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
- 240
- 241
- 242
[Note conversation =: “speech” & ‘thoughts’ & *telepathy* & #Parseltongue# & {telephone}]
~~~ CONVERSATIONS ~~~
It took most of the day to show Radovan around Elysium, it included climbing up inside Athena as well as visiting Nicanor’s church and Qasim’s mosque. However, much of the time was spent chatting to the agriculturalist clans, especially the overcrowded ones. At times, the conversations were quite curious. Radovan could understand what was being spoken by holding Janos’s hand, but Janos had to speak for him in Parseltongue, whenever that was being used. The seers also revealed their ideas about the quarries. A plan emerged that wanted to still keep Elysium private. That meant that the quarries would have to be more open for muggles to see. Harry and Draco described how their mixed society worked in the village, and how other magical/muggle interfaces worked. All the parties agreed to go and think how this could be managed.
Of course, they were fed. Radovan’s interest in cooking came out, so the various housewives and chefs shared some of their particular ethnic recipes with him and Harry, that included tasting. So when they returned back to the tent there was little appetite for dinner. Half way through the afternoon, Draco had perceived what was happening and warned their elves. Thus dinner was serve-yourself salad based and only had small ice creams for sweet. Afterwards Radovan learned some of the lighting charms such as Baubillious Globus. Which could be practiced at ease from their deck chairs. The awning ended up glowing like a Christmas tree.
Still reasonably sated they retired to bed. Draco and Harry, as was their wont, lay in bed discussing the day’s events, after their loving encounter. Thus, they were not the first up the following morning.
They were met by two grinning elves: “Getting past it, are you? The young ones were up an hour ago, they’ve had breakfast.”
Draco looked askance at Bobby: “We’re not that much older than you two, so you must be feeling the strain too. That’s why we asked for a light dinner last night. We didn’t want to overtire you.”
Harry chuckled: “Honours even? Where are the others?”
“Wandering around the quarry, looking at the remaining muggle artefacts. Radovan seems quite knowledgeable about such things. He has the other three entranced by his explanations. Although it sounds as though he’s read about them, and is discovering the practical aspects for the first time. They didn’t wash first thing, all four of them went to the pool and were nakedly practicing their water lifting charms.”
“All four of them?”
“Yes, Janos was borrowing Rad’s wand. His spouts weren’t as strong as the others, but they were working.”
“That must be something to do with the link,” remarked Draco, and then had to explain what he and Harry had observed.
The elves joined them for a leisurely breakfast, and the conversation continued between bites, positing what exactly was happening.
Towards the end of the meal four grubby people came into the tent. Janos was gleefully bouncing around: “Harry, Draco, I can do spells!”
Draco looked at Radovan, who was a little pale: “Have you been lending him your thaumic capability?”
“I, I think so.”
Harry grabbed Draco’s hand and concentrated on Radovan’s magic: “Yes, your reserve is a little depleted. Have you been making charms as well?”
“Mainly the water lifting ones, although we tried a couple of cleaning charms on the floor of the chute.”
Harry accioed some chocolate and handed it out: “Both of you?
“All four of us.”
“Eat some of this, Rad. It helps to replace the energy you’ve been expending. We have a theory, note; only a theory! That Janos is borrowing your thaum control energy, so you should be doubly depleted. You shouldn’t drain your core to the bottom.”
“Drain my core?”
There followed the sort of lesson that Blaise would give to the first years when they learned about magical theory and practice. The Italians found that interesting too. In the end, a sort of symposium took place. Radovan’s grasp of the difficult concepts was amazing. It was obvious that the time spent reading books at Dom Nisic, had sharpened his intellect greatly.
D: admiringly: *Isn’t he erudite? What he needs now is access to a good thaumic library. Some of his theories are right on the edge of my understanding.*
H: *Uncle Travis would love to talk to him and so would Hermione.*
They came out of their mental chat to find Janos staring at them.
“Sorry, what were you saying Janos?”
“That we’ve found lines in the mud at the bottom of the chute.”
“Lines?”
