Colliding Destinies- Part 3

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Casting-

Ciri- Laraajng

“You must be joking?” Harry stared at the headmaster, unable to believe what he just heard.

“I assure you, I’m not.” Dumbledore held his stare over the rim of his half-moon glasses. They sat together in his office after watching another meaningless memory about Tom Riddle’s life. This one, acquired from Professor Slughorn, at least told Harry exactly how his parents’ murderer survived all those years ago. But given he was no longer a threat, it was just as irrelevant as all the ones that came before.

If it weren’t for the fact that Dumbledore made good on his word and actually educated him in advanced practical magic, he knew that he would’ve given it up months ago. Though with the newest directive from the headmaster, Harry wasn’t sure even that was worth it, “You want me to return to the Dursley’s?”

“I do.” His movements seemed slow, pained, “Without knowing exactly how or why Tom disappeared, I believe that you’re in greater danger than ever.”

Harry imagined it took either true brilliance or utter stupidity to manage such an amazing level of obstinance around a subject. No matter how much evidence piled up that Tom simply wasn’t a threat any longer, Dumbledore refused to recognize the truth, “Professor,” he tried to keep his voice calm, “Tom’s gone and so are half of his Death Eaters as far as I understand it.”

Hiding away in just one room of the castle, even one as versatile as the Room of Requirement, would eventually grate on anyone. So, after a little excursion to London one weekend, Ciri decided to set herself a little task of her own. It resulted in the disappearance of at least thirty respected members of British Magical Society, including the elder Nott, Goyle, Crabbe, and Avery.

Rumors circulated of a serial killer on the loose, and he supposed there was some truth to that. Even if she isn’t outright killing them when she dumps them on some barren world.

“I’m aware of the situation, Harry.” Dumbledore let his irritation bleed through for just a moment. Harry had frustrated the man far more this year than any of his others at Hogwarts.

He tried to maintain his calm, he really did, but he couldn’t hide his consternation, “Then why in Merlin’s saggy left bollock do you think I need to go back to the Dursley’s of all places?”  

“Imaginative as your more colorful language can be, Harry, I don’t think it’s necessary.” He reprimanded him before answering, “But my reasoning today is the same as it’s ever been, for your protection.”

“I don’t need any protection. I’m still not confident I ever needed it as a child either, but I can’t change that now.”

Dumbledore sighed, looking disappointed, “I understand why you’d think that’s true. Tom’s disappearance surprised me as well. But it’s exactly when you least expect it that an adversary will strike.”

Hard to strike when he’s nothing more than a wraith haunting a dead world. Harry resisted the urge to bash his head against the desk. Talking to Dumbledore could be worse than talking to a brick wall, “Luckily for me, I now have the means to protect myself.”

“While your progress has been exemplary,” he couldn’t deny that Harry progressed massively as a wizard in recent months, “that doesn’t make you his match. You must remember that Tom has decades of experience and a willingness to delve into the darkest of magics.”

“Is this entire conversation not almost entirely moot, headmaster?” Harry decided to pivot his approach, “Once my birthday comes, I’ll be legally an adult in the wizarding world. You’ll no longer have a say in where I stay.”

“That’s true. And I intend to make plans to ensure your safety once that occurs. But for the time being, Privet Drive will be the safest place for you after term ends.” Dumbledore said it so nonchalantly.

Harry bristled at the implications. He thinks that he’ll have a say in what I do even after I’m recognized as an adult. Scoffing at the very idea, he replied, “Professor… have you lost your bleeding mind? You aren’t going to decide anything about where I stay, not now and certainly not once I’m of age. You don’t get to make plans for my future as though you have some say in the direction my life’s going to take.”

His blue eyes hardened and he leaned over his desk, “This disrespect is entirely unwarranted. I’ve overlooked a great deal from you over the years, Mr. Potter.” Harry couldn’t the last time the man referred to him by his surname, “From your deliberate rule-breaking…”

“Most of which was only done because of your inability to protect the school and its students… or because it was the only way to do the right thing.” He pointed out harshly.

