The Chamber of Secrets stood in silent, as Harry sat in a meditation position in the center of the chamber. The two House-Elves were busy cleaning up centuries of neglect and worked silently, mostly out of habit but also in a sense of respect for their Master.
As Harry sat there, he was unsure of the time, it could have been dinner-time, midnight or the next day. He was not sure, so busy had he been with the Chamber Wards and reviewing his successful attempt to commandeered the wards around and within the Chamber. While he understood he had several advantages, being within the Chamber itself and its wards and being a parseltongue, still it seemed the wards did not put up much resistance nor were that complicated.
It seemed too easy. Sure over eighty-percent of the battle was getting inside to the wards before even the most powerful of Ward-Breakers could do anything, and getting inside merely took being a parseltongue.
It was almost as if he was the Heir of Slytherin. But Potter Family Magic let him know for sure that was not the case. In fact, House Potter predated all the Founders and their Houses by several thousand years easily.
Of course, it was possible that one or more of the Founders' Houses were cadet branches of his House. Professor Dumbledore seems to be believe without a doubt that he, himself was the direct, main Heir of Gryffindor, and that Tom Riddle, through his mother Merope Gaunt, was the main Heir of Slytherin. Of course, the only proof that the Gaunt could claim to be descendents of Salazar Slytherin was that they possessed the parseltongue ability, which if that was the only criteria would mark half of Asia and Africa, and a tenth of Europe as Slytherin's descendents. Of course, the Gaunts might have been one of Slytherin's children, whom some did received his gift of parseltongue as well as his biological offsprings, but considering how many there were it really did not mean much. Salazar Slytherin had traveled far and wide in his days, and brought many back to join Hogwarts, more than the other three Founders combined.
Some of the most of the famous Healers in history and of the present were parseltongue. It was only within the last century with the Gaunt's madness cultivating in Voldemort's rise to power that parseltongue became associated so strongly with Dark Magic. Many have forgotten that Parsel-Magic was one of the strongest of all the Healing magics, and it was not coincidence that the snake was the ability of healing in both the mundane and magical worlds, the most famous of which was the Wizard-Healer Asclepios's staff with snakes upon it.
Of course, it was but one of the examples of the impact Voldemort had upon the British Magical World.
Even with his misgiving, which he admitted to himself came from a sense of paranoia, he let his magic out to explore the Chamber. He also used the Wards of the Chamber, themselves, to double-check his findings. He did this both as a test of his own senses and to validate his control and understanding of the wards themselves.
He detected that he was correct that the Chamber was more than a mere nest for the Basilisk. He had found a suite of rooms, rooms for: bathing, sleeping, studying, research, eating, dueling, and potion brewing.
His curiosity got the best of him and he had to explore in-person what his magical senses had told him.
He was surprised to find that all the books were well-preserved, and considered old even in Slytherin's time, plus there were several books that Slytherin, himself, wrote. Surprisedly or not, majority of the books were on Healing, Parsel-Magic, and Enchanting. Save for those of Slytherin's hand and a few very old books, a copy of all the books could be found with the main library. So he was not sure why the books were there. Somehow, he felt that it was not the case of the Founder being too lazy to go back and forth to the library. He would have to check the books out to see what he was missing.
He shook his head and moved on to his next find, which was Slytherin's potion laboratory. The lab looked nothing like how Snape had set up his potion class, but then Snape's classroom had nothing to do with the International Potion Guild's recommended set-up either. Slytherin's lab was set-up as the International Potion Guild had recommended, there was a soft, cool breeze circulating the air, everything was spaced out and easy to reach, there was a soft, gentle light illuminating everything, and several protective charms placed strategically around all. It was an open, inviting, and comfortable room to work in, unlike Snape's classroom, which was dark, moldy, and cramp. He could only guess that the classroom reflected the teacher.
He noted that the potion supply for the laboratory contained several rare and now-extinct plants, all of which were placed under a ward to preserve them and ensure that the storage units would contain a certain amount of those ingredients.
He was surprised to realize that several of the lost potions he had read about during the summer would be now possible, given these ingredients and the venom from the Basilisk, some that had not been able to be made since those ingredients became extinct.
While he was pondering the various potions he needed to back, both for what was to come and his independent study, the itch he had started to feel back just before lunch was getting worse.
