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
- 201
- 202
- 203
[Note: “x-x” = speech & ‘x-x’ = thoughts & *x-x* = telepathy & #x-x# Parseltongue]
~~~ THE SQUARE ~~~
When all the group stood close to the confused sign, it kept changing names; including a fleeting ‘Grimond’ when Henry was near.
Henry took out his mobile and telephoned his wife; asking her to join the group inside the garden. They sat on the seats with their backs to the grandstand near the flower garden awaiting Margery. When she arrived, they explained the conundrum and then gave a practical demonstration.
“What numbers do you live at?” They answered her … “Mmm … I always wondered why our square had some numbers missing.”
The mages explained about the corner houses being able to disappear and secret keepers etc.
“What’s the highest Number, please, Mrs Finch-Fletchley?”
“Twenty-one, Draco; is that important?”
“Yes, it’s Arithmantic, The first multiple of three and seven. Quite a special number, in fact. I think this square may well have very special magical properties.”
“Do you mean those protections Justin made after your new minister was elected?”
“Our House has those, as well,” Oliver put in.
“No, it’s much more than that … Hmm … I have a feeling that we should have a ‘Village Protection’ over the whole square.
F: *Now you’re beginning to think, Seers.* Pigeon Fawkes was pecking up crumbs.
“That’ll be fun, what with muggles watching, and it being a square with sharp corners,” remarked Oliver.
“We managed it in Diagon Alley, at least, the ward team did. Maybe we should have a walk round and see how the land lies. There must be other hidden houses in the corners. Our house is one, the chapel in the opposite corner is visible; so that leaves two others.”
“Harry, do you think your eyes-closed magic might get past the secret keeper charms.”
“No idea, Astoria, but we can always try, can’t we?”
F: *Of course it can – that’s why you’re my children.*
More explanations had to take place to the Finch-Fletchleys and Oliver. Henry suggested starting out at number one and going turnwise [clockwise] round the square. They moved off and Harry came to a stand in front of the corner between numbers five and seven. Ginevra, with her earth and aura-based expertise held his hand whilst he closed his eyes and concentrated.
“Tor, please hold my hand as well.” Ginevra asked: “I think I can see a silver line between the two houses.”
“Silver denotes magical beings,” Draco whispered to the onlookers.
Gradually the familiar grinding sound became audible and Number Six shouldered Numbers Five and Seven out of the way. Like Number twelve it filled the corner with a doorway and a row of windows above. Most of their windows looked out at the back.
“I say Harry, what a surprise,” Margery said with her mouth agape: “Even when you had told us, I didn’t expect to see it happen in front of my eyes. I just thought you Magicals could only observe it. That’s quite frightening.”
As Margery was talking the house settled and a mystified house-elf opened the door.
“Oh … Master Harry Potter, Sir … How may I help you …? Have you come to see Master Anthony?”
Draco, being the only unlinked, un-concentrating seer answered: “Yes please, if he’s available. Would you mind asking him to join us outside, please?”
“Yes, Master Draco, I will. Won’t you come in; we would be honoured to have your party grace our doorstep.”
“Thank you for the invitation, however we are conducting an experiment which requires us to be outside on the pavement.”
“Who is it, Goldilocks?” a familiar voice asked from inside the house.
“It’s Master Harry Potter, his family and some guests, Master Anthony.”
“Did you ask them in?”
“Of course, Master Anthony. However, they asked for you to join them outside.”
Anthony Goldstein appeared: “Hi Draco, are you recruiting for another skirmish? What’s Harry doing with his eyes closed? Which one of our family told you of our secret?”
“No … Seeing hidden magic … and no-one … in that order.”
Anthony thought about the answers for a minute: “Okay, not that our family minds you breaking the charm, but how did you circumvent the secret-holder ward?”
“We don’t know, it has only just happened …” Draco went into a brief explanation.
“Gosh … That’s some powerful magic … Will the house snap back if Harry stops concentrating?”
“Again, we don’t know.”
“Do you want to experiment?”
“Yes please.”
Anthony turned to the elf: “Goldilocks, will you go inside and shut the door, please? I don’t want you hurt if the house hides itself again. I’ll knock three times if I want you to open the door again.”
Anthony closed his eyes, in case his seeing the house altered the experiment. Harry stopped concentrating and the house whooshed back into non-existence.
