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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
- 164
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- 166
[Note: “x-x” = speech & ‘x-x’ = thoughts & *x-x* = telepathy & #x-x# Parseltongue]
[In some northern dialects ‘Ah’ can mean ‘I’ or ‘Me’ and is also a word of agreement]
~~~ RAILWAY ~~~
Sunday 19^th February started things moving again.
“While it’s been frosty, I’ve been mooching round the quarry’s buildings,” Dardanellus informed them: “You’d be surprised what the old quarry proprietors had stashed away. At the back of one of the sheds there are about ten skips and still on their lines too.”
“Lines?”
“Yes Draco … Railway lines … Narrow gauge, too!”
“Yes, we saw a couple when we were in Switzerland.”
“That carding shed had a walled off section, where we intend installing the steam engine. Seamus was here looking at it and used his wand to carefully remove enough bricks so we could see inside.” Henry informed them: “I’m glad he did, because there was an old upright-boilered steam engine there, complete with wheels and propulsion gear. We extricated it and he miniaturised it to take to Griswold’s workshop … I’m still getting my head round how easy it is to travel to Lac Léman … He’s going to fettle it. All we need is some lines to run it on.”
“Look at the back of my workshop then,” said Anthony: “Like yours, mine had a walled-up area. Grandpa and I’ve not really looked, but there seem to be sleepered-rail stacked there. I imagine they used it before they bought the dumper trucks. Now … What do they call it … Oh, Decauville? It’s sort of meccano track, light-weight and moveable.”
Graham looked wistful: “My granddad said that there was a little railway built when the old lord had the church repaired. That’d be Samantha’s grandfather, I should think. He showed me the abutments of the bridge where it crossed the river. He said that when he was a kid, he’d hitch rides in the empty skips. Although he had to get out in the cutting near the quarry so’s the overseer didn’t catch them.”
“There’s some of the old track showing through the tarmac at the crossroads. Then it ran up between Ant’s and Pippa’s houses. It disappears into the field boundary after that.”
“It runs just under the gravel path in front of our house,” added Lee: “With some of the neighbours we were going to slab it over and we dug down a bit. It looked fairly substantial, nothing like the moveable quarry lines. Not knowing what purpose they might serve, we decided to leave well alone.”
“So where was it going?”
“To Cartwright’s yard. There’re bits of line there hidden in the dirt. That was probably where the stonemason worked who repaired Saint Godric’s.”
“That’d be useful, when we start building the houses,” said Dean, “magically transporting tons of stone was not one of the things I was looking forward to.”
“Go on with you. You lift lintels that way, why not stone?”
“That’s easy for you to say, Wash. Magical energy can be just as debilitating as physical. Imagine you carrying all that stone by hand. Thousands of tons of it. I think I’d rather use my magic to propel a skip, thank you very much. It’d be much less tiring.”
“Hey, it might just be fun, to use the steam engine Griswold’s repairing. We could fire that by magic, just like we do the steam launch at the chalet.”
“We might scare the muggles if we did that. They may say that they like the old ways but that tends to apply to agriculture.”
“So, cast a glamour, and pretend to feed it with coal.”
“I think Michael’s got the supports for the old bridge hidden away in his mill. I’m sure I saw them when we were getting the bits for the new millwheel out.”
“How did he take to you sending the bits to the quarry thaumically?”
“We tried to make sure he didn’t see.”
Said person homed in on the conversation: “Well I did see. I think I’m beginning to see what Harry and Draco are saying about themselves, and now there are more of you too. The stuff just disappeared and was waiting for us when we walked down to the quarry. Very unnerving! I think I’d like to see this railway of yours working. That’s something well within my comprehension.”
“So, you’ll help us then?”
“Of course. I liked the millwheel project and then helping Henry and the Ramsbottoms get it all set up. Shafts and belts, gears and things I find most fascinating. That’s why I set about renovating the mill. Problem is I’m not that good at roofs.”
“I said we’ll do it for yer,” offered Seamus: “And that wall that looks as though it’s about ter fall down.”
“But you’ll just stand there and wave your stick about.”
“So … Yer’ll just have ter get used ter it. We can guarantee that it’ll be a top-notch job.”
“Besides,” added Dean: “We owe you for all the work you put into getting the waterwheels working.”
