AN: Had to write another chapter since I completely forgot about Dumbledore. Dark Harry isn't dark if he doesn't get to screw with the old fossil, right? I should give a Big Warning for decent Light Wizard Albus Dumbledore though. You have been warned!

Oh yeah, and a smaller warning for gruesome, gruesome violence. Just minor stuff like torture, rape and murder, no biggie, right? While most of it is implicit, it probably won't matter.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You know, Albus, you never told how you came to enjoy the game so much. I shared my story. It's only fair you do too."

The wise old man looked piercingly at his opponent; black hair slicked to perfection, a calm demeanor and ready smile. Tom Riddle was always a charming and handsome boy.

"Indeed. My sister was the cause of my love. You see... Ariana was something of a natural chess prodigy. Before she knew how to mold magic, she knew how to move chess pieces across the board with devastating effect."

"Ah, like that young American muggle... ahm, what was his name again?"

"Paul Morphy," Albus supplied happily. "I dare say had my sister been given the opportunity, she could've trounced the old boy. Alas, it was not possible." Morphy quit chess after his European tour in the 1850's and died in 1884.

"What a waste of a talent."

"At least he was a muggle." Dumbledore looked just in time to see the smirking face of his deal old friend running a hand through his blond mane.

"You would say that, Gellert," Albus chided with a smile.

"I do admit, though, that this is one of the finer products of their species." Thinking for a minute, Grindelwald captured one of his opponent's undefended pawns with his black knight.

"Originally, chess was a way of honoring my sister, but I found it in time to be a most enjoyable pastime."

His opponent shifted once more before making a move.

"For me, it was so Ron would stop bugging me."

"I'm most impressed with your performance, Harry."

"All thanks to Hermione. Some argument caused her to try and prove that she could beat Ron at his own game. She hunted down all the books she could find about chess, including these massive tomes on openings, theories, tactics and what not. Made me practice with her too. Drove me mad." The young boy grinned mischievously. "Didn't help her in her game against Ron, but I learned plenty."

"Yet it didn't show in your games against your friend."

Albus's opponent looked shrewdly at him. "So you do spy on your students, Headmaster."

"Of course. You forget that I'm a paranoid person by nature, Tom."

The dark-haired teen smiled at him. "What do you intend to do? What do you imagine your chances are?" Whether it was a question about the game or something more, Albus wasn't sure. With regard to the game before him...

"I daresay I might be in a bit of trouble." Albus frowned. He played well, haven't made any major mistakes, but he was losing badly.

"You see the flow of the game. You understand strategy at the highest level, but you have a fatal flaw, Albus. You don't seem to value your pawns, Albus," Gellert appraised. "Perhaps, I'm to blame for that, old friend."

"No, no, that fault is mine."

"Pawns are the soul of chess. They shield your forces and offer your king safety. If you arrange them correctly they can force your opponent into undesirable positions. They can even turn the tide of battle," alluding to their ability to promote. Albus nodded, recalling a devastating previous loss when his opponent as Tom Riddle underpromoted to a knight.

"Check." The black knight moved to attack another wayward white pawn, which unleashed a discovery check.

Albus frowned. Four pawns down with the end in sight, his hand hovered over the white king and toppled the regal piece over.

"You never value your pawns." Repeating the phrase in a different voice.

Albus looked sadly into the bright green eyes of Harry Potter; sharp and unyielding but holding not a trace of malice.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I'm so very sorry."

"I understand. Sleep well, sir."

"I shall try. Thank you, Harry."

XXXXXXXXXX

The fiendfyre generated a raging inferno all around. A lone wizard sat in darkness as roaring pillars of flame licked at the edges of the protective wards.

"Albus is not sleeping well," Harry stated aloud, removing the thirteen-and-a-half inch yew wand from his temple. He gripped the powerful wand, taking comfort in it, reveling in its power in ways he never could with his own wand. He almost messed up during transfiguration class earlier when he instinctively reached for Voldemort's wand instead of his own. Only the quick action of one of his girls rescued him from disaster.

At least he didn't do it in the Great Hall. Harry wasn't crazy enough to try wielding Voldemort's wand from right under the Headmaster's nose.

"Why is Albus not sleeping well?" he repeated in question form, staring pointedly at the creature in front of him.

The reddish phoenix that erupted from the flames quickly transformed into the form of a human female with golden eyes.

"How would I know? I'm not his keeper."

"You're his familiar." Technically at least.

The shapeshifter gave a very human shrug, uncaring of her supposed master's fate. So much for a phoenix's unwavering loyalty!

"Perhaps he senses what the future holds."

"What, he's a seer now? He's developing the sight at age 114?"

Another shrug.

Frustration and annoyance had given away to antipathy in the immortal creature long ago. Harry would have seen that even without the intimate connection of a familiar bond. Fawkes was tired of being tied to a man who once held such hope and ambition but ultimately squandered them on nothing.

