A Familiar Bond

"Oh… Yes!" Valerie screamed out in sheer bliss. Her back arched off the bed and her fingers gripped the coal-black hair of her lover. Her own dark hair was sprawled over the silky white sheets and her black lace knickers were dangling off her legs over the edge of the bed as her lover enjoyed full access to her gushing, needy quim. He was borderline abusing the privilege she gave him, lapping away at her dripping cunt and bringing her close to her peak before stopping just short, almost as if mocking her.

She saw through her lustful eyes as he knelt on the floor, his sinful mouth glued to her pussy as he looked up at her with those beautiful emerald orbs. Her grip on his hair tightened as she pushed his face down, knowing but uncaring of how painful it might have been for him. Her lovely tits shook enticingly within the confines of her matching silky black bra as her lover refused to give her any sort of reprieve from his expertly working tongue.

Her moan of pleasure quickly transformed into a cry of absolute frustration when he stopped at the last moment once again, denying her the pleasure she had been begging for almost half an hour. Her hands went slack and she saw him pull back from her pussy with that infuriating smirk on his face which she found equal parts aggravating and exciting. His lips were glistening with her love juices and she saw him lick it away with his tongue.

Merlin!

Panting, she saw him slowly begin to kiss his way up her creamy skin, his lips leaving a trail of burning passion all over her. His eyes glinted with satisfaction whenever she released a moan or thrum of pleasure or approval. He swirled his tongue around her navel, prodding it gently before trailing his way upwards. His teeth took the thin fabric of her bra that held her tits and she saw with heightened arousal as he pulled it over her tits.

The orbs of flesh jumped out of their confines instantly and he wasted no time. Softly kissing along the underside of her right breast, he reached the tip and took her hardened nub in his mouth. Mewls of pleasure left her lips and her eyes involuntarily closed as he continued to suck her nipple and toy with it between his teeth, nibbling gently. Her legs came up to wrap around his waist and she moaned when she felt his throbbing erection against her greedily gushing pussy. Harry chuckled.

His hands were clasped with hers, fingers intertwined together as he showered her left breast with equal attention. His tongue flicked her nipple before it swirled around it, hardening her nubs further.

Done with his ministrations on her lovely tits that he so adored, he started to work on her neck, kissing and licking her skin as she could do nothing but gasp and try to rub herself raw on his cock.

"Fuck you love to tease," she managed to get out as he worked his way up to her jaw before leaning over her. With his face so close to hers, she leaned upwards and smiled into the searing kiss. Their tongues met in a duel of resounding passion, rolling around her mouth as he gave her no quarter. His tongue violated her mouth as he pressed himself fully against her. She relished in the feeling of his hard and muscular chest as it rubbed against her sensitive nipples, all the while moaning into the kiss that took her breath away.

"Please Harry," she had to resort to begging, and the bastard had the gall to smirk at her. Her fingers tightened their hold around his painfully before she relented.

Her gasp of pleasure sounded out as she felt him position the head of his cock against her entrance and slowly push forward. His forehead rested against hers as he started to push further, and despite having him so many times, it still felt as if he was penetrating her for the first time.

She could feel every ridge and vein of his cock as it slithered its way inside her overly welcoming pussy. A sigh of pleasure and sheer contentment escaped her wanton lips when he bottomed out inside her.

"Oh yes…" Valerie sighed in satisfaction and opened her eyes.

"Go ahead, love. Fuck me," she whispered and furiously kissed him.

His lips sucked hers harshly as she screamed out in utter ecstasy. Harry started to drill in and out of her at a ferocious pace, fucking her against the bed and all she could do was keep her legs wrapped around his waist and welcome him in even more eagerly.

"Oh fuck! So good!" Valerie cried out once he released her lips, now swollen and even more fetching. He gripped her left tit in his right hand, the other supporting him over her as he continued to pound her hard. He was a man possessed, his mind filled with nothing but a scarlet hue of fucking her within an inch of her life. Her moans and cries had now turned into gasps as her lover used her nubile body the way he wanted.

Sweat dripped off his face onto her chest as Valerie felt herself reaching ever so closer to her climax.

"Please my love, don't stop! Fuck me, Harryyyyyy!"

Valerie's impassioned cry was followed by her climax. Harry held her firmly as she shuddered underneath him while keeping his cock hammering into her wet slit. Her mouth latched on his shoulder as she quivered on the bed, tightening her inner walls around his raging hard-on.