Michael looked decidedly uncomfortable: “But Kreacher’s little people have been feeding me. I thought that was the payment.”
“It’s part of it, yes. Plus, the fact that they keep your living space clean. I know that you applaud the Stamps’ co-operative scheme. Just look on it as part of a bigger co-operative. After all, you supply the villagers with free electricity so you’re doing your bit. Accept what all the co-operative is offering you in return.”
“I’d love a new jumper and a pair of trousers, mine are wearing a bit thin.”
Thomas giggled: “Fair do’s, we’ll pay you a jumper for the extra electricity we’re using for keeping warm at the quarry and the trousers will be an advance payment for some to be used at in the future.”
Kreacher butted in: “Food and cleaning is our way of paying you for the electricity the Trust uses in its premises. That’s how the Harco Trust works. Each of us has various talents and we use them for the good of all.”
“Yes, but some of it is unnatural.”
“So’s you using a television. You don’t see the waves that you say give you a picture. Some of our youngsters enjoyed watching that big screen of yours. They loved the cartoons that they watched together during the half-term holidays.”
“They loved the food your team provided too. It gave Dolores and her helpers some time to visit relatives and have a holiday.”
“Fine,” Harry sounded slightly exasperated: “Your television works by unseen waves. Our magic works by unseen waves too. I know what to do to make something happen, but I cannot tell you exactly how that happens. It just does. Your television and Dudley’s computer work. He knows what keys to press to obtain a given effect. Your TV has numerous channels – that’s what you call them isn’t it? – But you press buttons on a remote. The cause is separate from the effect. You say radio waves do it, I say thaumic waves do it. We both trust in the unseen connections.”
Henry looked thoughtful: “You know, Michael. I like hang-gliding, I cannot see the wind that holds me up. Sometimes I feel it. Quite often, when using a thermal I just trust that it is there and use it to gain height. Now, I have a friend who likes to build model aeroplanes, he has a gadget that enables him to control them from the ground. None of us see how that happens, nor can we feel it happening. However, we learn that when he presses one button the plane turns left, and another makes it speed up. There are knobs that twist for other aerobatics too.”
“I think that wands are a bit like remote controls. You have to point them at the object you wish to affect. Just occasionally it is possible to bounce the signal off something else, but that takes a lot of concentrated calculation. Even our seers have to point a finger, but then, they are very specially gifted.”
“Yes. I can understand that, but it’s the destruction that you could do that worries me.”
“I’ll tell you what scares me more. It’s these American and Russian muggle leaders with itchy fingers and nuclear bombs. All right, I know others have them, but somehow it’s these two great giants squaring up to each other that terrifies me.”
“But killing curses, and others to make you obey without thought.”
“Harry can beat the last one, it takes a powerful will, but it can be done. We know of others who have successfully beaten the Imperio. Killing curse? You have to see your opponent just as you, a muggle, have to see your target when you shoot them with your gun. Perhaps we’re slightly luckier because we can sometimes deflect it as long as we see it coming. Both those curses are forbidden as is Crucio, the one that causes terrible pain, enough pain to create vegetables out of some people. But then some muggle malefactors have sold drugs and poisoned their victims, with much the same results.”
“All right, all right. You make some good points, but I still feel uneasy.”
“I hope that unease will not stop us working together for the good of the community, though.”
“I can guarantee that that won’t happen, but I may well look away when you do something inexplicable.”
~~~ MAPS ~~~
Like Seamus, Dardanellus and Festus did not fancy transporting the amount of stone needed by magical means. They had already overhauled a couple of skip-wagons and used some of the Decauville track to move their minerals from the working face inside the mine to the outside. So, full of enthusiasm one Monday, they went to see Francis.
“Do you have any old maps of the village, please?” Dardanellus asked: “We would like to find out where this narrow-gauge railway ran.”
“The one that connected the quarry to the stonemason’s yard, do you mean?” queried Francis
“That’s correct.”
