Chapter 13

"Ladies," Harry said once he managed to bring Crystal into the common room. "this is Crystal Peters."

"This is your new follower?" Bellatrix raised an eyebrow.

"I thought she was an evil witch." Crystal whispered to Harry as she pointed at Bellatrix.

"Yes but now she's my evil witch." Harry replied.

"Oh, okay." Crystal nodded, his word being enough for her to be comfortable around the famous murderer.

"What's so special about her?" Daphne asked curiously.

"Well the lovely Miss Peters is in fact a siren." Harry answered.

"A siren?" Tracy repeated.

"Yes, an interesting fact about siren's is that they can bond with a person for life." Harry said with a smile on his face. "Thanks to this bond she will do any and everything I say, the only times she wouldn't would be if she didn't really understand what I was telling her."

"Really?" Daphne raised an eyebrow as they all looked at Crystal.

"Perhaps you would like proof?" Harry asked as he conjured a knife. "Crystal, be a dear and cut off your ears."

The other girls were about to say something when Crystal took the knife without hesitation and brought it up to her ears, they saw her pull her left ear with her left hand as she brought the cold hard steel of the knife against it with her right, she pulled down with her right hand and tried to cut her ear off only to open her eyes when she realised she still had an ear, she blinked and looked in her hand and saw that she now had a rose instead of a knife. She looked at Harry who gave her a smile.

"You now what, keep those ears and the rose." He said.

"Thank you!" She smiled widely at him.

"Okay, I'm convinced." Tracy said eventually.

"Bellatrix, I'll want you to train her as well." Harry said to Bellatrix who gave him a small nod. "Good we'll start tomorrow." Harry said before cupping Crystal's cheek and gave her a small kiss on the lips. "I shall see you tomorrow." He said.

"I look forward to it." She said with a dreamy smile before Harry waved his hand, causing her to disappear in a flash of light.

"Well...that was an experience." Tracy said eventually with Daphne quietly nodding in agreement behind her.

"She didn't even hesitate when you told her to cut off her ears." Daphne pointed out with a small bit of disbelief leaking out despite her attempt to act like nothing was wrong.

"Like I said, she's a siren, and I am her bonded mate." Harry grinned.

"How did that happen master?" Bellatrix asked.

"Simple, we walked in a hallway and her hand brushed against mine, our magic reacted to each other and she became bonded to me." Harry explained. "Perhaps you girls should leave now. It's nearly time to sleep and we do have lessons tomorrow." The girls all nodded and began leaving when Harry grabbed Isabella by the hand. "You stay here for a moment." Harry ordered, and Isabella could tell it was an order so she stopped in her tracks. "Bella, go to bed, I'll be there soon." Bellatrix frowned but obeyed.

"Good night niece." She said to Isabella as she left the room.

"Did...did I do something wrong?" Isabella asked tentatively.

"You were unusually quiet and subdued." Harry pointed out as he leaded her to a chair, he sat in the chair and pulled her onto his lap, she dropped down without protest. "Is it because of Crystal? I do hope it's not because she's a siren."

"No," Isabella shook her head slightly. "it's not that...it's just..." She trailed off as her shoulders began trembling.

"Just what?" Harry asked softly.

"I...I was your most loyal and...now you have Crystal...and you won't need me anymore...and..."

"Shush." Harry said as he placed a finger on her lips to make her be quiet, when he removed the finger she had her lips pulled together and looked at him. "Crystal is not your replacement, you will not get one either. Yes Crystal is undoubtedly loyal to me but so are you. I did not free you from the shackles that your father and brother have put on you just to cast you aside like a toy. No...you are mine, from now till you die."

"You...you're right." Isabella sniffed as she wiped her eyes. "I am sorry for crying."

"Emotions are not a weakness unless you let them become one," Harry replied as he kissed her forehead. "I hope that you and Crystal get along because I have no doubt that the two of you would be incredibly powerful together if you did."

"I...I can try if that's what you want." Isabella replied.

"It is." Harry smiled at her. "Never change Isabella."

"Thank you," She smiled at him and kissed him on the lips. "thank you for all you've done."

"Anything for you." Harry smile back. "Now go please, we have lessons tomorrow and I still need to do my nightly 'good night ritual' with your aunt."

"No need for the euphemism." Isabella said as she stood up. "Good night." She added before leaving, smiling widely as she did.

Harry got up to his feet, he entered the bed chamber where he found Bellatrix in his bed, her body covered by the bed covers but it was obvious that she wasn't wearing any clothes. She looked at him with a smile and twinkle in her eyes.

"Master, perhaps you should come closer so I can thank you for looking after my niece." She purred.

"Well, who am I to refuse?" Harry grinned.

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The rest of the year soon flew by, the girls were advancing with their training and so was Crystal who had quickly become friends with the girls and seemed to get along with Isabella the most due to both having a fanatical devotion to Harry. The other Slytherin's continued to remember their place and were quick to obey Harry, the females especially. The rest of the teachers continued to love him, expect for Snape who continued to hate Harry as much as possible even though he was now trying and failing at being more subtle about it.

