Chapter 23

Harry felt nervous as he climbed out of bed and dressed for the day. Today, if all went well, he would finally be free. Pulling on his jumper, he walked down the stairs to the common room and took a moment to look around. Thinking back to before all of this started, he was struck by just how much better he knew his classmates now. Even people he'd thought he'd know well, like his teammates Angelina, Alicia, and Katie, he now saw in a completely different light.

As their gazes met, he smiled at Katie before slipping through the portrait hole. As he reached the Great Hall, he glanced up at the Head Table. Catching his gaze, Professor Dumbledore gave him a pointed look and nodded. Sitting next to Hermione, he pushed his food around on his plate. Fear mixed with Anxiety roiled in his stomach, destroying his appetite.

"Harry?" Hermione asked. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Harry said. "Just nervous about the Ball."

Hermione looked at him sympathetically and patted his arm. He felt bad for lying to her, but Dumbledore didn't want him bringing anyone else along. After managing to swallow some toast and listening impatiently for Professor Dumbledore to finish his announcements, he watched the headmaster leave the Head Table and make his way over.

"Good morning, Harry," he said. "I'd like to see you in my office when you're finished."

"I'll be right there," Harry told him.

Nodding, Dumbledore smiled and left.

"What's that about?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I'll tell you later," Harry promised.

Hermione looked a bit disappointed but nodded. Patting her on the back, he stood. Glancing over at the Ravenclaw table, he hesitated for a moment before heading in that direction. Pushing past the line of boys waiting to ask Fleur to the Ball, Harry stopped in front of Suzette. As she stared distractedly at her plate, turning out the thoughts coming from all around her, he smiled softly.

"Suzette," he called.

She didn't react, but before he could call out again, Elise elbowed her gently. With a start, she looked at her friend questioningly. Elise nodded toward Harry, and Suzette finally noticed him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, what?" she asked.

Meeting her brilliant blue eyes, he pushed the important thoughts to the front of his mind.

"Could I talk to you for a minute?" Harry asked.

There was a pause as she read his thoughts, her eyes widening.

"Of course," Suzette said, clearing her throat.

Ignoring the tug of Fleur's Allure, Harry smiled and led her out of the Great Hall. Walking to the nearest empty room, he gestured her inside and closed the door behind him. Facing each other, their gazes met. He felt her slip into his mind and welcomed the familiar presence, guiding her to the memories she needed to see. After a few seconds, the presence receded, and Suzette smiled brightly. Throwing herself forward, she hugged him tightly.

"Oh, 'Arry," she said softly, holding him firmly.

Smiling, Harry closed his eyes and took comfort in her embrace.

"I take it this means you'll go to the Ball with me?" he asked teasingly.

Chuckling, Suzette kissed him passionately.

"Does that answer your question?" she smirked.

"I don't know," Harry said. "I didn't quite catch that."

Giggling, Suzette kissed him long and deeper. As they separated, Harry rested his forehead on hers, his hands caressing her back.

"You're scared," she whispered, holding his gaze.

"A bit," Harry admitted.

Running her hands up his are, she wrapped her arms around his neck and stroked her fingers through his hair soothingly.

"Everything will be fine," she told him. "You've beat him before, and you'll do it again."

"I hope so," Harry said, closing his eyes.

"I know so," Suzette said confidently.

A moment later, her lips met his as she kissed him softly.

"I need to go meet Dumbledore," Harry said, straightening up reluctantly.

"Promise me you'll stay safe," Suzette said.

"I will," he told her.

Leaning down for one last kiss, they left the classroom and went in separate directions. Suzette headed back to the Great Hall while Harry made his way to the second floor. The Gargoyle guarding the headmaster's office jumped aside as he approached, without him even uttering the password. Taking a deep breath, he climbed up the spiraling staircase and knocked on the door.

"Come in," Dumbledore called.

Steeping into the office, Fawkes crooned from his perch and flew over to land on Harry's shoulder.

"Hey, Fawkes," he said, stroking his feathers.

"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore said. "Come in. I'd like to go over everything before we leave."

Walking over to the desk, Harry took a seat across from the headmaster, careful not to dislodge the Pheonix on his shoulder.

