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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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- 94
[Note: conversation =: “speech” & ‘thoughts’ & *telepathy* & #Parseltongue# & {telephone}]
~~~ MINISTERIAL ~~~
Mackenzie agreed to have some light refreshment before they took off for the barn. Hermione was to be the person in charge at the home end; with Justin, Dean and Seamus actually in the old building. Ernie and Lavender were to be standing by in case of injuries. Draco, Harry, Blaise and Mackenzie were to follow the tracer on their broomsticks. Fawkes was to come along in case of an emergency.
Angelina came with them to the old barn to show them how to use her tracing charm and then opted to wait with Dean and Seamus. After they had all donned Hermione's charmed rings they set off. Blaise proved best at tracing so he was put in the lead. Draco and Harry were flankers with Mackenzie in rear guard position, Fawkes flying above them as lookout. The flight was cautious and uneventful. Nearing the target, the Blakes sent out quiet probes, finding where the Manor’s tholus started. The party followed this down to the ground and landed far enough away not to have their auras detected.
“Let’s go this way,” Draco suggested quietly, pointing.
Because they were wearing the rings they could easily detect the tholus, once they were close to it. So when Mackenzie found out that there was no negative reaction, he surmised that the wards supposed they were satraps.
After half a mile of quiet country tramping, Draco called a halt. “You see that clump of trees over there. There should be a folly tower inside. If so, it has a passage like the one Harry has; but leading into the manor house, it was the one I used to escape.”
They were even more cautious, jumping every time a startled rabbit flew from under their feet. A couple of hunting owls had them ducking in case they were mounted patrols. Once inside the copse Draco found what he was looking for. Having recovered their breath, Draco and Harry sent tentative feelers towards the tumbledown structure. They became bolder, eventually being able to declare that there were no wards.
“I think Father knew not of this passage. I only found it when the elves helped me to quit this place. Harry; will you stay here please. We can use our mental link to call for assistance if necessary. I’d like Zappem to come with me; we know each other’s reactions best.”
Fawkes decided to go with them, providing a dim light for them to see by.
Mackenzie nodded his acquiescence, so Harry did not argue, settling down near the now revealed opening. He could feel Draco’s gentle probes and sensed Blaise’s shield by his lover’s reactions to it. They were very, very cautious and Harry’s nerves became hypersensitive during the wait.
*Silly bugger, there’s no precaution at this end either. We’re coming back*.
Harry let out an explosive sigh of relief; making Mackenzie jump. Harry apologised and whispered what he had learnt. Quite soon two dusty, cobwebbed Mages and a fiery bird appeared at the entrance; Draco closed the access in the wall and all of them crept back to the tracer before flying home to the old barn.
~~~ REPORT ~~~
Coming back from the barn Draco informed them, from a brief overheard conversation and the number of beings which Fawkes had sensed inside the Manor, that he was almost sure that it was still the Seignior’s headquarters.
“Let’s not tell everyone yet, we may leak, or someone might hear a whisper.” Everyone agreed with Mackenzie’s suggestion.
“Now we have some rings, Kingsley and I will set up a listening post, just to keep tabs on what is happening. The Weasley extending ears are a godsend to us eavesdroppers.”
Draco and Harry celebrated sexually that night, on the bedroom carpet, in the shower and twice in bed before going to sleep. The broonies also enjoyed their midnight feast.
~~~ MONDAY 13/12/99 ~~~
The warding course had been put back until after coffee. This enabled Hermione to look after Draco’s seventh-years’ potions. He went with Ginevra and Astoria to attend the Auror ceremony where Harry received his sergeant’s stripes in front of an assembly of the Aurors.
“The live combat training in the battle and the skill shown in searching and destroying the Horcruxes was better than all the practices we would normally give you, Harry,” said Kingsley, as he presented the insignia: “Combined with your obvious talent for defensive charms and aggressive hexes plus your paper on the battle uses of Imperious, and now your research into family geas. The Auror Council has advanced you beyond the rank of cornet. We expect that within a couple of years you will have passed your captaincy and be snapping at Mac’s heels for a tribune’s rank. Congratulations Sergeant Potter-Blake.”
