Harry Potter and the Hall of Justice

Chapter 28 Harry’s Admission


Over the next two weeks, the Ministry had located a number of orphaned children whose parents’ had been evil associates of the dark lords. There was no shortage of good homes in which they could be placed. Good witches and wizards lined up at the Ministry to see what they could do for them.

Within days of the Daily Prophet publication detailing the demise of Voldemort, along with a large number of his wicked underlings, the Ministry began receiving detailed information concerning the whereabouts and activities of others practicing the dark arts. Much of the information confirmed their connections with Voldemort and the vile, deadly acts they had committed at his behest. Minister Weasley relayed the intelligence immediately to Professor Dumbledore as it was received.

At Falcon’s Lair, Sirius and Remus began organizing the information and prioritizing it. After the two-week holiday the Athena and Coeus members were taking, they would arrive to find much more work to be done.

Ron, Fred and George Weasley spent much of their time at the Burrow. Their mother couldn’t believe they had actually been a part of the overwhelming events everyone was talking about, which had finally put their magical world back on a solid, peaceful footing. She overindulged them the whole time they were home, as only a proud mother could.

The greatest shock she received, however, was the evening Ron brought Grace White to the Burrow. She later admitted to Ron she had never seen such a beautiful young woman in her entire life. It was one of the best and proudest moments of his entire life.

Professor Dumbledore held more meetings with his Hogwarts staff. He was finally able to answer the many questions the instructors had been asking about his frequent absences. Severus Snape, on the other hand, was angered over the fact he had not been trusted to participate. Straightaway, the old wizard noticed the change in the man’s demeanor. He then had to spend a great deal of time soothing Snape’s wounded ego.

Ginny was able to spend four evenings alone with Harry at the Hall of Justice over the two-week period, with Dumbledore’s help. She was amazed that the accommodations were as luxurious as they were. Never in her life had she seen or imagined anything like it.

After spending several days in the medical wing at Hogwarts, the injured girl found by Hermione during the raid on the Welsh Coven was questioned at length. Her name was Claire Ann, and she reluctantly admitted being a runaway. She had been lured to the Welsh dwelling by a girl about her own age who she had encountered in London. Claire stated she had been at the house for almost a week when she was rescued.

Much to her horror and disgust of Professor Dumbledore and Hermione, the woman named Alis had immediately chained and beaten her after she arrived. Alis did unspeakable things to her and had her service her animals. “It was horrible,” the girl said, crying uncontrollably. “She said she was going to make a stew out of me to serve at her celebration, but I had to be soiled first. My flesh was to be mixed with the flesh of an unsoiled girl, she told me. She took great pleasure in telling me the horrible details. She told me she was sorry I wouldn’t be around to try it. ‘Quite tasty it will be’, she had said.”

Dumbledore and Hermione decided it best to give the young girl time to heal properly. “It will be hard to clean her memory of all she has been through. And some of the physical scars she may carry the rest of her life, Hermione,” Professor Dumbledore had said. “We should consider helping her choose another road to take. Perhaps she might do some task at the Hall of Justice or Falcon’s Lair. Her life will never be the same, I’m afraid.”

Hermione agreed to give careful consideration as to the girl’s situation and talk with Webster about her, too. The young witch admitted she didn’t have any ideas, though, at the time.

Towards the end of the two-week period, Harry was feeling the effect of the powerful charm, which protected the Hall of Justice. He first noticed his senses of hearing and smelling were much more sensitive.

Harry was also waking up as much as twice each night to find he had ejaculated in his sleep. He was constantly thinking about sex and not just with Ginny. A number of times he went to his bedroom in the middle of the day to take matters in hand, while fantasizing about one or more of the girls working around him. The girls’ forwardness and flirtations were making it even that much harder to handle.

Most disturbing to him were his thoughts about his old friend Hermione. She was almost constantly on his mind. He found himself wanting to reach out and touch her. Thoughts of his lips lightly touching hers, inhaling her scent, licking her flesh and experiencing her internal heat persistently ran through his mind.

During the first few days after his arrival, Harry spent as much time as he could with Sirius, Remus and a few others who had remained at Falcon’s Lair. But later, found he did not want to leave the Hall of Justice even for an hour. The powerful charm at the Hall of Justice permeated his body. He also felt he had become one with the amulet hanging from the necklace at his chest. Often, he found himself reaching up to lightly touch it or press it against his bare flesh.

