A Child of Two Worlds, Part 1
I do not own Harry Potter. Or J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World for that matter.
Chapter 10: So Near, Yet So Far
Changbai Shan/Baekdusan, border between China and North Korea
"Welcome to the Baekdusan-Base!"
Yong Gyeong-hwa, the head of said base, greeted the arrivals, David, Alex, Emilia and Wū Chìhuáng who had brought them here.
David looked at Wū Chìhuáng.
"I implore you to think about the consequences that-"
"David," she replied looked at him condescending, "you're not a politician. You may have discovered a few things about Muggles but that doesn't make you understand a foreign country's situation."
She nodded to Ms. Yong and disappeared using the Portkey they came with.
David sunk his head and stared at the spot where she had been a second ago. Was this what it was all about? Dominion? He remembered the words of the Wū family's ghosts. Had they been right? And was Yè Dàlóng's assessment of Muggles justified? David looked around. They were at the border to North Korea. Another dictatorship. Could this have been avoided if wizards hadn't gone underground in 1692? Could they had ruled benevolently over the Muggles?
The truth was that the world had become too big to be ruled even by the most powerful wizards. Perhaps they should have prevented the Muggles to ever invent agriculture and keep them small, powerless and far-flung instead of allowing them to become princes, kings, emperors and religious leaders and then into colonial powers and superpowers who even had the power of dividing atoms entirely without magic.
And not even wizards could escape temptation. Give someone power and prosperity and he won't be ready to give it up again. Until he believes that all his atrocities were for "the Greater Good"! Weren't they all simply human?
Could magic even have a chance? Had it been right to plunge into a cause that had the potential of throwing the world into chaos?
"Clear their minds, fill their bellies, weaken their ambition and strengthen their bones."
Alas, if only he had lived during the ages of hunter-gatherers and prevented all of this! Not letting loose the most dangerous animal this world had ever seen!
It was only one of several bases that were scattered all over North Korea, hidden in the unspoiled landscape away from settlements and magically protected. Along with the reintegration-centres in South Korea.
Already in 1917, the first Russian wizards had either fled or stayed to aid helpless Muggles or simply hidden themselves further in the wild when the world's first Communist state had been formed. One of the most famous witches of that time had been Nadežda Vetrova who had helped thousands of Muggles during the Civil War and Great Purge and meanwhile had barely escaped the Russian Aurors set up to hunt her as the Russian Ministry had been highly conservative when it came to Muggles.
When communism spread, other wizarding governments were affected, all of them reacting differently. While many East German and some other Eastern European wizards fled to the west the question was asked of what to do with all those Muggle-borns. Ultimately, many wizarding governments started secret operations in order to get Muggle-borns out and into the wizarding world as quickly as possible.
In general, wizarding governments were seldom exchanging methods or information, except for the wizarding governments of Germany, Vietnam and Korea. These countries, which in Muggle-politics all had been divided (Muggle-Korea still was) and so the wizarding governments (who had ignored these divisions) had been cooperating in finding methods to deal with the situation.
And even though Muggle-Germany and Muggle-Vietnam had been reunited, they were still exchanging information and people to counsel the still divided Korea. On this base, there were four advisors from Germany and Vietnam respectively: Felix Winterberg, a 72 year-old wizard born in Leipzig who in the course of his long career had been stationed in Berlin as well as in Prague (the former Bohemia was still a part in the wizarding administration of Germany); 47 year-old Annalena Moser-Nagl, from Carinthia which lay in Muggle-Austria, who had led an integration-centre for East-German Muggle-borns in Bonn; Nguyễn Họ Sen, an old wizard from Hanoi who had been active before and during the Vietnam war until its reunification in 1976; and the witch Lê Thảo from Cần Thơ, a muggle-born who as a little girl came with the boatpeople to the US where MACUSA had abolished Rappaport's Law roughly 10 years prior. After growing up mostly in San Francisco, she moved to Vietnam as an adult and had for a time served in the Department of International Magical Cooperation at the Ministry in Hanoi.
"Are you all right?"
Alex stood next to Emilia who sat on a bench and looked down to her with a worried expression.
"I'm not sure." Emilia said grimly and looked to David who was currently speaking to Lê Thảo.
Alex too looked towards him.
"You're not sure what you're here for. Especially since what this Master Yè has said about non-magical people."
Emilia nodded.
"When I entered you tent for the first time back in Tibet, I thought of a truly magical world, you see? A wonderful world like...Narnia or Arda or Lyra's world in His Dark Materials..."
