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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
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[“x-x” = speech & ‘x-x’ = thoughts & *x-x* = telepathy & #x-x# Parseltongue]
~~~MINING~~~
Twenty minutes later, on board their boat, the seers were becoming increasingly worried. Owen’s boat appeared to be heading at speed into a cliff.
“Are you alright?” Draco called out.
“Yes, it’s an occlusion,” Owen shouted back: “You should fit!”
“Very good!” Draco wondered exactly what the last remark meant.
Almost immediately Owen and his lugger melted into the cliff. Draco, who was helmsman, steered directly at the same point. The Sirius slipped through the wards into an enclosed bay with an extremely narrow entrance. Three feet each side and five feet above their masthead was a natural arch in the rock. Through the arch the cliffs widened out but were still high and forbidding around the narrow passage. Owen’s boat turned to starboard and disappeared. Their sloop followed the same course and found itself in a constricted bay. There was a stone jetty on the west side of the cliff, partly carved out of the raw rock and partly man-made. There was room enough for the boats; one of which was a sailing dinghy, then Owen’s lugger followed by their sloop, leaving just enough room for another boat of their size.
Facing south there was a tall house built partly into the cliff. At its base was a golden strand with a couple of children building sandcastles. Seeing the boats come in, the children stopped their activity and ran up to Owen greeting him in Welsh. The seers understood via the mind meld because it was Astoria’s native tongue. Arwyn and Rhiannon were introduced to the seers as they disembarked. Arwyn asking if he could board and see inside. That brought out Ginevra’s mothering instincts, so she got the young boy to touch her St George; and stayed behind to show both the children around the Sirius.
Meanwhile the seers met Mari, Owen’s wife: “You must stay for a meal, look you, most welcome you are. I was home educated, you see, so to meet Owen’s professors, I am most delighted. You’ll be staying the night, won’t you?”
“We’ll not put you to all that trouble,” replied Astoria in her best Welsh: “A meal would be most welcome, but to stay on our sloop, we would prefer. Used to the feel of the beds, see?”
“Yes, uncomfortable I feel in a strange bed, nor proper rest taken either. Should you like to see the rest of the house, whilst our elves prepare the meal?”
The seers agreed, by this time Ginevra had returned with the children. So, a party toured the Cadwallader demesne. Rather like the villa on Montecristo, this house had all its rooms facing south down the narrow inlet. Unlike the villa, the reception rooms were at the bottom, as in a normal house, although there were two stories of them followed by three of bedrooms. The very top was at ground level, so to speak, with the combined flower and kitchen garden above the house and flowing out onto the adjacent land. The plot was protected by a dense thicket of thorns and masked by tall oak trees
The meal was delicious, all the veg came from Mari’s plot, and the fish fresh caught by Owen. After the meal the children, being their normal retiring time, were sent to bed. Draco went up a little later and read them a story, as he usually did to the Blake children. Despite their excitement they were soundly asleep before he finished. As it was a warm evening, the adults sat on the veranda overlooking the bay and chatted; telling Mari some of the pranks that had been carried out during their time at Hogwarts. She was slightly wistful, saying that she wished that she had had the possibility of attending, but that her parents’ house, like this one, was isolated in the countryside.
“Still,” she said brightly: “We had no-one troubling us during the war, did we Annwyl?”
“No, not a death-eater in sight,” replied Owen. “Splendid isolation here, all self-sufficient we are. Our sheep provide the wool and occasional mutton, our cows the milk, and our hens the eggs. Mari Cariad tends the garden with her elves, I go fishing and raise a little money in Cardigan at the market. Harry’s protectors keep us safe in our little domain.”
The seers retired to their sloop to sleep, promising to have their breakfast with the Cadwallader family.
~~~ GOLD ~~~
The fine summer morning had the company breakfasting out of doors. Draco smilingly admonished the children about them going to sleep before he finished the story.
“That’s good!” remarked Rhiannon: “You can continue it tonight.”
“We’ll see!” tempered the blond; knowing that the seers intended moving on.
“Come along children, we have some gardening to do.”
“Must we?” Arwyn pulled a face.
“The rule, you know, don’t you? No garden, no food.” Mari nodded, smiling knowingly at her two offspring: “Besides, to be about their business, the seers have to go.”
The children politely, if reluctantly, said good-bye and followed their mother. For another quarter of an hour Owen sat and chatted to the seers; waiting for the tide to be right for them to leave. Suddenly the seers felt a distress call.