"I've developed a spell that will sufficiently shield the Time-Turner," he continued. "While I hold the spell, I'll need you to destroy the Horcrux. I'd don't need to tell you this should be done as quickly as possible. The Horcrux may be weak, but Lord Voldemort is not to be underestimated. We cannot give him the opportunity to fight back."

"Right," Harry nodded.

Turning to the mantle behind him, Dumbledore picked up the Sword of Gryffindor, handling it carefully. Setting it on the desk, he conjured a scabbard, sheathed the sword, and then handed it to Harry.

"Make sure to use your Occlumency," Dumbledore warned. "Voldemort will try to get into your mind. His only real weapon, and his most dangerous, is to turn you against yourself."

Harry nodded, running his thumb over the jewel encrusted hilt.

"Are you ready?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, climbing to his feet.

Smiling encouragingly, Dumbledore patted his free shoulder. Fawkes crooned, filling Harry with courage as they made their way to the door. The walk to the seventh floor felt like it took forever, leaving plenty of time for doubts and worries to fester in the back of Harry's mind. As he turned the corner to the seventh floor corridor, he was surprised to find two familiar faces waiting for him.

"Suzette, Hermione, what are you doing here?" Harry asked.

"We want to come with you," Suzette said.

Biting her lip and looking at Professor Dumbledore nervously, Hermione nodded. She began fidgeting as he stared at them for a long moment. Suzette, on the other hand, held his gaze firmly.

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "Under one condition. You must follow all of my instructions without question or hesitation. This is not negotiable."

"Yes, sir," Hermione replied while Suzette nodded.

"Harry, if you would do the honors," Dumbledore said, gesturing to the bare stretch of wall.

Nodding, Harry paced back and forth, summoning the Room of Lost Things. As they entered, Hermione gasped at the cavernous room filled with everything imaginable. Setting next to him, Suzette took his hand in hers.

"This is incredible," she gasped.

"Indeed it is," Professor Dumbledore agreed. "It will be interesting to see what secrets this room holds - once time is moving properly again."

Turning, the headmaster proceeded deeper into the room. Taking comfort in Suzette's presence next to him, Harry looked around the room to distract from his growing nerves. It seemed to take forever to get to where they were going, but it wasn't until Harry noticed a unique wardrobe with ornately carved Dragons for the second time that he realized something was wrong.

"Professor," Harry said, coming to a stop. "I think we're going in circles."

"You're certain?" the headmaster asked.

"Unless there're two of those wardrobes," Harry replied.

Looking at the wardrobe curiously, Dumbledore waved his wand. A bright red X appeared on the front. As they resumed walking, Harry paid close attention to where they were going. Having walked this path twice now, he was fairly confident they were going the right way, which is why he was surprised when, a few minutes later, they were once again passing the Dragon carved wardrobe coved with a red X.

"What the hell is going on?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Dumbledore said softly, staring off into the distance with a thoughtful look.

"Could You-Know-Who be using the Time-Turner to do this?" Hermione asked.

"Not without us noticing," Dumbledore replied. "The transition was seamless. If it wasn't for Harry's keen eye, we might not have noticed at all."

"It's the room!" Harry exclaimed. "Voldemort's using the magic of the room to keep us going in circles."

"I believe you're correct," Dumbledore nodded. "This is concerning. If the room is responding to Voldemort, he's more powerful than I thought."

"Can't we just ask the room to help us find him?" Hermione asked.

"It's worth a try," Dumbledore agreed.

As they started walking again, Suzette squeezed his hand. Turning his head, Harry looked at her.

"We will figure this out," she assured him.

Giving her a small smile, Harry nodded despite his doubts. A few minutes later, they were back at the wardrobe.

"Darn," Hermione said, running a hand through her hair.

"It was a good idea," Dumbledore told her. "It appears this room works differently than the rest of the castle. The school has never refused to aid me before."

"What do we do?" Suzette asked.

Dumbledore had no response, and Harry felt his stomach drop. Running a hand through his hair with a sigh, his eyes scanned the room as he thought frantically. The thought of leaving in defeat made his heart race.

Would he be forced to live like this for decades, maybe centuries, until Voldemort finally returned?

Suddenly, his eyes landed on a pile of junk, and a smile slowly appeared on his face.

"I have an idea," he grinned.

Turning, Hermione, Suzette, and Professor Dumbledore followed his gaze.

