Harry Potter and the Corvinus Strain
Chapter 9
Potter Castle
Monday
12 January 2004
06:00
Harry's eyes snapped open and the mates woke up abruptly as the Hell Dragon appeared and faded at the same time, completely filling the space in the bedroom for an instant. Nym concentrated. "Uh-oh."
Her fellow Alphas stared at her and then, just as she did, they changed and faded at the same time—all of them, including Savannah Babey Potter and Brooke Bacon Potter, the on-duty battle captains.
Neville, who happened to be in the current operations center reviewing his training schedules at the time, Frank Jr. having woken the whole house at four, moved into the battle captain seat and started calling units to alert status while watching the maps. The entirety of Clan Potter was flowing out of the Castle and reappearing in Brazil.
Suddenly the map began to focus as Hedwig and her owlets arrived on scene. An ever widening circle of destruction appeared inside a wider ring of blue dots, with lances of complete destruction moving toward the center of the circle like the spokes of a wheel toward the hub.
Neville watched, and as units came online he issued orders but held them from crossing the LD with more than their engineers and scouts. He wanted to mass his available forces rather than committing them piecemeal.
Black dots began to appear on the current operations screens and Neville began looking for concentrations and assigning areas of operation to individual units.
Across the realm units scrambled into readiness condition one, and NCOs issued ammunition and general orders.
Brazil
Near Tingua
Monday
12 January 2004
03:00
Miriam had gotten nervous when the large hybrid had come into the room and begun removing his clothes. Her nervousness had transmitted to Harry and now she was cursing under her breath.
Miguel Cristobal looked at the girl and smiled; this was one of the better looking ones. This would be fun. He finished stripping and turned his compulsion on her.
Miriam laughed. "Is that really the best you can do?"
Miguel stared at her for a moment. "So, you are immune to my compulsion? How is this?"
"I don't think I'll eat you after all. I might get infected with whatever has made you so stupid."
The hacienda shook violently. "What was that?"
Miriam laughed. "My father. Do you want to be my pet?"
Miguel made a mistake and changed as he charged Miriam. He stopped as he ran into the wall and looked around. The girl was now facing him again, he had completely missed her without seeing her move. He gathered himself, and the roof over them disappeared.
"Daddy! Stop that!"
Miguel stared open-mouthed at the surprised looking Dragon. The surprised looking gigantic Dragon.
He made his second mistake and moved; only Miriam saved him. When she moved between them, Harry snapped his Dragon jaws closed and raised his head; fire shot from both nostrils in hundred-foot arcs and the giant Dragon bellowed in pain and trotted in place.
Miguel issued a panicked, hysterical little laugh. It cut off abruptly when Miriam's head swiveled back to him. "You aren't helping, you know! Now, do you want to be my pet or not?"
Miguel's mind was near blank. What did she mean, pet?
Miriam, swiftly losing patience, stamped her foot. "Yes or no? You have five seconds—one, two, three, four..."
"Yes, anything! I want to live."
The girl beamed at him and turned to the Dragon. "Daddy?"
Miguel watched as four very nice looking women faded into view. The one with pink hair addressed the girl. "Pets are a lot of responsibility, Miriam. You have to control them and train them and clean up after them and insure they're fed and watered. Are you sure, baby?"
"Pleeaaasssse, Mum?"
Miguel moved again and the heat from the flame that stopped just short of his head drove him to his knees.
Sarah sighed. "All right, Miriam, but you have to be good about this. He's your responsibility."
Miriam ran to the Alphas and hugged them each in turn. "Thanks, Mum!"
Harry rolled his eyes and stuck his still-smarting snout in the pool just as Neville trotted up in front of the lead elements of the magical forces. Neville managed to keep a straight face as the steam billowed up. "All right there, Harry?"
The one huge green eye glaring at Neville sent the troops with him scurrying for cover. Neville nodded curtly. "Medic!"
Her squad mates pushed Private Wendy Rawlins forward. She trotted up to Neville. "Sir?"
"Ah, Private Rawlins, see what you can do for His Highness, there's a good troop. The rest of you, follow me."
Neville strode off as Private Rawlins looked at her patient. "Let's see it, sir."
Harry kept his snout in the pool. "You're going to have to breathe at some point, sir. I have some burn salve here, I'm sure."
Harry rolled his eyes as Wendy dug in her aid bag. She eyed her reluctant patient. "Come on, now, sir. It has to be looked at."
Harry's sigh caused huge bubbles and he lifted his head from the pool and laid it on the ground. Wendy walked up and looked at his nostrils. "I didn't know that could happen."
"Neither did I."
"Sir? How are you doing this?"
Wendy giggled at Harry's mental shrug. It tickled, good. Errh—well, back to business. "Okay, sir, hold still. I have to clean this and it may hurt."
Harry lay very still. He had felt that earthy little giggle and decided to experiment a little. He projected a series of images and feelings at Wendy, who had by now almost crawled into his huge right nostril and was gently Scourgifying away the burned layer of tissue.
"Neville, where is Harry?"
"Errh, out that door by the pool, Duchess Nymphadora." She had a towering mad on; Neville was intent on staying out of the line of fire.
"Thank you, Colonel Longbottom. Please see Duchess Lilith, down this hall, third door on the right."
Neville watched Nym stamp away and relayed a few more instructions and then went to find Lilith.
Nym arrived on the patio to find Harry's head and neck lying on the pavers and a feminine-looking butt and pair of legs sticking out of his right nostril; giggles issued from the same as the butt squirmed around. "HARRY! What are you doing?"
Harry's surprised snort blew Wendy out of his nostril and into the pool. She was down to her sports bra, fatigue pants, and combat boots. It was hot in there.
"Oh, sorry, Wendy!"
Harry wandlessly levitated Wendy out of the pool and dried her thoroughly. He was rewarded with a groan and a pair of nipples that could cut glass from the shaky-legged private.
Nym huffed and stepped up to Wendy, putting her hand on the young woman. "Well, I hope you're happy, Harry! What if she didn't want to be found?"
"Oh, ish fine, Duchessssss. I'll just get back to work, thank you."
Wendy dropped to her knees and crawled back into Harry's snout, wand still firmly in hand. Nym stood in front of Harry's snout. "Harry, you are terrible. Poor girl was just doing her job. Don't you look at me cross-eyed."
"Nym, you're standing two feet from my nose. How else am I supposed to look? And how was I to know? We were just playing while Wendy worked on my nose where I burned it and, well, things happened."
"You're incorrigible. You have to control your temper. Every time you get mad, some poor girl gets found."
"That's not my fault, Nym. Usually when I'm mad, a lot of people are around."
"Well, just stop going out in public when you're mad. And be careful of Wendy. You've got her all goofy."
"I'll be careful, Nym."
Neville, meanwhile, had made it to the third doorway and stood looking into the roofless room, amazed. Miriam was petting a kneeling hybrid on his head and talking with her mother. Lilith and Na Wen were obviously talking in the bond. "Uncle Neville, look! Mum said I can keep him!"
Neville blinked. It was definitely too early in the day for this. "Well, that's fine, Miriam, but what are you going to do with him?"
"Oh, he's going to run the hybrids for me. And if he isn't a good boy I'm going to let Daddy eat him."
Miguel's head snapped up and he growled. Before anyone could move Wendy was deposited on the floor by a long pink tongue and Miguel was scooped up by the same tongue on the backstroke.
Miriam grinned. "Idiot should have left it. I was wondering what it would take."
Sarah frowned. "You play cruel games, Miriam. You should have just killed him."
"Where's the fun in that, Mum? I needed Daddy to be calm enough not to kill him and I couldn't think of anything else. He skeeved me out, undressing like that."
"We're going to have a long talk about that little-girl routine of yours, Miriam!"
"Sure, Mum—but later, okay? Paul has a bunch running, and I want to join the hunt."
Sarah pulled her daughter in and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Mean thing. Go on, but be careful—and tell your brothers and sisters." She gave Miriam a swat on the butt and Miriam changed and scrambled up the wall, her claws leaving great gouges in the plaster, and leapt from the top. Sarah turned to Neville.
"Colonel Lord Longbottom, thank you for taking charge. Harry was in a snit and we had to catch him. The mates are linking up with their elements; great idea, that closing perimeter, by the way, and perfectly placed. We'll catch the vast majority of them."
