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Harry sat with his coven for his second conclave meeting. It had been a few weeks since they’d given the tainted potion ingredients to Agranov and her business had already taken a big hit.

“How’s Agranov doing?” Harry asked the twins, eager to hear about the continued fallout to her businesses.

“It’s going even better than we thought,” Fred said with a smile. “We weren’t the only ones to lower our prices after word got out about Agranov’s potion disaster. Every one of her competitors did the same. I don’t think they’re even making a profit at the prices they’re charging.”

“What? Why are they doing that?” Emma asked, furrowing her brows in confusion. She could understand the logic behind lowering their prices to make things difficult for Agranov, but why would they take a loss, too?

“Agranov is bleeding galleons, and her reputation is in the toilet,” George explained. “But given enough time, she’ll recover. She’ll use the profits from her other lines of business to make up for the losses from her potions. Her competitors want to prevent that, and force her to rack up even more losses.”

“Aren’t they in the same boat as her?” Hermione asked. “They’re losing a lot of money, too.”

“Not as much as Agranov,” Fred replied. “She operates on a larger scale than all of them combined, so her fixed costs are much higher. It wasn’t an issue when she dominated the market, but right now it’s her biggest weakness.”

Harry nodded, following the twin’s logic. “What about Krum?”

“He isn’t doing too great either,” Ron replied. “The rumors about how Levski died are in full swing. Even his allies are worried, wondering what he’ll do now that Levski isn’t around anymore to keep him in check.”

“The rumor is, he’s having a lot of trouble finding someone to replace Levski,” Neville added.

Harry looked across the room to see Viktor glaring at him openly. ‘He doesn’t even realize he’s making it worse for himself,’ he thought, seeing how the other covens did everything they could to stay out his way, not wanting his furious look to be directed at them.

He winked at Viktor as he ran his fingers through Emma’s and Hermione’s hair. His girls caught on quickly, leaning into his touch as they made a show of it, pushing Viktor’s buttons even more.

They didn’t have to wait long for Viktor’s reaction as he shot to his feet a second later, looking like he was ready for a fight before he growled, seeing the eyes of the other covens on him, and stormed off.

“Neville, you’re up,” Harry said to his friend quietly, knowing it was the perfect time to capitalize on Krum’s anger.

“I’m on it,” Neville nodded confidently, rising to his feet as he followed Viktor.

Harry looked at Viktor’s metamorphmagus slave, studying her carefully. ‘There’s something off about her,’ he thought. She still looked like Hermione, but only superficially. He remembered how Tonks could change forms flawlessly, and that was after seeing someone just once. It was just as easy as breathing for her, leaving him wondering why this metamorphmagus had so much difficulty with her transformation.

---

Neville walked out of the hall to find Viktor pacing outside, angrily muttering to himself. He took a deep breath, knowing his friends were counting on him, watching Krum for a moment before he acted.

He cleared his throat, getting Krum’s attention, watching as Viktor whirled around to face him, glaring openly as he recognized him.

“What do you want?” Viktor growled menacingly.

“I’m not here for a fight,” Neville said, holding up his hands, palms facing forward. “I just wanted to have a word with you,” he added, knowing that he would have his work cut out for him with how aggressive Krum was.

“Well, I have nothing to say to you,” Viktor sneered. “So leave!”

“I’m not your enemy,” Neville replied calmly. “I just came across some information that I thought you would find useful.”

“And why should I believe anything you have to say?” Viktor demanded. ‘He is playing with me,’ he thought, knowing this had to be a trick.

“You don’t have to believe me,” Neville said, reaching into his robes, and pulling out the stack of letters that the twins forged for him. “Just read this.”

Viktor glanced at the stack of letters distrustfully, before snatching them up, his curiosity getting the better of him. He tore open the first envelope, skimming through the letter. “This is Andrei’s handwriting,” he said, his eyebrow narrowing in suspicion. “How did you get these?!” He demanded.

“The how doesn’t matter. Just keep reading,” Neville insisted, knowing that saying anything now would just make Krum more suspicious.

Viktor glared at Neville again before he returned to the letter. ‘Andrei is still upset about the territory I lost to Potter,’ he thought with a sigh, reading his words. Then he glared at the letter as he got to the next part. ‘I’ll kill him,’ he thought, seeing red. Andrei was asking for support from their allies, trying to force him out of his own coven.

“The rest of the letters are more of the same,” Neville explained. “He wants to get rid of you and is looking for allies.”

“Why would you show me these?” Viktor demanded, holding up the stack of letters. There was no love lost between him and Potter, and he doubted he would lift a finger to help him, let alone send a member of his own coven to do it.

“You already know of my family’s long history with Vasiliev,” Neville explained. “He orchestrated the attack on my parents and nearly brought my family to its knees. I want to return the favor,” he said, smiling darkly.

“Potter is your leader. Don’t play me for a fool,” Viktor said, throwing the letters to the floor. “I know you would never betray him.”

“I’ve never been this close to getting back at the Vasiliev’s,” Neville shot back. “Besides, Potter isn’t who I thought he was,” he said with a sneer. “The power has gone to his head. He’s too fool of himself, too arrogant. The way he treats us now, I don’t even recognize him anymore.”

“Go on,” Viktor said, finding himself intrigued. The animosity between the Longbottom’s and the Vasiliev’s went back for centuries, and under the right conditions would be enough to turn Longbottom against Potter.

“Potter didn’t grow up like us,” Neville continued, further ingratiating himself with Krum. “He doesn’t understand the responsibility, the duty. He’s more interested in having fun than making the hard decisions. This is just a game to him,” he continued, pacing back and forth. “That’s why he’s going to fail. Even know he’s bragging about defeating you, like it’s some grand victory to win a duel,” he said, throwing his hand up in the air. “When everyone could see, it was the furthest thing from a real fight,” Neville added, playing to Krum’s ego.