“I though someone’s curiosity would be piqued, so I had a rummage through the deposited files. As well as a map, plus a rail diagram, there were various legal papers. It seems that it was built in 1898 under the Light Railway Regulations of 1896 and at the time had been passed for passenger transport as well. However, there was a wooden waggonway in its place before that for minerals from various mines. That passenger licence was probably to take the workers from their houses in the village to the quarry. As far as I can see it was built by wayleave on the Lord of the Manor’s ground. The records appear to be intact and there seems to be no notice of termination. So, to all intents and purposes, it is still a working railway. I notice that the previous lessees filled in the necessary annual returns. I’m not sure why, but presume it was because they thought the lines inside the quarry were part of it.”
“So, you are saying that we could run trains without telling the meddling muggle ministry men?”
“It seems that way, Dodo but it might be advisable, once you have the line in reasonable fettle, to ask Her Majesty’s Inspectors to give it a clean bill of health.”
“Yes … I see … Well we’d better have a look at the map first and the find out what obstacles are in its way.”
“We already know of one,” put in Festus: “That’s the bridge, but Michael’s looking into that one.”
“I copied the relevant maps and laminated them. Thus, you’ll have a waterproof set of charts when you walk the line.”
“Thank you very much, that was most thoughtful of you.” Dardanellus smiled and shrugged: “You know, Harry’s brave new world gets some getting used to. Not so long ago this kind of co-operation would have been unthinkable. My dad’s quite peeved that we found a mining job at such short notice. However, he’s a man of his word and has accepted our wishes.”
“Mmm … Mine’s the same,” added Festus: “I think he hopes we’ll fail, and he can draft us back into his financial world. I cannot see either of us pushing beads around for the rest of our days.”
“Doesn’t he use a computer?”
“Financial Goblins are like the old fogey mage pure-bloods; stuck way in the past. That’s not for us, is it, Dodo?”
“Definitely not!”
The two miner-goblins thanked Francis for his help and, armed with laminated maps went to survey the rail route.
~~~ REPORTING ~~~
This particular Saturday [25^th February] morning was not a Wizengamot day, so the Seers were hanging out with their peers at the cottage.
“How’s the train thing going, Dodo?”
“Great, so far. The good news is that most of the track is still in situ. Now the thaw has set in we can scrape away the debris to see what’s beneath. The bad news is that some parts have been tarmacked over and much of the rest is hidden in shrubby undergrowth, or under gravel paths.”
“The clearance of the shrubs should be done first so as to give the birds a chance to nest elsewhere,” stated Festus: “Some bushes can be left up to form a hedgerow, others can be carefully moved to create new thickets, so we cannot be accused of completely spoiling their habitats. By the way, did you know that we have a colony of horse-shoe bats in the old railway tunnel? They’re quite rare so we want not to disturb them too much.”
“You mean the one that the trains run through?”
“No Douglas. You have nothing to fear from the conservationists. The railway used to serve other mines further down the valley, but it’s long gone now.”
“Oh good, I had a horrible feeling that that would add fuel to the rail people’s opposition.”
“You’ll have to get used to Festy,” Dardanellus chuckled: “He’s real gone on things ecological. I’m thanking Merlin there were no bats in the adits.” He saw Festus looking hurt, so he gave him a cuddle and a kiss.
“Stop that!” Festus was blushing: “We are in company you know.”
Harry giggled: “We share the same misgivings, I see. Draco’d be all over me, if I let him.”
Draco winked at Dardanellus: “It’s fun to embarrass them sometimes, isn’t it?”
“Welcome to our special club, Dodo and Festy,” said Dean: “Seamus and I hang out together just as Tor and Ginny do.”
“Ah … That explains things … We had been wondering if there were others like us. But that doesn’t explain your James and the other babies.”
That started a long conversation about blood-lines, Pure-blood ideals and Catlin’s Isle. Coffee time came and went, and the questions and answers lasted until Lunch time. In the afternoon the two goblins found that they had an eager task-force; all wanting to help clear the line of debris. Thus, dinner was slightly late because everyone wanted to use all of the daylight and then took a lot of time to clean up afterwards.
They were chatting over coffee. “Your group is amazing. It’d have taken Dodo and I weeks to clear that lot,” said Festus: “Even the muggle residents came out to clear in front of their gardens.”
“Less of the ‘your group’, Festy, you are part of us now,” Dean smilingly scolded: “Tell us about the stone slabs beneath the rails and why you didn’t want them digging out.”
