Part. 7, Head out on the Highway. Next Stop; Adams.(D5)
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That's the property of J.K. Rowling.
(The Tour plane, while the Interview was being conducted)
(Eddie's point of view)
While the interview was going on, I was talking to this wizard that popped up in the cargo bay moments ago. "So you're telling us we only just need the instruments?" I asked the lead singer of that magic rock band, 'Weird Sisters', Myron Wagtail. "And we don't need to bring up our sound gear, props or FX gear."
"That's right, mr Riggs." Myron replied. "Me and my crew will handle the lights sound and FX for that muggle band's concert."
"I'm not sure..." I stroked my chin. "I don't like the idea of relying on another band's gear. Too many unknowns."
"Are you sure?" Myron asked, looking at all the props stored in the cargo bay. "That is an awful lot of stuff to haul up to Ilvermorny."
"We have ways of managing, Myron." I replied. "Just provide us the trucks and we'll handle the rest."
"Very well, have it your way." Myron said. "But at the very least, let us help you with the stuff. Our magic will help make it easier and faster."
I pondered on this for a couple of minutes before I gave my answer. "Thanks for the offer..." I held out his hand. "Just remember; you break it, you buy it."
"It's a deal." Myron shakes his hand. "Be right back once we're done with our own unloading. Shouldn't be no more than a few minutes and we'll bring the truck over." And he poofed off into thin air.
"Man that is just fucking freaky." Ralph commented. "Even more freaky than how he popped up in here." Recalling how that dude apparated in the cargo bay earlier and asked to speak to the roadie in charge.
"Like you said, Ralph, this tour keeps getting weirder and weirder..." I agreed. I wanted to smoke a cigarette to help me relax a bit, but I knows I couldn't, seeing as this is a non-smoking section of the plane, too many things here that could go BOOM and what not... oh well maybe later...
… We started to load up the truck provided by the Weird Sisters. On the outside that truck was your typical eighteen-wheeler Peterbilt 359 w/sleeper cab. But on the inside however… Oh man... The trailer had about as much room as the tour plane's cargo deck, not to mention the sleeper cab's inside was as large as a luxury apartment with all the conveniences; a full bath room with hot and cold running water, a fully stocked kitchen, a 100 inch flat-screen HD tv with accompanying stereo system, and just enough seating to accommodate its passengers regardless of the number.
The Weird Sisters road crew helped my crew finish loading the truck, using their levitation charms (Wingardium Leviosa) to lift and move the more heavier props and crates from the plane into the truck. Me and my crew then secured the props and joined the Weird Sisters in the truck's magically spacious cab.
"So what stadium are we setting things up at...?" I asked as I got himself seated.
"Well, we're headed north to Adams, Massachusetts..." Myron replied. "We're using the Quodpot pitch up there for both our concerts."
"Quodpot...?" Marcia asked.
"It's a yank version of our home game of Quidditch." The lead guitarist, Kirley Duke answered.
We all look at Bob, seeing as he was the only one of us who actually comes from England. "Don't look at me, mates. I'm as just as thick about all this as you are..." Guess he doesn't know either.
"Shouldn't be surprised..." The drummer, Orsino Thruston replied. "It's really unlikely that you muggles would have heard of either one anyway."
"One more question..." Terry inquired. "Why is it that you magical dudes refer to us non-magical dudes by the slang term for marijuana...?"
I've been meaning to ask that too.
The band members look at each other. "Well actually the word,'muggle' goes way back a fair number of centuries..." Myron replied. "To be honest, even we wizards aren't sure how and when it got associated with that drug. For all we know, it's just a coincidence."
"Okaaayyy..." Terry replied, taking his seat.
"Right then..." Myron sat down and got himself buckled. "Lets get this show on the road as it were, Higgins."
"Yes, boss?" Higgins the band's truck driver asked.
"Take it away, Higgins." Myron ordered. Higgins started up the truck. "Oh, yeah, make sure to keep on the right side of the road. That's a good chap."