D: *Not someone we know, is it? *
H: *Feels like the McLaggen sending before they were connected. I think we should respond. *
D: *Very well! * “Owen, I think we’re being called away. Will our boat be safe enough here?”
“Of course! Anything I can do to help?”
“Not immediately. We need to investigate first. Would you show us where the nearest apparition point is, please?”
“There’s one upstairs or you can use the one at the end of the quay. That’d be the best, so’s I don’t miss the tide showing you.”
The seers collected various items from the Sirius and followed Owen to the end of the quay. Going through a short tunnel onto an inconspicuous ledge in the cliffs overlooking the sea, just outside the wards. He then retired to his lugger.
G: *It seemed not too far away, didn’t it? *
H: *Fine. Broomsticks? *
D: *And a Hendy-charm? *
A: *Yes – too many for your cloak. *
D: *Make the charm once we’re aloft, so we disguise the brooms as well. *
They kicked off from the ledge and circled up the cliff and above it. Nothing of the Cadwallader Demesne was visible below them. The occlusion looked like a large oak-wood.
H: *I hope we can find it when we come back. *
A: *I left a marker on the cliff-ledge, just in case. *
The now invisible seers flew off in the general direction of the help call. Their route took them over the rolling hills of Cardiganshire. The patchwork of fields looked like some green crazy-paving below them, with green hedgerows as dividers and patches of dense trees. But for the increasing cry for help the seers would have enjoyed their ride over this pretty rural Welsh scenery. Slowly this gave way to something less fertile where an occasional patch of rock could be seen. Close to one of those patches was the place from which the emanation seemed to be issuing.
###
H: *Let’s land behind that hedgerow. *
AD&G: *OKAY! *
Having landed they miniaturised their brooms and slowly made their way towards the distress signal; making sure they did not alert anyone. Draco was first to spot something.
D: *There’s a satrap I remember from the Manor. Stay still while I have a look … Five satraps in all. Two of each holding a male and female goblin and having difficulties because they’re struggling. Another by a younger goblin, he’s naked and tied to a tree … It’s Gallup … Hmm … Gamaliel Gallup … Hmm good at potions too … The other two I suppose are his parents … Hmm … Has a younger sister at Hogwarts … Hmm … Ganesa … I think …*
A: *Draco, concentrate on what’s happening! Not on their antecedents. *
D: *Oh! Sorry! They seem to be threatening the parents … Harry, come to me and hold my hand; then we can hear what they’re saying. *
It took five minutes to make contact – one invisible man trying to find another invisible man was an exercise in their patience. At last they touched and immediately held hands.
“* … If you don’t give us the gold your son will suffer, Goblin. *”
“*I told you the shipment has already been dispatched. *”
“*You lie! Our informant says it is due tomorrow. *”
“*Then he must have misinformed you. *”
“*I doubt it very much. He was to get a cut. Oh well! You have time enough to agree to give it to us, but only until your son spills his seed. After that his equipment will be burnt off and you’ll have no one to continue your line. Your wife will not be able to have any more children after we’ve raped her, will she? You know that having a half-and-half sterilises them, don’t you? Like that runt professor Flitwick’s mother. *”
“*I told you: I H A V E N O G O L D! *“The goblin yelled desperately: *You’ll have to wait a month whilst we mine some more. *”
The Satrap laughed cruelly: “*Maybe your son can keep it in for a month, but I doubt it. *”
G: *We’ve got the location, *We’re moving round to the other side of the clearing. So, we can get a good shot at the ones holding the father. *
D: *The leader’s having difficulty getting young Gamaliel’s pecker to harden. I’ll take the leader; I can have a good shot at him from here. *
H: *I’m letting go, Draco, if I shuffle left a bit, I can target the two who are stripping the wife. *
D: *Use the sleep charm on them, that way they won’t try anything aggressive. *
G: *Their attention’s on young Gamaliel, that’ll make them slow to respond, too. *
H: *Fine, I’m in position. Ready? Three, two, one:
“SOMNOLEMS!”
“Somnolems!” Harry added as he hexed the second wife-molester.
The satraps, having felt a hex assault them, looked round wildly trying to see where their attackers were. However, the sleep hex soon began to work, and they slumped down to the ground.
Mr Gallup looked round afraid that he might be the next target, whilst Mrs Gallup shakily re-dressed herself. The seers dropped their Hendy-invisibility.
“No need to worry Mr and Mrs Gallup, we’re here in response to your call for help.”