Neville smiled. "Thank you, ma'am. I'll take Private Rawlins and find her blouse, ma'am."
"Pshhht! Sarah, Neville—I'm sure you remember. Wendy will stay with the rest of the household. We'll take care of her. You can take your battalion and move to…."
Outside, as the dawn broke, Nym watched Miguel Cristobal get a lesson in why it was a bad idea to challenge Harry. So far, Harry had broken most of his major bones at least once and was just warming up. It looked to be a long day for Miguel.
Father George moved toward Harry and found a slim hand holding him back like an iron bar "Don't do that, Father. We just got him over his killing mad and I don't want to do it again."
"You think to instruct me, child?"
"No, Father, I'm just telling you—if you take another step, it will be your last."
Father George looked up the arm into a pair of burning green eyes and shuddered. Nym smiled. "I thought you'd see my point."
"But the Duke will beat him to death!"
"Only by accident."
"What?"
"Only by accident. His Highness has plans for Cristobal."
Father George winced at the inflection on Cristobal. "And the other hybrids, my child?"
Nym turned to Father George. "First, I am the Duchess Nymphadora, first among equals, not your child. Second, it is none of your concern. You may stay and watch if you want, but you'll probably regret it. Why don't you hurry back to your parish and pray for all the souls of the sinners?"
Father George, not being a complete idiot, retreated from under that eerie burning glare and hurried back to his car, cell phone in hand.
Meanwhile, the hybrids inside the perimeter found themselves hard pressed and giving ground. If they didn't, they died no matter what they did.
The Tsarina's tank army had begun arriving and the infantry, over watched by their BMPs and T90s, were clearing toward the center of the perimeter. The tank army was soon reinforced by the Imperial Army and the perimeter was firmly closed. Hybrids who ventured too close either disappeared in flashes of smoke and flame from the mixed mode UVNS rounds or were stooped on by a Dragon.
One hybrid did manage to make it to a vehicle, but when he leaned into the BMP to attempt to push it over he sizzled like meat on a grill.
Bellatrix, Amelia Fastida, Allison, and the Duke's Guard circled overhead dropping stones on females, but these stones landed the female hybrids under Na Wen and Lilith's watch near where Cristobal was now being beaten, healed, and beaten some more.
"Harry, take a break and have some breakfast."
"Oh good, Nym, what have we got?"
Geoffrey popped in. "Mostly meat, Master, a few eggs and some of these tortilla things. Some very nice tropical fruits, though."
Harry smashed Cristobal to the ground. "Sounds good, Geoffrey. Kitchen help give you any trouble?"
"No, Master. They seemed quite pleased to be cooking again instead of serving as—erm—blood tankers, Consuela says."
"Harry, Geoffrey, and give Consuela my compliments. If we could have breakfast?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Grrrr."
"Yes, yes, Harry, big bad Alpha. Now come eat."
As Harry growled, breakfast appeared. He shook his head and sat. "Nice warm-up so far. I'll want to speak to Miriam."
Nym grinned at him. "Worked, didn't it? You should complement her."
"I intend to, Nym, and thank her. I surely would have killed him by now otherwise. How's Wendy?"
"Ready when you are, Harry!"
Harry oofed as one hundred twenty pounds of sexually charged, underdressed, pixie-cute, brown-haired private landed in his lap. "How's your nose?" Wendy stuck a gob of burn cream up each of a stunned Harry's nostrils and quickly rubbed it round.
"Gaahck! Wendy! I already healed it. Oh, don't pout."
Harry kissed her lightly and smiled at her. She stole his rasher of bacon and hopped up again, smiling. She got away with a light smack on her very firm butt, to the filling table's laughter.
Units in the field watched in amazement as elves appeared near their positions and laid buffets. Fred looked at George. "Well, this is new."
George nodded. "Entirely too civilized, this is. What happened to an MRE, cut the corner off, squeeze it in your gob, and keep moving?"
Tracey looked at them. "Oh hush. We think it's nice of the Duke. Go on, George, we'll cover while your squad eats, then you all can cover us."
Kristina nodded and led George's squad to the buffet. "Oy you, who's in charge here?"
Kristina turned around and smiled. "You, dear. Now come eat."
George nodded. "As long as we got that straight!"
Both squads laughed.
It was surreal; a magnificent breakfast was served while the magical forces kept closing the perimeter. The vampire hybrids were at first infuriated and then embarrassed as they attacked units breakfasting to find themselves losing heavily.
All the units in the magical forces got to play today. The artillery and mortars were firing direct fire and extreme high-angle, respectively, and dropping rounds literally in between hybrids. The rounds were silver nano powder and UV liquid binaries. They caused horrific damage and casualties.
The hybrids finally broke and fled back to the hacienda. The magical forces dropped their forks, and the act, and pursued, the Tsarina's tank army leading.
Harry watched the crowd of hybrids flowing into the grounds and used his compulsion to herd them tightly together in the middle of the front garden. He rose and after a moment extended his staff. "Accio hostile hybrids!"
Harry waited as seventy-eight screaming hybrids landed in a milling mass. He applied the Sonorus charm. "Good morning. I am the Duke of Magic, and as my vampire and hybrid mates tell me, the sire. You will now submit or die. Please form two lines, submission on my left." Harry raised his left hand. "And dying on my right."
"Harry!"
"What, Hermione? It's a beautiful day, can't we have a little fun?"
"Anymmph Hmmry!"
The mates swiveled their heads to where Eugenie had covered Wendy's mouth and was whispering in her ear.
The hybrids, meanwhile, had humorlessly formed a line on Harry's left, leaving Cristobal alone on his right. Harry eyed them with sparkling eyes and a huge smile.
"Harry, what about these?" Bellatrix asked from where she and her fellows were holding the females.
Harry walked over and canceled the Sonorus. "Is there an Alpha among them?"
A platinum blond, blue-eyed, dusky-skinned woman of around forty stepped from the crowd. "I am Celestina Januária Maria Joana Carlota Leopoldina Cândida Francisca Xavier de Paula Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Bragança, Highness, at your service."
"SARAH!"
"What, Nym?"
"Never mind, you two. Ma'am, is there perhaps a name you prefer?"
Celestina Januária Maria Joana Carlota Leopoldina Cândida Francisca Xavier de Paula Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga de Bragança smiled. "I like Candida, it sounds so naughty."
Harry stood stunned for a moment. Candida's smile had lit the area. "Yes, well, there is the matter of what we're to do with you all now."
Candida's smile turned predatory. "And how many times, Master."
"Oooh, I like this one, Amelia!"
"Shhh, Bella."
Harry finally managed, "All of you?"
Candida looked at Amelia Fastida and raised a brow. Amelia huffed, "He knows, Candida, he just resists. It's really quite charming, you'll get used to it. He'll surprise you on occasion."
"Usually by knocking your belly full of twins."
"Eugenie!"
"S'true, Mum."
Sarah almost rolled her eyes. "I thought we were practicing decorum?"
"Oh Mum, it's just us Harry baby bellies over here."
"Eugenie Victoria Helena Windsor Potter!"
Harry did roll his eyes. "Ladies, if you please? I have about a thousand male hybrids I have to dominate over there. Could we save this for later?"
Candida smirked. "Not much later though, I hope." She drew her hand down Harry's forearm, applying her own complusion.
The mates laughed as Harry blushed and turned away to deal with the males.
Imelda Talley appeared, followed by several other members of the wizarding press. Rita rolled her eyes and went to intercept. "Imelda, how on earth did you find out where we were?"
"Mundane seismic readings, Rita. Harry registers low fours when he's in his Dragon and stoops on something."
Lana Montgomery Potter said, "Really? We'll have to work on that; maybe a cushioning charm—what do you think, Cho?"
Imelda grimaced. "Bloody hell! Anyway, we're here now, so get him to hold off a few minutes, Rita."
"Why ever would I want to do that, Imelda?"
Imelda just looked at her. "Come on, Rita, this was way too set up for it to be other than an engineered show. If you don't let us get set up there won't be any coverage and you'll have to do it again somewhere."
Rita smiled. "Caught. Fine—but not live. Fifteen-second delay."
"Rita!"
"Take it or leave it, Imelda, no negotiations on this one."
"Fine, give us five minutes and I'll cue Harry."
"Cue Harry? Oh, fine."
Imelda dashed off while Rita strode over to the Alphas. "Harry, Imelda needs five minutes."