Krum smirked, a sly smile on his face. ‘Finally, someone that understands,’ he thought. ‘Potter could never beat me in a real fight,’ he thought, unknowingly playing into Neville’s hands. “The rules prevented me from using my normal spell repertoire. That’s why he got lucky.”

“Exactly!” Neville continued, laying it on thick. “It’s all he’s talked about for the last month, and I’m sick of it,” he growled. “He made promises to me when I joined him. He said he would support me in going after Vasiliev, but he hasn’t made good on any of it, and I’m tired of waiting.”

“What is it exactly that you want from me?” Krum asked, feeling much calmer now that he found a potential ally.

“I want to join your coven,” Neville stated boldly. “Dismiss Vasiliev publicly. Embarrass him, withdraw your protection, then leave the rest to me. I’ll deal with him personally.”

Krum smirked, imaging the look on Vasiliev’s face when he realized he was the one that had been outmaneuvered. “I think we have a deal,” He said, holding his hand out for Neville to shake.

Neville smiled, shaking Viktor’s hand. “And when the time comes, I’ll stand with you when you take down Potter.”

Krum smiled, thinking of what he could do with a spy in Potter’s ranks.

---

“How did it go?” Harry whispered as Neville sat down next to him.

“See for yourself,” Neville replied with a smirk, subtly nodding his head towards Krum.

Harry covered his smile as he saw the look in Krum’s eyes. ‘Perfect,’ he thought, knowing they had Krum on the hook, and was eager to see the fallout as the break ended, and the triumvirate resumed the meeting.

“It is with deep regret that I must inform you a coven member has passed away,” one of the triumvirate said, getting the attention of the covens. “Our condolences to you, Viktor.”

“Thank you,” Viktor said, rising to his feet and nodding his head solemnly.

The triumvirate member returned the nod. “You will have until our next meeting to select a suitable replacement for your coven.”

Viktor glanced at Vasiliev for a moment, hiding his smirk. “I will actually replace two members of my coven,” he said, to the startled gasps of his covens, and the surprised looks from the triumvirate. “I am dismissing Dimitri Vasiliev with immediate effect.”

Seeing an opportunity to escalate things further, Harry subtly cast a wandless spell on Vasiliev. “Indignatio,” he muttered the spell, subtly instigating the already furious man.

You could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed as Vasiliev looked at Krum, first in shock and surprise, then growing anger as he shot to his feet. “How dare you!” He shouted. “After everything I’ve done for you, after everything I’ve sacrificed!” He finished, spitting mad.

“Enough!” the triumvirate member shouted, cutting Vasiliev short before he could say another word. “What is your reason for dismissing Dimitri Vasiliev?”

A smirk played on Krum’s lips as he stared Vasiliev dead in the eyes, responding. “Gross incompetence.”

Vasiliev’s eyes widened in outrage as he lost control of his temper. “I’ll kill you!” He threatened, lunging forward.

“ENOUGH!” the triumvirate member shouted, placing a barrier between the raging Vasiliev and the smirking Krum. “There will be no violence in this chamber!”

“I challenge you to a duel for leadership of the coven!” Vasiliev said, unknowingly playing in to Neville’s lie. “And after I defeat you, it will be you that is ejected from the coven!”

Harry couldn’t keep the smile off his face at this turn of events, knowing Vasiliev’s challenge would further reinforce the animosity between them, and solidify the idea in Krum’s mind that Vasiliev was out to get him.

“A challenge has been issued,” the second triumvirate member said, getting to her feet. “Do you accept?” She asked, looking at Viktor expectantly.

Viktor smiled darkly, relishing the opportunity to take down Vasiliev himself, and humiliate him further. “I accept.”

“Very well,” the triumvirate member said. “In the interests of putting this to rest quickly, the duel will begin immediately. Please proceed to the dueling chamber.”

Harry watched as the two men left, followed shortly by the other covens, eager to see the implosion of Viktor’s coven for themselves. He stood up, Hermione, Emma, and the rest of their coven in tow as they followed everyone else out to the dueling chamber.

“Standard rules apply,” the triumvirate member said. “No permanent damage, no unforgivables.”

Viktor and Dimitri nodded to the triumvirate member as they drew their wands, ready to fight.

Viktor was the first to act as he flung his arm forward. “Incendicus Flagrum!” He shouted, creating a whip of flame he directed towards Vasiliev chest.

Vasiliev’s eyes widened, mentally noting the spell was just on the edge of what was allowed in the duel. “Expulso!” He shouted, just before the whip connected, creating a shock wave of air to put out the flames.

He looked at Krum wearily, knowing the dangerously unstable man wasn’t playing around, and if he wasn’t careful, the duel could cost him his life, regardless of the rules.

Viktor looked at Vasiliev with disdain, wondering why he had invited the man to join his coven in the first place. He was already cowed, after just the first spell. ‘If his reflexes were any slower, the fight would already be over,’ he thought with disgust as he changed tactics, deciding to humiliate his former ally in front of their peers first.

“Incarcerous!” Viktor shouted, whipping his wand forward, intent on exposing Vasiliev for the ineffectual fool he was.

“Diffindo!” Vasiliev shouted, sensing the change in Viktor’s intent, and cutting through the ropes before they made contact, finding his use of school yard spells even more infuriating. “Bombarda!” He shouted in retaliation, aiming for Viktor’s chest.

Viktor easily saw the spell coming, having already expected such a reaction from his former ally. ‘Predicable,’ he thought with contempt. ‘He’s always had a poor repertoire of spells,’ he thought with disgust.

“Protego,” he said, watching as the spell landed harmlessly on his shield.

“Diffindo! Diffindo! Diffindo!” Viktor shouted, sending a trio of cutting curses at Vasiliev in retaliation, aiming two for his shoulder, and the other at his legs, making it difficult to dodge.

Dimitri cursed, hastily raised a shield. “Protego!” he said, taken by surprise at the speed of Viktor’s spells. There was no room for him to dodge, and he had to take the full brunt of the spells on his shield.