“Silence…” His voice radiated with some of his legendary power, but Harry wasn’t cowed. In their lessons together, he learned a great many lessons. But the most important was simple… he could contend, at least in pure magical potential, with any wizard… even Tom and Dumbledore. Certainly, enough to get out of the room if necessary.

But Harry was smart enough not to draw his wand on the man unless absolutely necessary, “I’ve done everything in my power to protect you, to ensure you had a normal childhood. I’ve held to the agreement we made early in the term. The least you can do in return is put some faith in me and do as I request.”

Harry didn’t hesitate to contradict him, “No.” He could see the fury written into every line in the old wizard’s face, “I don’t owe you anything, headmaster. Your protection put me in more deadly situations than any student in the history of Hogwarts, I wager. My childhood wasn’t what anyone sensible would call normal. As to your tutelage this year, that was an agreement and we both fulfilled our ends of it.”

“You’re making things incredibly difficult, Mr. Potter.” Dumbledore bit out.

“It’s not my responsibility to make things easy for you, professor.” Harry goaded him, “No more so than it’s your right to make decisions about my life.”

“Be that as it may, I remain your magical guardian until your birthday, Harry.” He finally managed to return to his usual serene demeanor, “You will do as I say at least until that time. And when the time comes, I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.” There was an underlying insidiousness to the implication. And I wouldn’t put it past him to try and force the issue.

The problem with Dumbledore’s argument was simple. He thought he held all the cards, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Harry stood then, “There’s no reasoning with you, headmaster. I’d recommend you take the time to reflect on your poor choices, but something tells me you wouldn’t listen. We both know there’s nothing I can do to stop you from sending me back to the Dursley’s, but once my birthday passes, I can assure you, it will mark the end of your control over me.”

It was a lie, he had no intention of returning, not to Privet Drive, and not to Hogwarts either. His lessons with Dumbledore surpassed the curriculum of Hogwarts, even at the NEWT level. In the subjects he cared about, there was nothing left to learn at the school.

Looking every one of his many years, Dumbledore sighed, “That will be all, Harry. Hopefully, you’ll come to understand when you’ve had a chance to consider the situation with a calmer head.”

Making his way down the spiral staircase in a hurry, he headed toward the enchanted staircase and went up the castle. As he arrived on the seventh floor landing, he almost ran directly into Ron and Hermione.

His red headed friend was the first to greet him, “Hey mate, we were just looking for you. Feel like we’ve barely seen you this year.”

“You’ve both been busy, and so have I.” While they spent far less time together, Harry helped Ron deal with a love potion meant for him. It resulted in the inevitable end to his relationship with Lavender. Since then, his one-time closest friends started spending time together again.

“Right completely understandable.” Ron seemed to be lost for what to say and turned toward Hermione.

“So, Harry, were you at one of your lessons with Dumbledore?” His bookish friend picked his brain about the lessons each time he returned. The magic interested her, but she was always more fixated on Tom’s past. Since Harry knew it no longer mattered, he just told her what he learned and got on with it most often.

“Yes.” He replied blandly.

“And?”

He made sure there was no one else around before answering. While he knew they no longer helped Tom, horcruxes were still a revolting magic that shouldn’t be repeated, if possible, “Tom Riddle is a monster, as though we didn’t already know that. He used murder to split his soul and distribute it across seven horcruxes that keep him alive if his body is destroyed.”

Hermione looked almost ill at the news, “That’s horrible.”

“I thought so too.”

“So… what’s the plan then?” Ron questioned.

Harry furrowed his brow, “What do you mean?”

“Surely, Professor Dumbledore has a plan.” Hermione said as though it was obvious.

“I’m sure he intends to hunt them down and destroy them.” Harry hadn’t questioned the man with regards to that, “Or at least the rest of them. The diary from second year was one of them, and Dumbledore found a ring that once belonged to the Gaunt family that was one as well.”

