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Harco Empire	By : Toddy Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 34417 -:- 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
- 122
- 123
- 124
[Note: conversation =: “speech” & ‘thoughts’ & *telepathy* & #Parseltongue# & {telephone}]
~~~ INHERITANCES ~~~
Carefully Francis had been sorting out the chaos of the Malfoy and Black/Blake inheritances. Both previous heads of houses had been very deliberate in making hidden arrangements. Matters were complicated by the Peverell legacies too. Now that a Cadmus residence had been found, Francis was sure that there was an Antioch inheritance somewhere, but certain important documents were unavailable or missing in both muggle and magical archives.
The answer to that particular conundrum came from a rather surprising source at the beginning of the half term holiday.
On the Sunday evening Draco and Harry had been attending one of Narcissa’s soirées at Grimmauld Place – she was raising money for the new College and helping Hermione to continue to lobby various bigwigs. The two mages were staying the night there because they were due at the Ministry in the morning. It had become their usual habit to wish Auntie Walburga a polite good-night because it kept her sweet. This time her portrait had a visitor, someone who our pair thought was vaguely familiar.
“Will you introduce us to your visitor, please Auntie?”
“Yes, My Lords, he is here because I said you visited me on Soirée evenings. My Lords Blake, this is Antioch Peverell.”
“GOOD EVENING HONOURABLE ANCESTOR.” Both mages bowed.
“Good evening, My Lords Blake. I do hope that you can help me, as I am powerless to do anything from my confinement in this portrait world.”
“If it is within our power to help, we would do so most willingly,” replied Harry, with Draco nodding his agreement.
“It concerns a certain Palazzo in Venice, Gentlemen. One that by rights should belong to the heir of the Peverells, which, as I understand it, is you Mr Potter. It also concerns you, Mr Malfoy, because your father is the instigator of rapacious theft.”
“Do I take it that the explanation will take some time, Sir?”
“To do it justice; yes, Mr Potter.”
“Then perhaps we would be all more comfortable sitting down, Auntie Walburga’s portrait in our Hogwarts apartment has a suitable chaise longue and we have a settee there. We’ll see you there in five minutes. Perhaps Auntie, you could explain about portals to this gentleman.”
“Of course, My Lord.”
It took less than five minutes to reach the apartment.
Once they were all seated Harry started the proceedings: “Tell us more of this palazzo, please?”
“It’s called Palazzo Pevrello and was my residence before that fatal duel. Being the eldest I had many family heirlooms installed there, and had a small family of elves to look after the place. It is part of the frontage of the Grand Canal and a glamour makes it appear to be inhabited; although no-one has met the inmates for quite a few centuries. I have a portrait there and the elves, on my instruction, have kept the palace in good repair. Somehow none of the previous eligible heirs took possession; something that still puzzles me, despite the family of elves renewing themselves.”
“I think you may find, Sir, that when you died some vital papers disappeared. That is probably the reason. Our lawyers felt that there should be an inheritance from you, but have been unable to trace it.”
“Well now … That is quite possible … Were you to look behind the Rosmerta Nigrus plaque in Saint Godric’s church, you might find for what you search. You will need to unlock it with a Hallow. Once you are in possession of the deeds you will be recognised by the wards at the palazzo.”
“Thank you; now – about this help, Sir?”
“Ah yes! Malfoy senior has managed to temporarily circumvent some of the wards and has removed the gold and silver service. Another portrait of a friend tells me that it is to be sold by auction at Pandolfini in Florence. If possible I would like the items returned before the sale. Of course – as legitimate heirs – you may consider the sale and keep the money so raised.”
“How did my despicable father manage to circumvent the wards, Sir?”