“Yes. Railway lines. Rad says they’re part of a balanced incline. We cleared away that small scree-fall at the top and revealed the grooved wheel that took the cables. There’re even bits of rusted cable left in the chute, as well as most of the sheaves.” Janos could see Draco looking puzzled: “Rad can explain it better than I can.”
“Very good. Rad please will you explain?”
“Let me explain our thinking first. This idea of keeping Elysium private means that whoever comes out here has to be more public. Like you said, your villagers knew but didn’t tell, or maybe like Vratsa and Valentina. They use their thaums, but they aren’t obvious. So, we were looking around the quarry to see what muggle things were here. Now it’s obvious that moving things by magic, as they do in Elysium, cannot be done in front of non-magicals. It’s also obvious that carting stuff manually down to Vratsa’s lodge will be very tiring, likewise, bringing back manure and other agricultural necessities. All of which, inside the protectorate, are done thaumically. We had wandered over to the chute and were imagining carrying things up and down that long flight of steps. The chute appears to be longer, seeming to go beyond the end of Vratsa’s garden. It was obvious that lorries had never been used up here to cart the stone away. So, some other form of transport must have been used.”
“I asked Rad, if he’d ever read about other ways of transporting stone,” put in Janos: “Firstly, we thought of cableways, but couldn’t find any anchorages or old pylons. We felt that there would be remains, seeing that even shovels, drills and picks had just been left behind when the last tenant left. But there was nothing.”
“I then remembered a book about inclines in Wales. One that I read last year. So, after I had told my friends we went to further examine the chute. Years of water trickling down had filled every crevice with solid mud and gravel. Then plants had rooted, attracted by the water, no doubt. When we burned the vegetation yesterday, it hadn’t really disturbed the mud. Vito showed me the most powerful cleaning charm and we combined it with a Ventus. Narrowed down, we could clear the debris away, mud stones and old roots flew off into the surrounding brush. Having found the start of the first few metres of the lines we then explored above the chute, that’s where we found the tilted lateral wheel which used to take the cable.”
“You still haven’t told us about sheaves.”
“They’re a form of edged roller in between the rails which carries the cable attached to the cars. There are a double set at the top, so I surmise that there is a passing place halfway down. Either that or the lower half is double tracked.”
“Why double tracked?”
“The cable is slightly longer than the incline. It is attached to two cars; they might be trucks or even wheeled platforms. We’ll have to see when we explore at the bottom. In stasis, one car is at the top and the other at the bottom. The idea is that you restrain the upper car whilst you fill it. Once it is full it is heavier that the lower car, and, once released, tautens the cable and starts, as it descends, to draw the bottom car up. Half-way they have to cross, so a passing loop is needed, and the sheaves there, should be angled so that the cable follows the car.”
“Got that idea. What happens if the upcoming load is heavier?”
“Usually the stone going down is heavier than the people coming up. However, there are inclines worked just for passengers. Usually there is a water tank beneath the floor of the car. Once both up-coming and down going passengers are seated, the upper tank is filled until that car is slightly heavier than the one at the bottom. Then it works as described. Quite often, filling at the top and emptying at the bottom are stopped once the cable tightens.”
“I take it that they have brakes on the cars.”
“Yes. Or on the wheel at the top. Trickling water out of the down-going car, once it has passed the halfway stage also can be used to control the speed. The weight of the cable has to be taken into account. Halfway it is equal, thereafter, the bottom car gets heavier as it has the greater length of cable attached to it. Of course, friction also comes into it, the longer the cable, the more drag it suffers, even with the sheaves helping.”
“Harry?”
“Yes Janos?”
“That propulsion charm you used to get us out of the storm. Could that be used if there were no muggles around?”
“It’s possible, we would have to experiment, if we decide to get it working. The Goblinesses use a propulsion charm on the village railway, so in theory it would work. But up and down a severe slope, I’m not as sure.”
“Will you come down to the bottom with us and see what there is, Please?”
“Perhaps there is the time for another lesson first, Rad. You may find it useful.”
