Toppers Wallow

Sunday breakfast, Apparation cracks; then the church bells started ringing. Most of the goblins, some of who had played dominos with the Muggles the previous evening, now went off with the three choir men. Harry saw this as a hopeful sign and, as such, he was not let down. Each DA member took a student, human or transfigured elf, under his or her wing helping them with the service. Draco and Harry were surprised at the mellifluous singing voices of the goblins and their accuracy of notation. Unbeknown to him Hamish and Cole had conferred, producing enough scores for all those who read music, having had a quick practice before the service commenced. The congregation were amazed at the beautiful harmonies emerging from the pews as well as from the choir stalls.



Harry found the experience very moving; glancing at Draco he noticed tears in his eyes, so they held hands for comfort.



“Well now,” said John, as he started his sermon, “I think we must thank Harry for bringing us such a rare musical talent. I think I will cast away my prepared sermon and dwell on the theme of gifts from unlikely sources. Coupled with this I would like to thank Lavender and Ernie for such prompt first aid as to render Mrs Pierce’s stay in hospital to be a short one.” John continued, quoting the parable of the Good Samaritan, and how it pertained to the emergency of yesterday evening and how a despised stranger was the one to help, not the persons expected to do so.



“Good sermon Vicar,” said Hamish as they left. “I look forward to many more. One of the problems with Hogwarts is that there is no regular worship there. I think we have found the answer to my prayers. We goblins have always liked to praise our creator, and this seems an admirable way to combine our talents. Young Cole is an excellent ambassador for the choir and found us the relevant music. Unfortunately your Wednesday evening choir practices clash with another needful lesson at the College.”



“Perhaps you would like to talk to our Organist cum Choirmistress?” John wandered off with Hamish.



Meanwhile Samantha had buttonholed Harry, leaving Draco to organise the impromptu games.



“Harry, we have a problem.”



“How can I help?”



“Come into the vestry, please.”



They both went towards the chancel and turned right, going through a small arched doorway; entering a room nestled outside in the corner between the chancel and the crossing. Harry glimpsed the priest’s vestments hanging in a cupboard and a desk covered in money and envelopes. Richard and Mr Foley were there counting.



“Hello Harry, come to help with the count, have you?” Richard asked.



“Um … I’m not sure.”



“Oh, I know! It’s about these strange coins we keep getting in the collection. We have quite a few golden ones now, but the bank won’t accept them. At least the couple at the Post office won’t, and they’re supposed to be the agents here for our bank in Grumblewell. Then there are a number of silver and copper coins also. We suspect that they are the goodwill offerings from your group, but what use are goodwill offerings if we can’t put them in the church’s account. As it is we have great problems in meeting our share of the incumbent’s fees.”



“Incumbent, what do you mean?” asked Harry.



“Oh, Sorry! Church-speak. The incumbent is John, and we have to pay him a living wage. This is done via the Diocese and we pay so much per month towards the general expenses of the church on top of that, which in turn pays John.”



“Diocese, what’s that?”



“A group of churches centred round the Cathedral, the Bishop’s church, which looks after our area group’s well-being.”



“This is getting complicated. Let’s get back to that considerable pile of Galleons.”



“Is that what you call those coins? What are they worth?”



“About five pounds each in your Muggle money.” Harry realised immediately that he had used the wrong word.



What’s a Muggle, Harry?” asked Mr Foley.



“You are!” Then Harry realised he’d dug himself another grave. “Um … Let me see … Oh … You are aware that I belong to a rather special group of people; you know; green men and all that kind of thing.”



“YES!” Three curious faces regarded their mage.



“Um … Well … We have a special name for all those that aren’t part of that group. Muggle is the name we use to refer to all the other people who don’t belong. It’s slightly technical, same as when you use names like diocese or incumbent.” Harry smiled hopefully.



“Right us’ll accept that. Now what about all this ’ere money we can’t bank?” Mr Foley asked.



“Let me talk to Griphook, he’s my personal banker, I’m sure he can come up with a solution. I know our bank converts galleons into pounds, because we have a Muggle account with the post office here. I’ll fl … sorry, get in touch with him this week and ask him. I suggest you lock the gold away safely. How much do you have?”



The problems of wizard accounting came next with its peculiar multipliers. Hermione looked in to see what was happening and was regimented into counting the coins. Her dexterity in counting and multiplying had everybody’s admiration.



“There,” she said, “You have just over two hundred galleons worth. That should be something in excess of a thousand pounds in Muggle money.”



“That’s a half of the parish precept, oh sorry, the monthly payment to those higher up. If we can cash it, it’ll keep the Archdeacon off our backs for another quarter.” Samantha looked awed.