“Mr Potter-Blake! Mr Malfoy-Blake! Do I suppose these are your wives? Thanks for coming to our rescue. It really is true that the shipment went off early.”
“Don’t fuss about the gold. Your family’s more important.”
Mr Gallup snickered: “You’re not a goblin, are you? My superiors think differently. Err … How did you know to come here?”
“We felt that someone was in trouble. We were visiting a mage who lives on the coast, so we came over to investigate. I think we’d better get rid of these snoring satraps first, though. Then we’ll talk further.”
Harry and Draco resuscitated their special constable roles for a few minutes, encapsulating the five satraps and writing a brief report about the incident.
“Um … can we use your floo, please?”
“Our house is about half a mile away. We were out enjoying a summer walk when these nasty mages ambushed us. They must have been skulking outside our wards.”
“Are you up to walking Mrs Gallup?”
“Yes, thank you. I’m a bit shaken, but not really bruised. Those satraps must have known that our bond-mates were taking a holiday abroad. I rather hope we didn’t get through to them now. I’d rather we didn’t spoil their holiday.”
Ginevra chuckled: “Well, you certainly got through to us. We had a situation like this some time ago. Nice to know we can respond to goblin calls for help as well as magely ones. Now young Gamaliel, are you well enough to walk?”
“I-I-I-I th-think s-so. Have you got something for me to wear, please? The satraps trashed my clothes.”
Astoria looked at the clothes. Gamaliel’s trousers could be made into shorts with a few repair charms and his shoes were intact. After he gratefully put them on, the party set out, towing the encapsulated satraps as far as the wards. Whilst Draco guarded the prisoners Harry went in to floo the Aurorbunker. Returning, the two male seers dispatched their prisoners to headquarters.
“You must stay for lunch,” said Gilly Gallup: “It’s the least we can offer.” For by that time they had introduced each other.
“Thank you, we’ll enjoy that.”
“You must tell us how else we can help,” offered Gideon, the husband.
“We were glad to help. We need nothing from you. We know that you would help us if we got into difficulties.”
“Are you quite sure we can do nothing?”
“Perhaps you could accommodate a cabinet here. I am right in thinking you are connected to a node?”
“Yes. It’s called Llanaurdy, four from Cardiff and two from Glaswelltdy. We have a set of cabinets. They used to be connected to some old miner friends of my fathers, but that line died out. You could use them if you liked.”
“The Cadwallader mages we were staying with said they felt isolated. Maybe they would accept a link. I see you have a daffodil.”
“Yes, quite useful too. Cadwallader? I wonder if they are heirs of the old Gwynedd King. Our family had connections with them in ages long ago, according to our family tome. It’d be nice to restore that connection.”
Draco’s eyes lit up: “Hmm … Do you think I might have a look at it …? I’m the keeper of our family tome. I wonder if yours goes back as far as ours does.” Astoria looked interested too.
Ginevra giggled: “That’s got our two immersed for the afternoon, Harry. I fancy going with Gilly to see her garden. What are you going to do?”
“May I use your floo please, Gideon. I’ll go to the Ministry and carry out the various legal duties connected to the arrest. At some time, an auror will come and visit you to make a full report, if that’s alright?”
Gideon shrugged: “Of course it is, thanks for taking it out of my hands. We’ll go to the Wizengamot trial if we’re needed as witnesses.”
“That depends if they plead guilty or not. Thanks for letting me use your floo.” Harry threw the powder in and disappeared.
###
At teatime Harry reappeared and joined his fellow seers for a cup of the refreshing beverage and a slice, or two, of Gilly’s delicious chocolate cake. Whilst partaking he informed them that the satraps were going to plead guilty. Thinking that a time in Azkaban would be preferable to the Seignior’s wrath. Afterwards they adopted their Hendy disguise and flew off to the Cadwallader Demesne.
They were met by Mari who informed them that Owen was still out at sea. Whilst waiting for Owen to return they told Mari of the attack on the goblin’s gold mine.
“You said you felt isolated out here. With the satraps being belligerent, perhaps you should be connected to someone else.”
“The nearest ones are the Gallups. Being goblins, we didn’t like to ask them. Besides cabinets cost a lot of money.”
“If we had one would you like one?”
“I suppose so, but where would we put the other one?”
The Gallups are happy to have the other end there. In fact, they offered one for you to use. That would mean you were connected through to us because their house is on a node of their system; same as our house is.”
