Chapter 2-Portkey Protocol
The atmosphere around Number 17 the day of the DC Dragons match was one of fervent excitement. Victoria's mother was dashing around most of the day with numerous suitcases in various states of packing, calling hurried instructions to her dad, who Victoria had the impression was only half listening.
"The Muggle hotel is booked for tonight, although the man on the other end seemed a bit surprised to get a call long distance." She frowned before continuing. "For heaven sakes, Jeffrey, do something with your wand! Last thing we need is a Muggle to see it and reporting it to the police."
It was moments like this Victoria was glad her mother had grown up in a Muggle household and that she and her sister had been exposed to some Muggle customs.
Her father gave a wan smile.
"Alright, Juel, I understand, I've been working around Muggle protocol long enough."
Her mother didn't reply, instead she only shook her head and bustled off in the direction of the kitchen.
Olive seem to have taken the most of the activity in stride, and spent most of her time in her room or the living room reading a very heavy looking book on the goblin rebellions. She would not be going to the match, Olive had very little interest in Quidditch, and only watched it when they were attending the matches during school.
When the last of the luggage had been packed her father glanced at his watch.
"While we should be going, we have to check in at the Ministry, and who knows how much the International Department of Magical Transportation will be backed up."
"Are you doing Side Along or the Floo?" Her mother asked.
Before her father could reply however, her sister interrupted.
"Wait, mom, I have to use the Floo, I want to go to Flourish and Blotts; they have some new books I wanted to check out on Transfiguration theory."
Victoria hid a smile. It was hard to believe her sister was only thirteen and did much more extensive reading than Hogwarts ever required.
"She has her broom, so I think the Floo would be better." Her father replied.
"But mom!" Her sister whined, her face screwed up in a scowl.
Her mother raised her voice to be heard over the clamor.
"Olive, yes, you can go to Diagon Alley, but wait until your sister and father leave, they have to catch a portkey this afternoon."
Her sister conceded grudgingly, sticking her tongue out at Victoria from behind their mother's back.
"You're only so fussy about this because you're going to see Jeremiah." She said in a singsong voice.
Victoria flushed. The bracelet Jeremiah had given her the Christmas before flashing a similar hue.
Her father took the Floo powder from the mantel and tossing some of it into the fireplace turning the flames a bright emerald green, and waited until Victoria was situated lengthwise before he joined her.
"Focus." He told her as the green flames continued to simmer around them. Then he shouted: "Ministry of Magic!" Then everything began to spin and their living room disappeared.
It only seemed to moments later when the reappeared in the large atrium that was the Ministry of Magic. There were countless wizards and witches rushing to and fro in different colored robes; seemingly oblivious to the two people that had just popped out of the fireplace.
"Stay close." Her father muttered as he began heading towards the lifts on the other side of the atrium and began searching for the appropriate one that would take them to The Department of International Magical Transportation.
"Level 3, here we are." Her father said as he ushered them onto another crowded lift, which only made Victoria feel cramped and squished.
A short time later, they arrived at their destination and followed the queue witches and wizards in the direction where the signs pointed to the department. Once inside, her father hurried over to a desk inside and began talking to a wizard in shimmering blue robes.
"I arranged for a portkey to Washington DC, United States for one PM."
"Name." The surly looking wizard asked.
"Jeff Smith." Her father answered, while the wizard consulted a long piece of parchment.
"Right," the wizard replied, now sounding less surly, "that portkey leaves in about three hours. You can wait over there." He pointed to a long queue of chairs where numerous witches and wizards were waiting for their portkeys to leave.
The next few hours with the most boring of Victoria's life. She amused herself reading outdated copies of Witch Weekly and watching the various people and their families in the waiting area. Some families had extremely young children, who seemed to be as bored as she felt. Victoria watched as two young children played a game of Gobstones and one boy finally got a foul-smelling liquid sprayed in his face-clearly having lost.
"Come on Harry, the boy who had lost said, "you know I'm rubbish at this game."
The other boy who had tousled blond hair, grinned.
"I know, that's why I like playing you, Colin."
Victoria stared into space. She wished she could message Jeremiah, but unsure of what time it was in Washington DC.
"Hey dad, do you think I can message Jeremiah?"
Her father pushed a button on his watch and consulted another face apparently showing the time at various points in the world.
"I don't see why not, it's about morning there. Would he be up?"
"Should be." Victoria mumbled, digging around in her satchel for the two way mirror she and Jeremiah used to communicate.
Very quietly, she muttered "Jeremiah" to the mirror and waited a few minutes before Jeremiah's bleary tousled haired face appeared.
"Hey…" He mumbled, "what's up? You here yet?"
"We don't leave for another few hours." Victoria replied. "It's crazy here, look…"
She turned around the mirror to show him the scene in the transportation office.
"What time is the match?" She asked.
"8 PM, I think." Jeremiah replied, "my dad booked us into a hotel just in case the match runs long. Hopefully they catch the Snitch before the end of the weekend." He chuckled, grinning widely.
"Yeah," Victoria agreed, "can't wait!"
"Hey, I got to go," Jeremiah said, "I have to eat breakfast and help my dad with some stuff before we go. I'll see you later."
"Okay, see you later."
A few minutes later the mirror went out, only showing Victoria's own face.
Finally the crowd in the transportation office seem to be dwindling and finally the same wizard that her dad been talking to earlier called.
"Smith, Washington DC, United States."
"Come on," her dad said, "that's us."
In a small adjoining room there were a couple of official looking wizards holding a rusty hubcap. One of the wizards handed it to her dad.
"Three more minutes, that should give us enough time." He said, "Come on Victoria." Then he picked her up, setting the portkey aside, took out his wand and muttered a spell which shrunk her broom to the size of a pen, which he pocketed. Only then did he pick up the portkey again.
"Any minute now…"
Then Victoria touched the old hubcap and felt the familiar jerk at her midsection as the office they were standing in dissolved in a whirl of color.