93 Chapter 93: In a raven's arms

What started as a rescue mission spiralled into a war of conquest in a matter of days.

Initially, Harry had only intended to carve out a small fiefdom for the magical community to thrive by taking possession of several neighbouring muggle villages within a 50-mile radius of Hogwarts. To that effect, he used the same strategy in the first village. He selected a village, attacked them early in the morning, and destroyed everything related to any religion in one day.

Then, he wiped the villagers' memories the following week while securing the village under wards to keep them safe from muggle attacks. After entrenching himself in these villages, he also started recruiting muggle militias by turning the knights sworn to King Constantine of the Kingdom of Alba into his loyal followers. The constraints presented by the rapid expansion of his fiefdom also presented a problem. He alone remained the skilled wizard capable of wiping memories from the muggle populace.   

It was a taxing process to wipe memories of the muggles one by one, supplanting the indoctrination done by the church of Rome. But the sheer number of muggles made it impossible for Harry to reach everyone.

This led him to confine his 'brainwashing enterprise' to knights and recruit militia soldiers.

For now, the time constraints on his person and the lack of skilled wizards and witches affected any expansion he could possibly make. However, it was by no means a simple feat to capture fourteen muggle villages in the span of three weeks with no army to speak of or even supplies. His budding army of knights and common soldiers could not fight on an empty stomach. Establishing a stable source of food, water, medicine, weapons, and other resources was necessary to pursue a successful war against the muggles.

That was why Harry understood the need to enlist the aid of the world's most powerful Herbologist for his war effort.

"My lord. Are you sure you should leave now? We don't have enough men to guard our gains should Constantine's armies turn their sights on the villages we captured." Pelius urgently whispered.

"I know. That's why I've erected wards to deter the muggles. Their armies won't find our villages." Harry assured the man.

"When the Romans came to these lands, our people thought our magical skills could withstand their assault. Look at us now," said Pelius, sweeping his arms wide. "We've forgotten who we were and are busy doing what the Romans are doing."

"What're you saying?" Harry asked with a frown.

"It's good that you're leading us, and it's good that your magic is so overwhelmingly powerful enough to sweep through village after village on a dime. But the people need a king – a King of Scotland to rally behind." said Pelius.

Harry fell silent and merely stared at the boundaries of the village he was occupying. The thought of staking his claim for kingship had crossed his mind, and he was prepared to wage a war to that effect. After all, his aim of creating a magical fiefdom in Scotland would only become a reality if the wizards and witches of Scotland created the ruling bureaucracy.

What that current government form remained a mystery, but he'd definitely not want democracy to crop up. At least, he didn't see any virtue in establishing a democracy in a land where the majority were illiterate buffoons.  

He was a staunch believer in the critics of Plato on democracy. Without a literate, wise, and well-educated populace, democracy would only facilitate selfish and ignorant people to attain power. In his lifetime, he had seen the rise of populist regimes and the nation plunging into chaos in their wake.

However, he was also mindful that the wizened elitist rule proposed by Socrates was also an abject failure. Primarily because men and women could not ensure their wisdom could be sustainable in their chosen successors. Even great men like Marcus Aurelius had failed to produce worthy and wise successors. So, Harry saw no reason to trust an elite council of wizards and witches to rule Scotland.

There were no good answers to the question of who should rule Scotland. It had been the age-old question humanity had been asking since man learned to hunt and farm. It was a question that'd never be settled without some form of bloodshed.

Despite all that, Harry saw the merit in crowning a magical king for Scotland. Establishing a kingdom that'd safeguard the rights of wizards and muggles could perhaps be a beacon of hope for wizarding communities across the planet.

'Perhaps we can coexist if I can purge religion from muggles.' Harry thought.

The moment the thought came to him, Harry shook his head at his naivete. He knew religion was not the core issue. It was in the nature of muggles and wizards to distrust and destroy each other. Religion or no religion, the conflict could never be permanently settled.

"Those with power will try to safeguard it at all costs, and those without will kill for it." Harry muttered.

"My lord?" Pelius looked at him in askance.

"It's nothing," said Harry. "I'll give your suggestion some serious thought, Pelius."

"I hope you do. Even if your magic can protect us, Constantine's court might advise him to employ other wizards against us like the Romans did when they first came to our lands. They'll start to use their maps, and they'll trace the villages." Pelius warned.

"Let me assuage your fears about the village's security." Harry turned his wand on the whole village.

"Nebulus."

Thick fog began to gather outside the village. He willed his magic to let the fog surround the village from all corners, neatly hiding the place from curious eyes.

"Even if the muggles king enlists the services of sorcerers, they'll be hard-pressed to find the villages I conquered. For now, that'll do." said Harry, nodding at the thick fog covering the village.