"That's brilliant!" Suzette exclaimed, smiling.

"Indeed, it might just work," Dumbledore smiled.

"Oh no," Hermione groaned.

"Oh yes," Harry grinned.

Walking over to a nearby pile of junk, he started tossing aside chairs and coat racks to get to the stack of brooms underneath. Most of them were in terrible condition. The handles cracked, twigs broken and bent, the magic faded to almost nothing. There were a few, however, that were still usable. Grabbing the three best that he could find, Harry handed one to Professor Dumbledore, one to Suzette, and kept the last for himself.

"They won't be that fast, but they should work for what we need," Harry said. "No offense Hermione but I'd feel better if you rode with me."

Biting her lip, she nodded, eyeing the ancient broom hesitantly. Mounting his broom, Harry hovered in the air and waited for Hermione to climb on behind him, her arms locking tightly around his waist.

"No crazy flying," she told him.

Harry smiled and patted her hands as Suzette and Professor Dumbledore mounted their brooms.

"Don't worry, I've got you," he assured her.

As they rose into the air, Hermione buried her face in the back of his neck and squeezed so tightly Harry had trouble breathing.

"Not so tight," Harry said.

"Sorry," Hermione murmured.

Moving forward at a casual pace, they flew over the mountainous piles of lost items. It didn't take long before Harry saw the large black cabinet he used as a landmark to find the bust holding Voldemort's Horcrux.

Suddenly, a chair shot into the air, and Harry was forced to veer sharply to the right to avoid it. Behind him, Hermione squealed in fright, her hands clutching his jumper in a white knuckled grip. Yanking out his wand, Harry blasted another chair out of his way as more and more junk was hurled into the air.

Holding his wand out in front of him like a lance, he put up a shield and plowed through the debris as he darted toward the ground. Professor Dumbledore and Suzette followed closely behind. As Harry's feet touched the ground, a pulse left Dumbledore's wand. The debris in the air stopped before falling to the ground, landing all around them with a clatter. Shakily, Hermione climbed off of the broom and drew her wand.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you, old man?" Voldemort sneered, stepping around the corner.

Worryingly, he looked much more solid than the last time Harry had seen him. Either he'd found a way to draw in magic faster, or he'd been faking how weak he was before. He looked so solid that he had to look closely to see any sign of translucence. As a precaution, he cast a quick Stunning Hex. Voldemort gave him a contemptuous sneer as it passed unimpeded through his chest.

"And little Harry Potter," Voldemort hissed. "I've read about you. They say you're the one that defeated me. Tell me, how does a mere child destroy the greatest wizard the world has ever known?"

Harry snorted, "Arrogant much?"

Above their heads, Fawkes circled, his soft song filling the room. Harry felt a calm confidence wash over him while Voldemort visibly cringed.

"Interesting, you seem to have grown quite a lot more powerful for such a short amount of time," Dumbledore said casually, eyeing the Time-Turner. "I take it you've found a way to further slow the time within this room?"

Voldemort glared silently.

"Harry, we must act quickly," Dumbledore said.

As Harry put away his wand and drew the Sword of Gryffindor, Voldemort eyed it covetously.

"Where did you find that?" he asked.

Harry ignored him, stepping up to the bust as Dumbledore erected his shield around the Time-Turner. Voldemort eyed them suspiciously before closing his eyes and raising his hands above his head. Charis, tables, desks, wardrobes, and other debris swirled above them.

"Protego Maxima!" Suzette cried, her wand thrust upwards.

A shimmering blue dome sprang up just as the first pieces of debris shot forward. Suzette grunted as they slammed into the shield, where they shattered and crashed to the floor.

"Protego Maxima!" Hermione shouted.

Her spell fed Suzette, strengthing and reinforcing it.

"Harry, quickly!" Dumbledore yelled over the din. "Destroy it!"

"No!" Voldemort shouted.

Gripping the Sword of Gryffindor with both hands, Harry raised the sword above his head. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry watched a figure move inside the shield. It wasn't Voldemort like he expected. It was a young woman with straight brown hair, blue eyes, and soft, pale skin.

"Albus, please, don't do this," the girl begged.

"Ariana," Dumbledore gasped.

