"Red Snitch," Harry called out with a small smile on his face. The entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room opened and he walked in, his broom slung over one shoulder and his dirty clothing in his other arm. Looking around, he saw the common room was rather empty and shrugged. It was approaching dinnertime anyway. He just had to put his broom and clothes away and he would be done here.
Walking upstairs, Harry pushed the door open and dropped his clothes in the basket beside his bed before shrinking his broom and putting it in his pocket. He would be needing it later. The dormitory was empty as well, which was quite understandable since two of its occupants were still in the Hospital Wing.
Neville was going to be out the next day along with Luna, while the two youngest Weasleys would be staying for a few more days. Harry frowned at the reminder of what had transpired in the ministry before he shook his head. He had the foreknowledge and he had already destroyed the diadem. Dumbledore would take care of the ring and the diary was already done, which left only three more to get rid of.
He pondered upon that for a moment. The locket would be the easiest. He just needed to call Kreacher and that would be it. Nagini could be killed in the heat of the battle as well. However, the biggest challenge would be the cup of Helga Hufflepuff.
Bellatrix Lestrange had hidden it away inside the Lestrange Vault in Gringotts, and he didn't want to infiltrate it the way the original Harry had done. He had no wish of getting on the bad side of the Goblins or taking such a massive risk. He would have to think about that one.
Deep in his thoughts, he was walking into the Common Room and didn't pay attention to what was around him. A yelp sounded out and he fell over backwards with a surprised grunt as he felt someone bumping into him. His back collided roughly against the carpeted floor, absorbing the impact but still knocking the wind out of his lungs. However, what surprised him was the feeling of a soft body that had landed on top of him.
With his hands on the other person's waist, Harry opened his eyes and came face to face with a familiar pair of chocolate-brown orbs that were looking down at him in surprise. Their faces were close enough that they could feel each other's hot breaths and Harry saw the red hue on her cheeks that was in no way a result of a fever.
The position was too familiar, oddly reminiscent of the night they had shared in the Room of Requirement where she had laid naked atop him in a similar pose. He could feel her familiar pussy resting on top of his semi-hardened member and her tits pressing up against his chest as she stared at him with wide eyes.
"Would you mind, Hermione?" He asked at last, and that seemed to shake the woman out of her stupor. Blinking her eyes and finally realizing the position they were in, Hermione Granger's eyes widened and she hastily got off him. Harry slowly sat up and rubbed his back slightly before looking at the girl standing in front of him. His eyes were level with her shorter-than-normal skirt and he averted his gaze away before standing up.
"I'm so sorry, Harry, I didn't see where I was going," she muttered, looking anywhere but at him, and Harry chuckled.
"Hey, no harm done. I wasn't looking either. It happens, don't worry."
Hermione looked at him with a frown before she managed a small smile and nodded.
"What were you in such a hurry for?" Harry asked as he started walking, and Hermione fell into a stride slightly behind him. They exited the common room and took the path down the corridor that led to the giant staircase.
"Oh, nothing. I was just getting to the Great Hall for dinner."
Harry looked at her sideways and nodded.
"Let's go then."
The pair quickly descended the stairs in silence, with Harry looking around and Hermione's mind working into overdrive as her heart beat fast. It had been a tumultuous day for her, ever since she had seen Harry leave with Katie. She didn't know what it was, but Harry seemed different. More confident, perhaps more outgoing as well. She had never imagined she would lose herself to such an extent that she would ever do that with anyone, let alone Harry.
Or perhaps that was why she was thinking that Harry was different. Because they had sex. And try as she might, she could not forget how it felt to be one with him. Had something changed between her and Harry forever? Did she view him differently now?
He was like a brother to her.
'But you don't have sex with your brother, do you?'
There were numerous questions in her mind, questions she had no answer to.
So lost in her contemplation she was that she didn't even realize they had reached the Great Hall and it was only when Harry pulled her beside him with a small frown did she come out of her self-imposed trance of thoughts.
