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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
- 69
- 70
- 71
[Note: conversation =: “speech” & ‘thoughts’ & *telepathy* & #Parseltongue# & {telephone}]
~~~ TRAINING ~~~
Harry felt better on Wednesday afternoon, but to be sure of his physical recovery Draco and he went to the study and worked on their NEWT’s assignments. The elves served them coffee and lunch in their quarters. By teatime, their brains were becoming fogged and so left their revision and came upstairs. They were a little surprised to find no mages or muggles present. Winky served them tea on the patio.
“Any idea where everyone is, Winky?”
“Yes Master, they’ve gone to Woodyates. Masters Gregory, Seamus and Dean are showing them various agricultural and constructional charms. Knox and Kellie say that it will be a great help to make the farm fertile again. Goodman Hamish is with them. Are you going to join them?”
“Not today, thanks; maybe tomorrow. Anyone booked into the rooms for the weekend, d’you know?”
“All full, Master Harry; Masters Smiles in the four bunk room, Headmistress Minerva and Deputy Headmaster Filius in the two end singles. In the first bunk room …”
“… Okay Winky, no need to recite all the names, thank you. I wonder why Minerva and Filius are coming over.”
“They said you promised to let them come over for time out. We haven’t done wrong by letting them use the rooms have we?”
“No Winky, we did say they could have time out whenever they wanted, but knowing them there maybe ulterior motives; like when Minerva offered me the professorship.”
“That was good wasn’t it?”
“Yes Winky, and it remains so … Still … Minerva has a habit of saying: ‘Ah, Harry, just the person I wanted to see,’ and landing me with some problem or other.”
Winky popped away, chuckling.
“It’s only we Slytherins who are suspicious of people’s motives,” Draco joshed.
“Some of it’s obviously rubbing off on me then,” Harry looked knowingly at his partner.
“I fancy a stick-workout, how about you.”
“Quidditch?”
“Nah … Drifting lazily in the air … seeing what they’re doing.”
“Who’s on scout duty?”
“No idea … I’m not replacing them, if that’s what you’re thinking …”
“… You want to be sneaky … Fine, let’s use the duple and the cloak.”
As the two Seneschals flew out to look for their mates, those mates were walking back through Milk Wood beneath the canopy of trees, net result: no immediate meeting. However, the pair did see newly ploughed fields, the young shoots of grain crops, and fresh signs of pruned fruit trees, plus some recently repaired gaps in the dry-stone walls. After an inspection of their estate, it became apparent how far the rejuvenation had reached and how much more work would be required to make the farm fully productive. On their return they found a group of exhausted mages all happily grinning at their achievement and eating dinner. So they joined their mates.
“This ought to be part of our education too,” remarked Gregory, whilst munching.
He got enthusiastic support from Seamus and Dean as well as animated nods from quite a few masticating Dumbledorians.
“How about you five getting the Governors to include this in the syllabus?” said Dean looking at the quintet of professors.
“We’d have to get Minerva on our side first, Dean.”
“Winky says she’s coming to stay over the weekend; how about us putting on a show of agricultural magic skills.”
“She is coming for a rest, you know. Sometimes I think she works harder when we’re on holiday than during term time.”
“So-o-o, inveigle her out for a walk in the invigorating air, and just happen ter pass by where we’re working.”
“That’s a Slytherin argument, Seamus.”
“Of course, Draco, and yer can be the supposedly innocent person ter accompany her. Yer good at that kind of deception. I seem ter remember a number of times when yer innocent expression has got blameless students inter trouble; so yer can put it terwards a good cause, for a change.”
Draco adopted such an expression for a minute and then grinned at his mates: “She’s shrewd enough to know that we arranged it, so it’ll be my arse on the line, won’t it.”
Dean gave him a saucy look: “And a very shapely arse it is too, my fair friend. Not to worry; we’ll defend it for you.”
Neville looked thoughtful: “You know, Filius keeps on muttering to Pomona about building for peace. Maybe an approach along those lines might bear fruit. Say student visits to a place where plants grow naturally, instead of inside the school’s forcing houses under glass.”
“Nev’s got a point,” Blaise supported: “Because of the military, many rare plants elsewhere still grow here more abundantly. Then there are those that used to grow in the Duindhu castle grounds. With Murdoch’s and the broonies attention they are all flourishing here. I’m tired now and my muscles ache. Let’s sit around tomorrow and work out a plan. Possibly have a dry run to see if we can make the bait more alluring. I’m too bushed for any pastimes tonight.”
