Terrorism Repaid

Dinner in the main hall was a bit fraught. The finale was eagerly looked forward to by all parties, but the political coldness had still to be obvious. The tendency to smile across table boundaries was difficult to ignore. The nine of them hoped that their underlying changed attitudes were not that obvious to the other students.

After dinner various house-professors handed out notes about homework. Ronald’s had another slip hidden inside his; it was very terse: ‘Your bed-head works. Pxs.’ Hermione had one similar so the golden trio assumed the others had received the same communication.

Quoting various fictions they all retired to bed very early. On pressing their emblems they found the Salon had changed. It was much bigger and it was discreetly divided into sections. There were four double beds in one area – one bed was even bigger and had three emblems on its facia. Justin vacated his third so that the two new recruits could be inducted in comfort. There being no need to have outsiders as witnesses, the other five sat close-in on two sofas. The atmosphere was cosy in the extreme, about which no-one complained. They wanted to keep things like this as private as possible.

Ginny and Astoria rose from their double bed and came over to the triple bed.

“We’ve cast the non-pro charms on ourselves,” boasted Astoria.

Ginny went to Harry, kissed him thoroughly and slid her hand beneath his belt: “I want my first time to be with you Harry, something special for me to remember when you go to fight that monster. You never know what might happen.”

“Thanks for the boost,” Harry said laconically, breaking from the kiss after a minute or two: “Trust a girl to pet me and put me down at the same time.” Then he renewed the kiss heartily.

“I’m staking my claim on you, Draco Malfoy. First time fucks always get a girl’s allegiance, so Uncle Sev says.” Astoria was more forward in her attentions, unzipping Draco and applying her mouth to his prick.

Both boys felt some alarm, but their insistent hormones soon overcame that. They soon discovered that the girls only had their dresses on under their gowns and the boys’ struggles to become undressed were hampered by the girls’ clinging explorations of their bodies. To say that they were ready was and understatement, Ginny’s and Astoria’s fingers had ensured eager purple prongs. Almost too soon were two panting males paying creamy forfeits and pronouncing the pink preliminary binding charms.

The four participants had a swig of the potion and a longer drink of Butterbeer to kill the taste; then set out on the second session. It was a bouncy one again. Draco had his hands massaging Astoria’s tits and Harry, sensing that Draco knew what he was doing, followed suit. Winky had altered the potions mixture so that it enhanced the voluptuous feelings of the contributors, hardly had they begun before it was all over and the sealing charms made. The girls looked slightly miffed.

Pansy smiled at them: “I do hope you haven’t forgotten the grand finale, Guys. We had a rest whilst you’ve been working hard.”

It was Draco who cottoned-on first: “Why, I do believe we have, Pans,” he replied sarcastically. Then he saw Pansy’s pained expression: “Sorry, the old Malfoy still lurks inside trying to get out. What form does the finale take?”

“Did you not read it up?”

“You girls still have the book.”

“Not that book – the note inside your homework.”

Draco coloured up: “I was too eager for action, I’m afraid.”

“SO WERE WE,” agreed the other three.

“Okay, forgiven, this time,” put in Hermione, giggling: “It’s where Draco and Harry have to do a lot of work and where the triple bed really comes into its own.”

“Don’t tell me Harry and I have to take each one of you both ways simultaneously?” Draco looked horrified: “I’m not sure I could do that.”

Harry went Pale: “I agree with Draco. If that’s what it takes I think we’d better call off the whole thing.”

“I hope you aren’t going off servicing us regularly.”

“Nah! We can manage that, but not together at the same time.”

“Well you serviced both of us simultaneously,” retorted Astoria.

“And me one after another,” put in Ronald.

“That’s different; it was two people reacting to each other in a caring way; each one trying his or her best to pleasure the other. It’s Harry I have a passion for.” Draco looked quite distraught, so Harry went to hug him.

“What Draco has just said goes for me as well;” Harry looked defiant.

