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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
- 74
- 75
- 76
[Note: conversation =: “speech” & ‘thoughts’ & *telepathy* & #Parseltongue# & {telephone}]
~~~ NEW CHANNELS ~~~
In the evening Draco suggested they wander through the portals because he wanted to look for a couple of books in the Duindhu Library. They arrived in the London portal cabinet and were astonished to see another door there as well as the one onto the half landing. It looked identical to the one they had come through.
“I wonder if Kreacher knows anything about it?”
“Let’s go and ask Uncle Travis first, he might have an idea.”
Up a flight of stairs, turn right and into the library; then a U-turn and they were in front of the magical door to the Duindhu Library. As they opened that door the magical space flashed into its normal appearance from what had appeared to be a cupboard.
“Hello Nephews, how does it feel to be Adults now?”
“Nothing escapes you does it Uncle?”
“Bookworm is my eyes and ears; she saw you make the leap and reported back. I also know of your new portal.”
“Hmm … It’s that that we came to enquire about, Uncle. There appears to be another door there as well as the one we used.”
“What was the space used for before, Draco?”
“Kreacher tells us that it was where the Blacks had their disguised vanishing cabinet.”
“Mmm … Vanishing cabinets use the same transit thaums as portals … Could it be that you have resurrected the vanishing cabinet and the other door leads to its counterpart?”
“That’s a possibility, I suppose … Um … Kreacher?”
Pop: “Yes Master?”
“Do you know the destination of the second Black vanishing cabinet?”
“No, they never told me, however I got the feeling it was somewhere in Diagon Alley.”
“I hope it wasn’t in Knockturn Alley.”
“It was Master Regulus who placed it. It was a second possibility if he had to escape, but the death-eaters got to him first. I doubt he would go to a dodgy establishment, but then I don’t really know.”
“I’ll have to try it out then.”
“Potter, stop being impetuous.”
“Um … Me?”
“Yes … Harry rushes in where others fear to tread. At least let me see if the thaums are working properly.”
“Fine … Then I’ll go and find where it goes.”
“You’re impossible!” Draco shrugged, smiled and kissed Harry on the cheek.
“It feels benign,” observed Travis, staring downwards and concentrating hard.
“Why are you looking down, Uncle?”
“Because it’s immediately below here.”
“But this ‘here’ is in a magical space, isn’t it?”
“It has to have a physical space to exist in, Masters. In this library there was cupboard above the two disguised cupboards in the solar, so I redirected the simulacrum charm’s space there. It has the same type of thaum used to make rooms inside a tent.”
“Don’t go further please,” Draco held up a cautionary hand: “The explanation that Uncle Severus gave me was incomprehensible … I just accept the fact of expanding and contracting thaums.”
“Have you noticed, Nephews; that the door to my library is in the same vicinity as the portal you made? I suspect the various thaums are interacting. Now … Positive thaums would fight negative ones. Are there any disruptive thaums that you can sense?”
They both concentrated and could feel nothing – either way.
“Very well … I’ll go and do some tests.” Draco ported back to the cottage, found his folder, returned and spent time interrogating the thaums. Harry watched him, shield at the ready, in case anything bad occurred.
After half an hour Draco shook his head: “There are no negative thaums on the other side of the door, Harry.” Draco smirked opened the door and disappeared.
Almost immediately the new door reopened and Draco reappeared: “I went into a dark cellar.”
“Malfoy, you were a fool. You went without asking for a shield.”
“No more foolish than a Potter proposing a dash into the unknown. One of us had to try it out. It works like a portal, Harry, no need for an incantation.”
“Fine … What was on the other side?”
“No idea, I didn’t open the outer door, I used the spy hole to look. I wasn’t that foolish to continue without you backing me up.”
“You say it acts like a portal, so we could both be there when you open it, couldn’t we?”
Draco gave Harry a very-patient look: “Yes … I had the same idea,” he said scathingly.
“The old derisive Malfoy’s coming out, I see.”
“Just replying to the old idiot Potter in you.”
They both chuckled and went into the cabinet.
Harry held the shield ready; it was dark when Draco opened the outer door cautiously. He cast a few dark-thaum-seeking charms – they registered negatively. Draco lit his wand and held his breath. He let it out explosively when an old cellar full of narrow boxes in piles was revealed.
“Those look like wand boxes.”
“Yes they do, could we be in Ollivander’s basement?”
“A reasonable assumption, but let’s be cautious. There’s a door over there.”