They shared a look before Hermione spoke up, “And… are you going to help?”

He snorted at the very idea, “No. Tom’s gone and so are half the Death Eaters. I’ve spent enough of my life dealing with that maniac.”

He knew before it started that he was about to get a lecture from Hermione. After six years of it, he could sense it like an oncoming storm, “Harry, you’re the only other person that the headmaster trusts with this information. As you said, Voldemort is a monster. There’s no knowing if he’ll ever come back, and if he does, it would be in the best interest of the entire wizarding world if he didn’t have half a dozen soul anchors to keep him here when he does.”

“I agree.” Harry genuinely didn’t have any argument with her logic, even if he knew that she was wrong on at least one account, “It’s just not my responsibility to deal with it.”

“What do you mean? You…”

“Just because that bastard targeted me as a baby and murdered my parents doesn’t mean I’m the one who needs to hunt down his horcruxes. I don’t think that’s the sort of life my mum, my dad, or Sirius for that matter, wanted for me.”

“So, you’re just going to… ignore it.” They were both staring at him as though he’d grown a second head.

Harry nodded, “That’s exactly what I’m going to do. The headmaster has plenty of loyal witches and wizards in the Order that he’s trusted since before I was even born. They’re more than capable of doing what’s necessary without my help.”

“That doesn’t sound like you, mate.” Ron sounded concerned.

“I have six years of playing the hero,” Harry reminded them, “Most the time, all it got me was the suspicion and derision of the school. Hell, it even got me plastered across the Daily Prophet as a mad man. Then, when they realized that I was right all along, I’m suddenly the savior. Well, lucky for them, Tom’s gone. No savior needed.”

Neither of them knew what to say to that for a long moment. Harry had a sinking suspicion that this entire encounter hadn’t occurred naturally. It just felt too convenient that they just happened to find him right after his meeting with Dumbledore.

Deciding to test that theory, he casually mentioned, “Of all the odd things I learned today, the oddest is definitely that Dumbledore expects me to go back to the Dursley’s this summer.”

Again, they shared a look. It was Hermione who spoke up, seemingly nervous, “Well… I can see his reasoning. There’s no knowing where Voldemort’s actually disappeared to and when he’s going to return, and I imagine you would be the first person that the Death Eaters would blame for his disappearance.”

Scowling as the same poor explanations he heard from Dumbledore were parroted by one of his oldest friends, he blankly replied, “Possibilities aren’t good enough to convince me to deal with the Dursleys for a whole summer.”

“And there’s that vigilante to worry about as well,” Ron piped in, seemingly oblivious to the shift in Harry’s mood, “I know they’ve only gone after the right sort so far, but that might change at some point.”

Utterly unimpressed, Harry countered sarcastically, “I’m sure your parents will have the Burrow under a Fidelious Charm by the time you get home since it’s such a great worry.”

“Harry…” Hermione tried to reason with him.

“No, Hermione.” They’d had their ups and downs throughout their friendship, but he’d never felt such genuine anger toward the pair of them before, “Listen to me very carefully. I’m not going to hunt the horcruxes. You’re welcome to do it if you’d like. I’m sure Dumbledore would be happy to point you in the right direction.”

“But…” Ron tried to interject.

“No buts because it’s not a negotiation. And you can trust that I won’t be spending one minute at Privet Drive this summer either. They never wanted me, and I never wanted to be there. We’ll all be much happier for it.” He smiled at them, but there was no mirth in it. “If either of you have a problem with accepting these things, you’re more than welcome to go and tell Dumbledore right now. It’s not as though it’ll be the first conversation you’ve had with him on the matter.”

With that he left them behind and headed straight for the Room of Requirement. They were too stunned by his outright anger toward them to even think of following. As the door appeared it, he stepped through to find Ciri sitting on a couch quietly reading a book. When she saw him, she furrowed her brow, “Is something wrong?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” It was obvious she knew that wasn’t true because she put the book down, “My two oldest friends just made it glaringly obvious they’ve had discussions about me with Dumbledore, and that they agreed to help convince me to his way of thinking.”