"You know, my original plan was to make him suffer. I wanted to make him feel pain and self-loathing and all those things I felt. But the more I learn about him, the more I understand him." Harry found it difficult to muster the same level of rage and hatred he once had. Even the thought of torturing the venerable wizard with memories of Ariana gave him pause. Instead his rage and anger were directed at someone else.

Harry's fists reflexively clenched and unclenched, his own feelings boiling to the surface. The phoenix girl moved forward and touched his forehead with her own.

"You are not at ease. Why have you shut out your own coven?" As the magical anchor, Fawkes could sense the unease and tension through the bonds.

"Because I found out they were conspiring against me."

Fawkes gave a melodic laugh that resembled a phoenix's thrill. "What did you expect when you left their freewill intact? Still you hesitate to act when faced with this treachery. Why? You remember Merlin, don't you?"

Of course, he remember Merlin, and the real history of the Golden Age of Magic. For one, Morgana was not the one that turned dark.

"You think I should disband my own coven?" Harry almost laughed at his own euphemism.

"You enlisted those specific girls to help you defeat Voldemort. That task is all but complete. What is their purpose now? Do you think they can help you change the wizarding world?"

With the exception of Susan, who was dead, and Pansy, no one else possessed the magical pedigree or connections that could help him seize control of the magical centers of authority any time soon. Too many muggleborns, halfbloods and foreigners like Su Li. It would take many years of effort for them to build up a support base, in which case he might as well just imperio Malfoy and Yaxley. Using purebloods like those two would make his current crop of girls redundant, which meant...

Harry violently shook his head.

The phoenix girl looked pointedly at him, her mouth curling up into a smirk. "The thought doesn't disturb you, does it?"

"It should."

"Why?"

He once knew why, but he was no longer sure.

"I always found you humans' obsession with life and death fascinating. Albus was the same way, even back when he was plotting with his old friend, Gellert; always worried about everything and nothing. It drove his friend insane."

Harry figured the creature's callousness was a reflection of its own immortality. "I'm surprised you didn't bond to Grindelwald instead."

"I only choose victors. You know that, Harry Potter," the girl stated with fire in her eyes. "Elder wand or not, Gellert never stood a chance."

An uncomfortable silence descended and Harry Potter found himself at a loss as to what to do. Luna was always the one who handled the mystifying creature. Fawkes took the lead in breaking the silence. She glided up to him and pressed her naked flesh against him. Warmth and comfort washed over him, temporarily masking the chaos Harry was feeling through his bonds with the coven.

"You may delay in deciding on their fate, but you must choose a new Alpha soon." Fawkes pulled away and the weight of his coven's presence slammed into him like a metric ton bludger. "I'm not a replacement for Luna and Susan. Albus is waking." Fawkes shifted into her bird form and burned away.

"Right," Harry muttered, cursing a certain insomniac old fool. He cancelled the burning fiendfyre and lifted the restriction runes. Not even five minutes passed when the emergency teleportation runes activated and one of his girls appeared short of breath.

"Yes?"

"Master, Rita Skeeter dropped a message about an interview she just completed."

"Who was it?"

"Your former girlfriend."

Harry Potter had only one former girlfriend that remained alive and whose name was spoken with contempt by his coven. Lisa Turpin, the "genius" Ravenclaw in Harry's year that graduated early after crushing her OWLs and NEWTs through a special dispensation to take the latter exams. The real reason was that the girl developed cold feet as Harry began ramping up his secret campaign. She wanted out in a very bad way, so he obliged, arranging for her early graduation.

As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Harry's blood turned to ice as he skimmed the interview. "Morgana's Tits," he muttered, but not quietly enough if his girl's twitching was anything to go by.

"We should act swiftly. Skeeter's not the only journalist nor is the Prophet the only paper interested in such a sensational story." The life and story of the Boy-Who-Lived becoming the Dark-Lord-in-Waiting? What a story. And what a disaster it would be for Harry and his coven.

"There's a series of Death Eater raids scheduled for tonight. It should not be difficult for Bellatrix to adjust the target of one of those raids." There was a time not long ago when Harry would've been horrified by such an idea.

"Wasn't Turpin a ward specialist? Her home must be very well protected. It could be difficult to breach the defenses before aurors could respond." Meaning an assault by inexperienced Death Eaters would guarantee a bloodbath, but not necessarily the kill.

"Lisa may have shielded her home, but probably not her family's, not if she didn't want to answer some difficult questions. Mrs. Turpin's birthday is this week and Lisa was always close to her mother."

The girl was surprised, really surprised. This was clearly not a spur of the moment decision, which meant Harry knew or suspected or he was just that much of a paranoid cynic. She smacked her in anticipation. Good. "What would you have us do, My Lord?"

"Inform the others I'll take care of Lisa." Harry stared at the girl in front of him, eager and expectant. "Come, Romilda. My ex is waiting."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Diffindo!"

"Confringo"

Dirt and dust filled the air as flashes of light erupted all around.

"Just kill the girl, Parkinson. We have to escape while there's still time!"

