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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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[Note: “x-x” = speech & ‘x-x’ = thoughts & *x-x* = telepathy & #x-x# Parseltongue]
~~~ VENGEANCE ~~~
The next Monday morning Farad and Grigor went walkabout all over the Okruh; Harry and Draco joined them. When they approached the blacksmith’s forge, there was a heated discussion taking place between the apprentice and one of the farmers.
“Can we help?” enquired Farad.
“Only if you can solve the problem of my horse’s sore hoof, he’s a bit skittish too.” replied the farmer.
“Downright distrustful, if you ask me. I’ve already been kicked twice,” added the apprentice.
“That’s because you didn’t approach him properly,” admonished the farmer.
Grigor could see that the altercation was about to restart: “Let me have a look, I used to be the farrier for my organisation before they promoted me.”
The farmer nodded but the apprentice scowled. Grigor went quietly towards the horse pausing occasionally and walking with a curious hip movement. The horse pricked up its ears and watched Grigor interestedly. Grigor came and stood in front of the horse and seemed to be breathing in an unusual fashion. The horse tossed its head once and then allowed Grigor to pat it gently before he lifted the affected hoof. Even Farad could see that Grigor had gained the animal’s trust.
“He’s a horse whisperer,” observed the farmer.
Grigor looked up from his inspection: “I’ve had that said of me before. I seem to have had the talent since I was born. I don’t think it’s anything special.”
“Well, the horse obviously does. When I did that, it kicked me,” said the young man petulantly.
“They are sensitive you know,” said Grigor, as he bent back over the horse’s hoof: “They’re not machines, they have feelings too.”
The apprentice looked furiously at the ex-venerable: “Are you criticising my work?”
“I have not seen you work yet, brother. Would you mind passing me the rasp and pricker?”
The young man huffed and handed the tools over to Grigor.
“Thank you.” Grigor patted the horse and lifted its leg, facing away from the animal he placed its leg expertly between his thighs; murmuring to the horse to keep it calm, whilst he operated on the tender hoof.
“Bloody strangers, telling us what to do,” muttered the young apprentice. He turned his back, tore off his leather apron, threw it on the ground and stalked off.
“It seems you have a job to do in this Okruh, Grigor,” observed Farad lightly.
“At least he’s polite and he’s got the touch,” added the farmer.
“I’m not very well up on physicing animals though.”
“That’s where one of us magisters or vidmas can help, Grigor,” observed Farad: “Do you remember the vidma that helped you recover. She must have been quite good at potions.”
“Your son and his friend helped out quite a few times, Father,” added the farmer.
“What, Leonid?”
“Yes, we haven’t lost many cattle except to old age. Medicines can’t cure that yet.”
“Mmm … I suppose he was carrying out Vidma Trephine’s errands, because he’s only recently realised his talents.
“How do you mean realised?” Grigor looked up from concentrating on the horse’s hoof.
“Well; mages magical talents only start to appear at the age of puberty,” Draco explained: “Usually urban mages show first; then the well-educated and followed by rural progeny. Also, Magical children tend to be a year ahead of the equivalent muggle children. There is no absolute rule, of course, but according to our experts that is how the statistics fall. Thus Leonid, Taros and Vratsa showed talent when they were nearly seven years older than Harry, who had a very harsh urban upbringing, so he showed talent early; not that he knew he was a wizard at the time.”
“How so?”
“My parents were killed by an evil magister and I was brought up by muggles who disliked magic and, by inference, me intensely. They kept me confined whenever they could. I slept in a cupboard under the stairs until I was eleven and was treated as an unpaid household servant. That kind of treatment matured me quite quickly.”
“I obviously have a lot to learn yet. However, let me finish with the horse first; he’s beginning to become restive. Perhaps you should continue the tour without me. Once I’ve sorted our equine friend out, I would like to look around the forge.” Grigor whispered soothing sounds to the horse whilst sorting out the split hoof and applying a remedy.
Freed from the muggle side of the tour, Farad decided he would like to look at Sophiamonastir. Because Harry and Draco were into the secret they were able to induct the headmaster-to-be. Sapphira welcomed them as they landed in the arrival area; so the rest of the day was spent discussing various arrangements and apprising Farad of the educational resources available via the proposed link. They also looked in to see how Viridian was recovering – he was still grumbling.