“Thanks for including us. Erm … By and large … Modern railways use concrete sleepers with absorbent pads beneath the rails. Before that they used wooden ones, because they were slightly springy. Both of those gave a more comfortable ride to the passengers. They also reduced the amount of hammer at joints and avoided cracked rails. At speed a cracked rail may well break and derail a train. The problem with wooden sleepers was that they rotted so they were steeped in a preservative, usually creosote. Although we have friends who know suitable preservative charms …”
“… That doesn’t explain the stone blocks, though …”
“… I was coming to that … Quarries, in producing dressed stone, have quite a lot of ends and rejects. Now, if these have at least one level surface they can be used. In fact, the rough undersides help the stone sleepers to grip the ballast. However, it gives a harder ride as the wheels go over the joints.”
“We understand that now, thanks. How is it that some blocks are crossways and the others just little chunks?”
The cross-sleepers maintain the gauge, waggon wheels are slightly tapered and tend to push out slightly; so occasional cross sleepers stop the track spreading. The stone blocks support the rail from the heavier downward pressures.”
“Why not make the wheels flat?”
“It’s about curves and the wheels being fixed on their axels. If you think about it, on a curve the outer line is longer than the inner one; so, the outer wheel rides out and thus increases its diameter. In the same way the inner wheel rides in and decreases its diameter, thus they go around the curve without squealing and snatching.”
“I see. You seem to be very knowledgeable about these things.”
“It’s part of Gabby’s teaching régime. However, we have friends who love that kind of thing.”
“Could we persuade them to help you here?” suggested Harry.
Dardanellus looked doubtful.
“… Go on Dodo, you know we wanted to ask if Jock and Tim could join us. They like steam and machinery as well”
“Ah, well, my mate seems to have jumped the gun.”
“So, who are they? They could share your house, couldn’t they?”
“Well … It might be slightly awkward.”
“Eh? You have three bedrooms in your house. You two only need one of them.”
“Yes, but they’re females.”
“What? With names like Tim and Jock.”
“That’s our nicknames for them, they’re really Timothea Tartarus and Jocasta Juminell students in the same year as us. However, their parents come from the miner-goblins and are quite happy with their proposed profession.”
“I can’t quite see females lugging those lines and blocks about.”
Festus fell about laughing and his mate joined him. When they recovered Festus exclaimed: “You obviously haven’t met Jock and Tim. I know we’re fairly well muscled … But them … Oh dear …” then he dissolved into laughter again.
“They wouldn’t be dikes, would they? Or preggers like our happy females were” Seamus ventured, when the jocularity diminished; indicating Ginevra, Astoria and Hermione.
“That’s why they don’t get on with their parents. Not that are in the family way, you see. Their parents had two well-built males in mind for them to marry. To look at them they would seem to be ideally suited, but desires of the heart are at war with parental desires.”
Astoria looked thoughtful: “So, what about adopting our way of living? That’d keep the uninitiated bigots at bay, at least for the time being. After all, at your age, you cannot be expected to pair up immediately. We didn’t until much later.”
“Well … That has possibilities, we’d need to ask them, of course. Their parents are more forward looking than ours. We know that they support the integration movement that Harry started, and Herms proselytises. However, they see it in the financial terms of getting on with all potential customers.”
“Oh, parents, oh!” Dean looked sheepish: “I nearly forgot. Harry, my mum is in need of a holiday. The pastor at the chapel has been very firm with her. He wrote to me, saying that she would have a breakdown if she didn’t stop worrying about the health of their community. Just after Christmas there was a small flu epidemic and she was run ragged. Is it all right if I give her a medallion and then take her to see Grandmamma? She’s got some kind of entertainment therapy in mind. It seems to be basically musical and Beppe’s involved. So, they’ll be both in Vienna and Venice plus something at the chalet about schuhplattler.”
Astoria had a quick mental check with her fellow Seers, “Why so bashful, Dean. We see no problems. We didn’t when we connected your Mum to the daffodils via the Robins, the Dodworths, and the Fawcetts. I imagine she’ll be using that cabinet route to reach the Burrow and then port onwards.”
“I just wanted to check that I wasn’t exceeding the limits.”
Harry chuckled: “I didn’t think we’d set any.”
Dardanellus looked puzzled: “Erm … Exactly how far does this system of yours stretch?”
“I thought we’d told you.”