The first spell was absorbed by his shield, and the second shattered it. Dimitri attempted to sidestep the third spell, but he was half a second too slow. He grimaced as it sliced the side of his leg, causing him to bleed profusely. He clutched his leg and clenched his teeth, refusing to give Krum the satisfaction of hearing him scream.

Viktor smirked, seeing an opportunity to further humiliate his former ally. “Tarantallegra,” he said, laughing as Vasiliev’s legs spasmed and jerked as he was forced to tap dance.

Dimitri’s face turned red with humiliation and anger as Viktor easily caught him with his next spell. “Finite Incantatem,” he said, swiftly countering the spell, but the damage was already done. He could hear Viktor’s laughter and the muffled guffaws of the watching crowd.

“Confringo!” Dimitri shouted, rage overtaking him as he aimed the deadly blasting curse straight at Viktor’s laughing face.

Getting serious again, Viktor side stepped, avoiding the spell as it crashed harmlessly against the shield protecting the watching crowd. “Bombarda!” he retaliated, sending a blasting curse of his own, targeting Dimitri’s injured leg.

This time Dimitri couldn’t hold back his scream of pain as the spell connected, shattering the bones in his leg as he crumpled to the floor in agony.

Harry watched from the crowd as he sent off another wandless indignatio at Viktor’s back, careful to make sure no one was watching, and further instigating Viktor.

Viktor growled as he looked at the broken and bleeding form of his former enforcer, wondering why he had allowed someone so weak to join him in the first place.

“Are you able to continue?” the watching triumvirate member asked the downed man. “Or do you surrender?”

Before Dimitri could swallow his pride and offer his surrender, Viktor lashed out, surprising everyone with his next spell. “Crucio!” He hissed, wanting his betrayer and former ally to really suffer.

Dimitri screamed out in agony, thrashing on the floor helplessly as Viktor held the spell on him, his nerve endings feeling like they were on fire as he lost all sense of time, his world filled with nothing but agony.

“STOP!” the triumvirate member demanded, infuriated that Viktor had broken the terms of the duel and flouted their authority so egregiously.

Viktor ignored the triumvirate member, laughing darkly as he refused to let up on the curse. He was so consumed by his blood lust he didn’t even hear the watching crowd go silent as they watched on in growing horror.

The same thought ran through the minds of the covens, further reinforcing Harry’s scheme. ‘He really killed Levski.’

And now they could only watch as he tortured one of his strongest allies to the brink of insanity for seemingly no reason.

“Filpendo!” the triumvirate member shouted, throwing Viktor back.

Viktor crashed to the floor, the surprise attack causing him to cut off his spell as Dimitri continued to groan in agony. His anger fading as he came back to reality. ‘Shit.’

“Viktor Krum!” the triumvirate member shouted, getting his attention. “You have broken the rules of this duel, and worse, defied the authority of the triumvirate. Such an act will not go unpunished!”

Viktor could only watch as the rest of the triumvirate convened, discussing his punishment. He doubted it would be too bad, reminding himself that he still controlled the largest territory of any coven, and the triumvirate could not act too harshly against him. He was too important to their continued operations for that.

Harry watched on with interest as the triumvirate talked quietly amongst themselves as the others covens remained deadly silent, not wanting to draw the ire of the triumvirate onto themselves.

He doubted anyone had defied the triumvirate in some time, and no one as egregiously as Viktor. He looked down, so no one saw the glee in his eyes as he waited for the hammer to fall.

He was not disappointed when the triumvirate finished their discussion, as they turned to face the waiting Krum.

“Victor Krum,” the first one intoned. “You have broken our rules and defied the orders of the triumvirate. You have disrespected us, and your fellow covens, by your actions.”

“Your punishment will begin effective immediately,” the second one continued. “For a period of one year, you are forbidden from setting foot in these halls. If you defy our judgment, your life will be forfeit. There will be no trial, you will not be given an opportunity to speak. You will simply be put down, like a rabid animal. Do you understand?”

“…Yes,” Viktor replied, furious at his punishment, but knowing better than to say anything more.

“You will also pay the sum of 500,000 galleons to the Vasiliev family in recompense, along with any and all costs for Dimitri Vasiliev’s treatment.”

Viktor clenched his jaw angrily, unprepared for the triumvirates next order. The idea of giving his hard earned money to that family of traitors was almost enough to make him turn around and finish the job.

Harry could see that Viktor was just on the edge of another explosive outburst, a figurative powder keg ready to explode, but as much as he wished to push Viktor over the edge, it wasn’t worth the risk, not with the watchful eyes of the triumvirate on all of them.

Neville glanced down at the moaning and broken form of his hated enemy. He didn’t feel an ounce of pity for the man, knowing that he had done far worse to so many others. His only regret was losing the chance to do it himself.

He knew the signs well enough to see it. Dimitri was done. Even if he managed to hang onto the few scraps of his sanity that remained, the damage was already done. He would never be the threat he once was.

A little known fact about the Cruciatus curse was that it didn’t just affect the mind, far from it. The pain Dimitri felt was real. The curse was an attack on the victim’s pain receptors, making them hypersensitive and targeting them directly.

Neville could already see the signs. Dimitri’s limbs were shaking uncontrollably. He would never cast a spell again, much less aim his wand at a target. For all intents and purposes, he was a squib now, one that would need to be taken care of for the rest of his life.

Nina could only stare back and forth between the downed form of Dimitri and Viktor, her jaw hanging open. ‘How could this have happened?’ She thought, her face going pale.

She hadn’t seen any of it coming. Viktor’s anger had just come out of nowhere, targeting Dimitri for no reason, then doing this in full view of not just the other covens, but the triumvirate as well.

Her coven was imploding before her very eyes, and there was nothing she could do about it. Seeing the crazed look in Viktor’s eyes, she knew she couldn’t spend a second longer in his company, knowing that it was only a matter of time before Viktor turned his anger towards her. She needed a way out, and fast.