The tall man tightened his grip on the quivering, moaning girl and brought his wand to her face. His dark, satisfied grin enraged her even as she hung on to life by a thread. She lashed out in the only manner left available to her. Her mouth closed the mere inches of distance and munched on the dark wizard's hand with ferocious force.

"Agh, you bitch!" The Parkinson elder smashed her to the ground with his free arm. "I'll show you what we do to filthy dogs!" The tip of his wand was forming the killing curse when a blasting curse smashed his shoulder blade. He dropped like a ton of bricks, screaming like a banshee.

The girl felt consciousness and life fleeing her as comforting arms encircled her, pulling her upright.

"Oh Merlin! Su?! Su Li, hang in there!"

"Lisa?" she called out faintly. Was she dreaming? Lisa Turpin, fellow Ravenclaw and most recent cover of Teen Witches Weekly, the girl who was the envy of witches everywhere for winning the heart of the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Harry! Come quick!"

Su found her body being handed off to another set of hands, stronger, firmer and distinctively male. Cho was right. Harry Potter did feel nice, but that comfort did not stop blood and bile from passing through her lips.

"Hang on, Su! Just hang on!"

"Harry..." She leaned into him, instinctively seeking refuge in the embrace of the wizarding world's youngest hero, but it wasn't enough. The pain was too great; the despair, overwhelming; and the anger, unbearable.

"Please kill me..."

"Su?"

The lithe asian blinked.

"Ah, sorry, Hermione. What was that?"

"I asked if you wanted any sausage or bacon before they're all gone," the intelligent witch asked, noting the redhead beside her who was halfway through his third plate. Su looked at her barely touched plate of baked potatoes, scrambled eggs and a side of Danish pastry and shook her head.

"That's a first." Seamus quipped. "Maybe there's hope for dear old Ron as well."

"Not bloody likely," Ron countered, cheerfully seizing a plate of fresh biscuits for himself. His antics drew chuckles.

As Harry Potter's girlfriend, Su Li was a frequent sight at the Gryffindor table and she was by far the second most impressive eater at the table. Seeing the dainty, petite girl polish off her plate had left the lions stunned the first time around until she explained.

Her muggle father had been a survivor of the Three Bitter Years and other travails before immigrating to the British Isles. His experiences of scavenging for food and shelter left a lasting impression, which he imparted in his young daughter. The little things in life mattered; enjoy them.

"I guess we know Harry wasn't with you then," Seamus continued in a light tone, highlighting the empty seat beside Su. Glances were exchanged. The Irish lad tried to be subtle, but it escaped few people's notice that he liked to chat up the Ravenclaw whenever her boyfriend was absent, ostensibly, to make her feel welcomed. Harry personally found it cute and harmless so Su was forced to tolerate the attention.

"No, not last night," the Chinese girl allowed a soft smile to show. "I was pretty satisfied already."

Hermione chortled from across the table.

"You sure your boyfriend wasn't sneaking time with someone else?"

"Romilda!"

"What? I'm just saying..."

"Harry's not that kind of bloke," noted Ron seriously. His eyes darkened and his arm tightened around Lavender Brown's shoulders.

"What kind of bloke? You mean a handsome, virile, young man who has a lot on his shoulders. Come on, the whole school knows about his special meetings with Aurors and late night exertions with the Headmaster. I just think Harry should be able to unwind from time to time." Romilda looked around the table challengingly. "I heard that the reason Lisa broke up with him was because he left her too sore to get up in the morning."

Gasps echoed loudly across the hall.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor!"

Another string of gasps as student turned to a furious looking Hermione Granger.

"Ms. Granger, Ms. Vane, is there a problem?"

"No, professor," Hermione responded stiffly. The Gryffindor Head gave the two girls a sharp look before marching back to the staff table.

"Sorry, Granger." Romilda apologized, seemingly with honest contrition before turning her back to the group. Su Li knew better though. She saw the mocking laughter and perverse delight in her eyes.

Vane knew perfectly well what Harry Potter was up to last night and whose bed he tumbled into afterwards. Hers. And she was reveling in the knowledge of what they did, flaunting it with no one outside the coven being the wiser. Romilda Vane, Su realized, wasn't merely a petty vixen, who liked to have fun at others' expense. She was a Nightmare and one of Harry's most vicious and vindictive. No wonder she got along so well with Pansy Parkinson. They respected each other's cruelty.

"You alright?"

"Fine, just fine. Thanks, Hermione." Su offered the concerned brunette a gentle smile.

"Look, the Harry I know would never do something like that. He wouldn't be so heartless to a girl," the intelligent witch stated, but the Ravenclaw could tell she was looking for reassurance. Assurance that the friend she knew remained unchanged.

Su Li was no Romilda or Pansy. She wasn't that cruel.

"Harry not only saved my life, but he gave it meaning again. There is nothing I wouldn't do or give for him." Su Li waved her hand in a whatever motion. The lions stared at her with a mixture of shock and wonder.

"What? I mean, how could-"

The asian reached over to grab the older witch's hand and arrested the Gryffindor's rebuke. "Hermione, Harry saved your life during the troll incident in first year, didn't he?"

