A Familiar Bond

"Are you gonna tell me what's got you so busy?"

Valerie turned around abruptly before a small grin overtook her face. Putting the quill down, she glided out of the seat and right into her lover's arms. She smiled when his hands cupped her waist and he nuzzled her neck softly.

"How did it go?" She asked, grabbing his hand and walking over to the bed. The couple sat down, hands clasped, as they looked at each other. Harry smiled.

"As well as it could have," he chuckled, "you were right. Slughorn is as greedy as you told me he was. The man was salivating at the thought of making so many connections, not to mention the fact that he now has the opportunity to collect me as well."

Valerie chuckled.

"Dumbledore and I believe that he would join the staff this year, and I have to get close to the man. Become his close confidant, even. Only then can we hope to extract that memory."

Valerie frowned.

"Isn't there any other way? This would be pretty time consuming."

Harry shook his head. "I'm afraid not."

Valerie nodded and leaned her head on his shoulder, sighing softly when he started to caress her hair.

"What were you working on?"

She sighed.

"It's a new project of sorts. Every so often, I remember what happened to the Longbottoms. Their screams… sometimes it's too much to bear."

Harry frowned.

"You know you're not at fault, right? You were not under control."

Valerie nodded against his chest, sighing when he pulled her closer.

"Yet I cannot make the guilt go away. It just… it feels like I owe them."

"So what have you decided then?" Harry asked, and Valerie pulled back to look at him.

"There was a conjecture in one of the books in the library. The author proposed the idea of cooling down the burnt muscle edges to provide elasticity with increased durability. I'm wondering if I can apply it to nerves as well."

Harry chuckled.

"Love, you need to be less precise. Novice here."

Valerie chuckled.

"Basically I'm looking into the possibility of reviving the Longbottom couple by restoring their fried nerves."

Harry's eyes widened.

"Really? You can do that?"

Valerie shook her head.

"I have a basic idea, but there is a lot of work to do. It will take time, maybe years, before I can make a breakthrough."

"And you are going to do that anyway, hmm?" Harry asked with a soft smile, one which Valerie returned.

"I won't be able to rest peacefully if I don't."

Harry smiled as he brought his hand up to cup her cheek. She nuzzled her face, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

"Have I ever told you what a wonderful woman you are, and how much I love you?"

Valerie chuckled. "Once or twice," she whispered, kissing his palm softly.

"Then I'll repeat it again. You, Val, are the most wonderful woman I've ever met, and I love you so much."

Valerie smiled as he bent down to kiss her, and everything lay forgotten as her arms wrapped around him.

XXXXX

"So Old Sluggy knows about it, yet doesn't want to disclose this information? Doesn't he care how many might lose their lives because of it?"

Harry shook his head and sighed.

"C'mon Siri, you know what he's like. He must be disgusted with himself that he gave that madman the information. He was never known for being a brave man."

Sirius snorted.

"Still, the least he could do is give that information to Dumbledore so that something might be done."

"When you can't get it done with straightforward means, be crooked."

They turned to look at Harry, who was swirling his pasta on his plate before taking a bite.

"If getting close to that man gives us that memory, then it's a no brainer. There is no use in crying over the fact that he has kept this secret hidden, and does so even now. What we need to focus on is how to get into his best graces."

Valerie chuckled.

"Well, there's this tournament already. There's no way anyone else other than you is chosen. How will the candidates be chosen anyway?"

"Dumbledore said it will be disclosed after the opening feast. Whatever it is, I have to make sure I excel and come on top."

"Which means you need to master as many branches of magic as you can, more than you've done already."

Harry groaned.

"Please tell me I don't have to brew potions for hours on long."

"Potions is a brilliant art. There is nothing you can't do with a proper mix of ingredients. It even exceeds wand-based magic in many aspects."

Harry sighed.

"Look, I'm not denying that. It's just… you saw how Snape was last year. It shouldn't be so hard to believe that he has killed all the interest I have in potions."

Valerie frowned, while Sirius watched their exchange with a bemused smile. Even he didn't like Potions, although, for him, it was simply because whenever he tried to brew something, his cauldron would catch fire.

