Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

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
- 120
- 121
- 122
[Note: conversation =: “speech” & ‘thoughts’ & *telepathy* & #Parseltongue# & {telephone}]
~~~ CYMRU ~~~
As laid out in the agreement Draco and Harry were now working the equivalent of three days each week as aurors and only carrying out professorial duties for the sixth and seventh year classes at Hogwarts. Dean and Seamus were now full time in the construction business, also acting as professors on the various practical magic courses. Hortulanus was professor of agriculture and horticulture with some oversight of DADA training at Milkwood Manor, he had a team of elves responsible to him who looked after many of the less able villagers’ gardens.
However, there was an understanding that around the Christmas/New Year, Easter/Beltane and All Hallows/Samhain periods both mages should be allowed to swap duties in order to have some spare days in which to make portals and attend rituals. There were the six-monthly visits to the Merpeople or Lymnads to be allowed for also. As well as having some time off mid-summer to have a holiday.
When casting around to see where the next portal should go Harry and Draco made a map. They noted that an area in North Wales that stretched as far as the West Midlands was out of range for any of their cabinets and normal thaumic surveillance.
In discussing this with the Dumbledorians Astoria became agitated: “The Gwynedd area is where our family home used to be. It was made unplottable, same as Malfoy Manor was. As most of you know, it was seized by Lucius and then, presumably, used by Voldemort.”
“Yes it was, Tor,” Draco replied, “I was taken there once or twice by apparition. It seemed to be on the edge of some quarries and had a view over a big lake.”
“Yes, Draco. The quarries produced a good income for my family in past years. They produced a beautiful grey-blue roofing slate, but the cost of cartage was always a problem to the muggles. We used thaumic means to move the slates thus making them commercially viable. There were lead deposits as well plus a small amount of gold in the quartz veins.”
“We need slate for some of the buildings we’re renovating,” remarked Seamus: “In removing the old ones we usually find some beyond repair.” He giggled: “Then, of course, some of our trainees are clumsy and manage ter drop one every now-and-again. He looked accusingly at Oddball who grinned back and shrugged. So we’re re-using slates off the derelict houses; fairly soon there’ll be a shortfall with a repaired house without a roof.”
“Do I get a feeling that, come Beltane, we ought to be trying to oust Lucy and his satraps from the Greengrass Manor and join it to the portal system?” Harry asked.
“YES!” was the majority reply.
“It’s called Glaswelltdy, Friends,” Astoria informed them: “Not very original, I grant you; for when translated it roughly means Greengrass house. The big problem is that of finding something unplottable.”
“I take it that you have a rough idea where the house is, Tor. Was the lake Draco mentioned within your wards, or outside them?”
“Outside them, Dean. I see where you’re going with this … Erm … I think I could spot its shape on a map. I used to think it looked like a tatty dragon in flight. The muggles use it for generating electricity. I seem to remember a pipe bursting and washing away a lot of the mountainside, rather like the romans used to quarry for gold, further south. I think I was six at the time, not that it made much difference to the water level in the lake.”
Hermione collected some Ordnance Survey maps and they all pored over them.
“That doesn’t look like a dragon at all,” snorted Ronald.
“Yes it does,” argued Ginevra, supporting her lover: “Look, there’s the horn on its snout and at the curve at the bottom is its tail. You can even see where its feet are,” she pointed: “I’ll admit its wings look peculiar but Tor did say it looked tatty.”
Some loud discussion took place as to the shape and it resembling a dragon. So much so, that when Astoria showed Draco and Harry where she thought Glaswelltdy was, no-one paid much attention. Draco noted that there had been many slate mines in the vicinity and, going to the Duindhu library to peruse some books, that lead and gold were also mentioned in the area.
~~~ INVESTIGATION ~~~
The two mages took their ideas to Mackenzie and Kingsley.
“Mmm,” Kingsley mused: “If you look on the magical incidents map there are no reports from that area.”
“That’s a negative result,” remarked Draco: “That area is sparsely populated, so you would expect less incidents.”
“You forget, Draco,” interjected Mackenzie: “That mages tend to like to live where there are fewer muggles. Look at this map and you will find more registered mages’ abodes per square magi-league in the rural areas than in major conurbations. In fact, there are a dozen or so marked in the area we’re discussing.”
Harry patted his forehead: “Now I know what that satrap we interviewed meant by ‘not shitting in his own backyard’. When we compare the two maps those mages living in Gwynedd seem to have come-off lightly. Um … There seem to be no muggle muggings either.”