Radovan looked doubtful but agreed. Harry went into the cabinet and returned a few minutes later with a handful of broomsticks.
Radovan looked at them: “Is this a new cleaning charm? Or am I to make them work for me. Like in the Disney story?”
“It’s neither. Let me show you.” Harry held his hand out: “Up!” And the broomstick came into his hand. “Right, now you do it, Rad.”
On the first try the broomstick quivered a little, next go it came into his hand.
Harry threw his leg over his broomstick, so now he was astride with both feet on the ground. Radovan copied him, all the while looking puzzled.
“Now lean forward, lift the handle slightly and push off as though you were going to jump.” Harry demonstrated.
“Oh wow!” Radovan was in the air and rising quickly.
Harry applied a ‘Sonorous’: “If you push down slightly on the handle it will level out,” he boomed.
Radovan did that and then pushed a little more and started to come down. He landed slightly ungracefully: “Does it work with all brooms?”
“Only charmed ones.”
“Oh, right! What are you doing, Draco?”
“Raising a mist-wall so that and local muggles don’t see you. Something Harry should have done first.”
“I thought the tholus was occluded.”
“I don’t think it is. So just to be on the safe side.”
“Thanks! Now, Rad, try again. You seem to have the knack of steering, so do some figure-of-eights please?”
Radovan did so, both laterally and vertically. It was obvious that he had the inborn skill. The two Italians, by this time, had obtained their own broomsticks and were swooping and whooping around. Janos looked at them with sorrow on his countenance, and Harry saw it.
“Accio duple! Now Janos, I have to charm you first, then you and I can go and join them.”
“Okay!” Too soon they were all in the air, Draco included.
Then Vratsa joined them: “I was coming to ask you about the mist-wall, but now I see why.” He had a tennis ball in his hand: “Not a snitch, but good for practice,” and threw it towards, but above Draco.
That started the ariel game off. Rails forgotten; Harry with Janos pillion, counted as one, Vratsa and Vittorio played on his side; whilst Draco, Radovan and Maximiliano played on the other. The object was to keep the ball in your team’s possession, with a five second holding time or forfeit the ball to the other team. One of the training procedures that Marcus and Oliver had used when training Harry and their other team members.
After an hour in the air they were all hot and bothered. It was Vratsa who sent: “Exuero Nos!” plus: “Scoparia in Tabernaculum redito!” and jumped nakedly into the pool from his broomstick. Quickly followed by the rest of them as their broomsticks deserted them.
“That was a bit daring, wasn’t it, Vratsa.”
“Not really. Draco’s mist was thinning, and I could hear the noise of a vehicle. Now we’re playing water-polo if any muggle has seen us.”
A further quarter of an hour was spent in the water; Draco’s team being supplemented by Robbie. He, seeing the broomsticks come to the tent, had guessed what had happened and had brought out sufficient towels, but wearing his human glamour. Probably a good thing because, at the end of that period one of Nebjosa’s taxi drivers appeared, puffing and panting; having climbed the steps.
“Where’s the taxi?”
“I’m not a Janos, risking life and limb, driving up that track.” Said the driver, whilst stripping off and entering the water: “The taxi’s by your house, I’ve come for the vegetables. But I’m cooling off first. Nice to see Rad, in such good shape. Those doctors know their stuff, don’t they? Uncle will be so pleased when I tell him.”
“You could have waited for me to come down.”
“I could, but you all seemed to be having fun, so I thought I’d join you. Now I just want to soak, those steps are killers.”
Vratsa smiled wryly: “You, young city types can’t hack walking in the mountains. I managed alright.”
“No doubt you’re used to it. There’s another message too. Uncle has been given an old van, it needs doing up, but he says it might help the new residents when they start delivering their produce. He says Janos knows how to fettle it, and Rad can help him. Erm … Will they be staying with you now?”
Vratsa looked piercingly at him: “Do I suspect that there’s a further hidden motive.”
The young man looked down at the water: “Erm … If they’re not coming back, I could have Rad’s old room, and Lucia can have Janos’s. We’ve’ had three more orphans arrive on our doorstep.”