"That's fine, I was prepared to wait anyway. I thought we'd have to go get her."
Nym pouted. "You knew!"
Harry laughed, grabbed her, and kissed her. "And how could I not, schemer? You've all been buzzing about this since before the hols. What would you have done if it was one of the babies?"
"The stones would have killed whoever it was that threatened any but Miriam and the of-age Warg daughters, Harry, and even that took some doing. They're as hard-headed as you are," Lilith supplied.
"It was a good plan, though, wasn't it? Well, except for that thing with Wendy. You really do have to be more careful, Harry. There aren't going to be enough babies for our sons and daughters to be found by, or to find."
"I can't do anything about that, Nym. I really was just playing with her. Not even really hard, either. I was just tickling her, and bam!"
While the Alphas discussed things, the reporters continued setting up, with more arriving every second and Hestia and Grindaknivur planning and building. Soon a kind of rough amphitheater arose as the press filled the half circle Rita put them in, and Grindaknivur's goblins built a raised step behind the first half circle, and then another and another.
London
WWN/WTV Studios
Monday
12 January 2004
08:43
Shereen Nanjiani looked at her frantically waving producer and listened in her earbud as she very professionally kept looking into the camera and reading off the teleprompter. Idiot pouf, if he wants something all he has to do is type it in the teleprompter. Ah, here it comes. "And, gentle beings, we'll be breaking away to our field correspondent, Imelda Conrad, for a breaking story. Imelda? Are you there?"
Shereen heard, "Yes, Shereen. I'm currently standing on the lawn of a large hacienda north of Tingua in Brazil."
The monitor came live and Shereen and the rest of the Mundane, as well as ninety percent of the magical population of the world stood or sat entranced, glued to the wireless or magical television.
Brazil
Cristobal Hacienda
Monday
12 January 2004
05:44
Imelda continued, "The magical forces of the realm under the command of His Highness the Duke of Magic have been in action overnight—well, since six this morning GMT—and have rounded up what is believed to be the largest cell of 'outlaw' hybrids and their leader, Miguel Cristobal. His Highness is just about to decide the fate of these now-prisoner hybrids after their capture following desperate fighting in the predawn hours."
Rita rolled her eyes. She was standing at a large monitor split between all the feeds with her crew of mates, monitoring all the outgoing "live" feeds. Some intrepid MTV camera crews had already gotten into the field, and images of wounded magical forces troops and burnt vampire corpses were flowing in the feed with the reporter's voiceovers over the top. One wag had even managed to find the BMP with the vampire body print burnt onto its side.
That wasn't going to go well with the porridge. Ah well, let 'em ham it up. No force casualties KIA and only one had to be turned; made it a great day's work.
"And here is His Highness now, Shereen. Let's listen in."
Imelda had given Harry a wave and he frowned and stepped toward the group of male hybrids and installed the Sonorus. "Now, you gentlemen will submit or die. Those of you who would like to challenge me for dominance may feel free to attack."
The hybrids stared at each other for a moment and then charged Harry. Maybe someone would get lucky.
Harry shook his head at their stupidity and started picking targets and knocking them out. They would have been better off to try him one at a time, as they might have stood some slight chance of wearing him down. Now they were hitting each other more often than him. Still, going slow enough for the cameras to follow was getting him hit some.
Imelda continued her voiceover. "Brutal action here, gentle beings, as His Highness establishes dominance over these hybrids in the physical manner they understand so well."
The mates watched, wincing occasionally. Selene, however, concentrated on Michael. Something was going on with him.
Over the next hour Harry was truly tested—by the sheer volume of his opponents, if nothing else. Nym, who had been watching Cristobal, had smacked him back into the ground every time he tried to rise. It was finally finished; no more attacks came and all the hybrids were on their knees. Harry stopped and blew. His exhalation was a lambent green flame.
Nym started forward just as Selene screamed a warning across the bond and Michael attacked Harry.
Michael got in a huge tearing rake across Harry's back. Harry had dropped his runestone for this fight, and he changed. The gigantic Warg spun, flinging blood that landed smoking, and attacked Michael. Soon enough Michael was down, every limb broken and lacerated.
Cristobal sensed his advantage and while Nym was distracted launched his own all-out assault. The watching audience cringed away and mothers covered their children's eyes as Harry snatched the vampire hybrid out of the air and bit the screaming Cristobal in half with two vicious snaps of the razor-tooth-filled massive jaws.
Rita killed the feeds as Michael was fully dominated in the Lycan manner. The reporters curbed the voiceovers, which had been left running.
Harry sat on his haunches afterward and raised the Howl. He was joined by his Warg children and then he loped off into the treeline. The Alphas and Primaries followed him. Amelia Fastida, Bellatrix, and Allison took charge and gathered the hybrids and began transporting them to cells. Ruth Holt Potter started the withdrawal of the magical forces, and Rita spoke to the reporters.
The bonded were in no mood to tolerate nonsense, and everyone obeyed with alacrity. The bonded could feel Harry and knew that that lope off into the woods had been a necessary show. Harry was in a great deal of pain and bleeding heavily.
As soon as he was out of sight he collapsed. Nym and Lilith went to him, and after some near panicked conversation Harry was faded to Lilith's heart chamber with the Alphas, leaving Hestia in charge.
Michael stirred, and Selene attacked him. Hestia and the Primaries faded in just in time to save him, as Selene had all but drained him. He was sent to a cell. The reporters continued their outtros and hand off back to their anchors as the battlefield cleared and the Goblins got to work on repairs and installing Fidelius charm over an immense area of South America, as Cristobal had claimed all the areas of the Ge peoples as his own.
London
WWN/WTV Studios
Monday
12 January 2004
10:20
Shereen took control back from Imelda and said, "Now a word from our sponsors, and then back for your reaction. This is Shereen Nanjiani and you're watching 'Good Morning Magic'."
The red light on top of the camera faded out and the studio exploded in noise. His Highness had fooled no one; those cuts across the back had been to the bone. You could literally see the white bone in them, and they had been bleeding heavily.
Potter Castle
Lilith's Heart
Monday
12 January 2004
10:20
"Harry! Harry! Stay awake, love, just a little while longer. Use your metamorph abilities and close those areas off from the main blood flow, Harry."
"Sure, Nymmie, anything for you."
Harry was lying on his face on the floor of the heart chamber. Lilith ran her hands over the long, deep, ragged gouges in his back, tears streaming down her face and a golden light streaming from her hands. The wounds slowly, grudgingly, closed as the blood flow slowed to a trickle. As the last one closed Lilith collapsed into a coma, as did Harry.
Nym, Sarah, and Na Wen put them side by side and lay down on the now cold stone floor of the heart with them. They lay in contact with Harry and Lilith and gave them all the energy they had, drifting into unconsciousness with their Alpha mates.
Potter Castle
Entry Hall
Monday
12 January 2004
10:25
Elizabeth arrived with Phillip and Andrew and led the charge to the current operations theater.
Hestia was in the current operations room returning the magical forces to quarters when Elizabeth burst in. "Hestia, have them line up and shoot each other, the tanks and infantry fighting vehicles too. Have them keep at it until they're out of ammunition."
Hestia looked at her, muzzy-headed and puzzled. Lilith had drained the bonded and herself. Elizabeth knew the quickest way to get energy back into her was by the runestones converting energy. Neville, who had accompanied the mates back to the Castle with his battalion as the mates looked done in, snapped his fingers. "Of course, the stones!"
He turned to the operations screens and started issuing orders. It was an indicator of the magical forces' trust that they immediately complied, albeit with eyes closed and fingers crossed on the first round; but soon the realm raged with the sounds of a million-man army at war.
Fighters attacked each other overhead; artillery units shelled tanks, armored infantry, and other artillery units viciously; the mortars turned on the artillery; and the infantry fought it out squad vs. squad. Attack helicopters flew though a maelstrom of shot and missiles, chasing transport helicopters and assaulting them—a perfect orgy of destruction. It was over in moments.
Elizabeth smiled broadly—and a little goofily, truth be told—and flopped into a chair.
"Good show, Colonel Longbottom. That's giving 'em what for. Now go ahead and return them to quarters. Andrew, take over the wards, then help me get your mother to bed. Geoffrey—oh, good show, man."
Elizabeth smiled. "I knew you'd come in handy someday, Phillip."
"All right, Liz, let's get you to bed, dear."
"Phillip!"
