Disclaimer: Any characters you recognize from the books in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling belong to the aforementioned J. K. Rowling. I am simply playing with them for my amusement, and to see what kind of reaction I can get.
This is what I have written so far … I had promised myself to be 4 or 5 chapters ahead of what I post, but that is no longer the case.
Wednesday evening September 24, 1997 (cont'd)
Next to come out was a shield with the Pendragon coat of arms engraved on it and a matching suit of armour. Harry thought it quite odd that that particular coat of arms should come up, but it was the wrong shield so he put it aside. Hermione however, took particular note of it and remembered her Mother commenting on the Pendragon name they had seen in the Mausoleum. One more of Harry's distinguished, or perhaps extinguished ancestors. For the life of her, Hermione couldn't remember the lady's first name, but she had married into the Potters shortly after the Potter family line acquired the Gryffindor heritage.
Below the shield were photographs of his parents and some of their friends, then older paintings, presumably his ancestors. She recognized a few of the names from the Mausoleum. The next item to find its way out was a smallish wooden box with the name 'Lilly Evans' engraved in the top. A young ladies jewellery box by the look of it, Hermione took possession and with a nod from Harry, she opened it. Inside, in the top tray, were some very simple and ordinary looking pieces of jewellery that were hiding three rings, a mans wedding ring with a small diamond, a woman's wedding band with two griffins engraved on it and an engagement ring with two emeralds guarding a significantly, to Hermione's thinking, large, pale blue diamond. Hermione's eyes locked on to the engagement ring … it looked to Harry that she liked it and might want to try it on. Harry and Hermione both recognized it as Lilly's engagement ring from pictures and from Sirius description of the day James proposed. Sirius had told him of the inscription on the inside of the band ... 'Always and Forever'. Harry had never expected to see these items, other than in the photos and he kept looking between the engagement ring and Hermione's face. Other than the rings, the rest appeared to be the costume and inexpensive jewellery you would expect from a young lady. As she lifted the top tray out Hermione gasped, many of the pieces in the bottom were obviously old heirlooms. The box of course was much larger on the inside than the out, Hermione carefully dug in and found chains, chokers, brooches, rings, bracelets and a fabulous tiara, most of which were hundreds of years old if not more. They were all finely crafted, mostly Goblin made, and several of the rings had huge diamonds in them.
It was getting late and they were both getting tired. This bedroom was quickly filling up and there was still half a trunk to go through. When Harry suggested that they finish tomorrow, Hermione insisted that her curiosity needed to be satisfied tonight. They cleared off the bed … again … and continued pulling things out of the trunk and stacking them on it. They were looking disappointed when the last item was a wooden shipping box more than half a meter square and thick enough that her hand couldn't span it. There were several international destinations noted on shipping tags that were later crossed out or with newer tags stuck on top.
Harry had stacked it on the bed and, giving up, he started walking away. Hermione was also confused and disappointed, but had the sense to cast a revealing spell on the items stacked on the bed. Harry turned as she cast the spell and saw a wave of darkness come off something in the vicinity of the last item. He returned quickly and they cast several more spells, some in Parseltongue narrowing the dark magic down to the shipping crate.
Harry was about to break open the wooden box when Hermione stopped him saying, "There must be some reason that Dumbledore left it in the box, it might not be safe to touch the shield itself … it could be cursed. You remember Angelina and the necklace last year? Let's ask Dumbledore about it tomorrow."
Harry looked at her briefly before acknowledging her suggestion with a smile. He was fairly certain that whatever was in there was a horcrux, whether it was the shield they were looking for didn't really matter at the moment. He was tired and the allure of running his hands over her soft bumps and hollows was enough to get his little buddy's attention. Harry followed his Lady through the connecting washroom and into the other bedroom.
As he followed her into their bedroom, Hermione's thoughts drifted. Most of the changes that she had seen in him pleased her and made her feel more confident in their future. Instead of jumping into trouble, he was thinking and planning with her and the confidence and power he exuded excited her. She was her own person, as she had always been, but every now and then it felt good to be able to let Harry, her Harry, take over the controls so that she could relax, enjoy and go with the flow.