She looked into Alex's eyes and saw understanding and sympathy.
"...but this...what he had said...we will lead the world! And then those ghosts! As if we were inferior beasts that needed to be tamed!"
Alex nodded.
"Yeah, I know. But that's the way humanity is whether magical or not. Just look at this country."
Ms. Yong approached the two girls.
"Miss Mason, are you not feeling well?"
"I feel better now." Emilia said evasively.
"You help magical children born in the north, aren't you?" she asked to change the subject.
"Indeed. Come, I'll show you what we're doing here."
The moment Wū Chìhuáng had vanished, Emilia had separated from the others and sad on the bench in order to process what she had experienced in the Wudang mountains. So she had missed out Ms. Yong's introduction to the base.
Alex looked after them and then went to David to join his conversation with the advisors.
Ms. Yong led Emilia around the facility:
"We not only save the children born in the north but also their entire family as the Muggle-government practises kin liability. That means that for the offence of one person the whole family is punished. So it's not unusual to see Muggles like you here or at other bases."
Emilia doubted that North Korean Muggles were very much like her. Their situation was in many ways worse than Emilia's except for one thing: they still had a family to care about. Emilia had often wondered what it must be like to actually know your parents.
"I assume that you would like to do more than to just get families out of here. Wouldn't you rather free the north from the Kim-Dynasty?"
"Oh, certainly! But we can't and won't just start shocking their soldiers in the open streets, we'd most certainly lose. No, we'll use our very own methods."
"Such as?"
"Well, you've surely seen wizards disappear and reappear in another spot in mere seconds. Some of us can do a bit more. Do you see that young lady over there?"
Ms. Young gestured towards a young Korean woman who couldn't be older than 19 or 20.
"That's Ri Eun-gyeong. She is an Animagus. That means she can transform into a certain animal. In her case a dove. Flying animals are rather rare among Animagi. That's what makes her so special. She can observe people without being noticed. Thanks to her we know where Kim jong-un often resides. How well do you know the history of our country, Emilia?"
"Well, I of course have heard of the Korean War...and of the Japanese occupation."
"In 1910, yes. Of course, witches and wizards were affected by this as well, especially Muggle-borns. Some of us planned to actively and openly take action against the Japanese. At that time there were, starting from Europe, movements that aimed to reveal wizardkind to the Muggles. You see that this thought isn't new at all. But there were different opinions on how to treat Muggles. In Asia the Anti-Muggle sentiment was mostly directed towards foreign Muggles of colonial powers. Wizards here thought that our natural superiority should be used to rule over them for their own good and thus for a "Greater Good" that would make the whole world a better place. But mindless mass slaughter for that goal alone like in Europe was rejected. Our movements more resembled the Muggle-born maroons."
"The who?"
"Not many wizards know about them. They were Africans who had escaped slavery in the Americas and formed independent settlements. Most of them were Muggles but there were also several Muggle-born witches and wizards. They didn't accept the Statute of Secrecy and hid their settlements with magic. I've come to know one of their descendents who is a passionate activist for the revelation of wizards, Andrew Abbott. He told me that MACUSA, the American wizarding government, took action against them until the 1860s. In Korea and China something similar happened during the Japanese occupation. They called these activists "separatists" and made hunt for their leader, Yun Bo-yeong. Ironically, today, theses movements are being honoured by the same ministry."
As if he had been waiting for it, with a faint pop a man appeared out of thin air.
"Minister!" Ms. Yong greeted him. David and Alex too came up to him.
"Mr. Reed, Miss Brandt, young lady (he said to Emilia), my name is Bak Seong-jae, Minister for Magic. Gyeong-hwa-ssi, how's the situation?"
"We've been preparing for two days now, Minister, for the extraction of two individuals."
She went to a large map depicting North Korea.
"We have detected activity of underage magic in Pyongyang as well as the village of Seokchang-ri in Hyangsan County, Pyeonganbuk Province."
Minister Bak looked at the three visitors.
"Do we have enough Polyjuice Potion?"
Ms. Yong frowned.
"Of course, Minister, the supply is always enough...do you plan to send inexperienced wizards and one Muggle into the field?"
"They're hardly inexperienced. As far as I know they already visited at least three continents and had to face quite a few dangers. And we need allies to our cause. What better way to show them exactly what's at stake?"
"Even if we took them with us. They need to be able to speak Korean. Convincingly if questions are asked."
"Well, if I hear correctly, Mr. Reed here is a legilimens. Theoretically, with the ability to search the mind, one could reach the language centre and get enough information in mere seconds."