After saying his goodbyes, he ascended to the sky in his spirit form. He was really starting to regret not learning to apparate or even the Portus spell. His method of transportation was not as fast as the ones used by the wizards of his time.

****

Harry's return to Hogwarts was with some fanfare. Hogsmeade had immediately turned his arrival into a sort of mini-festival. With his conquest in full swing, Hogsmeade was experiencing an increased trade, especially in magical potions. The muggles were far more receptive to magical medicines and the wares of wizards.

However, how long would that last? That was a question Harry was asking himself every day. He knew religion was not precisely the sole issue between muggles and wizards. It was just that the intensity of persecution only increased when the muggles abandoned the worship of forces of nature. There was no shortage of bigots among muggles and wizards.

'I suppose I'm a bigot among wizards now.' Harry amusedly thought as he waded through a sea of happy faces and well-wishers to Hogwarts.   

He was more careful when he entered Hogwarts by cloaking himself from the students. Getting swarmed by the residents of Hogsmeade was one thing, but having it repeated by Hogwarts students would be disruptive to the school's normal functioning.

"You've become popular among the people of Hogsmeade and the students."  

Harry paused as the words filtered in through his ears before he slowly turned around to find Salazar Slytherin leaning against a wall. He had completely missed the man standing there, and not even his sensory magic had detected the Founder. But, of course, Harry was not that surprised. Slytherin was a master of blood magic and parselmagic, allowing him to blend in almost anywhere. It was something Harry was trying to learn under Rowena's tutelage by mastering Old Magic.  

"They desperately wanted trade restored, and I've seen to it." Harry replied.

"Do you really think that's the only reason?" Salazar asked with a snort.

Harry didn't answer that and merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Follow me, Hadrian." Salazar suddenly said before turning around and walked away.

Harry had to walk a bit faster to catch up with the Founder. He soon found himself entering Salazar's office adjacent to the room where potions were brewed. The room was filled with potion ingredients and scrolls.

"It's the first time in living memory of our people that a wizard is trying to carve out a kingdom of his own."

"I…"

"You needn't feel like you've to defend or explain yourselves. If I hadn't been bound by oaths, I would've… anyway." Salazar shook his head. "Let me say that what you're doing is something that I approve of, and I wish you the very best in your campaign."

"I…thank you, Salazar." Harry nodded, feeling happy for the compliment paid by the Hogwarts Founder.

It was not every day that one of the Hogwarts founders gave you their blessings and compliments. So, Harry soaked it up like a sponge, especially since it came from Salazar Slytherin.

"Anyway, I've been studying your form of magic and found it extremely easy to learn and teach compared to our own. You'll be heartened to know that we've started framing the lessons based on your branch of magic and language."

"That's heartening to hear." Harry said, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

One of the major reasons wizards preferred to hide instead of fight the muggles for dominion over the lands was that most wizards were unskilled in battle magic. At the same time, muggles were quite adept at fighting and followed a militaristic culture out of necessity. While Harry didn't wish for the wizarding population to turn militaristic, he hoped they would develop a spine and defend themselves from their attackers rather than cower behind wards while the world changed around them.

"Well, I won't keep you from meeting Rowena. But I have something for you, Hadrian." Salazar fished out a scroll from his black robes and gave it to Harry.

"Rowena told me that you've been struggling with our form of magic but excelled at it while using Parseltongue. This should help you more in that endeavour," said Salazar.

When Harry unruffled the scroll, he found it was a treasure trove of information on Parselmagic, which also meant he was now in possession of a scroll on binding magic using blood. When he looked up from the scroll to thank the Founder, Salazar was nowhere to be seen.

'So cool. I think I'm on team Slytherin from now on.' Harry thought before his eyes went back to admiring the elegant English script on the scroll.

'He even learned the language this fast. Salazar Slytherin is a genius.'

****

Harry found Rowena in a class full of students hanging on to every word she was saying about runes. He remained invisible as he didn't want to disturb the class.

Unlike popular belief, Rowena Ravenclaw was not a highly skilled enchantress or a charms mistress in modern magical terms. She could enchant, but her primary skill lay in runes and astronomy. She had a huge repository of battle Charms in her mind, but her forte lay in runes and astronomy. He supposed she later developed the fortitude for Charms and became renowned for the enchanted ceiling of Hogwarts.

The fact that Hogwarts still lacked an enchanted ceiling proved his assumption. The same could be said about the Sorting Hat. He had seen the hat on Godric Gryffindor, but it neither talked nor gave off a magical aura when he scanned it.