"Sorry, I was thinking of something," she replied, starting to fix her dinner. Beside her, Harry started doing the same while occasionally looking at her with a frown.
"Like what?" He asked nonchalantly as he took a bite of his chicken.
"Just things, nothing to concern yourself with, Harry."
Harry nodded and let it rest, and Hermione was thankful for that. She had no inclination of talking about this, ever, especially with the very person who those thoughts concerned the most.
"Had a good game today?" She asked instead, looking sideways at him, before frowning when a grin overtook his features.
Harry nodded. "I was on a team with Astoria Greengrass and Tracey Davis, from Slytherin. I don't think I've ever been happier with the fact that those pricks in that house are sexist as hell. Those two girls, alongside Katie, were literal demons on the pitch. The other team stood no chance."
Hermione noted how Harry spoke of the three witches with utter adoration, and she found she didn't like it. However, before she could interject, a regal-looking owl descended in front of a surprised Harry, who took the pair of letters it held in its beak. The owl's delivery complete, it grabbed a bite of chicken right off Harry's plate before taking off.
"Who is it from?" Hermione asked as Harry turned the first envelope around to look at the name. His eyes widened slightly when he saw who it was from.
"It's Fleur," he replied before turning the other letter around. Hermione frowned.
"I didn't know you two kept in touch."
Harry nodded. "This is the first time she has sent me anything. Not that I ever did. I'm equally surprised. The other one is from Gabrielle."
Without any delay, he pulled Fleur's letter out and started reading.
Dear Harry,
I know this is sudden and unexpected, but I could not stop myself when the news came. Is it true? Did you truly go to the ministry and fought Death Eaters and He-who-must-not-be-named?
The papers today were full of news about what happened in the ministry. I could not believe it when I read it. Please take care, Harry, and know that I and my family will always support you.
That brings me to something I want to share with you. I have gotten a new job in Gringotts as an analyst, and I have been assigned to work in Britain. I know the times are not good, but I want to come and if it is possible, help in any way I can. I hope we can meet and stay in touch. We did not communicate much since I left last year, and I hope we can rectify that.
There is another thing I want to talk to you about. I will explain more in person when I get there next month, but will it be possible for you to exchange letters with Gabby? She has sent one, and I would really appreciate it if you became her friend. I think she will tell you more, and if there are any questions, you can ask her directly or I will tell you next month.
I hope you all are okay after what happened, Harry. Please reply soon.
Best regards,
Fleur
Harry was slightly surprised at the letter he received from Fleur. They had become friends before she had left for France, but they were by no means close. For her to send him a letter was surprising, to say the least. However, he didn't pay any mind to that line of thought as his mind wandered.
Fleur was one of the hottest women he had ever seen, and it was impossible for him to not be attracted to her. The fact that she would be arriving in a month to live in Britain made him wonder about the possibilities there were.
Her request regarding Gabrielle surprised him slightly, and he tucked Fleur's letter in his pocket before pulling out the one Gabrielle had sent. The words, safe to say, astonished him.
Dear Harry,
I hope you will not think I am weird after reading this letter. Fleur told me that you will understand, so I am writing this to you.
I went through my veela maturity last week and since then, all my friends have told me to stay away from them. They don't like how their boyfriends and other boys look at me when they are together.
Our school year ended yesterday and today, we read about what happened in the ministry. Are you okay? Please tell me.
Fleur told me that you will like it if I wrote to tell you this, and I think she is right. We are with you, Harry. You have done so much for us.
It is okay if you don't want to talk to me. You don't have to feel like you have to. You can ignore this letter if you want. Just send one reply telling me if you are okay and that will be more than enough.
Merci,
Gabrielle
Harry sighed and put the letter inside his pocket, while Hermione kept staring at him.
"So? What did the letters say?" Hermione asked, and Harry looked at her.
"Nothing much. They just heard what happened in the ministry and wanted to ask about how we were doing."
Hermione nodded and Harry quickly finished his dinner.