“Whoa boys,” Pansy interceded: “It’s not like that. You two have to have a session together – well – two sessions, one after the other. The rest of us have to be witnesses and collect the resultant semen from the unimpeded one. That is then transformed into our guide.”

“Why the triple bed then?”

“We all have to touch you whilst it’s happening. And, in another way we have to shield your privacy, too.”

“Shield Us?”

“From the observing Nonet,” Pansy continued: “But it’s not quite that either; Herms can you explain, please?”

“You were doing quite well, Pans … Erm … If you thought of the nine of us as a single body; then we’d be the skin and outer limbs, so to speak. You two would be the inner organs; at least that would be your node-role at this time. The roles change again after we’ve created our familiar. You two are making the proverbial egg. Once it hatches it becomes the centre of our magic. That’s why Fawkes is so powerful for the Phoenixes.”

“Do you follow her reasoning Draco?” Harry asked, looking puzzled.

“Yes … I think so … We’re …”

“… No don’t explain it again, if you’re happy with it, I’ll accept your word. We’ve done it before an audience previously, you know.”

“Actually we haven’t; not in front of all of them together,” Draco observed, wryly.

“You’re not chickening out are you?”

“No way, remember what you said about openly showing we cared for each other; this is just a couple of steps further and in front of those who hold us dear.” Draco looked round at his audience: “You do hold us dear, don’t you?”

There was no need for words; Hermione rushed forward and hugged him, Pansy did the same to Harry and a general hugging session got underway.

“Thanks for working that out Guys,” Harry said from within Draco’s arms: “Um … how soon are we going to do it?”

“Shall I go and get the Phoenixes?” Ronald asked

“Not yet, Ron, we need to choose a name for ourselves first,” said Hermione, handing out parchments: “Pans and I did some research, here are some possibilities.”

Harry and Draco glanced down the list and then looked at each other, seeming to come to a common mind. Choosing Justin as a spokesman, they closed their eyes and, for the first time tried to collect the thoughts the rest of the group and project the result at Justin. Slowly each member of the group felt the cerebral touch and joined in the quiet consideration. Justin began to mentally vibrate once all eight other intellects were centred on him.

“Right! Salamanders; Yes?”

“Yes, defenders of the righteous.”

“Yes, those who put out demon made fires.”

“Yes, those who can make and use weapons of defence.”

“Yes, those who can withstand the heat and come out unscathed.”

“Yes, those who are capable of enormous harm but restrain it for the greater good.”

“Yes, those who are crowned to be leaders, but are modest in its application.”

“Yes, those whose faith cannot be destroyed by evil forces.”

“It is decided. Salamanders, it is!”

They sat there in silence savouring the first mental images which were starting to be shared. They all had been persecuted in one way or another. They all needed comfort and willingly gave it. They shared their strengths and even dared to share some of their weaknesses. There was no praise; neither was there any condemnation; just acceptance of who they were deep down, and the offer of ready support where it was needed. The experience was mind-bending.

Severus came in through the cupboard to see if they were ready and found them holding hands and weeping copiously. He stood; quietly communing with his own Nonet who silently entered and waited for the new ones to recover. It was Justin who first became aware of the Phoenixes and mentally advised the others.

Astoria first found her voice: “Hello Phoenixes! Thanks for coming to support us. We’ve just had our first communicating experience. Wow … What an experience it was, too … Understanding, acceptance, forgiveness and support, all rolled into one. Extraordinary!”

“It seems that you have been gifted earlier than we expected,” said Arthur.

“Dad, Mum, you’re part of this too?” Ronald looked shocked.

“You already knew we were close, to Albus, didn’t you,” replied Molly: “Well! Now you know how close. Draco welcome, I’m so glad you’re not like your father. Know that, if he disowns you, you will always have a welcome in the Burrow. And that goes for the rest of you, too.”