As Harry brought the sword down with a mighty swing, he watched in horror as the shield around the Time-Turner faltered. The sword connected with Ravenclaw's Diadem with a ringing clang! Harry's arms shook, his palms stinging painfully as Voldemort cried out in anger and pain. A tear appeared along his torso where bright white light poured out.

A moment later, The Diadem exploded. Harry and Dumbledore stumbled back, hands raised instinctively to protect their faces. As bits of metal and shards of gemstone fell to the floor, Voldemort screamed before disappearing in a blinding flash.

"Thank, Merlin, that's over," Harry sighed.

Crack.

Everyone turned to look at the Time-Turner hanging on the scorched and chipped bust. The crack in the glass widened, reaching closer to the edges. Just as Dumbledore raised his wand, the grass cracked again before suddenly shattering. Everything froze, shards of glass and grains and sand hanging suspended in the air. A moment later, the pieces on the Time-Turner moved backward, the Time-Turner completely repaired itself, and then it began to spin wildly.

Harry blinked and suddenly found himself staring up at the canopy of his bed. Sitting up abruptly, he looked around wildly, wondering just what the hell had happened. Throwing off his covers, he climbed out of bed, pulled on his clothes, and left the dorm. He needed to talk to Dumbledore.

"Harry!"

Skidding to a halt, he turned and watched as Hermione rushed over to him.

"I remember! I remember everything!" she told him.

Throwing her arms around him, she hugged him tightly.

"What do you mean, everything?" Harry asked nervously.

Pulling back, she smiled brilliantly.

"I remember all of our dates, all the time we spent together, I remember seeing you go on dates with other girls. Everything. I remember it all," Hermione said rapidly.

Harry felt immense relief at being able to share his life with his best friend as a grin stretched across his face.

"And do you remember this?" he asked quietly.

Hermione smiled as he leaned forward, their lips meeting in a soft, passionate kiss.

Harry felt almost giddy as he pulled back before he remembered why he'd rushed down in the first place.

"We need to go see Professor Dumbledore," he said.

Turning serious, Hermione nodded and followed him out of the common room. Walking quickly through the halls, they made it to the second floor in a couple of minutes. Harry gave the Gargoyle the password, and they rode the spiraling staircase up to the headmaster's office.

"Come in," Dumbledore called as Harry raised his hand to knock.

Sharing a glance with Hermione, he pushed open the door. Dumbledore sat behind his desk while Professor McGonagall sat across from him, sipping a cup of tea.

"Er, sorry, professor, but I-"

"Quite alright, Harry," Dumbledore interrupted. "Frankly, after what happened, I'd be more surprised if you didn't come here as soon as you could."

"You remember?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Indeed, I do," Dumbledore nodded. "As does Professor McGonagall."

"But, wait, she wasn't there," Harry said, a sudden realization sinking in. "Does that mean that everyone…?"

Before Dumbledore could reply, the door was thrown open.

"You!" Snape spat, his black eyes glittering maliciously.

"Ah, good morning, Severus," Professor Dumbledore said pleasantly.

"Headmaster, I want Potter expelled!" Snape demanded, storming into the room.

Harry scoffed, earning him a seething glare.

"Severus, I will not punish Harry for anything he did while he was trapped, reliving the same day for years," Dumbledore said firmly.

"You're going to let him get away with it!?" Snape seethed.

"Harry and I had a few… heart to heart discussions," Dumbledore said.

Harry blushed lightly, remembering the handful of times he'd ripped into the headmaster with every grievance he could think of.

"And he brought a few of my failings to light," Dumbledore continued. "One of which is my acceptance of your behavior as a professor. I will admit I allowed you to get away with far more than I should've ever allowed because of my guilt for allowing you to be bullied during your time as a student. However, that does not give me the right to allow you to bully your students now."

"I do not bully my students!" Snape growled.

"Do not take me for a fool, Severus," Dumbledore said, his tone firm as he looked over the top of his half-moon glasses. "I'm well aware of your abuse of the House Point system, the unfair detentions, and the insults towards not only Harry but students like Ms. Granger and Mr. Longbottom."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Snape said stiffly.

McGonagall shifted in her seat, glaring at him sharply.

"And you believe reading that article by Skeeter about Harry and Ms. Granger to your entire class was acceptable behavior?" Dumbledore asked, pinning him with a look and causing him to shift nervously. "Now, considering the stress Harry was under, I am going to forgive him for his lapses in judgment just as I am yours. However, from this moment on, he will be expected to show you the respect you deserve as a professor, just as you will be expected to show him respect as a student. We will continue this discussion tomorrow, in private. Now, if you would excuse us…."

