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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
- 150
- 151
- 152
[Note: “x-x” = speech & ‘x-x’ = thoughts & *x-x* = telepathy & #x-x# Parseltongue]
FUNFAIRS
~~~ WEDNESDAY 25^TH AUGUST ~~~
Lübeck: 14.07 – København: 17.59
Having been used to German Railway trains and engines pulling them recently, they were a little surprised to see their carriages being attached to a Danish State Railways train at Lübeck, whilst still on German soil.
“No need to worry, friends,” Aggie explained. “This is an international service running every couple of hours and they take it in turns to work it.”
The Danish conductor called in to have a look at Iggy’s papers and sat to have a friendly chat over some tea. Just before Puttgarden he left. After a brief stop in the station their train continued slowly along what appeared to be a bridge. Then it disappeared inside the open doors of a ship. Within minutes of the train entering the ferry the ship was moving off and they found that cars and lorries had been parked alongside them. Iggy rigged some steps and the mages descended; joining other passengers who were climbing up a set of enclosed stairs in the centre of the vehicle deck. They went upwards until the main decks were reached. There was a restaurant plus shops and various comfortable lounges. During their one peek outside, Harry and Draco found that this ferry was double ended, having a combined bridge facing both ways and propellers at both ends. It started raining so the pair went inside again to join the others.
Dudley and the two Americans came into their own on board, having already experienced ferries elsewhere.
“What’s a ‘Duty Free’,” Draco asked Dudley, looking round from a ship’s plan.
“It’s a shop. As we are sailing in international waters where no particular government has jurisdiction, so the taxes are not payable,” explained Hyatt: “Everything is supposed to be cheaper. However the overheads cost more to stock things on ships; so the difference is slight. Some people are of the opinion that the shipping companies make vast profits out of their shops; however I’m not so sure of that. There are some bargains however, if you look carefully.”
Draco checked the store of Euros in his purse: “Will you come with us, please, so we don’t get done?”
Dudley and the two Americans agreed. It was the first time Draco had been in a muggle self-service store and he was amazed at the variety of things displayed, but looked quite worried.
“How do the proprietors stop people pocketing the merchandise and then just walking off with it?”
“Firstly you can only go out through the exit doors. Someone would pounce on you if you tried to exit through the entrance. Secondly you have to stand in line and display your purchases to the cashier. Thirdly, do you see those stunted pillars by the exit?”
“Yes?”
“They hide an electronic scanner which would go off if you were trying to sneak something out in your pocket.”
“How does it tell the difference between legal purchases and illegal smuggling?”
“Because the cashiers’ buzzer cancels out the tag when you pay.”
“And here I though muggles were primitive, that’s quite ingenious.”
Dudley smiled, and polished his knuckles on his lapel: “Well we do have a few tricks up our sleeves, you know.”
“Very well … Point taken … Now, what does this little box do …?”
A little later Draco returned with one of the new electronic cameras, which he showed quietly to the other Blakes.
“I’ve cast one of those shield charms round it and Dudders says it can take moving pictures although he calls them videos. He also thinks that it can be hitched up to a computer. *Like the one at the Tabernacle.* “He thought it was a good buy and has promised to show me how to use it. The shop assistant said it was ‘remaindered stock’ whatever that means.”
“You probably got a good bargain, Draco. The shop people sell off old lines cheaply just to get them off the shelves; out of the way of a more profitable line.” Hermione informed him.
###
A little later an announcement asked them to return to their vehicles because the ferry was about to dock. Five minutes after boarding the train, it was moving out on to Danish soil at Rødby.
Siggy came to see the seated party.
“We’ve arranged for you to have a meal in one of the Tivoli Garden’s Restaurants in Copenhagen. It’s only a short walk from the station. I have a combination of tickets for each one of you and they include the meal, a show and as many rides as you like.”
“What do you mean by ‘rides’, Siggy?”
“As well as the actual gardens, eating places and open-air theatre, there is a funfair. You can ride on various muggle contraptions, like the Daemonen which performs loops and high-speed manoeuvres, Mr Draco. Probably the nearest thing muggles can get to Quidditch rolls and loops; it seems to involve a lot of screaming.”
“I like watching Quidditch moves, but I’m not sure I have the nerves to undertake some of them.”
“There are quieter pastimes as well, Mrs Astoria,” Aggie explained: “At night the lighted lanterns make the gardens prettily mysterious. There is a lot to choose; from quiet to energetic and much in between. I will give you three tickets each: one is the entrance ticket, the second your meal ticket to the Divan Two, thirdly the ‘Turpas’ which gives you freedom to ride on any of the entertainments, as many times as you like dependant on the queues.”
