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Dragon Concubine

Chapter Six

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Triwizard Tournament: Friendly Competition or Barbaric Bloodsport?

Readers, we at the Prophet are sure many of you were listening live to the Triwizard Tournament's First task yesterday. You were probably expecting entertainment, like the Quidditch matches the Wizarding Wireless often broadcasts, perhaps with a little more danger. But instead of a friendly competition between Europe's three primary magical schools Magical Britain was treated to a horror show as the first competitor, Fleur Delacour, was rushed from the stadium with horrific burns that may leave her permanently scarred due to the nature of a dragon's magical flames. The second competitor, Victor Krum, fought his dragon tooth and nail and barely succeeded before he was rushed off to treat the dragon's venom along with a multitude of lesser injuries. But both those injuries, horrific as they were, were nothing compared to the fate waiting for Hogwarts' Cedric Diggory. Cedric, an easy choice for prefect, is easily one of Hogwarts' most well-liked students and yesterday the organizers of the Triwizard Tournament put forth their best effort to kill him. Cedric was badly burned and lost three limbs; he would certainly have lost his life if not for the direct intervention of Rubeus Hagrid who bravely risked not only his magic, but his very life to rescue Cedric from certain death. It is still unclear whether or not Hagrid will survive or if the Goblet of Fire will claim his life and magic for rescuing Cedric.

Why did this happen? Originally, the First Task called for students to steal a false egg from a brooding dragon but the contracted dragon sanctuary was unable to spare the nesting mothers due to an unfortunate disease outbreak. Instead of stealing an egg from a notoriously dangerous and possessive creature, the Tournament Committee made the decision to make the task even more difficult by throwing students against dragons even more dangerous than nesting mothers; they used newly adult females ensorcelled to view the false egg as their own. You see, readers, when a dragon mates and rears her first clutch, her mood calms considerably and she becomes predictable. A nesting mother, for example, would not abandon the rest of her clutch to chase a human fleeing with a single egg.

With a more dangerous task the fact that four different species of dragons were used brings up questions of fairness. Miss Delacour faced an Antipodean Opaleye, heralded across the world as the calmest species of dragons. Mister Krum faced a Peruvian Vipertooth, the world's smallest dragon but admittedly one more dangerous than its size would suggest thanks to its speed, venom, and cunning. And Cedric? He faced a Hebridean Black, the most fearsome dragon native to Britain; an animal respected by dragon handlers across the world. While the Hebridean Black is neither the largest, nor the fastest, nor even the dragon with the hottest flames it ranks highly in all aspects of danger: Combined, it is a dragon no sanctuary ever allows inexperienced handlers to interact with.

So with a greater danger than the previous champions, it is understandable that Cedric was wounded so gravely. Even so, Cedric's performance calls into question the academic standards at Hogwarts. After all, Cedric was the only champion to fail his task. We call on concerned parents, citizens, and the Ministry to investigate the quality of education, or lack thereof, at Hogwarts. After all, Harry Potter, the only student to complete the task with a flawless victory, certainly did not learn his strategy in class or look up the spells he used in the school's library. The Daily Prophet is still investigating the spells our youngest champion used during his task but it is not hyperbole to state that if Harry Potter had stuck to the spells he learned in class, Britain would be mourning the loss of the Boy-Who-Lived today.

But wait, dear readers. I am sure you have noticed that I have not mentioned Mr. Potter's attempt. Mr. Potter, who is only fourteen, did not receive the safest dragon, or even a dragon of average danger, but was instead thrown to a far more fearsome beast. After extensive research the Prophet has learned that natural hybrids are only conceived when a male dragon of rare power kills or runs off all the other males in an area and breeds the females of not only his own species but all within his reach. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, was thrown into the arena yesterday against a hybrid between a Hungarian Horntail, known all over the world as the most dangerous breed of dragon and a Romanian Longhorn; a breed prized for their nearly indestructible horns and claws.

Before we describe Mr. Potter's victory please remember that, according to the DMLE, Mr. Potter was entered into the Triwizard against his will and given the choice to compete for his life or suffer an agonizing death as the Goblet of Fire stole his very magic. With that clear, it is obvious that Mr. Potter learned of the task ahead of time, like both of the foreign students. In his case, due to the stress of not only the tournament but the constant scorn of the student body, scorn that the Professors seem to have actively encouraged, Mr. Potter took to the air on his broom racing through the air for the freedom and joy flight brings him. As he flew he noticed smoke rising from the forest surrounding Hogwarts and investigated. After seeing the dragons for himself Harry returned to the school and began preparing. His sense of fair play compelled him to send a message to Mr. Diggory, a message that apparently never arrived. We at the Prophet are given to understand that at least some of Mr. Potter's preparations involved studying a series of foreign spell books purchased from Patil Imports in Diagon. While it is disheartening that Mr. Potter was forced to rely on foreign magic, we at the Prophet are glad that he did so. Given the danger the fourth-year student faced, we prefer our national hero alive and well even at the cost of relying on unknown magic instead of the certain death had he relied on a lackluster Hogwarts education. Once again we at the Prophet feel concerned about the apparent lack of quality instruction at Hogwarts.

