Chapter 24: Master Of Death
July 7th, 1976
"Harry - Oh, Harry!" Her entire skin prickled when the rush of satisfaction slowly abated as she came down from her incredible bliss. She could still feel her legs spasm ever so slightly under his gentle touch. Harry continued with his gratification, making her fully ride out the unbelievable high she just experienced. Morgana knew how it only got better so far...
"You called?" Marlene opened her eyes just in time to see her boyfriend's face appear. He glanced over her spread legs up at the girl with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Harry licked his lips rather provocatively, something that might have made Marlene blush a few months ago. Luckily, she had developed some resistance to her boyfriend's teasing during the time they had been dating.
"That was incredible." Marlene sighed and felt a large smile spread over her face as she leaned back down in the soft pillows of Harry's bed. She felt the large mattress shift ever so slightly as Harry crawled over her body, lifted the blanket next to her, and joined Marlene underneath it. She fully reciprocated the searing kiss he gave her, ignoring the taste of herself on his lips and tongue. Harry's hands wandered to her waist to swiftly pull her closer to him until their bodies were pressed against each other and their legs intertwined.
"I am glad you enjoyed it." His hot breath elicits small goosebumps on the sensitive skin beneath her ear.
"You have no idea..." Marlene whispered happily. This year's summer might be the best she had ever experienced so far. Her parents had bought her a new racing broom after a letter of recommendation from her Head of House to the Unspeakables had trumped even her father's high expectations. In addition, she spent each day either meeting Florence or spending time with her boyfriend, who had been invited to stay at Potter Manor for the entire summer.
A chuckle escaped her lips when she thought about how a younger Marlene might react to her current predicament. She was presently over at her boyfriend's place, snuggling with him in his bed, while the room was locked and secured with silencing charms. Harry was in his boxers and nothing else, while Marlene had lost her blouse and skirt, leaving her only in her bra and the panties Harry had pushed to the side when he had performed that on her mere minutes ago...
Yes... That...
Sure, they had pleasured each other a few dozen times already towards the end of term and the beginning of summer, but so far, they had only used their hands or fingers. Today had been the first time Harry used his mouth and tongue and Marlene couldn't even deny that the new sensation was incredible and undoubtedly better. In fact, it was too good to be true...
"You have done that before, haven't you?" Her curiosity got the better of her. The question slipped from her lips before Marlene could help herself. She did not know what made her say it. Was it jealousy? Insecurity? A part of her really wanted to know how much experience he already gathered with other girls, while another part was deeply scared that the answer might hurt her.
The thumb that had been tracing small circles over her lower back paused only momentarily: "You're right... I have." Harry admitted.
Oh, Morgana... Yep... Definitely jealousy! Marlene quickly pushed the thoughts of Harry pleasuring any other girl like that away, before it could hurt her even more. And yet...: "Was it someone at Hogwarts or before you moved here?" The small voice in her head prayed it'd be the latter.
"No." Harry whispered and pressed her even closer against his firm chest: "It was during a different time... And not here in Britain. I might have flirted occasionally at the Castle, but from the moment I saw you on the Express, it has only ever been you, Marlene."
"I'm sorry for asking. It's stupid really..." Marlene sighed and buried her head back into the crook of Harry's neck: "I don't want to be that type of girlfriend... How could I hold it against you when you didn't even know me back then? It makes no sense!"
"Don't worry... It's completely understandable." Harry replied: "And let me tell you that doing anything with you is like rediscovering it all over again... I couldn't even begin to describe it..." She could almost see the goofy grin that must have spread over his entire face just then.
Good... So it was better with her. Something competitive awoke inside of Marlene. Harry might have had some experiences with other girls... So what? Surely, she could keep up with any of them... She had read about those things after all. Thanks to Florence's extensive research into muggle literature on the topic, Marlene had gone through quite an impressive collection of books during the last few weeks. They all dealt with giving pleasure...
Marlene then and there decided that her boyfriend was in for a treat today. Her hand, which had simply rested on his chest, trailed lower over his hard abs until it reached the waistband of his boxers.
"What do you think you're doing, young Lady?" Harry chuckled but showed no efforts to stop her.
"Shut up and enjoy yourself." Marlene raised her chin to give him a lingering kiss to the corner of his lips. At the same time, her hand slipped inside Harry's boxers and was instantly welcomed by his already semi-hard length. Marlene grinned triumphantly and pulled away the covers. Her fingers continued playing with his member while she sat upright in the bed and crawled down until she kneeled in between his legs. By now, his boxers were removed, and Harry was fully exposed to her.
