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Harco Empire	By : Toddy Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 34430 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or films. I do not make any money from the writing of this story, just enjoyment.

Chapter List
- 115
- 116
- 117
[Note: conversation =: “speech” & ‘thoughts’ & *telepathy* & #Parseltongue# & {telephone}]
~~~ RECRUITS ~~~
“You must ask Vasil to come to our camp, Harry,” suggested Hermione: “We ought to do some tests to see if he has the magely gene. If he has; maybe some apparating coaching would be useful – it’s quite a long way from here to the seclusion.”
Vasil was holding Harry's hand so he had mentally understood most of what was suggested except ‘apparating’; thus he needed to have this explained in greater detail. Harry expected a rebuff, but had a ‘Father Weasley – ‘how exciting’’ type of reply instead.
Lunch over, Hermione offered to side-along Vasil, because the two satyrs had asked Harry and Draco do the same service for them. Harry had the feeling that the two mages who had transported them to the church had either been too familiar or too embarrassed by the necessary close contact; not that he wanted to explore such a delicate subject any further.
Hermione came rushing up to the pair: “Vasil says that he thinks he’s apparated by himself before. At least that’s what I thought his Parseltongue said.”
V: #Yes, Harry, Hermione is right. It happened a couple of times when the D.S. agents tried to arrest me in the street. I just wished I were safe in my seminary room; and there I was. I though the Lord had transported me, just like he transported Philip away after he had baptised the Candace’s chamberlain. It felt just the same when Hermione transported me with her – a sort of dizzy crushing feeling#.
H: #That makes things much easier. When we learned we had to be careful not to leave bits of us behind. I think you’re beyond that. Are you prepared to make an experiment#?
V: #Yes#.
Harry remembered the circle of ropes idea from his learning and after a couple of goes Vasil had it pat. They increased the distance until Vasil had managed to apparate into his own room at the monastery and come back to the camp. Like the rest of them he felt slightly queasy but some of Hannah’s herbal tisane soon had him feeling as right as rain. Some of the other mages were pleased to partake as well.
###
When they flew over to the enclave-to-be, Blaise borrowed the duple and took Vasil with him – for some reason Vasil seemed to prefer apparating and had asked Hannah for the recipe for the tisane. As all of the ingredients grew locally the three herbalists were promised an herb-hunt once they were finished with the job in hand.
Pan was very welcoming to the new priest; especially when he learned that he could converse in ‘sacred-speech’ as the satyr’s called it.
Vasil accompanied Harry and Draco; watching as the team of mages raised the occluding dome of wards. A couple of times they found he was supplying extra thaumic energy when they became hard pressed. That, combined with his apparition skills, confirmed that he was a natural mage. However, he still kept an eye on his watch and disapparated to his cell well in time for his evening office with his other brothers and sisters.
Everyone was tired after their ward making efforts; being content to laze around the camp pool before going to bed early. Draco and Harry noticed Paulus and Charlie in a close conference and wondered what that meant. After their usual chat they were just content to hug each other in comfortable closeness before becoming comatose.
~~~ WARDING ~~~
This was round-up day, the wild goats had to be found and herded out through the tunnel. As the day wore on it became increasingly more difficult to find the few remaining ones and, in the end, the animal wards were activated. Brilliance said that his people would try to domesticate the few remaining ones; adding that some new genes would be useful in their own herds.
Tuesday was uprooting-day. Under the direction of the botanists, teams of mages transported dragon trees out of the enclave and brought back equivalent sized ones to replace them. A quarter of the team dug a dragon tree out, and its equivalent quarter dug out the other tree, making an enormous soil-ball round the roots. The two transport teams, consisting of the mages with the strongest lifting charms, swapped the trees over and left the digging teams to bed the new trees in. After each swap the whole team had a rest, before taking on another pair of trees. It was dusk when the last arboreal set was firmly planted.
###
Wednesday was digging-day. The excavation teams, under Seamus’s and Dean’s direction began carefully loosening rock, the transport teams took this to the vee valley where Hamish and his team constructed the dam. Meanwhile, the Satyrs were transporting mud and clay to make the dam waterproof, using their goats to trample the resultant puddle into the fissures between the rocks.
###
Thursday was water-day. Hamish started off by teaching some special channelling charms. These charms defied gravity by forming magical tubes into which all the surrounding stream outfalls were collected. The other end of the charm decanted the water into the pool; so that by teatime, it was near to overflowing. The teams also took bags of water to help the newly transplanted trees settle in. The filling of the dam allowed the building team, plus Hamish, to check the water tightness of the barricade and make sure that their calculations about its strength were correct. Some small adjustment to the spillway’s lip had to be made, to ensure that the irrigation leats were not overflowing and drowning the satyr’s crops. Now that the small lake was full it was hoped that its catchment of natural streams would supply all the necessary water to keep it topped up.