Harry allowed the new name to pass, assuming he was someone to do with the diocese that looked after the income. Hermione helped bag up the coins and they were deposited in the church safe. It was a massive metal affair with three locks, one key for each Churchwarden – Samantha and Mr Foley – and one for John, the Vicar; each key had a different profile. Harry found out, as they wandered over for lunch, that Richard was the church treasurer.



Having been warned in advance, Richard had talked to Winifred about suitable diets and had produced a number of his cook’s spicy vegetable pies. This seemed to suit all palates, as did the cider and a barrel of Butterbeer supplied by Kreacher. Richard noticed some of the wavering appearances held by the new elves.



“Harry, I know about the little people. Those youngsters are having a hard time holding their images. The five or six humans in here know about ’em too, I vetted ’em afore you arrived. Why not let ’em relax, Eh?”



“You sure?”



“Yes! David wants to get ’em to work his farm, so be warned.”



“Okay. Thanks for the tip-off.” Harry called Kreacher over and told him.



The young elves had a communal sigh of relief and reverted to their true forms. Not soon after, a certain farmer found Harry.



“Harry. Have you any of those little people available. I’ve heard they’re bloody good workers.” David asked. “I’m quite happy to pay union rates and I’m going to be short on helpers for harvest.”



“Most of them are in college at the moment, David. Not that I’m promising anything, but have a chat with Billy and co, see if they can help out. Our elves are all tied up normally, but for a few days to help a neighbour, possibly.”



“Oh right!” David went off in search of Billy.



Luckily Harry found his ex first, and warned him of the situation, saying that he would back any decision Billy made.



“It could be a nice little earner,” Billy said thoughtfully. “Ploughing can wait for a week or so, especially if the spells work later on today. I’ll chat with David during the week. I think it’s the potatoes he wants harvesting, most of the grain is already in.”



Two of the other farmers also had like ideas, so Harry referred them to Billy, as well.



About three in the afternoon Hamish organised one student team plus half the interested DA Members. Gathering Wash and Grey, Knox and Kellie they went off to the ten acre field. The other DA augmented team went with, Cole, Billy, Dean and Seamus to learn practical building skills. About half way through the time allotted, the groups swapped experiences.



Draco and Harry along with Lavender and Ernie, plus Phealey and Pullet spent an hour or so swimming and generally lazing around; trusting their supervisors to look after the students. Tired and fairly dirty people awoke the cottage party from their liquid reverie by bomb-shelling into the water. Harry gathered, by listening to the enthusiastic conversations of the students surrounding them, that the time had been interesting and instructive.



“Harry?” Hamish asked. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve asked John and Isabel to come round for dinner.”



“No, not at all, happy to have them. Um … I take it you have an ulterior motive?”



“Yes! I thought he and I might drum up a debate about ethics, and involve the students. Ernie made a remark to me earlier, about something you said to him. It involved helping an old lady across the road and the payment of money. Will you repeat it and then leave us to sort out the pros and cons. If you stay you’ll feel duty bound to defend the proposition, and many students will defer to your judgement. John and I can take opposite views and then let the students have their say. Have the evening off; so to speak. Seamus and Dean tell me you have something entertaining planned, just relax and enjoy it.”



Draco giggled embarrassedly and Harry blushed bright red. “Um … Thanks … Um … We’ll do just that. You’ll see the hordes to bed, won’t you, please?”



“Of course we will; no worries. Have fun!”



After dinner, and after saying the usual post prandial pleasantries, Harry told his story. As he retired he could feel the heat throbbing from his face and he almost slunk out of the common room, now turned into a debating chamber.



He was met by Pullet and Phealey as he got to the top of the stairs.



“We’ve fed Mrs Pierce’s hens and they’re safe from foxes inside their hutch. John knows about it too, so he can put her mind at rest when he visits her tomorrow.”



“Are you joining us in the bedroom?”



“Can we? Ooh; yes please.”



“At least the noise down there will hide the noise we’ll make upstairs,” Draco observed ruefully, torn between participating in the lively debate and the needs of his animal self. When reminded of his promises to the other two pairs, that tipped the balance so he suggested a squashy shower to get them in the mood.



The shower worked its magic, as did some of the lavender oil. Harry felt an extra frisson or two. Firstly feeling slightly naughty, because his first partner was not his mate. Secondly because of the closeness of his mate enjoying the same sensations and thirdly, the fact that all the students were only separated from them by the thickness of the floor.