Feeling fairly chuffed Harry used the Ministry cabinets to reach Longbottom Mill. Draco used the portal link to go and relive Hermione. Harry had coffee with Augusta and, after Hermione had come through the link, they continued together to the Island for ward-making experiments and practice.
###
On Thursday 16^th, Harry elided his seventh year lessons into one, which would take place after coffee. The reason being, that he wanted to support Draco, Hermione, Pullet and Phealey, when they were offered their pink velvet. This was a sign that the Guild of Potioneers regarded them as Neophytes. ‘Pink Velvet’ was a gaudy, floppy hat in the renaissance style – really only worn on official occasions and dinners within the guild. Rolanda came out of semi-retirement to supervise the fifth-years’ hex tennis session, in order that Blaise could also attend.
###
Harry had not scheduled any tutorials during that week so it was Thursday evening when he took the opportunity to go and see John at the Vicarage about something that was worrying him: “John? You remember telling me you had a vacancy in the Alms houses a few weeks ago?”
“Yes Harry, it’s still available. Do you have a suitable applicant for me?”
“Yes – It’s the old squib lady who kept an eye on me at Privet Close. Her eyesight is beginning to fail and she shuffles more than she used to.”
“Would that be Arabella Figg, by any chance?”
“Yes … How did you know?”
“Minerva mentioned it to me earlier. Mrs Figg needs two parishioners to support her application; so as to fulfil the terms of the trust deed.”
“I’ll be one; I’m quite sure Dean or Seamus would sign up.”
“No need, Harry. Now many of your school-friends attend church plus quite a few of the Professors, they have been entered on the parish roll. That includes Minerva so she can be the other one.”
“I think the Spirit is working again, don’t you?”
“Most definitely. All we need is the paperwork signed by the churchwardens and she can come any time after Sunday. Oh yes … By the Way; the diocese has, at last, given us the ‘faculty permission’ to move the altar under the crossing. The fact that many of the students attend and sit in the transepts but cannot see what goes on in the sanctuary was the clincher, I think. We will have to remove a couple of pew-rows in the nave, but that will not matter as much because the transept pews will have a full view, so more people will sit in them. Seamus and Dean got together with Mr Foley and they are producing a semi-circular altar rail.”
“How soon will it be in place?”
“We’re aiming for Christmas eve. It can be dedicated as part of the Christingle service. We always get a good attendance for the Midnight Mass which will be the next office to be held. I shall use the high altar and the stalls for the weekday communion services because they’re beginning to overflow St Godric’s Chapel. That will be used for the daily offices.”
John went off to see to the transfer and Harry returned to Chantry Cottage.
Mackenzie was there and caught the Blakes: “The Manor is their headquarters and they’re planning something big really soon. Most of them are still ducking the Master’s wrath after he found himself interrogating a pig, he’s also furious about losing two more satraps. We’re trying to find out when and where the attack will be, but we’ve had little luck so far.”
~~~ CONCERT ~~~
The concert on Friday evening was a success, with quite a few invited muggle parishioners joining the Manchester parents; even the Dursleys attended. Afterwards Millicent was seen sneaking off into the woods with Dudley. However, she was back in her dorm at the usual time.
*Unless it’s a englamoured pig – not much difference really*! Draco sent to Harry as they carried out their professorial school patrol. He earned himself a punched shoulder for that remark.
Despite giggling about his cousin, Harry felt quite pleased that two fairly unattractive young people were finding some happiness; Draco was somewhat more catty in his remarks, but Harry could feel the same sentiment lurking in the depths of his lover’s overly Slytherin heart.
After the end of their patrol they ported to their room at Number Twelve.