As usually with Harry, it had taken barely a touch from her to get him to his full, rather impressive length. Apparently, it was due to his testosterone levels... Something about muggle biology... Marlene liked to think it was the effect she had on him... She frowned briefly, wondering if the logistics of this will even work out. From what she had read and heard from other girls, Harry was certainly - well equipped?
Marlene pushed away any thought of concern and slowly continued tracing her fingers up and down his hard shaft. She looked up to meet Harry's intense gaze. Her boyfriend was watching her with a fire in his eyes. There was something hungry in the depths of those green orbs.
"Relax and lay back down, Harry." Marlene ordered with a smirk: "No peeking until I say so."
"Yes, ma'am." Apparently, he found no reason to protest and leaned back into the pillows. His chest heaved and lowered itself in a steady rhythm. But not for long...
Marlene pulled herself together and gave herself a final nudge. Her head dipped lower and lower while she continued stroking him: "I hope you're going to enjoy this one just as much as I did..." She whispered and pressed a soft kiss to the side of his shaft.
"What are you... holy-" Harry's eyes were wide open as if he could not believe what he was seeing. Marlene found his astonishment quite amusing. She kissed the other side before looking up at him: "I said no peeking, Mister. You don't want me to stop now, do you?"
The way his length jerked in her hand was more than enough of an answer for the blonde.
"Be my guest." Harry managed to stammer and very reluctantly closed his eyes.
"Now, that's better," Marlene smirked and continued where she left off. She spent another minute simply plastering small kisses all around Harry's length. So far, she avoided the sensitive head, no matter how wildly Harry twitched in her hand or how many desperate groans escaped his lips.
Finally, she decided it was more than enough teasing and brought her lips to his crown, where they remained longer than they had before. She decided that she did not mind the taste of his precum and continued her wicked little game. Her boyfriend resisted the urge to buckle his hips upwards and Marlene decided to finally reward him. She parted her lips and took the head of his shaft fully inside her mouth. 'Fits just well enough...'
"Marlene!" Harry inhaled and his eyelids flew open.
It must be quite the sight from his perspective because never before had Harry watched her with so much lust and sexual desire. Nevertheless, now was not the time to get distracted from her task. She remembered what Florence advised her to do. Similarly, she could try out the useful little things she had read in those muggle books and magazines her parents would hopefully never find in her room.
Marlene continued direct eye contact while popping the tip back out of her mouth and swirling her tongue over it. Save to say that she archived the desired reaction. Harry's hips spasmed and he groaned in pleasure. With a smirk, she took him back in and continued with redoubled efforts. She bobbed her head up and down, taking a bit more of him each time. Yet, Marlene only went so far down for it not to get too uncomfortable for her.
Suddenly she had another idea... She briefly took him out of her mouth: "Look at me, Harry."
His eyes instantly shot open once more.
She took his member back inside and continued pleasuring him while keeping eye contact. Simultaneously, one of her hands traveled behind her back and unclasped her black lacy bra. Her boyfriend's eyes widened impossibly far when her last piece of clothing dropped down onto his legs, revealing something he had so far only felt, but never seen before...
She resumed with a smirk at seeing his reaction. Her own breast swung back and forth ever so slightly as she continued bobbing her head up and down: "I take it you like what you see?" Marlene smirked during a brief pause to catch some air.
"Holy shit..." Harry gasped as he allowed his eyes to wander over the firm, pale flesh: "You are so incredibly hot."
Time to try out some of the other tips then. Her right hand joined in on the fun and stroked the shaft. She steadily increased the paste, which resulted in Harry breathing heavier than ever before. The fingertips of her left hand trialed up to his abs and scratched ever so lightly all the while she continued pleasuring him with her other hand, tongue, and lips.
Eye contact! She suddenly remembered one of the most important lessons and looked up just in time to see a particularly erotic groan leave her boyfriend's lips: "Holy shit... Marlene - I am going - I am going to..."
Oh! That came a bit as a surprise since she'd only be at it for perhaps two-three minutes. Marlene had a split second to make a decision and chose that she preferred not to create a mess right now. Whatever experience her boyfriend might have had with other girls, Marlene would make him forget all about them.
She continued seemingly unbothered, much to Harry's astonishment. A few seconds later, she felt his hips spasm beneath her as he came undone. A deep groan left Harry's mouth when his member started pulsing beneath her fingers and inside her mouth. She looked up in time to see his eyes roll in their sockets and his entire body stiffened, almost as if he was petrified.
Nevertheless, Marlene pulled through with her plan. Her lips remained sealed around his tip, keeping him inside while she continued stroking him. After all, she was firmly set on making this an experience he would never forget. And he better not!