"Then I have to make sure you have proper motivation to get it right," she smirked, and Harry raised his eyebrow.

"Why do I have a very good feeling about this?" Harry grinned, looking at her with a small smirk. Valerie giggled.

"Follow me to the basement. And Siri," she called out behind her, "make sure you don't come there for a while. I believe we would be quite busy for a few hours."

The mutt's grumbles followed them the entire way as Valerie pulled open the door to the basement and shut it behind Harry. Walking over to the small potions lab, she set it up and pulled out a few notes.

"Read 'em up," she said, handing them out to Harry.

Fifteen minutes passed as Harry continued to leaf through the pages, mumbling incoherently while Valerie worked on her personal project.

"If Snape had given us even ten percent of these instructions, I'm sure the situation would've been much better."

Valerie looked up with a smile.

"Finished?"

Harry nodded. Valerie stood up with a smirk and walked over to him, before planting herself sideways on his lap. Harry's arms automatically wrapped around her waist as he pulled her close.

"Now, my dear husband, time for your incentive," she whispered against his lips, putting her finger against them when he tried to lean forwards. "Oh no, not so fast. You need to earn your reward."

"Yeah?" Harry asked, his voice gruff. Valerie nodded emphatically.

"Mm-hmm, you do. With every successful step, one item of clothing will come off your lovely wife's body. And if you make a potion that counts as Outstanding, well…" she nibbled his earlobe softly, before whispering huskily, "you can do with me, whatever… you… want," she finished with a soft blow of cold air in his ear, which sent a shiver of pleasure through him.

"If that's the case," Harry whispered into her ear, "I better earn that Outstanding."

Valerie grinned and stood up before leaning against the table, looking on as her lover started to meticulously prepare the ingredients.

An hour later, an exhausted Valerie dropped into her husband's lap after a round of vigorous lovemaking, their clothes discarded all over the floor.

"Well, safe to say with this level of motivation, I'm sure to become a potions master in record time," Harry laughed as Valerie grinned.

XXXXX

The rest of the summer passed with little fanfare. The couple spent all the time either honing their skills or learning all the magic they could get their hands on, all the while challenging each other every step of the way.

Valerie was ecstatic to see how strong he was, and how much he had already improved at his spellcasting and channelling power into spells. Only a few months ago he used to overpower a lot of his spells, but now his combat magic had a certain finesse to it. Their bouts were evenly matched now, with a diverse blend of witchcraft forming part of their spell repertoire.

Harry and Valerie had poured through the magical tomes that Dumbledore had given them, and had already undertaken a ritual each. Their bond had amplified the results for both, giving them unforeseen boons.

It had been a surprise when one morning, Valerie had found that she could speak Parseltongue, while Harry got a huge increase in stamina, beyond what he was physically capable of, courtesy of the few minor rituals which gave them a balance of magical energy coursing through their bodies. Safe to say, Valerie was not complaining if the glow she had in the mornings was anything to go by.

Contrary to popular belief, there was no such thing as a magical core, at least not in the physical sense. The magicals had the capability of utilizing the energy around them and transforming it into whatever aspect they wanted in a metaphysical sense, not too dissimilar from the conversion of energy. It was simply a highly modified version of that primitive postulation of muggle science. They had read Dumbledore's thesis which he had not published ever and observed that magic in its entirety was deeply rooted in Alchemy.

The specifics had been beyond their comprehension, yet the gist of the matter had been perfectly clear. Magic was in the surroundings, and they were capable of channelling and modifying it. The quantum depended on their intent and willpower, combined with their inherent capability to channel as much as they could, crudely dubbed as a core.

The summer also saw them deepening their relationship with Sirius and the Tonkses, who used to join them every so often. They duelled a lot amongst themselves, yet none could manage to get the upper hand on Harry or Valerie. It was a matter of hurt pride for the youngest member of the Tonks family. Although she could understand being beaten by Valerie, who was in reality the fiercest fighter of Voldemort's forces in the previous war, she couldn't believe she had been so thoroughly bested by a man in his fourth year of magical training.

It took several duels for her to accept that Harry was simply at a level only matched by his wife. After she was beaten a few times, she swallowed her pride and joined them in effectively improving herself. The result was apparent after all these months.