“A Glamour, Mr Malfoy, a Glamour. He presented himself to my housekeeper-elf as you, Mr Potter. She was a little suspicious and managed for me to have a look at him. You may not know it, but portraits can dimly see through glamour disguises. Had it been you, Mr Draco Malfoy, whom Mr Lucius Malfoy was impersonating, I might not have been able to tell the difference. By the time the elves, on my instructions, had evicted the interlopers; some of his minions had removed the complete silver-gilt dinner service with the Peverell crest upon it. Since then I have been talking to various friendly portraits trying to trace both the dinner service and my current heirs. Hence I am here and appealing to you for help.”
“Lucius managed to sell a Duindhu inheritance, a couple of years ago, in much the same way. However he did not reap the financial success he envisaged.”
“Yes; My Lady Walburga has informed me of the fact.”
“How long do we have before the auction, Sir?”
“It is due to commence on Monday the eighteenth day of November, Gentlemen.”
“That gives us about three weeks to sort things out in,” mused Harry.
“I think we had better include Francis and Gallus as advisors, don’t you Harry?”
“Yes Draco, good idea,” Harry looked at his ancestor: “One is a lawyer and one is a bank governor; they helped us with the last debacle. Although we could not stop the sale, we managed to keep all the money involved. We also rescued the elves from the estate which had been sold to muggles.”
“I suggest we make an appointment for us all here on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile Harry and I will attempt to retrieve the missing papers, Sir.”
“Very well, you will need to touch the plaque with a Hallow and use ‘PICA’ in order for it to open. As you can see, it is an anagram of our initials.”
“Yes Sir, thank you, until Tuesday?” Draco rose and made a bow towards the portrait and Harry followed suit. The two depictions bowed and curtsied in response.
As it was late the two Blakes decided to wait until the Morning.
~~~ REVEALED ~~~
In the morning, after alerting Francis and Gallus, the two mages went to see John and explained what they intended.
“Go ahead, Dear Boys, I would be most interested to see what happens.”
The upshot was that John came with them to see the documents revealed. As with most things it did not work on the first application. Only when Harry covered the plaque with the cloak and uttered the word in Parseltongue were the deeds available to be taken out. In fact, the plaque and cloak seemed to amalgamate and melt; allowing access through them to a cylindrical leather pouch. Once the pouch was withdrawn the cloak fell off and the plaque was restored to its original shape and place.
Inside the pouch were vellum sheets, with these in hand they went to see Francis.
Hermione was there when they arrived: “Francis told be about the documents, Guys, they may well need translating and will have to be treated very carefully. Surprisingly enough the vellum is in reasonable order; the church wall in which it was stored had sufficient dryness not to cause mould and a just enough damp to stop the parchment drying out.”
“That’s all very well Hermione, but what do the documents say?”
“Let Francis and I study them first, and we’ll let you know.”
It was later on that day when all was revealed. The group met in the Hogwarts Apartment so that the portraits could attend.
“Our initial assessment is that they are deeds to the Palazzo and the will of Antioch Peverell leaving his goods and chattels to his brothers, but there some other documents as well. The script is very cluttered and the language obscure sometimes. However, because we have already proved Harry as heir to Ignotius and Cadmus, we can now say unequivocally that he is heir to Antioch as well.”
"That means that we can go and stop Lucy selling those things, does it?”
“Yes Harry; we’ll have an attested copy ready for you by Wednesday, so you can show the auctioneers your right of inheritance. We will have a copy of the coat of arms attached to it as well.”
After the planning meeting Draco managed to keep Harry’s attention occupied, mainly by flirting with him; so that the ex-Gryff was not able to fret for too long during the rest of the evening. That flirting had them all worked up, so an earlier bedtime was called – they did get some sleep afterwards.
###
Wednesday morning was spent at the Ministry tying up loose ends and getting the necessary papers to present to the Sentores [Italian Aurors]. Having had lunch with Hermione – who gave them the attested documents plus others tracing Harry as the rightful owner – the two mages ported to Chalet Cadmus and from thence apparated to the co-ordinates that Antioch had supplied for the central piazza of Palazzo Pevrello.