By this time the others were also steeping inactively; listening to the conversation.
“Can we stay with you, please Vratsa?” asked and excited Janos: “We like it up here, don’t we, Rad?”
Radovan nodded positively: “I like helping Vratsa in the garden,” he said, apparently shakily: “I think I’ll go and lie down now.”
Harry realised that Radovan thought that an immediate complete recovery was not yet politically advisable. It was obvious that Janos caught on, because he helped to dry Radovan and then took him to the tent. Within a couple of minutes, he came out with a lounger and set it under the awning. Into which Radovan carefully climbed. Janos then came back to the group.
While this happened, Vratsa had been thinking. Eventually he said: “I’ve a couple of spare rooms they can use, and if it helps Neb out. I’m only too willing. Consider it done, young man. Come along Janos, you can help me load the taxi up. Then you can go down in the taxi and pick up the van. You may as well ‘do it up’ here, too.”
“Thanks. I’m really looking forward to living up here with Rad and you.”
They were soon dried and dressed and the three of them started the trek down the steps to Vratsa’s house. Arriving at the bottom they sat to eat lunch and rest, even if it was only for aching limbs from the long descent. Thereafter the taxi was loaded, and the younger pair set off to Dom Nisic.
~~~ OCCLUDED ~~~
Up above, Radovan had some further lessons in basic thaumic skills from Harry whilst Draco ported to a board meeting to explain what was happening. He returned with Zacharias and Probert.
“We’re here to occlude the tholus, Harry.” Probert explained after he had been introduced to Radovan: “I understand that you nearly gave the game away, this morning.”
“We’d also like to have a look at Elysium’s tholus,” added Zacharias: “We may learn some new protectors from it, and maybe add some of our own. We’ve just been studying the tholus at Glaswelltdy.”
“Can I help them, Harry?”
“I think you will find it a bit advanced, Rad. But watch what they do.”
“There are times when a third wand could be useful Harry,” intervened Probert: “Maybe that would give Rad an insight.”
“Fine. If you say so. If you do the variable Obscurans on the protectors here. I’ll go and ask the Caucus’s permission for you to have a look at their tholus.”
Harry was not going to walk down all those steps. So, he adopted the Hendy charm and flew down to Vratsa’s house. Even daring to use his broomstick through the tunnel, but without the Hendy transparency. Some of Elysium’s youngsters saw him as he exited the tunnel and were astonished to see him riding a broomstick. As he landed, he was almost besieged by a dozen of them, all clamouring for a go. It turned out that that form of transport had never been taught inside the protectorate; they tended to use variations of the Wingardium Leviosa charms both on objects and on each other.
Janos stayed with Radovan and the two tholus enhancers. Draco with the two Italians made further inroads into clearing the chute. He had been ‘listening-in’ to Harry’s encounter with the young elysians: *Bring them to the quarry, I’ll borrow some more hack broomsticks from Hogwarts.*
Harry counselled patience to the eager ones, whilst he obtained permission from the Caucus. Every member that he spoke to was in favour, and, as soon as he had collected two thirds of their agreement, he felt sure the others would follow. He also spent time with the parents of the eager ones, obtaining their permission to teach their offspring about broom-riding and other basic defence charms. He also told them about the outer tholus which was being expanded to cover Vratsa’s house and the entrance to Elysium, plus another planned one to cover Valentina’s demesne. From that grew an idea to educate the young ones properly. An outcome which Harry had hoped for; so he immediately started to make arrangements.
###
The next weeks were full of activity.
The ward team: inspecting the elysian tholus and erecting another to cover Valentina’s demesne.
Harry: in the lower quarry; teaching basic defence charms to the young elysian magicals – for it included some of all the races there as well as Radovan.
Draco: teaching basic potions to the same group, when Harry was elsewhere.
Either Seer; liaising with the agricultural groups as they started to prepare the upper quarry.
The building team; helping to build retaining walls and making growing-roofs; following the same pattern that obtained in Elysium.