Snape's jaw muscles flexed, and his fists were clenched so tightly they trembled. After a long moment, he spun and stormed from the room, not even sparing Harry a glance. As he slammed the door shut, the tension bled out of the room.

"Ms. Granger," Professor McGonagall said. "If any professor does something as unprofessional and reprehensible as that again, I expect you to come to me immediately."

"Yes, ma'am," Hermione said quietly.

"Now then," Dumbledore said, bringing the conversation back on topic. "It appears that everyone in the school has their memories from the last five years. I know this may cause some problems for you, but there's nothing I can do."

"I'll deal with it," Harry shrugged. "But is it really over?"

"I checked the Room of Requirement the moment I woke up," Dumbledore said.

Opening the drawer to his desk, he pulled out a long, silver chain, on which dangled the Time-Turner, completely undamaged.

"It appears to be in perfect working order," he said.

Harry blew out a sigh of relief as Hermione hugged him. From his perch, Fawkes crooned happily.

"It's over," Harry said softly.

"I believe so," Dumbledore smiled. "I will be making an announcement at breakfast, explaining why everyone had memories of events that never happened. Of course, I will be leaving out the part about Lord Voldemort's involvement. I must insist that the knowledge of what really happened goes no further than it already has."

"Yes, sir," Hermione said while Harry nodded.

"Thank you," the headmaster said. "There is also the matter of our imposter, freeing Alastor and Voldemort to deal with. I believe the best course of action would be to apprehend Barty as soon as possible and free Alastor. With any luck, Alastor should be able to take his place without anyone being the wiser. Any thoughts, Harry?"

Harry blinked, surprised at being asked for his opinion.

"You have had far longer to think on this than I," Dumbledore pointed out.

"Er, right," Harry nodded. "Well, I agree with you, but what do we do about Voldemort? We never learned exactly what he's up to."

"I have a few ideas," Dumbledore said. "In his current form, there are only a handful of ways he could regain a body. One of which requires the sacrifice to undergo a series of trials."

"Sacrifice!?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"I can assure you, Ms. Granger, we know enough to ensure that does not happen," Dumbledore said.

"I still don't like the idea of using Potter as bait," Professor McGonagall said sternly.

"Neither do I, Minerva, but we have little choice," Dumbledore said. "Now, if there's nothing else for the moment, Professor McGonagall and I need to make plans for the Yule Ball."

Harry sighed and nodded. Quite honestly, he was sick and tired of the Yule Ball. Thankfully, this was the last one he'd have to attend, hopefully for a very long time.

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall called just as he turned to leave. "I understand it may be difficult for you to adjust back to normal life. If you need to talk, my door is always open."

"Thanks, professor," Harry said, smiling gratefully.

Taking Hermione's hand, they left the office and made their way to the Great Hall. Before entering, he came to a stop just outside the doors and took a deep breath.

"You okay?" Hermione asked, rubbing his arm.

"Just nervous," Harry admitted. "I never thought people would remember everything I did."

"You didn't do anything too crazy, did you?" she asked.

"Define too crazy," Harry said.

Hermione opened her mouth, then closed it with a click.

"On second thought, I probably don't want to know, do I?" she asked.

"Probably not," Harry smiled.

Turning to the doors, he took a deep breath before entering the Great Hall. Instantly, all conversation stopped as everyone turned to look at him.

"Er, hi," Harry said, waving.

Suddenly, a number of girls stooped up from the Ravenclaw table and rushed over to him. Suzette and Fleur were the first to reach him. They hugged him tightly and kissed him before moving out of the way for the others. Katie, Angelina, Alicia, Susan, Daphne, Hestia, and Flora all did the same while congratulating him. Harry felt relieved that none of them thought less of him now that they remembered everything.

"Is it over?" Suzette asked.

"I think so," Harry said. "We won't know for sure until tomorrow, but it looks like it."

The girls cheered and took turns hugging him again.

"If I can have everyone's attention," Dumbledore called, looking at Harry with a smile. "I have an important announcement to make…."

