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
- 168
- 169
- 170
[Note: “x-x” = speech & ‘x-x’ = thoughts & *x-x* = telepathy & #x-x# Parseltongue]
PATRIMONIO
Once it was dark, being this deep in the mountains there were no streetlights to show up the flying mages and the moon did not rise until after midnight, so Harry and Draco were quickly finished with their job. Just for fun they both decided to go for a fly around the village. The starlight gave them enough vision to avoid any obstacles and it was enjoyable spotting places where they had walked during the day.
D: *Harry, hold my hand a minute. I feel as though something’s wrong. *
Harry did as he was asked: *Where about? *
D: *Along that road there. *
Harry noted where Draco was pointing: *Fine, stay holding my hand, let me see if there’s any stray magic. *
Harry concentrated with his eyes closed: *There’s some form of occlusion there, probably a dozen or so mages behind it. I’ll keep holding your hand, try your supra-legillimens. *
Draco focussed his gift: *It’s Theo again. He’s aiming at taking over the Patrimonio. Let’s get back and warn the others. *
A: *I got the message, I’ll warn them. *
D: *Thanks Tor. I think our little voice has been working again. *
~~~ ATTACK ~~~
All was purposeful bustle when they landed.
D: *Will you two take Vito and Max in hand, show them some Repellos? *
H: *Okay! * “Do you remember telling us about that wall?”
“Yes?”
“Can you think of it again, say between me and my mate?”
“I’ll try Harry.”
“Use the word ‘Repello’ flourish your wand like this, and think of pushing Draco slightly. Not too far, we don’t want to push him over the edge.”
Three goes each and both new mages had that defence under their belts.
“Good! Now let’s try the one that lifted the bullies into the river. Better not do it on any of us … Hmm … Lift that chair into the pool. Watch how I do it first.
That took five goes, but Maximiliano and Vittorio were quick learners.
“Are they moving yet?”
Harry and Draco held hands and thaumically peered over the edge of the garden wall.
“Not yet,” replied Draco, “But Theo seems to be almost ready.”
“You know this mage?”
“’Fraid so, Niccolo. He was in our year at Hogwarts and went bad.”
“One more hex,” suggested Astoria: “We usually use it for lighting fires, but it can be a formidable weapon. It’s called ‘Incendio’ and the flourish is like this. Practice on those leaves. Don’t concentrate too hard or you’ll burn the grass as well.”
Niccolo chuckled: “Don’t worry about the grass, Lads, just practice … … … That’s quite some flame! Well done!”
“They’re coming!”
“No casting until they are nearer, surprise is our best weapon. They expect little resistance.”
Harry patted the two quivering new mages on the back: “It may not be too helpful, but I got myself landed in the middle of a fight when I was only eleven. Somehow you’ve learned naturally how to handle your magic. Just don’t forget to lower your wall-shield when your mate wants to fire a hex.”
“Yes, Harry, got it. Simple logic really!”
“Better to maintain the shield and not fire, than get flustered and forget to raise it again.”
“Got it! I’ve got my foot next to his and we’ll tap feet as a signal.”
There were a number of whooshes, as Theodore’s satraps came into land. They were extremely surprised to be received by Incendios, and even more surprised to find Harry and Draco present. They quickly retired on their brooms to a safe distance.
“How did you know we were coming for this target?” Theodore shouted from the darkness, keeping well out of range.
“We have our ways,” Draco replied, forte: “Perhaps you have a traitor in your midst!”
“I doubt it very much. Are you going to yield, or do I bring in my reinforcements?”
“Good Try! You have no reinforcements, and three of your meagre band are already smouldering at the bottom of the cliff.”
“*Let’s cut and go Theo. The Seignior has other targets in mind. This lot were expecting us! *” Draco heard the whisper through his legillimens gift, more than via his ears.
“*I want those two badly! *”
“*Perhaps, but we need more people. If you stay you’ll be by yourself. *”
“*The Seignior said he’d have enough for a full attack on May Day. *”
“*But he might choose another target. Don’t forget he has other scouting groups out. *”
“*I want those two, really badly, but we’ll do as you advise. *”
“*Good thinking! No doubt he’d like to get his hands on them as well. Maybe we can persuade him. *”
“*Very well, let’s be off quietly. May as well give them a sleepless night waiting for us to attack! *”
There was hardly a murmur as the satraps retreated. Harry and Draco watched thaumically with their eyes closed, until the satraps disappeared over the horizon. Astoria was monitoring her two fellow seers and explained quietly what had happened to the others.