“Mmm … I am too,” agreed Michael: “We’ll have to learn to pace ourselves properly. We were far too enthusiastic today. Phealey and Pullet have promised us some of your soothing ointment, Draco. Is that all right?”
“Well …”
“… We’ll make some more,” interjected Kenneth: “You awarded us house points a couple of weeks ago when we made it in our potions lesson. There’s quite a stock in your cupboard. That was the result of a week when no-one blew their cauldron up.”
Draco shrugged and grinned: “You’ve got me boxed in; so I may as well give in gracefully. Don’t forget to leave some for the Quidditch teams.”
“Will you both be playing?”
“As eighth-years and professors we’re not allowed to … surely you know that?”
“I don’t mean in the house matches. I meant in the staff versus Old Hogwartians match.”
“What’s that?”
Harry pulled a wry face: “It’ll probably the subject for Minerva’s: ‘Oh by the way, Harry’ this weekend, Draco.”
The company chuckled.
“It’s a money raising thing to help pay for the repairs and to help FISH,” Hamish enlightened them: “It was in our Order Papers given out before the recess.”
Both Harry and Draco looked guilty and admitted they had not read them yet.
“Why fish? Is it a special breeding programme?”
“No Harry, you were helped by FISH when you started and so was Herms. It stands for ‘Fund for Impoverished Student Help’. They paid your fees.”
“I thought it was free.”
“It is for the offspring of Ministry Employees, but most families start an account for educating their children as soon as they are born, so that, by the time they are eleven, there is sufficient to pay their fees.”
“But I wasn’t impoverished, was I?”
“No, but nobody knew how much you were worth until you were able to open your family vaults. By that time the fee had been paid.”
“So-o-o, I should repay the fund for their generosity, shouldn’t I?”
“The normal way to do that is to buy tickets for their fund raising schemes once you are earning. This allows the wealthier supporters to be quietly generous and the poorer ones to give something back, in proportion, so to speak.”
“Um … Yes … I see … When is the match scheduled?”
“In the week before Beltane, starting on Tuesday.”
“So we have just over a week.”
“What’s Beltane?” Sam asked.
“It’s one of the Magical Festivals and lighting the fire takes place on the midnight preceding the first of May.”
“Oh we do that anyway; the old folks say it is to help the crops regenerate. We’ve always been allowed to stay up and eat an oatcake baked in the fire. What’s this match you’re all talking about?”
“Quidditch,” Draco could see the Stamps looking puzzled: “A game with four flying balls which is played in the air between two sides of seven mages on their sticks. Much faster than hang-gliders, and sometimes dirty tricks are played – a bit like football in the air.”
“That sounds exciting, are we allowed to watch it?”
“Seamus and Dean take us sometimes to watch school inter-house matches,” suggested Graham: “So it is possible.”
“My ticket allocation is all used up, I’m afraid” said Hamish: “The eight musicians are coming with me.”
Draco had Accioed his order papers: “We have been allocated nine tickets each, Harry.”
“Fine … Um … Four Yates and five Stamps are mine, what about yours?”
“Hmm … Greg, Seamus, Dean, Phealey, Pullet, Monach, Kenneth, Dochart and Marianne. That okay? *Greg, Seamus and Dean are a little short of cash at the moment. They can explain what’s going on in the play to the muggles*.
H: *Fine … I agree … I hope they’re top seats*. “Um … Do you need us while you work out your strategy?” Harry waved his Order Papers around: “I think Draco and I had better catch up with what the Wizengamot wants.”
“I’m glad it’s your paperwork and not mine, Harry,” replied Gregory: “We’ll cobble a plan together; you two just get McG and Filly to walk into the fields. We’ll let you know which ones.”
~~~ THURSDAY + ~~~
Thursday morning was occupied in reading the Order Papers. Hubert flooed over and with Hamish the afternoon was spent discussing their responses. Friday had class-work preparation until mid-afternoon when they flooed over to buy the tickets and to have an informal tea party with their progressive party supporters.
Arriving back to change before dinner [not Hubert] they were met by Minerva:
“Ah! Just the people I want to see …”
Draco giggled: “… What positions do you want us to play in, Minerva?”
She gave him her usual tight-lipped smile: “Hamish, do you fancy being a beater? Rolanda’s your partner.”