###
Friday was closure-day. The gaps in the wards that had been allowed for tree transporting and goat herding were finally closed. Much titivating of the occlusions took place, so that from outside everything looked the same. Dragon repellent charms were added to the normal animal and human exclusion zones and all the perimeter fissures double checked for thaumic-tightness.
In the afternoon the mages went to partake in the icon’s procession, taking a few of the disguised interested satyrs with them. Vasil was part of the ornate panoply and, although the spectators did not understand the language, the music and fervency of the atmosphere was very apparent.
###
Saturday was sports-day. Vasil apparated into the home cave and the mages entered via the tunnel. There was a carnival atmosphere, everyone stripped off and picnicked around the new lake’s shoreline. The satyrs had made an area for bathing lined with fine sand, behind which was a newly mown meadow – part of the hay store for later. The sun was out and some fluffy mountain clouds, too. With a result that just when Harry or Draco felt it was becoming too hot, some airborne shade came along. There was a sort of mini-Olympic-games with some of the usual land and water events plus various magical and musical ones as well. The day ended with a roast. A few of the remaining wild goats had been caught and were used to make a savoury feast. In the cool of the evening the musicians came into their own: the rest day wound down with dancing and then a peaceful concert.
###
“Sunday was Saints Adrian and Natalie day. Vasil explained that there could be no special service because of the hundreds of pilgrims converging on the monastery. Having had an introduction to the service on the previous Sunday, the mages and a few Bolithos became one with the crowd. There was a special atmosphere that took them along with the pilgrims. The celebration took hours, but the environment had that special charge within it so that time became immaterial.
Sometime in the middle of the afternoon, the company went into the cloister and apparated back. The remains of the previous night’s meal had been made into a delicious goulash which, with hunks of newly baked bread made a very satisfying final meal together.
~~~ JOURNEY ~~~
After a number of goodbyes Draco apparated Harry and a homing beacon to a secluded spot near the railway siding. Once they had gained entry to the carriages, which the railway authorities had cleaned and re-stocked with water, they drew the blinds down and set up the beacon so that the remaining British magical party could apparate directly into the main carriage. From there they sorted themselves into the two sleeping carriages. Once settled in – the party, with the same squib guard, awaited their departure time
As there was now no urgency, their group of coaches were treated as though they were one of the special pilgrim transports and attached to a train going westwards. Eventually they arrived in Sofia and managed some sleep in a siding; awaking late and eating breakfast in a station café, before being attached to some more carriages for a midday departure on an international train. This was better than coming, Draco was told, because there was time at the various stops to put water on and empty the rubbish etc. It was also fun, in that a restaurant car was within the consist they were attached to. The stewards were prepared to accept Draco’s or Harry’s credit card, so between them they paid for a meal for the troops. At the end of the meal Fawkes – in budgerigar disguise – warned the Blakes that a delicate assignment was looming.
~~~ WILD MAGIC ~~~
On returning from paying for the meal Draco and Harry were sauntering towards their temporary wheeled abode, wondering what Fawkes’s warning meant. When they passed a compartment they both felt magical activity coming from behind the drawn blinds. Bearing in mind the admonition and being curious they knocked on the sliding door, but with precautionary shields at the ready. The door slid open to reveal one occupant. He was very handsome and appeared to be of Eastern Mediterranean origin, he was surrounded by a column of swirling magic. That was something Draco had read about – a very rare occurrence – and he made Harry aware via their mental link.
“Sorry to disturb you but we thought you might be a friend.”
“Why would you think that?” The young man scowled and his magic swirled and bulged towards the two mages.
Draco could feel some magical probing emanating from the young man and alerted Harry.
“We had a feeling that someone like us was here.”
“Why would you think that?”
Harry felt an inexpert barrier go up so he gently absorbed it. The young man’s eyes widened as his magical barrier was drained away. His magic turned into a whirlwind as he tried again with a more aggressive barrier. Harry’s magic ate that too.
Draco was tuned in to what was happening and held up his arms in a peace gesture: “We mean you no harm, I can promise you that. However, we would like to discuss your gift with you. May we sit down, please?”
“I suppose so.” The young man looked both surly and afraid but the magical maelstrom settled slightly.