She looked up, shaken from her thoughts as the triumvirate spoke, wondering what else could go wrong.

“Upon your return, if you are unable to recruit replacements to your coven, you will be dismissed from you post,” the first triumvirate member added, putting the final nail in Viktor’s coven.

After Viktor’s actions, no one in their right minds would ally with him, and everyone knew it. A new coven leader would be chosen, and Krum would be on his own.

Viktor’s eyes flashed in anger, his fingers twitching, ready to pull out his wand again, but at the last moment thought better of it, a rare moment of clarity as he realized he wouldn’t stand a chance against all three members of the triumvirate on his own. “I understand,” he ground out, turning on his heel as he stormed out, unknowingly drawing more ire from the triumvirate as they glared at his back, furious that he had not waited to be dismissed.

“Healers,” the second member of the triumvirate called, “see to Vasiliev, and inform his family of what happened. Everyone else, you are dismissed.”

The covens quickly made their way to exit, not wanting to draw the ire of the triumvirate onto themselves.

Nina quickly filed out with the others, intent on leaving immediately, and putting as much distance as she could between herself and Victor. ‘Perhaps a trip to the Americas,’ she thought, planning on taking an extended vacation as she thought about how to extricate herself from this mess.

She let out a gasp when she felt a hand on her shoulder, turning around quickly as she stared into the face of one of her business rivals, one that had been causing her no end of problems of late. “Weasley,” she spat, not caring which one of the twins she was addressing. “What do you want?” she demanded.

“My Magus has requested to speak with you,” George replied, his tone even. “He believes there is an arrangement we can come to that will benefit all of us.”

“When?” Nina asked, latching onto the potential lifeline that fell into her lap, her animosity forgotten.

“Now,” George replied simply. “In his suite, come alone,” he added, walking past her.

Nina watched Weasley leave, knowing that Potter’s help wouldn’t come cheap, but she had little choice, knowing there was nothing she could do when Viktor set his sights on her next.

---

Harry sat in his suite with Hermione, Emma, and his coven, waiting for Fred and George. “Well, that went better than I expected,” he said, stating the obvious.

“Yeah,” Ron agreed, surprised that it had escalated to a duel so quickly. “I thought it would have taken at least a few weeks to get Krum to turn on Vasiliev.”

Neville sat silently beside Luna, still conflicted by what had happened. He wanted to be the one to put Vasiliev down, but Krum had beaten him to it. There was no point in going after the man now. He was a shadow of his former self. ‘At least I had a hand in it,’ he thought, taking some comfort in it.

Luna rubbed her boyfriend’s arm comfortingly, picking up on his mixed emotions. “He won’t be able to harm anyone else,” she added quietly.

Neville nodded, taking comfort in Luna’s words, still wishing it could have been him that dealt the final blow.

“I talked to Poliakoff after the duel,” Ron offered. “He’s still pretty shook up by what happened, so it wasn’t hard to convince him he was next on Krum’s list. I think over the next few weeks, we’ll get what we need from him.”

“Good,” Harry replied, glad that everything was going so smoothly. Viktor’s coven was effectively shattered. There would be no coming back from this for him, or any of his other coven members, for that matter. “We’ll deal with Agranov,” he said, nodding to Hermione and Emma. “I’m pretty confident we’ll be able to hammer out an agreement tonight.”

“Alright,” Neville said, standing up. “It’s been a tough day for me. I think I need some time in private to think,” he said, making his way to the door.

“I’ll go with you Neville,” Luna said, standing up as well, “keep you company.”

Neville nodded with a grateful smile. “See you later,” he said to his friends as he made his way to his own suite.

“I’ll be off too,” Ron winked. “Narcissa is waiting for me.”

“Agranov is still going to need some convincing,” Harry said when he, Hermione, and Emma were alone. “This will be a big step down for her, and she isn’t going to take it well.”

“Don’t worry, master,” Hermione said confidently, remembering their last encounter with the Russian beauty. “I think we can get her to see the benefits of joining our side.”

Emma nodded eagerly, thinking along the same lines as Hermione, remembering how they had wiped the smug expression off the haughty witch’s face before.

“Just remember,” Harry advised. “She doesn’t know it was us the last time. We can’t let her find out.”

Hermione nodded, seeing Harry’s point. Being too familiar with Agranov would probably tip her off, and the last thing they needed was her going back to Krum. “We can change how we behave and hold ourselves back enough to throw her off,” she reassured him.

“I saw the look on her face after the duel, master,” Emma added. “She’s afraid. She may not show it overtly, but she wants nothing to do with Krum anymore.”

“How can you be so sure?” Harry asked, curiously.

“A woman’s intuition,” Emma smiled. “I think she knows, at least on some level, there was some foul play involved, but it doesn’t change what Krum did.”

Harry nodded, conceding the point. “It did all come together pretty quickly,” he agreed, thankful for Emma’s input. Her ability to read people had come in handy on more than one occasion.

“The how doesn’t matter,” Emma continued. “She sees what he’s capable of now, and she can’t unsee that.”

“You’re not suggesting she’s an innocent in all this, are you?” Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No,” Emma shook her head. “Far from it. She knew what she was getting into from the start, but seeing and knowing what he does are two different things. This is probably the first time she’s ever thought of Viktor’s anger being directed at her, and she’s scared.”

Their discussion came to a stop as they heard a soft knock at the door. “That’s going to be her,” Harry said. “Hermione, let her in,” he ordered.

“Yes master,” Hermione said, unlocking the door. “My master will see you now,” she said, stepping back so that Nina could enter.

Nina nodded, knowing that her life was literally hanging in the balance, and she needed to make a deal tonight, otherwise she would be lucky to survive the week.

She approached Potter, sitting down on the sofa across from him as his slaves stood behind him. Her eyes flickered up to them, a slight blush on her face as she remembered the night she had with Arcanum and his polyjuiced slaves.