Draco checked for hexes on the other side before opening it. A deluge of empty wand boxes enveloped them. Harry cast a quick ‘Arapneo’ and sent the empty boxes to join the others.
“Who’s down there, I have a ‘Confringo’ held, so don’t try any funny business.” It was said in a quavering Ollivander voice.
“It’s Harry and Draco, Ollivander.”
“Really? I recognise your voice, Harry. What are you doing down there?”
“May we come up?”
“Yes, but slowly!”
Ollivander still had his wand pointing at them. When he recognised the two Blakes he put it away
Percy was behind him also with his wand at the ready: “Hi Harry, Draco. How did you get into Uncle Garrick’s cellar? Did you apparate?”
“No … Um … Mr Ollivander, did you used to be friends with Regulus Black?”
“Oh … You found it then … Yes, my shop was to be one of his bolt holes, but the death-eaters got to him first. I thought he’d hidden his cabinet.”
“Yes he had, that is until we decided to make a portal to Number Twelve. It seems we reactivated the cabinet and it’s now become a portal.”
“Not heard of one of those?”
“It uses the same transit-thaums as a cabinet,” explained Draco: “but it doesn’t require the incantation. Once the creators have accepted you; you can use it just like a doorway. We have been fairly careful not to disclose our invention; we don’t think the other side knows about it yet. We thought you knew of the one from the cottage to the academy. We’d rather like to keep it that way, if you don’t mind.”
“We have just made a public one for the students from Milkwood Manor to Hogwarts.”
“Thanks Harry, does that mean this one’s connected all the way through to Hogwarts as well as the one upstairs?”
“Yes!”
Garrick Ollivander asked for, and was given a detailed explanation of portals and what they did.
“So, you’re saying that your friends or the Headmistress could be here within a minute or two?”
“Yes Mr Ollivander.”
“Please call me Garrick; I can see we’ll be living in each other’s pockets from now on. Not that I object, there have been some unsavoury characters coming into my shop. So far they haven’t threatened me outright, but they have been suggesting that things might get awkward if I sold wands to the goblins.”
“They use fire-sticks, Uncle.”
“Yes I know. That’s why I’m not unduly worried about the veiled threats. My understanding is that wands have more affinity to air-fire thaums, whereas their fire-sticks use more water-earth thaums. I’d really like to examine one, but I don’t know any Goblins that well to be able to ask them.”
“We know a few, Uncle. Most come to Sunday lunch at the Farmer’s Arms. We’ll introduce you when you come you might strike up a friendship with one of them.”
“The farmer’s arms? Are you referring to their upper limbs or some kind of weapon?”
Harry chuckled: “Neither, Uncle. The Farmers Arms is a muggle public house that sells food and alcoholic drinks.”
“A muggle establishment? You go to a muggle establishment to eat?” Ollivander sounded horrified: “How can you be sure you’re not being poisoned?”
“Well,” Draco slapped his chest: “We’re still alive and healthy after nine months. Hogwarts governors have eaten there too. It’s the centre of the villagers’ leisure activities and mine host is Richard, a really good sort – for a muggle. He serves much tastier food than ever Voldie did when you were imprisoned.” *He doesn’t seem to remember eating there nine months ago*.
H: *Older people do sometimes forget. He probably put it to the back of his mind because he doesn’t like apparating*.
“We go too Uncle Garrick,” added George; who had drifted in whilst the discussion took place: “Godric’s Hollow is a beautiful village hidden in the Cumbrian moors. Harry’s mob has made a warded dome, called a tholus, to protect all the villagers, muggle and magical alike. Hogwarts is going to set up a practical and agricultural annex there. It’ll have instructors from all races teaching. Horrty is ace at furrow turning; he’s a goblin, by the way.”
“Very good! I’ll try it out tomorrow. All our shops are closed as usual. It gets lonely when you lot swan off.”
“Come with us in the morning and see a bit of muggle culture too, we all attend the church there. It’s really great. Erm … Harry? Why are you all down here anyway?”
“We made a portal to Number twelve and accidentally reactivated Regulus Black’s cabinet. The other one is here.” Harry pointed: “It acts like a portal, though. We’ll hand you all through in a minute or two.”
“That’s great; we can use the older pair to connect here to the Burrow. I don’t like apparating.”
“You didn’t used to. I remember Auntie Molly telling you off for apparating downstairs.”