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The next morning after Transfiguration they talked to Minerva about the box they found the night before and she promised to ask Albus if there was anything special they needed to be concerned about as far as handling the shield or whatever was in the wooden box.
They arrived a little late for Defence against the Dark Arts. Moody was still up to some tricks at the start of class. The two teens kept a close eye on him while they found their seats so as not to be surprised, but otherwise made no attempt to stop him. They had recently reached a deal with Moody where they would keep tabs on him but wait for others to catch him so that everyone had a chance to practice 'CONSTANT VIGILANCE!'. Professor Moody had gained a healthy respect for the young couple's magical power and protectiveness, he avoided provoking them again.
Professor McGonagall talked to them after lunch and told them that Albus had sent the shield to several curse breakers around the world trying to get the protections removed that Voldemort had put in place. Albus now suspected that it was cursed in Parseltongue and would therefore require the combined efforts of Harry and Salazar to get past the protections and destroy the Horcrux inside.
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After the last class of the day, Hermione made her way to the Library while Harry returned to their rooms to collect the still boxed shield. When he arrived at the Library, they finished their immediate homework requirements, as per Hermione's schedule, before visiting Rowena and Salazar.
When Rowena assisted them into her Common Room they saw a very frustrated Draco arguing with Salazar over by the fireplace. They had been or were in the process of brewing several potions. Draco had three cauldrons going and Salazar didn't appear to be too pleased. Narcissa was sitting at the round table with a book and a cup of tea; she watched the Gryffindors and Rowena approach. There was another cup sitting unattended at the table indicating that perhaps the teens had interrupted a conversation between the two Matrons. Harry and Hermione sat at the table with Narcissa and Rowena, fresh tea arrived and they talked while they waited for Salazar to finish with Draco's potion brewing class and join them.
A short time later the class broke up with raised voices and an apparent disagreement between teacher and student. Draco remained to clean up and put away the equipment and ingredients while Salazar joined the other four at the table. The discussion around the table quickly turned to Salazar's opinion of Draco's aptitude, attitude and arrogance which didn't amuse his Mother.
Once Draco neared the table the conversation turned to the box that Harry had placed under the table. While Harry reached for it, Hermione informed the others of what they knew and speculated. Neither of the Malfoys knew what a horcrux was and as it was explained to them, they sat there with an open mouthed, shocked expression on their faces.
Rowena and Salazar carefully extracted the shield from the crate and, after clearing space, placed it in the centre of the table. After a discussion between the teens and the Founders that included both conjecture and fact, Salazar proceeded very cautiously to determine the degree and type of protection curses that the madman, Voldemort, had layered on the shield. While Salazar painstakingly worked and explained to Harry what he was doing, Rowena called forth Godric, Merlin and Helga to add their expertise and patience to this particularly difficult task.
By the end of the evening Harry had another Friday project to complete before lunch. He was again going to try to do it the hard way to keep from damaging Godric's shield.
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Friday Morning September 26, 1997
It was about six in the morning and Hermione was awakened by something, a sound ... a movement ... she didn't know. She lay there unmoving, warm and content, trying to suss out or sense if there was really something wrong. She was about to reach out with her magic when something hairy flicked past her chin. Crookshanks, being a very smart cat, well, half Kneazel, was also luxuriating in the pleasure of using Harry's chest as a heating pad.
Hermione was nestled into Harry's left side, half of her on him, and with her nose buried in the crook of his neck. She only just kept from giggling when the orange hairy tail flicked past her chin again. Her right arm was under him, the hands' fingers were tangled in his hair. Her other arm was resting down on his hip. She wondered if Crookshanks had nudged it down there to make room for himself, she thought it had been wrapped around his chest when sleep took her. At that moment, Harry shuffled his hips, pushing against her centre as his legs spread just slightly. Her knee slipped further between his legs and only then did she recognize the feel of his hot woody against her thigh.