“We’re not the secret police, if that’s what worrying you,” said Harry, smiling: “We’re brother mages returning from a job in the Balkans. I get a feeling that you are self-taught; is that correct?”
“I went to school, if that’s what you mean. We were all taught English as a second language.”
“No … That’s not what I meant. I was talking about magic, we can feel your aura and no doubt you can feel ours.”
“Sh-h-h-h don’t talk so loud … I’ll be put in prison again before I can leave the country and so will you two.”
“I very much doubt it; there are two carriages full of mages at the back of this train; enough to hold off an army of muggles if necessary.”
“Is that what you call the British secret police?”
“We don’t have any …”
“… That’s what I had heard and why I wanted to escape. What are those people you mentioned then?”
“It’s our name for all those who are not gifted with the magical gene.”
“Oh … Right … So … Everybody else then?” The young man’s magic was just revolving slowly.
“Yes … got it in one … What charms were you trying to make? We felt them as we passed your compartment.”
“You won’t tell anyone will you?”
“No, you can have our wizards’ oath on that, if you so wish.”
“Oh … Right … I don’t think I need to go that far. You see I was trying to make one that would make someone believe I was the guy on my passport. It’s not mine really; I was loaned it by a friend after I escaped from prison.”
“Were you in there because of your magic?”
“Yes … Unexplained things happened when I was around and people complained.”
“So the spell you were trying … Was it a belief charm or a glamour?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Okay … Um … Did you want to make the official believe that the picture he was looking at was you and not your friend? Or did you want to put on a disguise in order to look like your friend.”
“I’m not sure, really … Probably the belief one, I think.”
“That’d take a lot of energy; you’d have to fool six or seven muggle officials at every border. You ought to try a glamour … Hmm … disguise yourself.”
“Not sure how to do that.”
“We have a friend, Justin, who’s very good at that. We could ask him to come and see you if you like. Otherwise, why not come and join us in the back carriages?”
They young man looked dubious and his swirling magic accelerated slightly, so Harry thought something extra was needed: “My name is Harry Potter, and this is my partner Draco Malfoy.”
“H-Harry P-Potter … That’s who my friend said I had to look for if ever I got to England … Are you sure?” The new mage’s thaumic field vibrated excitedly.
“Here … Look at my passport; if you touch your wand to my picture it will start moving.”
The young man looked at the proffered document and then at Harry: “Erm I don’t have a wand. I was trying to think what I wanted.”
“That’s called wandless non-verbal casting and is very difficult to do. We can do it because we are a conjoined pair; very few other mages are strong enough. It probably explains why there was so much wild magic around when we passed, you couldn’t contain it.”
“I’m Alexandrou, most people call me Alex; can you show me how, please?”
“I think, Alex; that you should come to our carriages, firstly you’ll be with a lot of other mages, secondly Justin could easily cast a glamour on you, and thirdly we can cast a combined belief charm on anyone who wants to interfere.”
“I’ve nothing to lose, have I? I wasn’t getting very far with my attempts and when the EC border arrives I’ll be a lost cause. Even if you are the politzei I would have been arrested anyway. So show me the way please, I’ll just have to risk it, won’t I?”
“Your suspicions are not well founded; may I carry one of your cases?”
“Thank you, Draco – is it? I can call you that please?”
“Of course, we’ll go first and then if you feel a trap you can run away and hide.”
“For some reason I don’t really feel afraid – more excited, really.”
Alexandrou followed the two mages down the corridors until they arrived at their carriages.
“Hello Harry, where have you two been? We were getting quite worried about you.”
“No need to send a search party out, Blaise, we were quite safe, thanks. Meet Alex he’s a refugee mage from the Ukraine and needs our protection. Do you remember what Vasil told us about people being taken away?”
“Of course I do, Draco. Hi Alex, welcome to our company, such as it is. We’re due in school in a couple of days for the start of the next term, will you be joining us?”
“I’m not sure, it’s up to Harry and Draco, I think.” Alexandrou looked at his two mentors quizzically.
“Well you’ve got the best two professors guiding you so you should be all right.” Blaise shook the new recruit’s hand as he passed into the organised chaos of the main carriage’s common-room atmosphere.
“Neville,” Harry called out.
“Yes Harry?”
“This is Alex, he’s a mage like us; I believe you have a spare bunk in your compartment, may he share it?”
“Of course, Harry. Alex, follow me and I’ll show you where it is. Let me carry your bags.”
“Justin?”
“Yes Draco?”
“Alex will need a glamour for passing through emigration and customs. He’s been imprisoned because of his magic and has escaped. He has a dodgy passport belonging to a friend, so the picture and his face ought at least to resemble each other.”