"Oh, yeah, North American roads. Hang on..." Higgins taps his wand on the truck's dashboard, causing it to move the wheel, pedals and instruments to move from the right side of the cab to the left. "Forgot I left her in right hand drive mode. Silly me...Heh heh heh..." Higgins than gets in the left seat. "Alright, you muggles, you guys and girls better hang on, 'cause you're about to experience some serious shit." He brings his goggles down over his eyes smiling somewhat maniacally. His foot pulsing the gas pedal, making the truck growl like an angry beast straining at its leash. Tongues of flame shooting from its exhaust pipes. And the cab was rocking.
"Bring it..." I sneered.
"Well, you heard 'im, Higgins." Myron added.
Higgins tromps down on the gas and the Weird Sister's tour truck suddenly goes from 0 to 80 mph...in under a second! We looked on in complete and utter shock as Higgins steers and shifts gears like a complete lunatic, deftly maneuvering the careening big-rig between the taxiing planes and luggage trains and parked cars and service trucks, pulling off turns that would send a formula-1 race car spinning clean off the track and into the weeds. In mere moments, the tour truck roared out of the main gate and was soon taking the Van Wyck Expressway heading west, accelerating to about 100 miles an hour, passing every car and truck as if they were standing still.
"Well, boys and girls, how's my driving?" Higgins asked as blazes past another semi hauling a mobile home.
"This is just bloody mental!" Bod replied first.
"My head's spinning!" Followed by Terry.
"You're head's spinning?" Marcia added. "What about mine? I can't believe we're going this fast!"
"I agree..." Jianyu agreed. "Not to mention the crazy turning! This is just nuts. Don't you agree, Eddie...? Ralph...?"
"Can't you go any faster?" Both me and Ralph asked, causing the other roadies to jaw-drop
"WHAAAAAT!?" The guys gasped in complete surprise. "Are you two nuts/crazy/fēng(insane) /bonkers/cracked/ mental!?"
"You two a pair of adrenaline junkies huh? Hold on!" Higgins expertly maneuvers, well rather squeezes, the truck between two more semis, passing with millimetres to spare. Both me and Ralph nod. "Well I'd like to but the M.A.C.U.S.A. limits city speeds to no faster than 160 kilometres... I mean 100 miles per in the cities. Soon as I hit the Interstate, I'll REALLY open 'er up."
"Now that I'd like to see." I smiled in anticipation.
"A pack of 24 says he passes a Bugatti Veyron at full tilt, Eddie." Ralph wagered.
"You're on, Ralph." I agreed.
It wasn't long before the truck soon exits New York, and Higgins gives it full throttle bringing the big-rig to a steady speed of about 200 miles an hour(!). They were tearing down the I-678N to New Rochelle. "Hang on to your stomachs, Guys, this ride's gonna lean a bit..." Higgins warned as he brought her down to a hundred and took Exit 13 to Cross County Parkway, then exit 6 to the Bronx parkway N, them merging onto the Sprain Brook Parkway, Followed by merging onto the Tatonic State Parkway, and were back up to full speed.
"Looks like you owe me a pack of Buds..." Ralph gloated as they roared past a...You guessed it it... A Bugatti Veyron going at full speed(Being chased by the police of course. Wonder if that'll be on 'World's Wackiest Police Videos', Author).
We slowed down again as they exited the Parkway to take route 295E, crossing into western Massachusetts. Then they turned north on route 41, then turned east on route 20, north on route 8, Until they arrived at the Mount Greylock State Reservation.
The Semi drives through an unplottable gate, and drives down the hidden road leading to mount Greylock It takes the road up the mountain until it enters a thick wall of fog, and when the truck emerges, We saw a large castle appear from the mists.
A road trip in a normal car would've taken about 4 hours in the best of traffic conditions. But in a Semi-truck equipped with(I later learned) speed, maneuvering, anti- inertia, avoidance and cloaking charms... And a really good if slightly crazy British wizard driver... the whole trip took about 2 hours.