“Are you sure it’s not a trap, Draco?”
“Quite sure, Vito. They are unaware of my extraordinary surveillance powers; most mages don’t have them. Each of us four seers have been given special powers by the dragons. Each a different gift, Harry sees magic with his eyes closed, I hear thoughts with my gift. Tor has developed her smell thaums, way beyond the normal range and Ginny, whom you have not met yet, can see people’s Auras; she says they sparkle with different colours depending on the talents they have and the job they are doing.”
“Masters and Mistresses we elves will be taking watch turns overnight. So you just go and sleep. Then if it is a trap you’ll be fresh into the fight, won’t you?”
“Thank you, Ubriaco; that is most kind. Just one elf, mind. You all need sleep too.”
“Of course, Master Niccolo. May you all sleep well.”
“I have a spare guest room with a double bed, Max and Vito. Perhaps you might like to crash-out there. Just to be on the safe side, Eh?”
“Thank you, Sir. That’s most kind.”
“Some of my elves will bring you each a nightcap, Masters and Mistresses. Goodnight!”
“GOODNIGHT UBRIACO!”
~~~ SUNDAY MORNING ~~~
They may have gone to bed late the previous night, but a single tolling church bell woke them up.
“Let’s go and see what Niccolo’s church is like.”
“Fine! I don’t fancy apparating to Venice. Tor’s got the miniaturised cabinet in a stasis box and Ginny’s coming to the Palazzo. It’ll be interesting to see how the Italian service differs from the one at the Hacienda. I presume this church follows the same roman rite, so our St George’s will make it sound the same.”
There was little difference, as Harry had thought. The priest did not have the tingle when they shook hands and murmured the usual pleasantries after the celebration.
“Will you be staying with Podesta Zabini long?”
“We’re friends of his heir, Father. So you may well be seeing us a few times. We have a couple of jobs to do for them before we return home.”
“Do I presume you’re on the side of the angels?”
D: *Curious question. *
“We like to think that we are,” replied Astoria cautiously: *Do you think he knows? *
“We’re seeing how best to protect the Patrimonio,” offered Hermione.
“Ah yes … The old building does need some attention. You wouldn’t happen to be able to stabilise our campanile at the same time. I daren’t let the villagers ring the all the bells any more. When we last did it the tower swayed around alarmingly.”
“They do flex a bit, Father, it’s in the design,” replied Dean: “There’s quite a bit of weight swinging around, you know.”
“Yes, I am aware of that, but I think that wobbly stones and loose joints in the frame are symptoms of something more serious.”
“I’m sure we could look at it fer you, Father. All private like.”
The priest chuckled and gave them a knowing look: “Do I take it that you have special means to carry out the repairs. I’m almost sure I saw two angels inspecting the tower last night. Then again after my midnight office I thought I saw them again. I do hope the devils were defeated.”
“We’re afraid they might return, Father. Probably tomorrow, said Blaise: “We ousted them from their last demonic abode and they’re looking for somewhere else to infest. That’s why we are hoping to protect, not just the Patrimonio, but the whole village. However, we have to be very careful.”
“I understand more than you think, my friends. If I told you that I have a clerical friend in Venezia called Giuseppe. He tells me, within the seal of friendship, of many wonderful things that he has recently experienced. He did say that the Zabini heir was connected to those goings-on. Thus I rather expected, at some time, to see some marvels myself. It looks as though that time is upon us; doesn’t it?”
Niccolo had homed in on the conversation: “Perhaps you would like to take luncheon with us, Father Salvatore.”
“Thank you for your kind invitation Podesta Zabini. I have one or two sick communions to take. Would one o’clock be acceptable? My housekeeper is visiting relatives in Padua, so I’m attempting to look after myself at the moment.”
“We were aiming at one-thirty, so you’ll be in time for a little aperitif.”
“That sounds most satisfactory, thank you.”
Shall we say - without repeating needless facts – that Salvatore learned about and saw some of the magical marvels to which Giuseppe had alluded? He also received an invitation to take dinner with them, after he had carried out some more of his parish duties. They also revealed that they had other means of transport other than the broomsticks he had already witnessed.