"Fuck I'm cumming," Harry grunted and erupted inside her in no time. Valerie sighed in pleasure as she welcomed his seed inside her, feeling rope after rope of his hot cum painting her inner walls white.

Panting, Harry rolled off her and laid right beside her, breathing deeply and trying to catch his breath as she did the same.

"The way you dragged me here right after the announcement, I knew you would be particularly intense. I liked it," she whispered with a loving smile as she turned her head towards him. Harry smiled and kissed her softly before pulling away with a sigh. Valerie scooted closer and cuddled up with him, smiling when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

"Is it arrogant of me to say that none of the duels were as challenging as I would've liked?"

Valerie looked up at him.

"A little bit, I guess. A few of them did challenge you."

Harry shook his head.

"Yeah, Warrington and Diggory in particular. But I didn't go all out against anyone. I was slightly hoping there would be someone who could push me, even if a little bit."

"Careful, Harry. Don't get cocky. You might be ahead of what Hogwarts has to offer, but the world is much larger. Keep your feet on the ground and always assume that your opponent is someone you must overcome."

Harry sighed.

"I know that. I guess I expected much more. I really hoped Diggory would be better, but he was done once I nullified his transfigurations," he remarked with a small smile.

Valerie nodded.

"Diggory is a capable wizard but his focus is very narrow. The same holds for the majority of magic users. It is a limitation that many don't ever try to overcome, simply because they master one branch of magic to such an extent that more often than not, it is enough for them to triumph in battles."

"Shortsighted in my opinion," Harry remarked with an uncaring smile as Valerie swatted his bare chest playfully.

"Not your concern. Focus on bettering yourself," she replied as she pressed herself closer to him. Harry sighed and nodded.

"Champion selection: done. On to the next stage now."

XXXXX

"Let me congratulate you on a successful selection, Harry. I am confident that you will represent Hogwarts to the best of your abilities."

Harry smiled at Dumbledore and nodded politely. Right after the announcement had been made after his final duel with Diggory, Harry had dragged Val up to the Room of Requirement for some intense workout. They were basking in the aftermath of their rigorous lovemaking when Fawkes flashed over them and dropped a summons from Dumbledore before quickly flashing away before any of them could properly react.

"Now Harry, how is the mission going?" The headmaster's voice dragged him away from his staring contest with the magical creature.

"Well, I'd say it's going nicely. I believe Slughorn considers me his best student alongside Val and has a soft spot for me, certainly because of my mum. I managed to get him to agree to spend more time with me to discuss my parents."

Dumbledore ran his hand through his beard.

"He trusts you yet?"

Harry shrugged.

"Can't say. I'm going on the assumption that he doesn't explicitly trust me. I believe it would be better to direct my efforts considering that. Furthermore, Val came up with the idea to be sincere with the man. I agree. Underneath all that exterior, he is a good man and it wouldn't hurt to form a genuine relationship with him. I don't think there is any harm in doing so either."

Dumbledore smiled at them with twinkling eyes.

"As you two deem it fit. I agree, there is no harm in getting to know Horace. He is, as you said, a good person. Just remember the endgame, Harry. We need that memory."

Harry nodded. "Don't worry, Professor. I hope to have it within a few months."

"I have full faith that you will," Dumbledore smiled, before he continued, "Now, I must ask how far you two are into the task I assigned you all those weeks ago."

Harry smiled faintly. Right after they had discovered the destroyed locket, Dumbledore told them to visit the ritual room to get an understanding of how oppressive the magic felt. His reasoning was that the more time they spent in proximity to the magic permeating the room, the more their magic would get proficient at recognizing a similar aura whenever they encountered it. The headmaster had been quite clear.

"We have no idea how many Horcruxes Tom has created, or what they might be. It is entirely possible that you might come across one of such objects and be entirely unaware of it. Additionally, it would further aid you in discerning the magical aura of cursed objects, which is a feat in itself. Not many witches and wizards have the power to feel the magic, and the best way to learn this art is to expose oneself to a highly concentrated magical aura in a controlled manner. Such a skill will surely aid you in the future. Even today I feel grateful to Nicolas for teaching me this art when I apprenticed under him."

Recalling the headmaster's words, Harry looked at Valerie who smiled at him.

"We've done as you instructed, sir. Is there any way you can test us?"

Dumbledore smiled.

"I want the two of you to tell me which object carries more cursed energy," Dumbledore began and levitated three blocks of metals on the table.

Harry looked at Valerie and nodded for her to go ahead. The woman pulled out her wand and went to scan the blocks.