“No probs I’ll do both of them, so that the friend doesn’t get into trouble and Alex won’t look like himself either, in case they have wanted posters or something.”
“What about those electronic scanners you told me about?”
“Paulus knows a handy spell that leaches info from them and subtly alters the reply, so he says. He can cast it on a document so things should be all right. Anyway, we’ll be next to him when and if inspection comes, don’t worry.”
“Trust a sneaky Slytherin to find a way of cheating the electronics.”
“Don’t forget you were one once, Professor Malfoy.” Justin poked Draco gently in the chest.
“Oh … I wasn’t complaining,” Draco held his peace proclaiming hands in the air: “Just recognising and admiring a slightly warped talent.”
###
It took the rest of the day to reach Belgrade where the train was taken to pieces carriage by carriage [excepting their three] to form a series of new trains.
Some of the Dumbledorians were with Harry and Draco watching the operation from the platform.
“We saw you getting chummy with Charlie, Paulus.”
“He’s an okay guy, Harry.”
“And that means?”
“I find him quite attractive, yes, Draco; but I was talking to him about Dragons mainly. My parents want me to find a meaningful job, and Hagrid thinks I’ll do well in my Magical Creatures NEWT’s. So I thought I might give the dragon minding job a go. Charlie says there is a vacancy for a trainee.”
“With your proficiency in Parseltongue you might make a good liaison person with the satyrs as well.”
“Now there’s a thought, I’ll add that to my CV when I apply. Thanks very much.”
After re-boarding their carriages the company slept as the engine made its way through the dark, waking early in Budapest where a number of vehicles were discarded [not theirs]; breakfast was partaken in a new dining car beside the Danube and into the ‘waltz city’ to its Westbahnhof station.
Somehow the passports, which the attendant held on their behalf, had been checked whilst they were asleep. Alexandrou’s had been made to look like a British passport and had been put in with the bunch and, because the rest were all British it seemed to have passed muster.
“Welcome to a new life, Alex,” whispered Paulus when the attendant handed their passports back.
*Well done, My Sons, another assignment well achieved*, sent budgie-Fawkes to the Blakes.
###
Within half an hour, and having reversed, the carriages were leaving Vienna, firstly in a fairly flat land; then alongside the Danube again with the mages looking at the Melk monastery on its cliff above them; Draco explained to the assembly about Alexandrou’s special magical status:
“It’s about as rare as Harry, Paulus and Vasil’s innate ability to speak Parseltongue and, as we know now, it is not a sign of dark magic, however if we could find Alexandrou’s ancestral roll I bet it would contain one of the three Peverell brothers, probably Ignotius. Most of us have a magical core where our thaumaturgy resides, with Alexandrou he collects the wild magic around himself and then uses it. The effect will be the same once our new found friend has learned to channel his talent effectively. Only other mages can sense your magical aura, Alexandrou; but while it is uncontrolled it chooses what it wants to do, hence some of your problems with the muggles.”
The teach-in lasted until half an hour later when the train moved into the glorious mountain scenery of the Austrian Tyrol and Switzerland.
The following dining-car lunch was a slow meal because they were all craning their necks at the passing panorama. At Zürich their engine left them but another backed on to them ready for departure in just over half an hour; this train was bound for Geneva. After some very pleasant neat Swiss farms the mountains returned before being treated to a glorious sunset over Lac Léman whilst dinner was served.
Their carriages did not move that night and there were some shower facilities for them to use in the sidings before leaving at the crack of dawn to travel through the French Alps to the very busy Lyon Part Dieu station. They were left in a side platform for just over an hour which enabled a quick partaking a French breakfast in the station buffet. At nine o’clock the three carriages were shunted on to a train which had just arrived. However, the connecting corridors were not opened.
“The train we are attached to will be making a special stop Dijon where you will be attached to another train for Chalons for further transference to Mézy. There you will be detached and another locomotive will pick you up,” the guard explained via Draco’s translation: “Please do not try to get out until we are in the side platform you started from.”
The route went valley hopping through minor passes; the grandeur of the Alps gave way to river scenery as far as Dijon. From then on the lines followed various rivers and through a few tunnels and along the Marne valley. As the carriages neared their destination, more and more monumental houses could be glimpsed through the trees. Their carriages eventually arrived at Mézy and little time was wasted uncoupling the vehicles at their station. Once the main train was out of sight, a small shunting engine came out to move them into the side platform. However, they did not stop there but continued along a little used route. Worriedly Harry went to find the guard, only to find it was the squib station-master with the daughter at Beauxbatons.
