Prompt: [Seeker, DetectiveSky612 (David) – Kestrels] Voldemort had supporters in the USA during the second war.
Optional prompts: 8. (restriction) no Hogwarts staff is to be mentioned; 9. (scenario) A character is sent to Azkaban; 15. (object) suitcase
Words: 2940
Chaser 1, Bats, Season 5, round 8 Quidditch League
Disclaimer: If you recognize a character, JKR owns them; if you don't, they're mine along with the plot.
Danger from Without
Somewhere upstate New York, night of Voldemort's resurrection
Corban Yaxley, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Augustus Rookwood, spy for the Death Eaters and an Unspeakable, had access to portkeys that the normal population did not. Travelling across the Atlantic Ocean was too far to Apparate and thus a portkey that was keyed a secluded area in Canada would be used and then the remainder of the journey would be by Apparation. Rookwood pulled a crumpled cigarette pack out of his pocket and held it out to Yaxley. As Yaxley grabbed hold, they were immediately whisked away landing just north of the St. Lawrence River in a field. From there they Apparated to the designated safe house. The silent alarms in the safe house went off and alerted the North American contingency of the presence of intruders.
The members of the MACUSA had gradually altered their beliefs on keeping the magical community pureblood following the rise of Voldemort and his ideas of pureblood supremacy being so like the rise of the Nazis. They still maintained distance from the non-Maj community, but intermarrying was now the norm. There were those who continued to espouse those beliefs and had formed an underground alliance who believed, like the Death Eaters, that the Dark Lord would rise again. He would regain power in their minds. These followers did not take the dark mark, that only could be given by the Dark Lord, but they were in communion by way of magic two-way mirrors and other items encoded by a Protean charm, usually pocket watches or lockets. The alarm going off at the safe house sent an alarm code to the security members of the Dark Hand the North American equivalent to the Death Eaters.
Alan Clinton, Annie Hale, Tom Brown, Marc Diaz, and Stephan Vito were alerted to the intrusion as members of the security team of the Dark Hand. Yaxley and Rookwood were confined to the entry hall where their magic was bound until released by the team. Having visited before, they were aware of the arrangement and not alarmed. The men were immediately separated by an invisible barrier within the room so that if one were a spy or here under duress the team would know. Alan, as lead, began the identification verification with first taking their wands for identification and then using a spell to remove any cloaking (use of Polyjuice potion, glamor charms, etc.). Finally, there was the round of questioning under Veritaserum. Alan had met with these two men many times before, but would never let his guard down.
The last question asked each was, "Why are you intruding on our privacy?"
"Lord Voldemort has returned and wants us to notify you," Rookwood answered. "You are to use only secured means of communication with us as he wishes that his presence be unknown to the society at large to secure maximum power and minimum exposure at the present time. He has also ordered that no one is to kill Harry Potter except him."
On the other side of the barrier the same questions were asked. Yaxley replied, "The Dark Lord has returned. Overt means of communication must be the norm. Secrecy is of utmost importance. No one is to kill Harry Potter. That is the Dark Lord's providence."
With a nod of his head to his companions, Alan showed his acceptance of the answers and indicated the "guests" should be allowed entry. Annie and Tom simultaneously cast the spells to release Yaxley and Rookwood into the main room of the house. Marc quirked an eyebrow silently stating he would be informing the co-chairs of the Dark Hand. He left the room and Stephan snapped his fingers to call a house-elf. "Would you like tea, coffee or something stronger?" he asked the duo.
Yaxley answered for the pair. "Since we've been up all night, tea would be preferable. A dash of brandy would not be unwelcomed. It has been a long day." He yawned as the five-hour time difference added to the late-night escapades.
Marc returned, "Jayne and David will be here shortly. I only said they were required for a security issue and that the house was not compromised."
Jayne Doe and David Jones as the co-chairs of the Dark Hand were selected for their complementary abilities. The lady was really no lady, but a notorious madam. As such she was able to access the innermost secrets of the Wizarding community. She grew up on the streets and could fight as dirty as any street rat. The gentleman was a gentleman in every inch of the word. Brought up in a wealthy family and educated in the best schools that money could buy, he was a world-class duelist and master of mixed martial arts. He oozed class and was a political backer that owned both members of the MACUSA and both major political parties in the non-Maj world. The Dark Hand had decided that putting all their power in one leader was not efficient and if there were to be an "accidental" removal of one of the heads, the snake would continue to live.
David arrived first with Jayne on his tail moments later. "What's the emergency?" he asked as he entered the main room, not even noticing the two "guests".
Jayne, however, noticed the men and remained in the door with her wand drawn. "Rookwood, Yaxley, what brings you here? This is highly irregular."
Rookwood, ever the spy, sat back and watched, his recently returned wand clasped in his hand under his robes. He allowed Yaxley to talk. This was always the way the men worked. Rookwood's silent demeanor almost made him invisible and often overlooked. This allowed him to assess the situations more fully.