Harry got out of the Great Hall as soon as Dumbledore finished his announcements. Most of the girls in the school were sympathetic towards him and happy his ordeal was finally at an end. However, the boys were quite jealous. To be fair, that probably had a lot to do with the number of desirable witches hanging off of him. Angelina and Alicia stayed in the Great Hall, but the rest of the girls left with Harry.

As they wandered through the halls, the girls talked while Harry just basked in his freedom, smiling. Holding onto his left arm, Suzette smiled softly and kissed him on the cheek.

"They all really care about you, you know," she said softly.

"I care about them, too," Harry admitted. "I have no idea how we're going to make this work, but…"

Trailing off helplessly, he shrugged. Suzette smiled and squeezed his hand.

"We'll figure it out," she said.

Gradually, they meandered their way to the Room of Requirement. Harry wasn't sure who summoned the room, but as soon as the door was opened, Hestia and Flora grabbed his arms and began leading him toward a massive bed.

"Hey, who said you little sluts get to go first?" Daphne asked.

"Everyone here got a date with him after we did," Hestia said.

"It's our turn," Flora pouted.

"Let zhem 'ave zheir fun," Fleur said, wrapping her arm around Daphne's waist. "We can 'ave fun wiz each ozzer, non?"

Smirking, Daphne pulled her onto the bed, their lips crashing together. As the other girls crawled onto the bed, Harry turned his attention back to Hestia and Flora. It only took a couple of minutes for the three of them to strip each other completely naked. With a grin, Harry pinned Hestia to the bed. Hooking her legs with his arms, he hoisted them up onto his shoulders and leaned forward, nearly folding her in half. Flora reached over and lined him up with Hestia's entrance. The twin under him gasped as he slowly sank into her depths, stretching her tight walls.

As Hestia moaned, Harry smiled and slid his hand over to one of her small but perky breasts. Squeezing her firm globe and tweaking her pink, puffy nipple, he eased into her until he bottomed out. Leaning down, he kissed her passionately, giving her a few moments to adjust to his size. Once he felt like she was ready, he pulled about halfway out before thrusting back in quickly.

Hestia gasped, her mouth hanging wide open as it turned into a low moan. Grinning and knowing about the twins' preferences, Harry started pulling his hips as far back as he could before slamming forward. Hestia's tiny frame was hammered into the mattress as his thighs collided loudly with her pert bum.

One of the things Harry loved about the twins – apart from the fact that they were twins – was just how tiny and light they were. It filled him with a primal excitement seeing Hestia's body jolt from his powerful thrusts.

Sitting back on his haunches, he lifted her easily from the bed and held her pinned to his chest, her calves dangling next to his ears. Hestia gasped at the sudden change, her eyes wide and sparkling with arousal. As the evidence of her excitement dripped down his shaft, Harry gripped her bum tightly, his fingers digging into her pale skin. Raising her up, paused before slamming her back down, impaling her on his considerable.

"Fuck!" Hesita screamed.

Harry manhandled her like a ragdoll, jerking her up and down on his throbbing length. Hestia's face scrunched up in agonized pleasure as she was tossed about. Her arms clutched at his shoulders, holding on for dear life.

"Harry!" Hestia whined.

Harry grinned as she shuddered violently, drenching his thrusting length as she came violently. Hestia jerked so hard that her legs slipped off of his shoulders. Wrapping his arms around her, he cradled her to his chest as she rode out her peak. It took several long seconds before she collapsed bonelessly against his chest. Smiling, Harry kissed her tenderly as he laid her back down on the bed.

As he sat up, Flora jumped into his lap, her arms and legs wrapping tightly around him. Her gaze was full of need as she rolled her hips, grinding her dripping folds against his rigid shaft. Gripping her hips, Harry lifted her up, placed himself at her entrance, and gently lowered her down. Flora wiggled impatiently, her legs tightening around his waist and sheathing him in her clutching depths.

"Oh, Morgana!" Flora gasped.

Chuckling, Harry ducked his head and took her puffy pink nipple between his lips. He spent a few moments kissing and nipping at her breasts as she slowly relaxed around him. When Flora started moving her hips, he lifted his head and kissed her lips. She rocked her hips in short, sharp movements, panting heavily as he kissed and sucked at her neck.