The truth of the Horcruxes had been disclosed to them as well. They were equally horrified by the process, but they were even more terrified of the possibility of Voldemort's return.

It had been for that reason that they had undertaken a ritual from Dumbledore's tome. Where Harry and Valerie had received the boon of enhanced physicality and Parseltongue respectively, the Tonkses observed heightened reflexes and physical balance. This was evident when Nymphadora don't-call-me-Nymphadora Tonks no longer stumbled over her steps. The moment she observed that change, she hugged the life out of everyone in excitement.

The improvement was nothing drastic, but still easily discernible.

Finally, after months of rigorous training and hustle, Harry and Valerie Potter boarded the Hogwarts Express for their fourth year, one that was bound to be filled with adventure and danger alike.

XXXXX

Harry entered the compartment alongside Valerie and promptly shut it. He always used to ride the train on his own, but there was a difference now.

And just like every train ride, the usual annoyance showed up. Harry sighed when he saw the blonde hair of Draco Malfoy knocking on the door with a sneer on his face. Valerie waved her wand and the door slid open.

Draco Malfoy entered the compartment followed by his troll bodyguards and his pet. Harry disliked Malfoy for reasons no one needed to be disclosed, didn't bother with Crabbe and Goyle, and always looked at Parkinson with disdain. The girl had no sense of respect for herself, and he could barely believe how one could live like that. Almost the entire school knew that Malfoy kept Pansy with him to satiate his urges without any care for the girl, but it seemed the girl either didn't care or was entirely ignorant of that fact. Harry didn't know which was worse.

He plastered a polite fake smile on his face and nodded at Malfoy in greeting.

"You know I've said that you could join us in our compartment, Potter? Yet you always sit by yourself."

Harry sighed. Every year, Malfoy came over to remind him, and every year, Harry would politely decline. A sneer was all he had ever received in response, something he couldn't care any less about.

"As you can see Malfoy, I'm not sitting here by myself."

Malfoy looked at Valerie with barely hidden lust before he sneered.

"Really Potter? You're still going with this? I thought you'd dump the mudblood after having your share of fun last year."

Crabbe and Goyle stood there, looking ahead dumbly while Parkinson giggled nastily.

Harry's eyes hardened and he didn't need to see to know that Valerie was ready to cast the nastiest spells she knew on this peacock.

"Some of us know better than to treat women as simple dumpsters of cum, Malfoy. I had hoped your mother would've taught you better. Alas, I see your father had much more influence on you growing up."

Beside Malfoy, Parkinson bristled as pulled out her wand.

"You half-blood bastard! Who the fuck do you think you are!?"

Harry cast an unimpressed glance at the pug before he looked at Malfoy's red face and stood up.

"I don't like you, Malfoy. I can barely tolerate you. Yet I've never given you or your hideous acts a second glance in all these years. But you couldn't help yourself, could you?"

Malfoy sneered.

"You finally show your true colours, eh, Potter? Coming to the rescue of your mudblood slut? Really? First it was your father who sullied his bloodline with filth, and now you're doing the same. I pity the ancestors of House Potter."

In an instant, Harry saw red and his wand was out in a flash. However, before a spell could leave his wand, there was a tentative knock on his compartment door. All six turned around and saw a second-year Hufflepuff looking at them nervously.

"What is it, you bint!?" Malfoy snarled, and Harry fisted his collar and shoved him out of the compartment, eliciting a loud yelp from Parkinson and the young Hufflepuff.

"Malfoy," Harry whispered, looking at him dangerously, "have a good year."

Malfoy sneered as Harry pushed him out before averting his eyes when subjected to a heated glare, and fixed his collar before striding away, a fussing Parkinson trying in vain to get his attention. Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other before following behind.

"Umm…" the girl interjected nervously, and Valerie smiled reassuringly at her.

"Yes, what is it?"

The girl looked at Valerie before giving her a pair of envelopes.

"Umm… A prefect told me to give this to you two."

Valerie frowned before taking the envelopes from her with a smile.

"Thank you."

The girl nodded before walking away.