As for Mr. Potter's performance? Faced with almost certain death as a fourth-year with only four years of sub-par instruction he was forced to rely on unsavory magic. Indeed, while the Prophet is seeking a translator, we remain in the dark because most of Mr. Potter's spells were cast in Parseltongue. But readers! What spells they were! Mr. Potter's opening magic was the simple use of Parseltongue to gift his opponent the spark of intelligence. Madness, you say? Indeed, it seems mad for the boy to make a terribly dangerous creature even more dangerous. After being gifted with intelligence, the dragon responded to young Mr. Potter's Parseltongue in an unknown language we have chosen to call Draconic. You read that right, though we do not what was said Mr. Potter's dragon spoke to him as they faced off. (Rest assured, we will provide a translation as soon as we can!) But madness or not, Mr. Potter's plan worked. What followed was a dizzying display of transfiguration and enchantment where young Harry Potter split his attention between transfiguring Naga and Lamia to stall the dragon while feverishly casting an unknown spell onto the ground behind him. His efforts bought him time and a careful review of pensieve memories reveal Mr. Potter layered this unknown spell forty-nine times. (As a reminder, seven is a powerfully magical number, but seven-times-seven is more powerful still.)

But he was still faced with the problem of forcing an intelligent dragon into a trap. With few options, Mr. Potter transfigured a life-size replica of an ancient basilisk under his feet, used the massive snake to leap onto his dragon, then proceeded to charm the dragon into a relaxed stupor. (Magi-zooologists state that the transfiguration was a perfect replica, and the fact that Mr. Potter has seen such a creature and lived only brings up more questions for Headmaster Dumbledore.) When she broke free, used himself as bait while his serpent moved into position to ram the dragon into the area he spent so much effort preparing. With his trap sprung a wave of his wand trapped the dragon, revealing a surprisingly efficient strategy. With this, Harry Potter won. With no injuries save exhaustion, Harry Potter surpassed his older peers and dominated his dragon.

But whether, as we suspect, Mr. Potter had already begun a ritual and was forced to see it through to completion or if the young man simply felt the need to further debase and conquer the mighty beast before him, he was not finished with his dragon. In a Great Work of Magic greater in scope than any in the last century Mr. Potter proved himself a teenager of great skill and drive. How did he do this? With his dragon secured and submissive, Mr. Potter split a box of prepared potions with his conquest, and then focused. Over the next ten minutes, his hands trailed over the dragon, and she changed. By the time he was done where once had stood a fearsome beast now knelt a beautiful young woman, though one who retained some features of her former form. Mr. Potter, without losing skin contact, (which leads us to believe that he was using ritual magic) then proceeded to fornicate with his creation, binding her to his service.

Given the potions both took earlier, the next generation of the Potter family was doubtlessly conceived before an audience that day. While some will scoff at one of Britain's most respected family lines adding the blood of a magical creature, given the tragedy of Mr. Potter's life it is entirely understandable that he would choose a woman based on personal power instead of lineage. And make no mistake: Despite her defeat Mr. Potter's new companion and the new life they sparked together will both be powerful; the child especially, because with his performance Mr. Potter has proven himself as the most powerful wizard of his generation.

After completing the reproductive act Mr. Potter finally broke skin contact and rose, binding his new companion, collecting his golden egg, and walking to the medical tent. As he left, Mr. Potter announced his intention to leave Hogwarts for a few days to rest; undoubtedly, he will also spend the time instructing his new companion. We at the Prophet hope he takes all the time he needs to ensure his new companion can integrate smoothly into our society. After he left the arena behind unconcerned with his score, he vanished from the school after a short visit with the assembled healers. It may be a good thing that Mr. Potter was not overly concerned about the judge's scores because despite being the only student capable of walking to the medical tent all four judges deemed Mr. Potter's efforts worthy of no points at all. In fact, this decision led to a riot yesterday evening; protesters stormed Hogwarts' grounds, infuriated at the blatantly unfair scoring and deeply troubled by the rumors of just what dangers the students of Hogwarts have endured in recent years.

