back around
his arse. She pulled him into her and shifted her body subtly to make them fit better
together. Pulling back Harry murmured, "Not interested in me teasing you today then?"
"Screw teasing, just fuck me, Harry, please!" Tonks whispered taking his ear into her
mouth and nibbling.
Harry suppressed his own grunt of approval as he pushed his hips back far enough so when
he bucked forward again he entered her with a muffled clap. Tonks moaned loud in
appreciation and Harry couldn't help the answering one from his own mouth. He'd only
gotten in a few thrusts before Tonks was shuddering underneath him again and her arms
clamped around him hard enough to bruise, mewling piteously. Harry lifted his head and
kissed her nose as she came down from her high, continuing his slow thrusts. "You cheat."
"Hey if you've got the power, use it," Tonks said, between gasping breaths. "Just because I
can extend my – uh! – G-spot a tad to make sure you hit doesn't – mmph! – mean I'm
cheating per se…" She protested grunting slightly as they continued.
He chuckled. "You're cheating. Wait til I tell Mione."
Tonks moaned again clutching him tighter. "I look forward to it, Wonder Boy."
Chuckling Harry pulled back bringing her with him as he sat up. Tonks ended up in his lap
still seated firmly around his length and mewling in satisfaction. "Ride me," Harry
whispered into her ear.
No further encouragement was needed as Tonks started bouncing up and down
enthusiastically, her breasts moving with her pleasantly as she went. Harry managed to get
one nipple back into his mouth long enough to flick at it with some more with
Parseltongue. He hummed gently sending a shiver of pleasure resounding through Tonks'
body. Harry felt her shudder again and then cry out. He let her breast pop back out of his
mouth. He could feel his own release building up, but it wasn't quite enough yet.
An idea striking across his mind, Harry grinned. He leaned back and gently prodded Tonks.
"Stand up and turn around, Nym." She quickly complied on legs that were shaking ever so
slightly. As his partner knelt down to plant herself on him again, Harry lifted up to meet
her halfway. As soon as he was buried back inside her wet folds, Harry immediately rose to
his knees and, leaning a hand on her back, pushed her forward onto all fours. Tonks
groaned in appreciation of the new angle as Harry started thrusting again.
He watched the beautiful arc of her back and leaned over to kiss the space between her
shoulder blades while reaching around to grab a hold of her swaying breasts. He enjoyed
the sensation of some of her slick lubrication dripping along his shaft and off his bollocks,
reveling in knowing how much he was pleasing her. This time, when Tonks started
shuddering underneath him – even more strongly than before – her legs gave out
completely and she collapsed to the ground moaning long and loud as she clenched
around him. Her climax, massaging his length with her fluttering spasms, sent Harry over
the edge and he bit down gently on her neck. Groaning into his lover's tender flesh, Harry
let loose inside her repeatedly, before he let his weight settle onto her back. Panting
heavily, his manhood still inside her, Harry gently leaned up enough to kiss Tonks' flushed
cheek and the edge of her mouth as she turned her head. "Bloody hell, Nym, you need to
visit more often!" he gasped.
She chuckled, rolling over with some effort and poking him gently in the chest. Blowing a
strand of sweaty hair out of her face. "You're just saying that because, you…" she teased
her finger down his chest tantalizingly, "just got laid."
He snorted in amusement, and she reached down with one hand to tease her button a
little while the other massaged one of her breasts. "Want to go again?" she asked
hopefully.
Harry chuckled. "You are incorrigible." He sighed as he sank into her properly once again,
"But yes, I would enjoy that quite a bit I think," he laughed.
She groaned, panting slightly as he bumped over her G-spot and rubbed against her cervix.
"Best boyfriend ever," Tonks moaned happily in reply, quivering in anticipation.
MATURE SCENE ENDS
After another few hours with Tonks, both she and Harry cleaned up and briefly left the
Room in order to reset it to the Conference configuration. They opened the door just as
Hermione, Luna, Daphne and Tracey turned the corner. Tracey smirked at the couple and
wiggled her eyebrows. "Wow, that's a pretty good time-span you two. No wonder Harry
can satisfy you all."
Harry's face turned crimson while Tonks just grinned wide. "You better believe he can. We
all know you're jealous Trace."
Luna shrugged. "No she isn't. I can keep up." That effectively killed the conversation as
Tracey just smirked and the others tried to think of something besides what Luna was like
in bed.
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Chapter 419
Harry managed to get his blush under control as the rest of the core group filed into the
room and took their seats around the table. As Sirius sat down he nodded to the others.
"Amy can't make it so I'll fill her in later. Anyone feel like starting?"
"I'll go," Harry said standing up. "Before we start with the main meeting, I want to go over
two things. First, Bane passed on word that we've found the main Acromantula nest. Are
we still sure we don't want to take out that threat immediately?"
Lily grimaced and nodded along with McGonagall and Flitwick. "Unfortunately, yes. I've
dealt with this in the last war; if we attack one of the elements he'll retaliate with the full
force immediately. We've made that mistake before and it cost us dearly. We simply can't
risk it."
Harry sighed and nodded. "Well, at least we have a target for once they start the attack."