"I'm going to take a walk, okay?"
Hermione looked at him in surprise and nodded. She watched as he got up and walked out of the Great Hall. Once he was out of sight, the girl sighed before getting back to her dinner, her mind in constant turmoil.
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Harry climbed up the stairs until he reached the second floor and took the first left turn. He walked down the corridor, his destination fixed in his mind. Harry had not visited this particular area of the castle since his third year, and as he entered the abandoned girls' bathroom, he saw that it looked exactly the same.
Walking further inside, Harry reached the sink and looked for the relevant tap, smiling when he found it.
"Open," he hissed in parseltongue, smiling in satisfaction when the sink widened to create a pathway directly to the Chamber of Secrets. It was a good thing that he retained his ability to talk to snakes.
Without any delay, he called Kreacher.
A loud pop sounded out and the batty old elf arrived, cursing to the heavens.
"Filthy half-blood dares to call Kreacher! Oh, the shame on the noble house of- "
Harry waved his wand and silenced the elf, who looked shocked.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm a filthy good-for-nothing half-blood and a son of a mudblood and whatnot. Happy?"
Kreacher looked on, stunned, as Harry leaned against the sink and fixed him with an intense stare.
"Listen, and listen closely, you little piece of vermin. You led to the death of Sirius Black, the lord of the house you serve. And for that, I should kill you where you stand."
The elf glared at him with utter loathing before he prostrated himself in front of him, seemingly asking him to do the deed. Harry stared disdainfully.
"Stand up. Now!"
The elf promptly stood up and Harry nodded.
"Regulus Black gave you something to destroy. Bring me the locket here and now and I will destroy it."
Kreacher shook his head violently, tears springing from his eyes as he silently wailed. Harry dared not take the spell off.
"Kreacher, bring me that locket now! That's an order. You can have your melodrama after that."
The elf sniffed before popping away and returned a moment later with a familiar locket in his hand.
"Drop it to the floor and go away. Make Grimmauld Place properly habitable, as befitting the lord of the house. I will be dropping by in a week. You are not to leave the house, nor would you try to contact anyone other than me by any means. You will keep the house in full lockdown. No one apart from me shall enter, and if anyone else seeks to enter, you will verify with me first and do what I tell you then. Now fuck off."
Kreacher, dazed, popped away. Harry looked down and levitated the locket, tilting his head sideways before turning around. His wand was out in a flash and a disarmer left it just when he noticed the slight glimmer of a disillusionment spell.
He caught the wand and looked as the disillusionment spell fell, surprise taking over his features when he saw who the person was.
"Daphne!?"
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Daphne Greengrass stared at Harry Potter in shock. She had no idea how he had seen through her disillusionment charm and couldn't even blink before her wand was torn out of her hand.
She had been walking along the parallel corridor when she had seen Harry striding towards the girls' bathroom on the second floor where Moaning Myrtle had holed herself in for decades now. Surprised and more than a little intrigued, she had quickly disillusioned herself and silenced her feet before cautiously following him.
What followed had stunned her. She had never seen this side of Harry Potter. The man always behaved politely, so to see him treat a house elf like that left her flabbergasted. However, what intrigued her more was the locket he had asked the elf to bring over to him, the one he was holding in the hand that held her wand, and the hidden passage he had just opened using Parseltongue.
Harry saw her gaze and pocketed the locket, before fixing her with a hard stare.
"Explain yourself."
His voice was like a command, and Daphne stared at him. He had his wand pointed right at her, ready to cast, and she raised her hands.
"Easy, Harry. I mean no harm."
Harry chuckled mirthlessly.
"Doesn't look like that from where I'm standing, Daphne. How would you feel when you discover someone following you under an invisibility spell and eavesdropping on your conversations? I bet not pleasant, or safe."
Daphne nodded, conceding that he had a point.
"I saw you walking this way, and I was surprised. Why would you go to the abandoned girls' bathroom on the second floor? That's why I followed behind you."