This unrest is only the tip of the iceberg, however. In our research, the Prophet has uncovered disturbing information regarding Mr. Potter's treatment. We will be sharing those stories as the facts reveal themselves. For now, please turn to page three for an in-depth breakdown of the First task, page five for the latest fallout of Professor Severus Snape assaulting Mr. Potter with an unknown, and likely self-invented, torture curse, page seven for an in-depth analysis of the champion's injuries, or page ten for a reprinting of an intercepted letter where the Head of the dragon sanctuary that provided the dragons for the First Task begs the organizers to reconsider their choice.

As always, thank you for reading and remember that the Daily Prophet is your best source for honest, reliable reporting. Keep your eyes peeled readers, we're going to be burning the midnight oil as we uncover the truth!

(*-*)

Harry's eyes blinked open slowly and he let out a groan. Hermione and Aurelia were pressed against him on one of the leather couches in his tent's living room and the three of them were completely naked. Harry groaned again as his bladder insisted he get up so he began trying to extricate himself, waking his companions in the process. Fifteen minutes later Aurelia and Hermione joined him in the tent's kitchen, still naked as he was as he reached into the 'icebox' (honestly, it was just a big cupboard with stasis and preservation charms on it) and started putting food onto the table. He knew he ought to insist they get clean before eating, but after the… frenzy, it didn't make much difference. Despite how sticky the three of them were, there was hardly a surface in the tent that wasn't nearly as bad. He knew he'd worked up an appetite and he was sure the girls had as well. As his golden one walked into the kitchen with a predator's swagger his eyes were drawn to her hips and he blushed as he remembered how much Aurelia enjoyed riding him. Then he cursed as his bruised manhood tried to rise to the occasion. Quickly pushing a pile of meat dishes from a variety of muggle take-out restaurants in front of his second concubine, Harry flipped open a meat-lover's pizza under a preservation spell for Hermione and him to start with. "That was a lot of fun, yesterday, last night, and this morning but I hope you girls aren't as sore as I am."

Hermione paused between ravenous bites while Aurelia let out a quiet growl as she tore into a full rack of barbecue ribs. "We're probably worse. I hope you don't expect anything for a while…"

Harry shook his head and replied as soon as he swallowed his mouthful. "No, nothing until we're all healed. I want you two to tell me if I start something and you're still hurting." For a few minutes the room was silent save for the sounds of three people eating, though Aurelia's jaw crunching bones as she ate caught their attention. "What time is it, anyway?"

Hermione glanced around, at one point heading back into the living room to consult the clock. "Unless we've changed timezones it's four-thirty. I could use more sleep, but I can wait until tonight."

Harry let out a loud yawn. "I just want to go back to sleep too, but we should at least check on Sirius. Food and a shower first."

Hermione chuckled and then blushed crimson from her face to her belly button when her stomach growled loudly. Harry simply pushed a takeout box of fried rice in front of her. Eventually the three were satisfied and Harry ushered them into the opulent master bedroom's shower. He and Hermione washed themselves, gingerly cleaning their intimate areas before they showed Aurelia how to clean herself. Though she hadn't spoken since the ritual, Aurelia was clearly intelligent, quickly grasping the how of hygiene if possibly not the why. Harry spoke up as they dried off, Aurelia seated between him and Hermione on the edge of the bathtub. "I think you can understand us just fine, Aurelia." In response, the concubine in question pressed herself against him, grabbing him in a hug while her tail gripped Hermione. "Try to speak when you're ready, there's no rush."

Harry couldn't help but smile as they made their way from the bathroom to the master bedroom. Aurelia's desire for physical contact, the sheer cudliness of the dragon was endearing. Despite the lack of vocal communication she was obviously intelligent and understood their words, she simply hadn't grasped the mechanics of speaking in her new shape. After rooting through the bedroom's drawers, Harry laughed for a moment as he watched Hermione slip into a bikini under a light floral shirt and skirt before helping Aurelia into the same. "When Sirius outfitted the tent, he really spared no expense. Do those clothes fit?"

Hermione turned to watch Harry don a pair of board-shorts and a shirt as she tossed a pair of sandals his way. "All the clothes are self adjusting, Sirius must have spent a fortune on them. I know I used most of my spare galleons just buying a few pairs of self-adjusting bras last summer. They were worth the cost even if I had to offer some tutoring to pay for them."