Phillip chuckled and picked Elizabeth up. He moved off with two panicked Royal elves orbiting at high speed.
Neville looked around and noticed that he and the non-mate magical forces HQ troops were alone. "Well, time to institute our plan for world domination. Muhahahaha."
The troops rolled their eyes and chuckled. Some wag supplied, "Isn't that what we've been doing for the last seven years?"
Potter Castle
Entry Hall
Monday
12 January 2004
16:56
Romilda Longbottom arrived in the entry hall in high dudgeon and got growled at. "Miriam Potter, if you want to keep all those lovely teeth you'd better stop growling and show me where my idiot husband is. I've just come from checking the hospital and am trying to save my mad for him."
Miriam flinched and changed. "Sorry, Auntie Romy, you surprised me."
"Why are you lying out here impersonating a rug, Miriam?"
"Da's hurt and he and the Alphas are in Lilith's heart. Uncle Nev is running the world and Uncle Andrew is running the realm. We, the Warg kids, are guarding the entrances."
"If it makes you feel better, dear, fine. No excuse for your Uncle Neville, though. He could have sent a note."
Romilda spun on her heel and strode off to the current operations room. Miriam changed and lay back down in the shadows, watching the transport arms. Uncle Nev was in trrrooouuubbbllle! Hehehe.
"Neville Longbottom! What exactly are you doing? Everyone else has been home for hours!"
"Oops! Knew I'd forgotten something important."
"Oops? OOPS! I'll give you OO—"
The HQ's troops snickered and got back to work after Andrew installed the silencing bubble around Lord and Lady Longbottom.
Elsewhere in the Castle Geoffrey responded to Lilith's call and moved all the Alphas to the center of the bed in the master bedroom. The mates settled in snugly and slept like the dead.
Across the realm reporters moved to the schools. As the magic had faded, the lights in the schools had dimmed. Students had reported this to parents and the reporters had found out through the grapevine. The lights had come back up with that massive expenditure of ammunition and now reporters sat with light meters in the Commons and updates went out every thirty minutes. The lights had brightened again and were steadily growing stronger.
Otherwise the realm held its collective breath. The video of Michael's attack on Harry had been playing in slow motion almost continuously. Everyone was sick to death of it. No one could not watch it. Medical experts gave endless opinions and the prognosis was very grim. Neville had been forced to call out units to defend the cells at Azkaban as a growing mob surged closer and closer to the prison.
Those rising magical lights in the schools were a frayed rope to a populace sinking in quicksand.
Potter Castle
Briefing Theater
Tuesday
13 January 2004
09:00
Neville strode to the lectern. "Ma'am, overnight His Highness has been transferred from the medical facility to his bed in the Ducal suite here at the Castle. Duchess Marcia has high hopes for a complete recovery."
The room exploded with flashes of all types and excited babbling from the press. Andrew stepped forward. "If you interrupt Lord Longbottom again, you will be clapped in cells!"
The noise died instantly.
Neville smiled. "Thank you. We understand you are all very concerned; however, we expect you to live up to the high standards set by His Highness. Now, at the moment of his triumph for us all, is not the time for lawlessness and anarchy. To that end all magical forces are recalled to active duty and the Realm is under martial law. Notices are being posted in all places of worship and public houses. Her Royal Highness Miriam will serve as regent for their Royal Highnesses Lily and James. Thank you."
Imelda yelled out, "Lord Longbottom, why has a Regent been appointed if Their Highnesses are expected to recover fully?" Elizabeth suppressed her smile. That girl was going to be knighted this year.
Neville stopped and turned to the crowd. "His Highness is expected to recover fully; it will, however take some time. Meanwhile the Realm needs a ruler. Her Royal Highness is fully mature and the firstborn."
Neville turned and exited the stage. Elizabeth made her way to the current operations room, where Neville sat trembling in relief. She beamed at him and Andrew. "Very nice work, Lord Longbottom. Harry will be proud of you, as I am."
Andrew nodded. "See, Neville? I told you! You did great!"
Neville raised a pale, slightly green face. "And if I ever have to do that again it will be too soon. They're like wolves. How does Harry stand it?"
Elizabeth smiled and opened her mouth, but just then Nym faded into view. "He breaks things. Wotcher, Nev? Good job, Harry is proud."
"Aiieek! Nymphadora Potter, you scared me out of ten years of my life!"
Andrew smirked. "Charles will give Harry a medal."
"Andrew Albert Christian Edward!" Elizabeth hissed at a unrepentent Andrew.
Nym, meanwhile, had covered her mouth for a moment and then said, "Well, just stopped by to confirm things for Neville. Harry will be fine but he'll be recovering for probably a month. Think you can hold on that long?"
Elizabeth nodded. "We'll be fine, Nym. When can we see Harry?"
"Probably a week, Marcia says. His body is in some kind of coma but his mind is fine. He says 'Hi Mum', by the way."
Elizabeth smiled. "Hello, Harry. All right, Nym, you all get back to bed we'll hold down the fort."
Nym smiled and faded away.
Elizabeth looked around. "Has anyone seen Miriam?"
Neville smiled. "On the news of her regency, Her Royal Highness withdrew to her room and is currently breaking things, the elves report."
"Phillip, take me to the children's wing."
Phillip grinned. This should be fun.
Potter Castle
Master Bedroom
Wednesday
14 January 2004
05:00
"Careful, Lily, Daddy is sleeping."
Lily stopped crawling onto her dad and looked at her mum with big eyes. "Okay, Mum. Daddy will be all right?"
The bonded were all surprised by "I'll be fine, sweetie, come here" and Harry pulling Lily up on his chest. They smiled and made room as the Potter children came to sleep with Da.
"Harry, are you, all right?"
"Yes, Nym. Don't think I'll make PT, but maybe the sport. Need to be seen, after all."
"We'll see, Harry."
"Marcia!"
"Don't whine, Harry."
"Grrrr."
"You do feel better, don't you, Harry."
"Yes, Nym. Now you all go do PT today. I'll be fine."
Nym smiled. "All right, children PT at six."
Lily nodded. "Yes, Mum." She laid her head back down on Harry's chest and listened to his heartbeat, smiling gently. All was right in her world again.
Godric's Hollow
Magical Forces Exercise Grounds
Wednesday
14 January 2004
06:00
Nym faded in and looked around. The vast silent crowd looked at her and smiled. The smiles didn't last long when she deferred to Miriam, who led Lily and James onto the field next.
"What's wrong with them?"
Alicia and Angelina had strode up behind her. "What do you think, Your Highness? We aren't idiots. You're here, so Harry is alive, but Miriam is still Regent so he's not out of the woods yet."
Nym raised a brow at Angelina and Alicia backed her sister wife up. "Come on, Nym, no growling. You know she's right."
"Oh, it's not that, but it just dawned on me why Harry has worked so hard to stay out of the 'Highness' roll. It's a personality cult. What is it with magical folk that makes us unable to look to ourselves for guidance?"
Angelina shook her head comically. "Blrbbrlbblrb too deep for me, or too early. Come on, let's work out."
"I told you so—errrh, sorry, not like that, but I did say!" Harry was doing a little triumphant mental dance, naked, thoroughly amusing the mates.
Nym grinned. "Oh shush, Harry, you're supposed to be sleeping."
Angelina and Alicia grinned too. "Don't you—"
"—hate it when—"
"—the goofballs are—"
"—occasionally right?"
"Stop that, you two. Morgana, who knew you could be twins by injection? If you'd sleep with just one of them you wouldn't have this problem. That's what you get for living in the same house. Do you even bother with separate bedrooms?"
Angelina and Alicia's blush was spectacular; Nym laughed so hard she hurt.
Angelina and Alicia were suddenly the information source for the realm, and the store in Diagon Alley was packed all day, as opposed to its normal after-school rush.
Godric's Hollow
Royal Academy
Medical Department
Immunology Lab
Wednesday
14 January 2004
08:00
Charles Lancaster rubbed his eyes and added the sample of His Highness's blood to the sample of Michael's. He watched the monitor as His Highness's white blood cells attacked the hybrid cells and a magical battle ensued. Michael's blood cells were left dead as always, except for one or two of the thousands. He carefully isolated those still-living cells, put them in stasis, and added them to the growing collection in the sealed, enchanted crystal jar.
His shift over, he headed for home, forgetting to clean up his work station. In the sample dish the sample of Harry's blood changed slightly.