Just then Owen arrived back with his catch and more explanations took place.
“When do we collect it?” asked Owen.
“We have it with us,” smirked Astoria: “We guessed you might like it.”
“Da iawn! We do.”
The cabinet was set up and tested. The upshot was that the Gallup family was also asked to dinner. Being a warm summer evening the children, despite their difference in ages, seemed to enjoy the sand and the bathing beforehand. After the meal, once the goblin family had left, the Cadwallader children went to bed and Draco managed to finish off his story. Although he was not quite sure if the youngsters fell asleep just before the climax.
~~~ BACK HOME ~~~
Returning home after their voyage they were met by Narcissa: “You four are incorrigible,” she admonished them cheerfully: “I get you to go out on a relaxing cruise. And what do you do? Get involved in a fight.”
“Mother!” replied Draco, “You aren’t really cross, I know you aren’t.”
“The only thing I’m cross about is Rita bloody Skeeter. She wants an interview.”
“Well she won’t have one from us. We’ll go and see Luna and give her the story. At least we know it won’t be sensationalised. She supports integration. Rita will make it sound condescending. A far cry from our trying to unite the races.”
Narcissa chuckled: “Luna’s in the garden waiting for you. No doubt she’s found one of her invisible friends to talk to.”
The four seers went into the garden and had a chat with Luna. The following day the Quibbler carried the headline: ‘Further Proof of Magical Unity’ and a reasonably truthful report of what happened. Naturally Rita was livid and wrote a scathing article in the Prophet. However, the knowledgeable magicals read the Quibbler to find out the truth. Both papers had increased sales, so the Prophet’s management did not mind too much, even if Ms Skeeter raved.
The rest of the summer passed peaceably enough, as did the start of the academic year. The Samhain/All Saints half term holiday was quiet and so was the combined talk to their ancestors during All Souls Day evening on Blaulindeninsel. This time there was no argumentative Malfoy ancestor present to destroy the atmosphere.
~~~ SUNDAY 9^TH DECEMBER ~~~
The Seers had received so many invitations to attend Christmastide celebrations and they were loath to turn anyone down; so, with the inner cabinet they sat down round Chantry Cottage’s dinner table to plan.
~~~ MONDAY 10^TH DECEMBER ~~~
The European Principals’ Forum met in the dining room round the table at Montecristo. Harry, as chairman, welcomed them to the meeting. After the usual preliminaries the forthcoming Christmas holidays were discussed.
“I have six stay-at-schools,” said Minerva: “Mostly orphans from the war.”
“Durmstrang has five,” put in Gerhard: “Parents abroad and a couple of orphans.”
“Four from Beauxbatons,” added Olympe: “All but one is orphaned.”
“Three each from Cerroverde and Montecristo; everyone orphaned by the previous harsh regimes. The Blake Foundation is prepared to help towards buying the Christmas Presents,” suggested Harry.
“A fund for Orphan welfare, we have; since the last world war.”
“Ze same goes for our malhereuxes française, Gerhard.”
“We have three orphans and three whose parents are badly injured,” volunteered Noemi.
“Twenty-seven in all, nicely Arithmantic; why don’t we have them all meeting in one place? That’ll give our staff some rest?” suggested Minerva.
“So!” Gerhard’s face was thoughtful: “At different schools we accommodate them for three days, yes?”
“The Island was going to have a thanksgiving feast at the winter solstice and couple it with our usual winter festival. The remainder pupils would be most welcome to join in,” invited Noemi.
“How about staying at the Annex and the festivities at Godric’s Hollow for Christmas Eve and Day. We could put something on in the woods on the 23rd, beforehand,” suggested Minerva: “After the service they could all come to Hogwarts’ Great Hall for a feast. We can move around so easily through the posterns, now.”
“The Seers wish to support Estéban on his name day on the 26th and there will be spare rooms at Cerroverde.” Harry offered: “Holy Innocents is a great feast-day on the Iberian Peninsula, so I’m told. So that would cover another three days.”
“Then Durmstrang would host them until New Year,” added Gerhard: “A big bonfire and WWW fireworks we have planned on Blaulindeninsel, to hold at New Year start.”
“Then something more rested here for three days, possibly?”
“Ze Twelfth Night Ball on January 5th is a specialité de Beauxbatons, mes amis. We could accommodate zem beforehand. Following zat, ze Epiphany Mass on ze following morning should round ze holiday off nicely.”