It was subtle, but she could see the differences between them. The differences weren’t physical; the polyjuice made sure they were exact copies of each other. It was something less tangible. The girls weren’t as polished, or well trained as Arcanum’s slaves had been, standing behind him, instead of kneeling at his feet like proper slaves.

Then there was Potter. He had the same intense look in his eyes, but he didn’t look at her with the same lustful hunger in his eyes that Arcanum always did. He could tell she found her attractive, but he didn’t look like he wanted to tear off her clothes and fuck her into blissful oblivion. ‘At least not yet,’ Nina thought to herself saucily, wondering how Arcanum compared to the real thing.

“You asked to see me,” Nina said, keeping her voice even, knowing that if she handled this wrong, Potter would extract too many concessions from her for his protection, or worse, not offer it all.

“Yes,” Harry replied, before turning to Emma. “Whiskey,” he ordered. “Two glasses.”

Emma silently made her way across the room, retrieving the bottle along with two tumblers. She placed the glasses in front of Nina and Harry, pouring each of them two fingers of the amber liquid before resuming her place behind her master.

Nina watched Emma, idly noting that Arcanum’s slaves were better trained, and would have anticipated their master’s needs long before he ever voiced them.

“You have them well trained,” she lied as she and Harry clicked their glasses together before taking a sip, knowing that even with Potter’s lack of training about the coven, certain traditions still needed to be observed.

“Thank you,” Harry said, placing his tumbler on the table. “Let’s get down to business. Your Magus is no friend of mine, and after what happened earlier, I don’t think you’re very found of him either.”

Nina nodded, knowing there was little point in saying otherwise. “I assume you have a proposal for me. What is it?” She asked, setting aside the niceties.

“I’m willing to offer you protection from Krum,” Harry said. “Don’t pretend you can handle him on your own,” he added, cutting off Nina’s denial before she could object.

“…” Nina remained silent, thinking how best to approach this as Potter unexpectedly cut to the chase. “I assume you have terms?”

“I do, Miss Agranov,” Harry replied, his emotions betraying nothing. “So let’s lay our cards on the table. Krum is finished. He’s been exiled for a year, but even after that, there is no one that will ally with him now. Aside from you, his two biggest assets are gone, and you’re going to find yourself out in the cold, figuratively speaking. I’m willing to extend to you my protection.”

“A protectorate?” Nina asked. It had been less than what she hoped. “Respectfully, Magus Potter, I bring a great deal to the table. My legitimate business empire alone spans the entire world, and you still have a few available spots to name new coven members.”

“A business that’s on fire,” Harry rebutted. “Your potions and reputation are far from what it once was, and your competitors are circling. You may not have a business left after year’s end without my help.”

Nina looked away, annoyed. She had hoped the rumors hadn’t spread as far as they had, but Potter obviously knew. “That’s a temporary situation,” she defended. “None of my competitors can operate at the scale I do. They’re bleeding money, keeping their prices as low as they are. They can’t keep it up for much longer.”

“They only have to outlast you,” Harry pointed out, “and their financial position isn’t anywhere near as dire as your own.”

Nina nodded, having to concede the point. Truth be told, she had less than a year before she became insolvent, six months if she was lucky, but practically speaking four months. “If I accept your proposal, what would it entail?”

“Fred and George Weasley are my allies, and my friends,” Harry explained. “They’ve expressed an interest in expansion. You’re going to help them with that, but make no mistake, they are the ones in charge. You will answer to them. Your business will merge. Each of them will own thirty percent of the new business. You will own twenty percent, and I will own the remaining twenty percent.”

Nina regarded Potter, letting out a defeated sigh. She knew there was no room to negotiate terms with him. She had spent decades building her business, bribing the right people, and eliminating her competition ruthlessly, only to have the same tactics used against her. “I accept your terms, Magus Potter,” she said, the words feeling like ash in her mouth as she became the equivalent of a minor player in markets she’d dominated for decades.

“Good,” Harry smiled. “I’m glad we could come together on this,” he said, formally stripping away another one of Viktor’s allies.

“If we’re finished,” Nina said, standing up. “I’ll take my leave,” she said, intent on polishing off a couple of bottles of fire whiskey over the staggering loss of her business empire.

Emma leaned down, a coy smile on her face as she whispered into Harry’s ear. “It would be a shame to let her leave this early, master,” just loud enough for Nina to hear.

Harry smiled, ‘Emma you minx,’ he thought, surprised it was Emma and not Hermione to make that suggestion. He didn’t even have to look at Hermione to know she was on board, and they certainly had fun at their last encounter.

“My slave brings up an interesting point,” Harry said. “We should celebrate our new partnership.”

Nina raised an eyebrow, remembering how well endowed Potter was. “What did you have in mind?” she asked, seeing an opportunity to further ingratiate herself with Potter, and possibly give her an opportunity to re-negotiate their terms at a later date.

Harry pointed at his feet. “Why don’t you show me some of your ‘other’ skills?” Harry asked, making his intent clear as he gave her a smoldering look.

Nina smirked, sauntering forward. ‘Perhaps this won’t be a total loss,’ she thought, looking at the upside. She would have to put Potter’s slaves in their proper place when she had him wrapped around her finger, but she could do a lot worse than a man as powerful as he was.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, already seeing what the Russian beauty was scheming. ‘We can’t have that,’ she thought, unwilling to share her master affections with anyone else, other than Emma.

Nina, oblivious to the look Hermione directed at her, hooked her thumbs into the shoulders straps of her dress, lifted them off her shoulders, and let it cascade to the floor.

Harry smiled, approving of Nina’s choice in lingerie, the matching silk and lace bra and thong looking beautiful on her, along with the matching stockings.

Nina stepped forward, putting an extra sway in her hips, a confident smile on her face as she dropped to her knees between Potter’s legs. Seeing the obvious bulge in her pants, she licked her lips in anticipation before unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants.