One month from the end of the year Harry had finally gotten bored of Quirrell, he decided that if the man wasn't going to do anything interesting then there was no point in allowing him free reign around the school. Harry was tempted to confront Quirrell and the thing in the back of his head that he knew to be Voldemort but he decided against it. He had no interest in fighting Voldemort unless he was at his strongest, so Harry just poisoned Quirrell's tea. Not original or even brilliant but it got the job done. When the year ended Harry told Bellatrix to stay in his room and told her he'd summon her once he got home, she didn't know how he was going to do that but didn't question him. Slytherin had won the house cup, largely thanks to Snape taking away points from any non-Slytherin's and Harry's ability to gain points from nearly every teacher in school.

As of the moment Harry found himself on the train back from Hogwarts, he sat in his compartment with Isabella on his left side, cuddling into him while Crystal did the same on his right. Crystal had been very useful to him as she helped improve the relationship he had with Hufflepuff house. In the eyes of the Hufflepuffs, he was Harry Potter, the Slytherin who befriended one of their own and kept the other Slytherin's from bullying her.

Opposite Harry was Daphne and Tracy who were both reading a book, Daphne was reading a story book while Tracy was reading a quidditch magazine. Harry was fine with this amount of people in the compartment, Isabella's brother along with a few other Slytherin's had tried to join Harry but it was quickly made clear that they weren't allowed.

The peace and quiet was soon finished when they arrived at the station.

"So...I guess this is goodbye for this year." Daphne said.

"For this year," Harry nodded, he then turned to Isabella. "I want you to go back home, act normal until I get there."

"You're coming?!" She lit up with excitement.

"Of course," Harry grinned. "I have to have a chat with your dad about how he treats my followers." Harry added and a wide smile appeared on Isabella's face as she imagined what would happen when Harry deals with her dad.

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After saying his goodbyes to the girls on the train Harry got off the train where he saw all the parents and children greeting each other on the platform. He gave a small wave and smile at a few people such as Cho and Fay as he began walking.

"Harry!" A voice said, he turned to see Ginny Weasley running towards him. He smiled at her as she jumped towards him and hugged him tightly. "Oh I missed you!" She said as he hugged him back for several seconds before the two let go.

"Likewise, you're looking very beautiful today." Harry said, causing her to blush slightly but she smiled at him.

"Thank you. And you...you look...brilliant." She managed to get out. "Oh and thank you for Mercury! He's my best friend now."

"I'm glad." Harry responded. "I knew the two of you would become good friends, I'm also glad that next year we won't need to write to each other as we'll be in the same school."

"I know, I'm so excited." She grinned. "Thanks for sending those letters by the way, I've sent and got more letter from you than all my brothers."

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Yeah." Ginny said with a sour look on her face. "I mean, the twins did at least once a month even though they promised a week but I didn't mind that. Percy did it once every few months which was fine but Ron didn't even bother after the first month. I guess he was too busy."

"Busy?" Harry snorted. "I doubt it, I know he's not studying because he's near the bottom of the class if not the bottom of the class."

"Not surprising," Ginny replied. "he was never the smartest in the bunch."

"Of that, I have no doubt." Harry replied. "So, I guess you're looking forward to going to school."

"Oh yes, I..."

"Ginny!" A loud voice interrupted, Ginny made a face that was a combination of embarrassment, exasperation and anger. Harry looked towards the source of the voice and saw a red haired woman bustling towards them followed by a red haired balding man along with Percy Wesley, the twins and the youngest brother. "Oh, there you are," She said as she came over. "you shouldn't be running off like that, I...oh...who are you?" She said when she saw Harry, Harry was about to respond when she continued talking. "Oh yes, young Harry, Ron's told me all about you." She smiled.

"Has he?" Harry raised an eyebrow while Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Mum..." Ginny started but was interrupted.

"Shush Ginny," Molly replied. "let me talk with Ron's friend."

"I am not Ronald's friend, Mrs Weasley." Harry said, causing a look of surprise and confusion to appear on Molly's face.

"But he told me you were." She frowned.

"Mum..." Ron was about to talk when Harry interrupted.

"Then I am afraid he has lied to you," Harry said in an apologetic voice. "me and Ronald have barely talked all year. In fact, out of all of your children, I know Ginny the best."

"Ginny?" The Weasley family blurted out as they looked at a smug Ginny.

"Yes, me and Harry have been sending letters to each other all year after we met at the platform." Ginny explained with a smile.

"But I've never seen you write a letter to him." Arthur Weasley, the husband and father, said in a curious and slightly confused voice.

"That's because I sent the letters to her and she reply's with the owl that comes with the letter." Harry explained. "I must say, I am glad that she does, she's a very interesting young lady. Now, if you'll excuse me then I'll be off. Ginny," Harry as he took her hand in his own and placed a small kiss on her knuckles. "I hope to see you soon." He smiled at her before walking off.

"Well, well Gin-Gin..." Fred said. "we didn't know that you were..."

"Best friends with Mr Potter..." George continued. "writing to each other all year."

"Well done Gin, or do you prefer..."

"Mrs Potter?"

"Shut it." Ginny said as she slapped the two of them on the arm.

"Since when have the two of you been friends?!" Ron demanded, he had spent most of the year trying to get Harry to be his friend and probably would've become friends if not for the slimy snakes that kept him away from Harry. And now he discovered that his sister had already done what he had been trying to do for ages.

"Since we met on the platform." Ginny smiled. "You should really pay attention Ron, I had already said that."