Once again, Harry was reminded of how far he had travelled back in time. The Founders were young, considering the lifespan of powerful wizards. It was just a theory on his part, but Harry believed the more magic a wizard amassed over the years, the greater their lifespan is extended. All sacrificial rituals he had studied from the Black Library and Slytherin's Library used components that could enhance the inflow of magic into the body. All strengthening rituals also followed the same pattern. The real-life examples of Dumbledore, Grindelwald, Alastor Moody and even Voldemort, to some extent came to his mind. Most of the Founders were in their early forties or thirties. So, they had more than enough time in the world to become far more powerful and renowned for their magical skills.

Harry waited for the class to end, patiently listening to Rowena's words. When the class finally ended, he waited for the students to filter out before he stepped into the classroom. Carefully, he made his way towards Rowena, who had her back turned while cleaning the runes drawn on the board.  

When he was just about to surprise her from behind.

"I know you're there. Your charms are flimsy at best for hiding yourself from a proper sorceress." Rowena's words cut deeply into him, making him freeze.

Shrugging his shoulder, Harry dropped the spells concealing him, but he wrapped an arm around Rowena's waist, earning a squeak of protest from the witch.

"I have something for you." Harry whispered before offering the book he had painstakingly written, employing all his imaginative powers.

The book's cover read The House of the Dragon with the Targaryen sigil of the three-headed dragon painted on the cover. It was a brief 'history' of House Targaryen in 'Valyria'. He had been worried whenever someone asked about his home island and his family. So, he thought it'd be better to write it all down in a book so he'd never get caught in the lies he had peddled.

"You finished it!" Rowena gasped, taking the book out of his hand.

"Of course. I needed some form of relief during the campaign, and you were not available, so…" Harry smirked before pressing a kiss against the nape of Rowen's neck.

The older witch moaned, and Harry smiled against her skin, knowing it was a sensitive spot for her. His hand that was squeezing her hips climbed up, but before it could reach its destination, Rowena pushed herself away from him.

"Stop it. I've got a class coming up." said Rowena before pushing him out of the classroom.

"That's no way to treat a man who returns from war with a present for his woman." Harry complained when she slammed the door shut.

He could hear deep breaths being taken by Rowena from the other side of the door.

"Come to my quarters at night." came Rowena's muffled reply. "Now go before someone sees us like this."

Harry chuckled but complied with her demand.

"All right, Rowena. I'll be going to meet Lady Helga. I need her help with something." Harry said before walking away.

He found Lady Helga in her usual spot, tending to her garden filled with magical plants as well as everyday vegetables and fruits that kept Hogwarts fed.

"Lady Helga."

"Lord Hadrian. Back from your war, I see.'

"Yes." Harry kept his hands behind his back as he carefully stepped into her garden.

He could feel an undercurrent of disapproval and wariness from the older witch in her mannerisms. Yet, he kept that feeling aside and prowled on.

"I came seeking your help, Lady Helga."

"With the war? I'm afraid I'm not the one you should be talking to if that's the case. Salazar would be a better choice." said Helga without looking up from her work in the garden.

"It's not related to the war. I'm seeking your help to increase the yield in muggle farms."

"Increasing the yield, you say?"  Helga looked up from harvesting the roots of a plant in the garden to stare at Harry.

"Yes. Most of the muggle villages under my protection are underdeveloped and incapable of feeding the muggles. Cut off from the rest of the settlements of the kingdom, they'll starve without a higher farm yield. I've already used several warming charms to protect the crops from the cold, but your expertise in Herbology would help me lift the rationing of resources allocated to the muggles." Harry explained.

"Dragon dung in sufficient quantities and tepid water would help turn a barren land into fertile ground in a matter of days."

"Ah!" Harry had forgotten all about using that avenue with the Red Queen being a resident near Hogwarts.

"I'd also have to apply some spells on these lands to regulate some of the extreme properties of dragon dung. That means I'll have to travel to these villages, which would separate me from Hogwarts and my work here."

"You could teach me." Harry suggested.

"You're right!" Helga suddenly smiled. "That saves all of our time."

'No. It saves your time.' Harry grouched in his mind but didn't show his displeasure outwardly.

Besides, learning new magical spells was always fun.   

****

Harry stood outside the oak doors of Rowena's room. He raised his hand to knock on the door but hesitated at the last moment.

Women had historically enjoyed much freedom before the Roman church started cracking down on the feminine in the world. But that doesn't mean there weren't stigmas in ancient cultures. Relationships outside marriage were frowned upon, but he didn't see much attraction in confining carnal pleasures solely to the marriage bed.      

However, that was his opinion. In this place and age, a woman's reputation was easily tarnished compared to the modern era, though such situations were not nonexistent. Rowena was not merely a woman he found attractive. She was also a friend and someone he deeply admired. So, he was evaluating his current position.