“You should be very careful how many strangers appear out of your door, Niccolo. Our villagers are used to your eccentric behaviour, but dozens of new faces appearing might just cause unwelcome attention.”
“I’ve given some thought to that problem already,” replied Blaise: “At our Hacienda, the incumbent mage creates an aeroplane illusion and at Harry’s home village we have a train illusion. However here, there is no railway nor space to touch a plane down, so maybe my Uncle could go up-market and have a private helicopter land on his lawn. We could easily spread the word that he is entertaining guests.”
“That sounds very expensive, My Heir.”
“Not a real one Uncle, but and equivalent illusion.”
“Ah yes! I see. Good idea. Mmm … Perhaps you have friends who would like to explore our area. We have more bedrooms than we use. We are somewhat out of the way here, so a bit of tourism might help the local economy.”
“It won’t be too many, but we are trying something similar at the Hacienda.”
“I wasn’t imagining hordes of naff sightseers. So I’m relieved.”
“You may be slightly overwhelmed for a weekend when all the Dumbledorians come to see the new addition. Thereafter things will settle down.”
“Occasional crowds can be sorted. We do that at festival time, don’t we Salvatore?”
“Yes! Did you say a Hacienda? Do I suppose it’s in Spain?”
“Yes Salvatore, we have connections into Great Britain and via Vienna into Romania and Bulgaria.”
“That’s quite a range. Nevertheless, I must be of on my parish rounds. I look forward to dinner tonight.”
Whilst Salvatore was seeing his flock Maximiliano and Vittorio had their first broomstick lesson.
“I think we’ll fall off,” remarked Vittorio: “Neither of us can ride a bicycle. Where we were brought up we used to get ribbed about that as well.”
“That’s a good sign,” said Harry, jovially: “I can’t ride one either. It seems that the skills needed for broom riding are at odds with the ones required for bicycles. So it’s a good indication that someone might have the Fluence.”
###
Whilst Draco and Harry were teaching the two Italians, Niccolo was talking to Astoria.
“I’ve been looking at the map. Geographically it would be shorter to make your Portal from Venice to the Apartment in Florence.”
“Yes, I see. When we make it, I imagine it will convert the cabinets between here and there.”
“Does that mean we will not be able to use them?”
“We’ll give you some permit-scarabs and one of us will hand you through. Thereafter it’s up to you which family member has access to that portal. A magical in the know must initially hand through any new scarab holder where the doors are, but to see and use them they must be wearing the scarab.”
“Yes … I see … Could Salvatore use them, so he can visit Giuseppe?”
“He’d need another amulet which supplies an aura and some protection. You should be the charging mage. I’ll show how to do it, once the Blakes have the portals connected.”
Over dinner Niccolo asked Salvatore if he would like the possibility of visiting Giuseppe in Venice.
“Yes please Niccolo.”
Thereupon Astoria explained exactly what would be needed and taught Niccolo the medallion charging charm. Describing its uses and limits inter alia.
Thus, just after midnight that Sunday Ginevra ported to The Palazzo with a cabinet in a stasis box. Astoria took hers through the cabinets to the Apartamento Harry and Draco staying at the Patrimonio but connected with their sisters mentally. There was a whump when the female Seers pronounced the charm and the Zabini cabinet transformed into a portal, as Hermione had expected.
###
Early Monday morning a number of ‘Angels’ were to be seen working on the wards. Surprisingly two new Italian angels were there also.
That week Dean and Seamus visited, put up some ‘Danger Work in progress’ signs and one of them supervised a couple of trusted trainees as they re-pointed and repaired the stonework inside the campanile. The locals were asked not to use the bells at all that weekend. Partly because sufficient time had to elapse for the work to have been carried out conventionally and partly because the woodworker elves from the Schwartzberg had some complicated carpentry to do to ensure that the frame was back in good order. Sunday the fourteenth of May had the renewed peal ring out to celebrate Saint Mathias’s Day. Salvatore said a special thank you mass where a number of Dumbledorians attended. They were limited to the number of beds that the Patrimonio actually held. Needless to say, the phantom helicopter made quite a few trips from behind the mountains and onto the secluded Patrimonial lawn.