She reached into the waistband of Potter’s underwear, freeing his throbbing cock, and looked up at Potter with a sultry look. She placed a kiss on the crown of his cock before licking up and down his shaft, feeling his veins pulse underneath her tongue.

‘I’ve missed this cock,’ she thought to herself as she wrapped her lips around his shaft, sucking him deep as she bobbed her head up and down.

Harry let out a groan of satisfaction as Nina went to work. She wasn’t as skilled as Hermione and Emma, but he couldn’t fault her enthusiasm.

He saw through her plan, just as easily as Hermione and Emma had, but didn’t call her out on it just yet. Nina had always been confident, even to her detriment on a few occasions. The idea of Nina replacing Hermione and Emma in any way was laughable at best, but he was eager to see her try.

He could feel the head of his cock bumping against the back of her throat as she sucked him, her inexperience with what he enjoyed shining through.

Hermione moved behind Nina, pressing her chest into her back as she reached for the clasp of her bra, deftly removing it, and casting it aside.

Nina looked up, startled, as she felt Potter’s slave behind her and the cool air on her breasts. She turned her head, or at least tried to, intent on giving the slave a piece of her mind for taking such liberties with her.

Her plan fell apart when the slave gripped her hair painfully tight, guiding her back to Harry’s cock. Her eyes widened when the slave reached into the waistband of her thong, finding her clit, and gave it a sharp pinch, making her grimace in pain.

She looked to Potter for help, expecting him to punish his slaves for taking such liberties with her, but found him otherwise occupied as his other slave kissed him passionately.

She yelped, feeling another sharp pinch on her clit, as the slave behind her not so subtly telling her to return to her task. She burned at the thought of a slave ordering her about, but knew she was at a disadvantage at the moment. Potter could still rescind his protection, and his slaves clearly held some sway over him if he allowed them to behave the way they did.

She returned to sucking Potter’s cock, pressing her tongue against the underside of his shaft as she focused on increasing his pleasure. ‘He’s like all men,’ she thought confidently, knowing that once she properly demonstrated what she could offer him, his slaves would be yesterday’s news.

Hermione smirked as Nina went back to work, pleasuring her master. She knew the Russian beauty was only giving in now because it served her purposes, but she would learn her place in the hierarchy soon enough.

She pushed two of her fingers into Nina’s slick folds as she pressed down on her clit with her thumb, pumping her fingers in and out of her pussy.

Nina let out a surprised moan as she felt the slave’s fingers enter her pussy, pumping them slowly, before quickly redoubling her efforts, realizing the slave was just trying to distract her.

Harry groaned as Nina sucked him harder, running his fingers through her hair encouragingly as he continued to kiss Emma, feeling himself getting close.

Nina’s eyes widened as she felt the slave pump her fingers into her pussy faster, adding a third finger as she got closer and closer to the edge. She moaned around Harry’s cock as the slave seemed to find just the right spot each time she pumped her fingers inside her.

Hermione, sensing how close she was, pinched Agranov’s clit, sending the surprised beauty her tumbling over the edge.

Nina tore her lips from Harry’s cock, letting out a moan of delight as she came all over the slave’s fingers as she gasped for breath, silently acknowledging that Potter’s slaves were more skilled than she first thought.

Hermione pushed Agranov aside, taking Harry’s cock in her mouth as she boobed her head, taking him into her throat as she squeezed it around his manhood, adding to his pleasure. She redoubled her efforts, bobbing her head faster as she felt his cock twitch in her mouth, knowing he would cum soon.

Harry groaned into Emma’s mouth as she felt Hermione’s lips and tongue on his cock, feeling himself get even harder under her expert touch. With a grunt, he came, filling Hermione’s cheeks with his seed.

Hermione puffed her cheeks out, not letting a drop of Harry’s cum escape her lips as she rose to her feet.

Emma broke her heated kiss with her master as Hermione bent at the waist, locking her lips with hers as they ritualistically shared their master’s cum between them.

Nina looked up at the two slaves from the floor, a sour look on her face as she realized what the slave had done, distracting her to claim Harry’s cum for themselves after she had done all the hard work. Clearly, she would have her work cut out for her to take Potter’s attention away from his two slaves.

Harry tucked his cock back into his underwear as he stood up, pouring himself another drink, and taking a sip. “Nina,” he said, turning to face her, “I think we have an understanding, but the night is still young. What are your plans for the rest of the evening?” He asked.

“Nothing that I can’t put off,” Nina replied, seizing on the opportunity to gain more favor from Potter. “What did you have in mind?”

“My slaves,” Harry said, gesturing to Hermione and Emma. “As you can obviously tell, they’re quite territorial.”

“I noticed,” Nina interjected, rising to her feet as well. “There are places you can send them for additional training,” she said, making a not-so-subtle dig at Hermione and Emma, earning a glare from each of them in return. “I can put you in touch with some of the best,” she offered.

“That won’t be necessary,” Harry replied, tracing his fingers up and down Hermione and Emma’s backs. “I prefer them this way, actually.”

“Then what are you purposing?” Nina asked, cocking her head, wondering what Potter was getting at.

“Hermione and Emma keep me quite busy,” Harry explained, lowering his hands to curves of their asses. “So I’m not looking for anything permanent… but that’s not to say some variety wouldn’t go unwelcome, and you are quite beautiful,” he complimented.

“So you’re looking for something more… casual?” Nina asked, also not entirely apposed to the idea herself. Her work left her with little free time to devote to a relationship, and there was a certain itch that her slave just couldn’t scratch that Potter seemed more than capable of.

“Something like that,” Harry replied. “But as I said, Hermione and Emma are the jealous sort, so we’ll need to establish a hierarchy.”

“…” Nina stared back and forth between Potter and his slaves, not believing what she was hearing. Was he really suggesting that she follow the orders of his slaves? She knew Potter had her over a barrel, but this was too much, even for her.