Draco’s tears started to fall again so Harry hugged him comfortingly. Meanwhile he looked at the Phoenixes, most of them he expected; Pomona made the house-heads complete, but Albus’s brother, Aberforth was quite a surprise.

Molly saw Justin looking distraught; she looked at Harry who nodded imperceptibly. She rushed over to Justin and hugged him thoroughly: “Justin dear, if your family prove difficult too, Harry found a second home with us, so I’m sure you can as well.”

Draco saw what happened, so did Harry. It was not Molly’s effusive attitude that amused them, but Justin’s face. It tried to show happiness and horror at the same time, his complexion went from red to white and back again, as quick as the flashing of a pedestrian crossing beacon. The others caught on via the link. Justin’s whole body was rigid in consternation and Harry realised that Justin had never been mother-smother-hugged before. Harry managed to send a ‘she’s done it to me many times, don’t worry’ type of message and Justin relaxed somewhat.

That incident broke up the tense atmosphere. Blaise looked round: “Well … Come on,” he said jocularly: “The Phoenixes have come to see our show. Let’s provide it.”

Filius magically transported himself on to their round table: “You must first sit round this table join hands and make your vow. I have the form written down here.” Filius handed out small sheets of parchment: “The second bit is for afterwards and requires nine aerial circle-passes of your wands, each circle being smaller than the first, thus drawing in all your magic to the centre. You then touch wands around the centre and that connects you to the magical pool you are just creating. With luck you’ll experience a great golden thunderstorm, much larger that the one after being inducted.” As he spoke he demonstrated what he meant with his wand.

As was usual in his class, the students had been following his actions and mirroring them with theirs. Filius ended up with nine wand-points imprisoning him. He squeaked in surprise, and his giggling students released him so that he could rise off the table and float over to be with his own Nonet.

The group joined hands and Harry started the vows off: “I, Harry James Potter, swear to my fellow Nodes that I will be faithful in body, mind and magic to our Nonet of Salamander, both now and forever.”

Draco took up the vow, followed in turn by all the others.

“WE, THE NONET OF PHOENIX, GIVE WITNESS TO THIS VOW,” said their elders, in unison.

The Salamanders moved towards the triple bed. Those of them who were not already naked stripped off. Harry and Draco climbed on to the triple bed kneeling facing each other in its centre. The other seven knelt around them facing inwards, wands in hand; it was very pally – naked skin touched naked skin all the way round. The Phoenixes stood round the bed in a semicircle. Hidden from the elders, Draco turned and bent down presenting a pink target for Harry to aim at. Pansy and Hermione pronounced lubricating charms and Ginny placed Harry’s prick into the centre of Draco’s pucker; each of the outer ones started to caress the inner pair’s bodies. They all felt the pulse in their magic marking the start of the bodily joining. Harry pushed in slowly and Draco sighed in ecstasy, arching backwards to meet his mate.

The sensations that Harry and Draco were feeling were those that they had experienced before, but they were heightened into a new form of rapture by the caresses of the others and their combined magic. Every slow movement seemed magnified, every muscle seemed to spasm more, every nerve ending was even more receptive than usual and a never before imagined sexual glow filled their bodies. It seemed to flow between them, from the two reciprocating males outwards through the caressing hands. Each round built up their receptiveness and to the older observers every hair was sticking straight out, with small electrical storms flashing between the follicles.

Astoria had a golden cup which she held under Draco’s abdomen. As of one, orgasm came. As of one, the pair cried out in joy and, as Harry filled Draco, the blond splashed forth copiously into the cup.

It was then Harry’s turn; so they about faced and recommenced the fuck. Draco was just as caring as Harry had been. Their leisurely reciprocation lasted longer and this time Ginny was holding the cup for Harry’s gushing contribution. Each of the pair had contributed more than was normal. Blaise, who was counting, reckoned they had given nine full-bodied squirts each. The cup was over half full of whirling creamy ejaculate. As Draco and Harry shuffled backwards to form the circle Ronald placed the cup in its centre. The contents were swirling and changing colour.