He walked out of the potion lab and into the main antechamber. He resumed his meditation position and began to seek the source of the unknown itch. He quickly realized that the itch was a mere mental sensation drawing his attention along one of the various strands that he was connected to.
Potter Family Magic explained to him how the strands were representations of the magical bonds between people, the world, and magic itself. It had many names, some where: Chains of Fate, Web of Life, Weaves of Magic. No one had ever seen the entire pattern, but everyone agreed that it was a living thing and constantly changing. Some believed that this great tapestry controlled the lives and destinies of Wizards, even Muggles, and was the origin of the myths of the Norns and other such entities.
Having some idea that one of his responsibilities was now coming into play, he stood in a ready-stance that Professor Eaglestone had shown the class. It was a relax pose, wand in hand in a loose grip, ready to defend or attack either either magic or physical.
Instincts told him what to do, but not what would happen.
He felt the itch in his mind and tugged on it.
For a quick moment, nothing happened.
Then there was a pop.
Standing several meters in front of him was Narcissa Black. Black Family Magic informed him that when he had became Hermione's Liege-Lord he had also assumed his own House and the Black's headship as well. Once assuming the Headship of a House, all contracts, obligations and oaths involving the House were re-evaluated by the Family Magic as to their status and execution.
During this review process, several contracts and obligations were found to have been violated, bent, or out-right broken.
One such was the Black-Malfoy Marriage Contract. As such, Narcissa Malfoy found herself no longer Lady Malfoy but a mere daughter of House Black once again. Various penalties, financial and magical, had been invoked against what remained of House Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy. It was interesting to note that House Malfoy was not found among all the Houses within the Empire of Avalon nor any of its allies, which included Magical Europe, parts of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Which invoked more penalties and fines.
Narcissa, herself, looked worse for wear. A quick look of panic and resignation upon her face when she first appeared, which Harry might have missed had she not appeared in front of him, but the look was quickly covered up with a practiced look of disinterest and distain. The shielded look had the earmarks of a occlumency being practiced.
He also noted the various spots of mundane make-up upon her face, hiding bruises, minor cuts, and other signs of abuse. Had he not been familiar with such things, first hand, he could have easily missed it or passed it off as a trick of the light.
Narcissa was dressed to seduce, as one of Seamus's magazines would call it. She was wearing a Muggle little black dress that was a size or two too small for her, given how tight and clingy it was upon her form, highlighting her curves and plains. Over the dress, she had on an witch's outer robe. It was a witch's outer robe as it was cut to show off a witch's figure and worn over clothings. The outer robes were for protection and utility, while inner robes were for modesty, concealment, and comfort. On her bare feet was a pair of Muggle high-heel open-toe shoes, that showed off her dainty feet and firm, smooth legs.
He did not see her wand anywhere, nor any obvious place for it, but then he kept his and Hermione's wand is an invisible magical pocket that no one but he could access or detect. Plus, he knew that so-called wand-less magic, a catch-all phrase for any magic that was not apart of the ritual magic that required a focus that Ministry insisted on being the only magic that a Wizard needed to know. Of course, even the Ministry could not follow their own recommendation as several positions within the Ministry required a passing grade in Potions, a wand-less magic.
Still, she was the former wife of Riddle's Right-Hand Wizard, the mother of a wanna-be Death Eater, the sister of an Inner Circle Death Eater, an alumni of Slytherin, and a witch belonging to one of the leading Dark Families of the past several centuries.
Not one to underestimate or think was helpless.
And yet as he looked her over, he had the feeling he was making several wrong assumptions, but it was better to be sorry than dead.
He had his wand in his hand with a Reducto pre-loaded, needing only a thought to release it, his body was relaxed ready to dodge any incoming spell-fire. Pre-loading spells was something he studied a lot during the summer. As the name implied, a spell could be prepared within a wand, cutting the casting time down to nothing. The draw back was that nothing else could be casted while the wand was pre-loaded, and the wizard had to keep in contact with the wand. Once the contact was broken, even for an insistence, the pre-loaded spell would be lost. Nor could a pre-loaded spell remain too long within the wand, the amount of time was dependent upon the wizard, the wand, the calendar and the world and stars. One could have multiple wands, several pre-loaded and one empty, which was why the Ministry tries to restrict such knowledge to their own Aurors only. He had several ideas to include Rune Magic to expand the wand/pre-loading ability.