Lord Chief Justice Daniel Webster had commenced hearing civil and criminal cases, at long last. Sarah, along with Pamela Clark, Sarah’s new assistant, was spending many hours of each day busily tending to court matters. Hermione had to adjust to the new schedule, too. Where she had been spending most of her days with the Chief Justice, she now found herself heading off to the library to find something to do.

Hermione had also employed a new Court Librarian, Cindy Scott. The very next day she decided to put Barbara McLendry in the Court Historian position. Barbara would actually be Cindy’s assistant. Hermione insisted their first duties would be to verify the library’s master index system. She wanted to update the archaic structure and classification scheme and was open to suggestions. But she mostly wanted everything completely cataloged. “If you don’t know what something is, especially back in the far reaches of the library, research it until you do,” she had told them.

And finally, Wendy Jones-Cartwright was chosen as the new clerk for Martha and herself. Hermione assigned Martha to the office next to Sarah’s and put Wendy at a desk in the office with her. She tasked Martha with interviewing each employee of the Hall of Justice, including all of its security officers and house-elves. Hermione wanted a complete biography on each employee. A complete biography: life history, education, family, friends, pursuits, interests, contact addresses and on and on. She also tasked them with gathering records left by the last administrations and organizing them by topic.

One morning, Hermione knocked lightly at Harry’s door to see why he hadn’t joined them for breakfast. Hearing him call out, she opened the door and peered inside the large bedroom. She found him lying under a sheet on the bed.

“Harry? When you didn’t come out for breakfast I was worried. Are you okay?” Hermione asked, closing the door behind her and walking to his bed.

“Yeah, fine. I was just up several times last night and wanted to sleep in,” he said. “How are you?”

“Never better,” Hermione replied with a smile. Her smile quickly transformed to a look of gloom. “I was kind of bored and was on my way to the library. I just don’t have enough to do, and I’ve been getting rather ill tempered. I haven’t been myself lately.”

“Are you okay? You aren’t sick are you?” Harry asked, shifting himself in his bed so he could sit up against the large pillows at his back.

“No, I’m okay. I’ve just had to adjust to this new court schedule, and I’m not doing a very good job of it,” she replied, frowning and sitting down on the bed.

“Come here!” Harry ordered, patting the pillow next to him.

Hermione crawled up on the bed and pushed up a couple of large pillows to sit next to him. She leaned over and put her head on his shoulder.

“I miss the way things used to be. Hogwarts always challenged me. Maybe we shouldn’t have taken these jobs, Harry,” she said sadly.

“We had to do it. There was no other choice,” he answered in little more than a whisper, lifting a hand to her head.

“Yeah, I guess so. But I wish there had been,” she unhappily replied, pushing her head harder into Harry’s neck.

Harry moved his head slightly to kiss the top of her brown head of hair. He pressed his lips into her but lingered, smelling her scent, smelling the scent that only Hermione had. The same fragrance he had known since she was an eleven-year-old girl. It was so uniquely Hermione. Harry knew to his dying day he would always be able to recognize her by it. It soothed him and brought a feeling over him he could not put into words.

Hermione raised her head. “Are you okay, Harry?”

He pushed his head back into his pillow. “Yeah, sorry. It’s just - - -,” he began but abruptly stopped.

“Just what?” she asked.

“I was smelling of you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything,” he admitted, blushing slightly at the admission.

“Smelling of me? Am I smelly?” she asked, startled by his statement, quickly lifting her head and looking into his face.

“No. Not that way, Hermione. I mean, well, I’ve always liked the way you smell. I feel so good when you are near me. You smell like, well, like Hermione, and I like it,” he blurted out. “I’m sorry.”

“So, you like the way I smell?” she reiterated, giggling at the awkward way he admitted what he was caught doing. “So, what do I smell like?”

“I don’t know. You smell like Hermione,” he replied, chuckling.

“And what does Hermione smell like?” she asked, not satisfied with his answer.

He turned his head to look into her eyes. “I don’t know what you smell like,” he said, frustrated he had even made the admission in the first place. “It’s like a comforting smell. It’s a smell I would like my bed to smell like, when I first lay down to sleep. And my pillow! I wished my pillow smelled of you. It makes me feel good. It’s blissful. That’s the word - - - blissful.”

“So I smell blissful?” she asked, giggling at his description.