As Filius had told them, they waited until it turned a brilliant red. They kneeled linked in a circle with an arm on each other’s shoulder; wands in hand: “CONFIRMAMUS NONETTAM SALAMANDER AD INFINITUM,” circled their wands and touched them to the cup. The expected golden storm commenced.

But for the castle’s magic the stones in the arches supporting the ceiling would have fallen upon them. The noise was deafening and the lightening blinding. Try as they might, they were unable to remove their wands from the central point, or their arms from each other’s shoulders. So they knelt, cringing from the storm but enjoying the thrills that it induced within them. They lost track of time as the storm slowly abated. At one point there was a flash and their wands lurched. The remains of the storm rushed inwards forming a golden ball between their wand tips and sucking up the scarlet liquid. After a further three minutes another flash came and the golden ball disappeared – there on the blankets was a golden crowned salamander. It resembled a miniature dragon but with a very smooth skin. Each one of the new Nonet felt compelled to stroke it. Its skin was like velvet to touch and it purred as they caressed.

Fawkes flew over and met the salamander, which rose into the air; seeming to hold a long conversation whilst they flew in circles round the Salon. This enabled the new Nodes to withdraw from their thrall and hastily put on some clothes. Whilst this was happening, the Phoenixes sorted the comfortable chairs, expanding them so that the whole company could sit companionably. Winky had conjured an iced cake with nine candles on it. On the table were glasses and bottles of Severus’s favourite orange liqueur. The company gathered round.

“Before you blow out the candles,” Filius informed them: “You must name your mascot – actually he or she will tell you.”

The Salamanders clasped hands; their mascot stopped its communing with Fawkes and came to hover over the lighted candles: ‘My name is Tahir – I am the pure one.’ They heard in their minds.

The Salamanders took up their glasses: “TAHIR!” they exclaimed together and drank the toast straight back in one gulp. Harry and Draco gasped as the strong liqueur hit the back of their throats.

Tahir blew out the candles and the cake divided into twenty one pieces which detached themselves; floating over to the pile of plates and from thence to each guest, Fawkes, Tahir and an astonished Winky being included.

Hermione looked round and then at Draco: “Threes and Sevens,” she whispered.

“Three times three plus three times three plus three,” he answered back.

“Where does the second ‘plus three’ come from?” Ronald asked.

“Three groups, Darling, two of humans one of others.”

“Oh! Right? I don’t think I’d like Arithmancy.”

“Damn!”

“What’s up Draco?”

“I shall need our combined transmutation charms. When Harry and I first made it up I bought two rings for us to wear, one each. Then I forgot them completely. Perhaps we could make them into nine.”

Harry burst out laughing. They all looked at him quizzically. “Um … I did the same; so that makes four.”

Tahir spoke in their minds: ‘Place the rings in the cup on the hearth and I will combine them and then make nine. Place them on the ring finger of your wand hand.’

There was a flash and, made from the metal, nine rings appeared; all gleaming gold with minute silver inlays. The pattern on the boss of each ring showed a salamander surrounded by a nine-pointed star. As they put them on the ring automatically closed to a size that was comfortable and then it disappeared. They could still feel the ring, but it was no longer apparent.

‘To invoke the combined magic, always ensure that your wand touches the ring,’ Tahir advised them. ‘Now your leaders must seal the bond.’ He conveyed to them what that entailed. Draco and Harry ended up blushing profusely. Back to back they stood whilst each member deep kissed them in turn. They also had to allow that member’s hand to explore their private areas and excite them back to hardness. There was no juice available to leak, but the pair had seven rapid dry ejaculations because their members were still so very sensitive. On the final one they passed out and were gently laid together on their bed to recuperate.