“Madame Malfoi asked if we could take you to the old stop that served the Chateau. It’s slightly overgrown but much nearer to where you want to be.”
Almost as soon as he had explained the slow train halted at what appeared to be someone’s back lawn. It turned out that one of the Beauxbatons professors now owned the old station house and his wife was only too pleased to allow them to alight.
###
Having thanked their stationmaster friend the rest of the journey to Chantry Cottage was to be achieved magically.
“What do we do now?” asked Alexandrou.
“We walk across the bridge to the Chateau; it’s not too far.”
“I thought we were going to England.”
“We are, once inside the Chateau we’ll port.”
“Oh … What’s porting?”
“A magical way of travelling with no passports to show.”
“But I don’t know how.”
“Don’t worry, one of us will take you with us. It’s just like opening a couple of doors.”
Alexandrou mused for some time and then became excited whilst crossing over the small river under the bridge. He said it was symbolic of his new life.
A further five minutes’ walk along a side road into the forest and Harry said: “We’re nearly there.”
“I can’t see any buildings.”
“You will in a minute once we broach the tholus. It’s a bit like changing your face temporarily for passport purposes, but the wards are permanent and hide buildings plus their estate instead.”
As the company passed through the wards Alexandrou drew his breath in sharply: “That’s very good magic; will I be able to learn that?”
“That depends on your aptitude; different mages are good at different things. Once we’re home we’ll get you a wand and you can try out various charms to see where your skill lies.”
“Thank you. What’s that group of buildings over there?”
“That is our Chateau des Sorciers and its outbuildings.”
Draco led them up the grand staircase to the first floor Malfoy apartment. There they were greeted by Defrag and elves had to be explained to the new mage. Harry and Draco took Alexandrou, charming a new galleon for him, and then handing him through to Toppers Wallow.
“Come with me Alex, we’ll go to Grimmauld Place and then to Diagon Alley.”
“Okay Harry, this is all very new to me.” They passed through the portal. “So this house is next door to your cottage is it?”
“No it’s eighty-one magi-leagues away; Draco and I made a portal that squashes the space magically, just like the one we came from the chateau. We have a couple that go to school as well.”
“What’s a magi-league?”
“Something the ward team rediscovered,” explained Draco: “It’s based on distance and the strength of earth-thaums between two nodes, roughly equivalent to three, muggle miles or five kilometres. I believe it is something to do with the historical speed of riding a broomstick. The ancient ones did slightly more than thirty miles an hour, so it would take about eight hours to cover the distance.”
“Sounds like too many numbers; I can count my change and add up but things get difficult after that. I expect I’ll need help with your money until I get used to it. Hermione was showing me the multipliers, it seems quite complicated, I became confused about the names of the aggregate coins.”
“Yes it is; I have a little card which helps me, I’ll give you a copy if you like.”
“Thanks.”
Alexandrou had to be handed through, yet again. Harry stumbled into him when he came out of the door because the new mage was staring around.
“It’s a joke shop, Harry!” he exclaimed: “I’ve heard of them but never seen one before; ooh, I say.”
“Be careful,” Harry whispered: “They’ll try a joke on you.”
Harry jumped when Percy said: “That’s very unsporting of you, Harry,” from just behind his left ear. Alexandrou roared with laughter at Harry’s stricken face.
“So you’re getting into the swing of things are you Percy?”
“Of course! My brother’s sense of humour is very catching, don’t y’know. Hello, Alex, I’m Percy as you heard.” Percy held out his hand.
It was Harry’s turn to laugh when a shriek emanated from the two clasped hands. “Okay Percy how did you know Alex’s name?”
“That’s easy; Ron flooed us whilst you were coming over. We’ve warned Ollivander that you’re imminent; he’ll shut up shop once you’re inside. Afterwards you can come upstairs for dinner to tell us all about Draco’s adventures, okay? Fiorello says he has some of his specials for afters, too.”
“I’ll just floo Draco to tell him, shall I?”
“No need, he was with Ron when we arranged it. He said something about easing Alex gently in.”
###
Harry re-lived his first wand experience again, but vicariously through Alexandrou.
“I think, Young Man, that you will be very strong,” enthused Ollivander: “Not as strong as Harry perhaps, maybe you should look at earth and water charms with Hamish and the goblins, you’ll be moving mountains soon; you mark my words.”
Alexandrou was a little taken aback by Ollivander’s statement but soon forgot it when, during dinner and afterwards Draco regaled the small group with tales of satyrs and train travel.
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