"Well, mates here we are in sunny Ilvermorny..." Higgins announced as the academy came in sight. Soon the truck comes to a stop at the front gates of the Ilvermorny School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry Institute(unplottable to muggles, of course). "So, guys, what do ya think of the trip?"
"Woah...It felt like a roller coaster as 200 mph...sideways..." Terry answered first, shaking his head to shake off the dizziness. Something that the other roadies...and the Weird Sisters were also doing.
"No kidding mate." Myron agreed. "And as crazy a driver as Higgins is, he's nothing compared to Ernie Prang, professional driver of the Knight Bus back in London."
"Well it was kinda fun..." I smiled, Hey that crazy-ass ride was fun. "Anyway, lets get over to that... Now what was it called again? Oh yeah, the Quodpot pitch and see how we're gonna set this up..."
(Meanwhile, at the Triple Broomsticks Hotel, Ambrose Alley{Unplottable, of course}, Adams)
(Julia's point of view)
The three Panem nobles followed by Kabbage Boy, me, Natz, Nan and Dumbledore arrived at the hotel via the Floo Network. Not surprisingly, with the exception of the three nobles due to their filters, nearly everyone of us was coated in ash and soot.
"Now my clothes are all dirty..." Nan complained as she tried to brush the soot off her Kabbage Boy baseball cap.
"Oh good grief, this is even dirtier than the Floo Network back in France." I complained as well as I tried to get the soot off my boater hat, cape and skirt. "I am so going to write a rather strongly worded letter about this..."
A concierge and a pair of maids approached. "Welcome to the Triple Broomsticks." He greets the group. "Just came in from JFK airport, huh...?" He asked, Everyone nodded.
"Well before you take one step further, hold still for a moment so I can tidy you up a bit, can't have you lot tracking soot throughout our fine establishment now can we..." He pulls out his wand from his vest, the accompanying maids also get out their wands. "Mundus..." With a simple flick of their wands, all the dust, ash and soot magically lifts off our clothes and into a nearby dustbin. "Ah much better, can I get your names...?" We told the concierge our name. "Ah, yes you're all on the guest list. I must admit this is the first time we had no-majes... Or the one who directly serve the divine ones attend these halls."
"Well there's always a first time for everything, concierge..." Dumbledore replied. "I trust my students have been given their rooms."
"They have, mr Dumbledore." The concierge said. The Gryffindor students are on the second floor, the Hufflepuff are on the third floor, Ravenclaw are on the fourth floor and Slytherin are on the fifth. Arranged by miss Umbridge of course. You and your house teachers have the sixth floor, and the victor party, this muggle rock band, Kabbage Boy, The Weird Sisters and the three divine ones of the realm of Panem have the penthouse floor. I hope your accommodations are to your tastes."
"Me too, concierge." Dumbledore smiled as he accepted the key to his suite.
"Like let's go check out our pad." Erik said as he and the rest of Kabbage boy head to the elevator...
"Do try not to wreck it. I know how you rock bands roll." The concierge warned as Kabbage Boy entered the elevator. "They gonna end up wrecking it anyway I just know it. We'll end up having to replace our wands repairing the mess."
"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to be wearing my maid uniform before this is over..." I said to myself. Then I turned my attention to Dumbledore. "Principal Dumbledore, I'm a bit curious about this Harry Potter person. May I have permission to have a word with him?"
"Me too..." Nan added. "I'd like to check this guy out myself."
"Hmmmmm..." Dumbledore scratches his long white beard, examining me head to toe. "Well...I don't see the harm in allowing you two to talk to Harry. Follow me please." Then we went to the elevator.
(Unbeknownst to either of them, a boy with platinum-blonde hair wearing Slytherin robes...And leather pants... was overhearing them...)
(Moments later)
Dumbledore knocks on the door with the labels Weasley R., Potter H, and Tomas D. placed on it. "Who is it...?" A voice called out.
