"Any other ideas for dealing with our stubborn friend?" Harry asked.
Celeste turned back to regard the horcrux with frustrated eyes, though she made sure to keep herself pressed against her Master.
"I've tried everything I can think of, Master. Even some magics designed to throw out foreign magical influences. Nothing even scratches the surface."
Harry studied the locket thoughtfully, his hands absently stroking her sides in a way that sent pleasant shivers through her body. "There has to be something else apart from the killing curse, Fiendfyre, or Basilisk venom."
"There could be…" Celeste whispered under her breath. She turned more fully in his arms, pressing her chest against his as she looked up at him with concentration. "Do you remember how Horcruxes are destroyed?"
"Well, there's Gryffindor's sword, basilisk venom—"
"Not that, Master," Celeste gently cut him off. "The theory. If the physical item containing the soul is damaged so thoroughly that it's impossible to magically or physically repair it, the soul piece would also be destroyed."
"Yeah," Harry said slowly. "Which is why we tried all kinds of destructive spells on this thing, but it's too well protected for them to do anything."
"The protective enchantments around it, yes," Celeste nodded. "And if I'm not wrong, those enchantments do more than just protect it."
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it, Master. If someone somehow found one of his horcruxes, the last thing he'd want is for them to recognize what it really was. You and your Headmaster knew about these Horcruxes, so you know what they are. Any other witch or wizard out there will have no idea they're holding a Horcrux. To them, it'd just be an object."
"So you're saying the enchantments aren't just defensive. That they're also designed to hide the true nature of what's inside. And if we could strip away those first..."
Harry's eyes lit up with understanding, and Celeste grinned, feeling a thrill at being able to contribute meaningfully.
"Exactly. The defensive enchantments might weaken once the horcrux is forced to reveal its true nature, or maybe we get to know more."
"Well, it's worth trying, at least," Harry shrugged. "Should I get Hermione for this?"
"I'd recommend letting her rest," Celeste grinned teasingly, already moving across the table. "You gave her quite a workout. She's not like me, Master. She needs to recuperate."
Harry let out a chuckle, playfully swatting her bare cheeks as she walked across him. She gave a cute little yelp, grinning at him teasingly over her shoulder.
"And then there's the ritual we'd be doing tonight," she shot mirthfully. "I say we let her rest. The two of us can handle this part."
"As you say," Harry remarked, watching her work.
She began sketching new runic patterns in the chalk, and Harry watched with fascination as she worked. There was just something about her that made his blood rush southward. The way she moved, bending and stretching to complete the patterns, was unconsciously graceful and undeniably alluring.
He knew a lot of it had to do with her nature as a sensual being and how she looked in those flimsy clothes, but there was more to it.
"Where did you learn all this?" he asked as she carefully placed crystals at specific points around the new circle.
"Centuries of experience, Master," Celeste replied, glancing back at him with a sultry smile. "When you've lived as long as I have, you pick up all sorts of magical knowledge. Plus, succubi have natural affinities for certain types of spellwork—anything involving desire, revelation, breaking down barriers..."
She completed the pattern and stepped back to examine her work, positioning herself so that Harry could appreciate both her handiwork and the way her dress clung to her curves. That woman never missed a chance to present herself to him, he had to give her that.
The new circle pulsed with soft blue light, quite different from the harsh red glow that had surrounded her earlier attempt.
"This should force the locket to drop any illusions or concealment charms," she explained, moving to stand beside him. "If I'm right about the layered protections, we might finally see its true nature that is hidden inside."
Harry moved closer as she began the incantation, coming to a stop to her right. Her voice that was always soft and sultry slowly transformed, rising and falling with every chant in a way that seemed to echo in the chamber's ancient walls. Harry was acutely aware of how the magical energy flowing through her seemed to heighten every sensation as goosebumps rose across his skin.
For a moment, nothing happened and they stared at the locket that sat innocently inside the matrix. Their expressions shifted when suddenly, the locket began to shake, its golden surface rippling like water. The malevolent aura around it intensified until Harry had to fight the urge to step back in disgust.
"It's working," Celeste breathed, completely unbothered with the evilness oozing from the locket. She reached over and took his hand, intertwining their fingers and sending pulses of comfort through her touch.