~~~ PALAZZO ~~~
Upon landing they noticed that they were standing within an oblong piazza somewhat larger than that of the chalet. However, it was not open because there was a colonnade at the front leading on to the Grand Canal and a dock containing an ornate gondola at the back on one side.
An aged female elf greeted them: “Welcome Masters. Sporcara is my name I am the Governante for Palazzo Pevrello. Which one is the Peverell heir, please?”
“I am, Harry Potter is the name, and Draco Malfoy is my partner in everything.”
“Harry Potter? I am deeply honoured to serve you, Master. Much has been written about you in Prophet International. Master Draco, I am a little surprised to hear that name, especially after the recent robbery. I hope you’re not offended, Master?”
“No, Sporcara, I am not offended. I share Harry’s hate of my father and all that he represents.”
“That sounds very strange coming from such a pure-blood such as yourself, Master.”
“Hmm … Yes … My partner has changed my mind about many things, Sporcara.”
“Many things, Master?” Sporcara had a peculiar glint in her eye.
Draco chuckled: “Even that, Sporcara. You will find we share a bed, just as your innuendo suggested.”
“Va bene, Masters. Master Antioch’s portrait has told me of your mission and I have invited Signore Alfredo Grostissime of the Sentores to attend you for tea. Was I correct in doing so, Masters?”
“Yes thank you, Sporcara.” Harry beamed at his new elf: “Perhaps we have time to see round the building before he arrives?”
“Yes Master, please allow me to show you.”
The Palazzo was bigger, but had a very similar layout to the Chalet, minus the boathouse and cellars. There was however a grand double staircase on the ground floor leading upwards. The ground floor had two imposing salons for entertaining in. However, where the morning room should have been there was a chapel; this had two ornate chairs directly facing the altar – very obviously the Master’s and his consort’s chairs. On the other side of the garden to the chapel was the dock holding and ornate gondola with room for a second one beside it. The garden was paved and had a large cedar tree at its centre surrounded by four ornamental palm trees, one placed towards each corner. Each tree had a small bed of scented flowers around its base.
The northern wall of the garden was tiered back, with open galleries facing inwards. The southern side was the vertical chapel wall containing some gorgeous stained-glass windows. There was another set of tall windows above that which, as they found out later, lighted an equally impressive library. The kitchen was also on ground level, hidden behind the staircase and at the end of the dock.
When receiving guests, the level arrangement would allow them to alight from their gondola either at the dockside or on the terrace facing the Grand Canal. This terrace had a number of landing stages jutting out into the canal. These guests would then be on a level with the unrestricted receiving rooms. Guests arriving on foot would be received at the side door behind the chapel; entering the garden via a small receiving room.
At the north-western corner of the palace ran a narrow canal with a side water-gate through which the gondolas could exit. An equally narrow street, in which the door was situated, bridged the side canal at right-angles. Adjoining the southern side of the complex was another equally grandiose palazzo, but the one on the northern side appeared to be in need of some repair.
Their first floor had a wing with three ensuite bedrooms overlooking the garden. The wings at the front contained the family lounge plus the enormous main bedroom. That room contained two very ornate four poster beds both of them double; divided from each other by an equally imposing marble clad bathroom. Even Draco was overawed by the grandiose furnishings there. This floor was on two levels and when the boys calculated, the front had three taller floors whereas the back had four, fitted into the same height.
The second floor-back contained three smaller bedrooms; whereas the front had two bigger ones in each wing. On the very top of those was an ambulatory surrounding the crest of the internal piazza and open to the Grand Canal. The stairs led up to this and to three smaller double back bedrooms one of which was airy with windows onto the corner canal and another one overlooking the garden. It had an enormous marble bath. Immediately both of the Blakes said that they wanted that room.
“But it is not the Camera Principale, Masters.”
“We’ll let Mother have that; now what about tea?”