The brunette flushed. "Yes, but what does that have to do with it?"

"If you were me, if you were his girlfriend, what would you be willing to do for him?"

Hermione opened her mouth, but no words came out so she closed them awkwardly. Red with embarrassment, she looked around for help, but only found faint looks of bemusement and awe.

"I can't say it's completely unexpected. This is Harry we're talking about." Heads whirled on the redhead in question, who spoke in between mouthfuls of bacon and sausage. "What? It's true." He shrugged at his other best friend's expression of disbelief.

Su smiled before going back to her meal, finishing it just as the Headmaster stepped into the Great Hall with Director Bones and Harry Potter and a retinue of Aurors in tow. Perfect timing. The asian witch stood up and met them mid way.

"How you doing, sweetie?" Harry smiled, giving his girlfriend a quick kiss.

"Ah-hem."

"Sorry professor. Habit," he apologized, but kept his arm firmly wrapped around the diminutive witch. Su dimpled cutely in response, relishing her Lord's public attention. It comforted and assured her.

"Mr. Potter, please remember what we discussed," stated the ministry director cliply. Harry nodded, undisturbed by the woman's uncharacteristic coldness. Amelia Bones blamed him for her niece's death. If only she knew how right she was.

"Of course." Harry walked off, clutching Su Li's hand tightly in his. He'd rather be somewhere else when the morning mail came.

XXXXXXXXXX

Pansy Parkinson tapped the dining table with her fingers impatiently. Malfoy was late... again. Until recently, the scion of the family of bad faith religiously attended the early breakfast session every day. Making face time with his court as he called it.

"Hey Pansy, where's your Dracipoo? Did you wear him out again?"

The Slytherin prefect bit off half of a sausage in response, ignoring the implication and resulting laughter. She didn't even bother with taking off points like a certain Gryffindor know-it-all. Of course, the former Death Eater would have been happy to off her sodding classmate if Harry hadn't explicitly forbid her. Most unfortunate for Draco. She would have offered him a dignified and painless death as a favor to an old friend.

"Ah, the princesses have finally decided to grace us with their presence."

"Daphne, Tracey."

"Morning, Pansy."

The Slytherin prefect slid down slightly, allowing her two friends to sit down next to each other. Daphne surveyed the table before she sat down.

"Where's Draco?"

Pansy shrugged carelessly, her eyes focussed at the other tables. Daphne and Tracey tried to exchange discrete looks.

"They finally sending Aurors to guard the school?" The wary Slytherins watched Director Bones's entourage fanned out across the Great Hall.

"You think they'll cancel the Hogsmeade visit?"

"Maybe." No. Not if Harry had anything to say about it. Their Lord had scheduled an important summit for his coven outside the prying eyes of Hogwarts. "Any plans?"

"As a matter of fact..." Daphne trailed off, instinctively taking possession of her companion. Pansy found it amazing how the sly and savvy blonde could be so unsubtle about it, but then she was young and inexperienced in this particular arena.

"Alright. I'll probably be with Draco for most of the day anyways." The Slytherin prefect scooped up a handful eggs into her mouth. A parliament of owls descended to drop the morning mail. The big bold black letters of the Daily Prophet stared back at her.

Multiple Death Eater Attacks Across the Isles.
Turpin Family Dead. Former Girlfriend of Boy-Who-Lived Brutally Murdered. See Page 2.

She saw Harry Potter guide his girlfriend away as the cries of the students reached a crescendo. Su Li was enjoying her time in the Sun. That was good. Hopefully, she wouldn't end up like Lisa. Pansy still had plans for her.

XXXXXXXXXX

The raven-haired girl struck a provocative pose in front of the three sided mirrors. Clad in a string bikini that displayed her modest, but sufficient assets, she almost looked like one of those muggle magazine models. Almost.

She shifted sideways, canted her bare left leg in front of her right and adopted a more alluring look that showed off her pouty lips. Better, but only because it better hid her less than generous assets. For one brief crazy moment, the aspiring witch considered getting a mammoplasty to go along with her nose job and lip augmentation. Ah, the wonders of muggle plastic surgery.

"Preening for a date, Pansy?"

Pansy Parkinson suppressed the urge to raise her wand and curse the living hell out of the intruder.

"Draco. Do you mind?" Even if it was Malfoy, it was still very stupid of her to let her guard down. The Slytherin male said nothing, not even a half-assed quip.

"Draco?"

The proud Malfoy scion looked distinctly less proud. He wore a haggard expression, highly suggestive of a lack of sleep and was clutching his arm, his marked arm to be precise. Pansy noticed his entire body was twitching sporadically. Post cruciatus effect.

"I need to talk to you... Now!" Draco stared intently at her with cold blue eyes, which widened in shock. "After you get dressed. I'll wait for you outside."

Pansy put her potential buys to the side and tossed on her school clothing. Her new wardrobe could wait. Her old friend was far too agitated, upset even by what should have been a simple Death Eater initiation ceremony. Torture one or two defenseless muggles, top it off with a killing curse and call it a night. How hard could it have been?