“The only places that go against those trends are near Hogwarts and Godric’s Hollow plus the localised ministry employees surrounding London.”
“So should we stake out the area and see what happens?”
“I’m sure some of us Dumbledorians could accidentally be holidaying around Easter time in that area. There are beaches to lay on, fun trains to ride in, plus various stately homes and castles to visit.”
“How very Slytherin of you, Draco,” Kingsley chuckled sarcastically: “I’m sure some of our aurors could be persuaded to take some vacations there too, especially if they were still counted as being on duty.”
“There’s a camp site not too far away which is known to be mage-friendly,” Mackenzie pointed to the place.
“Fine ... Mac … I’ll chat up the members and you and I can work out a rota.”
~~~ MINERAL ~~~
Hortulanus was with them when Harry broke the news to the Dumbledorians: “You say there’s a mine there Harry?”
“Yes.”
“Mmm … I have a friend who is a professor in The Goblin School of Mining. He says that there is a muggle consortium working next door to their training mine in Cornwall whose opencast methods will shortly impinge on their anonymity. They are looking for a new safe site, perhaps they could find a new home?”
“A goblin family held the mining rights; granted when my father was in charge,” volunteered Astoria: “They fled when Lucy ousted my family.”
“What were their names Tor?”
“Hum … Dada used to call him Gary … Hum … Gabriellus Gratian, I think.”
“It’s probably the same bloke, but we call him Gabby. He said he’d been ousted from his holding by an awkward mage. I gather there was some violence involved too, he doesn’t talk about it now, if ever. I suspect some family members were hurt or killed in the fracas. Maybe he’d like to get his own back on Lucy.”
“Hum … Maybe it was Gabby, I only saw him a few times before we were ousted.”
~~~ VISITOR ~~~
Sunday a week later, a new goblin appeared at church, sitting alongside Hortulanus. They came over to see Draco and Harry afterwards.
“Harry, meet Gabby, the mining professor we talked about last week.”
They shook hands: “I see Horrty has friends in high places, Mage Potter-Blake.”
“Call me Harry, please. I understand, from Tor, that you held a mining concession on Glaswelltdy lands in Sir Gwynedd.”
A sad and grim expression took hold of Gabriellus’s face: “I did until your mate’s father made things difficult for me. I would gladly oppose anyone who took our only daughter away and held her hostage until we moved. Then he never returned her. I still don’t know what became of her; and Grecian, my wife, died of a broken heart a year or so later.”
“I’m sorry if I brought up unpleasant memories, you have my sympathy.”
“Thank you. I extend my sympathy to you also, you lost both your parents to the same cause. Now how may I help? They say that revenge is best served when cold.”
“Then there’s the safety of your pupils to thought of too,” interrupted Astoria: “I’ve flooed Dada and he would love to have the school on Glaswelltdy ground, if ever we regain it.”
“Well, well, Miss Greengrass, you were only seven when I last met you, my commiserations on the loss of your sister. Yes, I would love to move our small academy there as long as it is safe.”
“If we get control, it will have the same wards that protect us here and be connected by a portal.”
“A portal … Oh yes … Horrty explained them to me, not that I’ve experienced one yet.”
Harry unobtrusively held Hortulanus’s hand: Ha: *Will you vouch for him*?
Ho: *With my life, Harry*.
Ha: *Good. I can feel his benign aura*. “Gabby, if you wear this medallion it will grant you access through all our portals. First time you will need to be handed through, unless it’s a public one, those, anyone with the magical gene can use.”
Whilst Gabriellus was being shown through to a number of places Harry and Draco got to know him better, he also met other older mages including Filius and Minerva at Hogwarts.
~~~ BIRTHDAY ~~~
The next event was Teddy’s birthday. D&H were at a loss what to buy him so they asked Andromeda.
“He’s still falling off the broom you gave him; he’s practically given up trying. Why not give him a children’s bicycle, he’s outgrown the Kids one you bought him a couple of years ago, but still uses it.”
They followed Andromeda’s advice. Teddy looked at the unfamiliar object quizzically. Harry found a picture and Teddy mounted the bicycle. Held by supporting charms he set off gleefully cycling around the garden paths. Within a couple of hours, he got the hang of it and needed no more thaumic backing. Thereafter it was obvious that he was one of the twenty-five percent of mages who would never be a broom-rider. D&H were slightly disappointed, but soon forgot their disappointment when they saw him riding with the muggle children of his own age and far outstripping them.