“Well that answers the question, doesn’t it? However, welcome to Number Six, Grimfield Court, Friends.” Anthony shook hands with all the people present and the house re-appeared. He knocked three times and Goldilocks opened the door.
This time the party graced the doorstep, entering the sitting room and partaking of a glass of sherry, much to Goldilocks’ gratification.
Henry was twirling his glass thoughtfully staring at the liquid. After a minute or two he looked up: “I have the beginnings of a theory …”
“… Be careful of Henry when he has a theory,” Margery interrupted laughingly.
“Yes Dear … But still … If all the magical people have even numbers, and their houses are hidden, that explains the other people having odd numbers. Draco’s remark about magical properties has me thinking, the only other … err … Muggle family I know of in the square are the Dobsons and they have a boy who will start at Hogwarts this coming September. Now they live at Number Fifteen, I know that because your Headmistress asked me to talk to them. They were very worried about young Ridgley being magical. Minerva delivered the letter in person, it was quite a shock for them, hence I was asked; having been in the same position with Justin our son …”
“… Back to the theory, Dear …”
“… Oh yes … Well they think they live in Grimond Place, as we do. Now all the magical people we’ve talked to all think their square has a ‘rim’ in it but have enclosed-type location names i.e. Gardens, Place, Court etc. Perhaps your magic has all the houses in mind either for mages or muggles with magical children. Perhaps that is why you have your three times seven number Draco.”
“Mmm … I have distant cousins who live at Number Eight Grimscott Gardens,” said Astoria: “Maybe we should see if that house is here. That should add weight to your theory Sir.”
“Can I accompany you,” asked Anthony: “I used to go out with Orla Quirk for a while, she lives at Number Four, but they never hid their house … We never asked each other the name of the square, our families knew each other since whenever and we played together as kids, attended the same junior school too.”
“Yes, I remember them from the wedding,” said Ginevra, “My mum and hers are great friends.”
The Quirkes thought they lived at Grimbridge Quad and the very surprised Greengrass Cousins at Grimscott Gardens.
Harry and Ginevra quietly checked the silver crack between Numbers Sixteen and Eighteen, without opening it up – They both agreed that there were no evil emanations coming from the perceived magic.
D: *That’d be Seventeen, so Henry’s theory doesn’t hold up.*
G: *He’s a nice old man, don’t ruffle his feathers.*
That brought them to Ysabel’s house and the Blakes invited the party inside. After looking around, they all sat in the basement dining room – the only place with enough space and chairs.
“A very worried Finkelpuff appeared: “Oh Master, you didn’t tell me you had invited guests to dinner; nevertheless, I shall have a meal ready in half an hour.”
“Wait a minute, Finkelpuff, although the idea is appealing; we’ve only just found out about us all living in the same square and were resting after having walked around it.”
“How about us asking our various house-elves to bring our dinners here?” suggested Draco: “I imagine that most of our households are already preparing a meal?”
“That’s a nice idea, Draco,” replied Margery, “But we’d asked the Dobsons over.”
“There’s room enough here, it might be nice for them to meet other parents and mages, help them to feel part of the community.”
“Well … Are you sure?”
“Yes … Quite sure … Say in three-quarters of an hour.”
“That will give us time to put the young-ones to bed,” said Narcissa: “I’ll ask Sonny to serve us here, is that all right, Finkelpuff?”
“Yes, thank you, Mistress. Now Master Harry, am I to cook for you four?”
“We had intended to eat at home; perhaps you could ask Winky to send our meal here, please?”
The new elf looked wary, and Grandmamma immediately understood: “Shall I ask Sonny to ask Winky, Finkelpuff?”
“Please, Mistress; I am not used to this team idea yet. Although I will set out the dining room properly. Do you want one long table, Master Harry?”
“Could we make it a big round one, d’you think?”
“That’d be just like the old days, with Blake families all sitting round, yes please.”
Dorothy popped in: “My Harry, you do work quickly. Kreacher has all the elves from the families together. With Finkelpuff’s help we’ll set out here, I take it that you want each household to attend, not just the assembled ones here?”
Harry looked around the company and received affirmative nods: “Yes please Dorothy.”
“Good, how about you vacate the room so we elves can work uninterruptedly; just let us know if you expect more guests, please. By the way, your round table will have to become oval because the room’s longer than it’s wide.”