Very hard. So hard that Draco had refused to perform the deed and caught a dose of Cruciatus as a result. He would still be limping around if it weren't for his dear mother's tender treatments. Fortunately for him, Narcissa Malfoy had once been an attending healer before becoming a homemaker.

She pulled the hood over her head as she made her way to the rendezvous, silently checking to make sure she wasn't being followed. This was an unprecedented development and the coven and Harry Potter would want to know immediately. There was no way to hide it. But like any good Slytherin, Pansy was formulating ways to use that information to her advantage.

XXXXXXXXXX

"He did what?"

The echo of female laughter reverberated through the underground cavern.

"True story. Malfoy pissed himself when he realized he had to make the kill. Aunt Bellatrix was most displeased with him. Isn't that right?"

As Voldemort's most trusted lieutenant, the persona of Bellatrix Lestrange was occupied by the various members of the coven as the circumstances dictated. The real woman being utilized as a trophy of sorts in the Chamber of Secrets.

"How long did you hold the Cruciatus?"

"A couple of seconds at most. Squealed like a pig as soon as it hit him. Not what I was expecting. You would think Malfoy would have groomed his own son better for the role."

"Unless Malfoy senior never expected his spawn to join the Dark Lord's ranks."

Unthinkable! It did give the coven pause. Being a Death Eater was no walk in the park. The first year attrition rate for new initiates was not much better than a dice roll. Even the most loyal members of Voldemort's inner circle would be wary about sacrificing their own offspring on their master's bloody altar.

"That makes no sense."

"Doesn't it? What do you think, Pansy?"

The raven-haired girl in question walked into the spotlight and dropped to one knee.

"I apologize for being late. I was just speaking with Draco Malfoy."

Harry leaned forward expectantly as his Slytherin mistress recounted her encounter. He kept his expression neutral even as the rest of his coven erupted into murmurs and outrage at the revelation.

"Bollocks. Malfoy was faking it to gain your sympathy."

Harry frowned. Possible, but unlikely. Was he that clever? Severus Snape he was not. But then there was another point to the complaint.

"Pansy, are you sure you're not overreaching? Going the extra length to look after an old friend," Hannah, the Necromancer, stepped forward to pass judgement. Her punishment had been swift, true, but so was her reinstatement. There was some benefit to being the master's most valued.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"We all know you slept with Malfoy before, probably even the night you were captured."

Pansy directed the harshest glare she could muster at Romilda Vane, the backstabbing cunt, but didn't bother to defend herself. It was true after all. Chancing a glance at a pensive looking Harry suggested that he didn't particularly care. It was also true that she wanted to save Draco's life and the lives of his family. It was a selfish wish, but that didn't mean it couldn't benefit her lord.

"My point is that Malfoy refused to kill an innocent, a muggle girl no less."

"And that matters because..."

The fate of the Malfoy family had been sealed long time ago... or so everyone assumed. The eyes of the coven turned to Harry Potter, who had been silent the entire time.

"It matters, all right. It matters," Harry admitted. "Pansy."

"My lord?"

"What are the chances that Malfoy simply developed cold feet? That his family doesn't know about his intentions."

"Almost none. Malfoy is an old family in every sense of the word."

The coven endured many minutes of uneasy silence until Harry spoke again.

"What are you proposing?" Harry allowed himself a wry smile. "You are proposing something, aren't you?"

That smile, that freakishly placid smile gave Pansy pause, making her wonder if he hadn't already foreseen everything; Hannah's insane blood feud against Su and her "selfless" intervention, Tracey and Daphne's recruitment, and her current plan to redeem the House of Slytherin, the rest of the coven be damned.

"Dead, the Malfoys offer us nothing, but alive, alive the family can deliver us the Magical Isles."

Massive exaggeration, but it suited her just fine. Susan Bones had been the linchpin to all their post-Voldemort plans. With her gone, and her aunt a grief stricken and suspicious Auror chief, the coven and Harry had no readily available method to taking charge. Pansy was offering a possible solution.

"Ridiculous! After what that family has done! I can't believe we're even talking about this!"

The discussion that followed was lively to say the least. Pansy burned through most of the coven's goodwill making her case for the Malfoys. Even without the bond, Harry Potter could sense the waves of mistrust and suspicion rolling off of his other girls, most of whom have lost family members and friends or have suffered directly under Voldemort's followers. Death to the Death Eaters was their original battle cry after all.

"I trust our master to do what is best," Su Li stated finally. The petite Chinese girl gave Pansy a nod, making sure her fellow sisters saw. The coven quieted. An orphaned, abused trophy girlfriend and a racist blood purist made for strange bed partners indeed.

"Okay, we'll see if this plan has merit. We'll start reeling Tracey and Daphne in after my next class. Work on the Malfoys and see if they know any like-minded compatriots," Harry added, effectively giving the Slytherin his blessing. "Stick around, Pansy. Hannah needs to show you something. The rest of the coven is dismissed."