Harry was distracted as he watched Aurelia shifting her shirt, either confused by the fabric or trying to get a little more comfortable. After a moment he shook his head and left the room, calling over his shoulder. "I'm going to let Tonks know we're ready for our physicals. Can you bring Aurelia down when she's ready?"

Twenty minutes later Harry was sitting on a transfigured bench outside the tent with Andromeda Tonks casting a series of diagnostic charms. Hermione and Aurelia were standing nearby with Sirius and a creature that looked like a black panther-themed Centaur. When the new creature noticed his attention it turned to him and waved before turning back to his conversation as Sirius replied to Hermione. "I met them when I stayed here after Peter escaped. Turns out a long time ago my family created creatures like Daniel here and others, and they're why the Blacks never died out like a lot of other really old families."

Daniel, the cat-creature, replied. "Yeah, don't ask how we were created, but there's been at least three or four tribes here on the island for centuries. Most of the time we don't show ourselves to visitors, we just maintain the defenses and expanded spaces. There's only a few spots on the island where arrivals can land safely and when people visit we just hide the expanded caverns under the isle. In the last thousand years, the Black family has 'died out' five times and we've fulfilled our purpose. When the last Black out in the world dies we set sail and find a few magicals to recruit and seduce.

"Two or three generations of reproducing with witches and wizards and my children will look like humans with interesting animagus forms. Alpha tribe are just one generation from being able to pass for human, while Delta, my tribe, mostly look like this. Those children just return to the magical world as a 'bastard bloodline' and take control of the family's wealth and properties, then send back books, supplies, and all the latest knowledge from both the magical and non-magical world. Then they simply don't tell their children about us and life goes on. I probably wouldn't have even spoken to Sirius when he fled here but Beta and Gamma tribes both need fresh blood, the family lines are getting too close."

Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "I already hired some muggleborn who couldn't find jobs in the magical world to recruit people to settle here on the island and in the mansions in the caves. They don't know who their employer is, only that they're ensuring the survival of a near-human species." He let out a long sigh. "I wouldn't mention this in front of you, but everyone here is a Black by blood or marriage."

Daniel nodded. "This is a family secret. You can't tell anyone outside the family without an unbreakable oath or they'll need to become a permanent resident on the island. I'm sure you've seen some of the bias against non-human magicals."

Harry nodded as Andromeda finished her diagnostics and gave the healer his full attention. "You are recovering well, but I am concerned about some of your readings, your body temperature and your famous scar in particular."

Harry thought for a moment. "My scar feels… better than before and my magic feels… cleaner and stronger than before the ritual. It also feels hotter than before."

Nymphadora spoke up. "Harry, during the task when you, ah, finished inside your dragon and set off that big surge of magic your scar leaked some black smoke. I have no idea what that was, but…"

Andromeda spoke next. "Given that you feel cleaner, I believe the magic of the ritual destabilized the dark magic in your scar and ejected it. Harry, I've taken the next month off and I will be here for my vacation so you will come to me immediately if you have any problems, understand?"

Harry nodded, and the healer continued. "Other than that, you are surprisingly healthy. Your magic will continue to grow stronger over the next week or two as the threads of magic from your recent ritual integrates with yours. I expect you to hit a growth spurt as this happens so I will be prescribing a nutritional supplement and a week of eye-strengthening potions. By Christmas I doubt you will still need your glasses."

Harry jumped up and hugged the middle-aged woman who laughed and returned the hug. She continued after pulling away. "Now, I want you to avoid using magic for two more days and any strenuous spells for three days after that. And if you feel anything strange let me know immediately, understood?"

At Harry's nod she dismissed him and began running diagnostic spells over Hermione and Aurelia. By now, everyone in the group was fairly certain that Aurelia's new shape was stable, at least to the point that diagnostic charms wouldn't turn her back into a dragon. After a few long minutes, Andromeda stepped back from the two young women and let out a sigh, erecting a privacy ward with only the three teenagers inside before speaking. "Like Harry, you both have threads of his magic inside you so I expect your own magic will grow stronger over time, but probably not as much or as fast as his will. Also... Congratulations. Both of you are perfectly healthy mothers-to-be. Hermione, you should have the standard nine-month pregnancy but I have no idea how long Aurelia's will be. Because of your ages I will be putting both of you on the full brace of pregnancy potions which include nutritional supplements and others that will help ensure a safe pregnancy and easy delivery. You should also see a Healer every month to start, changing to weekly as you approach delivery."