Marilyn saw his prowess: “He’ll become a biker when he’s older, I’ll bet. So start saving up to buy him a Harley-d when he’s old enough.”
~~~ INVESTIGATION ~~~
Preparations for the surveillance included booking mage friendly holiday cottages in the area and drilling into various mages minds that they had to look and behave like muggles. Each set of surveyors was given a new aura-dampening scarab to wear whilst they snooped, thanks to Hermione’s and Grammarian’s hard work.
Saturday March the second started the investigation with Hermione and Ronald having a week off to celebrate his twenty-second birthday. They patrolled the south side of the area whilst a pair of aurors pretended to be rail enthusiasts researching the lost slate tramways towards the northern end. The next two sets were situated approximately east and west of the area, and used other pretexts. By the time the Easter Monday celebration of George’s twenty second birthday was over, they had narrowed down the possible site considerably, by observing sudden appearances of sundry satraps on nefarious errands either going out or when returning.
During the Easter break, Hortulanus and Gabriellus took a mountain walking holiday going in a circle around the suspected region. What they found was very interesting.
One of the small village shops that offered bed and breakfast also had a side-line in rock crystal ornaments. Both goblins recognised the signature of a gifted carver.
“Is it one of your family who makes these beautiful curios?”
“No, look you, ‘tis Gwen-Gwyllt. She lives up there in the mountains, she does. Every now and again she comes in and trades her carvings for food and other items. Funny little thing, she is, much the same size as you two, too. She has the same look about her as you do, Mr Gratian. Word has it that her parents were killed in a mine accident some dozen year ago. Not that she says much about it. Many families hereabouts have lost relatives to the rocks. It used to worse in the days gone by. My uncle Rheese was one and his Grandda too … … …” That started a string of reminiscences about relatives and mountains, whilst Mrs Davies served their enormous Welsh Breakfast.
After packing their rucksacks and departing Gabriellus was in a thoughtful mood: “You know, my daughter was named Gwendolyn. I wonder if it’s her?”
“Let’s move a little closer-in and look at that quarry up there.”
“Mmm … Yes … It looks slightly familiar. It’s surprising how soon the rhododendron bushes hide the salient features you thought you knew.”
They found an old miner’s track and followed it up the mountainside, in places slate blocks had been emplaced to make steps and help them up the steeper slopes, they also had the looks of being occasionally used. Arriving slightly out of breath at the top level they thought they could smell occasional puffs of cooking. Following their noses towards one of a number of adits out of which the slightest curl of blue smoke arose.
“Gwen-Gwyllt, is that you?” Gabriellus called into the entrance.
“Who wants her?”
“Gabriellus Gratian.”
“Go away nasty men. Gabriellus and Grecian are dead. I’ll not play your game.”
It took half an hour of wary negotiation before Gwen-Gwyllt came out of an adit below them to embrace her father and another half hour of weepy reminiscences before she invited them inside her abode.
“I was suspicious because you were calling down the gallery I use for a chimney. The bad men tried that a couple of times in other places and then rolled rocks down it upon me. Had you tried my fire-staff would have thrown them back at you. Come and meet my friends.”
They were led inside the rough-hewn twisting passageway and then through a number of confusing intersections into a larger chamber. Hortulanus detected a number of defence wards as they travelled. Inside was a large tent like structure made up of tapestries and lit by globes of light; roughly similar to the ones that used to be at Chantry Cottage. There were a number of rooms, one obviously a kitchen, another with a channel of running water used as a washroom. Off a passageway were a number of small bedrooms in two of which were some badly injured elves.
“The healing crystals take the pain away and maintain their lives, but normal curative charms have no effect on those who have been cursed by Voldemort.”
“Harry and Draco have a way of healing those kinds of curses.”
“Harry and Draco, who are they?”
“He-who-survived-twice, or Voldie’s exterminator; named Harry Potter. Draco is the Seignior’s son, but on the side of the light and magically bound to Harry. They’ve cured cursed Magicals of all kinds. Once they’re here we’ll ask them to do something about your invalids.”
They moved on and met a couple more elves, they were in a workshop and were carving the beautiful knick-knacks. Both of them had limbs missing.
“Maybe George and Vernon could make some limbs to help you too,” offered Hortulanus when he learned that their injuries were the result of curses.