~~~ ANTICIPATION ~~~
Saturday morning had a love-in to start the day off; showered and dressed casually the Blakes went down for a late breakfast. Ginevra and Astoria had just arrived, plus the few Dumbledorians who were due at the Ministry ball. Ernie and Lavender were there with Poppy joining them later, Dean and Seamus had persuaded Katie and Susan to be their partners, John and Isabel were porting over after lunch.
“May we stay the night afterwards please?” Astoria asked.
Pop: “I’ve assigned the rooms masters.”
“How many can we accommodate here, Grouchy?”
“I think that Kreacher mentioned forty attended Master Sirius’s fifteenth birthday party, Master. Of course they would have doubled up and slept on the bedroom floors. Plus some, in the reception rooms, a couple of those chose the tapestry room couch for personal reasons. I’m told Master Arthur and Mistress Molly quite enjoyed themselves that night.”
Ronald went quite red, and then started giggling. “I wonder if that was when Bill was conceived?”
“Ronald, be quiet! It’s not seemly to think of your parents in that way.” Hermione tried to look stern, but soon caught the giggling bug from her boyfriend.
Grimmauld place was more like Piccadilly Circus that day; with Society Members apparating or porting in and out whilst doing their late Christmas shopping. Grouchy and Huppert set up a running buffet in the dining room so that people could nibble and chat as they passed through. Draco congratulated Huppert on her foresight, making her blush prettily.
Mackenzie popped in; talking to the Blakes privately in the solar: “We think the satraps might try something on tonight, some sort of preparedness seems to hover at the Manor. So, with your permission, my lords, we’ll set up the main post at Number Twelve, linking each floo with one to the main hall at the Ministry, so that we can arrive en-masse if necessary.”
“Less of the ‘lords’ business, yours is a good idea, you have our permission. Won’t the opposition know?” asked Harry.
“My lords, slips off the tongue much easier than Draco and Harry, or even sergeant and constable, so you’re stuck with it.” Mackenzie briefly stuck his tongue out at Harry. “We have an advantage in that we have Ministry sanction, they don’t. Actually, Kingsley and I cooked it up; the Minister will sign the back-dated order tomorrow if we need it. He’s not aware of the proposition as his office leaks like a sieve. If it comes off, a few of his lackeys will be quite short of funds tomorrow morning. You’d be surprised what we’ve picked up since we planted those ears, that portrait is almost opposite the Seignior’s library.”
“Oh yes! So it is! I’d forgotten that,” remarked Draco: “Lucky that Weasley ears don’t have a detectable aura.”
“You’re not supposed to show-up with wands at one of these official Ministry functions, you know,” advised Mackenzie: “But everybody does.”
“Our coat tails will have suitable pockets put into them and we’ll warn our compatriots. Where will the ladies hide theirs?” asked Harry.
“Bosoms or tall hair-dos usually, Partner,” Draco replied; “though I have known stocking tops and a slinky split skirt occasionally. Aunt Bella used to turn up like that regularly.”
“I don’t think I ever met her,” surmised Mackenzie.
“It was no great loss; I can assure you. She was sly before she went to Azkaban; she was atrocious when she came out. Thank Merlin for Molly Weasley’s fighting prowess … Oh Merlin … Listen to me, a Malfoy, praising a Weasley … Mr Potter! You have an awful lot to answer for.”
Draco’s skittish mood continued as they carefully went around and cautioned the Society Members present both at the cottage and at Number Twelve. Mid-afternoon everything quietened down as the attendees napped or prepared their glad-rags, and the others sat ruminating in rooms near their designated fireplaces. The mood picked up as more volunteers arrived and a more elaborate running buffet appeared for those Cinderella’s not officially going to the ball.
~~~THE BALL ~~~
Time came to floo from the dining room as it had the widest and cleanest chimney. Once at the Ministry, straightening their attire, the Society group sorted themselves into a reasonable procession and followed others towards the top of the grand staircase.