The healer stepped back as Harry swept both girls into his arms and swung them around several times. A soft smile graced her face as the teens thanked her for her efforts and she took in the sheer joy on their faces. This reminds me of how Ted reacted when I told him I was expecting Dora. These three… they're young, but I think they'll be all right. Andromeda was quiet for a moment while she took in the atmosphere of joy surrounding the teens and her cousin. Eventually she brought up a less happy topic. "You need to be careful about what healers you trust. A lot of Britain doesn't like 'creatures' and there's enough blood purists that would be happy to slip poison into their potions for the insult of the 'boy-who-lived' choosing a creature and muggleborn over a pureblood. I am a general healer, I never specialized in pregnancy or childcare but unless something goes extraordinarily wrong and a specialist is needed I am both willing and able to be your family healer."

Daniel spoke up. "As long as you are here, my tribe's healers are at your call as well. We might not have the latest spells and potions from the outside world but our healers do have experience with part-human pregnancies; not to mention the vast collection of spells and potions we've either preserved or invented ourselves over the centuries." He gave Andromeda a smile. "I'm sure our healers would love to swap notes with you while you're here Andromeda."

As Andromeda and Nymphadora spoke with Daniel, Sirius guided Harry and his concubines back to the beach along the same path they'd walked yesterday. Soon they were back on the beach and Sirius waved his wand, conjuring beach towels. He spoke up as the group sat down, watching the ocean and taking in the pristine water and sand. "I don't know how the magical world is going to take your work yesterday Harry, but I want you to know I'm proud of you and I know your parents would be proud too."

Hermione, who was leaning into Harry's right side while Aurelia was leaning into his left, scoffed. "Really? Even the part about humping a dragon into submission?"

Sirius chuckled fondly, turning to look out at the ocean as he replied. "Oh, Lily would be exasperated for certain but she'd still be proud of the cunning, skill, and power Harry demonstrated. If people aren't calling him the greatest wizard of his generation by the end of the week I'll burn down the Prophet's office myself."

Harry chuckled. "No need for arson just yet. At least until we see how they cover the task. How do we get news of the outside world here?"

Sirius drew his wand and flicked it, summoning tropical fruit from the jungle; after biting into a mango he replied. "Once Remus is sure he isn't being followed I'll send him a portkey. Daniel and his people will need to hide while he's here, but I bought Remus subscriptions to a bunch of different papers to bring with him so he'll probably be visiting once a week or so." Sirius snapped his fingers. "That reminds me. I need to get your owl an enchanted band for her leg so she can leave the wards. And another one that works as a Portkey, so she doesn't have to fly the whole way."

Hermione let out a groan. "I need to tell my parents that I'm…" She glanced at Sirius furtively before she continued. "married."

Sirius chuckled, turning away from the view of the water lapping at pristine sand to give Hermione a knowing grin. "It's a good idea to keep it quiet Hermione, but you don't have to pretend with me. I already know, and if it means anything coming from me, thank you for helping Harry practice for his big ritual. I looked through that book before sending it on and I might be able to pull off the concubine rituals, but doing it at the same time as the other magic he used on Aurelia? Beyond my ability. Harry might have managed his spellwork during the task without practice, but it would have been even more difficult." Seeing Harry was quiet, Sirius reached over and gripped his shoulder. "You did good kid. If nothing else you proved your mettle and got two companions for life out of it. Treat them well and they'll make your life worth living."

The group went quiet for a long time after that. Harry saw the tears nestling at the edges of Sirius' eyes and chose not to bring it up. After all, Sirius had survived a war that a lot of others hadn't and he didn't want to reopen old wounds.

(*-*)

Dan Granger snorted in amusement as he set the morning Prophet down and took a sip of the tea his wife had brewed while he warmed up the leftovers the couple was having for dinner. Absently he picked up a scrap of teriyaki beef and offered it to Hedwig, the owl that always delivered Hermione's letters. As the owl let out a soft hoot of contentment at the new flavor Dan turned to his wife who had just looked up from Hermione's latest letter. "Our daughter never mentioned her best friend was a bard. Suddenly I fear for Hermione's virtue."

Emma let out a soft laugh and shook her head. "Hermione always said that magic doesn't work like it does in our old college hobby but I think Harry just proved that magic works however you want it to if you're clever and creative."

With that, she slid the latest letter over to Dan and let him read while she read the Prophet. After a while, he groaned and leaned back into his chair. "Damn, that boy is definitely a bard. I can't believe Hermione eloped with him."

Emma took a sip of tea and sighed. "I can. She's been nursing a crush on him for a while, whether she wanted to admit it or not. We both know how much she talks about him; it was honestly a matter of time before something like this happened. Dan, Hermione wrote that she'd eloped and was now Hermione Potter three times, do you think she's…"

Dan's voice dropped to a growl. "Probably. At least he's taken responsibility. I have no idea how that damn school doesn't have half the older girls pregnant with so few adults keeping order."