David looked up and nodded.
"I have done that once. In Italy. Although I prefer to learn in the...traditional way, it is possible."
It took some time to get used to. David had never tried Polyjuice Potion before. to feel his body changing, shrinking, was a unique experience.
He was standing before Alex and Emilia who had changed into two Korean women. Interestingly, Emilia was now shorter than Alex.
They were all given special uniforms of the Korean People's Army, although changed so that they could impersonate a non-existing Special Unit with orders straight from the very top to investigate strange phenomenons if someone should ask. As a Muggle, Emilia had been given a gun that she kept in a holster in the case they needed to defend themselves.
They even had forged papers with Kim Jong-un's signature that Ri Eun-gyeong managed to imitate. Ri would lead the team going to Seokchang-ri and Alex and Emilia would accompany them. David would go with Ms. Yong and her team to Pyongyang.
As they positioned themselves for side-by-side apparation, it began to sink in to David that the three of them would the few foreigners to have the opportunity to see North Korea from a different perspective. But still, this was by far not a pleasure trip...
Pyongyang
They apparated behind one of the columns of the Metro Station Buheung. Only few people were out and about at this time. A few were standing in front of news paper stands reading the latest news on their "Great Marshall" in the Rodong Sinmun. Quickly the team made its way to the stairs where a gigantic mural showed The Great Leader Kim Il-Sung Among Workers.
When they reached the streets the sun was just setting behind the horizon. David always had pictures of Pyongyang in his head with grey Plattenbauten in his head. but no, the newest building in the capital were colourful with orange-brown, blue and green colours. They were going down Mirae street in the district of Pyeongcheon-guyeok which was built a short while ago for the scientific elite of this country. They fastened their pace moving towards one of the apartments.
On the third floor the Gan family lived. Yong Gyeong-hwa knocked.
Hastily, the door was opened and a woman appeared.
"Comrade Gan Seon-mi?" Yong asked.
"Y-yes?" she replied trembling slightly.
Without another word, Yong let herself in and the rest of the five members of the team followed her.
"You, you, guard the door," Yong instructed David and a Korean witch, "you, check the flat for bugs." The wizard addressed nodded and pulled out a wand.
A man came from the living room.
"Nothing found" the wizard informed Yong.
"Comrades Gan Cheol-min and Gan Seon-mi, we need to see your daughter. Bring her to the living room."
"You're not from Joseon," Mr. Gan exclaimed while his wife rushed out of the living room, "you're accent...you're from the south."
David who had listening to the conversation looked into Mr. Gan's mind: the nervousness that had reigned over the family for some time ever since their little daughter Gan Gyeong-ok had done these strange things and the fear of being reported and being taken away.
"No, you're right, Mr. Gan. Let me demonstrate who we are."
Yong took out her wand and pointed it towards an edition of the Rodong Sinmun. The newspapers flew right into Yong's left hand.
"Who are you?" Mrs. Gan asked astonished. She had returned into the living room along with Gyeong-ok on her arm. The two-year-old was resting with her head on her mother's breast fast asleep.
"We are wizards." Yong explained, "for centuries we have been hiding from the non-magical population. We've registered your daughter's magical activities. She cannot remain here, she has to learn to control her powers."
The two parents looked incredulously at Yong.
"We don't have much time, you'll need to pack everything now. We've brought luggage for you."
One team member brought a black suitcase and put it on the table.
"You'll find that everything will fit in there."
For the next ten minutes, the parents with the help of the wizards packed all of their stuff into the case including portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.
Except for the furniture the flat was completely empty now.
Yong ordered the others to position themselves.
Then they disapparated...
Seokchang-ri, Hyangsan County
Through the cold fog the last orange-red sunlight of the day shone. A large propaganda sign had been built up at the side of the road:
모두다모내기전투에로!
(Moduda monaegi jeontuero!)
(All to the Rice-Planting-Battle!)
"Reminds me of my home, Hyesan, near the Chinese border." murmured Ri Eun-gyeong while they were heading for their destination and spotting inhabitants washing their clothes and hair in the river.
Some people were walking or sitting by the road and many seemed to have nothing to do. A few cyclist were among them. Many houses looked like they were in disrepair, some downright uninhabitable. There didn't seem to be electric light, the vanishing light of the sun was the only source available.