Sirius had described Narcissa to him as a spoiled Pure-Blood Princess in all but name. He had nothing good to say of any of his relatives save for Andromeda Tonks nee Black.
While trying not to underestimate Narcissa, who was something of an unknown, yet could not be any more powerful than her sister, Bellatrix, nor her Master, Riddle, both of whom he had stood his ground against, he did felt that he could handle whatever she might throw at him. It was not arrogance, but a certainty in his abilities and control of the situation.
So he was prepared but confused when Narcissa fell to her knees, her clothing disappearing, and her wand resting upon her palms in offering as she said, "I do here by surrender my magic, my mind and my soul to my Lord, Harry James of House Potter and House Black, to do as he wishes."
He was doomed, he knew. Doom!
He did not know much, but even the little he knew before the summer, what Narcissa had just done was extremely rare and only done as a last resort.
It was called a Witch's Surrender, and it gave him he two choices; one, he could pick up her offered wand thus binding her to him for all eternity as his slave, or two, just do nothing. If he did nothing within several minutes she will have magic-out enough to be fatal. Even now, he could feel her magic leaking out of her uncontrollably and only he could stop it.
His mind was racing over the possibilities and consequences.
If he accepted, Narcissa would be his in a manner far greater than even Hermione had placed herself in. Magic and her very own soul would ensure her complete loyalty and service to him. When he died, she would follow. Nor would Magic and her soul allow her to be used against him in anyway. She would be dependent upon him in all things. One misstep or one misspoke word to her could be fatal.
He could not allow her to die. He knew that, and she probably knew that too. Hell, even with a magical oath, he would be suspicious of her, given the Malfoy and Riddle's tricks for getting around magical contracts and the like. But this way.
"Always pure," was the cadet branch of House Black's motto. Which could be rephrased as, "all or nothing."
Well, this was life or death. Not much more "all or nothing" than that.
Keep her or not?
Trust her or not?
Have her or not?
That was the question.
He was doomed. He did not want to think what Hermione's reaction to this will be. At least now, she could not do something similar. Not without his permission.
As he reached out for Narcissa's wand, he noted that she unconsciously braced herself as if expecting to be cursed very soon. He knew that the saying, "a wand chose its wizard," was nothing more than magical field harmonics romanticize. The pain he felt when near Riddle was from their magical fields clashing heavily as their fields were polar opposites. His former cursed scar was simply more sensitive than the rest of him, but the clashing could be felt throughout his body and magic. On the other hand, soul-mates like his parents had the most compatible magical fields that bended so seamlessly as to merge into a single field. He could guess that not only did Lucius abuse her intentionally, their magic clashed as well, causing intentional suffering as well.
He was not sure which of them were more surprised when Narcissa let out a moan of pleasure when he touched her wand.
Contact!
All that was Narcissa's magic, memories and essence flew into him. Nothing was held back, all was eagerly offered without hesitation.
Had he not practice the various mediation and occlumency exercises that Sirius had lined up for him, he could have drown in the information overload he was experiencing.
As it was, he was barely keeping afloat as he experienced first-hand Narcissa's life. Growing up in a dark family where your parents used pain curses and dark curses to disciple you or just to toughen you up. Going through Hogwarts as a Slytherin, a House that practiced "power was everything," yet wishing you could have gone to Ravenclaw, where you felt you truly belonged. Befriending several other misplaced Ravenclaws, such as his mother in Gryffindor, and a few actual Ravenclaws that belonged in other Houses as well. Being opened by his father, the Head Boy, solely as a favor to his mother and Sirius. Being denied her O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, against Tradition and Customs more powerful that actual Law, solely to prove Riddle's control over his followers and expressing his misogynic attitudes that he obtained from the Muggle Orphanage he had grew up at. Being the trophy wife of psychopathic husband that enjoyed showing her off to promote himself in public and lording over her in private to combat his own insecurities. Forced to host the various Death Eaters' gatherings and provide entertainment for her guests. Whether she was that entertainment or not, depended upon Lucius's mood and how well she used her mouth, be it her choice of words or her skills at oral sex. She had also used her words in print, under an assumed name of Ann Nymous White, who presented herself as a Half-blood, Muggle-Raised witch trying to understand the Wizardry World, the Ministry and what was happening around her.
It was Narcissa presently demonstrating those oral sex skills that helped him return to the present. He realized that he would have to literally consummate their new relationship to ensure that she would survive.