When they awoke it was to a different mental outlook. All nine of them shared a single collective brain, or so it seemed. It took the whole of the rest of the weekend for them to practice walking separately in different directions. Aunt Minnie called in and spent hours with them, helping them to become separate individuals and use the combined psyche at the same time. As part of that lesson they visited a hive of bees and managed to gain hints from the bees’ conglomerate mind. By Monday morning they were able to operate as separate beings. Draco jocularly noted, at breakfast, and sent that Ronald’s eating habits had abated. Ronald replied mentally, in fun, that so had Draco’s waspish tendencies. Their communal chuckling at no obvious joke made quite a few students feel alarmed. So they resolved to be more circumspect in future.

###

That week was an interesting time for them. Seven of them took part in the same potions lesson. All of them turned in perfect potions, thanks to Hermione’s and Draco’s influence. Justin had been paired with Neville for that lesson, and he had tactfully assisted his partner; so Severus gave Neville five extra points.

“That’s the first proper potion you’ve turned in, Mr Longbottom. I hope these five points will enthuse you to do the same during our next lesson.”

Some lessons they took apart and in differing subjects. Concentration then was very difficult. Minerva had them in for a joint tutorial that week and helped them learn how to separate their thoughts when necessary.

“We charmed our rings so that they vibrated when one of us wanted joint contact. I could show you how to do it, if you like?”

Draco and Harry took turns to service one of the participants each night, combining afterwards for their own lovemaking. Pansy’s rota turned out not to be as risible as they had supposed. Harry and Draco’s commitment to each other grew constantly and the combined magical reserve grew rapidly.

###

Seamus and Dean came to see Harry one evening; just before he was going to do some supposed quiet private study in his dorm bed-space.

“We hope you don’t mind Harry, but we’d like not to indulge in woody-wanking with you each morning. We’re thinking of making a pair. And we want to confine our playing around between ourselves.”

Harry made a show of reluctance and then said it would suit him too, secretly sighing in relief and amusing his fellow Nodes by accidently activating his ring and drawing attention to the conversation.

###

Homework round the big table became the norm, although not copying; they shared thoughts, thus making the whole experience less of a drudge.

### EPILOGUE ###

When Justin and Draco had to attend the Dark Lord’s meetings, they were better able to withstand the atrocious behaviour they were forced to endure. Even Voldie’s vaunted Legilimens could not pierce the Salamander protections; although they kept the transmissions to an absolute minimum when in his presence. They worked up a routine of Draco appearing to beat Justin and rape him brutally, all the time using various hidden charms to lessen the impact. Voldie was also pleased with the way Draco was appearing to gradually seduce Harry, although some students complained that they missed the interesting epithets that used to fly around.

###

Harry’s Sectumsempra of Draco in the bathroom was a misguided attempt to show some hidden observers that Harry was still on the side of the light. When they saw all the blood they fled, leaving Harry and Severus to heal Draco.

###

The fiasco of the death-eater attack via the vanishing cabinets had been forecast by Draco and Justin but the exact timing had been hidden from them. It was Albus’s increasing feebleness that made him and Harry late when landing on the Astronomy tower. Draco was relieved when Uncle Sev gave Albus a decent death, instead of himself having to do it, or Albus falling into the jaws of Fenrir.

The Salamanders expressed their grief to the Phoenixes about Albus’s death.

“He’s still connected to us, you know,” explained Minerva: “We can still see him in his portrait and communicate with him mentally. In fact he’s opening up all kinds of new information for us, because he inhabits the other realm and can talk to its inhabitants. So we’re not too saddened that he is no longer with us corporeally.”

The same was said about Severus after the battle of Hogwarts. But without their two centre people the Phoenixes slowly waned.

###

Voldie was miffed that Harry did not return for his seventh year, because he had wanted Draco and Justin to incapacitate Harry. The group avoided contact once Voldie was in charge, and especially when he was using the trace on his name; they felt it unwise to risk detection; although Harry and Draco used the simulacra regularly.