Lucretia Poison—don't ask; her parents had a warped sense of supposed humor—swept into the changing room, dropped her robe, and put on her lab robe. Damn, Charles was gone already. So, getting up at five, doing PT, shaving her legs, and putting on this matching scarlet bra and panty set had been for nothing. Well, not for nothing, it did make her feel very good.
Oh, and the lovely lump had left her a setup in the clean box. Maybe he was paying attention in the changing room. Morgana knew she had been blatant enough; good thing it was only the two of them at these hours or she'd get branded a total slag.
So, a tiny drop of Michael's blood, traitorous bastard that he was, and—
The resulting magical flare as the drop hit the sample dish knocked Lucretia out and rocked the school.
Godric's Hollow
Royal Academy
Atrium
Wednesday
14 January 2004
08:34
Nym stood with Miriam as she received the reports that were flowing in. "Mum, just take over!"
"No, Miriam, you're doing fine. The building is evacuated, the wards held, the Poison girl is fine. And Cho, Chu, and Emmeline are investigating that lab."
"Mother, the point is I don't want to do fine, I want Da back."
Nym smiled. "As do we all, and he will be, dear, but you may have to lead this—errh—"
"Rabble? Mess? Cluster fu—"
"Realm someday. We think you should use this opportunity to learn. Besides, sweetie, it helps your Da recover if he can let go of all this for a while. Really, Miriam, cluster fuck? Where do you learn those words?"
Lilith moved up beside Miriam. "Yes, dear, don't let the plebs hear that or they'll get restless. You can think it all day, just never, ever say it."
"I think you're missing the point, Mums. I don't want to and never intend to lead the Realm. I intend to have Da shag the snot out of me and have a litter a year for the foreseeable future. This world needs more Wargs."
Sarah strolled up. "Never say never, dear, and we do have to talk to your father about that. If nothing else, a litter or two will keep you from waving that little bottom at him every time he's in his Warg."
"Mother!"
"Shhhh, here comes the Head Boy."
Potter Castle
Master Bedroom
Wednesday
14 January 2004
11:22
Wendy Rawlins finished checking her patient and lay stretched out beside him in full contact along his side. Her lithe, fit twenty-two-year-old form fit perfectly from entangled legs to the pixie face buried in the side of his neck; and that arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her tight, full breast into his armpit and chest, was the absolute end. He would be better soon and she fully intended to be the one to ensure that absolutely everything was fully functional.
"Oh, that will be nice."
"Harry? Go to sleep, we'll be right here."
"Mmm-hm."
"Harry!"
"Hmmm?"
"That's not sleeping, that's groping!'
"Hehehe."
"Pratttttt! Morganaaaaa."
The flaring light confirmed one thing was fully functional, and Wendy fell into the intent bonding.
"Now sleep, Wendy."
"Mmmm-hmmmm."
In the deep delvings under the Hollow where Frieda was helping the Goblins by "smelling" for treasure, Grindaknivur shook her head at Frieda's chuckling as Harry used his Dragon's mental projection abilities to give Wendy a crashing orgasm and intent-bind her.
Godric's Hollow
Potter's Field
Wednesday
19 February 2004
21:00
Fred, Tracey, George, and Kristina entered the taproom slowly and dragged themselves to their normal table, thankfully on the ground floor as they were Plankholders in the pub. In on the ground floor, literally.
Neville came dragging in after them looking even more exhausted. Ron and Lavender were already seated at the table with the rest of the gang. Lyudmila looked them over. "If you'd stop arresting people for looking cross-eyed you wouldn't be so tired. The Wizengamot should have enough money to operate magical Britain for a thousand years off all these fines."
Neville uncharacteristically snapped. "Holding up your nefarious schemes there, Lyudmila?" He closed his eyes a moment. "Sorry, Lyudmila, no excuse."
Lyudmila beamed at him. "It's fine, Neville. I should keep my mouth shut."
Neville sighed. "It's just so long, and people will not leave that prison alone. Every day someone is up there on Azkaban Island doing something aimed at killing Michael."
"Oh, they shouldn't do that! We're going to need him alive, we think."
Everyone turned to look at Lucretia Poison, one table over. "What? We finally reconstructed what happen in the lab and duplicated it. The result is a potion that cures all forms of the Corvinus virus, at least in animals. We're going to start vampire and werewolf trials next week. Turns out we have to double-expose His Highness's blood to Michael's blood and it then produces a magical antibody."
George Schmidt considered for a moment. "So, Selene's blood should do the same thing. Or one of the other hybrids."
Lucretia nodded. "You would think so, but so far it appears to be only Michael's. We have yet to test Selene's as she's still pregnant and we want those high hormone levels to drop first."
The tables and those surrounding them were suddenly deeply involved in conversation and the weary warriors were no longer quite so tired.
Many ideas were floated that evening that Lucretia would take back to the lab. Some of the older vampires had voiced their concern that curing the virus would kill them, as their human side had long since outlived its normal span.
Several mediwitches contributed the information that the virus cured several Mundane diseases that crossed into the magical populace.
Potter Castle
Dragon's Den
Sunday
22 February 2004
23:00
Harry was in fine form. Fully healed, no question—how could there be a question with him taking Selene from behind like that again? Nym snickered. Those poor babies were going to have dents in their heads, but Morgana, Selene was delicious. Her sex was burning hot, and she and Harry feeding off each other while they peaked was crippling. Erika catching them lying there with Harry comfortably inside Selene and slipping her fangs into first Harry and then Selene's sex was just unbelievable.
Of course, Erika then taking on the rest of the mates over the last five Turned days was exhausting, not least for her; but oh my, hadn't it been fun shagging her crippled!
Wendy had gotten her wish in every orifice two weeks ago and was still smiling about it, taking every turn she could and talking the intent-bonded into shagging Harry constantly, the greedy thing; but very biddable, she would take any of the mates, anytime, anywhere.
The pack run on the sixth of February had turned into a Turned sexfest too, as Harry took everything female. Silver and Golden were very smug at having gotten Hell Stallioned and Unicorned and the centaur mates and Nightmares had gotten their fills too. Several new female Dragons had shown up. Odd how they could do that when the group was Turned; that needed looking into. Miriam and her of-age sisters had achieved their goals. Well, everyone thought so anyway. The pregnancy test would come back soon but the girls were horribly smug, a sure sign.
Harry had changed forms so much that a girl had to be careful and remember what form she was supposed to be having sex with or it all got lost in the blur. Suzanne was happy so Nym was fairly sure the appropriate tab A had gone in to the right species' slot B. Well, most of the time. Although Suzanne was becoming a little suspect; that discovery of her Harry had turned her into an incubus, and a persistent one too. Poor Muriel was still a little shaky.
Next Sunday was going to be grand—well, if those things the Patils and Rita had dug up were true. Who knew the leap day of a leap year held special significance for sex magics? That, plus Harry finally being allowed out in public for the sport, was sure to make it a big night. Speaking of big, Hestia's Harry was huge tonight. "Hestia, easy baby, what's gotten into you?"
"Not enough you, Nym."
Nym smiled and rolled Hestia to her back. She got her legs folded right and thrust hard onto Hestia while grinding in a tight circle. She chuckled as Hestia's eyes bugged slightly and a groaning moan got past her clenched teeth. The chuckles cut off as Hestia's orgasm took her with it.
Potter Castle
Dragon's Den
Sunday
29 February 2004
23:00
Candida screamed and then said, "Violet, master, please, violet."
Selene smirked in triumph. Her Harry had shagged the last hybrid into using her safe word and he'd barely broken a sweat. Morgana, Candida was a complete mess. She wouldn't sit for a week, hehehe. Uh-oh. "No, Harry, Haaaarrrryyy! Gods! Stop that!"
"Why?"
"You'll make me break my water coming, you dufus. Haaaaarrrrryyyyy!"
"The kids have cooked long enough, Selene. It's two days before full term. Relax."
Selene yelled, "Help!"
Harry was buried in a pile of distaff flesh. A moment's squirming and the pile broke up with Irma Cranston completely impaled and bucking hard. Harry slowed her rapidly thrusting hips and established a rhythm. He then sat up and took a nipple and significant portion of breast in his mouth. The mates watched, smiling, as Irma screamed her way from peak to peak, her already tight, hot sex gripping Harry firmly and rapidly pulling him toward the edge.