Slowly, the locket's appearance began to shift and change. The shiny gold surface morphed into black metal etched with serpentine designs. The green stones that formed the serpent pulsed malevolently, and Celeste could swear she heard something like whispered voices emanating from within.
However, even as the concealment fell away, the defensive enchantments remained as strong as ever. If anything, they seemed to have grown more aggressive now that their cover was blown.
"Well," Celeste said with grudging respect, "at least now we know this isn't a jewellery item. But the core protections are just as strong as before."
Harry stared at the true nature of the horcrux, noting details that hadn't been visible before. "Those serpent markings… they're not just decorative, are they?"
"You're right, Master. They're part of the enchantment structure. Parselmagic woven directly into the metal itself." Celeste said, her expression was grim. "That's why my spells keep failing. I think the protections are keyed to respond only to someone who can speak to serpents."
Harry had guessed as much. "So the next step is to talk to this thing in Parseltongue."
Celeste merely nodded, giving his hand a soft squeeze.
Harry stared at the horcrux with pursed lips. The last thing he wanted was to communicate with a vile magical artifact created by Voldemort himself. It brought back memories of his second year when he'd encountered Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets.
It seemed like every step forward in this world revealed new ways in which his unique connection to Voldemort was both curse and necessity.
"There's something else, Master," Celeste said quietly, turning around and wrapping her arms around him. She stared up at him through her eyelashes, her hands running up and down his back as she constantly sent pulses of comfort through her touch, undoubtedly feeling his distress.
"What is it?"
"Now that the concealment is gone, I can sense the soul fragment more clearly. It's... aware. More aware than the gold locket ever was."
"Aware how?"
"It knows we're here. It knows what we're trying to do. And it's actively fighting back." She gestured toward the circle, where the blue light was now flickering erratically. "That's why the revelation charm is starting to fail. The horcrux is reasserting its concealment."
Even as she spoke, the locket began to fade back to its previous golden appearance. Within moments, it looked like nothing more than an old piece of jewelry again.
"Can you force it to stay revealed?" Harry asked.
Celeste shook her head against his chest as Harry pulled her firmly against himself, glaring at the runic matrix that faltered, the magical backlash forcing him to grunt as he kept his feet planted firmly to the floor. The blue glow vanished, and gray fumes danced over the destroyed runic matrix.
"Not without a constant application of power that would exhaust me within hours," Celeste replied, looking up at him once again. "We'd need multiple casters working in shifts, and even then..."
Harry nodded as he sank into a chair, running a hand through his hair as Celeste eagerly dropped herself in his lap, leaning back against his chest. Harry's hands wrapped around her middle as she made herself comfortable.
"What is troubling you, Master?" She asked softly.
"Tom Riddle's diary responded to written communication," Harry began. "Ginny… that's Ron's sister. She was writing in it, and it began to control her, draining her life force to try to make itself alive. If we're right, the locked would work similarly. Only I have to speak to it in Parseltongue. I have to interact with the soul fragment inside."
"That is correct," Celeste replied. "If you could communicate with it, you might be able to learn how the protections work. Or even convince it to lower its defenses."
"I don't think it's going to work out that way," Harry chuckled mirthlessly. "But it's worth a try. I'm so not looking forward to another conversation with a piece of Voldemort's soul."
"Be careful, Master," Celeste warned, shifting in his lap as she turned sideways. "This fragment could be more developed than the one in the diary. More cunning. And if it tries to manipulate you through your connection..."
She trailed off, but Harry understood her concern nonetheless.
"Stay close, then," he said softly. "Your presence helps me a lot."
A radiant smile lit up her face as she leaned in, slamming her lips against his in a furious kiss. Her tongue pushed, and Harry met her halfway, kissing back passionately. Their lips moved together in perfect harmony, their hands wandering.
In no time, Celeste was straddling Harry's lap, her silk crimson dress riding up her buttocks, baring them as she kept her arms wrapped around his neck, kissing heatedly. The spaghetti straps slipped slightly off her shoulders as she pressed herself closer, grinding her hips against him. Her lips moved against his, the kiss deep and hungry, their tongues tangling wetly.
Celeste held him by the back of his neck, pulling him closer as Harry caressed her body, one hand roaming over her back while the other reached up to grab a breast, kneading roughly. He squeezed them firmly, feeling the weight of them through the thin dress, her nipples already hard under his touch.