"Professor Dumbledore, Ron..." Dumbledore replied. "I have a guest here to see young Harry. May we come in?"
There is a moment of silence before Ron answers. "...It's not Rita Skeeter is it?" He asks.
"Far from it, Ron..." Dumbledore answers. "Let's just say... She has the same taste in eye-wear as Harry does..."
The door opens, revealing a fifteen year old red-headed boy with a dappling of freckles on his face. He takes a look at me. "Well, you're clearly not Rita Skeeter. Hi there, name's Ron...Ron Weasley." He introduces himself.
"Julia...Julia DuBois." I introduced myself in return. "Is Harry potter in?"
"'Scuse me Ron..." Harry shoved himself between Ron and the partially open door. "I'm Harry Potter...And you are?"
"Here I go again..." I lamp-shaded. "Julia DuBois, mr Potter. May I come in, or are you boys too busy, I could come back later if you want."
"We're pretty much settled in right now so come on in." Harry invited. "So what brings a mentor from District 8 and her newest victor from the 'gods' games here...?" He asked as me and Nan entered. He sits down on one of the beds while I hung my hat and cape on an unused hanger.
"That's what I'd like to know myself, Harry..." A voice from behind asked. Everyone turned around to see that it belonged to one of the girls. "Hermiome Granger, pleased to meet you... And I already know who you two are... Now why are you two interested in Harry?"
"Well, Before I came here..." I grabbed a chair and sat down, then started to explain. "The reporters did another interview with Nan here, so I took the opportunity to ask them as to why they were trying to interview you earlier. They told me that you were a somewhat controversial winner of a certain tournament last spring."
"The Tri-Wizard Cup..." Harry replied. "Professor?"
"You're sure about this, professor..." Hermiome asked, a look of concern on her face as she stood behind Harry.
"It's okay Hermiome. I believe it's okay for harry can tell her about it." Dumbledore said. "You might as well answer her, Harry."
"If you say so, professor..." Harry replied. He explained to me how his whole participation in the Tri-Wizard Cup, and that the whole thing was in fact a set-up so that this Voldemort person can regain his full strength and be able to kill Harry, which he almost did. Not to mention the rather tragic death of Cedric Diggery when he, along with Harry was sucked into Voldemort's trap(Read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling for the details, or watch the movie, Author).
"My word..." I replied, gloved hand to my chin in amazement. "You must be absolutely lucky to escape that dreadful Voldemort person with your life."
"Well, way luckier than you when they threw you into that bloody meat-grinder five years ago..." Harry said, referring to my awful ordeal in the games. "It wasn't the first time I barely escaped getting murdered by Voldemort... And I don't think it's gonna be the last time either." He notices both me and Nan's curious expression. So he told us about how Voldemort killed his parents and tried to kill him as well when he was a baby. But his mother's willing sacrifice caused Voldemort's spell to backfire, leaving Harry with his distinctive scar and almost killing Voldemort. Reducing him to a shrunken shell of his former glory… Until last spring.
"Since then I've been called 'The Boy who Lived' because I was the first one to have survived a direct hit from a killing curse, but that's no longer the case since Wormtail used my blood to restore Voldemort and remove my mother's protection." Harry finished.
"How absolutely awful, losing both your parents..." I commented, remembering how my own parents disowned and un-disowned me...twice. "And I do suppose that explains the lightning-shaped scar on your forehead... Rather interesting looking, that scar."
"Well...I suppose." Harry replied.
"Speaking of your scar, Harry..." Hermiome interjected Walking around Harry's bed til she was next to me. "Has it been hurting you lately?"
"No, Hermiome." Harry replied, rubbing his scar. "Guess Voldemort's keeping quiet for the time being, probably waiting for us to return to Britain..."
Then he looks at his still bandaged hand. "But my hand, however... Ngh..." He winces in pain as he takes off his bandages to examine his injured hand which was still scarred with the words,'I must not tell lies'. Some of the letters are still bleeding.