Which he reluctantly did.
It was a bit disconcerting that she had passed out in pleasure with a smile upon her face. As this was his second time having intercourse, and the second time that his partner passed out, he hoped it was not a sign of what might happened each time he did this. That would be very embarrassing.
As he relaxed, he felt Narcissa's magic that had been transferred inside of him returning to her. As that happened, he also felt that her magic was tainted by Riddle and Malfoy. Not knowing what they had done, he knew it would be best to just get rid whatever it was.
He called Dobby and Winky to help him prepare the Purification/Healing ritual, which he performed upon Narcissa. The ritual removed any foreign magic from her, such as Riddle and Lucius's, and healed her various injuries, scars, and abuse that she had suffered from. He did notices that what little of his magic that resultant from her surrender was not affected by the ritual.
After finishing the ritual, he had the two House-Elves take the still unconscious Narcissa to one of the Black-owned houses within Hogsmeade that had some strong wards for her to rest. He conjured a note for her to make a list of what subjects she wished to take her O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s in. He figured, if nothing else, he had a new study partner, if not mentor as Narcissa had secretly continued her education, despite Lucius and Riddle's interference in her life, as well as the standard Wizard Family pre-Hogwarts and Summer training.
With that, his body felt it was time to sleep, so it did.
Harry was a bit surprised to find himself within his bed within the sixth-year boys' dorm. He did not recall leaving the Chamber of Secrets, or much of anything after sending Narcissa to rest. He could not dismiss what had happened as a dream as his mental link with her was clearly present. It also put to his mind that he had a similar link with Hermione as well, whom he missed more than he thought he would given it had only been a couple of days and she should awaken tomorrow.
He got up, headed to the bath room to perform his morning ritual, which while a Muggle expression held a lot more meaning in the Wizardry World. Afterwards, he dressed and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
He noticed that Professor Eaglestone and another witch he did not know were seated at the staff table and several earlier-risers, mostly witches those of years four and up, were seated at their perspective tables. All the witches were watching him, with a few looking at him much like Ron looked at dessert.
He let himself fall into a relaxed, meditative state as he finished the walk over to the Gryffindor table and his chair at the end of the table. As soon as he sat down and settled himself, his breakfast appeared and he began to eat.
A bit later, Neville and Luna entered the Great Hall, and out of habit mostly, each headed to their usual, isolated spot at their perspective House tables.
Harry called to them and they came over. They talked about anything that he had missed yesterday evening and their upcoming classes that day. It was an enjoyable breakfast among friends.
Soon the Great Hall filled up and there after, the Post-Owls came with the morning mail and news. Hedwig brought his copy of the Quibbler. After having a bit of bacon, his owl flew to his shoulder, where it seems she read the newspaper together with him.
"Is that the Prophet," someone asked Harry. To which he replied, "Wouldn't touch that rag if you paid me. Besides, the Quibbler reports that the building that housed the Daily Prophet burnt down a couple of days ago. The Aurors are still looking for bodies and the cause of the fires."
Gasps of surprise ran through the Great Hall and whispers as to the cause of the fires started up. Many mentioned that it must have been a Death Eater attack.
Harry had to laugh out-loud when he heard that and replied, "Now, why would Voldemort --" and various witches and wizards screamed in terror at the mere mention of Riddle's made-up name. He continued, ignored their screams, "take out one of his own assets?"
Screams of denial rang out from various students. To which, Harry inquired, "Who owns the Daily Prophet? Who profits from all the lies and slander that they publish?"
A silence descended upon the Great Hall as many pondered that. For a few moments before various murmuring could be heard throughout the Great Hall.
Neville leaned in next to Harry and whispered, "Who does own the Prophet?"
Harry replied honestly in a low voice, "No clue. But it has supported Voldemort and his agenda. So I have a few guesses."
With that, Harry returned to reading the Quibbler. He noted an article about how Gringotts Wizarding Bank was closed for the past couple days, citing an outbreak of Goblin-pox infection, affecting both Goblin, their human employees, and their customers for the past several months. It was a good thing that he had avoided the popular areas such as Diagon Alley, knowing that Dumbledore and Voldemort would be looking for him there, disguised or not. Besides, he could have been infected with Goblin-pox as well. From the article's description, it did not sound like something he would wish upon his enemies.
Well, maybe upon Riddle.
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