“Yeah! That’s close enough!” he said, grabbing her head and kissing it hard in the same place he had previously, hoping it would shut her up.

“Me, too.” Hermione whispered softly, as if speaking absentmindedly, laying her head back down on Harry’s chest.

“You, too? You like smelling yourself?” Harry laughed out.

“No, silly! I mean I feel the same way, too. Since I was a young girl, I wished I could have taken your robe to bed with me. A surrogate. Why do you think I always sat so close to you?” she said, also confessing an old secret.

“I didn’t know, Hermione. Why didn’t you say something?” he asked, aroused by her confession.

“Why didn’t you say anything to me?” she asked back.

“Yeah, I know. We were all best buddies, you, Ron and I. I didn’t want to say anything that would have ruined that friendship,” Harry said, kissing her again gently. “Maybe I was too embarrassed to say it.”

“I wished we would have said something, Harry. I thought of you constantly. There were very few nights when you were not the last thing on my mind when I drifted off to sleep. I so wanted to be with you,” she said, tears began trickling down her cheek.

“I never knew that, Hermione. I never sensed it either. I’m sorry,” he said with tears forming in his own eyes.

“Come here,” he said, pulling at her.

Hermione twisted around and faced him, noticing the tears streaming down his cheeks. They looked longingly into each other’s eyes. Harry moved his mouth slowly to hers. Hermione leaned her head forward to his. Their lips lightly touched. Harry felt her softness, the delicate moistness of her mouth, for the first time. How many years had he dreamed of doing this? He then raised his left hand and placed it along her soft cheek. They kissed each other passionately; their hands rubbed and searched the body of the other, as their lustful passion grew.

She pushed away. “I want you inside me, Harry!” Hermione gasped out. “I’ll do anything you want.”

He was shocked by what she had just said. “We shouldn’t, Hermione,” Harry replied, himself gasping for air.

“We must, Harry. We have to. I must find out. I must know what it’s like to be with you,” she cried out.

Hermione got to her knees and went into a frenzy of activity, removing her blouse and bra, unzipping her skirt and struggling frantically to pull off. She then hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her knickers and pulled them free.

Harry was astonished at her sudden lustful state. He had never seen his friend act this way in her life. He would never have imagined Hermione ever acting like this.

She then reached out and jerked the sheet back off his body. Only then did Hermione realize Harry had been lying on the bed totally naked.

“Please Harry! Make love to me!” she cried out frantically, falling partially down over him on the bed and bringing her lips to his. She sucked and licked greedily, hungrily at his mouth.

Harry’s heart was racing away. He raised his right hand to her waist. The feel of her soft, warm flesh increased his excitement. He partially rolled up on his left side, rolling the young witch onto her back.

Harry gasped for air his lungs were demanding. He looked down on Hermione’s beautiful body, the fullness of her breasts, the flawless skin and her perfectly formed legs.

Reaching down, he placed his left hand inside her raised thigh. He slowly ran his palm up and down the incredible softness he found there.

Hermione gasped, which caused Harry to look down into her face. Her eyes were full of sexual excitement, another thing he had never imagined seeing on Hermione’s face. She reached up and pulled him down to her, kissing his neck, his cheek and shoulders.

“Fuck me, Harry!” she cried out.

His right hand had been caressing her soft thigh. He pulled it back to her crotch, running it down her mound of soft pubic hair. Harry extended his middle finger to slide up and down her slit and was right away amazed at how wet she was.

Hermione gasped again. She raised and swung her left leg out, opening her crotch wide for his and her mutual pleasure. The tip of Harry’s middle finger found her clit, and he played gently with the aroused flesh. Hermione squirmed under him, panting wantonly.

Harry’s cock was swollen, stiff and bouncing around in excitement, eager to feel the heat that would soon envelop it. He raised his right hand to grasp it and began moving it roughly across Hermione’s bare skin. The feeling was sensational.

She reached for him again, impatiently pulling him to mount her. Harry swung his right leg over hers and moved himself above her open crotch. Hermione reached down to lift Harry’s hungry cock to her vestibule, as he lowered his hips to hers.

Again the young girl gasped, as the swollen head pushed into her tightness. She wrapped her arms tightly around her lover, desperate to feel him inside her, giving all she had to this young man she so dearly loved and wanted more than anything else in her life.