Janos, fettling the van and helping Griswold, Crassus and Selwyn as they fixed up the inclined plane. It was made to work thaumically. It also had water-balance potentials, but they were more of a glamour to make its operations acceptable to any muggle who enquired. The two cars were made in a step form. Thus, they could be loaded from any level with boxes of produce, also to act as seats for a few passengers. It was found that the rails extended to the road on the next zigzag down from Vratsa’s house, and the loading point was re-designed to be just inside the tholus, where Janos’s van could be housed and loaded. Griswold thought that the incline could be continued upwards at some stage, thus enabling each terrace to load into the car at their level.
Whilst all this was happening, Francis had completed the sale of the quarry. And certain goblins had become curious as to where the ‘six-nines fine’ gold had come from, but Gallus and Bertie managed to keep the inquisitors happy by inferring that it was from the Potter pots of gold.
Now it was the beginning of July and exams. Because they were mature students, the group that Harry and Draco had been teaching were put forward for their DOG’s [Diploma of Graduation] – the equivalent continental examination to OWL’s – in just two subjects: DADA and Potions. It was heartening that they all passed and three of them obtained ‘O’s in both subjects; Radovan being one.
~~~ BACK HOME ~~~
Then it was the holiday period and the children had to be met off the Hogwarts Express.
“Ginny and I have decided that we no longer need our joint study in Chantry Cottage, children,” Astoria told them when they were having a meal at Number Twelve: “By and large I use the library here.”
“I don’t really need a study,” added Ginevra: “On the odd occasions that I do, there is the downstairs study at the cottage. Your fathers use the Solar here when they need to be quiet.”
“So,” continued Astoria: “You will have a joint study where ours used to be. James and Gwydion at one end, Scorpius and Albus, in the middle, and Lily at the other end.”
“Why does she need one, she’s not at Hogwarts yet,” argued Albus. Who was immediately attacked by Lily. “Alright, alright, I give in.”
“There is a spare stack of drawers next to lily’s knee hole, that is for Terceira.”
“Who’s Terceira?”
Pop: “I’m Terceira. I am to be your study elf. I also look after the study downstairs. Mistresses your mothers say that I am not a general dogsbody to clear up your mess. So, behave please? Once we get back to the cottage, I will help you sort out your various books and papers. I may also be available to help you with any of your holiday assignments, because I recently graduated from Hogwarts.”
James and Scorpius pulled faces and groaned. Gwydion smiled: “Thank you, I look forward to that.”
“Me too!” added Albus; “Come on Scorp, you knew we had to do some work, didn’t you?”
Scorpius heaved a big sigh: “I s’pose so. I was rather looking forward to us doing different things.”
Harry chuckled: “That’s what I used to feel too. Then it was a rush just before term restarted. Get some of them done each week. The load will seem easier.”
Gwydion was staring hard at James: “Look you, I know you, you’ll want to copy everything of mine at the last minute. You promised you wouldn’t on the train, didn’t you?”
“That was when the others were with us. It was to stop you going-on for ever and ever.”
“I don’t go-on, as you put it. Just talk sense. You don’t know what a privilege it is …”
“… Perhaps this discussion could be continued in the privacy of your study,” interrupted Ginevra.
“YES MUM!”
Once inside their new study Terceira had them pile all their things on the desk. Then they sorted out what books went on what shelves. Then she taught them the base charm for the ‘Redito’ charm, so that once they had finished with the book, they could charm it back into the correct place. This they found much more interesting that just filing things and soon there was some sort of order in the place. Not only was there a chair each for them at the long desk under the windows, but there was an alcove with two sofas in it with a games table in between. One sofa was slightly longer.
“This’ll be great; we can invite our friends over.”
“It’ll get a bit crowded if we’re all here at once.”
“Let’s make a rota,” suggested Gwydion: “Say two days per year.” How about, Monday and Tuesday for Scorp and Al, Wednesday and Thursday for Jimmy and I, Lil to have Friday and Saturday. That’d be when we would have first choice. Sundays … Well … Church in the morning then the big meal. Just have it for us together then, we can swap days on a trading basis for the following days. That means we can ask friends in, couldn’t we?”