“Fine! Whatever.”
As the mages left, Harry heard Finkelpuff quizzing Dorothy about being too familiar with their betters.
The two female seers went with Narcissa and Grandmamma to help settle the children, who had begun to droop sleepily. Draco and Harry went for a walk in the garden. They were watching some muggles play tennis.
“Hi Harry and Draco, why are you sitting in our park?”
“Hi Jimmy, I think you’ll find it’s our park, as well.”
“Have you just moved in then?”
“No …” Draco continued to tell Mr Cadwallader the name change happenings.
It turned out that James’s house was Number Ten Grimethorpe Close. The one that they had tested.
“… My house-elf has been muttering about being left out of an important meeting,” James explained, so I came out to avoid the tantrums. The parents are on holiday and I’m by myself.”
Draco sighed and then smiled: “Sonny!”
Pop: “Yes Master?”
“Do you know Master Jimmy’s elf?”
Sonny coloured up: “Erm … Am I in trouble … I only kissed Juniper once, you know.”
The mages chuckled and Harry answered: “No, you’re not in trouble, Sonny. Perhaps you could ask Juniper to join in the communal dinner with us.” Harry looked at James: “I take it that you wouldn’t mind sharing?”
“That’d be very nice; I was getting a bit bored by myself … Sonny, what happens between you and Juniper is your affair, she’s a much happier elf at the moment, so don’t spoil it for her, okay?”
“Yes Master … Erm … Seers? Do I have your permission as well?”
“Of course, you do,” Draco replied: “Just let us know when the nuptials will be, if ever you two decide to pair up.”
“Oh … Yes … Thank you. I’ll go and see Juniper right away.” Pop. Sonny’s delighted smile remained behind for a few seconds, rather like Alice’s Cheshire cat in Wonderland.
As they stood to move off Harry caught sight, over the hedge, of a familiar figure walking along the pavement.
“Hey, Hangdog, good evening!” he called out.
“Well, well, if it isn’t a fellow Wizengamot member. How are you Harry – oh and Draco; Mr Cadwallader, good evening.”
“Good evening, Mr Hangdog, my two friends have been telling me a strange story …” James went on to recount it.
Hangdog’s grin increased as he heard the tale: “So if I tell you I live at Number Twenty you won’t argue, only about Auldtree Court.”
“Yes … Something like that,” Harry chuckled: “We’re having a communal dinner at Number Fourteen, you and the family would be most welcome.”
“Thanks, I’d love to, the wife and family are visiting Gallus for the weekend, due back tomorrow, and company would be very welcome. Oh … my elves will have dinner ready. That might be a bit of a problem.”
“Kreacher?”
Pop: “Yes Harry?”
“Do you know Hangdog’s elves?”
“Yes … One of their sons is in my English classes. He starts at Hogwarts in September, as does Hangdog’s daughter.”
“I take it you know about the communal dinner?”
“Of course … I understand … I’ll go and talk to them.”
“Thanks!”
“And thanks from me as well,” Hangdog added: “Now you’d better show me this sign you talked about …”
###
As people arrived at the new house Draco and Astoria greeted them, leaving Harry and Ginevra to introduce people who did not know each other. Henry and Margery took the Dobsons under their wing. To begin with, the new family was a little overawed by the colourful assembly, but under Henry’s wise husbanding they soon settled in. Hangdog and Mr Dobson came to an arrangement whereby their two children and elf would be introduced and could at least be chums in the new magical environment whilst they found their feet.
Once dinner was over the elves made the round table disappear and the various Magicals caused the dining chairs to turn into something more comfortable. Groups of people sat, wandered around, and remade themselves in a friendly atmosphere.
Henry, Hangdog and Draco were chatting, and the conversation came around to sex.
“At least you four are discreet, not like the lot at Number Thirteen. We made complaints about them to the authorities. I know we’re not that far from Soho, but that kind of behaviour in a residential area is not on.”
“Yes, I know what you mean,” added Henry: “We muggles got up a petition and presented it to the council. When we handed it in someone said that other sources had complained as well. I bet they were your contacts.”
“We complained too,” added one of the Greengrass cousins.
“So, what happened?” asked Draco.
“The police raided it and it was closed down, thank goodness. It’s still vacant; I imagine someone has it up for sale. Not that we’ve seen any notices.”