“Harry James, Lord Blake and Miss Ginevra Molly Weasley,” the major-domo intoned as they descended the steps into the ballroom.
“Draconius Travis, Lord Duindhu and Miss Astoria Esmeralda Greengrass.”
“How I hate that family second name,” whispered Astoria as they floated down to the main floor. “It’s almost a tautology.”
Seamus was announced as the heir to their Irish estate and Dean managed to surprise everyone by being Baron Thomas of Whiteleaf.
“You outrank the lot of us,” whispered Draco.
“Yes … Well … White leaf for a black guy … How embarrassing; still I will inherit my father’s superior title someday; now we’ve sussed out who he is and he’s admitted siring me. I think it was our fame that enticed him into that admission. I’m not sure I like his old codger politics, though.”
Their party chuckled and then dispersed, mingling, as Draco called it. The small orchestra was drowned by the chatter, not even receiving any applause when they finished a piece. Ginevra and Harry reckoned that the two dance/balls previously were much more fun. Very few people actually danced, most were more intent on scoring points off their neighbours. Harry was relieved that most of the participants had their wands discreetly secreted about their persons, admiring the ingenuity of the ladies as well as some of their other attributes.
Rita Skeeter and her photographer had a feast day, catching unwilling celebrities in liaisons with people obviously not their legal partner. The Dumbledorian gang saw through her subterfuges and made sure they did not form dirt for tomorrow’s Prophet. When she came towards them, Society Members would make loud remarks about crawling insects, so she beetled away to infest someone else.
Draco suggested mentally that they liven up the party, so with a little encouragement the younger ones took to the floor remembering some of the dances from the previous shindigs. The musicians were delighted to assist; having found a role much more interesting than that of ignored musical tootling in the background. Dean remembered the calls for one of the schottisches and, later on, for an Eight-some Reel. Half an hour later Draco and Astoria started a jive session, and things became more modern by the minute. Thus the sound of people enjoying themselves almost drowned the attack when it came.
As had been planned, the tables were between the main door and the dancers. Tipped over they formed a fairly effective first barricade to the onslaught and the spilt food made the floor under the attackers very slippery. The young Society members rushed to the front firing hexes. Quite soon they had erected an overlapping series of mirror shields discomfiting many of the attacking masked raiders by rebounding hexes. Some of the opponents’ curses managed to find targets because the shield had to be dropped when its holder wished to retaliate magically. Ronald was on the receiving end of one such hex and his leg buckled beneath him. In fact, that probably saved his life as an Avada Kedavra shot over his tumbled torso, taking a large chunk out of the ministry wall.
The medallions had warned the Members and Aurors at Grimmauld Place who flooed in and started a counter attack from the rear of the entrance steps. It allowed Hermione to rescue her betrothed and make him comfortable before she re-joined the defenders. Sandwiched between two armies it was a losing fight for the satraps; so within quarter of an hour the remaining aggressors had fled, including a vociferously swearing Seignior. The Aurors encapsulated the captives and smouldering corpses. Apart from Ronald, the only real victim of the attack was Minister Dirk Creswell, who had been on the receiving end of Lucius’s parting Avada Kedavra.
~~~ ELECTION ~~~
Hermione and some Members apparated away with the wounded, taking them to St Mungo’s. To quieten the hysterical guests, the remaining young ones formed a conga line, snaking round and round the floor until nearly everyone had joined in. As people gasped and giggled at the dance’s end, Harry dashed up the stairs to the entrance landing, using it like a pulpit and casting a ‘Sonorous’:
“Fellow Seneschals, Wizards Witches and other magical guests, we have beaten off another attack by the evil ones. But for everyone being prepared, as Albus Dumbledore always maintained, we would have fared much worse. As it is, our Minister has been assassinated and you can rest assured that the persons responsible will be hunted down. However, our society must continue to function and headless we will flounder. I suggest that we elect a wise Minister now, one who is not afraid to take risks, or to take advice. Someone with family experience, muggle contacts and a wiser head that any of my age group. I give you Arthur Weasley.”
