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
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- 205
[Note: “x-x” = speech & ‘x-x’ = thoughts & *x-x* = telepathy & #x-x# Parseltongue]
~~~ HOTELS ~~~
Sunday breakfast was a peculiar affair. A few of the guests attacked it with gusto. A few more just had a glass of orange juice and a slice of toast. The rest followed the seer’s practice of fasting before taking communion. Nevertheless, they were all prepared by half-past nine and made their way into the gardens to enjoy the fine weather..
This was to be a service in the outdoors, the green covered altar being set up under the canopy of the bandstand. Estéban had brought with him a couple of Spanish altar boys; it was a special trip for them; partly because they were the best pupils in the junior Sunday-School and partly because he suspected they had magical genes. They were equipped with St George medals and were still rather perplexed that the words their lips were forming sounded entirely different in the English environment.
The congregation was seated on deck chairs facing the bandstand and when Harry, touching Draco, closed his eyes he could see the magical supporting spire for the new wards, centred on the roof. He also sensed that the nub-hub was secreted underneath the bandstand’s flooring.
In looking round Draco spotted four people he knew. *The train foursome must live here, Harry,* he sent.
H: *We’ll chat to them after the service.*
At five-to-ten a small procession appeared from Number Twelve. Four woodwind players in the front following a processional cross, the two altar boys and then Estéban.
Encouraged by the Smiling ones and some of the Dumbledorians who regularly attended mass at Cerroverde, an amount of plainsong was used for the service. There were two hymns with English tunes, two with American tunes and one that everyone knew. Thus a delightful mélange of praise went up to the Creator.
After the service the two seers did not manage to nab the four train squibs immediately, Harry and Draco were nabbed by someone else first.
“I’m Doctor Whetherspoon” the dark suited gentleman extended a hand; “Good afternoon!”
“I’m Harry Potter, glad to see you,” *He’s got the tingle,* “Do I take it that you are a Doctor of theology and not of medicine?”
“Quite correct, Mr Potter. I’m a Methodist Minister and my manse, if that’s what you call it, is Number One, on top of the chapel. That church I have recently been called to serve has it doors facing on to Abercrombie Lane. I see you have special duties as well.”
“Yes … There’re a quite a few of us living here … I imagine that you’re in for quite a shocking experience as you meet us,” Harry smiled knowingly.
“So it seems. Do I take it, from the form of service that I have just encountered, that you are all Roman Catholics?”
“Not really, my first real encounter with Christianity was via my local Anglican priest in the village where we normally reside. We have been left two properties in the Square and Father Estéban was moved by the Spirit to come and bless the one we have opened as an hotel.”
“Is it that one almost in the corner?” Dr Whetherspoon looked shocked. “My flock warned me that it had a bad reputation, and told me that they had signed a petition to close it.
“If you are thinking of the one of ill-repute, no; however, we do own the one next-door and have some middle-aged American mages staying with us before going on a train tour.”
“You say we, do I take it that you are married?”
“Yes, but the ‘we’ I was talking about were all four of us” … Here Harry introduced the other three and some explanation took place as to their status. Grandmamma and Narcissa also homed in, plus Teddy and the four children, so the adults shook hands.
“Would you say this is your parish, Doctor?”
“If you mean legally, then no, only the Anglicans have that right, Mrs Malfoy. If you mean it as the area that I serve then the answer could be yes; especially as my church is at the corner of the square. It is quite intriguing really, my flock are drawn from the area surrounding the Square, but I have only occasionally seen anyone from the Square until today. I had this urgent feeling that I should walk round before making lunch, something I would never normally do.”
“It’s the Spirit working, Doctor,” suggested Estéban, joining the circle: “That’s why I came yesterday; my mages were going to start a new enterprise without having it blessed,” he looked accusingly at the seers.
“Be fair, Estéban, we didn’t even know we were going to start an hotel until midday, and Gallus flooed us,” said Astoria, with aspersion.
“That’s when the Spirit told me to come and find you, Astoria. I think she wants you to be their pastor here, too.” Estéban looked meaningfully at the other cleric.
“I must say that it’s very refreshing the way you all accept the Spirit’s leading and yes, I too get that confirmation within my heart-of-hearts.” Dr Whetherspoon chuckled: “And the tingle in my hands,” he added meaningfully.
“I take it that you know what the tingle means, Doctor?”
“Yes Mr Malfoy, I do. Most churches have people specially commissioned in this field of work. I was trained, but never really expected to meet anyone of your persuasion, ever. Now I seem to have stumbled on a whole pack of you all at once, and Christians to boot. As Christians we should all use our baptismal names, mine is Wilfred, but everyone calls me Willie. It seems to me that you all relate on that friendly level and the Spirit has a place for me too … How very humbling … However I still feel as though something is missing … No … Not something … Some people.”