Emma shrugged. "Magical contraceptives are apparently very effective, which means…"

Dan's head sunk onto the table. "Which means that Hermione probably chose to get pregnant." Rising, he gave his wife a teasing glare. "Your daughter was always so competitive, she obviously refused to let the new girl push her away from the boy she likes."

Emma shook her head. "Our daughter simply made a decision and charged ahead, consequences be damned. We both know that the magical society works differently than ours and I know you caught the article's mention of Harry pulling off a 'great work of magic' and the way it gushed at how he outperformed the other students despite being younger. With the way the magical world caters to the powerful…"

"Harry made himself a target for every girl in that castle. Poor boy, he's always been so shy when we've seen him ourselves and Hermione described him as someone who doesn't like attention."

After a few moments of thought where Dan read through Hermione's letter again, Emma spoke up. "So, she invited us on a holiday vacation but wouldn't say where…"

Dan replied as he glanced at the snowy owl on the perch he'd bought from a pet shop after the first time Hedwig delivered a letter and waited around for a response. "Well, owls aren't exactly the most secure way to communicate…" He was interrupted by Hedwig letting out an indignant hoot and glaring at him with enough ire to make him shift uncomfortably. "I'm sure you're the most secure of all post-owls Hedwig, but a lucky wizard could still bring you down and steal your mail. So Hermione is probably shacked up with her new husband somewhere secure and she wants us to come visit. Probably wants to let us know we're going to be grandparents gently."

Emma sighed. "And properly introduce us to her husband and his new companion, with the only clue of where we're going is 'somewhere warmer than Britain.'"

Another silence stretched as the two dentists picked at their meal, the latest news from the magical world dulling their appetites. There was a lot to unpack and neither was quite sure how to feel yet; it felt like Hermione had been drifting away from them since she received her first Hogwarts Letter. Both knew she had been growing up but even the possibility that their little girl might be pregnant was shocking. Eventually Emma spoke up as a thought struck her. "Dan, you can not be the outraged father when we arrive. Not only is Harry obviously powerful enough not to fear you, but he's got a dragon he's attempting to civilize. Even if he takes your shouting and ranting in good humor, she might not."

Dan let out a long sigh, defeat in his posture. "I'll do my best. It helps that we both know Hermione is headstrong enough that Harry could never have seduced or married her if it wasn't her idea in the first place. I hope that boy can support her."

Emma smiled at her husband. "Somehow I doubt that will be a problem. If Harry is powerful enough to turn a dragon into a beautiful young woman, what else do you think he can pull off? It wouldn't surprise me if he could just drill a hole in the ocean floor and pull up lava to build his own island."

Dan chuckled. "I suppose when you have that kind of power, mundane concerns about rent or utilities just don't register. Still, he'd best treat her well or else."

(*-*)

Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic for Great Britain, let his shoulders droop and his face fall as he flopped into a chair in Madam Bones' office. One of his eyebrows rose when, instead of speaking, she handed him a glass of Firewhiskey. "That bad?"

Madam Bones seemed to melt into her chair as she sipped at her own glass. "That bad. I'll start with the Black Case. Sirius never had a trial, Crouch simply threw Black into Azkaban after finding him mid-breakdown in that alley where a dozen muggles died."

Cornelius paused mid-sip. "You mean where a dozen muggles and Pettigrew died. Right, Amelia?"

Both civil servants ignored the pleading whine in the Minister's tone. "No, I'm afraid not. I interviewed Remus Lupin yesterday after the First Task and he allowed me to view his memories in a pensieve and copy them. Peter Pettigrew is alive, a rat animagus, and the man who betrayed the Potters to Voldemort." She waved off Cornelius' objections. "I know memories aren't admissible as evidence, but the memory Lupin gave is an exact match for the one donated by Arthur Weasley's youngest son where they overlap. I intend to request memories from Mr. Potter and Miss Granger when they return to Hogwarts, at the moment they are in a secure, secluded location so Mr. Potter can rest and relax."

Cornelius let out a long breath as he considered what to do next. "So Pettigrew is alive and a loyal Death Eater? My word. What a scandal. What about Crouch?"