“Thank you, Sir, Gwen-Gwyllt has been very kind to us. We come down here to rest when the satraps’ attentions get too much, so we repay her by carving the rock-crystal into pleasing shapes.”
“I swap them for the supplies we need, most of the raw material comes from the spoil heaps the gold refiners left behind.”
“I didn’t see any spoil heaps.”
“No, Horrty, all goblin miners refill old chambers with the detritus,” explained Gabriellus: “In that way we don’t draw the attention of the muggles to our workings. It also helps to support the earth above so that little subsidence occurs.”
“Yes I see, very green and forward thinking. Hum … You said that the elves come here for a rest, Gwen-Gwyllt?”
“Yes Horrty. There are a number of galleries that lead inside Glaswelltdy and a few into the grounds also. All suitably disguised from prying eyes and search-charms. The silly mages only think in terms of air-fire magic when making their ward-domes. I don’t think they’ve anchored this one to the earth-thaums at all.”
“I know that Herms, one of the Dumbledorians, anchors hers to earth thaums. I thought this was one of the basic principles.”
“Mmm … Yes, it is. Maybe they had not the knowledge or thought only in the temporary terms of a battle-dome. A good Bombarda-maxima should shift it fairly easily.”
“That’s another possibility to bear in mind when we oust the satraps.”
“Oh … So your people intend to do that do they?”
“Sorry, didn’t we tell you?”
“No … Erm … What about an elf’s duty to inform their masters?”
“Oh … Yes … Well …” Hortulanus looked at the two elves concerned: “If I could produce the Greengrass heiress fairly quickly, would that count?”
One of the elves smiled calculatingly: “We’re not due to go back for another three days, and it’s not an emergency, is it?”
“No and I’m sure Mistress Astoria could be here to look after her elves welfare before you have to.”
“What happened to Mistress Daphne?”
“The death eaters killed her in a skirmish, so Mistress Astoria is the only heir, she’s also heir to the Grunrasenhof in Vienna.”
“We use to like it when her Grandmamma the Duchessa visited, she respected our endeavours and praised us when things went right. Are you sure Mistress Astoria won’t beat us? She was a Slytherin, after all.”
“No, she’s magically paired with Mistress Ginevra, a Gryffindor and, being Dumbledorians, they both support Masters Harry and Draco.”
“That’s good, the satraps’ malign influence is much less here that up above, probably because of the healing effect of the crystals we carve.”
~~~ ORGANISING ~~~
The two goblins had to climb to the top of a neighbouring mountain and apparate westwards, in order to get their personal daffodils to work properly. So it was the following day when Astoria, Ginevra, Harry and Draco apparated to near Mrs Davies guest-house and shop and booked in, sporting their muggle hiking equipment. The two Goblins introduced them.
“Nice to see you all, look you. Any of Mr Gratian’s friends are very welcome. Are you also going to have a look at Diffwys Gyrafolen’s quarry? I do hope you don’t disturb Gwen-Gwyllt.”
Harry caught a warning grimace from Hortulanus. “There are other quarries in the vicinity which would be just as interesting, I’m sure.”
“Ah yes … Now there’s three around Moel Ysgyfarnogod to start with … … …” Mrs Davies started another monotone whilst she served dinner. Four mages and two goblins smiled politely and all-but ignored her ramblings.
Later on they agreed that she was the local gossip so, in the morning they set off in a different direction until they were well out of sight of the little village.
“I adennill y tir hwn at ei berchnogion cyfreithlon, ego Languidis terram hanc iure dominis, I reclaim this land to its rightful owners!” Astoria said, as she made a pass first with a fire-stick at the mouth of the quarry. Every now and again she repeated the words and the pass.
“I take it that you were using Cymraeg, Tor. I didn’t know you had a fire-stick.”
“Yes Draco, and Latin, just to ensure the earth-thaums recognised me. I talked it over with Horrty and he thought a fire-stick would be more efficacious, especially as the aura of wand-work might just be recognised by the satraps.”
“Clever … I like it!” admired the blond.
“Why, thank you, Lord Duindhu,” Astoria patted her hair coquettishly.
“My pleasure Mistress Heir of Greengrass,” he replied with a florid bow.
Once inside the caves, there was a small queue of elves also offering bows of their own. It took over an hour before they had all brought the new mistress up-to-date with the goings on in her domain. Naturally, she had them all swear to secrecy for the time being and asked them to inform any medallion wearing Dumbledorian of the latest news. The elves were also somewhat overawed by Harry’s presence.