"Without the wand, if you will, my dear. Feel the energy. In real life, you will not always be able to check every object with your wand and will have to tell a cursed object apart from a regular object without even knowing that a cursed object exists there in the first place. I have already made it easier for you by telling you that these objects are cursed."

Valerie frowned but put her wand away and tried to feel the aura emitted by the blocks of metals.

"I can feel the least amount of energy in this one, while the other two are almost at the same level. Even then, this one is slightly different."

Dumbledore nodded and levitated the blocks back under the table before levitating three blocks of wood and gesturing for Harry to go ahead. Immediately, he was assaulted by the foul energy emitted by the one in the middle and quickly pointed it out.

"The one on the right is tolerable, but I can tell that it also carries cursed energy. However, this one right here feels normal. I cannot sense anything."

Dumbledore smiled and brought all the blocks back to the table.

"It is very surprising to see that the two of you have become so proficient at detecting magical aura. Your answers were correct, and yes, this one is just a normal block of wood. I cut these blocks off the same cursed object we found a few years ago in the Forbidden Forest. Although harmless, it did emit certain magical energies which kept the creatures away. This one here," Dumbledore said as he picked up the block of wood and handed it to Harry, who looked at it keenly, "is a conjured block of wood and is in no way cursed."

Harry nodded with a smile.

"As I said, it is surprising to see the two of you becoming so proficient in such a short span, but when you take into consideration the magical aura you have been practising this art on, it doesn't come off as much of a surprise. A Horcrux is possibly the vilest act of magic in existence. Even curse breakers do not practice their skill on such a cursed object."

The couple nodded, inwardly elated that they had gained proficiency in such a useful skill.

"Did you two feel anything different when I brought those blocks up or did it feel different only when you focused on it?"

"The latter," Valerie admitted. Dumbledore nodded.

"So now you know where you need to improve. This skill will be very beneficial if you master it, so keep practising," Dumbledore instructed.

Harry nodded. It was indeed a very useful skill to have, and considering how he had the Triwizard Tournament coming up, he was sure it would come in handy.

The couple was soon dismissed by the headmaster, and they started to walk to the other side of the seventh floor where the Room of Requirement was situated to retire for the night. However, once they reached there, they frowned when they saw who was walking in front of the wall.

"Dobby?" Harry asked. The elf almost fell over in surprise before his eyes widened when he saw who it was.

"Harry Potter sir!" Dobby shouted in elation as he grabbed Harry's legs and looked up at him in adoration. Harry smiled and squatted in front of him.

"Val, remember Dobby? I told you about him," Harry said as he looked up at her. Valerie smiled and squatted beside him, patting the now-blushing elf on the head.

"How can I not? Your very dear friend whom you helped in your second year."

"Oh, Harry Potter sir! Dobby is not worthy!" Dobby whispered, and Harry smiled sadly. Dobby's face never failed to make him feel bad for abused house elves. Even after over a year of freedom, he looked battered.

"You are my friend, Dobby. Always remember that. Also, why are you at Hogwarts?"

Dobby smiled.

"Oh! Old master Whiskers told Dobby that Dobby could work at Hogwarts, sir. Hogwarts elves are happy, so Dobby said yes!"

Harry smiled.

"You like working here?"

Dobby nodded emphatically. Harry chuckled and patted him on the head.

"If you're happy, then it's good. What are you doing here though?" Harry asked as he looked at the door that had materialized on the wall before looking at Dobby.

"Oh, Dobby was going to the Come and Go Room, sir! The head elf Tilly asks Dobby to take these there," Dobby replied before flicking his fingers. Instantly, a few books and worn-out items of clothing materialized out of thin air behind him.

"Come and Go Room? You mean the Room of Requirement?"

Dobby nodded.

"There is a storage room there, Harry Potter sir! Dobby will throw them in and go back to cleaning."

"Well, don't let us hold you back then," Harry smiled and stood up before holding his hand out for Valerie, who took it with a smile.

"There be many magic objects and books in the storage room, Harry Potter sir!" Dobby chimed in right before he was about to go in. Harry stopped and looked at Valerie.

"Wouldn't hurt to check it out. What do you say? We might even find some hidden tomes."

Valerie nodded with a shrug, and hand in hand, the couple walked behind Dobby as the door closed behind them.

Huge piles of junk were visible as far as their eyes could see, and Harry sweatdropped.