“Lil’s got two days, when we have to share ours,” grumbled James.
“Lil’s got as many friends as we have, we tend to share ours, anyway,” said Scorpius.
Albus grinned at his brother: “You’re out-voted Jimmy. I like that idea. Let’s try it for a couple of weeks. It means we can go to our friends’ houses when you’re here and have freedom to invite them back when it’s our turn.”
“Mmm, it has its merits,’ admitted James, grudgingly.
“It’ll have to be for three weeks, ‘cos we’re all going to the Hermitage with the parents, next week.”
“Will we be going out on the Sirius, d’you think?”
“I’d like to do some fishing with Teddy. I hope he’s coming with us.”
“YES!”
“They’ve promised to take us to see the Dragon’s too. That’ll make a good write-up for our Creatures essay.”
“And we’re to visit muggle London, as well. That’ll help with the Muggle Studies parchment.”
Terceira chuckled: “I think you won’t have all that much time to spare for your assignments, so maybe you’d better work out a timetable.”
“When we have our friends around, we could all work on our joint assignments and muck around, too.”
“As long as it wasn’t all mucking around!”
“Spoilsport!”
In the end the Chantry Cottage timetable seemed to set the trend for the whole of the holidays. Not all the assignments were written up in their study, because their friends thought that working together was a good idea, so other’s houses were inhabited as and when available.
They had good weather in the Scillies, they even had goes at sailing a dinghy as well as swimming, fishing, and creating general hullabaloo. Visiting the dragons was fun, and Uncles Charlie and Paulus made their visit rather special, because they met Brilliance and Brightness too. Putting their minimal Parseltongue to good use.
The Muggle London visit was special because they went to Regent’s Park Zoo. In the reptile house Harry told them the tale of his first zoo visit.
“So, which one was it that you talked to, Daddy,” Lily asked.
“I don’t think it ever came back. But there’s one here that looks like it.” Harry pointed: #Good morning honoured one. #
The snake uncoiled itself and looked at Harry: #I see you have the sacred speech. That is most rare.#
Lily was holding Harry’s hand: “Ask him if he’s happy in the vivarium, Daddy.”
Harry did so, and, because she was holding his hand, she understood the reply: #I am much better off here than where I was born, revered one. The forest where I used to live was burned down, to give some more muggles farmland. I was lucky, I had a lair that was fireproof, but when I came out there was no prey around for me to eat. I could see the edge of the jungle where the fire had not gone but it took a long time for me to get there. I got slower as I got weaker, so I never reached my goal.#
#How did you get here then?#
#I was picked up by a human, I was too weak to retaliate and thought I would be killed and eaten. But no; I was put in a snug box and they fed me. When I was stronger, I could have poisoned them, but what was the point? I had more to eat than I had ever had, and there was no effort required, either. Eventually I was sold to a collector and after many months found myself here.#
#Would you like to be free, as my daughter suggests?#
#No thank you, I am happy here. Thank you for talking to me, but I feel sleepy now.#
#Goodbye!# The snake bowed a response.
Lily was quiet until they were sitting at a table outside sharing lunch.
“Daddy, why did those muggles burn the trees?”
“To make some farmland to grow crops to feed their families. You know how that works at home.”
“Yes, but we don’t burn our woods down to make more fields.”
“I agree, but in some places in our world families are starving because there isn’t enough food.”
“That’s not fair on the snakes!” Lily waved her fair-trade carton of orange under his nose: “I thought we bought these drinks and things, to help the poor farmers.”
“Yes! we do, and it would be nice if everyone did. Slowly the world is learning about balance. I just hope it’s not too late.”
“You can save it, can’t you. Like you killed Voldemort and saved us from slavery.”
Harry sat quietly, not knowing how to answer his daughter, and wishing he could do more.