~~~ SOPHIAMONASTIR ~~~
The following day in the morning Farad received reports from the returnees about possible trainees. Not only were there suitable school age students but those who were older who felt they needed training. He thought that the mature students’ wing would accommodate them, plus probably some of the Okruh residents might be asked to take in lodgers.
In the afternoon Draco and Harry introduced Farad to portal travel; especially to the Iberian and Italian academies with their training programmes for mature students. On the way he learned how, at the Dragon Sanctuary, their students used the posterns to attend classes all over Europe. Charlie and Paulus were more organisers than teachers, except for the dragon science course they had set up for mature students who spoke or were learning Parseltongue.
Farad had never been to Venice and he persuaded the two mages to take him there on Wednesday. Sporcaro was only too pleased to act as the gondolier and whilst they were inside Saint Marks Giuseppe appeared. With him was someone whom the seers had not seen for some years; Monsignor Ricardo.
“Good afternoon Hidalgo Harry, Seer Draco.”
“Good afternoon Monsignor Ricardo, you know Father Farad of course?”
“No Seer Draco, we have not met. Father Farad, how nice to see you now you’ve been released. Does that mean that you have no need of a suitable priest at the Okruh?”
“Not necessarily Monsignor,” Draco hurriedly interrupted: “Father Farad is headmaster designate at the new Ukrainian academy, as well as being the Holovny’y Magister.”
Farad looked bemused so Harry grabbed his hand and internally explained about asking for a Roman-catholic priest.
“Priests as headmasters I’m used to, but Holovny’y Magister? I’ve not heard of that ecclesiastical appointment before.”
“It’s not an ecclesiastical appointment, Monsignor. No doubt you are aware of Father Esteban working as a chaplain to our educational trust.”
“Yes, I have good reports of his work. He seems to have found his métier there. I felt he had a calling for working with young people. His experiment with the bikers has bloomed now the Spirit has called him onwards and to good effect too. How does this affect Father Farad’s ministry?”
“Father Farad as well as being a discerner is also a mage, Monsignor. He will have magical authority over an area larger than the parish for which he holds spiritual authority. For that side of his work he will be responsible to the Ukrainian Wizengamot.”
“Oh dear! I’m not sure how that fits in with Mother Church’s teaching.”
“Have you heard of Bishop Vasil?”
“Yes, he’s of the Orthodox Church, and reputed to have performed miracles.”
“Well … He’s both a priest/bishop and a mage … Which might explain some of the happenings.”
“Mmm … Yes … I see … I will have to take advice from the Congregation upon this matter. Notwithstanding that, we have another discerning priest for whom I was instructed to find a place. And knowing that the Okruh had no one I proposed to have him installed.”
“Monsignor, with the Congregation’s permission, I would like to concentrate more on the headmastership than on being a parish priest.” Farad looked hopefully diffident: “We have an admirable building but no professors and we are starting to gather young student mages, not only of normal secondary school age but in their twenties and thirties as well. Because of the previous repressive régime they are sadly lacking in any kind of true moral guidance. I believe Holy Vasil was looking for a suitable Orthodox priest to help out as chaplain as well.”
Draco remarked internally: *I see Farad is also a diplomat.*
Ricardo’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the mention of Vasil, and a look of cunning came into his eyes. He looked at Harry: “Hidalgo, could there be some sort of financial support from your organisation for Father Farad if he were designated Headmaster, full time. With, say, some oversight of the parish on a temporary basis until the new priest was settled in?”
“I understand from the Ukrainian Wizengamot, that there is a trust fund for supporting the professorial posts. On top of that, Draco, as head of house Malfoy, has been offered some compensation for the sequestration of the Malfoy Dacha’s estate during the Communist rule. One of the stipulations was that the money had to be used for the good of the Ukrainian residents and not spent outside the homeland. In any case, because of our directorships in the educational trust, the money would have to be overseen by the trust and not the individual director. This might well be used to supplement the Ukrainian trust, if necessary. However, we would have to pass this officially at a board meeting.”
“Mmm … Yes, I see. Like you, I would have to consult the hierarchy first. Nevertheless, my recommendations usually pass muster; as, I imagine do yours, as directors. I would like to move Father Konstadin fairly soon. It seems that he has had a run-in with some of the people you would call dark-mages, I believe.”