"We're lucky to 'only' have to go to a poor village." Ri said, "in one mission, we needed to infiltrate Gaecheon, better known as Penal-labor colony No. 14. A Muggle-born happened to be actually born there. It was dreadful! The malnourished people, illness, mutilation through work accidents or torture. And we needed to enter and disappear again unseen. But the worst was that we could have actually liberated that camp! In total, the Baekdusan base alone has enough members to take on the guards via Stunning Spells and Confundus Charms. But we're not allowed to. The Statute of Secrecy doesn't allow us to interfere. It's incredible that no Obscurus has formed itself in one of those camps."
They passed the enormous elm tree that stood in the garden of the house they were approaching. Their goal was a seven-year-old boy named Seol Yong-ho. When they reached the door they heard forceful voices.
"Oh dear, please don't..." whispered Ri though more to herself than to the others and knocked.
A man in a Police uniform opened. Confused, he stared at them then let them in.
Inside, Yong-ho and his parents were sitting on a sofa and in front of them sat a police inspector who now looked up towards the group.
"Who are you and what do you want?"
Ri began to explain in a flawless Pyongyang accent:
"I'm general Myeong Eun-chae, special operations. We've been ordered by the Great Marshall Comrade Kim Jong-un himself to investigate unexplained phenomina." She looked into the inspector's eyes. "I take it that you are police inspector Nam Gwang-seon?"
"Indeed," replied inspector Nam, "And if there were such a special unit I would have known as I would have needed to inform you about this...phenomenon which we're still investigating. How did you come to know?"
"As I said, the Great Marshall Comrade Kim Jong-un has ordered..."
Nam slightly lowered his head looking at her as if she were a small child unconvincingly trying to persuade her father that it hadn't been her who had done the damage.
He then turned to his subordinates.
"Arrest them."
One of the policemen took out his gun an began to approach her only to stop seconds later, his limbs pressed to his body, unable to move, his wide eyes were looking at the wand Ri had pulled out. He fell on his back and hard on a table which broke.
The other two policemen as well as Nam stared at him for a short while then opened fire.
Emilia prepared to duck but the bullets bounced off three nearly invisible shields Ri, Alex and the which accompanying them had produced. Ri fired a curse at Nam who quickly ducked behind the sofa where the Seol family was already hiding. Alex quickly took out one of Nam's remaining subordinates and pointed her wand at the last one but he was already flying back by a spell from the other north Korean witch.
Ri swung her wand and the sofa was blasted out of the way revealing Nam and the Seol family. Nam aimed his gun but it clicked only. He crawled back to the wall as Ri approached him, hatred written across her face. She fired a spell and Nam collapsed.
Ri, although breathing heavily, didn't waste time: "We have to be quick! Repair the damage and erase their memories, then we get out of here."
Illuminated by the last bit of sunlight and the now risen moon, they saw figures approaching the house.
After they had erased all traces of their involvement, they took the members of the Seol family and quickly disapparated...
Bonghwang-ri, Gyeonggi-do Province, South Korea
The wizarding village had many trees in it whose leaves were red and yellow. The Polyjuice Potion had lost its effect a few hours ago. David made his way to the Jayuwon-Centre where the North Koreans were meant to stay for the next months. The Korean wizarding government cooperated with the South Korean Muggle government to such an extent rarely seen in other countries.
Alex and Emilia were already waiting for him. Minister for Magic Bak Seong-jae was also present. He was talking to Yong Gyeong-hwa and Ri Eun-gyeong who soon said goodbye and disapparated.
"Well, that went fairly well." he said to David.
"Are the North Koreans doing well?"
"As well as possible considering the situation they were in. Right now they're still interrogated by the Muggle intelligence service. The president has already been notified. The parents of Gan Gyeong-ok and Seol Yong-ho will spend a few months here and then can decide where they want to live. The two children will be living here and send to the local wizarding school. It's safe to assume that both of them will want to join into our extraction program, most North Korean witches and wizards do."
Bak looked at the three Europeans.
"What is your next destination?"
"Japan." David answered.
"Then I will arrange for a Portkey to Tōkyō."
San Diego, California, USA
They were listening to him intently and curiously. William Clyfton stood at the podium of the plainly constructed church and his voice echoed in the hall, energetic, rousing.
"And that's why I say: witches live among us! Witches and wizards who sow discord between us, agents of the devil! Scripture says: "Do not allow a sorceress to live..."
The orphanage stood not far from the church. Pastor Clyfton led the children back after the sermon had ended. At the entrance waited a young woman with golden hair who was smartly dressed in dark blue clothing. Clyfton guessed that she was from the rich part of society. Her likewise elegant car stood at the parking lot in front of the church.
Clyfton led the children inside an turned to the woman.