Amelia replied quickly. "As much of a scandal as this is now, I still believe dragging it into the light is the best choice. If we allow it to fester, things will simply get worse. The truth is that Pettigrew is free and we cannot allow a Death Eater with such a common and useful animagus form to run wild. The damage he could do…"

The Minister shuddered. "A rat with intelligence could get into any building, I don't even know of any wards that would stop them. He could slip potions or poison anywhere or simply murder whoever he wanted to with his wand while they slept. Is that why Black chose to hunt him down instead of relying on the Aurors?"

Amelia shrugged. "Possibly. But James Potter was his brother in all but blood. When Sirius ran away from home the Potters welcomed him into theirs; Sirius was probably motivated by a mix of practicality and revenge." After a pause where she sipped her drink, the head of the DMLE continued. "I ordered Crouch arrested and questioned but there's already more bad news. Crouch's home had a hidden room and ample evidence that someone had been kept there for a very long time… And Crouch is under the Imperious Curse; we won't get anything useful out of him until the spell fades."

Cornelius groaned. "Wonderful. I leave this whole mess in your hands, Amelia. Uncover the truth and prosecute everyone involved to the full extent of the law; when I speak to the press I'm going to present the Ministry as writing old wrongs and striving for justice and the rule of law. What else?"

Amelia finished the last half of her drink in one swallow and poured another one. "There are some problems regarding Mr. Potter. For example, during the task he created a perfect replica of an ancient Basilisk, as if he had seen one with his own eyes. His bodyguard will be questioning him about that as time allows but between the need for him to work those virility potions out of his system and healer mandated rest… Changing topics, Severus Snape is still languishing in his cell and I intend to see him in Azkaban as soon as we can compel honest testimony from him. For now, a combination of potion residue and his mastery of the mind arts are complicating his interrogation. What bothers me the most about that man is that he sees nothing wrong with his behavior and obviously hates children in general and Mr. Potter in particular. Dumbledore must have gone barmy, letting him step foot into a school."

The Minister shook his head. "Dumbledore has much to answer for already. The fool was one of the people pushing for re-establishing the Triwizard even if he wasn't involved in planning the tasks. Then after pushing for it he immediately makes the entire competition a joke when he and the other judges scored Mr. Potter a zero for transforming a dragon into a woman! A Zero! For a Merlin-Damned Great Work of Magic! And he's made a joke out of his own school: Cedric was the only champion to fail and there's no way a Hogwarts education had anything to do with Mr. Potter's success."

Amelia actually snorted at that. "Indeed, if they were teaching that, every male student would have a 'companion' by their sixth year. Have you considered what to do about Mr. Potter's 'companion?'" At the Minister's confused look, she continued. "As a non-human, she is not legally allowed a wand, nor can she attend or reside in Hogwarts castle. Given Mr. Potter's treatment by the staff and fellow students…"

Cornelius let out a defeated groan. "If he has to choose, Potter will simply leave Britain and attend school in a country where his dragon would be accepted. Damn it. Delores will throw a fit, but I have no choice. When I get back to my office I will write out a decree declaring Potter's pet a full citizen of Magical Britain with all the rights and privileges of any witch, assuming that she isn't some crazed, half feral animal."

Amelia locked eyes with Cornelius. "Do you think she is a simple animal?"

After shaking his head, he replied. "No, based on her reported behavior in the medical tent I believe Potter got exactly what he wanted; a docile, submissive servant. Perhaps a fully sapient companion, perhaps a beautiful and dangerous house elf. In any case Amelia, please investigate every part of Mr. Potter's life. Especially the parts that Dumbledore wants to keep quiet."

Amelia nodded as a flick of her wand cleaned the glasses and returned them to her cabinet. "I already intend to. That situation with Snape… There have been complaints about him for years, about his temperament and his teaching ability. While the man is certainly a brilliant brewer, his ability to actually impart knowledge is… lacking. The fact that Dumbledore has kept him employed despite all the complaints calls into question his judgment. My department will uncover the truth and act accordingly."

Cornelius rose. "Thank you for keeping me informed, Amelia. I need to meet with the Tournament Committee and convince them to find a way to change Mr. Potter's score. We've already had one riot about that bit of blatant unfairness, and if something doesn't change the next riot will be bigger and it will be here. Britain doesn't care about the public indecency that Potter concealed from the younger students, they care that the Tournament's underdog pulled off a flawless victory and was punished for not ending up like Mr. Diggory, who received fives from all judges in spite of failing the task and nearly dying." He paused. "That reminds me. Is Hagrid…"

A smile graced Amelia's face. "He's alive and healthy as far as we can tell. Whatever rules govern the Tournament, they apparently decided that rescuing Cedric from death did not count as interfering with the Tournament."