"Guess I shouldn't have tried to carry my trunk with it so soon after one of Umbridge's detentions huh..."
"Oh my word..." I gasped, hand to my chin. "Is she still doing...That.!? And now to you!?" I had seen Umbridge's...handiwork before. First to those two Beauxbatons students and more recently to that female D5 tribute from Nan's games. As if I needed another reason to absolutely despise that… toad...ugh… "This is just absolutely intolerable! Nan..."
"Yes, mentor?" Nan replied as she approached.
"Do you still have your bodhi blastia?" I asked.
"Yes mentor" Nan replied, taking off her cap and pointing at her bodhi blastia, then she looks at Harry's still scarred up hand. "Do you want me to use a healing arte on it?" She asks.
"Please" I replied. Nan casts first aid on Harry's hand. The scars stop bleeding and start to disappear a little bit, but remain noticeable. "Any better, Harry...?" I asked.
"Oh, yeah, loads better, thanks." Harry smiled. "Hold on you've said you've seen this before?" He leans forward. "Was she using that black quill on her tributes?"
"Yes she has, Harry" I shook my head in utter disgust. "In my games, both of her tributes hands were so messed up they couldn't even hold their wands, never mind any other weapon properly. They said that Umbridge was punishing them for speaking in French and a few other minor mistakes. I saw this revolting and cruel practice again in my first year of mentoring(as if those revolting games weren't bad enough). That alone was enough to make me absolutely despise that priestess."
"And now I'm stuck with her teaching my Defense Against the Dark Arts classes." Dumbledore interjected, shaking his head. "And it doesn't help that I've already got too much on my plate as it is, getting everything ready for the possibility of another wizarding war with Voldemort. Not that I haven't told Delores to cease and desist her form of...discipline on my students, Harry isn't the only one to be made to write lines."
"Only...She doesn't respect you, principal Dumbledore." I said. Figures as much.
"And let's not forget that the whole bloody Ministry of Magic trying to make Harry look like a lying lunatic rather than accept the fact that … You Know Who is back." Ron added, pacing back and forth.
But before anyone else can say anything else... "...Hem hem..." Umbridge interrupts. We turned to see her just standing outside the door flanked by professor Snape and Draco Malfoy. "Mentor DuBois of D8, I did not give neither you nor your victor permission to enter floors designated to Hogwarts students."
"Just what are you two muggles up to?" Draco added, making the word muggle sound like an unpleasant racial slur. "Just because you're a mentor and a victor doesn't mean you two muggles can do as you please."
"Is it wasn't for mr Malfoy who told me that you two were going where you shouldn't... who knows what you two might have done." Umbridge said, patting Draco on the shoulder. "Twenty points to house Slytherin."
"And while I do so commend mr Malfoy on his decision to inform you of our actions..." Dumbledore congratulated. "I must also point out that miss DuBois asked for my permission to see mr Potter and I did, as headmaster of Hogwarts, granted it on condition that I accompany then in case things like this were to happen. After all they are my students."
"...For now..." Umbridge replied. She walks over to me. "I would wish you would mind your own business in the future, child." She sternly said, hands on her hips. "If you were in my charge..."
"You'd what!?" I angrily stood up, and was now standing a full head higher than Umbridge(me; 1.71m/ 5'7'', Umbridge; 1.5m/5'0''). "You'd make me carve up my hand with that stupid black quill of yours?" I looked s down at the short revolting excuse of a priestess. "Just like you did with those Beauxbatons tributes?" I stepped forward. "Just like you did with those tributes both this year and last and who knows how many others?" I stepped forward again making Umbridge step back. "Just like you're doing now to this boy for trying to warn your world of an impending threat of that Voldemort person?" I took one more step towards Umbridge, almost making her fall back.
"Don't you dare say his name, you impudent muggle child!" Umbridge shot back, pulling out her wand to make me keep my distance. "Harry Potter is clearly lying to you about the Dark Lord's return. We listened in before our interruption."