Pop: “Harry, Tom’s trying to get in touch with you;” then Kreacher registered the stranger minister: “Oh dear … I seem to have dropped a clanger.”
“Probably not, Kreacher, Willie was just saying he had to meet some new people,” said Estéban: “I’ll introduce you, shall I?”
Not long afterwards Ragnok wandered over: “I thought I saw your unruly mop, Harry and then with golden boy and a red-head next door I was certain. What brings you to Auldbury Close?”
“I think you’ll find you’re in Grimond Place, Mr Ragnok,” suggested Wilfred, timidly after he had been introduced.
This of course started a discussion plus a visit to the changing place-name plate. Harry absented himself from that expedition, going to floo Tom and then collect a family of Japanese mages who were looking for a suitable hotel. Later, just as the party in the Square was breaking up, Ginny also went to the Leakey Cauldron to pick up some Australian mages.
“I’ve been watching carefully, Draco,” Wilfred began: “I am now quite certain that you do not bring your guests in via the entrance with the moving sign, is there another way in?”
“Not in the physical sense, no, Willie …” Then followed some description of flooing apparating etc.
“… I see I still have a lot to learn about my new area and its people. I think my latest tenure is going to be very fascinating. However I think I had better return to the manse, I have a sermon to prepare for this evening. No, that is not correct; I have a sermon to revise, in the light of the happenings here.”
“What time is the service?”
“At six-thirty.”
“Would you welcome a few more in the congregation?”
“Erm … Yes … Why not … It might just liven things up a bit. It is the usual hymn sandwich type.” Wilfred turned to go.
“Wait a minute, Willie. There’s someone else you should meet first.” Draco had spotted Vasil coming out of Number Twelve: “He’s an Orthodox bishop … Oh … and he’s got two other magical beings with him.”
“You mean those two ladies?”
“I’m afraid they aren’t, they’re satyrs, and wear the dresses and hats to disguise their phalli and horns. I’m very surprised they’re here. They don’t like the traffic noise.”
“This square is comparatively quiet, it being enclosed.”
“It’s extremely noisy when you live on the top of a mountain with only the birds singing and the goats bleating.”
“Mmm … Yes … I see … You do mean real Satyrs, with big … Oh dear.”
“That’s why they wear voluminous dresses. It’s fairly fitting; they are hermaphrodites, after all.” #Hello Brightness, I thought you couldn’t stand the traffic noise. This is Willie, really Doctor Wilfred Whetherspoon, our latest pastoral recruit.# “He’s a Methodist Minister, Vasil.”
Lengthy introductions took place, during which it was revealed that the bishop and the two Bolitho’s were on their way to meet Bane and the centaur flock. Some explanation of magical creatures, Parseltongue and the St. George medallions also crept in before the Balkans party moved on.
~~~ EVENING ~~~
Wilfred was astounded when he appeared out of his vestry; all but two seats in his church were inhabited. The Dumbledorian grape-vine had worked and the troops, plus the residents and the hotel guests had all decided to support their new minister. The normal congregation of a dozen or so pensioners had been very alarmed at the invasion, but the four seers had managed to calm them down and were sitting quite close by. The American and Australian mages felt very much at home, this was their style of worship, and all but one of the four tunes were very familiar. The unfamiliar hymn was a little tentative at its start. Wilfred stopped in mid verse and asked the pianist to thump out the tune until everyone had learned it.
The readings were around the ‘My Father’s house has many mansions’ theme which after the second hymn, Wilfred illuminated clearly. The four seers were entranced by his oratorical stance, the way he repeated things, but slightly altered, his use of cadence and gesture really brought the points he wanted to make, home.
After the third hymn what had begun as formal prayers soon blossomed into existential prayers led by different members of the old and new congregation – a true up-swelling of the Spirit’s influence. The last hymn: ‘All creatures that on earth do dwell,’ left the congregation in a spiritually exalted state; which took nearly an hour to subside before they felt able to deal with more mundane matters such as dinner.
After the service, Harry went around and quietly invited the regular worshipers to dinner. Most of them declined but one pair, with damp sparkles in their eyes, had accepted. They were the piano player and her husband.
“Thank you, we’d love to come. It has been so long since our church has resounded to such singing. I think, despite some misgivings in Chapter, that our new minister will bring back some life into the services. Will you be coming again?”
“When we’re resident here, yes. I’m sure that some of our members will, too. The Square’s residents are also likely to attend. The congregation was so big this time because we all felt that Willie, our newest recruit, should be supported properly,” Ginevra explained.
“Recruit, what do you mean?” the pianist bristled: “He’s only just become our minister.”
“We belong to a very special society,” Ginevra replied: “One that quietly supports the world in some rather specialised ways. We try not to advertise our work, because it can sometimes lead to great misunderstandings.”