George winced: “It came on after Fred died, Harry.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I’m getting used to it now, and Percy the Pranker helps a lot.” George put his arm around Percy’s shoulder.
“I have read that mass apparating is less stressful,” offered Ollivander: “Maybe with your partner the side effects were not as bad.”
Draco hastily suggested going through the portals; hoping that it would take George’s mind away from mournful thoughts. They collected Florian Fortescue who with Ollivander even had time to take a quick look outside the cottage’s front door at the exteriors of both St. Godric’s church and the Farmers Arms. Florian did remember coming that Sunday and for Christmas. He said he would love to attend regularly now that there was a suitable form of transport. Afterwards George went and miniaturised the cabinets that they had put in and went to his parents’ house to install them.
~~~SUNDAY~~~
The London contingent came through the portal at very much the same time that the Dumbledorians arrived. It was obvious that Ollivander had not remembered being in a muggle environment before because he stared around at everything. He jumped slightly when John shook his hand, despite being warned about it. At lunchtime he sat between Gregory and Horrty, too much a gentleman to make any comment about eating with lesser races.
Draco heard the end of an interesting conversation and drew Harry’s attention to it.
“… You mean you draw all the charms and hexes. That’s quite unusual, you know.”
“Yes … Minerva thinks it will help some of the mages who are reticent about books normally; just as I was at Hogwarts.”
“Do you think I might see one, please?”
“I have one that I’m working on,” Gregory accioed the book and Ollivander had a look.
“Why did you choose that colour for the charm?”
“Because that’s how I visualise the thaum concerned. The colour’s not quite right; it should have some light inside it. Funny thing is; that quite often I see the thaum and it bears little colour relation to the final result. Like this one for instance; green thaum - orange flame. Yellow seems to be about growing things. Minerva thinks that the thaum should bear a resemblance. We’re at a stalemate because of that.”
“Well now … That’s very interesting … When you say you see the thaum, how exactly do you do so?”
“By closing my eyes and thinking about the process. Quite often I touch or hold the object on which the thaum is to be practiced … Sometimes afterwards, too.”
Ollivander’s eyes lit up: “I think you have the talent to become a wand maker. We’re very few, you know. I’m starting to fade, not helped by my recent harsh incarceration, and I’m looking for a suitable apprentice. None of my family possesses the talent or the interest. Perhaps we could talk about this at my shop; I have various test pieces there, which would help us discern whether you really have the talent. I agree with you about yellows being growing thaums. I once had a chat with a witch who could perceive auras. Like you and the headmistress, we could find no affinity between the colours.”
The amazement on Gregory’s face grew as Ollivander talked. Then he looked sad: “I can’t let Harry down. He gave me a lifeline and I owe him a debt of gratitude. Based on that, the headmistress has offered me the job of helping with the new annex. Much as I’d like to take up your offer Mr Ollivander, it is not possible.”
“At least take the test,” Harry urged: “It may not come to anything. If it does, I’m sure we can find a way around the problem. There are other Dumbledorians who might take over. If you have such a rare talent, it would be a shame for it not to get used.”
Draco patted Gregory’s back: “Go on Greg, we knew you had talent, it’s blossomed here, follow the Fluence if it’s wanting you to be a wand maker. No doubt it won’t let you rest if you don’t.”
“Well … I’ll see … Could I come tomorrow? I’ve got preparations planned for Tuesday and it’s Hogwarts Express day, Wednesday. After that I’ll be busy weekdays.”
“Very Good, I’ll see you at nine o’clock, I won’t be that busy, the rush for new wands is over, bar breakages. Perhaps you could spend some Saturday’s with me?”
“What do you think, Guys?” Gregory looked hopefully at Harry and Draco.
“Saturday is your leisure time, Greg,” Draco answered: “You can choose what to do with it, but thanks for asking.” Harry nodded in agreement.
The conversation had taken them into their normal retiring time, so the London party bid them goodnight and left through the new portal. Draco and Harry’s post-coital chat had them wondering if Hortulanus could take on Gregory’s post, or at least part of it.
~~~THE WEEKS~~~
Monday and Tuesday had the various tutors putting finishing touches to their proposed lessons; Draco, Harry, and the Hogwarts tutors were concentrating on their lesson preparations too. Therefore, the cottage was a hive of silent industry.