"Madam Doe, Mister Jones, we bring greetings from Lord Voldemort," Corban Yaxley answered.
"The Dark Lord?" David questioned.
"Yes, he has returned this night, but wishes anonymity, as much as can be, outside our community," Yaxley continued. "He has sent us to request open communications of a secure nature and remind you that the killing of Harry Potter will be his task."
"So, he still believes the prophecy?" the Madam stated. "Prophecies can be deceiving and lead us away from our path."
"You question Lord Voldemort," Yaxley demanded. "Who are you to question?"
"I don't question our Lord," she replied, "but I do question prophecies. Too much countenance is often paid to what we think is the meaning of the prophecy and not the fact that they tend to be self-fulfilling."
"You are a fool!" exclaimed Yaxley. "Why do you keep her in your numbers when her obedience is not absolute?"
"Because she knows where the bodies are buried," Stephan answered. "Never underestimate the voice of reason. The ability to question will keep you from falling into hidden pits."
"Will you be staying?" Annie asked. "Do you need a bed and a meal?"
"No," Rookwood replied. "We have completed our task and will depart shortly." Out of the corner of his eye he watched Tom slip from the room. His stoic countenance did not reveal the fact that he was aware of this.
Tom had received a message on his watch and had retired to read it without the prying eyes of the guests on him. He immediately slipped into the room and silently took his place holding up the wall near the door.
When the meeting concluded, Jayne and David escorted Yaxley and Rookwood to the travel room where they watched as the pair apparated away. They then returned to their security contingent. "Let the first-tier members know that we will be meeting at the Hall in three hours. Excuses are to be made and secrecy of the meeting is to be kept. We will inform the rest of the members later to not draw attention to the situation since the Dark Lord does not want attention drawn to his reappearance," David stated.
They made small talk and then prepared to leave. "Usual departure procedures are in order we will leave here in geometric sequence of time today. Jayne, you are first; I will be fourth today. Tom will be last after cleaning and securing," David laid out the departures. "You will have 64 minutes."
The first thing that Tom Brown did after Alan Clinton left was to contact David. He had 32 minutes to finish here then to put an alternate plan into motion. David was his special assignment contact here and who he reported to separately from the usual chains of command. He said that his aide Alex would have a suitcase packed and waiting for him in his office when he returned. He would be going to Britain under the cover of the MACUSA Ambassador's office and would be their eyes and ears beyond the usual contacts. David truly did not trust any of the usual channels.
Mid-day, MACUSA headquarters
Porpentina "Tina" Goldstein Scamander current head of the Aurors for the MACUSA was alarmed by the speed with which David Jones had obtained a diplomatic credential and position for Tom Brown. She had long suspected that he had "dark" leanings, but had nothing concrete to pin on him. She immediately contacted her acquaintance and fellow Auror in Britain, "Kingsley, we have reason to worry here."
"Yes, Tina," Kingsley Shacklebolt answered the floo call, "so you've heard."
"No, Kingsley, we haven't heard anything concrete. There's something afoot. We have had some disturbances around an area where we suspect a Dark Hand hideout is located, but it is cloaked. Is there something I should know?"
"The worst has happened," Kingsley replied. "Lord Voldemort has been resurrected by a piece of nasty dark magic."
"Merlin, help us!" Tina exclaimed. "Go on."
"During the Tri-wizard Tournament Harry Potter was taken by portkey to a cemetery where the spell was cast." He continued, "After fighting him Harry returned?"
"An Auror has suddenly been promoted to the MACUSA Ambassador's security detail. This was done without my consent and presented to me as fait accompli. I just thought you might like a head's up on the detail." She signed off knowing that Kingsley would be contacting her for a further conversation by secure means.
Upon arriving at his office in the MACUSA headquarters, Tom took the suitcase, passport, diplomatic credentials and the trench coat he had on his coat rack and headed to the international portkey office. He felt he had gotten away without being seen, but kept an eye out for anyone paying attention to him.
Later that evening, International Portkey Office, Ministry of Magic, London
Tom Brown landed with a gentle pop. He wiped an invisible speck of dust off the trench coat he carried and went to the entrance office where he presented his credentials. Immediately, he was greeted. "Brown, so nice to see you. It's been a while. How was your trip?" his escort greeted him.
"Rookwood, it's good to see you, old friend. The trip was fine considering the short notice of my new appointment," Tom Brown casually answered as though it had not been mere hours since the meeting in the U.S.
The men continued out of the Ministry building not noticing that a button on one sleeve of the trench coat had activated and now was sending a tracking signal to a homing device that hovered nearby. Their comradery made them a little lax in their vigilance. The signal amplified voices for those with receivers and was similar to extended ears, but without the cords. (This was a relatively new listening device that had been only used by the MACUSA and was on loan to Kingsley by his friend Tina for research and development purposes.) "Jones wants to know what is coming down and wants it kept on the QT. He is not trusting Jayne. I'm certain you knew that."