As Harry started coming, Irma was shoved forward and Harry was sheathed in another tight, wet, warm sex. He completed in Fleur Delacour Weasley and the mild flare of light lit her gently smiling face as she panted out her orgasm. Irma fell forward onto Harry and laid her head on his shoulder. Fleur leaned forward. "See, Harreee? Not so bad. Just the one night, my Harreee."
Harry was attempting to agonize but Fleur's rhythmically clenching sex and rolling hips made it hard. "But—Bill, Fleur."
"Does not begrudge my duty to the Veela nation, Harreee. He would much rather it was you than some other Veela male."
"Fleur, there are no male Veela!"
"Not of age, Harry, but your sons by the breeding candidates, they will be ready soon."
Harry got a silly grin and growled, thrusting hard into Fleur. "Oh, you like that you put boys in our bellies, my Harreee? Come on then, give us another and then I must go."
Irma smiled and crawled off Harry. He rolled Fleur under him and took her to the edge, holding her there until she begged for release. Gabrielle watched and laughed. "Serves her right. Make her beg more, Harry, she always does it to Bill and then comes bragging."
Hermione cradled the upset Ginny to her breast. "What? You know Bill agreed?"
Ginny frowned. "But she's enjoying it!"
Hermione nodded. "Let her have her once, Ginny. You know the agreement was only once no matter what else happens, unless Bill dies before her—only the once, ever."
Ginny was still upset. "Hermione, Veela live a long time, two or three times a human's span, so she's sure to end up with us eventually. At least mate-bonded to keep her alive."
"Silly, she's mate-bonded now. She'll only get the once. She does love Bill. Skim her thoughts—she's fantasizing that Harry is Bill right now."
"Oooh, she is, the slag! Hey, stop laughing at me, Hermione!"
"I'm sorry, Ginny. You have to make up your mind though, sweetie."
"Hmmph."
Harry pulled out of Fleur and slid down her body, using lips, teeth, and tongue. For some reason he had the urge to take her to her absolute limits. He slid from pale pink nipple to pale pink nipple, leaving each with a nip that nearly drew blood, and launched Fleur over the edge. Harry smiled and caught her coming down. He slid down her flat belly, kissing away stretch marks with the golden glow of his healing abilities playing between his lips and her flat belly. A hand covering her sex and gently Scourgifying her was too much and Fleur screamed as if her throat was tearing.
Gabrielle moved to her and took her sister's head in her lap, gently massaging the now sobbing, shattered Veela.
Harry finished kissing away stretch marks and slid gently down nuzzling into Fleur's engorged sensitive outer lips. He licked gently and lightly as he nuzzled in and then gently pushed his growing tongue to the back of her birth canal. Fleur screamed again, her body drawn into a reverse arch with heels supporting one end and her head in Gabrielle's lap supporting the other, arms extended and fist clenched. She looked like some perverse crucifix.
She collapsed from that, and then Harry got serious. He withdrew and shrank his tongue and sucked her engorged clit, rapidly swirling his tongue around it from tip to base deep into her hood. Fleur lost control and changed.
For the first time Harry changed to a male Veela and pinned the uncomprehending, needing animal Veela Fleur to the cushioned floor and swiftly slid up her birdlike body. Ten inches of male Veela slid home in Fleur's sex and they went over the edge together, locked in dual arches connected at the primary sex organs.
Lorelie Delacour and Gabrielle Delacour Potter changed forms and as soon as Harry unlocked from the now unconscious Fleur, still in his Veela, he took first Lorelie and then Gabby, alternating between them until they too were unconscious.
Gabrielle's mad, needy keening in the bond had been painful for the bonded and a driving whip to Harry.
With all three Veela present unconscious, Harry lost the change and collapsed for a moment. He recovered his breath, sat up, and crawled to Ginny; he Scourgified himself thoroughly and took her. Resisting at first, she switched off her mad—or Harry did—and they went after each other like animals.
This lit off a kind of chain reaction. Nym nodded to Sarah and the Alphas went to, fully wound, and simultaneously released the permanently installed Time-Turners of the Dragon's Den. They would repeat this again and again.
It would be a fortnight of Turnings before they returned uptime, with Selene's twins Amelia and Erik being the first births in the Den.
The last three days Fleur and Lorelie had to rest as they had been taken by the male Veela every time they regained consciousness. Gabrielle insisted and took on the male Veela herself every time he appeared in response to the Veela's inaudible, needy keening, until Harry was finally able to gain control of it. Gabrielle, able to call on her bonded for strength, had weathered the storm, but barely.
That had caused an unexpected moment of angst as Gabrielle had pushed Harry away in revulsion when they both changed back for the last time. They had both been very surprised, and some deep Legilimency had revealed that Gabrielle still loved and wanted Harry but her body literally couldn't stand any more contact with a male just then.
She was quite literally full; she felt she could feel herself sloshing. She and Harry had used every orifice in her body for hours at a time for the last two weeks subjective. They had both drawn on the realm.
The Veela's unconscious keening in response to the male had caused the Wargs to be just as nearly insatiable, and they had gone from blushing nearly-virgins to knowledgeable women and then on into territories they didn't want to discuss any more. Gabrielle wasn't alone in feeling like she could feel herself sloshing.
Harry would never have a problem being with a Warg daughter in human form again; all that had been burned away when he took Miriam every possible way she could be taken, in both forms. When she had had to stop her sisters had eagerly taken her place.
Lilith had had her hands full helping Harry with miniscule genetic changes, taking his genetic material from their father to no closer than a sixth cousin. They would work on broader changes with the next litters.
The bond was fine, and Marietta was smug about the energy capturing, magic converting rune strings she had had the suppliers of the magical forces' firearms targets start using after the Queen had come up with that brilliant mad minute. The bond hummed with power and all the stones selected companions and were mated.
Lilith had been healing abrasions and bruises with thoughts, and when she and Harry coupled it took the rest of the bond with them into some kind of nearly nirvanic state.
Marilyn Highlander Potter could become completely corporeal at will now.
Potter Castle
Dragon's Den
Sunday
1 Mar 07
05:00
Harry awoke and grinned like an idiot. The girls smelled very girlie today.
"Harry! Eeeeuuuuwww."
Harry chuckled and rolled over onto Eugenie. "How about we make you a full mate today?" He thought a lubricating charm at her and slid his hard cock up and down her smoothly depilatoried sex. Eugenie moaned and Harry parted her lips with the head of his cock and slowly, glacially buried himself in her.
Beatrice opened her eyes. "Fiends! I was sleeping here!"
"Shh. I'm fucking your sister, I'll get to you in a minute."
Beatrice's fish impersonation was very amusing and lasted long enough for Harry to establish a rhythm in Eugenie, a rhythm she was desperately trying to speed up.
Beatrice stopped her fish impersonation and got a glint in her eye just as Eugenie clenched and Harry found himself flipped and Minerva taking him deep in her mouth while her smiling eyes stared into his. Harry came and Minerva smiled and swallowed. "Hey, that's mine!" Minerva got tackled and frenched by Eugenie while Harry turned his attention to Beatrice.
She actually did try to get away for an instant or two, but stopped as he pulled her hips to him, sank his length in her, and then firmly rubbed both large hard hands down her back on either side of her spine. His fascination with her "gorgeous back and ass" was a little hard to resist.
A distinctly un-pregnant Selene watched and at the appropriate moment pushed Harry over backward and sat on him. "Pregnant, Harry, make me pregnant again."
Nym looked on and commented to Sarah, "Surely not yet? She just delivered."
Sarah shrugged. "Lilith did a lot of healing in the Den, Nym, and the bond is immensely powerful suddenly. Errh, more immensely? Immenser? Whatever—more than ever before. Oh, if that grunt's any indicator we'll see in a couple of days."
They were not to know that they were all pregnant again, most of them in several forms. Twelve months from today, after they spent most of four months delivering babies of all species plus their own multiple species' deliveries, Harry and the Alphas would write a rule that Harry could not take more than half the bonded in any form in one session in the Dragon's Den ever again.
Hedwig was very smug about only having the one form for weeks.
Several projects were launched to find out why the contraceptive spells didn't work across species, but the mates could only be fully bound in their "native" species when the intent-bondeds' Wargs all turned up pregnant.