Harry stared at the woman in front of her, debating whether to believe her words.
"Why use the disillusionment spell then? You could've simply called me, or even followed normally and we could've had a talk."
Daphne sighed.
"I'm sorry. It's just… it's just the way things are done in Slytherin. Gathering information without letting the other party know that you are privy to it."
"So that you can use it against them or hold it over them when you need it the most."
Daphne nodded. Harry smiled.
"Thank you for being honest with me here. I appreciate it. However," he paused, staring at her, "I can't let you keep this information. Too much is at stake here, and I cannot let anyone know what I am doing here. So, I'm sorry for doing this," Harry smiled sadly and raised his wand higher. Daphne's eyes widened.
"Harry wait! I'll take a vow never to reveal what I saw!"
His wand hand paused; his head cocked to the side as he stared at her. "Will you now?"
Daphne nodded.
"Alright. Take a vow on your life and magic that you will never reveal what you have seen or will see to anyone else, by any means, and not even hint at it, without my express permission with me being of sound mind and having total control over my mental faculties."
Harry walked over and handed her wand back. Daphne smiled at him in understanding.
"I, Daphne Elizabeth Greengrass, heiress to the Ancient and Noble House of Greengrass, vow on my life and my magic that I will never reveal what I have seen and will see pertaining to Harry James Potter, the lord of the Ancient and Noble Houses of Potter, Black and Peverell this evening, nor will I hint at the knowledge hence obtained, either explicitly or otherwise, without his express permission with him being of sound mind and having total control over his mental faculties. May magic judge me if I betray him thus."
A slight flash of gold started at her palm and connected their chests before it dissipated into nothingness. Harry smiled. If he was surprised by her knowledge of his lordships, he didn't give any indication.
"You might as well see everything then," Harry smiled and held his hand out for her to take. Daphne looked at his outstretched hand in surprise before palming it. Harry squeezed softly and pulled her behind him.
"Alright, I want you to brace yourself now. Can you do it?"
"What do you mean?" Daphne asked before her eyes widened when Harry pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.
"We're gonna take a slide together," he smirked, and without any further delay, jumped inside the tunnel. Daphne's scream of surprise echoed inside the tunnel as the entrance closed behind them.
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They slid out of the tunnel and fell upon a heap of small bones, and Daphne groaned as she slowly stood up with help from Harry. Looking around, she noticed what she was standing on and jumped. Harry held her steady.
"Come on," he took her hand and pulled her behind him. Daphne walked, cringing with every step that broke the bones beneath their feet.
"Just where did you bring me?"
Harry looked at her with a grin, and try as she might, a soft blush lit up her face. The memory from the afternoon was still fresh in her mind, and her lips tingled at the thought.
"You'll soon find out. Let's go."
They crossed another tunnel and came in front of a cave-in which had been cleared carefully to allow a small passage through. Daphne looked around, taking in the damp walls and the floor when they reached another door. She shivered slightly when Harry spoke in Parseltongue and watched in fascination as a metallic snake revolved around what looked like fingers made of metallic snakes. There were too many snakes for even her tastes.
Finally, the door opened with a metallic clang and Harry pulled her with him.
The massive statue in the distance was the first thing either of them saw, before Daphne's gaze fell on a massive beast straight from the depths of hell and her breath hitched.
"A Basilisk, probably a thousand years old. It was Salazar Slytherin's beast."
"We are in the Chamber of Secrets," Daphne whispered disbelievingly, looking around at the massive lines of snake statues on either side of them, before staring at the corpse of the Basilisk once more. "You killed it. During our second year."
Harry nodded with a sigh.
"The stories are true then? About Quirrell, Lockhart, those Dementors, you facing You-know-who multiple times and coming out alive. It's all true…"
Harry chuckled. "More or less. I'll have to know the details to confirm, but yes, those things happened."
Daphne stared at him with an open-mouthed look, and Harry lifted her chin so she could look him in the eyes. "And I don't intend on stopping any time soon."