They kissed and sucked at each other’s flesh like the two sex-crazed animals they were and soon shared their newly expressed love for each other, completely and shamelessly. Their bodies quaked and shuddered against the explosive firing of sensual electricity from their mutual sexual release. Harry collapsed on Hermione, totally spent. She opened her mouth wide, sucking deeply at the cool air she so desperately needed to fill her lungs. As much as she loved the Chief Justice and their love making, Hermione knew she had never been loved like this. She had never had such a powerful, meaningful release.

Harry tried to roll free but she held him fast to her. “No, Harry,” she whispered. “Stay on me, please. I want to feel you against me. Please don’t move.” Harry’s head lay alongside her left cheek. He moved his head slightly to kiss her neck and smell once more her unique scent. Harry was pleased he had. The smell, which was uniquely hers, was heavy on the air.

Hermione turned her head into his and began kissing his cheek. He lifted himself up and repositioned himself along her right side. Raising his right hand to the side of her face, he kissed her softly and tenderly on her lips. Hermione began crying quietly. Her shoulders started shaking from her uncontrollable weeping.

“Are you okay, Hermione?” Harry asked, startled by her unexpected outpouring.

Hermione reached up to wipe away the tears with her fingers, but her tears kept coming. Harry wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. “Don’t cry, Hermione. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that,” he said, emotional tears filling his own eyes, which began pouring down his cheeks. He realized he must have hurt his best friend, and he now wished he could take it all back. He should never have done such an evil thing to her.

Hermione wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. She began kissing him again and sucking at his mouth. Harry didn’t understand what was happening. Hermione was crying because they had made a mistake. “What is she doing?” Harry thought, the question running repeatedly through his mind.

“I love you so much, Harry,” she whispered, after their mouths parted.

Harry took her head in his hands, looking into her eyes. “You what?”

“I love you,” Hermione repeated and pushed forward against the grip of his hands to kiss him again.

“But you love Webster,” he said, shocked by what she said.

“Yeah. I love him very much. But I love you much more,” she said, smiling. “Why can’t I have love for both of you? Does a mother only love one child?”

“I don’t know, Hermione. I’ve never been loved openly by anyone since my mother died, that is until Ginny told me how much she cared for me,” he admitted.

“I’m sorry now for not telling you how I felt all those years, Harry. Whenever I listened to Ginny talking about you, telling me her fantasies, I imagined it was me doing that. I was too afraid, though. I was afraid you would reject me, and we would no longer be friends. That was my biggest fear, Harry,” Hermione said, sobbing again. “When you started talking about Cho all the time and then went out with her, I was crying inside. I hurt so badly. I buried myself even deeper in my studies to keep my mind off of you.”

“I never knew, Hermione. Honest. I never knew,” he said, suddenly realizing and regretting the lost years and the intense relationship that surely would have developed.

They both came to their knees and held each other for long minutes. Finally, Harry said something about their need to take a shower, and they headed off to his bathroom. They soaped each other up and stood for some minutes in another embrace, as the warm water stung their skin.

After their shower, they went back into the bedroom and dressed. They walked to his door to leave the room but stopped. Hermione reached out and pulled him to her. Again, she looked into his eyes before kissing him softly on the mouth.

“No matter whatever happens to us, Harry, I want you to know you were my first and only love,” she said, leaning forward and kissing him again lightly on his mouth. They again embraced.

Soon they were walking down to the library and found Chief Justice Webster and Sarah in chambers on the way.

“Good morning, Harry!” he exclaimed when they opened the door from the residence.

“Good morning, Your Lordship! Busy day?” he asked.

“Yeah! But nothing Sarah and I can’t handle. This is actually a lot of fun, Harry. When you get a chance one of these days come to the courtroom and watch us at work. Some of these civil cases remind me of two little kids arguing over a toy. I can’t believe grown people would ever bring such cases to a court of law. Juvenile! Simply, juvenile!” he said, laughing out and shaking his head.

Hermione and Harry went out into the library, turned right and made their way to Martha’s office. The door was closed, but Hermione didn’t even consider knocking. She swung it open and Martha jumped with a start.

Both girls were naked. Wendy, the new clerk, was lying back on the desk, her legs spread wide. Martha had had her head buried in the girl’s crotch when she heard the door open. Harry couldn’t believe what he had just seen, and he was further shocked beyond belief that Hermione walked right into the office, as if nothing had happened.

“How does she taste, Martha?” Hermione asked.

