Chapter 40: The Wand

Calamity had intended to leave right after the award ceremony, but was convinced to extend her stay by Rachel Ngo, her fellow Healer without Border Founder.

"Come on, Calamity," Rachel urged. "I'm going to Houston anyway, we can stop by New Orleans so you can see what real American magic looks like. Not just this posh Ilvermorny and Hogwarts education."

"If I recall correctly, you also attended Ilvermorny for a few years," Calamity said with a smirk.

"Honestly, Calamity," Rachel had said pushing her long black hair away from her almond eyes. "You just don't know about magic in the South. You've been international too long. Besides, you don't need schooling in the South, magic is the way of life."

"And magic in New Orleans is different than it is in New York," Calamity asked. Rachel made a sound of exasperation.

"You won't even know what magic is after this."

So Calamity wrote written to Remus, who she was suppose to meet in Scotland that she needed to push their meeting back. Then she wrote to Andromeda and Ted, who had offered her their home and food while she was visiting to explain the delay. Finally she wrote to Sirius.

Snuffles,
I will be back in your area in two weeks. Please stay out of trouble until then. Can't wait to catch up, hopefully over some warm butterbeer and treats.
Stay safe!
-Calamity.

A month later she still hadn't heard back from Sirius. She tried to push the concern from her mind in New Orleans, where the wizarding community and muggle community intermingled in a way that broke every statute of secrecy. Vampire bars allowed muggles inside who were dressed with Gothic attire and fake teeth, Voodoo markets sold their magic artifacts to witches and no-maj alike. Every person she talked to at Marie Laveau's grave (covered in candles, flowers, and voodoo dolls) was non-magic.

"Down here we mix the African, European, and Native magic styles," explained a creole witch as she spotted Calamity pursuing her wands. "And the no-maj don't mind because we always helped in yellow fever and cholera epidemics. Besides, they could be packing something just as deadly as a wand, so they have nothing to fear." She waved her hand over the nearby gray candle and it lit, despite her lack of wand.

"And you never run into any troubles," Calamity asked.

"Every once and a while we might, but we make sure it doesn't get back to the Congress. They don't have time to send anyone our way, any ways. You'll like this one." She pulled out a wand box, holding it up for Calamity to inspect. "You know, the Africans and Natives never used wands. That's the European side of the magic. Better to use wands for transfiguration and charms, but healing, curses, and potions? That's better without one."

Calamity opened the box to see a slim wand with a slight twist to it's design.

"The swamp mayhaw wood give sit that twist. Made with the hair of a rougarou by Violetta Beauvais herself just before her death. Powerful magic happens right before a death, natural or otherwise. She always made picky wands. They never chose no one but the finest witches and wizards. This one's been on the shelf for as long as I can remember," said the woman.

Rachel was coming back from the potion section holding a vial, but the woman gave her a sideways look and she turned abruptly, becoming very interested in the shelf of wands labeled Shikoba Wolfe.

"I've got a wand," Calamity said. She pulled out her own wand to show, but the woman seemed uninterested.

"Don't take being chosen by a Beauvais wand so lightly. It knows you need it. Some kind of darkness afoot, or some danger. Maybe just a tricky bit of spell work. Whatever it is, you'll take it."

The candle flickered mysteriously and the woman watched it. She nodded and turned again to Calamity. "You'll need to take it."

"No," Calamity said, trying to push the wand back to the woman. The woman leaped back as if burned by the wand's box.

"TAKE IT," she screeched. "TAKE IT AND GO!"

Rachel tossed money on the counter and pulled Calamity from the store before Calamity could protest anymore. Outside they walked to Cafe Du Monde for a Beignet, a ball of fried dough with powdered sugar on it. Rachel beamed as they bit into the first one. "Toldya the South did magic differently."

It was mid-April by the time Calamity returned to the United Kingdom to recounted this story to Remus in his favorite spot in the Hogs Head, next tot he window. Remus listened his eyebrows wrinkled in thought.

"Have you told Snuffles," he asked finally.