After she trembled her way through a small orgasm, Harry grabbed her hips and pushed her off of him. Moving her around until she was on her hands and knees, he slipped his tip back into her. He watched as her taut fold stretched to accommodate his girth and paused, caressing her bum. When she wiggled her hips impatiently, he smirked and slammed his hips forward. Flora cried out pleasurably even as her arms gave out under her. With a grin, Harry kissed her shoulder and laid on top of her, his weight flattening her against the mattress.

"So deep," Flora panted, her eyes closed.

Harry's stocky frame enveloped hers as he began hammering her into the bed with pounding thrusts. Flora gasped, her hands clawing at the sheets frantically while her mouth hung open. Each time his hips collided with her upturned bum, a small, high pitched grunt escaped her lips. With a low growl from the back of his throat, Harry picked up his pace as he felt his climax nearing.

Below him, Flora's body stiffened and trembled, her toes curling and uncurling as she gasped for breath. Sliding his hand under her body, he wrapped his hand around her throat. Just as she reached her peak, he tightened his grip, cutting off her breath. Flora's depths clamped onto his thrusting length, her entire body spasming wildly. Holding for a count of five, he relaxed his grip. She immediately sucked in a breath before screaming as a fountain of arousal drenched both of their bodies and the bed.

Flora thrashed under Harry as he continued driving into her. Loud, wet slaps echoed around the room as he chased his own peak. With one last deep thrust, he buried himself as deep as possible and erupted inside of her. Flora groaned from the feeling of her depths being flooded, small shivers running down her spine. Kissing her neck, Harry rolled to the side and collapsed on his back.

Almost immediately, Suzette's smiling face appeared over him as she straddled his hips.

"'Ave fun?" she asked with a smirk.

Harry grinned in response, his hands sliding up to cup her large, dangling breasts.

"We still 'ave to decide who's going to be your date for the first dance," Suzette smiled.

"Normally, I'd leave that up to you girls to figure out, but I did promise you a date with just the two of us that kind of got ruined," Harry said.

"I wouldn't say ruined," Suzette said, looking behind him.

Tilting his head back, Harry grinned. The girls were all smiling and taking turns kissing and caressing each other.

"It's amazing," Suzette said softly. "They're all so happy with you and each other. I've never felt anything like this."

Turning back to her, Harry smiled softly and caressed her cheek. Looking down, she smiled brightly and kissed him.

It was a few hours later that they finally left the Room of Requirement. The girls all headed to their dorms to get their dresses before heading to the Beauxbatons' carriage to get ready for the Ball. Meanwhile, Harry headed back to Gryffindor Tower. As he walked side by side with Hermione, several girls Harry had taken to the Ball smiled and waved when they passed in the halls. Unfortunately, the boys at the school weren't so happy to see him.

"I'm so glad I got my memories," Hermione smiled, taking his hand and interlacing their fingers.

"Me too," Harry said, squeezing her hand.

"How do you think Ron's going to react?" she asked nervously.

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm not sure," he said. "I guess we'll see."

Hermione nodded, and they continued in silence for a few seconds.

"I still can't believe you slept with Professor Sinistra," she whispered.

Harry laughed, "I wonder if she'll give me detention."

Hermione slapped his chest lightly as he wiggled his eyebrows. A short while later, they entered the common room. It was mostly filled with boys, the majority of the girls already getting ready for the Ball. Kissing Harry on the cheek, Hermione raced up the stairs to get her dress. Hearing a giggle, he turned to find Lavender and Parvati watching him from the couch.

"Hey, girls," he smiled.

"Hi, Harry," they said in unison.

"You two have dates for the Ball?" he asked.

"Looking for more girls to join your harem?" Lavender asked with a giggle.

Harry smiled and rolled his eyes.

"It's not a harem," he said. "And no. Not that I would mind either of you joining, but I was just curious."

"Sorry, Harry, but we want a man undivided attention," Parvati smiled.

"Not that we didn't enjoy our dates with you," Lavender grinned. "I'm going with Seamus, and Parvati is going with Ron."

"Really?" Harry asked in surprise.

"We had fun on that date you set us up on," Parvati shrugged.

"Well, I hope you have fun on this one, too," Harry smiled.

Smiling, he straightened up and headed up to his dorm. Opening the door, he spotted Ron on his bed, cursing as he tried to fix his robes. Harry froze as Ron turned to look at him, nervous about his reaction.