Valerie saw Harry still looking agitatedly at Malfoy's retreating back before she slowly pulled him inside.

"Come on, love. Let's see what this is about."

Harry took a few deep breaths to calm down and nodded. Valerie handed him the envelope with his name on it and opened hers.

"Hmm, this is interesting. I wasn't expecting an invite."

Harry looked up from his parchment to see Valerie holding a similar one, the initials of Slughorn displayed prominently as a watermark.

"Makes sense to me. You were the highest scorer in the exams last year, with a distinction in Potions despite Snape grading the subject, so it's obvious that the man would want you there."

He stood up and held his hand out.

"Let's begin the mission, shall we?"

Valerie chuckled and took his hand as the couple walked out of their compartment.

XXXXX

The door to the compartment slid open and Horace Slughorn turned from the boy who was regaling him with tales of his mother. A large smile etched on his face as he looked at the new arrivals.

"Ah Harry, Miss Swann, I'm glad you could join us!"

Harry looked at the old man with a smile and walked over with Valerie, ignoring the slightly affronted look the other boy was sporting on his face. Obviously, the boy must have been trying to get into Slughorn's good graces, Harry thought.

"Believe me, professor, it's my privilege. I may call you Professor now, right?" Harry grinned as he helped Valerie into her seat before taking his own on Slughorn's right.

Slughorn laughed.

"Oh my boy, as witty as your father. Obviously you may call me Professor now, I'm the new Potions professor after all. However," he leaned forward and whispered so only Harry and Valerie could hear, "you may call me Horace in private. We've known each other for quite some time, afterall."

Harry gave a fake smile and nodded.

"Thank you, sir."

Slughorn waved him off before looking at Valerie.

"And you must be the lovely Miss Swann. My, you have an uncanny resemblance to a former student of mine. A truly brilliant yet terrifying witch, she was."

Valerie expertly ignored the observation and smiled.

"I was pleasantly surprised to receive this invitation, Professor. I have heard of this tradition that you had some years ago, and to be invited is truly remarkable."

'Laying a bit thick, love,' Harry intoned mirthfully over their mental link. Valerie simply gave his hand a soft squeeze in response.

"Oh ho! A truly polite young woman you are. And you shouldn't be surprised, you are the top student in your year, afterall. Also, it's refreshing to see you've not let your capabilities go to your head. Keep your feet grounded and you'll go very far, Miss Swann."

Valerie smiled sweetly and observed a girl with bushy hair on the other end of the table glare at her before turning around. She simply scoffed.

'Granger hates when someone outperforms her. Has been happening with me in Charms, Transfiguration and DADA since our first year. It's really becoming tiresome now,' Harry remarked mentally. Valerie looked at the girl who was now talking with a redhead from Gryffindor and turned back to Slughorn.

"Thank you for that, Professor. It means a lot, coming from you."

Slughorn simply waved his hand with a smile.

"I heard you received a distinction in Potions, miss Swann? My, that is something considering Severus was teaching you. He has always been very hard to please."

Valerie observed Granger glaring at her and scoffed.

"I just have an interest in the subject, Professor. I hope I'll not disappoint you in our classes."

Slughorn chuckled.

"Oh believe me my dear, if your grades are anything to go by, all your teachers will be very happy with your performance. Top position in your year, that is no joke given how many remarkable witches and wizards you have in your year."

Valerie smiled as Harry wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. Slughorn noticed this and his eyes widened slightly.

"Oh, this is wonderful. How long have you two been together, if you don't mind me asking?" Slughorn asked eagerly as if he had come upon a particularly appetizing dish, not too dissimilar to the baby corn they had been served. Harry popped a chilli one in his mouth and relished its taste, leaving Valerie to answer.

The girl leaned against Harry and beamed at Slughorn.

"Oh, we've been together for almost eight months now. Actually we knew each other since we were kids, but I had to move away. Then last year, we found each other once again, and the rest is, as you say, history," she grinned and pecked Harry. Slughorn smiled widely.

"What a wonderful tale this is. Truly reminiscent of star-crossed lovers."

Harry internally rolled his eyes as Valerie caressed his chest fondly, a chuckle escaping her lips at his thoughts.