Her eyes widened when he left her hand and walked over to the Basilisk, before taking that locket from before and placing it on a tooth. He tapped his wand against it and Daphne saw how it seemed to stick to the tooth.
"Yep, a sticking charm, so it doesn't fall off."
"What are you doing exactly?" Daphne asked, fascinated. Harry smirked.
He waved his wand and Daphne looked on with surprise as a pair of massive hands appeared on either end of the Basilisk's head.
"You want to bash that locket between its teeth?" Daphne asked, understanding what he was about to do, but having no idea just why. Harry nodded with a grin before sobering up quickly.
"Stand back, Daphne," he prompted in a serious voice and she promptly stepped back.
"Open," he whispered in parseltongue, and Daphne watched in surprise as the locket opened. However, the moment it did, Harry waved his wand and she saw the two hands clap the Basilisk's head together. The mouth shut, and the fangs pierced through the locket.
However, that wasn't what caused her to almost fall over. The massive black smoke that erupted out of the Basilisk's mouth accompanied by the most horrifying face she had ever seen made her take a step back before the shrill cry of pain made her lose her footing. It was only thanks to Harry's quick support that she managed to stand upright.
He quickly conjured a loveseat and pulled her beside him, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as Daphne rested her head against his chest, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart down to no avail. There was a malevolent energy in the air, unnatural.
Harry soothed her, stroking her back comfortingly as she burrowed her face into his chest, shocked at what she had witnessed.
Finally, after a few minutes, Daphne calmed herself down enough for her to sit properly.
"What the fuck was that?"
Harry couldn't help himself. He laughed at her use of profanity. Daphne stared at him, unimpressed. Slowly, he calmed down, still chuckling slightly.
"You done?" She asked in a deadpan tone.
"Yeah. That was a Horcrux."
Daphne looked confused.
"To tell you in a nutshell, a Horcrux is an object in which an evil witch or wizard hides part of their soul by tearing it off. How do they tear a part of their soul off? Remorseless murder."
Daphne stared at him, horrified.
"As long as a Horcrux exists, the witch or wizard cannot die since their soul is still tethered to the mortal plane. To kill them, all Horcruxes need to be destroyed. Only then will they die."
Daphne sat there, speechless. She couldn't even comprehend the existence of something like that. Suddenly, her eyes widened.
"That's how he survived, right? You-know-who? He made these Horcruxes. Merlin!"
Harry stared at her, unimpressed.
"Say his name."
"What?" Daphne asked in confusion. Harry lifted her chin once again, and the woman flushed slightly at the intimate gesture.
"Say his name. Say 'Voldemort'."
Daphne's eyes widened as she stared into his emerald ones.
"Come on, do it. I know you can."
"Vo-vol-voldem-mort," she stammered, and Harry smiled.
"Once more. Properly this time."
"V-Voldemort."
"One last time."
"Voldemort."
Harry smiled and nodded at her, and Daphne grinned back almost involuntarily.
"Call him by his name from now on. You do not need to fear him so much that you can't even do that. He is dangerous, but not so much that people need to fear his name."
Daphne shook her head. "He had placed a taboo on his name, and whenever someone said his name, his followers would be alerted, who would arrive and kill everyone nearby. Slowly, people started to fear saying his name."
Harry nodded. "That's not going to happen this time. Don't worry."
Daphne did not know why, but she believed him.
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"Have you ever explored this chamber?" Daphne asked him as she stood near the statue, turning around to look at him. Harry, who had been happily admiring her beauty all this while, looked at her and shook his head. Daphne smiled.
"Don't you think we should do that? Who knows what secrets this chamber might have."
Harry chuckled. "It's 'we' now, is it?"
Daphne blushed and looked away as Harry stood up and walked over to her. She looked at him when he took her hand and started pulling her towards the entrance.
"It's getting late. Meet me tomorrow evening at five in the bathroom and we'll go take a look. Okay?"