The taste was not too bad, simply foreign to her taste buds. When his member stopped spasming after some time, she took him out of her mouth and planted a last kiss on his tip. Then she glimpsed up at him, curious to see his reaction. A confident, teasing smile played on her lips: "So, how was it?"
Somehow, Harry was the one looking exhausted, despite the fact that she had been doing all the work over the last few minutes. Nevertheless, he looked more satisfied than ever before. A huge, goofy grin spread from one side of her boyfriend's face to the other. Harry's ragged breath was slowly coming back down to a reasonable level and he sighed contently.
"How was it?" He repeated with a chuckle: "I am at a loss for words for how much I enjoyed that in case you have not noticed yet."
"You better be," Marlene smirked, satisfied. Seems like the mission was a huge success.
Harry's hands seized her own and he pulled her up to him. When she straddled his lap, his gaze only temporally dropped down to her breasts. She could hardly fault him. They were on full display for the first time and squashed against his chest. Marlene raised his chin with a playful smirk until he looked back up, directly into her eyes. They moved simultaneously and joined the lips for a searing kiss.
Harry leaned his head against hers and took her hands in his: "You are, without doubt, the best thing that happened to me in a long time." Her boyfriend continued in a whisper: "Perhaps you don't quite understand how much that means to me just yet. But I promise you - soon you will."
A wave of emotions surged through her, making her head dizzy and her toes almost curl upwards. Three little words danced on the tip of her lips, but the moment was not quite right for them to be spoken...
At least not yet.
July 10th, 1976
The rough stone floor was dimly lit by the occasional torch on the dark gray walls. The place Harry found himself in shared a fair set of similarities to the lowest dungeons at Hogwarts or perhaps even the Chamber of Secrets. He watched as ten small pairs of arms carried dozens of boxes and stored them neatly in the prepared shelves. Each of these boxes contained ingredients so valuable, if one was to fill their container with gold, one still only held a fraction of their worth.
He shook his head with a frown. Why did a younger Harry in the original timeline never think about selling the remainder of the Basilisk? Sure, he had been well off, thanks to his parent's inheritance, but he could have still put those galleons to good use, especially during the war. Anyways... He was smarter this time and those Galleons would be put to good use in the fight against Voldemort during this timeline.
"I think that finishes our business, Mr. Peverell." The man next to him spoke up, making Harry turn back around.
"Indeed, it does." Harry nodded. With the current exchange rate of roughly 50 pounds to a galleon, Harry's net worth had increased by about 2.5 million pounds sterling.
That was certainly enough for a lifetime, especially when one considered Harry's investment strategy for galleons... He knew which business would turn out profitable after all: "I can honestly say that it has been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Flamel. The purchase went far smoother than I could have imagined."
"You carry substantial wealth to your name now." Nicolas Flamel nodded and gestured for Harry to follow him back out of the dungeons beneath Flamel Manor and up to comfortable parts of the Manor: "Due to the unique nature of the transaction this has been a rather profitable undertaking for both of us, don't you agree?"
Harry chuckled. Truly, it had been a deal where both parties thought they got the better end of it. A rather rare occurrence...
"My wife has prepared some light refreshments in the informal dining room for us." Flamel continued: "I dare say she might take it as an insult if you were to leave us without a small celebration after such successful cooperation. And as the man who has known her the longest, I suggest we don't provoke her ire..."
"Best not keep the lady waiting then, sir." Harry grinned and followed him through the impressive Manor.
"Once again you show wisdom beyond your years, Mr. Peverell." Flamel chuckled.
"Two females, both very dear to me, have taught me well if I may say so myself." Harry smiled at the thought of Dorea Potter, who had become the closest thing he had ever had to a mother, certainly closer than Mrs. Weasley. The other female had been Marlene, of course... A girl he had developed stronger feelings for than he would have ever thought possible in such a relatively short amount of time. Merely thinking about her filled his heart with joy.
"There you two are. I have prepared some small refreshments for all of us to enjoy." Strands of gray marred the dark brown, long hair of Perenelle Isolde Flamel. Harry would have assumed her to be the same age as her husband. Certainly not the 600-plus years she had been granted by Mother Magic so far. She was of average height for a woman with a heart-shaped face and large blue eyes. Perenelle had undoubtedly been a beautiful girl when Nicolas must have met her in his youth.
"I would have never dared to disappear without saying my goodbyes first. In addition, I was advised not to provoke your ire, ma'am." Harry grinned. His eyes took in the table, which looked like it had been set for a multi-course lunch instead of a cup of coffee: "And I appreciate the lengths you have gone to." He added and received a thumbs up from Mr. Flamel.