###
Hermione took Maximiliano and Vittorio under her wing and managed to find them some evening tuition in order that they could expand their thaumic knowledge. This set the Blakes wondering how many Italian magical talents were being overlooked.
They decided to investigate what had happened. Alfredo helped them in Italy by giving them introductions to other Sentores in the major cities, but it took months to start to get the picture; which was abysmal. Some mages were giving tuition on a fee basis in certain cities. Judging by the ratio of magicals to muggles in the United Kingdom and allowing for the depredations of the fascists. They reckoned that only a third of the Italian mages had had any formal tuition bar that given them by their families.
As for the Goblins; Gringotts had branches in certain key cities, but beyond that there was no contact at all with the mages. The Blakes found out that there were substantial goblin mining facilities in the mountains and that there was some form of underground transport system.
In the end the Dumbledorians took upon themselves the task of research which the Blakes had started but it was well over a year before the results could be collated.
~~~ PASTURES NEW ~~~
Late May had five magicals taking Draco and Harry aside to have a serious discussion.
“It’s like this,” started Hortulanus: “We need more land on which to train our agricultural students. I understand that Pastures Farm is to revert to Harry’s estate management and therefore to the Trust. Is that correct?
“Yes, Horrty. Do I suppose you would like to take their land under your wing?”
“It was in my imagining so. However, there is the farm which the construction squad has been renovating.”
“That’s where we come in,” said Dean: “The Hogwarts governors have been making unhappy noises about gay practical professors again …”
“… and our parents are pressuring us to get married,” added Timothea.
“I thought you had an arrangement with Dodo and Festy.”
“Miners and builders tend to have opposed thought processes,” put in Jocasta: “We share our constructive and maintenance outlooks more with Seamus and Dean. We have in mind to make the sort of arrangements that you four Blakes have.”
Draco looked puzzled: “I know your parents are forward looking about goblin/mage relationships, but isn’t that pushing it a little too far?”
“It’s more about what their friends think than anything else, we feel,” replied Timothea: “After all my folks are from Ireland and Jock’s are within the southern Welsh mining community which is integrated with the one where Dean’s mother works.”
“Then there’s another problem,” put in Seamus: “The Seignior has been raiding some of my clan’s holdings. There was spare land and a goblin family asked ter be allowed ter farm it. At the time it seemed a good way fer showing our solidarity and they were some of Tim’s distant relatives also. Some of the reactionary owners disliked the idea and put up some opposition. We ignored them and we suspect they made it possible fer the satraps to raid. The result was that before a combined force ejected them a number of families were killed.”
“One of those families were my relations,” added Timothea: “The parents had concealed their two children but were killed themselves. Much the same happened ter two of Seamus’s relatives.”
“As all of it happened on clan lands, I feel I have a responsibility, as heir ter the chief, ter do something about the four orphans,” explained Seamus: “An now this possibility has come up. The four of us share compatible views an have fallen in love with Pastures Farm. The babes are without parents an we’d like ter bring them up in the safest environment possible. They’ve had enough trauma in their short lives as it is.”
Dean had adopted a pleading posture: “Please dear Blakes, may the four of us be allowed to have the house at Pastures Farm plus a few outbuildings?”
Harry grinned: “I imagine there are other ideas as well.”
For once one of the goblinesses looked sheepish: “Err … We had this idea to make the Pastures farmyard into a builders’ yard,” explained Jocasta: “… Err … It would separate the agriculturalists needs from the constructors’ needs. It’s getting very cramped at Woodyates and it would allow Horrty to expand, because he’ll need it with all the new land coming into his purview. Most of that land could be placed under another protective ancillary ward-tholus like the orchard, but bigger.”
Draco smirked: “To sum it up. The annex gets more land for the students, four orphan children get a secure home, four pressured magicals seem become legitimate, the Trust demonstrates yet again its commitment to sharing, the wards are extended to include more land, and we sort out the muddle of Woodyates farmyard. Yes?”
“YES!”
“So, all you have to do is get married?”
“Err … No! John has blessed our present pair-partnerships already, but he’s willing to bless our team of four. He says it’s different, because we have no intention of producing children the normal way. However, he understands the need for giving the orphan children a safe family environment.”
“How old are the children?”
“One, two and three. Two of them are two. We’re hoping they’ll make friends with your kids,” replied Seamus:
- 168
- 169
- 170
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Harco Empire