“Don’t tell me the seers are still acquisitive, Draco?” Hangdog smiled depreciatingly.
“Well … It would join the properties all in one … Then again there’s all this new capital we inherited from Ysabel.”
“Shall I make some discreet enquiries, Draco?”
“Mmm … Yes please … Nothing definite … Tell Bertie if you find anything out please.”
“I was chatting to him a week or so ago, are you considering an hotel at Ysabel’s house?”
“That was one idea.”
“Thirteen used to be an hotel at one time, before it degenerated,” added Henry: “Now what was it called … Mmm … Oh yes … The Grampound Hotel … Named after somewhere in Cornwall on the River Fal, I think.”
“We had some American mages in the bank a week ago;” Hangdog informed them: “They were complaining that there were no magely hotels in London. When I mentioned The Leakey Cauldron, they said it was full and a bit too quaint for their tastes. A touch of the stately home might just appeal. I strongly suspect this square is a very magical environment. They’ve all heard of Harry, maybe you could persuade him to chat occasionally.”
“Hmm … Harry doesn’t like the false bonhomie. Maybe if there was a reception, at Number Twelve, he’s getting better at those kinds of things. It’s all worth thinking about.”
H: *I heard that, Partner. We do formal for your mother’s receptions; I don’t find those as threatening any more. Besides we’ve vetted the people rigorously beforehand.*
A: *Let’s try it out at Number Fourteen, then if it goes well, add Number Thirteen.*
G: *Fenella, Septimus’s intended works at Rosmerta’s, and Honorius’s girlfriend’s parents own an hotel in Scotland. Perhaps one of those pairs might like to become managers for us.*
D: *Possible idea for later, Ginny. Let’s walk before we run, hmm?*
H: *Project for tomorrow – sense the other houses. If everything’s okay, get the ward team in.*
AD&G *RIGHT.*
When Draco came out of his internal conversation various people were wishing each other goodnight and leaving.
~~~ HOTEL ~~~
The seers stayed at Number Twelve on Friday night. Draco had an urgent floo call from Theodora about a potion they were experimenting with so, in the morning, he went off to the forensic department. Ginevra and Harry surveyed the rest of Grimond Place [or whatever it was called] on Saturday morning. They sensed that all the even numbered houses belonged to positive mages but did not knock on any doors. They also met another muggle couple, the Nugents, from Number Eleven next door [on the other side of Henry’s houses from the Dobsons. They had a pair of twins in the third year and said that they had met Draco during a parents’ evening. The Wards team was on standby so that once it was dark, they could enclose the square with Village wards. However, a long time before that happened Astoria had a floo call from Gringotts.
“Have you got rooms for three American couples, please?” asked Gallus.
“I see the Gringotts grapevine works as well as the Hogwarts one does. Let me ask the elves, but I’m almost sure we could find suitable rooms.”
Astoria went to look for Ysabel’s old elf.
“I’d love to have a family to look after again,” answered Finkelpuff when asked.
“It would be more like an hotel, you know, with different people coming and going. We’ll ask some of the corps to help out; however, you’d still be in charge as Chief Steward.”
Finkelpuff asked a few more questions before finally saying: “… I understand … Yes, I’d like us to try.”
Astoria had a chat with Kreacher and Dorothy; who then chose suitable personnel from the corps. After that, the seer flooed the governor with a positive answer; asking him how much she ought to charge.
“They were paying nearly one hundred pounds a night.”
“Twenty galleons; that much?” Astoria sounded surprised.
“Top hotels charge at least five times more, and the very swish ones more again, but those are beyond their means.”
“What do you think is a comfortable price range, Gallus?”
“Dinner bed and breakfast about twenty-two galleons, nineteen for bed and breakfast, eighteen for just the accommodation. Allow a twenty per cent reduction for longer stays for a week or more.”
“Okay, I’ll be guided by that, I’ll just run it past Bertie though.”
“He’s with me and I was reading from his notes. He says he’ll bring the mages round and to tell you they have reasonable credentials, suitable for village-type wards.”
“Fine at what time do we expect them?”
“He’s taking them around Diagon Alley first. Would you believe they hadn’t found that either? They’d used our owl service previously and Bertie went to find them. They’ll probably arrive after they’ve lunched at Fortescues. He says he’ll floo you from there.”
“Okay, thanks.”
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