"Yeah, it's gonna be a hassle," he muttered. Valerie shook her head and they saw Dobby walking ahead to where a few books were kept.

"Let's check those out," Harry gestured for her to follow and started to walk behind Dobby. The elf levitated the books on the shelf before looking at him expectantly. Harry looked over at the shelves and noted that all were old first or second-year books.

"Don't think these are of any use to us," Valerie remarked as she looked around. Harry nodded.

"Let's have a look around. We might find something. Dobby, you don't need to wait for us. Go on, we'll be here for a while."

Dobby smiled up at Harry before smiling at Valerie who gave him another soft pat on the head and smiled back.

"He's good," she remarked once Dobby had gone out of the room and closed the door behind him. Harry nodded.

"Let's go," he said. Hand in hand, they started to walk between the racks, looking around for anything that might be useful.

"Seems like these are things that belonged to various students over the years who no longer needed them. I wonder why there aren't recycled though," Harry muttered as he saw books and uniforms thrown all around.

"I don't think many people even know that this room exists, Harry. If I had to guess, the house elves brought everything here and the professors must have assumed that they got rid of everything without bothering to ask where those things went."

Harry nodded.

"We should inform Dumbledore about this anyway. It would certainly help poor students if nothing else."

The couple continued to look around for things that interested them. A few stacks of galleons were put into a bag that Harry conjured along with the broomsticks that would be much better suited to the flying class instead of those dilapidated brooms. Furniture was left untouched and they decided to let the headmaster deal with any other item they saw and didn't want to take out of the room.

"This is an interesting cabinet," Harry muttered to himself as he traced his fingers along the wooden carvings. His fingers swirled around one of the many runes etched all over the cabinet and he extended his rapidly developing magical senses to understand what the cabinet was.

His eyes widened when he did so, and he instantly turned around to look at Valerie who was looking at the rack on the opposite side with a frown.

"Did you sense it as well?"

Valerie nodded. Together, the couple walked over to the rack where several ornaments and jewelry were haphazardly thrown around. Harry leaned slightly closer and scanned each item before his eyes widened when he saw a tiara. He quickly levitated it between him and Valerie.

"This is it," Harry whispered and saw Valerie look at it intently. Her eyes widened when she saw what it was, and she looked at Harry.

"What?" Harry asked with a frown.

"This is Rowena's lost diadem!" Valerie exclaimed in surprise. Harry's eyes widened and he turned it around to look at it.

"This really is. Matches perfectly with her painting in the common room," Harry whispered and looked at Valerie, who glared at it.

"To think he had the gall to desecrate such an artefact like this," she spat out in disgust. Harry conjured a separate bag and put the tiara inside.

"Expecto Patronum," Harry muttered. His faithful ethereal companion burst out his wand and trotted in front of them, before looking at Harry.

"We found something important. Meet us outside the Room of Requirement as soon as you can."

They watched as it bowed in front of them before galloping through the thick wall of the room.

"Well, can't say I expected that," Valerie breathed out as she stared at the bag that housed the Horcrux. Harry sighed and placed it on the floor.

"I'll be back soon," he said. Valerie nodded and Harry started to make his way back to where they entered the room from. The door materialized in front of him and he pulled it open. Instantly, a burst of flame covered his vision and he watched as Dumbledore appeared in a flash with his faithful phoenix perched on his shoulder.

"Inside, headmaster," Harry said and turned around to open the door, quickly leading the aged wizard amidst the towering piles of junk towards Valerie. Dumbledore seemed to take in everything around him with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Even I had no idea that Hogwarts had so much junk," Dumbledore mused.

"That is not why I asked for you, sir. Although I would advise you to get all of this sorted out. It would be a waste to let it all stay here when people could use these things. Also, I have packed a few items inside this bag," Harry replied and handed the bag over to the headmaster.

Dumbledore nodded and put the shrunken bag in the pocket of his robes. They saw Valerie standing in the middle of the path with a frown on her face. Wordlessly, she passed the bag to Harry who put it on the floor and waved his wand.

The foulest of magical energies hit Dumbledore head-on and his eyes widened as he stared at the tiara inside the bag. Eyes slightly wide, he turned to look at his two students who were stoically staring back at him.

"We found it in this room a few minutes ago. Seems our training did come to use much sooner than we had expected."

Dumbledore nodded faintly as he levitated the tiara in front of him, focusing on the silvery inscription.

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."