"Mmm…" Celeste moaned in approval, kissing him harder as Harry brought his second hand into play and toyed with her breasts.
She moaned softly, arching into his hands, encouraging him to keep going. Harry obliged, his thumbs circling her nipples, teasing them through the fabric. The silk was so thin it felt like nothing was there, and Celeste's gasps grew louder as he pinched her nipples gently at first, but then harder, rolling the sensitive peaks between his fingers.
Her hips rocked against him, the heat of her pussy pressing against his growing hardness.
"Yes, Master," she whispered against his lips, kissing him fiercely, her tongue diving deeper.
As they kissed, Harry tugged the straps of her dress down her arms before grabbing the deep neckline and yanking it down, exposing her large breasts to the cool air. He pulled back from the kiss and stared at her for a moment.
Her nipples stood out, begging for attention, and he didn't hesitate. He leaned in, his lips closing around one, sucking gently at first, then harder, his tongue flicking over the sensitive tip. Celeste's hands gripped his hair, pulling him closer as she moaned, her hips grinding faster against him. The sensation of his mouth on her breast sent shivers through her, and she threw her head back, letting out a soft whimper.
He switched to the other breast, his lips and tongue working her nipple with the same intensity, sucking and nibbling lightly. His hand didn't leave the first breast, kneading it roughly, his thumb brushing over the wet nipple he'd just left. Celeste's breaths came in short gasps, her body trembling as she pressed herself harder against him, rolling her hips hotly in his lap.
Harry's teeth grazed her nipple, and she let out a sharp cry, her fingers tightening in his hair. She pulled him up and their lips found each other again, the kiss messy and frantic, her moans muffled against his mouth as he continued to play with her breasts, pinching and rolling her nipples around as he kneaded them roughly.
Finally, they pulled back, their eyes half-lidded. Her crimson lipstick was smeared, and his lips were redder than before, but none seemed to care.
"I'd love to take care of you, Master," she whispered sultrily, cupping his hard-on through his jeans.
"There's something else that needs taken care of first, Celeste," Harry replied gruffly. "Later."
"Yes, Master. As you say."
With a soft squeeze of his manhood, she pulled her hand away and slowly climbed off his lap. Harry gazed up at her, at her flushed and alluring face, at her heaving tits and those reddened nipples, smeared all over with his saliva that jiggled enticingly, beckoning him to clamp his mouth on them once again, and at the dampness he could see on her knickers. A part of him simply wanted to bend her over on the table and take her, but he controlled himself.
"I'll always be there for you, Master," she smiled, holding her hand out, and with a smile of his own, Harry allowed her to pull him back to his feet.
He nodded, and with a resolute look on his face, he walked over to the destroyed runic matrix where the golden locket sat innocently on the wooden surface. He glanced at Celeste who gave him an encouraging nod, and with a sharp exhale, he reached out to pick up the locket.
The moment his fingers touched the metal, a jolt of cold malevolence shot up his arm. His scar gave a sharp twinge, and for a moment he saw flashes of red eyes and heard the echo of cruel laughter.
Celeste immediately moved closer, her hand coming to rest on his back as she began channeling her succubus abilities, sending those pulses of comfort once more. However, there was something different about it this time. A much warmer, more protective energy flowed from her touch, creating a barrier between his consciousness and the horcrux's influence.
"That was… weird," he muttered, giving her a thankful nod as he slowly pulled his hand back.
"The soul piece inside you is agitated," she said softly. "The ritual we did… it was like taking off a shackle. The Horcrux must've hated that."
"I see," Harry muttered, before he turned back to the locket with a glare. "Well then, let's see what this son of a bitch has to say."
"If it can communicate back, I think it will have the traits of its creator," Celeste supplied. "His behavior, maybe his personality…"
"Makes sense," Harry nodded. "The diary was cunning and manipulative, knowing how to keep its true nature hidden."
"Let's hope this one is less cunning and more prideful, then," Celeste replied, nodding as she stepped beside him. She kept their hands clasped, her comforting magic a constant between them.
"Open," Harry hissed in Parseltongue.
The locket started getting warmer, and they could see a faint green glow beginning to emanate from the stones hidden beneath the golden veil. The clasp on the locket popped, and slowly, it opened up.