"Good morning. Ms..."
"Kennedy," she said, "Julia Kennedy."
"Please, after you."
She smiled and entered the orphanage. Clyfton followed her and then went ahead into the kitchen. He always prepared the meal for the children himself. While he began to chop vegetables, Ms. Kennedy sat down at the kitchen table.
On it there was a brochure by Shaw Media. It showed Henry Shaw grinning and waving. Above his head were the lines "Cast the witches out of Washington! Make America Great Again!"
"I'm seeking counsel, Pastor Clyfton," Ms. Kennedy began, "on ferreting out witches. I've read the website of your church and thought that I might be able to find some answers through you."
The water in the pot began to boil.
Clyfton put the vegetables into the pot and turned around to Ms. Kennedy.
"A danger that most people don't believe in."
"But you know that it is real, don't you, pastor?"
Her expression was serious and in her eyes there was a spark.
"Your ancestor, Thomas Clyfton, was a judge in Salem back in 1692."
"Indeed, he was."
There was something about her that made Clyfton uneasy...
"And they are still around us. These children," he pointed upstairs, "had wicked, unnatural women as their mothers. They had a bond with devilish powers."
Ms. Kennedy's tone changed.
"And yet you cannot make out witches as long as they don't show their powers."
Her voice was colder and she spoke in a lower voice, nearly whispering. Instinctively, Clyfton grabbed the knife behind his back.
"Have you ever heard about the Scourers, Mr. Clyfton? Your ancestor was one. They have betrayed us, misused religion to demonize us even though we were one people and we drew back. But not anymore. We will return. I've come to bring you home, Mr. Clyfton..."
Clyfton swung his arm, but before he could charge at the woman with his knife, she casually hold up her hand, her eyes as cold as ice. Clyfton was paralyzed, he couldn't move. the knife in his hand moved around and was slowly approaching his neck. Clyfton clenched his teeth and tried to move his head back. Then he felt an agonizing pain in his throat, the floor in front of him turned red. Bloody red.
The pot was still boiling.
Julia Kennedy stood up and looked at the lifeless body of Clyfton. One more Scourer family ended.
She looked upwards. Twenty children she had counted. Julia looked around.
The pot was boiling, the lid began to dangle.
She smiled...
The fire consumed the orphanage.
Julia was leaving the church which was similarly engulfed in flames.
The children sat in her car that was bigger on the inside.
Julia got in and stepped on the gas. The car moved away from the church passing cars more swiftly and faster than any No-Maj car ever could.
Julia held a Two-Way-Mirror in her hand: "Lucy, I've rescued the children. Prepare everything, I'm on my way..."
The propaganda sign mentioned was a real sign that I've found while researching on North Korea.
The description of the elm tree at the house was inspired by the book The Accusation (Gobal 고발) by Bandi (반디). I can only recommend it, as it was written by a North Korean author and depicts a true picture of life in North Korea in the late 80s and early 90s.
I have written all Korean proper names and place names in the Revised Romanization of Korean (RR) for consistency. Here they are with Hangeul alphabet as well as in the other great romanization system of Korean, McCune–Reischauer, in brackets. As Hanja characters are forbidden in North Korea, North Korean names don't have Hanja equivalents:
Yong Gyeong-hwa (Yong Kyŏnghwa, 용경화, 龍敬和),
Yun Bo-yeong (Yun Po-yŏng, 윤보영,尹寶英),
Bak Seong-jae (Pak Sŏngjae,박성재, 朴誠宰),
Ri Eun-gyeong (Ri Ŭn'gyŏng, 리은경),
Gan Gyeong-ok (Kan Kyŏng'ok, 간경옥),
Gan Seon-mi (Kan Sŏnmi, 간선미),
Gan Cheol-min (Kan Ch'ŏlmin, 간철민),
Seol Yong-ho (Sŏl Yongho, 설용호),
Nam Gwang-seon (Nam Kwangsŏn, 남광선),
Myeong Eun-chae (Myŏng Ŭnch'ae, 명은채),
Buheung (Puhŭng, 부흥),
Pyeongcheon-guyeok (P'yŏngch'ŏn-guyŏk, 평천구역),
Seokchang-ri (Sŏkch'ang-ri, 석창리),
Pyeonganbuk-do (P'yŏngan-pukto, 평안북도)
Gaecheon (Kaechŏn, 개천),
Bonghwang-ri (Ponghwang-ri, 봉황리, 鳳凰里),
Jayuwon (Chayuwon, 자유원 自由院)