“Have they cursed him,” Harry looked worriedly at the Monsignor.
“It’s possible, because he seems to have lapses of memory occasionally. He’s only forty, so he shouldn’t be showing dementia yet.”
“It sounds like it could be a building memory curse, Monsignor,” Draco stated: “I know of a couple of people who were cursed in such a way and their vacant moments increased until the curse was lifted. Harry has skills in that kind of cure, if you would like to use his services.”
H: *Thanks, a bunch, Draco. I haven’t a clue about memory charms. I was hopeless at Occlumency with your Godfather and I’m not having sex with a forty-year old priest either!*
D: *I watched you healing Grigor; he’d been cursed, as you well know. It’ll be the same kind of hands-on cure needed for Konstadin; I feel sure.*
H: *You’ll boost me, won’t you?*
D: *Of course!*
They came out of their communing to find the three priests staring at them.
Draco chuckled: “Sorry … We have a way of talking to each other in our minds. We were just discussing the possible cure, that’s all.”
“Ah yes! I remember Father Esteban telling me you did that. Can all mages do it?”
“Probably not! We’re an especially linked foursome, with special gifts.”
“That’s why they’re called Seers, Monsignor,” explained Farad: “It’s a title of respect for mages with exceptional talents. Only linked seers can make the portals through which we travelled to arrive here. A few other talented mages are able to create a pair of vanishing cabinets. They’re a pair of linked wardrobe-like cupboards which, when separated, allow almost instant passage between them as long as they’re no more than eighty-one magi-leagues apart.” Farad saw the muggles looking puzzled. “Oh sorry, that’s just over three-hundred and eighty kilometres.”
“Do I suppose that these cabinets are what you call portals?” asked Ricardo.
“They use the same type of thaums but are more complicated, yes. Am I correct, Draco?”
The blond nodded his agreement.
“Is that how you took Father Konstadin to the mountain retreat, Father?” Ricardo asked Giuseppe.
“Yes Monsignor. The doctors recommended pure air and quiet surroundings. Die Schwartzberg seemed ideal.” Giuseppe turned to the seers: “I asked Ginny and she gave me a medallion for him, is that okay?”
“Yes Beppe, she has already told us about it, but we only knew of Konstadin as a discerning priest in need of a couple of month’s recuperation.”
“That’s correct,” said Ricardo: “I needed to see both yourselves and a Ukrainian Okruh representative before I suggested the move to Father Konstadin. That’s why I was so pleased to see you all together. The Spirit was leading us, as usual.”
“Shall we go and see him together?” asked Farad.
“Does that mean I have to use a portal?” Ricardo looked slightly worried.
Draco chuckled: “You could hire a helicopter, if you like. Or perhaps catch a train and hike for half a day. Die Schwartzberg is well away from any other form of transport. That’s why it’s so suitable for quiet recuperation.”
“Do I need any special clothing?”
“No … We’ll lend you a medallion in order that the portals recognise you.”
“This is quite an adventure for me, you know.” Ricardo still looked worried.
“Gondola to the Palazzo first, Monsignore.”
“Not been in one of those either – the hire charges are too high for a priest’s pocket; I use the vaporetti.”
Giuseppe chuckled: “We’re one better than that, Monsignor; it’s a private gondola.”
“Ooh! How marvellous!”
H: *I’m rapidly re-evaluating my suppositions about Ricardo, Draco.*
D: *Hmm … Me too … He reminds me a little of Uncle Arthur and his attitude to things muggle.*
H: *I wonder how austere his Congregation is. Cardinals and the hierarchy always seem to be well heeled.*
D: *Perhaps, but that particular congregation is probably not well liked. There are biblical anathemas on mages, you know. Think of the inquisition.*
H: *Yes … Pure-blood ideals in our lot, too … They’re just as conservative, aren’t they?*
D: *Two or three years ago, that would have made me angry, Potter. Now … [Harry felt Draco mentally shrug] … Well, I have a somewhat different outlook; thanks to a certain muggle-raised mage and his bushy haired witch-friend.*
Before they left Saint Marks, Giuseppe called in to his office to collect his own cloak, “Just in case it’s chilly on the mountain top.”