Hermione felt she was being a terrible tease ... to be this close to him and not go any further, Not that she hadn't tried a couple of times. Harry had managed to foil both attempts. She knew it was a badge of male honour to keep his word to her Father. The situation was as much torture for her as honour for him, she wanted to feel his smoking hot cock rip through her Maidenhood and make a Woman out of her ... and a Man out of him. Damn that boy!
Not that what she now had was in any way, shape or form, a bad shuffle of the deck. She had her way with him as he did with her, up to that point. What more could she ask for? Until the beginning of this past summer she had fully expected to be a bookworm and spinster for the rest of her life ... now she had Harry ... they had each other. Harry, oh Merlin, Harry ... he knew every sensitive point on her body and exactly how to give her the most pleasure out of each one. She fell asleep each night and several times each weekend, totally exhausted from his manipulations. Hermione gave as good as she received, if not better, poor Harry was just as wasted when he passed out too. Her peek-a-boo bra was now dangling somewhere from the canopy of the bed ... again. His boxers, she could feel them with her toes, they were down around his ankles. The only knickers she managed to keep on all night, and even that was rare, were the crotchless ones that allowed him access to her savoury bits. Oh Merlin, the thought of what his tongue and mouth could do to her down there was giving her the shivers and making her wet all over again.
Harry was awake by now, it wasn't like their two minds were actually separate individuals any more, they were joined in more ways than one. Crookshanks knew it was time to leave when Hermione's left thigh raised ever so slightly and he was gone before her left hand began to migrate towards Harry's engorged organ. What Crookshanks suspected and Hermione didn't know was that Harry's left hand and arm was stretching and morphing to make its way from behind to Hermione's warm, wet morsels. Her legs had spread more than enough when Harry's knees had opened slightly allowing her left thigh and knee to slip between his. The hot pressure of her thigh against him had almost sent a shock wave through his body.
Hermione's left hand slipped into the nether world beneath her thigh and as her finger tips brushed Prongs' baggage, Harry's hands found their own targets. Harry's right hand had found a firm warm breast while his left was slithering past Hermione's backside, then his middle finger slipped into Miss Jane's hot and slippery folds in search of the petals of her sacred flower and the nub of fiery magic just beyond. Hermione's eyes bugged open in shock and surprise ... while concentrating on her target she had not noticed the signs of him sneaking up on her. She gasped as she wrapped Prongs up in her small hand. Harry groaned, Hermione writhed and bit his neck as her other hand clenched in his hair ... and so began their morning.
Hermione made short work and a large mess from Prongs while Harry slowly tortured Miss Jane through two cataclysmic orgasms. By the time Hermione's toes finally uncurled, Prongs had his second wind and Hermione took her time getting him up to speed and exciting him enough to expand his original mess. Crookshanks jumped up on the bed, letting them know they had barely time for a quick 'shower for two' before a much needed breakfast.
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It was another Friday morning, a little crisper in the cold Scottish Fall, about eleven in the morning that the Potters found themselves along with Poppy, Minerva, Ron, Neville, Remus and Mad-eye Moody, all out on the Quidditch Pitch for another soul extraction. This one was much more complicated and dangerous for some reason that the others had been. Hermione had been going over her notes on the process with Harry for the last hour. Hermione made sure they had all the potions and artefacts they might need and Harry concentrated on knowing the procedures. As with every other time, they had one chance to get it right and a thousand ways it could all go very wrong.
The stage was set with the shield on an old table from the Gryffindor Quidditch team's changing room and Harry was about to begin when Crookshanks trotted up to Harry as if he owned the place. Just who was going to make it clear to the half Kneazel that in fact Hermione owned pretty much everything she could see and then some. The Ministry and Board of Governors were in fact paying her rent for the use of the Castle and its grounds. There wasn't much that could be done, they waited, any cat lover knows that, unlike dogs, cats don't have masters ... they have servants. Once the humans learn this rule they usually get along with their cats and kneazels much better.