As Aggie handed out the tickets Maggie continued: “We have booked you into the Divan Two Restaurant at seven thirty. That will give you enough time to have a quick look around and then after the meal, a couple of hours to try out the rides, or see the pantomime, or whatever. The menu is what they call the tasting menu of five smaller dishes, coupled with the usual liquid accompaniments. And, through the window you should be able to see the Boys Guard on parade outside near the lake.”
Aggie took over: “The main entrance is opposite the station entrance so you should have little difficulty in finding it. Tomorrow we go to Kronborg Castle and there will be a presentation about Hamlet’s life and times. That will be followed by a lunch in the castle’s dining hall and a presentation about Holger Danske who appears to have been a sort of Danish King Arthur. On the way back we’ll visit the little mermaid statue before returning to the train for dinner.”
D: *Maybe it was really Arthur in some disguise or other.*
A: *Mmm; should be very interesting.*
F: *Your surmise is correct, my daughter. However, I sense danger for some of your companions.*
~~~ ABDUCTION ~~~
Twilight was descending as the carriages arrived at Copenhagen station. They were early into the station and were allowed to alight before the shunting started. It was hard to miss the floodlighted entrance to the Tivoli Gardens and their passes gave them a quick entrance without having to queue. About an hour of wandering gave them an idea of the layout before they entered the restaurant. It was bright white inside with crisp tablecloths and light green upholstered chairs. The staff were charming and spoke good English. Starting with a cod dish and ending with figs in a delicious jelly, their palates were tickled with Lobster flavoured cauliflower, roast duck and prime ribs as well as other dishes. Ronald enjoyed himself immensely.
“I fancy the Daemonen.”
“You would. You’re a seeker.”
“Perhaps we should leave that until later, once our dinners have settled. Mine was far too delicious to risk losing it.”
“There’s that aquarium or the pantomime theatre.”
In the end, remembering Fawkes’s warning, the squad moved around together, occasionally pulling Harry’s or Draco’s leg about being abducted. The tour started with the less boisterous amusements to begin with. They climbed the Chinese pagoda admiring the views of the lighted gardens, especially one tree which appeared to have silver leaves. They watched a puppet show and then found the carousel having a couple of goes on that. Harry and Draco shared a bumper car chasing Hermione and Ronald but never actually catching them, mainly because Fenton and his mate deliberately bumped them time and time again. Flushed from that entertainment some of them were brave enough to go on the golden tower.
“I don’t fancy being dropped from a great height, thank you,” said Hermione when Ronald suggested they go.
Pansy and Millicent were eager as were Hyatt and his partner. Several of the land-hugging party joshed Dudley about his bulk; saying that his extra weight would break the springs. So he joined his wife just to prove them wrong. Then, for some, came the Daemonen. Harry, Draco and Ronald were as white as sheets coming off that particular ride and their legs were wobbly.
“I thought you Quidditch players were used to that sort of thing?” enquired Astoria, giggling.
“Hmm … well … being in charge of one’s own aerobatics is one thing, being subjected to them is quite another,” replied Draco through gritted teeth.
“There’s a little time left so let’s go for a quieter ride,” suggested Harry, as he recovered his aplomb. “What about the Mine? It looks like a place to cuddle comfortably.”
It was one of the rides they had not yet experienced so everyone agreed. It was a sort of ghost train and, as Harry had suggested, they were seated in pairs cuddling in the dark as various scenes passed by, based on supposed dwarves and fairies including the pseudonymous diamond mine. The ride required its participants to suspend their judgement but it just suited the company’s romantic mood if not their knowledge of things truly magical.
On emerging from the darkened building Hermione’s and Ronald’s seats were found to be empty. The Manager was furious because he thought they had climbed out and taken to wandering around inside. As the party were the last to take that ride the irate man switched on the internal lights to go and find the errant couple.
They were nowhere to be found. The Blakes offered their sincere apologies, managing to calm the ruffled supervisor’s temper and promising to let him know when they found the errant Granger-Weasleys.
###
Arriving back at the train they found a bewildered Iggy looking at Erwin and Regent chasing a bedraggled looking raven around the station with a disguised Fawkes trying to head them off. Their aerobatics through the electric traction wires and roof supports were quite spectacular.
“Pity they’re birds, they’d make good seekers, wouldn’t they?” remarked Draco trying to make light of his worry. “Have Ron and Hermione returned, Iggy?”
“No! I thought you were all sticking together after what happened in Istanbul.”