First session over; they rested, chatting lightly about the weekend and the week ahead and making plans for next weekend. The last session had loving mates together again. Taken on his back, Harry looked up into Draco’s adoring eyes. Seamus was the same with Dean. There was still that extra thrill of copulating very close to others enjoying the same experience including the ever faithful Phealey and Pullet. Another shower cleaned the mess away, and after a general kiss-in, the pairs of lovers went to their respective rooms, there to snuggle and sleep.



§§§§§



In the morning, after breakfast, there were enough DA Members returning to Hogwarts with Hamish to side-along Apparate the students in pairs. Dean and Seamus went off to Bagshot cottage starting their new commission; this left Harry and Draco alone in the house. Harry flooed Griphook about the Galleon problem; then the pair swam for a time and spent half-an-hour communing with the plants before following their students back to school in time for coffee.



During the rest of Monday Harry, Hermione and Ron had sixth-years to test; finishing up with the other group of seventh years. This group included Mordant, the rest were better at their defensive spells, with the exception of Mordant, but he demonstrated perfectly the ones he had learnt on Thursday last. That pleased Harry very much and awarded him extra points, to the astonishment of the other students.



After dinner Hamish nabbed Harry and Draco and took them to see Minerva.



“Ah come in Professors, I hear you have unofficially extended our curriculum.”



“Um … Well … You see …” Harry started off, wondering if he was in trouble.



“I see this is like a certain first-year Quidditch Seeker’s first interview.” The headmistress peered over her spectacles in a very Dumbledore way, smiling.



Briefly, Draco wondered if it were catching and whether Harry would be gazing at students from above his glasses, soon.



“Filius has been talking to us for ages, about giving more practical training.” Minerva continued, “He calls it building for peace. Whilst the terror was upon us, we could only think of combat and defence. Now, although there is still a lesser threat from the Master, I feel the time is ripe for us to extend our syllabus. Magicians like Mr Goyle, for instance, would have benefited greatly from that approach. I’m so glad you found a niche for him on your joint estate.”



Draco sensed that Harry was still sorting out what had been said, so Draco replied on their behalf.



“I think we were both wondering if we had gone too far, but it was Harry’s little voice that led us there.”



“His little voice seems to be remarkably well informed. Are those ghost extendable ears working again, Harry?”



“Um … John says it’s the Spirit speaking to me … Um … If that’s true, then the information comes from an impeccable source … Um …” Harry looked bewildered, wondering where his statement had come from and yet knowing it to be true.



“I think John’s right, Harry. You do have that uncanny knack for knowing and doing the correct thing, even if it is somewhat unconventional.” Hamish looked admiringly at Harry.



“I suspect there’s more to this story, Minerva.” Draco looked quizzically at the headmistress.



“Yes there is. Thank you for bringing us back to the realms of practicality, Draco. Much of Albus’s fortune was left to Hogwarts. The stipulation was that a bursary be established for building more peaceful pursuits. Until Voldemort had been defeated this clause was not to be divulged, and has had the governors debating exactly what was meant by it. Now that is the threat has dissipated, who but Albus’s protégé should come up with the answer.” Minerva turned to the portrait above her head. “Is that what you had in mind, Albus?”



“Exactly! Harry, my boy, I knew you would come up with the answer. Congratulations!”



“Um … Well … Lots of others had an input … Dean and Seamus especially.”



“I’m glad you have made friends with them, and especially with Draco. Severus and I were at our wits end trying to pair you up.”



A dry chuckle came from Severus’s portrait. “I see you’ve woken up at last, Potter. As for my godson, he has to be led to the trough and have his head pushed in it before he’ll eat.” There was the hint of a quirky smile on Snape’s face.



Draco coloured up bristling. Harry squeezed his hand and Minerva held up her’s. They quieted the outburst before it started; eliciting another dry chuckle from the black garbed portrait.



“I will have to put this before the governors, of course, but I expect it to get their approval. Harry and Draco, would you mind if Filius uses the single room at Magnet Cottage, he would like to draw up a paper to present to the governors next Friday. The ideas from your four Muggles plus Dean, Gregory and Seamus would be a great help. Hermione will take over his first and second-year charms classes whilst he’s there on Thursday.”



“Very happy to oblige, Headmistress. Perhaps we need to tell Kreacher?” Draco asked.



Pop: Pop. “We’ll tell him Masters, if you don’t mind.” It was Phealey and Pullet.



The surprise appearance gave Harry the giggles, but he managed to affirm agreement.



That night, as they were showering and discussing events, Draco stroked Harry’s bottom seductively.



“Fancy a bit of nooky? Or will your little voice object.”



“I think my little voice understands our animal needs better than we do.” Harry sealed the compact with a big wet kiss. Two nearby elves matched their masters’ enjoyment too. The bed squeaked its approval for quite a time that night.