~~~ CONNECTIONS ~~~
Whilst one small team was visiting the mine another red team were creating Daffodil connections. Dean, Seamus and Hermione contacted Graham Pritchard in Rhydymwyn and created the first link from the Smiths ‘Forge’ to ‘Rhyd’. From thence they visited Gwennog and Megan Jones in The Berwyns to create ‘Meg’ thus putting the daffodils in range of the patrols and near enough to Glaswelltdy to form a connection when it was taken over.
During the next couple of weeks Astoria gathered a lot of information from her loyal elves. Meanwhile they celebrated Dean’s birthday with a disco at Number Twelve.
It seemed that the Seignior was planning something early in May. Later Astoria’s small ears detected Wednesday the eighth. A little further down the line, information came that it was to be in France. So, through the international aurors’ web, Draco chatted to his equivalent in France.
“The problem is,” he reported back: “That it’s ‘Le Jour de Victoire’ when many French people will be out celebrating.”
A short while later Astoria’s spies had a particular Département to report; having seen it marked on a carelessly left open map. This information was also relayed.
~~~ BELTANE ~~~
On Beltane eve Harry and Draco charmed two new Weasley-made cabinets, but did not site them; keeping them in the thaum-free cellar until needed. Thus they were not too bushed when they attended the Maypole Dancing at Godric’s Hollow the following day. From then on, in surreptitious twos and threes, various Dumbledorians made their way to Diffwys Gyrafolen’s quarry, to be housed discreetly inside the mines’ adits. At the same time a certain mixed detachment of aurors moved into the mage friendly camp site in charge of Mackenzie. Using ‘Meg’ they were able to unobtrusively liaise with the quarry group and Kingsley who had ‘invited’ himself to stay at the Jones’s house for a week.
Late on Tuesday night, Astoria’s elves reported that the satraps were preparing for the assault but had no information as to where in the particular Département. At about six o’clock the bad mages came through some other tunnels to be outside the ward-dome and a mass-satrap-apparition took place to L’Isle de France. This was reported to Kingsley who immediately flooed his French counterpart, who then sent his contingent into the magical part of Paris, paying especial attention to the Paris branch of Gringotts and certain jewellery shops.
~~~ TAKE OVER ~~~
“All the satraps have gone Mistress,” the Glaswelltdy Reeve reported.
“Every one of them?” Astoria enquired incredulously.
“Yes Mistress, no one but us elves remain.”
Harry daffodilled Kingsley and said that they were going in to establish village wards just inside the present dome.
Hermione and Grammarian were one of the first magicals through the passageways and, with others of the warding team set about making their complicated tholus; fitting it just inside the one the satraps had made and securely anchoring it with earth-thaums. Dean’s and Seamus’s team started the search for curses and hexes; with the idea of neutralising any they found. Kreacher’s group started the thorough cleaning of the house whilst Ernie’s group started treating the various injured elves. Hortulanus’s and Gabriellus’s team with Gwen-Gwyllt went to make magical blockades in all the mine entrances outside the tholus’ base
Harry and Draco apparated to Streamshall to access the private auror cabinet link, thence using it to go to the London HQ and Number Twelve via WWW. Once they had obtained the miniaturised cabinets from the thaum free cellar they separated. Draco going directly to the Mill via Chantry Cottage and Harry back to Diffwys Gyrafolen’s quarry via Streamshall. Once inside Glaswelltdy he liaised with Astoria and set up the cabinet, using his mental link to Draco they created a portal out of the already charmed cabinets. Then they started the task of handing through all the entitled mages, whilst eating their revivifying chocolate.
~~~ FOILED ~~~
Outside Paris, Lucius regrouped the satraps and after lunch was surprised by the reception he got in trying to attack the magical quarter. Some of his troops were captured and a few killed before he ordered a retreat to the gathering ground. He was even more surprised when he tried to access his British HQ and found himself and his raiding party unable to penetrate the entrance adits and the tholus. This puzzled him greatly so, helped by his satraps, he set about destroying the protection-tholus he had made; although the occlusion was not affected. This was fairly easy because he knew which charms he had used. He was even more perplexed when his tholus was destroyed to find another almost identical one in its place.
Once Lucius was intent of destroying his tholus the British aurors attacked. Fearing to lose more of his army Lucius ordered a retreat back to the safe place in France and set up a temporary camp there.