The others nodded around him. "Alright then, second issue. How sure are we of the
timetable? I know that Snape is giving us all he can, but are we certain that Voldemort is
feeding him correct intel? It probably isn't too hard to figure out that Snape is a spy…"
Flitwick shrugged. "Honestly, that is somewhat immaterial. Voldemort can know Snape is a
spy all day long, but it's simply impossible to craft a large scale assault for a particular
window and have a single individual expecting a different time frame. Magic can do quite a
bit, but not that. Also…we know he will either attack prior to, or after the end of, the
O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. Riddle is smart enough to know that there would be far too many
additional skilled adult defenders should he choose that specific week."
Harry nodded again. "Okay. Fred, George, how's our production looking?"
The twins saluted with matching grins. "On track partner. The last set of items just started
being put together this morning. We should be delivering the final crate to the troops in a
few days. All that's left are the main castle defenses."
"I got those covered already," Shiva said. "The rune clusters are primed and the standalone
comm relays are already set up. Each station is linked to Auror Headquarters as well as to
Potter Manor in case we need to evacuate to the second front. Gringotts has a tie-in too as
do the French, Australian and Bulgarian Ministries. All central stones are large enough to
maintain active links with the entire network for about two hours before we have to shut
some down to avoid burnout."
"The defenses themselves are Mortar Circles on the ramparts?" Harry asked.
"Yup. Bill and I," Shiva said waving a hand towards the other seated Weasley, "managed to
get them tied into the main castle wards so they'll leech the power from the ambient
magic instead of having to latch onto the ley lines."
McGonagall grunted her agreement. "I've personally ensured that all castle Prefects are
fluent in their use."
Harry nodded. "Good. We have evacuation routes set up through the Chamber and this
room. Students can portkey out directly from the Chamber since it's outside the main
protections though if they come here they'll have to be partway into the created tunnel in
order to get outside the boundaries. All our allies have reported in ready as well." He
looked around at the group before plowing ahead. "Now for the topic that we really need
to hit on…Nagini."
Remus, Tonks and Sirius all scowled while a light pattering of feathers briefly showed on
Fleur's arm before absorbing back into her skin. The rest in the room just narrowed their
eyes and waited. "Voldemort isn't stupid. Insane, yes, but not stupid. There is a chance
that he won't bring her along…" Harry said hesitantly. "We know he wears the ring so that
isn't a problem, but if we do end up killing the bastard without getting the snake…"
Sirius shook his head. "I say we still off him. Took the arsehole over a decade to cobble
together a body again. We'll be able to find and destroy the stupid slithering wonder by
then."
Flitwick snorted. "Why push our luck? We should aim to capture him instead in order to be
certain. There is precious little information that says what may happen should the
Horcruxes be destroyed while Voldemort's spirit is ephemeral. There is every chance he
will remain and we will be forced to tangle with the monster yet again."
"And just how are we supposed to capture him?" Remus asked waving for Flitwick to fill
them in on the grand plan.
Harry took charge of the conversation before anyone else could start bickering. "I think I'll
be able to if we have to." All pairs of eyes snapped to him and any murmurs ceased
immediately. Harry closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. He stood
straighter and faced his friends and allies. "Look, let's be realistic here. He has decades of
experience on me. I've held my own until now and I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve and
on my bandolier however Voldemort still has a reputation for being one of the strongest
wizards of the age for a reason. I'm confident that I can pull out ahead and take him out.
However…I'm fairly certain that even my strongest attacks won't kill him in a single shot. I
plan on being able to wind him or knock him senseless, but I doubt I'll be unintentionally
killing him. Get me next to him and I'll get him on the ground for capture."
A few grimaces greeted that response though most of the people present sighed and
nodded. Millicent was the first to speak up about the potential flaws. "So if we manage
that, then how do we keep him down?"
Daphne stood, her expression frozen into her Ice Queen persona. Harry had to hold himself
back from reached out to grasp her hand seeing that. His eyes briefly met Tracey's to find
the other girl in a similarly conflicted position with her own fists balled and her lips set into
a thin line. "We prevent him from using magic to the best extent we can." Daphne held up
a hand to stop anyone from interrupting her as she forged on. "Voldemort is skilled in
wandless magic so simply destroying his wand is not enough. We need to amputate his
limbs after we capture him. Arms and legs both. Wandless magic is still possible at that
point, but only after weeks or years of practice. It will be enough time for us to delve into
his mind and ascertain the location of the snake."
Lavender held up a questioning hand and waited for Harry to wave her on before she
started to speak. "Um, so if we have him in our custody at that point, rather than cutting
off all his limbs…" she turned slightly green and had to pause for a second as she gagged.
"Rather than amputating, why don't we just obliviate him? Make him into the next
Lockhart. The man can finally speak again from what I hear, but he's barely at the toddler
level."
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Chapter 420
Padma shook her head. "It's a good idea, Lav, but it's too risky. We'd be leaving a Horcrux
out there and if that thing managed to leech enough strength from Nagini it could come
back and re-embody like the diary one tried to do. Voldemort probably locked the snake
under a Fidelius with himself as Secret Keeper."