“I’m sure the Venice Palazzo would offer some places as the Dumbledorians are all over for that weekend. Then back to school with the others on Tuesday 9th of January.”
*Well done my son! * Fawkes preened on his perch: *That is how it should be. *
“Even Fawkes approves, my friends, so we’d better not alter things, had we?”
The other Heads chuckled and made mock bows towards the brilliantly hued bird. They got their acts together working out the exact arrangements for accommodation and transfers. Presents were discussed and suitable ones arranged.
As this was the first meeting since the Dumbledorians’ decision Harry presented the newly combined talismans and received back the numerous medallions that the Heads had been wearing. He offered Praetorship to each of them and explained how the Cabinet felt they could relate to the whole society. All the heads accepted, and a few ideas were posited as to how the link might be enhanced; Harry agreed to take the ideas to the next membership meeting.
~~~ TUESDAY 11^TH DECEMBER ~~~
Harry and Draco went into the ministry to catch up with their outstanding Wizengamot reports. Mackenzie had been very efficient and had, with Kingsley’s and Peter’s help covered everything. Harry and Mackenzie sat together going through the various cases, discussing any political come back and the Auror’s response to them. Draco went to the Ministry lab where Theodora and he spent the next three days working through various extraordinary potions and forensic problems. The Seers put up with Draco’s preoccupied state of mind, knowing that he would come out of his funk once the problems were solved.
Harry and Ginevra visited various mages who had been victims of magical crime. It was more of a flag waving scheme, to make sure that the injured parties were being properly cared for. One or two needed extra help so that pair of special constables set things in motion.
~~~ SATURDAY 15^TH DECEMBER ~~~
The greater Seer family sat down to plan their own participation over the Yuletide feast.
“We ought to show some of the stay-at-school students that we care,” said Draco: “But we also need some quiet respite as well.”
Narcissa smiled: “Your good influence is turning my son into a regular patrician, Harry. He even thinks of others now.”
“Mother, Really?” Draco exclaimed, pretending to be shocked.
Scandinavia was easy – they would attend the Yule festivities overnight 20^th to 21^st December. As would be expected, 23rd to 25th would be at St. Godric’s taking in the carol singing and midnight mass. Holy Innocents day was big in Iberia so, from celebrating Estéban’s name day on 26th December until 28th they would spend time at the Hacienda. Harry informed them that the various academies had agreed for their stay-at-school students to visit around each college in turn. Durmstrang’s lot was to be 31st where Blaulindeninsel would hold another big bonfire with fireworks from WWW.
From thence the remnant students would go to relax at Montecristo before everyone was invited to the Twelfth Night Ball at Beauxbatons. However, the Seers and family would go to Vienna and inhabit Grandmamma’s preregistered seats booked for the New Year’s Day Strauss concert in the Musikverein; staying quietly with friends at the Grunrasenhof or at the Schwartzberg until the ball.
As Epiphany was emphasised in Italy that made the other end of the festive fortnight on Saturday 6th January; all the Dumbledorians were invited to the Palazzo to celebrate that feast-day in true Venetian style; staying over the weekend and celebrating Sunday mass in the private chapel with Giuseppe conducting the service. Friday would have seen the bulk of the students return to their schools – the unfortunates were therefore to have a little extra privilege by attending the masked ball on Sunday.
~~~ CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR 2013 ~~~
Things went almost as planned. Every couple of days the seers managed to have a quiet time together with their nearest relations and reiterate their links with their children. They had a longer period just after the New Year although some attendance at various places to keep their political supporters happy was on the agenda for the seers. Harry spent some time with Kingsley.
“Those two are working quite well as a team, Kingsley.”
“Yes, and the Seers political support in the Wizengamot, stops the naughty seneschals from trying to sneak in special arrangements for their erring family members. Some of the pure-bloods still want favours, but Glandulous knows who they are and quietly has a word. I don’t know, or really want to, how you got him to support the rule of law, but I’m glad you did.”
“So, I’m a figurehead am I?”
“I suppose you are, now. Quite a few of the Seneschals still regard you with awe and helping the Goblin family just added to your lustre. The members don’t want to annoy their bankers too much, do they?”
“No, I suppose not.”
“I think the Smiling Ones are becoming disenchanted with being aurors. Not sure why though.”
“I suspect their fiancées want them to get less dangerous jobs. You have to admit they’ve all ended up in St Mungos at least a couple of times. Just as I have done a few times.”
“It happens, I suppose, the glory is worn thin by the paperwork. Oh Well!”
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