“Like the Masons?”
“More secret than they are.”
F: *Do get on with it, my daughter. They’re very worried about their grandson who has recently started at Hogwarts.*
G: *Oh … Right!* “I have a feeling that you are worried about one of your grandchildren, am I correct?”
“What … How did you know that … Yes … He’s in one of the many mansions the preacher talked about … One that we didn’t even know existed until last year … Those people are supposed to be very wicked … Oh dear … I hope they haven’t abducted him,” The pianist broke down weeping and her husband comforted her.
Ginny cast a ‘cheer-up’ charm and the lady in question stopped sobbing.
“What did you think of the congregation tonight? Were they genuine Christians?”
“With that fervour, what else could they be?”
“Well … The greatest majority of them were also mages … That’s our collective name for wizards and witches. I suppose it has the same word root as the three wise men, they were called magi, weren’t they? I know that we were sent here this weekend and one of our purposes must have been to comfort you. Another was to establish some protections around the Square, we call those wards. Yet another was to open an hotel for other mages when they visit London.”
“Y-you m-mean … Y-you’re a witch?” The pianist looked very fearful.
“Yes, and one on the side of the light; we practice our magic for the good of people. That is not to say that there are no bad ones, just as in ordinary society there are good and bad. We use our special talents to protect and enhance, just as your grandson will, once he has learned to control his gift. Like many things it is a genetic trait, and quite probably, if you look back at your ancestors, there will be a practicing mage amongst them.”
“Really? None of my side as far as I know.”
“Nor mine.”
“Probably both of your families, because the gene is very recessive, so our experts say. But then, there have been a lot of deaths in our community not so long ago and the Fluence might well be calling new recruits into the magical pool.”
“Our Simon’s such a retiring boy; I can’t see him going on the stage.”
“He’ll be one that works quietly, like most of the rest of us. The ones on the stage are illusionists, most are not real mages. Now, where do you live, we ought to have some special protections cast round your home. It’s a precaution we take for every new mage’s family.”
“We’ve just moved into the Square, at Number Five. We used to live a few streets away, but we’re getting on a bit and now Simon’s gone away, my daughter’s made a flat for us on the top floor. We’ve got a lift and a little garden up there too.”
“Yes … Our house has a roof top garden; Grandmamma has her flat up there. After dinner, perhaps you would like to see it.”
“Mmm … That’d be nice … Our daughter lets us be independent, we’d only ham salad planned and that’s still in the fridge, so it’ll keep.”
Mr and Mrs Turpin Senior were somewhat hesitant at first when entering the hotel and finding everyone seated around one big oval table; wondering no doubt, if they were to be hexed or made into toads. By the end of the dinner they had relaxed and readily accepted an invitation from Grandmamma to visit her roof-top garden.
[Some time ago the seers had given up the idea of having a room in every house and the oldest member of the clan had taken a real liking to Number Twelve; so they had altered the top floor. In the same way; Narcissa had taken a shine to the Palazzo and had her main base there.]
As a precaution Harry went to see Mr and Mrs Turpin Junior, to tell them that her parents were quite safe. He was met by two very worried people who invited him inside, once they had heard his message.
“It’s not our parents we’re worried about, it’s our son. He was invited to attend this strange school, all free of charge, because they said he had some special talents that needed nurturing. We haven’t heard from him since Christmas.”
“Was he all right at Christmas?”
“Oh yes, he was so full of the new things he was learning, although we didn’t understand a quarter of what it was about. All the subjects sounded peculiar except history, he even had something that sounded like arithmetic, but it wasn’t quite the same.”
“Could that possibly have been Arithmancy?”
“Yes … You’ve actually heard of it … Everyone else we talk to seems to think we misheard him.”
“That means your son has an exceptional brain, it was too advanced for me, although my partner is well versed in it. I take it that your son attends Hogwarts.”
“Yes … I hope something nasty hasn’t got him … He was telling us about three students who were attacked by some enormous being … not that I understand what it was.”
“I was one of those three; we managed to get it to knock itself out. That was in our first year; no doubt the story has been embroidered since. Trolls are not very bright at the best of times, so it was comparatively easy.”
“It’s still worrying though, I feel he might be led astray by some bullies. Like Simon was in his junior school.”
Mrs Turpin’s statement hit hard at Harry’s heart: “How about we go and visit him, just to see that he’s alright.”
“That’ll take nearly a day to get to Scotland and even then we don’t know where to look.” Mr Turpin objected.
“Why was Simon asked to attend Hogwarts?”
“Because the tall Scottish woman said he had magical talent.”
“That would be Minerva McGonagall, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes!”
“Well, let us use some magical talent to get us there much quicker.”
“How much quicker – I don’t fancy flying.”