“The best I’ve ever had,” Martha replied, smiling at Harry’s wide-open eyes and not attempting to hide her nakedness.

“We’ll leave you two alone. Sorry for the intrusion,” Hermione said. She reached out and pulled Harry out of the office.

“What was that?” Harry asked, still in shock, following closely behind Hermione who was walking back to her office.

“They were taking a break. As I told you before, Harry, we have to do something about these urges. They’ll drive us simply insane if we don’t. And they were doing something about it, as you saw,” Hermione said, laughing at Harry’s astonished look.

“I can’t believe you, Hermione, of all people. You would have been fuming a year ago, if you would have seen that.”

“Things change,” was her curt reply. After a bit of hesitation, she added, “And Harry, you’ll need to spend some time with them, too. I know that seems crude, but it’s a fact. They need the attention of both you and Webster,” she said.

“Why don’t you let me bring a few of the Athena guys back here, Hermione? They would really enjoy it!” he exclaimed.

“I’m sure they would. But the Chief Justice and I will not stand for it. This is our own little secret, as it is. It would be degrading to the court if this became common knowledge. You will not say a word to anyone about this, Harry. Are we clear on that?” Hermione ordered, laying down the law.

He was still flabbergasted. “Yeah, okay. I just thought it was be a good idea. That’s all.”

“Are you going to continue bringing Ginny here a couple of times a week?” Hermione asked, as they walked into her office.

“Yeah, if that’s okay.”

“Yes, you should. She’s so deeply in love with you, Harry. I see you two together forever,” Hermione said, closing her door.

“You are okay with it then? I don’t know what to think, after what you just said a little while ago. I love you very much, Hermione. But I love Ginny, too,” he said.

“I know you do, Harry. And I also know you love me as much as I love you. It just seems more complicated than it is. Really! Your affection for Ginny will in no way change the affection I have for you. Believe me!”

“I just don’t understand. I guess maybe I’ll accept it in time. I’m not sure what Ginny would say, though. That is if she found out,” he said, suddenly fearful of the thought.

“There’s no reason for her to ever find out, Harry. If by chance she ever does, you let me talk with her first,” Hermione said. “I mean that. Do you understand?”

“Yeah. But this is all so strange. I don’t know what to think,” Harry admitted, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Tea!” Hermione exclaimed into the room. “Just leave it all to me.”

A tray of tea instantly appeared on a countertop near Harry. He walked over, poured two glasses, and noticed his hand was shaking when he took Hermione’s glass to her.

The two sat and speculated about what Professor Dumbledore might have the Athena and Coeus teams do next. Harry told her there were still over forty files, which had not been closed. They then speculated on what they dreaded most: how long would it be before Voldemort once again reared his ugly head, if ever?

“Professor Dumbledore knows you’re the key, Harry. If Voldemort is to be ever completely and finally destroyed, it will be up to you to do it, and only you. He’s never come right out and said it, but I know it’s always on his mind,” Hermione said, nodding her head and looking into his face. “He wants to be sure you have every advantage, Harry.”

“Have you ever wondered, Hermione, how bad things would be if we ever lost Dumbledore?” Harry asked.

Her eyes dropped to focus on the glass of ice tea before her. She was uncharacteristically quiet for some seconds. When she began to speak, her voice took on a very serious tone. “I don’t want to even think about it. But I believe maybe he does. I’m glad he looks better now than he did, though. Since we started doing something about Voldemort and his followers, the old twinkle has returned to his eyes. Though, he’s getting really old,” she said, looking back down at her glass of tea in thought. Harry noticed she no longer had a smile on her face.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Early on the morning of the 15th of November, Professor Dumbledore appeared in Falcon’s Lair. With him were Professor Drucila Priest and Minister Bartholomew Grime. His two old friends wanted to be present when he welcomed the Athena and Coeus team members back from their holiday, but they also had another purpose for being present.

All had arrived back at Falcon’s Lair by the prior evening, as they were instructed. Dumbledore smiled at the young troop as he made his way to the head table where Sirius Black and Remus Lupin waited. After welcomes were said and hands shaken all around, Dumbledore raised a hand for quiet.

“Welcome home!” the old wizard exclaimed. “It’s delightful to see all present and accounted for. I trust you all had a pleasant holiday?”

Around the tables heads beamed and nodded, backs were slapped and a few shouts heard.