~~~ INSPECTION ~~~
Most of the following weekend was spent at Glaswelltdy exploring the new house which, with her parents’ permission, Astoria intended the Harco Trust to run on the family’s behalf and sub-let to the Goblin mining academy. Hermione, Grammarian and Probert were fascinated by the occlusion dome. Although to describe it as a dome gives the impression of something smooth and semi-circular, this was far from that, it followed the contours of the mountains that used to be there before the Magicals started mining. From the outside it gave the impression of rugged mountains. So strong was it, that it would sustain animals and people walking or climbing upon it. To the muggle world it was no different from other mountains nearby; being represented on their Ordnance Survey maps as a series of heavily contoured semi-barren peaks.
The magical reality was entirely different, Glaswelltdy resided in the middle of a broad flat green valley. Facing out onto the lake, the valley sides were near vertical cliffs, on top of which sat the occlusion. This was the result of generations of careful mining. Whereas the muggles in the district had left enormous voids where they had taken slate and other minerals out, previous magical generations had slowly lowered the ground level and kept it fertile. The earlier miners had extracted every last bit of useable material and converted the few waste products into fertile soil. Unlike the muggles who tipped the leftovers in enormous unsightly heaps; any waste had been put back into disused adits. Thus the valley floor was not subject subsidence problems.
Within this valley were a number of almost vertical, slightly-tapered columns of rock. These were situated underneath and supporting the high points in the supposed terrain on top of the tholus. Certain other columns supported a few old farmsteads which appeared to be built on its surface. These columns were encircled by spiral staircases down to the valley floor. These had been owned by the Greengrass tenant Magicals until Lucius took over, but he had ousted or killed the occupants so that his trusted satraps might have them.
As the new magical protective dome [as opposed to the occluding one] was a smooth and invisible; its semi-circular shape covered the valley and these properties and shielded them. The pillars also allowed access to the outside world via the properties. Like Hogwarts, it was impossible to pass through the occlusion, but medallion holders were empowered to apparate through the new protectors.
There were also – as we have seen – other ways of accessing the valley via the old mine workings. Gwen-Gwyllt took her father on a tour and, with Harry, Draco and Hortulanus, they decided on which openings could be used and which ones should be blocked; both physically and magically.
~~~ SPY-CATCHERS ~~~
Arthur and Kingsley had great fun sussing out the secret sympathisers within the Ministry as they tried to find out what had happened at Glaswelltdy. Eventually the reason leaked out and Lucius even went as far to have some of his lawyers report the illegal repossession of one of his properties. Being a civil matter the case took a long time to reach the Wizengamot through the channels of British law. By that time the Greengrass family had secured enough funds to repay the debt; which Lucius’s lawyers contended had caused the original seizure. The Greengrasses also filed a counter claim for the damage the satraps had caused to their property. Thus they did not have to pay the full amount owed. Being treated as a civil matter Lucius did not have to appear in court, the lawyers could prove that they were acting on behalf of the Malfoy Trust. This then engendered another civil suit where Draco claimed his share of the money. The end result was that very little of the Greengrass debt actually ended up in the satraps’ coffers and a number of lawyers were rubbing their hands in glee at the way their Gringotts accounts had increased.
Once the fuss had died down and true to his word Papa Greengrass renewed the goblin licence to mine and, preferring to stay on their yacht, gave custody of the mansion to Astoria. As most of its treasures had been trashed or traded by the satraps, she, in her turn, did not want to reside there permanently. So a deal was struck with the goblin led Institute of Magical Mining that they could use the buildings as their mining academy. There were a few stipulations though: Firstly that any sentient Magical of the right age and basic qualification would be accepted as a student. Secondly, that an agreed percentage of the royalties on minerals sold should go the Greengrass family. Thirdly, that a number of previous miners’ lodgings, once renovated by the building team, should be available to rent, on a week to week basis, as family holiday homes to any Magical or associated muggle, on a first-come-first-served basis; the running costs and rentals to be shared between the mining faculty and the Greengrass family.
There was also an elf-led faculty of sculpture established within the old quarry’s caves, led by the two elves Astoria had met. This caused Kreacher’s Reeves’ meeting a few headaches until Astoria pointed out that Hogwarts elves were technically not attached to a family but to the institution represented by the Board of Governors and that the Goblin Board of Mining Management was the same kind of thing.
Within a few years, The Goblin Board of Management started to share its personnel with the Hogwarts Board of Governors until within a few decades the whole was integrated as one magical academy with various annexes. But that was for the future.
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