“I’ll give it a go, Minerva.”
“Good … Now … Harry and Draco I imagine you want to play as well … I thought Seeker and Chaser might suit your talents, but couldn’t decide which one.” She looked hopefully at them: “Aurora and I are the other chasers.”
“We discussed it, Minerva. Draco would like to be Seeker and I’ll be the other chaser.”
“Very good, Harry, you’ll be the captain and we’re practicing on Monday next, Ronald’s agreed to be keeper.”
“So … Are we building up our stamina over the weekend?”
“I’d rather hoped for a rest.”
Harry chuckled: “Oh no, Minerva, we have to be on top form. As captain I want to ensure your fitness. So Saturday morning we’ll start with a six-mile walk. In the afternoon, a further five-mile jog. Sunday afternoon will be various stick manoeuvres. I’ll get Winky to sort out a suitable diet for us too.”
“Oh well,” Minerva looked resigned: “I should have known.” Then she brightened up: “I won’t have time to worry about academia will I? That’ll do me a power of good. My brain was getting fogged by lesson plans and timetable alterations. Rolanda and Aurora are staying at the vicarage; John offered them some time out too. What time do we start the walk?”
Harry smirked: “Um … About seven thirty in the morning.”
“You are joshing, aren’t you?”
“All right make it eight o’clock, prompt. We’ll need some recovery time before the jog.”
Minerva sighed: “Very well captain, eight o’clock it is. I’ll tell the others.”
D: *That’s a bit early isn’t it, Harry? The farmers won’t be in the fields by then*.
H: *We’ll arrive at the fields at the end of the walk, Draco. If the idea takes hold, then there’ll be time to discuss it over fruit juices at coffee-break*.
D: *Good plan, Partner and I don’t have to be sneaky either*.
H :*She handed the excuse to us on a plate, didn’t she*?
### SATURDAY ###
Uncharacteristically Draco was up before Harry; he was wearing his Slytherin Tracksuit and holding a Gryffindor one; he was also shaking Harry’s shoulder vigorously: “C’mon lazybones, we won’t have time for breakfast before the marathon you decreed.”
“All right, ALL RIGHT … I’ll get up. No need to shake the teeth out of my head.”
“My, my! What a sour visage. That’ll make the team want to follow you.”
“What makes you so bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed?” Harry almost fell as he got out of bed.
“A bright morning and a hot shower,” Draco ran a few steps on the spot.
“I don’t believe you,” said Harry as he turned on the shower taps.
“Really?” Draco was grinning cheekily.
“Yes … Really … I can feel your inner bumptiousness.”
“All right … Maybe a little gleeful anticipation of our older professors groaning whilst on the route march. I can’t see them lasting the jog either.”
There was no reply from inside the shower, except a lot of splashing noises.
Harry emerged and grabbed his towel: “Did you say something?”
Draco repeated himself.
Harry smirked: “I thought so, but my twenty galleons go on you moaning first.”
“Nah! You can take me out to that new Muggle Restaurant when you lose.” Draco then looked puzzled: “Do you have some inside information?”
“What makes you think that?” Harry’s tousled head poked quizzically out of his newly donned track suit top: “C’mon, a good healthy breakfast awaits us.”
The team were already eating when they arrived downstairs, each wearing their house colours.
“Good morning Harry, Draco,” Greeted Hamish: “We were just wondering if you had chickened out.”
“No chance, Draco wants to see you all falling behind; puffing and panting …”
“… No cream, Master Draco, it’s not healthy.”
“But Winky …”
“… Master Harry’s orders – a good healthy training diet – Now eat that banana too, it will release its energy slowly.”
“Ugh … I don’t like the slimy things.”
Winky put her hands on her hips and gave the Slyth a very firm look: “Nevertheless …”
“Okay … Okay … I’ll eat it.”
The rest of the company giggled as Draco pulled a face and ate the long fruit.
After a suitable digestive pause, Harry had them doing limbering up exercises followed by a deep breathing finale.
Draco was slightly pink and panting when they’d finished. He looked around the other undisturbed and glowing mages: “Hmm, Harry?”
Harry could feel Draco’s indecisiveness and grinned at him: “I’m looking forward to you taking me out for dinner.”
A look of grim determination flowed over Draco’s face: “So be it, then!”