The audience, taken somewhat by surprise, yelled back: “ARTHUR WEASLEY.”
The semi-reluctant candidate was pushed to the front and propelled up the stairs, whilst Harry descended.
“Good people; thank you for your support, but I must be elected properly by the Wizengamot.”
“WE ARE THE WIZENGAMOT.” Came back almost unanimously.
Looking around Arthur had to admit that ninety percent of the Wizengamot were present. “So be it then.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Thank you all for attending this ball; it will probably go down in magical history, even if we would wish it not to. Please note that our Aurors are presently hounding those who killed the previous chief minister. We have seen a demonstration of the efficacy of those young mages who have been so admirably trained by Hogwarts Academy, so you will have nothing to fear tonight. Those of you, who do not feel properly protected at home, should approach Professor Lord Potter-Blake, by owl. And he will dispatch some of his team to upgrade your defence wards. Do not approach him in person but through the proper channels, stating the wards at present in position, so that he can respond to the most urgent and weakest needs first. One of my Aurors will be in attendance on him and will note any personal approaches, ensuring that they immediately go into the lowest category of need. I ask that you make an orderly departure and wish you the best for the coming season of goodwill.”
As Father Weasley, the new Minister, came down the stairs, he met his semi-adoptive son whose emerald eyes blazed with anger.
“Before you say anything hasty, Harry; hear me out. Your little team demonstrated the efficacy of Hermione’s mirror shields before all the most politically powerful mages in the land. Had I not said what I did, you would have been besieged by forcefully demanding adults. As it is, I can lend you a couple of clerks to sort out paperwork and the priorities, so then you can take on the jobs in due order. I suspect that the neediest will be those who are not here and could not afford to lobby you, thus we put into practice what your magical partner put most aptly at his inaugural governors’ meeting: ‘Leaders caring for the weakest’. Besides,” Arthur added with a malicious grin, “you got me a duff job, so it is only fair that I give you one in return.”
D: *He’s right; you know, Harry. We have the Christmas holidays before us. Good King Wenceslas and all that, he brought firewood and food to the poor peasant, so we can bring protection to those who need it most*.
Harry looked at his partner and nodded, tears in his eyes. Then he held out his hand to the new Minister: “Congratulations, Right Honourable Sir.”
“Thank you, My Lord.”
Then the two of them hugged laughing, surrounded by the people whom they regarded as family and friends.
~~~ AFTERMATH ~~~
The company returned to Grimmauld Place, accompanied by Mackenzie. Hermione was there: “Ron’s in a serious state Harry, the curse hit his hip and shattered it. The medic-mages are doing what they can but the bone-splinters flew everywhere, cutting into his flesh. I’m going back to sit with him.”
“Give him all our love, Hermione. You know he has only to ask and we’ll do anything for him, don’t you?”
“Yes thanks, Harry.” Hermione kissed his cheek and flooed away looking grim.
As the sombre party stood in the drawing room sipping fruit drinks, they were thinking of Ronald and the others who had been injured and becoming quite morose.
Ginevra and Astoria put their heads together and came up with something to take the assembly’s minds away from morbid imaginings. Ginevra said, “Harry, I heard what Draco said to you in your minds when we at the ball.”
“So did I,” put in Astoria.
“How was that?” puzzled Draco. *How many more can do that, I wonder*. “Did you hear that?”
“NO” said both girls in unison; they had attracted some onlookers, so Ginevra explained to them what had happened.
“Okay! What was different then to now?” asked Draco
“Let’s stand as we did,” suggested Astoria.
They shuffled around, imagining the scene.
*Did you hear that*? queried Harry in his mind.
“YES!” Then Astoria repeated what she had heard, so the audience understood.
“So what’s the difference?” he said aloud.