“You’d have to be especially charmed to ride tandem on a broomstick, and it’s very draining on the mage who charms you.”
“Broomsticks?” Mrs Turpin looked extremely alarmed: “Brian was talking about planes, weren’t you dear?”
“Yes, My Love. Exactly what were you talking about Mr Potter?”
“Oh … Sorry … We were at crossed purposes … when anyone mentions flying I immediately think of Quidditch, the magical sport played on broomsticks.”
“Okay … Let’s start again … You explain.” Mr Turpin opened his arms in mock resignation.”
“My partners and I have linked minds; we use them to create doors which squash space. There is one of those in my house which leads to a cottage in the fells, and from thence to Hogwarts. We can be there in quarter of an hour and most of that time will be spent walking across the Square.”
“Simon did tell us of those, dear. Do you remember, about going to play wide games in some woods?”
“I thought only magical people could use those.”
“Yes and no. We made medallions which give you a weak aura, sufficient to use the portals if you are with a mage who has permission to use them.”
“That’s some illusion.”
“Not an illusion, Mr Turpin, a fact. Do you have a sat-nav?”
“Yes?”
“Well bring it with you. Some biker friends didn’t believe either – they do now.”
“Go on dear, you know how worried we and the grandparents are.”
“Very well, we’ll collect it as we go out.”
H: *Who’s nearest the floo?*
A: *I am.*
H: *Tell Minerva, Phealey and Pullet, that I’m bringing Simon Turpin’s parents to see him, via the portals.*
G: *And his grandparents, we’re with Grandmamma admiring her garden.*
By the time Harry had finished his sending Brian had retrieved his sat-nav from the car. They crossed the Square and once inside Number Twelve, sat in the library whilst Harry explained about medallions. Each seer took the hand of a muggle and walked them from portal cupboard through to Chantry Cottage. A surprised Brian consulted his sat-nav; after which they ported-on into the two elfin professors’ apartment. There sat a very chastened Simon.
“I’m sorry Mum, Dad. I did mean to write but in learning about so many new things I kept on putting it off, and then there was homework, and I can ride a broomstick, and the Headmistress says I’ve got a good Transfiguration talent, and we go to Durmstrang, in Germany, for our Arithmancy lessons, and these two professors can’t half teach, I’m good at potions, and not so bad at DADA …”
“… Alright, alright, slow down, so you’re very busy then? No bullies? No bad dreams?”
“No Dad, no bad dreams, Madam Pomfrey says it was because I didn’t know how to channel my magic … She’s the magical doctor, Mum.”
There was a knock on the door, and after being bid to enter, Minerva appeared.
“Hello Seers, has young Simon explained himself yet?”
“His excitement has shown through, Minerva.”
“Perhaps if he had his own owl; one that would pester him if he didn’t give her some letters to take, that might improve his letter writing. The School owls are lazy and cannot be bothered to find out difficult muggle addresses.”
“It’s not helped by the same Square having different names …” Draco went on to describe their recent findings and Minerva joined in with Astoria and a lengthy discussion about them.
“What was this about owls, Mr Potter?” asked Brian Turpin, quietly; whilst the others were chatting about name changing and Simon was talking with his mum and grandparents.
“They act as our postmen; I have no need to address my letters or stamp them, I just ask Erwin, my owl, to take the letter to whomever I want. It is much easier if they are a mage, but a mage’s parents should be okay, even if you are muggles. The new wards will help too, that’ll definitely give you a magical signature.”
“Would you like a quick tour?” asked Phealey.
“Can we, please, Professor? Ooh yes!” Simon became his eager self again.
“I think Minerva, Astoria and Draco will be discussing the name change theories for ever, after all it is a sort of transfiguration charm,” observed Pullet: “We’ll just do a quick tour, shall we? It will soon be curfew and you need your sleep, Mr live-wire Turpin.”
Whilst Harry chatted to one of the elfin professors about DADA the other one whisked the Turpin family and Ginevra on a quick tour around the Academy.
###
Time to go back to the Square had Astoria and Draco reluctantly cutting off their transfiguration discussion with Minerva.
After arriving Harry went with the Turpin’s as far as their front door.
“Thank you for setting our minds at rest, Mr Potter. I think we should get Simon an owl, we didn’t quite understand what that was about beforehand. We’ll go to the local pet store and see what they have.”
“I doubt you’ll get much help there, they need to be properly trained, and have a reasonable pedigree from previous post owls. Why don’t you come with me tomorrow afternoon, and we’ll visit Eeylops Owl Emporium in Diagon Alley – that’s the mages shopping mall.”
“We’ll be out at work, I’m afraid.”
“We’d like to visit,” suggested Grandpa Turpin.
“You go, dear; I’ve had enough excitement for this week, thank you. Besides, I have some learners coming for piano lessons.”
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