“And you’re angry.” She pointed out the obvious.

“Absolutely furious.” He could feel just bubbling below the surface. The room around them changed then. After spending months in it, Ciri probably had a better understanding than anybody since the founders of the Room and how to manipulate it.

They stood in a familiar training room. Walking over to a rack, she picked up a sword and handed it to him, “So let it out.”

He wasn’t what anyone would consider a skilled swordsman, but Ciri taught him more than enough that he was comfortable with it in his hand. And he had to agree, there was something to be said for bashing something with a sword for dealing with one’s anger and aggression.

Tightening his grip on the weapon, he approached the nearest dummy and hit against its side hard enough that it echoed throughout the room. He swung his arm repeatedly as he lost all sense of himself for a few minutes. He let out the screams that he’d been holding in during his meeting with Dumbledore as he hacked and slashed at the faceless training dummy. It chipped and cracked as he kept swinging until sweat poured from his brow and his arm ached all the way up to his shoulder.

In a final moment of frustration, the sword slipped from his fingers as he took out his wand. The Blasting Curse that erupted from it turned the dummy into nothing more than shrapnel.

As Harry breathed deeply, the destruction he caused cleaned itself up as though it’d never happened. It was only then that he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he found Ciri gazing up at him, not judging in the slightest, but still concerned, “Do you feel better?”

Taking one last large breath, he nodded even if he could still feel that niggling frustration as he thought back on both conversations, “Mostly.”

“Only mostly?” She chuckled out the question.

“For now.” One destructive session, cathartic as it was, wasn’t enough to dampen the sting of betrayal. Dumbledore’s understandable. The man just can’t accept he’s wrong. But Ron and Hermione should be supporting me.

A playful gleam entered her eye, and he half-expected her to suggest that they spar. He couldn’t have been farther from the mark as she slipped down to her knees in front of him. Smiling at his stunned expression, she told him, “There’s more than one way to deal with frustration… and I can’t think of a better way to take your mind off of it than this.”

Her hands went to the belt of his trousers, undoing the buckle and pulling it through the loops before tossing it aside. Unsnapping the button, she pushed them down his legs all the way to his ankles. With him in just his pants, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his bulge.

She kept teasing him until he let a moan slip from his lips. It was only then that she hooked her fingers under the elastic and pulled them down to reveal his hard length. He had to agree with her earlier sentiment. It was rather hard to brood on Ron and Hermione when Ciri’s lovely face was mere inches from his cock.

Holding him just below the crown, she angled him upwards and leaned in to kiss and lick at the base of his cock. Going lower, she lavished each of his heavy bollocks with attention, popping each into her mouth to literally suckle on them, before making her way up his shaft. As a bead of precum leaked from his shaft, Ciri gathered it on her thumb and started working the slippery fluid into his hardness.

Paying special attention to that wonderful little spot right where his crown met the rest of his shaft, Ciri gripped the base of his cock with her slippery hand and started jerking him slowly. As another pulse of precum landed on her forehead, she opened her greedy little mouth and enveloped his tip. Her tongue delved into his slit to try and get the rest of it as she stared up at him.

Her eyes captivated him as she started pushing her way down his length. Both hands followed the path of her lips until he prodded the back of her throat. He could feel her swallow around his intrusion before he filled those tight confines. She managed to get him just a few inches deeper before…

Hruphm… Gluhk… The sound of such a beautiful young woman gagging as she tried to stuff him further down his throat was amongst the most pleasant things he’d ever heard in his life. One of the few things that eclipsed it in his opinion was the sound of her cumming around his cock. And with any luck, he’d be treated to that in short order.

But for the time being, he needed to be satisfied with Ciri’s immaculate cock sucking as she worshipped every inch of him. What a terrible burden.

Bobbing her head faster, and then faster again, she made lewd slurping sounds on the way up each time as she hollowed out her cheeks to try to pull his cum right out of his balls into her hungry little mouth.