A slightly disapproving Sporcara led the way to the first floor salon.
“The old master used this front salon for less formal gatherings, was I correct in laying out here, Master?”
“Yes thank you, Sporcara. Tell me about the theft, please?”
“I am sorry, Master; I have been beating myself daily for such an error, I’ll show you the wounds …”
“… That kind of behaviour has to stop, Sporcara. No more punishing yourself, do you understand? – Episkey!”
“Oh … Thank you Master … I do not understand?”
“Kreacher, my Reeve, will tell you later on. You are still in charge here, but you will report to him and Dorothy the Chatelaine normally. Now … about the robbery?”
“A person purporting to be you, gained entry by subterfuge. I suspect he was using some form of special glamour, because we elves usually see through Polyjuice disguises. As I was showing him round elsewhere, a number of his party started to help themselves quietly to the displayed silver-gilt service in the sala-da-pranzo. My partner Sporcaro, the chef, warned me quietly, and together with some other friendly neighbour-elves we managed to evict the perpetrators, but not, unfortunately, before they had purloined the family dinner service. I am deeply ashamed that it happened, Master.”
“Remember what I said before, Sporcara, no punishing yourselves ever again. We all make mistakes and can usually put them right, which is what we intend to do if at all possible. How is it that you managed to evict such a powerful wizard?”
“Elf magic is peculiar in that way, Master. It can be invoked when the household for which the elf has care, is attacked or endangered. Once we knew for certain about the intentions of the burglars we could invoke it. Only dragons have a thaumic power greater than that. As with many great magics, there are limitations upon their use.”
“I suppose that’s why we cannot make too many portals in a year, Draco.”
“I hadn’t thought of it like that before … Hmm … You could be right …” Draco made as if to go to the library.
“… Research later please, I know you, you’re like Hermione; you love ferreting out information. Let’s get our battle order sorted first, okay?”
“Yes Lover, of course.”
“Erm … Excuse me Masters, but what are portals?”
“They’re something we discovered … A sort of doorway that compresses space … Once we’re sure there are enough earth-thaums available we’ll connect Palazzo Pevrello to the network. As you said, there are limits – both of distance and quantity made – we’re still learning about them, Sporcara. Once connected, you will be able to reach all our premises just by opening a few doors; much better than apparating dizziness or dirty clothes from flooing.”
“Now we have a use for the two cabinets George has made.”
“Um … So we have and tomorrow night is very propitious.”
Pop: “Draco, Hermione sends this thaumic-tester to you.”
“Thanks, Kreacher; meet Sporcara the Governante of Palazzo Pevrello. This is Kreacher, Sporcara; our Reeve.”
“Good afternoon, Elder, were you not a little forward in addressing a master by his given name?”
“No, Beldam Sporcara, I have been so instructed.”
Sporcara looked astounded, so Harry explained about Kreacher’s equality status and his membership of the Wizengamot and Dumbledorians. He then asked why the meter was for Draco.
“Well, you see, Harry; the instructions are complicated and Hermione thought Draco would better understand them.” Kreacher smirked at his master.
“Fine … All yours, Lover … now I know I’m a dumb cluck.” Harry pretended to look hurt, so Draco gave him a big kiss.
Sporcara pretended to look astounded again, so Kreacher quietly sorted out the situation with her. The street doorbell interrupted any further proceedings. Whilst Sporcara answered the bell the two Blakes scuttled up to the salon and sat down.
###
“Signore Alfredo Grostissime of the Sentores, My Lords,” announced Sporcara, as she showed the gentleman into the upstairs salon.
Harry rose to greet his guest: “Good afternoon, Sir, so good of you to come; this is my partner Draco Malfoy and I am the Peverell heir, Harry Potter.”
“It is I who am honoured, Sir, to meet such an august personage whose exploits have been lauded in the Prophet International.”
Harry grimaced at the flowery speech: “Fine … Is that enough polite parley …? I’m Harry, this is Draco and you are?”