“Splendid! Before we get back to work, I wish to catch you up on a few things. First, we have been receiving a great deal of intelligence at the Ministry concerning some of the missing Death Eaters and their various underlings. Sirius and Remus have been prioritizing that information and are almost ready to begin our second chapter. Next, as was suggested before your holiday began, a portkey has been located at the entrance of the ventilation shaft which links directly to this room. Sirius and Remus will cover the specifics of that with you later. Third, I’m very pleased to tell you Minister of Magic Arthur Weasley has agreed to allow Minister Grime to continue recommending and obtaining supplies needed by our two teams, whenever we have such need. And lastly, Professor Priest has returned to instruct you in Apparition. This will be one of the most important skills for you to master,” Professor Dumbledore informed them.

Both Sirius and Remus then spoke to the group about the growing amount of information. Graciela Calderon would continue to be in charge of the intelligence gathered. After an hour, the meeting broke up and the two teams were excused until after lunch when Professor Priest would begin her class on Apparition.

Professor Dumbledore and Minister Grime went back to Hogwarts and discussed some of the muggle made devices he had been looking at. Some of what Grime described was completely foreign to Dumbledore, but he wanted to keep an open, receptive mind for any idea or device that would make their tasks easier, safer and more effective.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


The evening before, Harry had met Ginny in Dumbledore’s office and took her to the Hall of Justice. Ginny sensed something was bothering him and asked him what was wrong.

“It’s just the charm that protects the Hall of Justice, Ginny. I feel its power now, and it’s affecting me,” Harry confessed.

“Is it bothering you, Harry?” she asked, concerned over his demeanor.

“Yeah, a little. It will just take a little more time getting used to it, I guess.”

Harry took her immediately to his bedroom. He was thankful no one was around at the time. Ginny noticed he was much more aroused than she had ever seen him before. It aroused the lust in her, too. An hour later, when Harry rolled off of Ginny, she was totally spent.

“Harry? That was three times! Are you okay? We’ve never done it three times before,” Ginny said, breathing deeply and unable to move.

“It’s the charm. This isn’t normal for me. You know that,” he replied.

“It must be something. I’m so tired I can’t even move, Harry,” she admitted.

Harry avoided talking about it any further. He rolled over, kissed his little redheaded witch, and held her for sometime before they finally made it to his large shower room.

Within the hour, Harry had taken Ginny back to Hogwarts. She couldn’t wait to climb into bed and told Harry she had never been so tired in her life. He kissed her goodnight outside Dumbledore’s office and watched as she slowly moved off down the dark corridor.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Harry turned and went back to the conference room. But instead of going straight back to the Hall of Justice, he went to Falcon’s Lair. Everyone had already retired to the bedrooms for the night and the dungeon was quiet. Harry walked over to the new portkey, reached out and spoke the words to activate it. Immediately he was standing outside the mouth of the ventilation shaft.

The last quarter moon was rising over the mountains in the east, casting eerie shadows at the mountains base and across the lake. The mid-November night was very brisk, but the sky was totally clear. Harry turned quickly, sensing someone was at his back and reached for his wand.

“Good evening, Harry,” Professor Dumbledore said. The old wizard was sitting on a large flat boulder.

“Professor! You startled me! I didn’t see you when I appeared,” Harry exclaimed.

“One of the bad things about using a portkey, Harry. You must learn to close your eyes right before and not open them until after the flash at the other end. It will rob you of your night vision. Did you and Ginny have a good visit?” he asked.

Harry walked over and sat by the old wizard who was puffing on an old pipe. The smoke smelled of cherry. “Yes, thank you. It has helped seeing her a couple of times each week.”

“I expect you have started experiencing the presence of the charm?”

“Yes, sir. But it’s much more powerful than I expected. My senses are much sharper. My mind isn’t as clear, however, and that bothers me. I can’t get my mind off of sex,” he admitted.

“That is a distraction, certainly. I can’t believe Edward D’Mar meant it to have such an effect. But, it is a small price to pay, Harry, if you benefit in the ways I suspect you will.”

“Will I be able to control my urges, Professor? Should I try?”