"Don't think I didn't see you there, Nick." The woman scolded her husband: "Stop corrupting the young boy and take a seat."
"So, Mr. Peverell..." Perenelle spoke up while the first course, French onion soup, was served: "I must admit that I was surprised when Albus mentioned your family's name a few months ago. Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?"
Harry decided to stick to the same story he had told countless times already. The young orphan, who was educated privately and in secret on the continent. Luckily, the Flamels seemed to be more interested in what he has been up to ever since he joined the British wizarding world, instead of poking at details in his past. They occasionally asked questions or commented, for example when he told him about his trial at the Ministry and the Duel of Honor against the Malfoys.
"Bloody gits, the whole line." Nicolas snorted: "I have encountered too many Malfoys back when the main branch of the family lived here in France. Trust me, you might have done the world a favor back then."
"I am certain I did." Harry smiled knowingly. Much harm had undoubtedly been avoided by killing Lucius Malfoy before the man had become a part of Voldemort's inner circle. If Harry was to trust Charlus and Arcturus reports, then Abraxas Malfoy had withdrawn himself from the political stage, making it even easier for Harry's faction to take back control of the Wizengamot.
The conversation soon turned towards his future, his aims, and ambitions. Harry found it surprisingly refreshing to talk to the Flamels. It was a bit different from conversing with the Potters, who despite everything he had been through, still regarded him as a child of the same age as their own son.
In contrast, the Flamels did not once judge him and instead regarded him as the accomplished wizard he was. Before Harry knew it, almost two hours had passed in pleasant chatter.
"Please do not take this as an attempt to meddle in your private affairs, Mr. Peverell. I also assure you that not a single word we spoke will leave this table. My wife and I are simply curious to learn more about you. You are perhaps the most remarkable young man we have ever met." Nicolas stated after Harry had finished.
"I very much enjoyed our conversation." Harry nodded: "Despite the fact that our business was concluded, I would not mind staying in contact with you. I'd be a fool to discard such a wealth of knowledge and experience."
"We'd be delighted to see you again, Mr. Peverell." Pernell answered for her husband: "If you don't mind, I think there is one last question we would both like to ask you?"
"You should call me Harry then." The boy smiled: "And I will do my best to answer it."
"Well then, Harry, this man, the one who murdered your parents, may I assume it is the same who must never know about the passing of the Basilisk?" Nicolas inquired after observing everything Harry had told so far.
"You assume correctly." Harry nodded: "He calls himself Lord Voldemort though his real name is Tom Riddle. He is the son of a near squib Merope Gaunt and a Muggle."
"Gaunt..." Nicolas mused: "A very old family… Britain's last Parselmouths if I am not mistaken? That would certainly explain the personal relationship with the King of the Serpents."
"Funnily enough, we are actually related." Harry chuckled. At some point in the past, a descendant from Cadmus Peverell must have married into the Gaunt Family. Yet, it won't change a thing about the situation. The man has taken much more than my parents from me. More than even he himself knows at this point. Still, when the time comes, I will kill him."
Nicolas frowned: "After everything Albus told us about him, he seems to be very dangerous and certainly powerful... What makes you think you can confront him already?"
"You could almost say that I am destined to do so." Harry stated with determination: "I know exactly how dangerous he is, but I am far from unable to defend myself." The cold wood of the Elder Wand felt reassuring underneath his sleeve: "In my entire life, I have never been better prepared to face him than I am now."
"Overconfidence does not suit you well, my boy." Nicolas shook his head with a small sad smile: "That Wand might be powerful, but it is far from infallible. History has proven the latter time and time again."
"You are right of course." Harry chuckled. "However, upon my return to Britain, I was gifted with other powers... The Wand merely complements them." Harry shrugged: "In addition, I seriously doubt a bond as strong as the current one has ever been formed."
"But perhaps that is where you are wrong, Harry," Perenelle spoke up for the first time in a few minutes: "In fact, I am almost certain that this is where our age and experience grants us a distinctive advantage."
"I beg your pardon, ma'am?" Harry inquired confused: "The blood of the Elder Wand's first owner is running through my veins. Magic has recognized me as the last remaining member of the Peverell clan."
With a simple flick, his wand was in his hand:
"Coniuro Familiam Magicae!"
Deep black smoke erupted from the tip of his wand. It twisted and turned in mid-air, before it changed into a smaller version of his family's totem, just as Harry had desired. The ethereal Thestral galloped one lap around the table before it returned to Harry. All three occupants watched in marvel as it flapped its leathery wings and took off, only to fuse with the tip of the Elder Wand and vanished in a puff of black smoke.