Lunch finished; they looked at some more animals and then walked through Regents Park. Their aim was Madam Tussauds. This was because the boys wanted to visit the Chamber of Horrors. Lily and Gwydion were not as keen, neither was Scorpius after he had been in, not that he let on until later. There were many other areas especially the Star Wars section. Those videos they had watched at the mill on Michael’s wide screen television. Then they came to the selection of film stars.
Lily pulled Harry’s sleeve: “Daddy there’s a model of you over there. I’m sure it’s you, but they call him by another name.”
“Is it ‘Daniel Radcliffe’, Lil?”
“Yes … Why?”
“Well … You know about the Statute of Secrecy, don’t you?”
“Yes?”
“So, when I go out into the muggle world, I need another name to visit with those muggles we saved, or when I have to go and persuade people to do things properly. Like the fair-trade movement you mentioned earlier.”
“Oh … Yes! Will I have to adopt another name, too?”
“That will depend on what you choose to do when you leave Hogwarts.”
“I haven’t decided yet … So, I’ll think about a nice name, meanwhile.”
For the next couple of days Lily spent her time trying out various names and then discarding them. Too soon, it was time for the family to split up, and the older siblings to depart on the Hogwarts Express. Lily did not seem to mind quite as much as he had done the previous year. Part of it was because she had no brothers organising her, and part of it was because she seemed to be the leader of her group, all of whom would enter the academy next year. The group also got some kudos from being the top form in the village school.
Augusta and Hermione encountered the Seers and a few more Dumbledorians as they left the station, they set up a meeting in Number Twelve’s dining room a couple of days later.
###
Augusta stood: “We have a favour to ask of all of you. Each of you have a number of credits and discoveries to your names. Each of you, at one time or another, have taught the students, either at Hogwarts or at the other academies. As you know, Hermione has been very successful in enthusing certain brilliant students to continue their studies. However, we now have a problem, there are more undergraduates wishing to attend our college, than we can cope with. So, it is to you that we appeal. We need part time Lecturers to help our students progress. Each of you has a speciality, which we would like you to encourage in others. You have taken things further and are still developing your areas of expertise. We have talked to the various guilds and they support us in our endeavours and thought that you would all be suitable candidates. We eventually see some kind of European University of Magic being founded – not necessarily by that name, and see this as a preparatory stage, building on the good work that the Godric’s College is already carrying out. Now, I want volunteers. Quite a few of you, have their children in the academies, and may well be looking to further your interests. This, we feel, would be a worthwhile challenge. Please consider what I have said, remembering that to begin with this will be a part time occupation, and as you are all Dumbledorians your well-being is already catered for.”
There was much discussion as to how this would operate, but all the people challenged, could feel the pull of volunteering. Perhaps that was because the two organisers had singled out those known to be persuadable.
All four seers felt that this was a worthwhile area, Draco for potions, Harry for DADA, Astoria for Politics, and Ginevra looking after the undergraduates’ physical fitness. The next part of the programme was meeting their students and arranging individual tutorials. First exploring with their charges what particular areas of endeavour they were studying. And then discussing the possibilities of further research. Ginevra had a hard time, keeping the really studious ones healthy, because they tended, Draco-like, to ignore everything whilst they were following a particular thread of research.
Then, of course, there was stuff to do away from academia, like Wizengamot attendances and looking after their expanding network. After some discussion between the Dumbledorian Cabinet and the Elysian Caucus, it was agreed that a permanent postern be situated close to Vratsa’s house; joined at one end to Montecristo and at the other end to The Dragon Sanctuary. This would enable students to attend either of the two academies depending on their language preferences. Thus, Elysium would still remain semi-hidden and the quarries be known as Eden. So as the days neared the equinox the seers were very busy adding to the network. The portal from the Patrimonio was moved to terminate in Valentina’s house, and that was given a connection to the Seclusion. Thus, public and private connections were kept separate.
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Came the equinox itself, and Teddy was taken to Blaulindeninsel for the first time. There he met his parents and had a long and meaningful talk, as well as chatting to his forebears. He came away awed by what he had learned and boosted by their complimentary remarks.
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