The rest of the table gave them varying looks, from sneers to glares as the older wizard gave them his total attention, seemingly forgetting that there were other invitees.

"Professor, perhaps you could introduce everyone?" Harry reminded. Slughorn looked surprised before laughing and patting him on the back.

"Oh, I almost forgot it, didn't I? Well, no matter. This young man is Blaise Zabini. His mother is a particularly accomplished businesswoman in Italy."

Harry and Valerie nodded at the dark-skinned man, who sneered before giving a small nod of his own.

'All these junior Death Eaters are the same, I reckon.'

Valerie nodded with a small smile as Slughorn continued introducing everyone.

"And this is miss Hermione Granger. One of the top students in your year, I believe."

"Yeah, one of the top, for sure," Harry couldn't help but emphasize that, her glares behind Valerie fresh in his mind. Valerie softly slapped his chest as the brunette reddened slightly.

'Play nice, love,' she chided mentally.

'I draw the line at you, Val.'

Valerie simply shook her head fondly as the brunette glared at them.

"This young lady here is Miss Ginevra Weasley. I assume you know of the family? There have been many children with the same name in recent years, afterall. She's in her third year, and is very nifty with her wand. Why, I just saw her cast a brilliant bat-bogey hex," Slughorn smiled.

Valerie looked at the Weasley girl and glared when she saw her looking at her husband with lust apparent in her eyes.

'Back off bitch, he's mine,' she thought with a hidden snarl. Harry chuckled and looking at the Weasley girl, pecked Valerie softly on the lips. The look of distaste on the Weasley girl's face was amusing.

Safe to say, they had no friends at the table. People either glared at them for allegedly hogging all of Slughorn's attention, or sneered at them for various reasons, jealousy being the most prominent one.

The hours passed with little of any noteworthy happening and soon, they were given leave by Slughorn to return to their compartments for a change of uniforms as they were almost there.

Harry walked in with Valerie and he had barely a moment of respite as she pulled the blinds and pounced on him like a hungry wolf. Harry was only too happy to reciprocate, his hand cupping her delectable rear under her skirt and right over her lacy knickers as she wrapped her legs around his waist and impatiently ground herself against him.

Her heavy breathing mixed with his, their tongues rolling around in whose mouth, none were sure of, and without breaking stride, she vanished his pants and her skirt, leaving their lower half bare apart from her wet knickers.

In an instant, her knickers were pulled to the side and she lined up his hard-on against her pussy before impaling herself, taking all of him inside her. Her moan intermixed with his groan of satisfaction as she started to rock her hips against him, taking him in and out of her at a sedate pace.

Harry pulled away from the door and unceremoniously dropped on the seat, slamming all the way inside her. Her cry of passion was swallowed by his mouth that didn't seem to relent, pushing and pulling her all the way, intent on drowning her voice entirely.

She didn't hesitate one bit, folding her legs properly atop his thigh before she started slamming ferociously on his hard cock.

It didn't take long, or rather, they didn't want to take too long, and with one mighty thrust of his cock, she came undone atop him, tightening her inner walls around his girth, intent on milking his seed for all its worth.

Harry didn't disappoint in the slightest, and only a grunt sounded into their kiss as the head of his cock erupted. His seed shot out like white lava and splattered her familiar walls as her fingers fisted into his hair.

Spent, the two lovers panted in their passionate embrace, their hearts racing. Harry pulled back from their soulful kiss, slowly looking down at her dishevelled face and her swollen, pink lips. The sight was probably one of the sexiest he had ever seen.

"What… what brought this on?" He asked in a whisper, still trying to catch his breath as he looked at her.

"That Weasley bint was ogling you all the time, and I was so pent up that I couldn't control myself."

Harry chuckled.

"Well… if this is what I get every time someone ogles me in front of you, I never want them to stop ogling me."

Valerie swatted his chest.

"Prat."

Harry smiled and lifted her face by her chin and placed a tender kiss on her swollen lips.

"Let's fix ourselves. We're almost there."