“They disappeared in one of the rides. So we thought they’d walked back. Ron was looking a bit sick after his ride on the Daemonen.”
“I’m not at all surprised; I wouldn’t go anywhere near that thing.”
Just then the raven spotted Draco and made a bee-line to him.
“Oo-oof!” Draco grunted as said bird flew into his stomach. He doubled over. A good thing too, as the two pursuing owls flew by through the space where his head had been seconds before. Pigeon-disguised Fawkes seemed to be in a grumpy mood when he landed.
Harry helped his lover to rise, disentangling a sorry heap of black feathers from his midriff. “I think it has a message for us; look!”
The Raven was unconscious, but Harry turned it over to retrieve the message attached to its leg. He opened the pouch and removed the parchment, going pale and gritting his teeth as he read the contents.
“It’s from your father, Draco. He’s not very complimentary about us taking over the Schwartzberg and Glaswelltdy; threatening to kill Hermione and Ron if we don’t make over the Dacha to him. He also mentions the recompense being put into his name.”
“Does he put a time limit on it?”
“Yes! Two days. He also suggests that his satraps will be having fun with them meanwhile.”
“Fun means non-consenting sex and bloody torture. It was one of the reasons why I wanted to get out. They expected me to take part.” Draco shuddered as he said it.
“Okay! How do we rescue them?” asked Dudley: “I take it that you are not giving in to their demands.”
“Let’s locate them first, shall we? I think this is a job for the dragons.” Ginevra looked meaningfully at the other three Seers. “We four will go to see the Dragons and get them to help with the search; if the rest of you will get some sleep, ready to do the rescuing. No use all of us going until we know where they are. Then at least some of us will be alert enough to organise their release.”
Harry felt Astoria giving out a mild compliance charm, so he added his to it.
“The other end of the carriages is in the dark. Why not use the balcony there to apparate from?”
“Thanks Iggy, we will.”
The others started to prepare for bed whilst the seers went to the balcony, muttered ‘Zeus’ and found themselves in the Tabernacle.
“Hello Sages; we thought you were coming back in two weeks not two days.”
“Something’s come up, Igor. Two of our company are being held for ransom and probably being tortured by the Seignior and his satraps.”
“Use the monitors, Sages. Ivanova and I will show you how to scan the world with them.”
Astoria sat and pressed the red button. Ivanova sat between Harry and Draco, with Igor sitting between the two girls. After a seeming couple of hour’s tuition the Sages were able to act on their own. They started searching, using the Tivoli as a base and randomly dividing the world into four domains; it appeared to take ages, even if they knew time had been suspended.
There were overlays on the aerial views one showing a map and another showing magical activity.
“Each of those faintly glowing dots is a mage, Sage Harry,” explained Ivanova, pointing. “If they pulse brightly – like that one there – that means they are indulging their magic. However we are unable to distinguish between light and dark; mainly because that is based on the intention of the individual.”
They returned to their searching.
“Got a trace with a Weasley signature in it,” Ginevra said hopefully: “It passes south of here, going south east and dipping towards the Black Sea somewhere.”
“Let’s all look in that sector then.”
“Send us the trace co-ordinates please, Ginny.”
A few mutters from Igor and clicks from Ginevra’s keyboard ensued.
“The Dacha!” Draco exclaimed triumphantly. “Ivanova?”
“Yes Sage Draco?”
“May we have the files on the sealing of the portals at the Dacha, please? We should have suspected, silly of us really.”
Ivanova leaned over Draco and punched some keys. A window came up with the relevant wards and hexes written on it plus a short video on the performance of them. The four Sages watched what happened, repeating the video and asking Ivanova questions a few times; all the while munching chocolate cake and a fortified coffee provided by Igor.
“Are the Dacha cameras still working, Ivanova.”
“I’m not sure. When the Guardians looked they were so revolted by what they saw that they set up blocking wards. Let me see if I can raise them.”
Ivanova spent some time pressing keys and the quartet saw her becoming increasingly frustrated. “I’m sorry Sages, but the wards seem to have disabled them. Maybe we’ll see when you lift the protections, if that’s what you intend.”
“Could we lift them from just one portal, Ivanova?”
“Yes Sage Draco, each gateway was warded separately from the rest. I do suggest that you don’t open the direct one, just in case there is some blow-back.”
“Mmm … How about the Sanctuary; is that connected?”
“Good choice, Sage Harry, the dragons could pool their magic to aid you.”
“That okay with the rest of us?”
“YES HARRY!”
“Ivanova; when does normal time start? When we leave here or when we leave a focus?”