“I propose a challenge,” Harry continued, surprising Nina. “You will compete against one of my slaves. The first of you to cum, loses. Should you win, both my slaves will follow your orders in the bedroom, but if you lose, you’ll follow their.”

Nina narrowed her eyes, looking back and forth between Potter’s slaves. ‘They have some talent,’ she thought to herself, ‘but against just one of them?’ She felt confident she could put them in their place, and after establishing who was in charge, she could get a few more concessions out of Potter. “I accept.”

“Master?” Emma asked. “With your permission, I would like to accept the challenge,” she said, surprising Harry.

‘Interesting,’ Harry thought. Emma was usually the more passive of his two slaves, while Hermione was the one that took charge more often than not. ‘Nina must have really rubbed her the wrong way.’

“Alright Emma,” Harry replied. “You have my permission.”

“Thank you, master,” Emma said, making her way to the bed and getting on all fours, looking at Agranov challengingly.

Nina, not one to be outdone, slid her panties off her hips as she sauntered to the bed, eager to put the uppity slave in her proper place.

Hermione leaned over, whispering into Harry’s ear. “Master, I have an idea to make this a little more interesting,” she said with a wicked smile.

“Oh?” Harry asked, a smile of his own working its way onto his face. Whenever Hermione got like this, indulging her was always worth it.

“The dildo’s,” Hermione replied, pointing at the double-ended dildo’s on the nightstand.

Harry smirked, seeing where Hermione was going with this. “It would certainly make this more interesting he agreed…. Alright Emma, Nina. If you so choose, feel free to use them.”

Emma quickly snatched up one of them, inserting it into her pussy, and let out a soft moan as it activated, giving her an additional appendage to work with.

Nina, not wanting the slave to have an added advantage over her, quickly snatched hers up as well, quickly inserting it as she got on the large bed. They circled each other, crawling in slow circles, looking for an opportunity to strike.

Emma was the first to go on the offensive as she lunged for the Russian beauty, wrestling her onto her back as she straddled her. She leaned down, pining her as she wrapped her hand around Nina’s dildo, pumping it in her fist as she sucked on her neck.

Nina let out a startled gasp of pleasure as the slave took an early lead, turning their competitions into an impromptu wrestling match. She struggled against the surprisingly strong grip of the slave as she felt her lips and tongue on her neck as she pumped her hand up and down on her dildo.

She thrust her hips up, trying to throw the slave off her, but it had little effect as the slave clung to her tightly, and worse still, with their current position, the slave had far more leverage than her. Even when she tried to roll them onto their side, the slave countered, keeping them exactly where they were. She didn’t even want to think about how embarrassing it would be to lose to such a poorly slave.

Hermione and Harry watched from the sofa, both confident that Emma would come out on top. Hermione leaned into Harry, tracing her fingers up and down his chest as the show continued, feeling her pussy dampen at the erotic sight.

Nina felt herself getting close, and knew she had to do something, anything, to avoid losing in such a humiliating fashion. She snaked her hands down the slave’s back in desperation, struggling to pull her off, until her finger brushed against something hard. ‘Her plug,’ she thought triumphantly, her eyes lighting up as she grabbed the hilt, twisting and turning it.

Emma’s eyes went wide as she felt her plug moving inside her, a moan escaping her lips as Agranov pumped it in and out of her ass. She felt a shiver of desire tingle down her spine at the unexpected move.

‘Got you now,’ Nina thought victoriously as she felt the slave’s grip on her shoulders loosen. It wasn’t by much, but just enough for her to finally get the leverage she needed to roll them onto their side.

Keeping a firm grip on the slave’s plug, she used the other to pump her hand up and down the slave’s dildo, giving her a taste of her own medicine. She smirking as the slave thrashed in her grip, moaning in ecstasy as she took control.

Emma shut her eyes tightly, feeling the dual pleasure of being stimulated by both her plug and the dildo. “UGH! UGH! UGH! UGH! UGH!” she grunted, as her pleasure overrode her senses. She could feel Nina bringing her closer and closer to the edge, and it took all her concentration just to hold out.

“Just give in,” Nina taunted, knowing she had the girl on the ropes now. “You were never going to beat me, anyway.”

Emma’s eyes snapped open, Nina’s words bringing her back to reality. She couldn’t let Agranov win, but she needed something to turn the tables and help her make up the lost ground. Wrapping her fingers around the Russian’s dildo again, she pumping her hand up and down furiously, but it still wasn’t enough. She could feel herself getting closer and closer to her orgasm.

“UGH!” Nina grunted as the slave worked her dildo again. She considered slapping away her hand, but thought better of it at the last moment, knowing that she just needed to push her a little further, and she could claim her victory.

Emma moaned, her breath coming out in short gasps as she used every ounce of her willpower to hold back her orgasm. ‘There must be something I can do,’ she thought desperately, but Agranov didn’t have a plug, giving her a distinct advantage. In a moment of desperation, she grabbed the base of Nina’s dildo and pushed it into her dripping cunt.

“UGGHHHH!” Nina moaned, her eyes going wide as the slave turned the tides. The pleasure coursing through her body was indescribable. “UGH! UGH! UGH! UGH!” she grunted, her fingers going slack as the slave rode her dildo, allowing her to feel the velvety tightness of her slick cunt.

Hermione’s eyes were lidded with desire as she watched the show, her pussy glistening with her juices. She got on all fours beside Harry, freeing his stiff cock from the confines of his pants. Keeping one eye on Agranov and Emma, she wrapped her fingers around her master’s shaft, stroking him as she licked the head of his cock.

Harry grunted, enjoying the show every bit as much as Hermione. He ran his fingers through Hermione’s hair as he leaned back on the sofa, eager to see if Nina could get herself out of her current predicament.

“UGH! UGH! UGH! UGH!” Nina grunted, letting out a shuddering gasp as she tried to pry away Emma’s fingers desperately. She shut her eyes tight, thrashing her head from side to side as the battle turned against her.