Once Neville had gone into hiding their Nonet divided temporarily. Ron, Harry and Hermione as one; seeking for the Horcruxes. Draco, Justin and Pansy as another group, acting as informants in Voldie’s court; Blaise, Ginny and Astoria joining the rest of the DA in hiding inside Hogwarts. Connections were kept going because Blaise and Justin shared simulacra. Ginny and Hermione made a similar set of rings but without the sexual connotations. Each group could therefore continue as part of the whole, although the messages were those of feelings more than words.

Draco even managed a session with a grotesque-faced Harry at the manor, before Draco arranged for Dobby to be informed.

Draco’s act in the room of requirement fooled Crabbe but not Gregory. Hence both Draco and Gregory were rescued.

### POST BATTLE ###

Once the battle was over and the anti death eater hysteria quietened, Harry spoke up for Narcissa at her trial. Kreacher and Winky came to an understanding; servicing the Salamanders and servicing themselves, with the result that a new generation of house-elves came into being.

Blaise, Draco, Harry, Justin and Ronald became Aurors. They formed a formidable team and gained much renown.

Hermione spent much time campaigning for the rights of other sentient beings recruiting Hagrid, Bane, Griphook and Kreacher on to her committee. Her commitment was tempered by Astoria stating that those she was championing had cultures different to Hermione’s perceptions of them. This was brought home to her when elves, displaced from their family abodes by the war, were beginning to sicken for want of a safe magical environment in which to live and serve. With Kreacher’s help they re-homed some with the Weasleys at the Burrow as an experiment. The improvement in their health and general happiness was astounding; so SPEW became the Society for Protection of Elfin Wellbeing, and devoted its time to re-homing the other ones.

Pansy made use of her family connections and she became the Wizengamot member for their Nonet after both Harry and Draco had refused point blank. Her Slytherin background stood her in good stead as she wheeled and dealt in wizarding politics. Many truly useful reforms were due to her influence. As Aunt Minnie would frequently remind them, Pansy was their political node.

Astoria became a researcher; she became obsessed with genetic study, eventually discovering the very recessive magical genes. This then led her into examining family trees. Using the new genetic models she explained to Auntie Walburga the realities, asking for her help with the Black Family tree. Under some duress Auntie admitted that she had another hidden portrait where she was being continually tortured. Once it was found and rescued she regained some of her famous beauty and less waspishness. The burn marks on the tapestry were carefully repaired and wings added to show both the Granger, Greengrass and Finch connections to the Black family, which had been discovered through Astoria’s antiquarian delvings.

Ginny became a Quidditch player, gaining international renown.

Malfoy Manor and assets were confiscated for reparations, as were the assets of many death eaters. The Potter pot-of-gold and the Finch-Fletchley fortune thoroughly refurbished Grimmauld Place, making it the London home of the Salamanders.

The combined millions also rebuilt the Potter house in Godric’s Hollow as their country residence; Harry bought the house next door so that Narcissa could live out her retirement comfortably. Both gardens were combined and made a reasonable sized plot. The new SPEW had to re-home the Manor’s elves; the domestic ones wanted nothing to do with the Malfoy name, but because Narcissa had loved her garden at the Manor, two garden-elves came to help her recreate some of the splendour. The Salamanders used the cottage and gardens extensively as a hideout when things became too fraught at work.

As we all know, official marriages took place within the Salamander Nonet although their total physical relationships remained much the same. After the Salamander children had all graduated, the Phoenixes wished to retire because two more of their members had died. The Salamanders were asked to take over: Justin as Headmaster, Draco for potions, Harry for DADA, Hermione for History of Magic, Ginny as Coach, Blaise for Charms and Astoria for Transfiguration. Hagrid wished to retire at the same time so Ron became Gamekeeper and Magical Creatures Professor. A new subject was created called Magical Politics which subject, of course, was headed by Professor Pansy Zabini née Parkinson.

FIN