Draco had a feeling that the priest had collected something else as well.
Before porting they ate lunch in the palazzo. When they arrived, they found out that Sporcara had a cold collage laid out in the sala da pranzo and Harry would not offend his elf by ignoring the meal. Over the meal Ricardo admired the silver-gilt service and so was regaled with the story of its repatriation and a little about the three ancient founders of Harry’s family.
On their way to the portal they made a slight detour into the private chapel in order to pray for a good result in their forthcoming visitation. A slightly timid Monsignor approached the portal afterwards and arrived in die Schwartzberg with a look of surprised relief on his face.
“I thought it was dangerous. Someone in the Congregation said something about feeling sick and leaving pieces of your body behind if you were not careful. Was I just lucky?”
“No Monsignor, that was another form of magical travel called apparating.” Harry smiled: “I don’t like the feeling either. When the evil wizard Voldemort was about, some mages invented those pairs of connected cupboards we told you about to hide away. This is an extension of the thaums used.”
“Thaums, what are they?”
“Units of magic which we use to perform our charms,” Draco explained: “They are drawn from the four elements of fire, earth, water and air. Mages have a genetically magical core which has the capability to use these thaums. When discerning priests touch us, we tingle; that’s how we recognise each other. If I’m not too impertinent, we were wondering how a discerning priest is not in your job.”
“Yes … Discerning priests are so few that Holy Mother Church does not want them side-lined into administrative jobs.” Here Ricardo chuckled: “There are many in the Curia who are suspicious of mages, so I’ve been appointed as a normal priest to make sure things don’t get out of hand. After all, there are biblical precedents for anathematising all mages.”
Draco chuckled back: “And many miraculous incidents reported that are well explained by magical means, too. For instance: ‘water into wine’ is a fairly simple transformation charm which we learn in the second year. The goblins use staffs for making their charms, just as Moses did to part the Red Sea.”
“I see you are well read; perhaps you would like to attend a debate or two in our Congregation.”
“Why not? But first we have a healing to perform; at least Harry has. I just help with the thaum collecting.”
“I think you had better call me by my Christian name. I’m sorry I was so abrupt at the hacienda. There were a couple of reasons at least. One was I don’t deal well with surprises, and your being there seemed to disrupt the careful plans I had made. The other was the urgency to get Esteban away from the harsh régime of the brothers. I suppose there was another reason too … I was very new at the job. That car was a leftover from the previous incumbent’s job. His family bought it for him. I find it expensive to run and try not to use it too often.”
Harry chuckled: “You’re forgiven. Draco’s godfather was very much like you. He was a good teacher, but rather abrupt as well. Each of us has a gift; Draco takes after his Godfather and is good at making potions, he also has mind reading skills. Why don’t you keep the medallion, you could use it to travel to different magical locations where your discerning priests are likely to be found.”
“Thank you very much; I wasn’t making a special pleading you know.”
“Harry’s got a soft heart, Ricardo, and he’s good at defensive magic and healing. It was he who defeated Voldemort – the evil mage we were talking about earlier,” explained Draco: “Now my father has taken on that role, much to my shame, and we are combating his evil wiles. Hence us being here to see what can be done for Father Konstadin.”
“Welcome again to die Schwartzberg, Harmeister, Drameister und fathers. To see Father Konstadin you have come?”
“Hello Schnauzenhund, are you feeling well?”
“Yah danke, Drameister. On our magics now there is little drain, because in good repair our beloved Schwartzberg is. The father on the terrace is.”
The Captain-butler showed them the way and announced them to Father Konstadin.
“Hello Beppe. Oh! sorry Monsignor, good afternoon. And who are these two persons? I heard your names, but they mean nothing at the moment.”
“Hello Kostas, meet Harry and Draco, they are another two of the four seers who own this place you are recuperating in. They think you may have been cursed and Harry would like to perform a healing, if you would let him.”
“Well now … My memory of what happened comes and goes … I know it was something traumatic … Maybe if I can retrieve the memory it might help my recovery. I met a female seer, I think.”
“Was that Ginny, she’s my wife?”
“Mmm … That sounds familiar … So, Seer Harry … Yes, please.”