"I'm ready to do whatever the Dark Lord wishes," Tom answered. "I am totally at his service and wish to further the cause in American and Canada."
"Well, unless you are willing to take the mark, I cannot get you any closer to the front. I won't be able to contact you after you reach your embassy. Someone will be in contact," he continued, "so keep your credentials close. Wouldn't want you to be losing your diplomatic status, would we?"
London, nearing midnight, more than twenty-four hours after Voldemort's return
Rookwood left as Brown entered the embassy. He greeted the receptionist and presented his papers. He was shown to a third-floor suite where he removed his coat and put the suitcase on the bed. Carefully opening it, he removed a dragon egg wrapped in silk. This would have to be disposed of in Knockturn Alley, and would be his entry into the Dark culture here. He could not shrink it, or the value would not be there, so he would need to cover it with his coat while traveling. He then left all his papers on his bed and only took a small business card that advertised a high-priced brothel. This was where he would meet his contact. After locking and warding his room, he headed toward the floo.
Going to the travelling room of the embassy, he took the floo to Diagon Alley. After stepping out into the Leaky Cauldron, Tom brushed the soot from robes and headed straight toward the Alley entrance. It had been a long day and he was tired. He neared his goal, but the tiredness caused him to be less careful. He bumped into a huddled figure that was plying his wares at the entrance to Knockturn Alley and continued toward the brothel.
Mundungus Fletcher watched as the tall American entered the building, then apparated to where Alastor Moody was waiting. "Got a report."
Moody glared at him, his glass eye spinning. "Well, give."
"Where's my fifty galleons?"
"Fifty galleons? I thought we had agreed on five."
"Can't hurt to try for a bit more."
"A bit? That is out and out robbery." Moody held out the five galleons. "Well, report."
"He has sump'thin' under his coat and went into the Wicked Witch," with that he grabbed the money and apparated away.
Moody sent out a patronus to selected Aurors, "Suspected contraband being sold at the Wicked Witch. We are looking at a tall American, word says his name is Brown and he's dealing dragon eggs."
Shacklebolt and Tonks apparated in and joined Moody. "We're going to have to be careful or he will slip away. We need him not only because of the dealing in dragons, but because he is trying to get into the inner circle here. We need to nip this in the bud. What does Tina say, Kings?"
"She says there are several of the Dark Hand that infiltrated the MACUSA, just like we are dealing with the Death Eaters here. They are less organized, but have adopted more of the non-Maj technology. They are more rabid about the blood issues. Most of their money is new, except for Jones, and ill gotten. They have ties to several illegal groups and are pushing the limits. Just like they are with smuggling dragon eggs. There is also a mix of dark artefacts being created along with selling questionable potions."
"Enough chat," Moody growled. "Angelique says he is in his usual room, 69 with Cassandra. Let's go."
They put silencing spells on their shoes and crept up the stairs down the hall. At the last door on the left they silently unlocked the door and entered the room. Tom Brown had his back to the door and a shadowy figure sat across from him on Cassandra's bed. Between them lay a Peruvian Vipertooth egg and a pile of galleons. "Make that fifteen more and the egg is yours."
"Immobulus," Moody cast the spell freezing the men in place. He followed it with, "Incarcerous." Both men were quickly bound. "We have to get them in front of a court as quickly as possible or their contacts with strings will be freeing them."
"If we wait," Kingsley reported, "we should be able to catch a quorum. The ones that Potter named as Death Eaters present in the cemetery seemed to be scheduling time away from work tomorrow morning. I think there is a meeting for them."
"You can't arrest me," Tom Brown said. "I have diplomatic credentials."
"Oh, you are too trusting," Kingsley replied. "You should have checked the credentials Jones supplied. His source supplied you with a menu from a Chinese restaurant in the Bronx."
Ten o'clock meeting of the Wizengamot, Ministry of Magic
"We present Tom Brown, citizen of the United States of America, arrested for dealing in dragon eggs which he smuggled into Britain under the guise of security for the MACUSA embassy. He was allowed to enter by the joint action of the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic and the MACUSA. We have been following him for three years and this is the first transaction we have been able to witness. His co-defendant is Alexander Knowles, known Death Eater. Mr. Knowles has no known address, but his last address is in Wiltshire. We do not know for whom he is an agent, but he was purchasing Peruvian Vipertooth egg for 500 galleons."
The deliberations continued with arguments on both sides. "We have reached our verdict and find both men gentlemen guilty of buying and selling dragon eggs, a punishable offence requiring time in prison. You will be sent to Azkaban for no less than five years for each incidence."
"You'll never stop us," Tom yelled. "Blood will win in the end."