Without waiting for an acknowledgement, Harry disappeared along with his public girlfriend. Several of his other girls frowned briefly before shrugging off their lord's dismissive attitude. The fact that no one's head rolled could be considered a victory. The issue of determining the next Alpha and Coven Mistress could wait for a bit longer.

Pansy waited until everyone has left, their glares bouncing harmlessly off her. She had developed a teflon skin in the course of being the most despised member of Harry's staff.

"We should get started," Hannah remarked in an almost lazy fashion as she activated the rune networks under their feet. Pansy remained wary. Just the other day, the other girl tried to make mincemeat of her.

"Relax, Pansy. My blood loyalty to Susan has been fulfilled. I won't hurt you... too much."

"Gee, thanks." The Slytherin relaxed just a little, not putting it past the Huffleslut to pull one over her. Her expression turned to one of disgust as a foul smelling muggle appeared before them. The man was unshaven, delirious and dressed in what looked like expensive, but disheveled designer suit.

"Pl, please, don't hurt me... I'll do anything. I, I'll give you anything. I...I, I can pay you! I'm very rich!"

"You call that begging? I'm sure those street urchins you got your hands on did a better job." The man completely broke down as his crimes were thrown in his face. "Do this and you'll be free," Hannah ordered coldly, setting down a nondescript black book in front of him.

The weeping man moved to grab the book, only for the object to grab him instead. A tentacle of energy shot through his hand, through his arm and into his head.

"No, NO! Oh, God, help me! NOo..." The two coven sisters calmly watched as the "book" consumed the muggle, spilling his red life force on its pages, turning him first into a dried husk and then into a pile of bones. Hannah cast a cremation curse, rendering the former human being into a pile of ashes. Worthless trash. He wouldn't be missed.

A blue fire consumed the book, transforming its clean empty white leaflets into wrinkled pages of yellow text.

"Harry thinks it's time for you to learn the Dark Arts, the real Dark Arts," Hannah stated with a grin. "I'm the teacher for your introductory course."

Pansy did not try to hide her surprise. No one had expected her to survive, which was why she was never included in the advanced training sessions the other inner members received. Had that suddenly changed?

"Don't look so surprised. It would look bad if Harry Potter's new Alpha were to be felled by the first semi-competent dark wizard or witch that comes along."

Pansy gaped and Hannah smirked.

"Close your mouth before you catch flies." Scores of questions swirled around the Slytherin's head, she bit her tongue. No reason to make the Huffleslut think she was all riled up and Harry would undoubtedly clarify his intentions soon enough. He had to select an Alpha or at least a Mistress to guide the coven soon.

The raven-haired witch stared at the glowing text, still bathed in the muggle blood.

"I'm guessing you're planning to do more than just teach me how to summon an army of inferi from a cemetery."

The blonde Necromancer gave her a glare that promised pain, but then her scowl turned into an evil grin. "If you insist." Before Pansy could utter a peep of protest, Hannah seized control of her arms and her magic. "Stop resisting and just relax," she commanded in a husky whisper. Pansy tensed, but obeyed, allowing the Necromancer to guide her wand through a series of intricate movement, coupled with strange incantations.

The difficulty with advanced Dark Arts like Necromancy was their complexity and subtlety. They drew upon a person's intimate relationship with magic itself and because the magic of every witch and wizard was unique, there was no universal guidelines for how to perform these spells. A deep, thorough understanding of the underlying magic foundations was essential as the practitioner had to be willing and able to make precise adjustments.

Hannah summoned a knife and made a small cut on Pansy's offhand, dripping a trail of blood on the floor.

"Blood of the summoner as the source,"

"Bones of the vanquished as the template,"

"Bond of our chosen master as the anchor,"

"Rise, my minion!"

Pansy watched as a pulsing whirlwind of magic gathered. When it passed, the disintegrated body of the dead muggle was reanimated into the grotesque form of a Inferius.

"Wonderful, no?"

The surge of adrenaline almost knocked Pansy off her feet. The feel of power and authority left the Slytherin speechless. She always knew that certain dark spells like the Cruciatus had an addictive side effect; the late Bellatrix Lestrange being case and point; herself prior to Harry's indoctrination being a less extreme example. But that was nothing compared to what she was going through. Magic itself recognized her as the master of her creation, and it made her feel like a god. The power of life and death, creation and destruction, all in the palm of her hand.

In the blink of an eye, it was gone as the inferius creation collapsed back into dust. The loss sent Pansy staggering. Hannah roughly grabbed her to keep her from falling over her own feet.

"Control your emotions. Raise your Occlumency Shields!"

Pansy gasped for breath like a fish out of water for a few seconds before she gathered her wits and followed the suggestion. Crushing her mind shields, she gradually calmed down from the dizzying array of emotions.

"Better?" Apparently not as Pansy shivered in the arms of her coven sister like a broken doll. Hannah pulled the Slytherin up to her and kissed her rosy lips hard. Relief instantly flooded through her. "How about now?"