Konstadin laid himself down on one of the sun-loungers and Harry came to kneel down beside him. Draco stood behind his mate ensuring that his hands made skin contact with Harry’s shoulders. To begin with Harry ran his hands all over Konstadin’s body keeping them about six inches from contact.
H: *I can feel the curse.*
D: *Hmm … Something like a semi failed Oblivate.*
H: *There’s something else as well … Almost as if his own mind doesn’t want to recall the happening.*
D: *Better check with him about the possible pain first.*
“Father Konstadin?”
“Yes, Seer Harry?”
“We can feel the curse which stops you remembering. If I lift it, we think you will relive something very painful.”
“I understand … But all the vague memories are equally disturbing … Please go ahead and lift the curse; I’ll brace myself.”
Harry smiled at the prone priest and laid hands on his forehead. Konstadin convulsed as the curse removed itself into Harry. Draco took the curse from his mate and using one hand cast it out and burnt it.
“Oh! Oh Dear! Should I have done something else? I can see them burning … They were evil … There were dragons there too.” Konstadin was shaking all over.
Schnauzenhund appeared with some large mugs of hot chocolate.
Harry thanked him and turned to Konstadin: “You should tell us what happened, Kostas. We are here to support you and there’s no need to feel approbation from any of us; is there?”
Harry looked round at the others who all shook their heads in agreement.
“I’m a priest who has a parish on the Greek side of the Rhodopid Mountains. One of the reasons I’m there is because there are a couple magely families nearby. A few weeks ago, I was conducting my usual parish visiting and went to see one of the families. I was surprised to see they had visitors, and even more surprised when they turned out to be antichrists. Somehow they had overcome the mages and their children and had tied them to the posts of the house’s veranda.”
Here Konstadin shuddered and started weeping. So, Harry sat and shoulder-hugged him with Giuseppe holding his hands. After a while Konstadin took a great breath and haltingly continued.
“They were naked – the family, that is – and they had cut and burn marks on their bodies. The children were crying piteously – the parents were slumped unconscious - It was obvious to me that the incomers had been torturing them – I asked them why they were doing it – they replied with many obscenities – the purport was, I gathered, because the fiends enjoyed hurting people – they also accused the family of lack of hospitality – I’m not surprised … If all dark ones behave in such a way. I remonstrated with them and asked them to release the family – more obscenities followed – they taunted me as being ineffective.”
Konstadin closed his eyes and shuddered again.
“I felt the Spirit within me – I told the malefactors that they would burn in Hell for what they were doing – more obscenities followed, and they pointed their wands at me. Then I saw divine retribution – from over my shoulders came spurts of fire – each malefactor was burnt to a cinder there and then – I turned round and there were hideous creatures breathing fire – I passed out.”
Another shudder passed through Konstadin’s body.
“I came too in a mountain fastness – there were mages looking after me – I learned that the creatures were dragons – I passed out again – next time I woke I was in a bed in your Venice Palazzo, with my good friend Beppe sitting next door … What have I done? I called down divine vengeance and saw it happen.” Konstadin started to weep copiously.
Konstadin wept for over half an hour. His tears eventually dried up, and he looked fearfully at Ricardo. Quietly Giuseppe handed something the Monsignor. Ricardo came to kneel beside Konstadin.
“Konstadin, accipere divinae propitiationis, in nomine Patris et Fili et Spiritus Sancti.” Ricardo anointed Konstadin with the chrism that Giiuseppe had quietly given him: “Arise Father Konstadin, your sins are forgiven.”
Ricardo lent a hand to Konstadin and he got up from the sun-lounger with a smile on his face.
“Thank you, Monsignor; thank you, Harry. The vagueness has vanished now, however I’m still slightly worried about seeing dragons; unless, of course, I was hallucinating.”
Draco chuckled: “You weren’t hallucinating Kostas; we know of dragons. Only, I’m intrigued why they should be flying around in Greece.”
“Not in Greece, Seer Draco, but on that side of the mountains in Bulgaria,” Konstadin corrected.
“Are you quite sure there are such mythical beasts, Draco?” Ricardo asked.
“Yes,” Harry replied: “Would you like to meet them? Come to think of it, Draco – Rhodopid Mountains – That’s where Pan and the Satyrs live, isn’t it? Perhaps the satraps were trying to break into the Seclusion.”
“Hmm … I think we ought to investigate further. They may need our help.”
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