As he made his way to the door, Cornelius returned Amelia's smile. "At least there's some good news, Hagrid's death would have been a tragedy. He's a very brave man, halfbreed or not."

With that, Cornelius Fudge left and made his way through the Ministry, mind wheeling with the best way to navigate the current political mess and turn it to his advantage. I might need to fire my under-secretary, her hatred of non-humans just became a liability. Unfortunately she's built up so much blackmail that any action against her would be messy. Still, if it's a choice between keeping Dolores happy or becoming the Minister who ran the Boy-Who-Lived-to-Fuck-a-Dragon-Into-Submission out of Britain, or worse, turning the national hero into the next Dark Lord by threatening his new pet and their child, there's only one choice to be made. And not just because if Potter decides to topple the government I will be his first target. I'll just have to do this carefully. With a little luck I won't get torn apart by the press or eaten by Potter's dragon.

(*-*)

That night Harry enjoyed a meal on the beach with the rest of the group. Even Daniel was present, apparently he'd brought Sirius a pig earlier and set it to cooking in a pit wrapped in leaves and sweet tropical fruit. Between the main course of slow-roasted pork, some fluffy sweet rolls, and a side of caramelized yams baked with pineapple there was more delicious food than anyone could eat. Hermione had been depressed and stressed ever since she sent her letter home, so halfway through the meal Harry simply lifted her into his lap and pulled her hands behind her back, slowly feeding her dinner. Aurelia hadn't known what was wrong, but smiled and nestled her head between the two teens, happy to accept pieces of meat from Harry's hand as well. Seeing Hermione slowly relax and enjoy the intimacy was enough to paste a wide smile on Harry's face.

Shifting in his transfigured chair, Harry spoke up. "Sirius, can we use magic here? I'm not saying my tent needs a few cleaning charms, but…"

Their host laughed and replied. "It could use a few cleaning charms? Technically we're not part of any other country here so you can use as much magic as you want. Just follow Andromeda's instructions."

Harry nodded. He looked around from the bonfire that was illuminating the night, to the collection of really good food, to the friendly faces all around. "I'm… kind of tempted to just stay here instead of heading back to Hogwarts in a few days. I mean, I still need to prepare for the tournament and classes were more in the way than anything else. If nothing else, I can keep busy till Christmas just learning from the books I've picked up recently."

Sirius had a wide smile on his face while 'Dora,' who had agreed to the shortened name since her mother would be staying on the island at least through Christmas, replied. "It would certainly be easier to keep you safe here, assuming we don't have sea monsters or unfriendly creatures lurking in the night. And as much as Hogwarts has a special place in all our hearts…"

Andromeda continued her daughter's thought. "It is a drafty castle in Scotland; I still remember having to put on my coat before getting out of bed in the morning. We might as well all enjoy our little tropical paradise here. We might be stuck living in tents for now but the main house's foundation is still strong. It won't be too much work to rebuild, we have all the lumber we'll ever need, after all. I think the library is intact, when water breached the house it triggered a hidden ward and sealed the room, so we have the construction spells we need and plenty of study material. Between myself, Dora, and Sirius, not to mention whatever tutors the tribes might be willing to supply, we could probably have you ready for your owls by summer. Or Sirius and Dora could focus on what you need for the tournament and worry about your owls and such later on."

Hermione spoke up. "A month ago classes and grades consumed almost all of my energy and time, but since Harry and I got together… I wouldn't mind living in a tropical paradise for a while. Especially since I'm going to be a mother."

Harry leaned back in his chair, staring up at the night sky for a moment. One hand trailed possessively across Hermione's abdomen, while the other gently caressed Aurelia's face. There isn't really a choice. We can learn so much more here without worrying about the other students or the latest plot to kill me. And both of my girls will be better off away from the stress as Aurelia adapts to sapience and they both prepare for motherhood. Harry let out a long sigh and sat up, giving Hermione a quick kiss. I can't believe how much my life has changed in the last few weeks, but I wouldn't change a thing if I could. I've always wanted a family of my own, now I just need to keep them safe. And I will keep them safe, even if I have to burn the world to ashes to do it. They've given me their trust, their submission now I just have to prove I'm worthy of it.

(*-*)

A/N: Here we go! Next chapter should have the Yule Ball and the Second task. Not a lot of new stuff, but I figure the reactions of Britain are sort of important. And before anyone asks, the Daily Prophet is a paper of integrity; they certainly are not attempting to swing public opinion to Harry's side out of fear. After all, it isn't like Harry's last words to the public were 'I have a dragon.' Oh wait…

As always, please leave a review if you enjoyed the fic, I read and enjoy every one.