"Much better." Pansy shook herself, not at all pleased with how weak and pathetic the experience made her look. "What the bloody hell was that?"

"Magical backlash. Can happen to first timers. Su Li was worse. She fainted outright," Hannah joked. The other girl maintained her sneer, but allowed herself to feel a little better. Harry's asian vixen was not the most magically inclined, but she made up for it with sheer determination and personal tutelage from the chosen one himself. Tutelage, which the Slytherin never received.

Pansy reinforced her Occlumency shields and forced herself not to moan as Hannah withdrew her arms, severing their intimate connection. The other girl grinned knowingly causing her to narrow her eyes in suspicion. It somehow wouldn't surprise her if this was some plot by the Huffleslut to bed her.

"Rest assured, Pansy, that I'm not trying to get inside your panties. I have no need for that," Hannah retorted. "Plus, I have it under good authority that you're a lousy lover."

If eyes could cast fiendfyre...

"Your Occlumency shields are fine. Don't bother checking them. Your thoughts and emotions are very predictable no matter how hard you try to hide them," Hannah explained in a serious tone. "That could be an exploitable weakness against a knowledgeable opponent."

The raven-haired Slytherin nodded, conceding the point. "How can I prevent that?"

"Lots of training and special meditation involving time that we don't have. There is another way, which is what Harry wanted me to try. Summoning an inferius creation using your body as a conduit was a test, to see if your body can accept foreign magical intervention," Hannah tilted her head sideways. "It looks like it can. It's a shame Harry didn't allow you to do this earlier." Although both girls knew why. Pansy Parkinson, the Death Eater, was never supposed to survive long enough to benefit from such advanced training.

"Fine. What do I have to do?"

"Take off your clothes and kneel inside the pentagram."

The runic inscriptions, the setup, the ambiance. A shiver ran down the former Death Eater's back. They were more than just a little reminiscent of the horrific rituals Voldemort used to perform on muggles.

"Lower your occlumency shields."

Was she serious?

"I'm perfectly serious. It's the only way," said Hannah matter-of-factly.

There must have been a million reasons why that wasn't a good idea, even if the Necromancer was wearing a loyalty collar. But in the end Pansy obeyed. She trusted Harry to do what was best.

The Arcane Arts Mistress smiled in response as she sank the serrated blade into the soft flesh of her former nemesis and tore into her open mind.

XXXXXXXXXX

Su Li paused mid-bite.

"What's wrong? I thought you liked Merlin's Medley Sundaes."

Harry continued munching on his frozen treat, pretending he hadn't felt what the rest of the coven must have felt.

"You know, Harry, if you're going to torture poor Parkinson like that, you should at least stick around to watch. What if Hannah gets a bit too enthusiastic?" Su recalled the maniac necromancer's all too recent vendetta against herself.

"I had a long conversation with Hannah. She knows which lines she's not supposed to cross." Harry smiled reassuringly, though Su remained uncertain. The petite witch was always careful to avoid being left alone with the deadly and monstrously strong Hufflepuff.

"I know what Pansy is trying to do," Harry stated. He was willing to entertain her ambitions... to an extent. It didn't mean he would make it easy for her. As Su Li alluded, there was a part of him that enjoyed seeing the pretty Slytherin suffer. "But I didn't think you would be so concerned about her wellbeing."

"She saved me from Hannah."

"Her father made you into who you are."

"You made me into what I am. Mr. Parkinson," Su spat, "was a catalyst." She stood on tiptoes and seized Harry's lips for a heated kiss. Her tongue danced across to his in a passionate duet. The raven-haired savior smiled when they broke apart, surprised but pleased by the unexpected boldness. The chinese girl flushed, her dark eyes scanning the surrounding, battling the stares of curious spectators. Voyeurs the lot of them!

"Hey, Harry. Hello, Su."

"What's up, Neville. Have a seat and relax."

Neville Longbottom, the steadfast Gryffindor and Harry's most loyal lieutenant outside the coven. The burgeoning lord had considered bringing him into the fold many a time, but something always seemed to come up. As it were, the shy young man was one of the joint leaders of the Defense Association as well as Harry's teaching assistant.

"There are aurors on guard, Neville. You might as well enjoy the break along with everyone else. Who knows when we'll get another one."

The dedicated young man shook his head emphatically, his vigilant eyes focused on their surroundings. "You know I can't do that, Professor Potter." Technically, Student Associate Professor of Defense, but Neville thought it came down to the same thing. And boy did he take his roles seriously. "I just wanted to let you know that the flyers reported nothing unusual after making an arc reconnaissance sweep."

The two chatted a bit before the latter leapt away.

"I think he still blames the Ministry for failing to protect his grandmother," Harry guessed. The chinese witch nodded in agreement, but felt compelled to make a counterpoint.

"Even if he's anti-Ministry, it doesn't make him reliable enough to take part in Pansy's plan."

Harry looked at his girlfriend slash protector curiously for defending Pansy while protesting Neville's inclusion. She always got along well with the quiet Gryffindor boy. It was why most students treated Neville as the de facto leader of the DA over his former best friends.