Wednesday had them use the new portals to reach Kings Cross because it was not too far to walk from Diagon Alley. There they helped with the boarding of pupils. As before, they had surveyed the route and no untoward activity was noticed. It had been easier this time because the railway authorities had altered the route. Now it passed just on the other side of the fells to the village. Their branch line joined it after passing through a short tunnel. Thus, in the most vulnerable places, the Dumbledorians not on the train, could maintain vigilance easily. There was no disturbance, or even any hint of one.
After two days of lessons Saturday came round. It was the monthly village dance of which there would be two others before the term ended. A week of teaching followed on with little incident. Then came a rushed week because Augusta was present. That had a duty weekend for the Blakes tacked on to its end so by the end of the next week they were feeling quite bushed. In fact, Draco went to sleep during one of the less enlightening sessions of the Wizengamot on Saturday. That was mainly because the Dumbledorians had celebrated Seamus’s nineteenth birthday, the evening before
This next dance had a special theme – Draco’s nineteenth birthday. Harry and his close friends had given the Slyth their presents in the morning, followed by a special meal at the muggle Savoy Hotel in London and from there taken a special trip along the Thames in a chartered steam launch. That had kept him out of the way whilst preparations were being made at Godric’s Hollow. It was a masked Blond Ball – one or two muggle wigs had been hired but mainly the muggles had allowed their magical friends to make a temporary colour change to their hair. Gregory had drawn a very good likeness on thin card, with other Magicals duplicating them and perforating the masks to resemble the guest of honour. It was a hoot, because nobody knew who they were dancing with unless, of course, they were partnered by the birthday boy.
A week of setting revision tests followed and then the final Augusta week [they hoped].
~~~ FRIDAY ~~~
That Friday at coffee time Peter came to see Harry. “Professor, is there any chance of me staying the weekend in Godric’s Hollow, please? You see my grandparents are coming over there for the weekend.”
“Have you asked Professor Holderness about accommodation?”
“Granddad and Nanny have booked me a room at the Farmers Arms for the three nights. So I won’t be staying at Granary Cottage this weekend.”
“What about your head of house?”
“Professor Flitwick says he is content, as long as I place myself under your protection. He gave me this note to give you.”
Harry unrolled the parchment and read it. “All seems to be in order Peter. I have no objections either; of course you can stay over at the weekend. Report to me after dinner and I’ll take you through with the others.”
“Erm … Professor … Granddad has asked me to have Dinner with them this evening. He also asked me to give you this; there’s one for Professor Malfoy as well.”
Peter gave Harry two white, wax-sealed envelopes. Harry opened the one addressed to him:
‘Dear Professor Potter,
My wife and I would be most pleased if you would share dinner with us on Friday next. We would be most pleased if Professor Malfoy would allow Septimus, Honorius, Crassus and Mordant to attend as well, and ask that you use your good offices to persuade him.
We and all their parents are looking forward to seeing the teachers of whom we hear such good reports.
Yours sincerely,
Malcolm Thomas.’
Draco had homed in so Harry handed him his envelope. Once he had read his, they swapped notes. Harry saw that Draco’s was in the same vein except for the formal request to him as deputy housemaster.
Harry looked round the hall and saw four hopeful smiles trained in his direction, so he beckoned them over.
“Did you get Peter to do your dirty work for you then?”
“No H … Professor. We regard Granddad as the head of our greater family group. He said that it was proper for his grandson to deliver the invitations,” Crassus informed.
“You had this all sewn up before you asked, didn’t you?” Draco scowled slightly.
“Sort of! Oh but you will let us off early, won’t you D … Professor. Please … Pretty please?” Septimus smiled engagingly.
“Well … I must say that one of Mavis’s home cooked meals is very tempting. However, there’s an amount of potions homework owing, and your schoolwork cannot be circumvented,” countered Draco.
“We thought you’d say that, so we worked off the Grand Marnier haze last night. Here are our four essays, as requested, Professor.” Honorius gave Draco a pile of parchments.
Draco smiled and looked through the presented schoolwork. “Thank you! Five points each for the excellent diagrams.”
While Draco was looking through the essays, Honorius had thrust another pile of parchment into Harry’s hands.
“Well, well! This is well in advance of the requirements, another two points each for assignments completed early.” Harry marvelled. “Draco; we are no longer able to object, mmm?”
Draco had been writing on a conjured parchment, he gave it to Peter. “I’ve answered for both of us Harry, in the affirmative, of course. You five had better move; there’s the bell for the next lesson.”
“GREAT!” Five of them rushed off down the corridor whilst Harry and Draco, gown-tails flying a-la-Snape, moved swiftly to their own classrooms.
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