The Sentoro smiled flashily: “I’m Freddy, how can we help.”
Harry explained what had happened drawing in Sporcara to help with the explanations and giving Alfredo the drawings of the Peverell crest plus the inventory of the items missing.
“The auctioneers, Pandolfini, are in Florence, so we will need to liaise with the Sentores there. My equivalent is Bertolucci, we’ll need to write out a report and I’ll floo him afterwards.”
“Perhaps we might entertain him to dinner here, or in Florence.”
“I think he’d like to come here; I suspect he’s slightly envious of my being in Venice. Not that I know why, he’s got all the Medici stuff there, and Signora Lollobrigida Zabini is a very good friend of his.”
“He’ll need to be careful of her; there are certain dangerous rumours about what happens to her lovers.”
“Yes Draco; that’s how he first met her, during an investigation we were holding whilst she was suing her son for maintenance. To be fair, Bertie has a certain Don Giovanni reputation too.”
Draco chuckled: “Maybe a good match, hmm?”
Alfredo and Harry got down to form-filling over tea and later on, the Sentoro went to his office to floo his opposite in Florence. They both returned for dinner. After a long discussion the new Sentoro said that it would be a couple of days before there was any news, but he was hopeful of a reasonable outcome.
Because Draco and Harry were on a week’s leave they decided to stay at the Palazzo until the portal had been made. That gave them time to see how the thaumic-tester worked. Draco also had a good nose through the library and Harry had a go at navigating a gondola. He practiced in the narrow canal at the back, and soon found out how difficult it was.
In the end it was Harry who operated the meter whilst Draco read out the instructions. The thaums were there in plenty and Saint Marks was on a new ley-line that had been marked on the copy map Astoria had sent them. It led south-westward through Florence and over Cagliari to the African coastline. Portal making was reserved for the following evening.
~~~ MORNING OCTOBER 31~~~
Whilst the Blakes were dressing Kreacher popped in to see them: “Do I take it you intend to use cabinets between here and the Schwartzberg?”
“Yes! Why do you ask?”
“I was wondering if you were aiming at the chalet instead.”
“The ley-line from Britain to the chalet would have to bend too much and the thaumic-tester seems to prefer the other direction.”
The three of them peered at the map.
“Neither of them appear to be parallel to a known ley line, except the new one.”
“I expect Saint Mark’s is old enough to be a marker and if you follow the line via the Schwartzberg going further north it passes through Pardubice which is a very ancient city with a church of Saint Mary so that may well be the ley-line we want.”
“It’s within the range of a normal cabinet at forty-nine magi-leagues.”
“Um … Yes … But we think it will turn into a portal when we install it at the Schwartzberg.”
“We’re not quite sure how to measure because there are a number of high peaks between the two places. Also there is quite a height difference, so that might add to the magi-leagues?”
“Would you mind going to collect the miniaturised cabinets from the thaum-proof cellar, please, Kreacher? Both of them had better be kept in their stasis boxes until we’re ready to erect them tonight.”
“So you’ll not be attending the fire ceremony then?”
“Is there a special reason for us to do so?”
“Not really, Hermione will be receiving Alexandrou and Pansy is acting in the same capacity for her brother Paulus. I think Charlie will be there too.”
###
Kreacher and Sporcara suggested that the cupboard be sited close to an entryway between the lower salon and the family chapel and then the Reeve went off to fetch them. At the appropriate time Draco apparated to the Schwartzberg and with Harry cast the charms. As they had expected the cabinets turned into portals and because of the shorter distance did not wear out the two mages too much.
“You know we could go to see Alexandrou and Paulus jump.”
“How so?”
“Midnight here is an hour before midnight there because of the earth’s rotation.”
“Fine … Let’s go then.”
After the ceremony Harry and Draco told their mates about the new portal. Then they had to hand many people through before going to bed at the Palazzo.
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