“No, please do not try. You should allow the charm to have its way with you, totally and completely. You are young and healthy, Harry. Do not fight the power of the charm. There are plenty of females to help you through your crisis. If you are not pleased with them, let me know. I will immediately let his Lordship know you require others. If you like, you can select them yourself. But please, Harry, do not try to control those urges,” he begged. Dumbledore was sorry he hadn’t discussed this with the young wizard at length, before he had him take up residence within the hall. Of course, the old wizard had other, more secretive reasons for not wanting his young protégé to resist the power of the charm.

“I’ll do my best. Hermione urged me to get to know them, too.”

“Good girl, Hermione! She’s an outstanding Executive Assistant. We couldn’t have hoped of having another as outstanding. She’s also a perfect match for Webster’s demeanor, too. A very good match,” Dumbledore said, smiling and nodding his head.

“Will they marry, Professor? Is that what happens?”

“Marriage is a possibility, Harry. But it’s an institution much more common in the muggle world than in ours. Very seldom have the Chief Justices, whether male or female, married a partner. It just isn’t done. The Chief Justice will most likely have many partners, in his lifetime. My own father, Harry, had fourteen children but many more liaisons. Such is the way it has always been. I don’t really expect it will change anytime in the foreseeable future,” the old wizard explained.

“But his relationship with Hermione. Will it be like, what is the word - - -,” Harry searched his mind for the word but couldn’t get a handle on it.

“Monogamous?” Dumbledore asked.

“Yeah, that!”

“No,” the old professor replied, laughing at the question but immediately sensing what was on Harry’s mind. “Hermione is free to strike up a relationship with another, Harry. She might even bear children from another relationship. My own mother did. Hermione cannot be held to the same standards you are used to seeing in the muggle world. Is there something on your mind?”

“No, I was just wondering. It seems odd to me,” he honestly replied.

The old wizard paused, considering if he should continue. It really wasn’t necessary, he reasoned, as the charm would soon negate any objections the young man might have. “You know, Harry. I remember telling you months ago how obvious Ginny’s infatuation was for you, even as a young girl. Her eyes betrayed her love for you the very second you walked into a room. She lit up every time you were near her. It was a very glorious thing to behold. It even brought back memories of my own youth. However, completely oblivious to you but very obvious to me was another, who craved your attention even more. A young witch who would have done anything you asked of her. She was always at your side. She watched you longingly each time you walked away from her. So many times, I expected to find you in each other’s arms. But, for a reason unknown to me, it never happened. It saddened me greatly to see her love go unfulfilled and unacknowledged,” Dumbledore said, again lifting the pipe to his mouth to rekindle the dying embers it held.

“Hermione,” Harry whispered out. “How could I have been so blind? By the time I wanted to say something to her, she was buried so deeply in her books I simply left her alone. I was so stupid. So damn blind!”

“She will always be a part of your life, Harry. I sense that. She will never be far from your side. And I do sense things will change between you two, if they have not already?” the old wizard fashioned his question for a response but left it alone.

Harry rubbed his hands together between his legs against the cold enveloping them. Professor Dumbledore looked to be totally unaffected by the chill.

“I come up here from time to time late at night. Not long ago, I watched the full moon rise over the mountains there. Such a sight is truly inspirational. The light plays across the lake, which constantly twinkles like distant stars. The November nights do get awfully chilly, though. I expect it’s about time I get back to my bed, Harry,” the old wizard said.

“I agree. It’s really cold out tonight. But I’ve always loved November, though. It’s my favorite month of the year.”

“Yes, I’ve always been rather fond of it myself. I love crisp autumn days,” Dumbledore admitted.

“Yeah, me too.”

“Before you go back, let’s step into my office. I want to show you where I secret away Merlin’s Black Ledger. If something should ever happen to me, you should know where to get it,” Dumbledore said.

“Hopefully that will be years from now, Professor!” Harry exclaimed.

“Yes, that would be nice. But one never knows, does one?”

The two used the portkey to return down into the dungeon of Falcon’s Lair. Seconds later, they were in Dumbledore’s office. The old wizard walked over to a bookshelf on a far wall and showed Harry what books to move. He removed his wand and whispered an incantation and a large drawer appeared. Pulling it open, Harry noticed not only the black ledger but also the chest from which the old professor withdrew the amulets. A few other items were also inside, but he didn’t question him about them.

Harry soon made his way back to the Hall of Justice and, before he crawled into his bed, saw a blouse and a pair of panties on his pillow. He reached down and lifted the blouse to his nose. It was Hermione’s. He hugged the articles of clothing tightly to his chest and drifted off to blissful sleep.