“Perhaps you did, but we hadn’t realised. I suppose we thought it was like the phaeton network that we use. It’d take more than a day to reach Venice using that.”
“In a way it is, but the feeling of travelling is replaced by a slight tingle. Aw! C’mon, let’s take you on a tour. You’d have to be handed through first time, anyway. Otherwise you won’t see the portal. We can even visit the Dragon Sanctuary now.”
“Dragon Sanctuary? Is there one in Britain? We haven’t heard of it.”
“It’s the one in Romania.”
“Merlin … That’s a long way away. I don’t even know whether it’s connected through the tunnels.”
The two goblins were quite surprised at the extent and, to begin with, thought Draco was bluffing them; using a series of glamours. On the way back they met Griswold at tea time.
“I’ve finished repairing the steam engine, Harry, but there’s no track here to test it on. Do you think it’s time for me to come out of seclusion? I’d rather like to be involved with the machinery I’ve heard about at the quarry.”
Harry had a quick mental confab with his fellow seers and replied in the positive.
“Thank you! I shall not stray outside the ward limits, I still don’t think that’d be safe for me.”
However, whilst they were at the chalet Draco and Harry met Meltwater and Gravelbanks. After their underwater session they lay on the grass, shells on and holding hands.
M: *Where are the other two?*
H: *Do you mean Ginny and Tor?*
M: *Yes. Edelweiss and Crocus will feel left out.*
H: *We’ll tell them when we get back.*
Back at the cottage Draco reminded Astoria of her duty. She said they had forgotten and, grabbing Ginevra, they rushed off through the portal.
In the living room Harry explained to the new goblins, some of the reasons about Griswold being at the chalet.
Griswold came back with the girls and was introduced to Henry and the Ramsbottoms.
“Ah am pleased you’re ‘ere,” said Stewart, looking askance at Henry: “Ah much prefer workin’ with t’ wool to fettlin’ t’ machines. Nah then, this pattern card is not workin’ proper … … …”
~~~ 26^TH FEBRUARY ~~~
Sunday afternoon was taken over by moving Griswold and his machines, as well as his personal items. He took over the quarry caretaker’s cottage which Seamus had quickly put into reasonable order. On Monday the engine was tried out on a short piece of quarry track and Griswold became covered in oil whilst making the fine adjustments. On Tuesday he went to talk to Michael Miller and look at the parts of the bridge that were stored there; unobtrusively casting various tests to check their viability.
“The girders seem sound. I’ll clean them up and give them a few coats of paint then we’ll place them next Saturday when I have a few people around to help.”
“I know of a good crane leaser; would you like me to see if he’s available?”
“I don’t think so. Three mages could easily levitate them into position.”
“Oh!” Michael swallowed hard: “You’re one of Harry’s lot, then.”
Griswold looked puzzled for a minute and then realised Michael was a muggle: “Yes, I am. Do you have a problem with it?”
“Let’s say, I’m still getting used to it. At one time I only believed in what I could touch and see. Now I’m not so sure. A couple of weeks ago I cut my hand rather badly. Their medic came along and waved her wand over it. It was cleaned and healed all within a minute. Mind you she needed a cup of tea and some chocolate cake afterwards. She explained that using magic is almost as debilitating as doing things manually.”
“Mmm … Yes. That’s why I want some mages around when we levitate the beams into position.” Griswold chuckled: “I don’t fancy jumping into spring melt-water to retrieve something I dropped.”
Michael chuckled: “Pretty big things to drop too. What about the cast iron spandrels?”
“With no weight on the beams one of us can crawl out and fix them afterwards. Then I’ll know they’re a snug fit. They’ll help to bear the extra load when the train goes over the bridge, not that I expect too much deflection, even then.”
“Are you intending decking it?”
“No! Just fastening the sleepers to the beams and leaving the space in between. It should discourage casual walkers. After all, there is a footbridge nearby.”
“Yes! Good idea. Especially if you fit longitudinal sleepers under the joins.”
“I like that idea. I can’t wait for some drunk to fall through. It’ll save Draco’s sober-up potions bill. Some of the ingredients are rather costly, I understand.”
“Sober-up potions? What are they?”
“Well, you see, potions are … … …” there followed an hour-long question and answer session.
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