When Harry knelt down to pet and pick up Crookshanks, he heard a familiar hissing voice and C'ba scooted out from under Crookshanks to greet Harry. C'ba had been gone for over a week, Although she liked Harry, she had trouble adapting to Castle life and a lack of her favourite foods. Harry and Hermione had tried to conjure quail eggs and mice for C'ba, but they didn't taste right to the little snake. C'ba began telling Harry a story he heard from the other snakes in the forest about D'trs crossing water to enter the bottom of the big Castle. C'ba had eventually tracked the story back to a garter snake that lived beneath the Hogsmeade train station. That snake divulged that he heard the story from another large snake named N'gini who came with some humans in black cloaks and white masks. Snakes were either the worst secret keepers or biggest gossips in the animal kingdom ... after monkeys.
Once Harry had picked up C'ba, Crookshanks allowed Hermione to pick him up as well. After the story was told, Harry thanked C'ba and Crookshanks, then the two critters were quickly handed off to Hagrid who just happened to show up at the opportune moment.
Harry began the tedious task of removing the overlying curses on the shield to get down to the horcrux itself. Once he was down to the horcrux, and, after checking that everyone was ready, Harry transferred his wand to his left hand and pulled his staff out of it's invisible case. He cast the spell with his wand to extract the soul fragment from the shield then pointed the eyeball in his staff towards the black vapour that was a large bit of soul and chanted the spell 'Mortuis cruciamentum spiritui non corpus mortem'. It was a good thing he wasn't in a panic ... that was a real tongue twister if he had to say it in a hurry. A familiar, brilliant white, bolt of light flew from the staff and engulfed to soul fragment before rocking the entire Quidditch stadium in a huge explosion that was felt and heard all the way up to the Castle.
Harry and most of the closer spectators were knocked off their feet, Hagrid managed to remain standing, though he had to step back to maintain his balance.
In the magical world explosions weren't all that uncommon ... consider Gred and Forges typical activities for example … it was the rattling of loose window panes and the dust that was shaken loose from precarious ledges and other perches that caused more of the stir in curiosity levels. If it weren't for the fact that the Weasley twins no longer went to Hogwarts, they would have been immediately blamed for the ruckus. Ahh ... the good old days when one knew who to blame.
Madam Pomfrey was treating all those that were in the Stadium for hearing impairment when several more teachers and students showed up. Pomona Sprout, following the direction of the bright flash of light, came from the Greenhouse number four with most of her seventh year class following behind. Firenze, followed closely by Professors Flitwick and then Sinistra burst through the main doors. Seeing Pomona running towards the Quidditch Pitch, they followed her and arrived several minutes after. The sixth year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws that were sitting in a Defence classes being taught by Luna and Ginny, followed one on the Professors as they ran through the Castle and outdoors, following the other teachers to the Quidditch Pitch.
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Wednesday morning October 8, 1997
Over the preceeding two weeks the shield horcrux was destroyed, Draco learned to mostly get along with Salazar and the other Founders, Harry was given several small bottles of Felix Felicis by Horace Slughorn and this morning, the Greengrass family were all in the Castle.
The rumour that was started was that Daphne and her family were moving to Australia. The entire family was in the Headmistress's office this morning, they stayed there talking to Minerva, Albus and when they were not in classes, Harry and Hermione. Hermione had carefully orchestrated mentioning the story to Parvati in the girl's loo before breakfast, knowing that Lavender was in a nearby stall. For over six years the amazing Lavender Brown had always been the fastest method of spreading news and gossip in the castle and she didn't let Hermione down this time either. By lunch time even the first year Hufflepuff boys knew who Daphne was and that she was leaving soon.
That evening, after curfew, when they were least likely to be seen, Minerva, Hermione, and Harry with his fantastic map, led Daphne and her family to the Library, through the Restricted Section, and into Rowena's Common Room where they would remain for anywhere from a few weeks to several years.
Draco looked up from his studying, he was actually studying, to see his girlfriend, Daphne, enter with a much older Witch and Wizard. He sprang up from his seat, the table, books and parchment flying in all directions as he raced to the young woman. Draco reached her, embraced her, kissed her and spun her around several times before setting her down on her feet. The adults and Rowena smirked as Draco led Daphne away to his study table. He quickly righted the table and tried to sit Daphne down, but she had been sitting all day and now wanted to explore. They soon disappeared, hand in hand, through one of the doors in the back wall.