"I am a Peverell," Harry repeated and allowed for his eyes to flash emerald green for a split second. He gestured for the pale thin piece of wood in his hand: "This wand is my birthright, just like the other two Hallows... And it will serve me better than anyone else."
Harry flicked the wand back into his sleeve and looked expectantly back to the older couple. The woman turned towards her husband, who indicated his agreement with a short nod: "Konny!" She called an elf: "You may bring it now, dear"
Harry frowned as his eyes darted between the older couple. What the hell was it? And why would they ever assume that a stronger bond had been formed between the Elder Wand and its yielder?
The elf reappeared a second later, carrying a rather large, incredible old-looking leathery tome. It showed a remarkable resemblance to the tomes he had found in the hidden study down in Chamber of Secrets. However, far more concerning than its exterior was the way Harry's magic reacted to the tome's presence in the room. The only occasion he could even begin to compare it to was after completing the family magic ritual and reconnecting with each of the Hallows.
The elf placed the tome on the heavy oak desk and disappeared after a short bow. Harry watched the book warily with a mix between distrust and curiosity. There was only one way to get answers. He pulled himself together and whispered: "What exactly is this?"
"You can feel it, can't you?" Nicolas' observing eyes bored into his own: "How would you describe it, Harry?"
"Like it's calling out to me... It's strange and yet familiar, hostile yet friendly, deadly yet full of life."
The Flamels exchanged a quick glance at each other before Perenelle addressed him: "You see, Harry, neither myself nor my husband feel any of those emotions. All we feel are disturbing amounts of hostility."
"Why don't you analyze it in more detail then?" Harry frowned, unknowing to himself, he had been edging closer to the tome already. There was a strange pull of sorts.
Nicolas chuckled: "Because the last two owners of this tome died in their attempt to brush over it with their bare skin. I have spent months, perhaps even years trying to learn anything about what exactly this is, all to no avail. Only a house-elf is able to even touch it without any permanent damage, yet not for long periods of time."
Harry stood up from his chair and walked around the table to take a better look: "Where did you find it, sir?"
"We bought roughly five hundred years ago on a bazaar close to Damascus, deep within a Syrian desert. The person selling it was an old Tuareg sorcerer. From what little I understood of his dialect, he claimed that it was cursed and had taken multiple lives already. Yet, he caught my interest after he repeated one name over and over again... Could you guess what name it was?"
"Peverell." The answer seemed obvious to Harry; his magic was telling him so. After all, the item in front of him hummed with the magic of his ancestors.
"Not just any Peverell, my dear boy." Perenelle shook her head: "The name he repeated continuously was that of Aurelius Valerian Peverell."
Harry frowned and dived through his mind. The name did not ring a single bell. From what little he had been able to research about his ancestors, he had never encountered that specific name before. Who was this man... And what did this tome have to do with him?
"You don't recognize the name." Nicolas stated: "We would have been very surprised if you had. It is a name long forgotten by history, just as intended. My wife and I might just be the only people who remember him. It's truly a shame, actually... Aurelius Peverell should be mentioned in every history and spellbook."
"Why should he be mentioned?" Harry frowned. None of this story made sense so far...
"Because he invented one of the most incredible and complicated pieces of magic known to us today." Perenelle explained patiently: "Aurelius was the inventor of the Fidelius Charm."
Harry's mind went into overdrive... One of his ancestors had invented a charm strong enough to alter reality. A piece of magic researchers like the Unspeakables still studied and tried to understand. And yet, somehow the world had forgotten about it? How was that possible? Unless... "He used his own charm to make the world forget it was him that invented said charm in the first place. To make them forget his name?" Harry mused: "But why would he do that?"
"My dear boy..." Nicolas laughed: "Have you not caught onto it yet? The invention of the Fidelius Charm was the more widely known, though significantly lesser accomplishment of Aurelius Peverell..."
"I don't - I still don't understand..." Harry slummed back down into his chair.
"There was a very specific reason why Aurelius wanted the world to forget about his existence and hid the secret deep within his own soul. The reason why he went to such great lengths to invent a charm, the average human mind won't ever comprehend in the first place..." Perenelle.
Harry glanced from Nicolas back to Perenelle and then to the ancient tome on the table in between them. The Ring on his hand had started humming with magic at some point over the last minute, as did the Elder Wand in his sleeve.
"Your ancestor, Harry, wanted to make the entire world forget the most important accomplishment of his life... Aurelius Valerian Peverell..." Nicolas continued with an almost fanatic gleam in his eyes: "... Is said to be the only person to have ever united the Deathly Hallows, thusmaking him Death's first true Master..."