"The others will not accept him." Su Li insisted. Harry stared.

"I'd never share any of you with him." Was this what she was afraid of?

"Why not? You shared Lavender with Ron," she fired back quickly. The words rocked Harry.

"I..." He opened his mouth and then closed it.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I overstepped."

Harry nodded, but wrapped his arm around the petite witch and gave a reassuring squeeze. His girl was absolutely right about Lavender and Ron. That he "shared" her was perhaps even too soft a way to put it. "Whored" would be more accurate.

"Maybe, but you might be right."

"Don't feel too bad for her. She knew what she was agreeing to when she agreed. She got to have sex regularly even now and I'm sure she has Ronald somewhat trained now," Su added. Lavender was never part of any inner circle even before the affair.

"Hey, mate."

Speak of the devil. Though it wasn't Lavender who was hanging on his shoulder for support.

"Hi Ron, Hermione."

His two former friends arrayed themselves before him and exchanged nervous looks.

"Harry, can we talk to you," Hermione glanced at the asian witch by his side. "privately?" Su Li's eyes narrowed. Just because she didn't despise the former know-it-all like some of her coven sisters didn't mean she enjoyed the other girl's company. She was the most naturally aggravating girl she had ever met.

"We been over this. What you can say to me, you can say in front of my girlfriend. I trust her." Hermione recoiled, stung by the harshness.

"She meant for security. We are pretty public, after all," Ron clarified, shifting slightly under the attention of other students and observers. Harry smiled at the uncharacteristic thoughtfulness.

"It's fine. I've set up a privacy net. Even if others tried, they won't be able to hear our conversation," Harry promised. The two exchanged more glances.

"Just tell me."

"Ginny's anniversary is coming up."

Ah, so that's what it was. A pang of loss and regret hit him.

"I know," Harry said.

"We were wondering if you would visit her."

"Of course I will!"

"...with the family," Ron added.

Surprise. Harry was genuinely shocked. Su Li fought the urge to panic as her eyes met those of her compatriots.

"I think the others. I think Mom and Dad are ready to have you join us."

Harry thought for a moment. "You think?"

"The Weasleys have moved on, Harry. They want you back."

He didn't quite believe Hermione. Her pleading tone suggested she was trying as much to convince herself as him.

"I killed their daughter."

"Voldemort killed her, mate," Ron insisted. Harry gave his friend credit. That could not have been easy.

"Voldemort manipulated me into killing my girlfriend," Harry corrected. The redhead had nothing for that. The shimmer of light in his eyes told him his friend hasn't forgotten or forgiven.

"Why are you being so difficult, Harry?" Hermione cried in frustration.

"Because it's the truth, Granger! Stop living in your bubble of the past," Su Li interjected finally. She had no right, no right to speak like that to Harry. Not anymore!

Harry motioned Su to back down. "I took away a daughter and a sister. How could I expect the Weasleys to forgive me? How could I expect you to forgive me, Ron."

"They will! They just need some more time."

"Hermione, you warned me twice. First about Sirius and then about Ginny," Harry spoke with regret and remorse. "You never forgave me and you never will. And to be honest, you shouldn't just as the Weasleys and Ron shouldn't forgive me." He looked at his former mate and saw him give an almost imperceptible nod. "Even if we have time, which we don't, I don't think it would make any difference. And since you can't forgive me, I can't trust you."

Hermione looked shattered, broken really. While her companion looked equally unhappy, he seemed perhaps relieved. Ronald Weasley finally saw the cost of association with Harry Potter and all it costed was the life of his only sister.

Climactic setting in the middle of Hogsmeade and an anticlimactic finish. There were no punches thrown or even much tears as Ron led Hermione away. The brunette gave her redheaded friend a hug before running away, only for her spot to be taken instantly by Lavender Brown.

Harry smiled. It wouldn't have mattered anyways. After Ginny, after the massacres and attacks, after all that has happened, and all he has done behind their backs, if he was honest with himself, he would realize reconciliation was never a possibility. He and his girlfriend watched as Hermione broke away and Lavender Brown took her place by Ron's side.

"I convinced myself that I was giving her to Ron as a way to make up for killing Ginny."

Harry sat, silent, pondering for a long while and then seemed to reach a decision with himself. He stood up suddenly before others finally gathered the courage to approach him again.

"Let's go. I'm ready."

XXXXXXXXXX

AN: Successful research is successful! Ariana died in 1899, Paul Morphy saw his chess star rise in the 1850s, so the timeline should make sense.

Regarding the Ginny, Hermione and Ron canon set. I figured this was a reasonable enough approach to "dealing" with them. I wanted to avoid the taint of character assassination while still finding a way to distance them from Harry. I briefly debated on who to kill off or maim and went with the simplest and easiest choice, Ginny. Naturally I have no shipping or character bias what so ever!

I always wanted to go for this type of a gritty harem story, but always chickened out. Might as well try it for fun.