"Anyone know what happens when the Secret Keeper forgets the secret?" Su asked
frowning.
Lily sighed. "The secret remains protected unfortunately. The charm doesn't break until the
Secret Keeper dies and even then it only splinters into the remaining personnel who
previously knew the secret. Once that second set dies, the Fidelius permanently falls."
Parvati paled. "Bugger. So since Voldemort can't die without Nagini dying first…that's a
brilliant defense…"
Harry quickly shook his head and started speaking again before anyone could lose hope.
"It's good, but it's not foolproof. If he's still able to keep out all the interrogators I'll figure
out a way to get the information out of him with a rune. It'll all be a moot point though if
he's confident enough to take the snake with him."
"Or paranoid enough," Hermione said. Many questioning glances found her leading the
brunette to shrug. "Tom Riddle's primary trait beyond a need to gain control of everything
around him has always been paranoia. With so many of his safeguards confirmed
destroyed…there is not insufficient reason to suspect that he will be afraid to ever let the
snake out of his sight. Instead of searching for a hidden house we will merely have to
contend with felling whatever cage he has erected around Nagini when he arrives with her
in tow."
Fleur's grin had a distinct edge to it that could probably chill the heart of any demon it was
directed at. "Leave zat to me. Between curse breaking and ze passionfyre I will have ze
Horcrux destroyed in short order. Simply keep his attention off of me for a few minutes."
"I got that," Harry said directing a large smile and thankful gesture to his partner. "You'll
have all the time you need, Fleur. Now, was there anything else anyone felt immediately
pressing for the group?"
As specifics were discussed Harry looked around the room at his friends. If someone had
told him five years ago that he'd wind up surrounded by some of the most loyal and
competent people in the country, calling them all friends and trusting his life and the lives
of others to them…he'd have called that person insane and laughed in their face.
What a difference having a family had made.
Harry looked over the people arrayed throughout the Great Hall and gulped. He had never
been so thankful for the experiences of previous years – and the tutoring of his more
politically aligned partners. Standing in front of dozens, no, hundreds of people from
varying nationalities and races was always going to be intimidating. Without the prior
boons he'd likely have been quailing under such attention. That certainly wouldn't have
looked good considering he was supposed to be their general…
"I appreciate everyone being willing to stay in the castle's guest quarters for the next three
weeks," Harry said, his voice carrying to all corners of the room. A series of nods and
smirks answered him. "The O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s start next week so we expect the attack
to come shortly. Please ensure you remain within the assigned areas to maintain the
secrecy of your presence."
One of the Australian volunteers waved two fingers in the air and called out, "Question,
mate, how sure are you about the loyalty of the rest of the students not in the room?"
Harry grimaced and leaned back against the desk to prevent himself from shrugging. His
mother shifted slightly from her position nearby and stood up beside him. Lily nodded
towards the Australian Auror before replying, "We're pretty sure that most of the people
who would betray us have already been kicked out or are otherwise too wary to do/say
anything. Just to be safe though we are asking you to remain within your assigned sections
until the operation commences. Only people who have been properly vetted will be
trafficking those areas."
A goblin frowned in response. "Will we be required to berth above ground, Lady Potter,
Warrior Potter?"
"No," Harry said shaking his head as Lily resumed her earlier position and left the floor to
him. "The goblins have an area near the Chamber of Secrets actually. We found a side
tunnel that is still within the main Hogwarts wards. Now to go over some of the major
items you should've recently received." Harry paused to ensure that everyone was paying
attention.
"The robes that are being handed out now are called Armor Robes," he said gesturing to
parcels that Fred, George and Lee were distributing. "They are a bit heavier than regular
robes so I recommend practicing with them in order to get used to the extra weight. They'll
shield you from a few spells; though if too many hit it in short order or if a spell is too
powerful, the robes will disintegrate." A few snickers greeted that pronouncement and
Harry barely managed to prevent his face from blushing red.
One goblin held up his hand and at Harry's nod asked, "Warrior Potter, is the damage from
spells cumulative or will the armor regenerate after a time?"
Harry frowned. "It's not so much a regeneration as a recharge. The robes work because of
runic inscriptions on the stone inlays. As long as you allow enough time for the runes to
bleed off the energy they've absorbed you'll be fine."
Su's hand was the next to rise only barely beating out Viktor. "Harry, you said a single
strong spell would cause it to be overload. What type of strength range are we speaking
of?"
"Fred?" Harry said nodding for the Weasley twin to take that question.
"From our bench test, any spells up to the Sixth Year curriculum can be taken up to three
times in five seconds before catastrophic failure. Seventh Year spells drop that to two
spells in five seconds. Anything Fourth Year and up that is relatively overpowered will also
lead to immediate failure. Same with most of the dark spells. You'll be able to block a
single bone-breaker or blood-boiling curse for example, but expect to be running around in
whatever you have on underneath afterwards," Fred said no trace of his usual joking.
George jumped in on his twin's heels. "And for the love Merlin people do not think that
this can tank a Cruciatus or Killing Curse. Both will shred through it like parchment."
Lee held up one finger and grinned. "Ironically, it actually can block a single Imperio. Make
of that what you will."
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