Godric's Hollow
Sports Ground
Sunday
6 June 2004
09:00
"And the balls are in play, gentle beings, as we wind up the 2003-2004 season with this cracking tournament. I'm Percival Gribbs with all your sport and court news here on WWN and WTV 1."
Bruce smiled and turned his head to the monitor that was on Glenda and switched audio channels. "And proof positive that our Duke is back and fitter than ever, gentle beings. Every one of the bonded are showing. It's an absolute sweep!"
Bruce shuddered in fear as the cameras panned from baby bump to baby bump endlessly. He couldn't know—and would have been grateful he didn't know, if he could—that the Warg daughters and intent-bondeds' Warg litter bumps were hidden under glamor charms.
Harry sat in the Ducal box with an idiotic grin from ear to ear. The mates smiled at him indulgently. He was being completely hovering; if they thought something it materialized in front of them. It was so cute. It would be irritating shortly, but for now it was just, well, cute.
The daughters sat around speculating on the chances of getting a promenade trip from Da while he was being so generous. They got scowls from the mums and settled for evaluating the latest actions of the various suitors. The Potter sons, realizing discretion was the better part of valor, quit the field and scurried off into the crowd.
Godric's Hollow
Sports Ground
Black Box
Sunday
6 June 2004
09:38
"You, sir, are insane!"
Remus rolled his eyes. "Someone has to tell him, Sirius."
"Well, it's not going to be me. You legal eagles want Michael dead, you go ask for it."
"But Sirius—"
"No. I'm not kidding, Remus. I agree with Harry on this and I won't even ask. I would advise the Wizengamot again, in the strongest terms possible, not to hand down a death warrant."
Remus sighed. The warrant was already signed. It would be a bad evening at Court.
Godric's Hollow
Sports Ground
Sunday
6 June 2004
14:34
Remus's prediction might come true, but meanwhile it was a great day of sport and Harry was having a blast.
The mates had gotten a little restless and Harry, through experience, recognized it was time for him to go. He had wandered to the butts and was busy getting schooled by SFC Ambrose, a rail-thin, blue-eyed, brown-haired retired US Army sniper. Harry couldn't shoot worth a damn, still.
The rest of the realm chortled up their sleeves about it. SFC Ambrose knew different. Harry could hit people with spells from thirty-six thousand feet; he could shoot, he was just faking it to let them have something. Damnned if he could tell how, though.
Beatrice and Eugenie came and collected Harry. "Harry, the kids want to go to the promenade."
Harry looked down the sights of the FN/FAL. "Fine, Beatrice."
Eugenie huffed. "With you, Harry. Now."
"Oh, of course. Not getting any better anyway. Thanks, Sergeant!"
"Hooah, sir!"
Beatrice and Eugenie smiled and led their prize away.
Harry was just as happy out and about. The populace was thrilled to have him back and in fine fettle. Just look at the bellies on all those mates! Yes indeed, back and in fine form, Himself was.
Harry shook hands and smiled his way from shop to shop; the owners plied him with offers but he smiled and shook his head and moved on. The owners of the stores that the daughters frequented had chairs waiting and hovered in full Florence Nightingale mode. Harry bore it well and they settled soon.
All in all, a great time was had by all, Harry watching the Quidditch through multiple mates.
Finally, Harry managed to extricate himself from the leather shop and he led the kids back to the box, settling in and spoiling his mates some more. Ice cream in odd flavors seemed the order of the day—evening, rather.
Hermione leaned up and stole a spoonful of Ginny's. "Blech, Ginny. Morgana, what is that?"
"Anchovy. Eat your own!"
"How does he do that?"
"He's in their heads, remember, Edward. Here, hold your son."
Edward looked aghast as Sophie very deliberately started working on her buttons. Nym laughed and waved. The obscuring dome snapped into place. "Thank you, Nym. Sophie, you should at least check!"
"Why? Some pervert gets his jollies watching me feed our children? Harry's stones will snatch him up soon."
Edward sat thinking and smiled. Yes, they would, wouldn't they? Harry was a grand lad.
"Harry, they're going to hand down a warrant on Michael."
Selene stiffened at Bellatrix's comment. Harry sighed. "Yes, Bella, I know. They have no jurisdiction, though. It's a forces matter."
The mates started paying strict attention; Harry had a bad tone and feel. Harry looked at Selene. "You have to convict and execute him, Harry," she said. "You can't tolerate that behavior under any circumstances, and he broke his bond. Admittedly not a bond of love, but he was able to break it."
"I need him alive, Selene. His blood can cure thousands."
"I know, Harry, but only if my blood proves not usable. There's every chance it will be. I'll never break my bond with you."
"And so, I kill him for not being able to control his animal? And what does that make me? I slew thousands in Uganda, rampaging completely out of control."
"Not over dominance, Harry. You've never let dominance issues control you."
Harry lapsed into silence and thought. The mates lent him their unquestioning support.
While Harry still wrestled with the issue internally, the games and sport continued.
At 20:31 the last game concluded and Harry knew what he was going to do.
Hestia smiled tightly and stepped onto the pitch. The vast crowd fell silent. This was the first session of Court since the vampire hybrids had been suppressed in the battle at Tingua, and they fully expected retribution against the soldier of the magical forces that had betrayed them.
Hestia opened Court and the normal rabble appeared in the dock. The crowd susurrated restlessly but the Wizengamot was pleased. This was as it should be; clear the docket starting with the oldest cases.
Harry deliberately worked his way through the docket and then Hestia closed Court. The crowd was surprised but the Wizengamot was incensed. "We demand justice, Your Highness!"
Harry smiled grimly and looked at Augusta. The crowd recoiled but Augusta did not quail. "We demand the trial and execution of Michael Corwin for breaking his bond and cowardly attacking the Monarch of the magical realm."
"Lady Longbottom, I am surprised. First you demand justice—and I assume you speak for the Wizengamot here—and then you demand the trial and execution of Michael Corvinus. Where is the justice in that?"
Augusta was not about to back down. "The attack on Your Highness's person was clearly documented, unprovoked, and murderous in its intent."
"And a matter for the forces to decide."
Silence reigned as the crowd and the Wizengamot considered Harry's statement. Harry didn't wait and prompted Hestia, who stepped back onto the pitch. "Magical Forces Courts Martial being in session, Michael Corvinus is called before the board. Neville, Colonel Lord Longbottom presiding."
Hestia stepped back, and the lights came up on the court martial board seated at a long table. Neville was in the center, flanked by the Weasley twins, Ruth Holt Potter, and Amelia Fastida.
Neville cleared his throat. "This general court martial being in session and duly authorized to hand down any and all sentences, the prisoner will be brought forth."
Michael Corwin appeared on the pitch in hobbles and waist chains between Sergeants Major Jones and Lyles. He was marched to six paces from the table and reported. "Sir, Private Corwin reports to the president of the board."
Neville stood and returned the salute, much to the crowd's displeasure. They got a glare from Harry and stilled. Neville continued. "Private Corwin, you are charged with attacking the Commander of Magical Forces of the Realm of Merlin, said Commander then being engaged against a hostile force. The maximum penalty for this crime is death. How do you plead?"
Michael, to his credit, never hesitated. "Guilty, sir."
The crowd ooohed and aaahed. Neville continued doggedly. "You are also charged with breaking your bond with the Commander of Magical Forces. This crime carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. How do you plead?"
Michael again never hesitated. "Not guilty."
The crowd exploded. Harry was forced to use a vastly overpowered Lumos to restore order, albeit a green after-image, headache-having order.
Neville sat. "The prisoner will present evidence. Who will act as the prisoner's counsel?"
If the outburst at Michael's not-guilty plea had been loud, the reaction following Harry's announcement of "I will act as counsel, my lord" was bedlam.
Harry let it continue as he talked to Michael. "Michael, we're going to change your plea to the first charge to not guilty by reason of mental defect."
"No, we aren't, Harry—uh, Your Highness. You assume too much. I should have controlled the hybrid, all the others there managed to control theirs."
"Michael, all the other hybrids that were present have known about werewolves and vampires for their entire lives and most were hundreds of years older than you. Also, they didn't know that the woman they perceived as their mate was really mine. When I shared blood with you on that dock in Rovinj I started this chain of events. It could have had no other conclusion. You now freely acknowledge my dominance of you and it won't be a problem again."
Michael started to object and Harry smiled at him. "If it is, I'll just eat you."