"The famed Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw. Oh Tom, what have you done…"

"As much as it pains me as well, we need to destroy it, sir," Harry whispered. He knew the significance of what they had to do. Ravenclaw's diadem was a historical artifact with the tremendous magical power to enhance the wearer's intelligence, but it had been defiled beyond saving. Dumbledore nodded with a mournful sigh.

"Fawkes, will you please bring over the Sword of Godric?" Dumbledore asked softly, and the phoenix trilled before it vanished in a flash of orange. Within a second, it arrived with the sword clutched in its talons.

"Would you like to do the honours, Harry?"

Harry shook his head.

"Val found it. I believe she deserves to see to its end."

Dumbledore nodded and held out the sword for Valerie to take, who grabbed it resolutely and lifted it over her head. The sword swung in an arc and struck the tiara with vehemence.

An unholy shriek rattled the walls of the Room of Requirement and goosebumps rose on their skin as they staggered and almost lost their footing. Breathing harshly, Harry looked down at the tiara with a sorrowful gaze. The blue gem in the middle was cracked and the diadem was broken in two halves.

"You destroyed it," a soft voice came from behind them, and they turned abruptly to see the floating body of a female ghost staring at the tiara with a look of longing on her face.

"My lady," Dumbledore greeted respectfully.

"Headmaster," the ghost bowed her head in greeting before looking at Valerie who was staring at her, "I cannot thank you enough for destroying my mother's diadem."

"Your mother? You are Helena Ravenclaw?" Harry asked in surprise. The ghost nodded with a mournful smile.

"For years have I been tormented with the knowledge of what happened to my mother's diadem, and the role I played in its sacrilege. I express my gratitude to you for setting me free of the burden."

"What do you mean?" Valerie asked with a frown.

"He was a charming young man and he had a way with words. I was the one who told him where I had hidden the diadem after I stole it and fled from Hogwarts. Little did I know that his motive was not to find it and bring it back, but to violate it with magic so foul that it would haunt me even in the afterlife."

They looked at the ghost with sadness in their eyes as she smiled at them.

"It is with utmost sincerity that I thank you for absolving me of the guilt that had been plaguing me for years. With the destruction of the diadem, there is nothing keeping me tethered to the plane of existence. I am grateful to you for granting me this freedom. Farewell," the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw smiled at them and they saw as she slowly faded away into nothingness.

The long, pervading silence that followed was broken by Harry's amazed "Wow…" as he stared at the spot Helena had previously occupied.

"Tom has inadvertently impacted so many lives. Even he must be oblivious of the extent of his crimes and what impact they have had," Dumbledore admitted softly.

"But we are a step closer to being permanently rid of him. Another Horcrux has been destroyed," Valerie supplied. Harry nodded.

"We need to know how many he has made. So far, we have found and destroyed three, but we have no idea how many remain," he replied.

"Four, if we count the one that was in your scar," Valerie replied with a wince. Harry wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"Yeah, four. Hopefully, that was all, but something tells me it wasn't."

"I believe it was not the last we saw of Tom's Horcruxes, Harry," Dumbledore replied as he put the remains of the Diadem of Ravenclaw inside a pouch and handed it to Fawkes, who flashed away with it and the Sword of Godric.

"So far, we have found that Tom made an artefact of Salazar and another artefact of Rowena into Horcruxes. There has been no record of any artefact belonging to Godric other than his sword and the Sorting Hat. Neither of the two is or has been a Horcrux. That leaves Helga Hufflepuff," Dumbledore muttered and trailed off, looking thoughtful.

"Headmaster?" Valerie asked with a frown.

"I believe I need to conduct some research. We need to know of any possible artefacts that Tom might have converted into Horcruxes. Fortunately, I am in a position where I can gather information with relative ease. I will contact you two once I find something. In the meantime, I would urge you to work on getting that memory from Horace," Dumbledore intoned softly.

Harry nodded.

"If that is all, I shall be taking your leave. Have a good night," Dumbledore smiled.

"You as well, headmaster," Harry and Valerie greeted back and watched as Dumbledore vanished in another burst of flames.

"Well, that was unexpected," Harry remarked as the room transformed around them into a mirror of their room at home. The couple undressed for bed and cuddled up.

"Indeed, but our mission remains the same," Valerie replied as she snuggled up closer and sighed when he wrapped his arms tighter around her.

Harry nodded and soon, they dozed off.

XXXXX

To be continued…

XXXXX

Visit patreon.com/Vedros if you'd like to read a few chapters in advance or have access to more benefits.

You'll also find my originals over there, so do check it out if you're interested. Thanks!