It seemed to him she was perfectly happy to keep going until she got her hard-earned prize, but Harry had other ideas. Pushing against her shoulder, she popped off his spit-soaked cock with a gasp.

He didn’t give her a chance to compose herself before turning her around. Without any prompt, she dropped her elbows to the floor and arched her back. It left her perky bum on beautiful display in a pair of skintight leather trousers.

Pulling them down in that position wasn’t easy. Ciri even slid across the floor slightly as he did it, but she didn’t mind his manhandling in the slightest. As he managed to force her garments down to her knees, he was treated to the sight of her glistening slit just begging for his attention.

“Oh fuck… Harry!” Ciri’s eyes rolled to the back of her head as he leaned in and took one long, languid lick from her clit to her bum.  He forced his tongue into her tiny tunnel and scraped along her sensitive walls as she mewled with pleasure.

Ciri reached back and held him in place as her other hand scratched along the floor, looking for any purchase. Her leg shook with pleasure as two fingers joined his dexterous tongue with a wet squelch. He pushed them deeper and hooked them before flexing them in a ‘cum hither’ motion.

‘Cum’ being the operative word as Ciri’s back arched as she let out a guttural scream. Her juices squirted around his fingers to cover the ground at her knees as he left her quivering with pleasure. She let go of his hair as she twitched through her peak.

It seemed like the perfect opportunity to straighten and push his cock into her still pulsating pussy. Her walls rippled around his length as he forced every inch into her welcoming warmth.

“Holy… fucking… hell…” Ciri rasped out with each thrust as he started bouncing her perky bum against his hips.

Smack… smack… smack… She reached for him and he took her hand, holding it as she twisted slightly so she could look at him as he pounded her beautiful body.

“That’s it… that’s it… use my pussy to… to… ” She had to pause as her body shook with another small orgasm, “To let out all of that frustration… Harry…”

Pulling on her arm, her back bowed as he pulled her tight to his chest and kissed her. There were so many things he wanted to say to the unique young woman in that moment, but all he could do was keep pumping his hips as he drew closer and closer to his peak.

Her nails dug into his hip as she forced her ass back to meet each of his body-shaking thrusts. His movements grew more frantic with each new smack as he felt the tension in his groin grow.

Wrapping his arms around her, he groaned low in his throat as his bollocks pulled tight to his body. A sinful whimper escaped from Ciri as she joined him in ecstasy when that first rope of warmth filled her. Pulse after pulse filled her until he had nothing left to give. As his cock slipped free of her tightness, a sizable bead of white followed.

As they basked in the afterglow, his earlier frustration was the furthest thing from his mind. They helped each other back into their clothes with more than a few teasing touches that promised more later. Once Ciri had the mental wherewithal to manage it, the room around them changed, and they ended up spooned together on a couch.

Softly, she promised him, “You’re not going back to the Dursley’s.” While he would wager her childhood had been worse than his, she’d been appalled at how his family treated him.

“I know.”

Her voice grew softer, more nervous, “Even if it means going somewhere completely new. Somewhere your headmaster can’t find you.”

He’d been having the same thought for some time. Ciri could take them anywhere and anytime, places far beyond the reach of Dumbledore or anyone else. The only thing that had stopped him was his friends, but after their latest interaction, he thought they could do with some distance. I’ll need to at least leave them a letter. Not just for Ron and Hermione, but Neville, Ginny, and Luna as well.

He kissed her forehead, “You’re brilliant.”

“I try.”

“Perhaps you could take me to your home. I could meet the likes of Geralt and Yennefer in the flesh.” Harry knew the names and a few small stories about her adoptive parents, but he was sure there was a great deal more she could share about them.

That brought a wistful smile to her face, “I think I’d like that. It’s been some time since I last saw them and in recent weeks…  I’ve had a feeling that it’s time I should change that.”

They fell into a comfortable silence then as Harry pondered a new world and all the possibilities it presented.