Michael clapped his mouth shut; Harry's face had smiled but his eyes had not. Harry nodded. "Good. Now we're going to change your plea and prove you are subordinate. It's going to be embarrassing for us both. Then you're going to be confined to Azkaban until we work out this cure for the virus, and then, if you are not needed for it, you will be offered the cure. Strike that—you will be cured."
Michael flinched. Not only embarrassing; having Harry beat you into submission and then mount you hurt, a lot.
Harry looked up and stood; the crowd had already quieted. "My lord, on advice of counsel my client enters a plea of not guilty due to mental disease or defect to the charge of assault with intent to commit murder."
Neville gave up on the crowd and applied the Sonorus. "Accepted. You may present your evidence, Your Highness."
Harry applied the Sonorus to everyone on the pitch and told Michael's story from his childhood through his turning and his first almost death. The crowd turned thoughtful as Harry painted the picture of a Squib left in the Mundane world and knowing nothing of magic. That Squib then encountered storybook nightmares and a world he could not even have imagined. He was immediately plunged into a war not of his own making, having the woman he loved taken from him and then being enslaved to the man that took her.
Harry displayed Michael's mark, still bright and vibrant, to the board. He then painted a verbal picture of life in a pack and pointed out that attempting to gain dominance in a pack was not disloyal. Harry painted all those things in and then said, "Really, if anyone is to blame here, I am."
He waited for the protest to die out. "I failed Michael. Knowing he was a Lycan hybrid, I didn't fully establish dominance. I offer no excuses, but I felt he had already suffered greatly at my hands. I am sorry for this lapse in judgment." Harry sat.
Neville nodded and announced, "The prosecution."
Selene appeared in the circle of light, clapping slowly. "Very good, Highness, lord of my heart. However, you fail to consider the obligation of sentients to society. We are not simply beasts, my hybrid brothers and sisters and I. We are sentients. Your claim that Michael simply needed more time to adjust, or is simply following pack behavior norms, is why we fought this war. Otherwise why should we care what they do? Why should you care what I do?"
Selene changed and released the constraints on her compulsion. "I can rule them, my lord. Only you can stop me, and with them I can rule the world, I can give it to you."
Selene looked around at the panting crowd and changed back masking her compulsion again. "But that is what we're trying to prevent. The mistake here was not your Highness's. You acted as you had to, sometimes against your better judgment, in order to ensure the safety of the realm.
"I would submit to the board that Michael Corwin is dangerous and not in full control of his hybrid. He did, with malice aforethought, attack his Alpha, then currently engaged in a dominance struggle in furtherance of the pack's interest. This cowardly attack was motivated not by knowledge that he was superior but by his uncontrollable mating urge."
Selene sat at the table that had appeared behind her. Neville said, "The board will consider," and cast an obscuration and silencing dome.
Michael looked at Selene sadly. "She hates me."
Harry nodded. "Not a little either, Michael."
Michael sighed. "My only regret really, Harry. Don't get me wrong; given more time I might do things differently, and while I'm your creature now, there would come a time when I would try again. Selene is right and you're wrong in this case, Harry. You can't have me out in the world and live at peace."
Harry sat stunned at this admission from Michael. He was wrong, he could feel the truth of it in Michael. He would try again, and again, until he succeeded or was dead.
Unbidden, the image of the stone in the sublevels of Azkaban rose in Harry's mind. Harry's thoughts were interrupted as the obscuration dome snapped off.
Neville sat at attention. "The prisoner will rise."
Harry and Michael stood.
Neville continued, "It is the unanimous decision of this board that the prisoner Michael Corwin is guilty of assaulting his superior, the magical forces then being in a state of war and while in combat. The board also unanimously reached the sentence we are about to impose. Michael Corwin, you will be dishonorably discharged from the magical forces of the Realm and your name stricken from the roles."
Michael jerked; Neville continued, "You will serve one hundred years at hard labor on the island of Azkaban. During your imprisonment you will continue to provide samples of blood so that the work to cure the Corvinus strain may continue. If a cure is found you will be cured, then cast from the Realm, and you will not return to it nor inhabit lands under its control."
Harry didn't know whether to scream or shout. It was worse than he'd hoped but better than he'd expected. Michael was simply happy to be alive.
Suddenly something clicked in Harry's mind and he covered the mark on Michael's arm, raised his wand which expanded into a staff, and said, "Bound to the portal this being be, in one hundred Turnings shall he be free." He recited this in Elfish, and Michael disappeared with a scream.
Harry staggered and then explained it to the crowd—well, as much as he understood. Michael could not leave Azkaban until Harry released him or one hundred years had passed, but he would be available for blood samples or labor on the island.
Neville, satisfied, dismissed the board with his thanks, fervently hoping never to have to do that again, and Hestia closed the court martial.
The crowd headed home, still dissecting what they had seen. Harry turned to Selene, who knelt before him. "I'm sorry, Master, it had to be done."
Harry picked Selene up and kissed her. "Fine, but only if you don't call me Master. Yes, I realized that after it was mostly over."
Selene got a sly grin on her face, and whispered in Harry's ear. Harry blushed crimson. "Selene, I'm not calling you a mmph mph!"
Selene rolled her eyes and faded the pair of them away with her hand still covering Harry's mouth.
Godric's Hollow
Sunday
4 July 2004
09:00
Harry lay in the morning sun on the beach with that huge grin that was becoming a permanent feature. It had been a great year, all in all.
All identifiable enemies of the realm were gone—well, all but the upstarts, but they were smashed like bugs as soon as they were identified.
The businesses were doing great. Narcissa and her crew were congratulated every chance he got.
"Mmmm yes, thank you very much."
"Tracey! All of you are just horny cows."
"Oh, like you haven't been mooing a lot lately, Nym?"
Harry chuckled at Nym's mental spluttering. All the mates were…. "Horny as two-pecker billy goats, Harry?"
"Miriam! You have to stop hanging out with those old sergeants!"
"Awwww, Mum!"
Harry was laughing outright now. The end of school feast and ball had been great.
"Yes, despite you binding the Head Girl on the school crest in the Atrium, Harry. Whatever possessed you?"
"Me, Lilith? Ask Rose, she's the one who dragged me out there, sucked me hard, tripped me, and jumped on me!"
"Oh yes, like you couldn't stop her."
"He didn't want to. I suck a mean cock, don't I, Harry?"
"Rose Zeller Potter!"
"Hehehe, want an example? Show me your Harry, Lilith."
"Oh, hell no, you don't know when to stop! I'm still sore from last time."
"Yeah, like it wasn't two hours ago in the shower. Come on, give us a wiggle."
"Harry, help!"
"Me? Just a minute ago you were all over me about it, now you want me to distract her."
"Harry!"
"Fine!"
"AAAAAAAAIIIIIEEEEEEEE!"
"Morgana, Harry, easy! She'll be coming for an hour."
Harry huffed and went back to thinking. The cure had worked, but the old vampire/lycan thing had turned out to be true. First their blood, when exposed to the cure, lost the virus and then it dried to dust in seconds.
Amelia Fastida chuckled throatily. "Gaining you a whole new population of women."
"Amelia!"
"Hush, Harry, not like you aren't enjoying shagging them stupid."
"Well, no. Too bad about the vaccine, though. If we can find another cure for diseases that the Turning cures, we can go ahead and use it, though."
Beatrice raised her head and looked at Harry around her pregnant Warg belly. "You'd have to order it. People are using the virus to cure a terminal disease or life-threatening injury and then taking the cure."
Harry nodded; actually, that wasn't bad at all. The effects of the infection and cure were enough to keep people from using it in all but the direst straits, but if you were anywhere close to alive the virus would mostly fix whatever it was, and then after you had fully healed you could be given the cure.
Patients reported the cure was like having your blood turned to acid, though.
Now if Selene would stop getting pregnant, he could release Michael and exile him.
"Bah! No, softy. I plan on staying pregnant forever."
Harry shook his head. Girls held serious grudges.
A 1500-odd chorus of "Damn straight!" answered this thought and Harry grimaced. His smile returned quickly though. It was good to be the King.
The mates broke up laughing.
The End, maybe, we'll see.
AN: This was all written ten years ago. This is the first full edit and the three books combined. As a warning I don't see a 'nine more years later'. I think it is fine as it is at over half a million words. Also, I like the spot Harry and Nym have landed in.
Thanks to Su and CJ for their work ten years ago.