Ultimately, his dilemma was for nought because the door swung open, and Rowena pulled him inside before slamming the door shut.

"Well, that was unexpected." Harry muttered.

He took in Rowena's flushed face in the dimly lit room. Her red hair was swept to a side, falling over her right cheek like a curtain. She was dressed in a plain white gown that barely reached her knees.

"Was it?" Rowena asked, raising a delicate eyebrow. "Then what do you say about this?"

She smashed her lips into his own, taking his breath away.

***** Lemon start *****

Harry's hands wandered along the fine contours of Rowena's body until finally settling for resting against her hips. His hold on her hips tightened when Rowena pressed herself more firmly against him while becoming more passionate in her kissing.

It felt like ages had passed when they parted. His lungs greedily took in some much-needed air. Rowena was no better. She was out of breath, listening with sweat on her forehead and her eyes shining with dark desire.

Catching her just ass in his palms, Harry lifted her making Rowena squeal. He carried her forward until he reached her feather bed and dropped her into it before he climbed in. Harry undid his shirt and pants while Rowena lay there on the bed, watching him closely. When he was done disrobing, he threw away the clothes to the side before he pressed his body against her.

Their lips met again in a frenzy while his hands squeezed her thighs, making Rowena moan against his lips.

Harry dragged his hands upwards, rolling up the gown along the way until his hands settled on her hips. He could feel the skin under his grip heating up.

Their lips separated again, and their eyes locked on each other. Harry dipped his head to the side of her neck and sucked on her pulse point.

"Oh!" Rowena gasped sultrily.

Suddenly, Harry felt her nails dragging up along his back until they bit into the skin of his shoulder. A tingling sensation was left in their wake that made Harry bite against the skin of her neck.

His hands that were resting on her hips climbed upwards and took her breasts in his palms. Her round orbs filled his palms, and he squeezed them, earning a lustful, drawn-out moan from the witch underneath him.  

"Hadrian!" Rowena moaned out his name as he pushed his length inside her.

He hid his face in her red hair while peppering kisses along her neck. His right hand sank into the bed for support as he pistoned in and out of her warm folds. He kissed all the way from her neck to her lips before leaving a trail of kisses on the other side of her neck.

Rowena gasped at a particularly hard thrust from his side, and she dragged his face towards her to kiss again. Their lips battled in a frenzy as his pace increased. When he felt her walls clamp down on his length hard, he knew what was about to happen. He slammed his cock, again and again, churning her insides, making her gasp and moan to the heavens.

He felt her entire body shudder in pleasure as she came to her release, moaning up a storm. He let her vent out the pleasure while his lips dragged downwards.

Harry dragged the gown down her shoulders, exposing her round breasts to his eyes. He squeezed her right breast while peppering the left one with kisses and playful bites that forced Rowena to make all sorts of sounds.

His hips picked up pace when he also felt cresting over his own release. With a gasp, he let go while Rowena pressed his face against her breasts. Her fingers were threading through his hair. He could hear Rowena whimper as he filled her up.

They stayed like that in bed for a while; his face pressed against her breasts while he slowly humped against her folds. Pressing one last kiss against her pink nipples, Harry laid down beside her in bed, pressing against her back. His left hand snaked around her waist and pressed her back against him while he peppered her shoulder with kisses.

They were both drunk in pleasure and hardly able to do any talking for the rest of the night. Harry also felt like an unbearable weight on his psyche had been dealt with.

***** Lemon scene ends *****    

A fire cackled in the fireplace, which was the sole source of sound in the room save for their heartbeats. Harry stared at Rowena, who also had her eyes open as they lay in bed. The skies remained dark outside, but he knew it was early morning.

"What?" Rowena asked.

"Nothing. You look beautiful." said Harry.

"Did Helga agree to help with the farms?" Rowena asked while drawing circles on his back with her fingers.

"She agreed to teach me some spells that'd help increase the yield. She also agreed to supply some potions that'd help to increase the fertility of the soil as well."

"I see. So, you'll be staying in Hogwarts for a while."

"Why? You want me in your bed for the next few nights… Ow!" Harry winced when Rowena dug her nails into his shoulders.

"I can't afford to stay away from the conquered villages. There is still work to be done, and I've sent spies to Constantine's court to glean their actions. And most importantly, I need to build an army to defend our gains and enforce our rule on the lands we take."

Harry saw a thoughtful frown adorn her face.

"An army, you say? I have an idea to solve that dilemma, but it'll be a little unorthodox." Rowena warned.

"I love unorthodox ideas." said Harry, poking Rowena on her nose playfully. "Now, let's hear this idea of yours."

AN:

To read ahead of the update schedule;pat(r) eon. C (O) M/Dragonspectre

For artworks: https://discord.gg/Nw2JH25fJf