"Oh, hey," Ron said quietly.

"Hey," Harry replied.

"So, uh, how long were you…?" Ron asked, trailing off lamely.

"Four or five years," Harry said. "I kinda lost track of time towards the end."

"Whoa," Ron blinked. "That's… now wonder you're so much better with girls."

Harry laughed.

"Five years of Yule Balls will do that," Harry smiled.

"You know, I have all these memories of you going to the Ball with girls like Lavender, and Daphne, and Fleur and I felt so jealous at the time. Now, I get it. But how'd you get all of them together?"

Harry shrugged, "No idea, mate. It just sort of happened. I think Suzette had a lot to do with it."

"Suzette?" Ron asked curiously.

"She's a Legilimens," Harry explained.

Ron's eyes went wide.

"Bloody hell!" he gasped. "She can read minds!"

"I thought the same thing when she first told me," Harry smiled. "She helped me a lot, though. For the first couple of years, she was really the only person I could talk to about what was happening."

Ron nodded, and they both fell silent. Taking out his wand, Harry waved it, silently transfiguring the redhead's robes into something much more modern.

"Brilliant," Ron grinned. "Thanks, mate."

"No problem," Harry smiled. "So, you and Parvati?"

Ron blushed, "I had to ask someone before you took all the good ones."

Laughing, they shared a smile as Harry went to his trunk and dug out his dress robes.

"Hey, Harry," Cedric said, greeting him brightly.

"Hey, Cedric," Harry said, smiling when Cho met his eyes and blushed.

"Glad to have everything back to normal?" he asked.

"I'll let you know tomorrow," Harry smiled.

"I'd imagine you're quite tired of going to Balls by now," Cedric said.

"You have no idea," Harry said.

"So, who'd you decide to take to the Ball?" Cho asked.

Before Harry could answer, the doors to the Entrance Hall creaked open. Turning, he smiled at the sight of his dates making their way over to him.

"You all look amazing," he smiled.

Beaming, they took turns kissing him on the cheek. Suzette went last, linking her arm through his. Smiling, he turned to Cho.

"All of them," he grinned.

"Ladies, it's time to take your seats," Professor McGonagall said, striding over. "Ms. Delacour, where is your date?"

"Right here, professor," Hermione said shyly.

"Very well," McGonagall said, the corners of her lips tilting up. "If you could line up by the doors, I'll call you when it's time."

"Are you looking forward to one last Ball?" Suzette asked.

"I'm looking forward to after zhe Ball," Fleur grinned.

Hermione blushed as the other Champions and their dates turned to look at them.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow," Harry said.

Smiling softly, Suzette hugged his arm and kissed his cheek.

"It will come, mon amour," she said softly.

"And if it doesn't, we will be zhere for you," Fleur promised.

"Yes, we will," Hermione nodded.

Harry smiled gratefully. A moment later, the door to the Great Hall opened.

Harry woke in his bed, staring at the familiar canopy. Sitting up, he quickly stepped into his slippers and ran down to the common room. Heart racing, he looked around and spotted Hermione on the couch in front of the fire, a book in her lap.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled. "Please tell me it worked."

"Sorry, do I know you?" Hermione asked, her brow furrowed as she stared at him.

Harry felt his heart plummet into his stomach like a lead weight.

"Are you new here?" she asked.

Suddenly, Harry's eyes snapped open, cold sweat dripping down his neck. Blinking as his eyes adjusted to the darkness surrounding him, he tried to sit up, only to find two warm, soft weights resting on his shoulders. Looking down, he blinked at the blonde head of hair on his left and the brunette on his right. Recognizing Suzette and Hermione, he laid back and relaxed.

"'Arry?" Suzette asked softly.

Lifting her head, she looked at him and blinked. A compassionate look came over her face as she read his thoughts.

"It was just a nightmare," Harry told her.

Caressing his cheek, she kissed him on the lips and reached under his pillow. Pulling out his wand, she held it up.

"Do you want to check?" she asked.

Hesitantly, Harry took his wand and rolled it between his fingers. With a flick, the time hovered in the air in glowing gold numbers.

6:13

Closing his eyes, Harry let out an explosive breath as Suzette held him tightly. As he blinked his eyes open, tears of relief streaked down his temple.

"It's over."