"Do I look like I'm 12 years old?" I replied standing my ground. "Besides, I sincerely doubt he's lying, priestess Umbridge... Let's just say I have a way of knowing, unlike you, you unpleasant control-freak."
"Control freak!?" Umbridge turned white then red. "Insolent little brat! I oughta curse you here and now!"
"Really? I'd like to see you try, Umbridge" I retorted, giving Umbridge a look that could flash freeze magma. "And as for little... Have you ever looked in a mirror lately?"
Just then Draco suddenly pulls out his wand. And points it at me. "How dare you say that you filthy muggle..." He suddenly casts a jinx at me, but I manages to evade it. "WHAT!? How did she?" Only to be suddenly interrupted by Nan, who shot across the room and swatted the wand from his hand, then grabbed Draco by the neck, pinning him to the back wall. "Gahucghk" He said as Nan choked him, lifting his a few inches off the floor.
"UNHAND THAT WIZ..." Umbridge roared aiming her wand at Nan but was interrupted when...
"Oh no, you don't!" I stepped forward and grabbed Umbridge's wrist, pulling her wand to the ceiling.
"AHG!" She yelped in surprise, dropping her wand, which I quickly took. "How dare you lay your filthy muggle hands on me like that! Give me back my wand!" She demanded.
"I simply don't think so, priestess..." I replied, stepping back from Umbridge. "You might try to curse me... Or turn me into something...unnatural."
"Don't you dare zap my mentor, Blondie!" Nan snarled at Draco, continuing to choke him.
"That was simply not very nice of you mr Malfoy..." I scolded the choking wizard, casually twirling Umbridge's stolen wand. "Trying to use me for target practice. Honestly."
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed. "It's easy to see why those two won... They're just that bloody good."
"No kidding, Ron!" Harry agreed, astonished at how quickly both me and Nan disarmed the two. "Those two certainly don't need Firebolts, that's for sure."
"Miss Fletcher, would you be so kind as to, please, let Draco down before he runs out of air." Dumbledore suggested. Nan nodded and released Draco, causing him to land in a heap on the floor.
...And looking really embarrassed. "Wait til my father hears about this!" He threatened before Snape smacks him on the back of his head.
"Enough, Malfoy." Snape ordered. "I'm afraid I'll have to agree with mentor DuBois, that unprovoked attack you just did on her just cost your house twenty points."
"But professor Snape..." Draco protested.
"Will that be another twenty points, Malfoy?" Snape threatened. Draco shook his head. "Very well, return to your dormitory and think about what you did whilst I think about your detention." Draco storms off to the elevator, giving the Gryffindor students, me and Nan a rather dirty look, tongue sticking out as the elevator doors closed. "Miss DuBois would you return professor Umbridge her wand... in one piece, if you please."
"Well, since you said 'please'..." I… rather reluctantly gave Umbridge back her wand. "Why am I going to regret this..."
Then I looked at at Harry. "Well, mr Potter, I sincerely thank you for your time and I wish we could have conversed longer..."
I politely bowed. "But I feel that we may have overstayed our welcome as far as priestess Umbridge is concerned and, on that note, we should retire to the penthouse..." I give a dirty look at Umbridge. "... While I still have the stomach to eat. Good day, mr Potter, mr Dumbledore..." I bowed again at Harry and Dumbledore. "Come with me, Nan..." I retrieved my hat and cape.
"Coming..." Nan replied.
"This is not over between us..." Umbridge said.
"I wish it never even started..." I coldly replied, turning her back on Umbridge, nose in the air. "HUMPH" I marched off to the elevator, followed by Nan.
(End Part 7)
Author's Notes:
And here we are in sunny Ilvermorny, Massachusetts.
Had to a bit of research to get the route one would take from JFK airport to the Mt Greylock by car… Or magic Peterbilt.
Next chapter… Delores gives a speech (No surprise), that SERIOUSLY impacts the future of Hogwarts.