"Sso..." came the reply, silky and slimy like the speaker, seemingly slithering through their ears. "The boy who livess comes to visit. How... interessting."
Snape had brutalized Occlumency into him, but Harry was not proficient in the subtle art of safeguarding one's mind like an expert. Still, he could feel an external influence, especially when it was intrusive. However, something unexpected happened.
As the soul fragment tried to press its influence into Harry's mind, it encountered a powerful protective barrier. Realization dawned on Harry in an instant, and he turned to Celeste who grinned.
Her succubus magic, fueled by her genuine devotion and protective instinct, had created a wall of warm, sensual energy that the cold malevolence couldn't penetrate.
The Horcrux seemed to realize it as well, and frustrated by its inability to properly manipulate Harry, it turned its attention to the succubus instead.
"And what have we here?" the voice hissed, though now Harry could hear it speaking English, directing its words toward Celeste. "A creature of lust and manipulation, pretending to serve. How long before you betray him as your nature demands? How long before you corrupt him beyond recognition?"
The Horcrux must have taken her for an easy target for its manipulations, and it must've been sorely disappointed when Celeste let out a confident laugh, her fingers intertwined with her Master's.
"You understand nothing, fragment. I am exactly what I appear to be. A hot succubus who has found her one true sexy Master. One worthy of absolute devotion and pleasure."
Harry gave her a look that was part bewilderment, part amusement. Was she seriously going to do what he suspected she'd do? But then as he thought about it, he realized he shouldn't really be surprised. She was built like that, after all.
"Foolish demon," the voice sneered. "You think your petty magics can protect him from his destiny? You think your pathetic loyalty matters when the true Lord Voldemort comes?"
"I think," Celeste replied with unwavering certainty, "that you're a broken piece of a broken soul, old news desperate to regain relevance. My Master is everything your moronic counterpart could never be—strong enough to command without cruelty, powerful enough to inspire genuine loyalty instead of demanding it through fear, and virile enough to pleasure me and numerous other women to our full satisfaction. I bet yours can't even get his baby dick hard enough to tickle his snake, let alone make a woman moan."
The horcrux's rage was palpable, malevolence oozing off the locket, but Harry saw Celeste standing firm with a cruel smirk on her beautiful face that made her look utterly fuckable. Her faith in him and her absolute belief in his superiority over Voldemort in every way imaginable created an unshakeable foundation that the soul fragment couldn't hope to undermine, but that was not all.
The sheer belief and confidence in her voice stirred something primal within him and he gave her a heated look. The excited yet sultry look she gave in return was enough to tell him that she was as excited as he was.
"You dare—"
"What are you? A teenager?" Harry joined in the mockery, disdain dripping from his voice as he smirked. "Getting rattled like that after being taunted in a dick-measuring contest? I expected more from someone like you, Tom."
The use of the accursed given name enraged the soul fragment further, and the locket rattled violently on the table. The lamps started flickering, but one casual wave of Celeste's hand took care of the issue in an instant.
"Look at it, throwing temper tantrums," Celeste tutted. "You know, Master, he reminds me of those foolish men who sought me out. All utterly useless. Just like him, I think."
Harry let out a mocking laugh. "He is useless, so you're not off the mark there, Celeste," he taunted. "Listen, locket. I want to understand your protections. Mind telling me how they work?"
Soft, mocking laughter filled the room as the malevolence grew, but they stood unshaken. "Why would I help the one who seeksss to desstroy me? You are not sso clever as you think, boy."
"Because, Tom," Harry replied, as if he was talking to a child, "I'm offering you a chance to prove your superiority. To show us how impossible your defenses are to break. That's what you'd love, right? To demonstrate your genius and show how we are so inferior to your intellect?"
The voice was quiet for a long moment, and Harry could almost feel the soul fragment considering his words. Voldemort had always been vain, always eager to display his magical prowess, and had it been Voldemort himself here, this would've never worked.
But this was not Voldemort. This was his soul fragment, and it seemed that it had taken only his impulsive, indignant, and prideful traits. Not only taken, but perhaps multiplied those traits a few times.
It would've been impossible to get under Voldemort's skin like this. A little bit of sexual mockery and Voldemort got rattled? Impossible. Voldemort perhaps didn't even care about the pleasures of flesh, though Harry had never pondered on it.