“We’re holding hands; look!” Ginevra held up hers and Harry’s clasped hands.
They tried a few more experiments, drawing the others in as well. The phenomenon was quite limited; a recipient had to be touching the skin of one of the Blakes. A chain did not work neither could one of the pair receive thoughts from someone else. It worked best when the two of them were in close proximity. In the contacted, friendship helped as did strength of magic.
“Might be useful to warn someone quietly,” Draco remarked.
They chatted for half an hour longer, slowly coming down from their combative high. At four in the morning most people had wandered off to their respective beds. Harry and Draco washed each other under the shower, dried and then flopped into bed; A few kisses later they went to sleep holding each other’s hands.
~~~ SUNDAY 19/12/99 ~~~
In church, after the Old Testament reading John indicated to the next reader that he wanted to say something.
“I understand from some of our magical friends that there was a serious skirmish in London. Dear Friends I want you to hold Ronald in your prayers, for he is in hospital having a shattered hip repaired. I also ask you to hold the family of Septimus in your prayers, because his father was killed in that same skirmish. Many of you will feel relieved that the evil forces were defeated yet again. In that vein, we should read Psalm number nine together now.”
After the service Draco was shaking hands with John: “That psalm was rather over the top wasn’t it?”
“Possibly, but it let out some of the righteous anger that your friends were feeling. It enabled them to come to the Lord’s Table with a greater peace in their hearts.”
“Yes I suppose it did, I was quite riled up when the service started. Thank you.”
The Dursley parents had stayed on at the Farmers Arms until their furniture was moved, because Petunia’s nerves were beginning to mend, so much so that she was able to join in the communal lunch. Richard made up a table of twelve in the back room in order to accommodate the Dursleys and the usual nine top-table people. Hortulanus reported the completion of Milkwood Hall’s third phase – that of glazing the big pool, adding that the elf loft was full of temporary refugees. They had been found in an elf proof enclosure where certain satraps had been experimenting on them. This led to a discussion about their treatment, and how some had been very badly injured. Percy, George and Lee joined them on added chairs, and reported that they were having problems with the miniature prosthetics, especially with the fine detail.
Vernon listened to the conversation with growing interest: “Perhaps I might help?” he ventured timorously, “I have some skill in creating miniature tools. Some of the problems you’ve been discussing are very much like those I faced in a recent batch my old firm made.”
Over coffee the WWW trio and Vernon went into a huddle and their end of the table became littered with parchment diagrams.
“Can we use your new portal, Harry? We want to take your uncle to Diagon Alley. He’d rather not be side-alonged.”
“Yes of course, anytime; you know where the entrance is, don’t you?”
“Is it like the doorway that we went through a few days ago, Harry?”
“Yes Uncle, but this one leads to our house in London and there's another that goes to the shops in Diagon Alley. Like you, I don’t like apparating. I’m not very happy with that wrenching feeling or the dizziness afterwards.”
When asked, Vernon indicated that he still had his medallion.
Prompted by Draco, Harry went to Milkwood Hall afterwards. As well as admiring the glazed covering for the pool, they toured the elf snugs chatting to the new elves and explaining their present situation. Some were so sedated that they were unaware of what was happening. To look after them, Poppy and her team had taken over a couple of the bedrooms and turned them into a miniature hospital theatre.
Harry came away feeling depressed: “I don’t know why we did that?”
“I do. They have seen He-who-died-twice; they now have a hope that they can start a new life too. They also saw that I, the son of the most feared mage living, am on their side.”
“Draco’s right, Harry,” Poppy had appeared from her operating theatre: “They know you champion their rights, but best of all; you cared enough to visit them. The effect on their psyches will accelerate their healing. Potions are all right, but if someone loses the will to live, they only appear to prolong the misery.”
Feeling slightly better the Blakes had a swim, followed by dinner and some hilarity with their friends.
Afterwards they decided to sleep at Number Twelve again, rather liking the extra space that their bedroom there, had.
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