With no other option left she grabbed Emma’s wrist, and leaned back, pulling her dildo from the slave’s tight pussy, giving her a much needed reprieve, but leaving her at a distinct disadvantage as Emma removed her dildo and throw it off the bed.

Throwing caution to the wind, Nina shoved Emma onto her back, throwing a leg over her waist as she straddled the slave, impaling herself on the slave’s dildo. She gripped Emma’s shoulders tightly as she rode the slave’s dildo, bouncing up and down on the hard shaft.

She could feel her pleasure building, but knew the same was true for the slave, making it a battle of wills. She could only hope she outlasted the talented slave.

Harry let out another groan as Hermione took him in her throat, bobbing her head up and down as they watched Nina’s pert ass bounce up and down as she rode Emma’s dildo, their combined mews, and grunts of pleasure music to their ears.

“God, just like that Hermione,” he grunted, gripping Hermione’s hair tighter. He had expected Emma to win this contest handily, but Nina was putting up a bigger fight than he expected, making him wonder for the first time if Emma would come out on top.

He knew it wouldn’t sit well with Hermione if Emma lost and wondered what her retaliation would be if Emma didn’t pull out a victory.

Hermione watched on, rubbing her thighs together as she felt her wetness dripping down her legs. She was confident that Emma would win, but even she had to admit it wasn’t looking good for her now, looking more and more like Nina had her on the ropes.

She hated the idea of submitting to another woman, much less the woman who, until very recently, was on Krum’s side, and wondered if her master would allow her the chance to challenge Nina in case Emma didn’t come out on top.

Emma grunted and moaned, feeling the velvety tightness of Nina’s hot cunt wrapped around her dildo. She could feel a sheen of sweat form on her body, a testament to her exertion. ‘How does master do it?’ she thought desperately, trying to turn things around. Try as she might, she just couldn’t get the leverage to shake off the Russian beauty.

She gripped Nina’s hips, digging in her fingernails as she did the only thing she could, and fell in rhythm with her, hoping that Nina was closer to her orgasm than she was.

She turned her head, hearing Hermione’s moan of pleasure, and saw her in their master’s lap, bouncing up and down on his stiff cock. A smile worked its way onto her face as she saw what her master was doing, thrusting his hip up to meet Hermione’s cunt.

Emma quickly mirrored her master’s actions, thrusting her hips up to keep pace with Nina. “UGH! UGH! UGH! UGH! UGH!” she grunted, her pleasure increasing at the same time.

Nina felt her grip on Emma’s shoulders slacked as her pleasure suddenly increased. “UGH! UGH! UGH! UGH! UGHHH!” she grunted, as Emma thrust even deeper inside her with long, powerful strokes. Losing focus for a moment, she cupped her breasts, arching her back as she worked her nipples, bouncing up and down on the dildo. “UGH! UGH! UGH! UGH!”

Emma quickly took advantage of Nina’s distraction and sat up, changing her position just enough that it gave her a brief reprieve as she continued to thrust inside of Agranov, neither one slowing their pace as their mutual orgasm fast approached.

“Oh god master!” Hermione moaned in delight as she rode her master’s cock, feeling his strong hands on her hips as he took her. She was so close, the combination of Harry’s thick cock thrusting inside her and the sensual battle of attrition unfolding before her eyes was almost too much to bear.

Harry looked over Hermione’s shoulder, seeing that Emma had turned things to her favor, but knew she had to be close, and if things continued as they were, her victory was not guaranteed. Deciding to give his slave one more hint, he reached for Hermione’s plug, drawing it from her ass, and let it clutter to the floor.

Hermione let out a keening moan as she felt the cool air on her gaping asshole, but knowing that it wouldn’t be empty for long. She threw her head back, pressing herself tightly against her master’s rippling chest as she felt him work two of his fingers into her ass.

She clamped down on his fingers, unable to contain herself any longer as she moaned in delight, “AWGAWD!!!” as her orgasm washed over her.

Emma watched Hermione and Harry, her eyes glued to them as she saw what her master did. Following his example, she buried her fingers in Agranov’s ass as she kept up her relentless pace, hoping it would be enough to tip Nina over the edge.

Nina’s eyes went wide as felt the slave worm her fingers into her ass, increasing her pleasure even more. “UGH! UGH! UGH! UGH!” she grunted, unable to do anything to retaliate this time.

‘Why did it have to be my ass?’ She thought forlornly, knowing that her victory had slipped through her fingers. Ever since Arcanum introduced her to it, she was like a woman possessed, finding her release so much more powerful and satisfying when her ass was played with.

She knew it was wrong, not something a master should be on the receiving end of, but the taboo of it turned her own even more. “UGH! UGH! UGH! UGH!” she grunted alongside the slave as their mutual orgasm grew closer and closer. Then it happened. With a scream of delight, a powerful orgasm ripped through her body. “UGHHHH!”

As Nina came, Emma lost all control, her orgasm crashing over her a moment later. “AWGAWD!!!!” she screamed out, flooding Nina’s cunt with her cum.

They slumped together, both their bodies slick with sweat as they panted, a tangle of arms and legs as they came down from their orgasms.

Harry smirked, seeing Emma’s victory as he thrust one last time into Hermione’s slick cunt as he came with a loud grunt. The room now filled with their heavy breathing as all four of them recovered from their orgasms.

Harry looked down at Hermione, their eyes locking together as she leaned against him. She didn’t have to say a word. Her face said it all as she silently asked for permission for her own chance to challenge Agranov.

“Give her a few minutes to recover,” Harry answered her unspoken question. “The night is still young,” he added, expecting nothing less from his competitive slave.

Hermione gave her master a nod as she rested her head against his chest, listening to the heavy breathing of Emma and Nina. ‘I guess it wouldn’t be much fun to challenge her in this condition,’ she thought, content to wait a little longer before she and Emma taught Agranov, who was in charge.