Daphne nodded with a smile as they walked over to where the bones started and her smile turned into a grimace. Harry looked at her and chuckled before taking out his broom from his pocket and enlarging it.
"Come on," he gestured for her to sit in front of him, and wrapped his arms around her as she settled properly. Daphne sighed in satisfaction as she leaned back against his front, relishing the feeling of his arms around her.
Just when she was starting to enjoy being in his arms like that, they reached the bathroom and she reluctantly stepped off. Harry shrunk his Firebolt and put it back in his pocket. He saw Daphne looking at him and biting her lip, and cocked his head to the side.
"Is there something you want to talk about?"
Daphne looked conflicted for a moment before she sighed and nodded.
"Can we talk about something tomorrow? It's rather important to me."
Harry was surprised a bit, but he nodded. "Sure, we can do that. See you tomorrow at five then?"
Daphne nodded, and with a smile, Harry walked away, leaving a beautiful blonde staring at him with a longing look in her eyes.
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Try as she might, Daphne could not take her mind off the feeling of Harry's strong arms wrapped around her body. Her attraction for the raven-haired man had intensified massively since that afternoon. She still remembered how he was fucking Katie Bell against the shower wall, and down inside the Chamber of Secrets, there had been so many moments when she had thought to just fuck it and let him have her. However, she had managed to keep herself in check.
He was different from the image she had of him in her mind, but she liked him, a lot. He did not need to show her everything. He didn't even have to agree to explore the chamber together. He could have done it all on his own, and yet, he had agreed. He might have asked for her vow, but given the situation, it was perfectly understandable. That made her long for days when there would be a need for a vow between them no more.
She was going to talk to him tomorrow, that much was decided. She just hoped he didn't deny her. However, from what she had seen so far, it seemed it would be impossible to keep him exclusively to her, Tori and Trace.
'It would be a small bother, but I think I could live with that, maybe even indulge a bit, after all, it was hot watching him fuck Katie,' she thought with a naughty chuckle.
Currently, she was in her bed with the curtains pulled close. From the sounds of it, her roommates were all asleep, but still, she applied the privacy charms to her curtains and put her wand to the side.
Biting her soft lip, she pulled the straps of her silky camisole down her arms and freed up her lovely tits. More than a handful for her, she imagined they would be a perfect fit for Harry's larger palms. The thought of Harry fondling her tits coaxed a moan out of her as she kept squeezing her melons.
Slowly, her fingers trailed down her curvaceous body until they reached the hem of her knickers. Grabbing the waistband, she lifted her supple ass off the bed and pulled them down to her ankles.
Her eyes closed and she imagined Harry pulling her onto his lap in that loveseat he had conjured before he cupped her cheek and brought her down into a toe-curling kiss. Her left hand squeezed her large breast, and she imagined it was Harry's calloused hand that was fondling her, tweaking her hard nipples and playing with them.
Her right hand dipped into her velvety folds, parting the slick skin and exposing the tender pink flesh which she probed with her finger, imagining it was Harry who was probing her pussy. Two fingers slithered inside her cunt, and she imagined it was Harry who had her on his lap, her back against his chest as he thrust his fingers in and out of her.
"Harry," Daphne whispered erotically, imagining Harry bending her over and lining up his hard cock against her dripping slit before starting to drill into her as her thumb started to rub her clit furiously, two fingers still burrowing in and out of her for how long, she didn't know.
Daphne threw her head back in a silent scream of ecstasy as her climax tore through her, Her love juices soaked her fingers, slithering down on the bed as her breath caught in her throat. Her large tits heaved hypnotically on her chest as she breathed heavily, her body limp in the aftermath of what was the most intense orgasm she had ever experienced.
Catching her breath after what seemed like a few hours, Daphne pulled her panties up to her gushing pussy and pulled up her camisole in place. She was spent, and it didn't take long for her to fall asleep, the thoughts of an emerald-eyed man occupying her mind all the while.
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To be continued…
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