This fragment though… they'd discovered its glaring weakness, and now they smelled blood.
"You think flattery will work on me?" the voice finally hissed. "I am not some ssimpleton to be manipulated by crude psychology."
Both Harry and Celeste smirked. They could hear something else beneath the dismissal. Curiosity, and maybe even temptation. The fragment wanted to show off, wanted to prove its creator's brilliance like the prideful brat that he was. They exchanged a glance and Celeste smirked, nodding.
"Then don't tell me," Harry said with a shrug, chuckling. "I'll figure it out soon anyway. I destroyed your diary easily enough. When I was a bloody second-year."
"That wasss a lesss developed piece," the voice snapped, anger bleeding through in its slimy voice. "An experimental object. The firrrst of many. It couldn't be protected, only infused with my essence. It wasss a mere frrragment compared to what I have become. The protectionss on thiss vesssel are layered in wayss that would take you decadess to underssstand."
"Decades? Seriously?" Harry asked with obvious skepticism as Celeste chuckled dismissively. "For something you probably threw together in an afternoon?"
They could swear the locket was burning now. Fumes were coming out of it as the soul fragment's rage intensified.
"Threw together? THREW TOGETHER? You ignorant child, thessse enchantmentss represent the pinnacle of protective magic! The ssserpent-speech bindingss alone required monthss of research into the most ancient magical principless..."
And just like that, the fragment began ranting. Not in detail and nothing specific, but Harry and Celeste listened attentively, starting to gain at least a bit of an idea behind the structure of the protections. It was like listening to a master craftsman who couldn't resist describing his greatest work, even to someone who planned to destroy it.
As the horcrux continued its boastful explanations, they began to see patterns in the protective enchantments. The serpent-speech bindings were indeed the key, but they weren't just defensive. They were the entryway into doing anything with the actual binding of the soul to the artifact. Harry knew that Dumbledore had studied the Gaunt Ring before truly destroying it, and he wondered if the headmaster had also discovered something.
"Thank you for the lesson," Harry said dryly when the fragment finally finished its boasting. "Most illuminating."
"You think you underssstand now?" the voice asked with renewed mockery. "Even knowing the theory, you lack the power and knowledge to break thessse bindingss. I am eternal, boy. I will outlassst you and all your pathetic friendsss."
"Yes, and you can fuck off now," Celeste mocked.
Harry snorted and commanded the locket to close, cutting off any toxic remark. The dark glow faded, and the malevolent presence disappeared.
"Damn, that didn't feel like him at all," Harry muttered, lowering himself in the chair once again, and just like before, Celeste assumed her position in his lap, sitting sideways and facing him.
"Felt like the ramblings of a brat," Celeste agreed.
"These Horcruxes do not have a full personality. I didn't know that before."
"Well then, we did learn a fair bit about what to do," she remarked, her fingers absently playing with the hair at his nape. "But still not enough on how to really destroy it."
Harry nodded. Taking the protective enchantments apart was doable. It would require time and power. However, they were still nowhere when it came to severing the connection between the soul piece and its container. Their little initiative had only been half successful.
But it was better than nothing.
"We should tell Hermione what we learned," he said. "She'll want to start researching immediately."
Celeste chuckled, nodding as she stood up, but not before stealing another passionate kiss from her Master. Harry smiled at her as she got to her feet and began cleaning up the place, her hands moving about in the air as she worked. He allowed himself a few moments to take in the visions that she was, his eyes roaming up and down her sinful curves.
"All done," she grinned, turning around, and Harry nodded, allowing her to grab his arm as they left the ritual chamber together.
"Your devoted scholar has been throwing herself into research with even more dedication than usual since she gave herself to you," Celeste remarked as they walked on the plush carpeted floor.
There was something in her tone that made Harry glance at her sideways. "What do you mean by that?"
"Oh, nothing dramatic," Celeste replied with a knowing smile. "Just that she seems to have found new motivation for her studies. New reasons to want to be as helpful as possible to her Master."
The way she said the last word, with that emphasis and a sultry undertone, made Harry's pulse quicken. He was beginning to understand that Celeste took genuine pleasure in reminding him of his growing authority, and if he was being honest, he was quickly learning to accept it all as his due.
It was not out of a sense of entitlement. It was the new reality of his life. That's just how it was, and that's how it wanted it to be.
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