The first leg of the Walk took them up Niggle Edge – They had a short pause to admire the view of Griffondale before moving up the valley to the river’s source in Keplin Tarn reservoir. Again they rested whilst Harry related what they knew about kelpies and the precautions taken. Minerva was of the opinion that too many mages would have deterred it appearing; thus confirming Harry and Draco’s surmises.
Draco was quite red in the face and puffing fiercely. Harry could feel, through the link, his determination not to give in, and grinned at his mate. Before they set off again Harry secretly ensured that Draco had regained his breath. And then it was over the moors to High Clough Gill [avoiding the marked off areas]. Probably the most gruelling part of the walk, because they had to avoid bogs and rocky outcrops as well as a few sink-holes.
It took Draco two minutes to catch up whilst the party rested; meanwhile they watched the hang-gliding buffs.
One of them waved.
“Isn’t that Justin Finch-Fletchley?”
“Yes, Minerva; he’s a member of their club now.”
Said mage flew towards them standing on their outcrop of rock, and landed: “Hello! Is this a professorial outing?”
“No, Justin,” Minerva replied: “Harry’s getting us in training for the friendly Quidditch match next week. I didn’t know you flew a hang-glider.”
“Not until recently, I didn’t. I’ve borrowed my dad’s second best one. He’s been a member for years. That’s him over there.” Justin gestured and Henry Finch-Fletchley swooped in.
“Hi Dad, you’ve met Minerva McGonagall …” Justin introduced everyone.
In the conversation that followed, it turned out that Justin’s forebears had made their money in the wool business and had invested it wisely. Like Harry, Henry was Lord of the Manor in Myddledale; still living in the ancestral seat of Myddlegarth Hall. Henry’s and Harry’s [Blake] moor-holdings touched at the trig-point on top of The Pike, but were separated by the church of Saint Peter, Great Grumblewell holdings.
Brief chat over, both parties went their recreational way.
As planned the walkers came across the farmers in one of the in-fields.
Filius stopped and pointed: “That’s what I meant, Minerva, at the last governors’ meeting. They’re using destructive charms to turn over the ground. It’s a bit like Harry’s thesis about using Imperio on would be attackers.”
“Who’s teaching them?”
“Gregory, Seamus and Dean,” replied Hamish, winking covertly at Draco: “They’ve developed some building charms as well.”
“But they have no formal training… Oh well … I’m using semi-qualified tutors who are learning on the job at Hogwarts; so I can hardly fault them for that, can I?”
By this time the walkers had met-up with the farmers, who had temporarily downed tools [wands].
“Seamus?”
“Yes Headmistress?”
“Would you show me that channel making charm, please.”
“Greg’s better at agricultural charms than I am.”
“Very well! Gregory?”
“I’d love to … First you take a sight on the boundary point opposite you …”
Gregory demonstrated the various charms for ploughing, drilling [making channels for seeds], covering and other charms that their team had developed; ensuring that the goblins and elves who had helped also got recognition. The same happened with Seamus and Dean; firstly, on re-erecting some dry-stone walling, and later in the old manor house, demonstrating renovation plus health-and-safety charms.
As the whole party returned to the cottage Minerva looked at Gregory: “I think, Mr Goyle, that you are much brighter than we gave you credit.”
“Thank you Headmistress; I’m a practical mage, too much bookwork overwhelms me. I see pictures of what I want to achieve. If you like; my learning is rather like a serious comic-strip which I retain inside my brain. In fact, I have created some personal picture books which show the sequences of actions required to achieve a given charm or hex. They have footnotes about the syllables and gestures used, too.
“That’s a fascinating idea, would you show me one Please?” … … … …
So it was with Filius and Seamus and Dean.
D: *I didn’t moan once, Harry*. He sent as they walked back for lunch.
H: *No, but we had to wait for you to catch up, Draco*.
D: *Okay, fair do’s, I would have moaned if you hadn’t waited. I reckon I owe you that dinner. My leg muscles ache*.
H: *Up to our room and I’ll rub some lavender liniment on them*.
D: *Thanks, I’ll try not to get too aroused; I don’t think I have enough energy left to indulge in our favourite pastime*.
H: *I’m not that bushed … Um … Perhaps, in future; you’ll join in my daily exercises instead of mocking. Don’t forget we have the jog around the village this afternoon*.
D: *I’ll think about it*.
H: *Which*?
D: *Both of them*.
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