“When you leave a focus attached to the Tabernacle. So once you left Kaiser Wilhelm focus and went to go to the Grunrasenhof normal time would kick-in.”
“How about the halfway staging posts?”
“If they’re sealed, like the one at Warsaw, then it counts as a continuous line. The hut on L’Isle Gétorac can be accessed normally from outside, so that counts as a node.”
“So we could observe the Dacha and yet be timeless?”
“Only if you went directly and only if you stayed outside the focus room, which, incidentally, is a hall of one-way mirrors.”
“So using the Sanctuary would start time up as soon as we left that focus, yes?”
“Quite right, Sage Astoria.”
“It’s still just before midnight on my watch so I presume we still have forty-eight hours left. I say we make a recce first. Then come back here to work out a rescue plan. That way we will lose as little time as possible in rescuing them.”
“OKAY DRACO.”
The team spent another timeless hour practicing undoing the complicated wards, aided by hints from Ivanova and Igor. Once they were feeling proficient; using the dragon gateway in the upper room, they went to the Sanctuary via a staging post which appeared to be a narrow wooden hut. Ivanova informed them that it was in an occluded treetop-house, situated in a dense mountain forest near Kalush in the Ukraine. It contained two doors only.
Opening the second door revealed the Dragon focus, which turned out to be in an enormous cave. Some of the gateways were set inside much larger arched openings in the irregular walls. In one of the large openings was an enormous door with a human sized wicket gate set into it.
“I imagine that goes to the sanctuary,” said Ginevra, peering at the dragon mark on the door. She jumped when said large door started to creak open. A dragon’s snout sniffed at them before the whole door opened. Behind the Basileus’s head the seers saw that the cave was set into a cliff which abutted the whites living area.
#Salutations Puissant Sage, dost thou request our assistance?#
#It is most feasible that we shall, Most Puissant Basileus; but not just at this present instant. We concentrate on another place in reconnaissance first; conspicuously the Dacha.#
#Ah … Yes … It is a most dangerous place because its thaumaturgy hath been enclosed for extensive phases.#
Harry wondered what the dragon had meant as the Basileus nodded and retired to the mouth of the cave leaving the large sanctuary door open. In pairs the Sages untangled the wards one by one, placing them on one side ready to reapply them in haste. They could have been quicker, but still being inside the Tasmo there was no real hurry, so they were supra methodical. One Sage shielded whilst the other removed and placed each ward in a suitably labelled niche. They were very careful in the way they used their magic; thus hopefully they would not alert the Seignior to their intended intrusion.
Harry warned the Basileus before he removed the last dangerously bulging blockage.
It was the Sages who should have been warned.
As soon as Harry touched the last ward it burst, sending a seething mass of magic and debris towards the others in a form of Bombarda. The Sages were blasted off their feet and out through the open sanctuary doorway. The Basileus and his mates had been expecting this however; each one taking off to field an involuntarily airborne sage before he or she landed in the lake. Gently caught in the dragons’ claws they were deposited back into the cave.
If dragons could be seen to be smiling the Basileus family were roaring with laughter; some of their mirth appearing as flames.
The Sages thanked the dragons profusely and, because real time had started, hurriedly went, via a staging-focus, to peer through the one-way mirror gateway at the Dacha. This enclosed focus was set on a small island within the Danube Delta where, at some indeterminate point the river and the Black Sea met. The island was a little bigger than the hut, but not by much. At each end was a large tree with a portal inset into its trunk. Spiky bushes, not unlike the ones in the Chantry Cottage garden, formed walls on either side and the Sages assumed that it was occluded in some way.
As with all posts there were two doors close to each other. According to Grammarian this was where the time and space were compressed and why they should close one door before opening the next. [In fact it was impossible to open the middle door before the first was closed]. This time they kept the Dragon Portal open just in case they inadvertently released the Dacha Portal which had a window in it.
Having arrived at the Dacha but remaining concealed behind the mirror they looked through the one way glass. In the intervening space Harry and Astoria knelt whilst Draco and Ginevra peered over the top of their shoulders into the room beyond.
The Dacha focus was similar in size but not in shape to the Tabernacle; Harry thought it resembled a smaller version of Versailles hall of mirrors. There were doors at each end and drapes covering the windows opposite. The Sages did not open the portal; using the one-way mirror to view the assembled throng of masked satraps.
Ronald and Hermione were there, surrounded by a herd of dastardly-ones. What they saw horrified the Sages and Draco used his new camera to record what was happening.
Sickened by what they had witnessed, the Sages hastily resealed the portal and returned to the Tabernacle needing to recover during a long Tasmo.
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