Valerie nodded with a sigh, and slowly stood up. Harry looked on with satisfied eyes as she stripped naked in front of him before taking out her uniform and putting it on, giving him a proper show, and he loved every fucking second of it. With a smile, she fixed her tie before sitting down and gesturing for him to go ahead.

With a chuckle, Harry stood up and started changing, making sure to return the favour. If the darkened haze in her eyes was any indication, he was sure she loved what he put for her.

Holding his hand forward, he smiled when she grabbed it and pulled herself flush against him.

"I hope this was an exclusive service," she whispered against his lips.

Harry grinned.

"Always."

"Mmm. Good answer," she smiled, planting her lips on top of his.

XXXXX

The entire Great Hall had descended into pandemonium as the headmaster revealed that there would be no inter-house Quidditch Cup this year.

"What do you mean no Quidditch!?"

"How can it be!?"

"No! You can't do this!"

A loud blast echoed throughout the Great Hall as every eye turned towards the Head Table, where the headmaster was standing with his wand held aloft.

"Proceeding with the important announcements, there will be no inter-house Quidditch Cup this year. This is because the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

As expected, this resulted in another pandemonium. The sheer magnitude of this announcement overshadowed any disappointment the students previously had.

"The Triwizard Tournament, for those who are unaware, is a historical tournament held among three of Magical Europe's biggest schools: our very own Hogwarts, the Durmstrang Institute of Magic from the far north of Europe, and the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic from France. One champion is selected from each school, who shall compete in a series of tasks during the year until the ultimate champion is crowned. On the 30th of October, the delegations from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons shall arrive, consisting of their representative officials and a contingent of students chosen to represent the schools. Until then, Hogwarts students are required to submit their names to their heads of houses, giving their assent to the selection. The heads will in turn choose the best sixteen among them, who will then compete in battles. These battles shall be in the knockout format until one student stands on top. This student shall be Hogwarts' representative. So if you want to compete, I suggest you start preparing as soon as you can."

Dumbledore looked around the hall with a small smile, before his face took on a serious expression.

"Now, this tournament is not for the faint of heart. I find it prudent to inform you that the previous tournament ended on a very tragic note, with all three champions losing their lives. So if you decide to enter, know the risks. Students who are not of age are required to present the officially signed permission from their parents if they will to submit their names, failing which they shall not be considered."

Harry was sitting with Valerie at his house table listening to the headmaster. He looked around the hall and saw that many of them now had pensive expressions on their faces. No doubt, they were weighing up the pros and cons of participation. Many students were eagerly looking towards the headmaster, signifying their willingness to get over the risks and take the step forward."

"If I may have your attention for the final announcement of the year," Dumbledore interjected over the cacophony of noises, and the students turned to look at him.

"We have two changes to the staff this year. First, I am delighted to welcome back Professor Horace Slughorn to Hogwarts. You might not be aware of him, but Professor Slughorn was a professor here when your parents and grandparents were students. Professor Slughorn shall assume the post of Potions professor."

A smattering of applause was heard throughout the hall as Slughorn stood up with a smile and bowed slightly before assuming his place. Some eyes turned towards Snape, who looked on impassively.

"Furthermore," Dumbledore continued with a small smile, "Professor Severus Snape shall leave the Potions laboratory behind and shall assume the post of Defence against the Dark Arts."

A pin-drop silence could be observed throughout the hall before a loud cheer erupted from the Slytherin table. Slowly, the other students clapped politely, and Harry observed not everyone joined in, quite understandably so. Snape simply gave a small nod of acknowledgement before assuming his usually impassive face.

"That will be all for now. So, dig in," Dumbledore smiled as food appeared on all the tables.

"Interesting development," Valerie muttered, taking a bite out of her steak. Harry smiled.

"He didn't tell me either. I had wondered what would happen of Snape when Slughorn basically agreed to join, but even then I didn't think he'd get the DADA job."

"Think the curse will take him as well?" She asked softly.

Harry looked over at the headmaster, who smiled at him before turning towards McGonagall.

"I won't shed tears if it does," Harry simply remarked honestly.

Snape was not his concern this year. He had a tournament to win and a secret to uncover, and he would start on both endeavours the next day onwards.

To be continued…

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