"No," Calamity said. She still hadn't had any word from Sirius. "I'm sure he has a lot to worry about."

"You ought to find him," Remus said. "I think he's made his way here, to Hogsmeade."

"What do you mean," asked Calamity in surprise. "Why wouldn't he tell me?"

"Probably for the same reason he didn't tell me," Remus shrugged. "We'd try to talk him out of it. But, there's another reason you should find him..."

Remus put a newspaper on the table, pushing it towards her. Her image appeared next to Rachel's and their fellow founder, Lucas, as they held up their awards, then shook hands, then held up their medals again. Calamity was about to smile, but then caught the part of the article that Remus had underlined for effect. The place where she was quoted as Jaden Scott's widow. She moaned and put her face in her hands.

"Congratulations, by the way," Remus said with a gentle smile. "You didn't happen to mention it to him before you left, did you?"

"No," Calamity said from her hands. "No, I didn't. He's being a starving idiot in Hogsmeade worried about Harry and realizes this when I'm not there? How upset do you think he is?"

"Probably not upset," Remus said comfortingly. "He's not a sixteen year old git the way he once was. He's probably just confused."

"So reckless," Calamity said.

"Not much more than usual. Why don't you ask yourself."

Calamity took her hands from her face to see Remus nod out the window just as a black tail disappeared from sight into the alleyway. Calamity looked back at Remus who shrugged.

"Sneaky Marauders," Calamity said. She stood and moved outside, but no sooner had she exited the Hogs Head than she heard a familiar voice call her from the other direction. Turning Calamity found Andromeda and Ted Tonks moving her way, a bubble gum pink haired young woman behind them.

"Calamity, how luck we met you here," Ted said with a large hug for Calamity. "You saved us the owl!"

"Oh," Calamity said. Her eyes darted back to the alley which seemed empty from her spot, then to the window where she and Remus had been sitting. Remus had also disappeared. Calamity felt a pang of disappointment.

"Come join us for some dinner," Andromeda said. "Nymphadora's just been made an official auror!"

"Oh mum," said the pink haired woman rolling her eyes. "Calamity's probably got plans. She's not suppose to see us until tomorrow."

"Congratulations, Tonks," Calamity said warmly. "How'd Mad-Eye take it?"

"Elusively," Tonks said with a smirk. She stood leaning back on one leg, arms crossed in front of her. "He's been impossible to reach since he's been at Hogwarts. Every time I do manage to get an owl it's short. Not like it use to be."

"He's always a man of business," Calamity said comfortingly.

"Not with Dora, he isn't," Ted said ruffling his daughters hair fondly. "Can't get him to shut up about her and being an auror. I was suprised we didn't get his head floating in our fireplace calling her name as soon as it happened. He figures himself her auror father."

"Oh don't be jealous," Andromeda teased. Her eyes glowed as they fell again on Tonks. "She's his prodigy."

Tonks blushed slightly and tried to ignore their flattery as she asked Calamity, "Have you heard anything from Hogwarts that's suspicious?"

Remus appeared next to Calamity just in time to answer. "Certainly nothing out of the ordinary," he said. He held out his hand to each of them. "Remus Lupin, Calamity's friend from school."

Tonks' eyes flickered over Remus quickly, then back to Calamity who smiled at her.

"I can see why you were Mad-eyes prodigy," Remus said kindly. "Sizing up every new person."

Tonks blushed slightly, pulling her arms apart and stumbling a bit in the effort. She almost fell backwards, but Remus grabbed her wrist before it was too late and pulled her upright. Tonks pulled her arm away hurriedly and mumbled an embarrassed thanks.

"I was just finishing some tea with Calamity and she said she needed to run and get something, but I'm sure if you'd like to step in for some drinks and food she could join us later," Remus said.

"Sound great, I'm starving," said Tonks.

"Hurry back, dear," Andromeda said. "We want to hear all about America."

"Back in a flash," Calamity said. She waited until they had gone inside before leaping behind the Hogs Head and into the alleyway. The black dog was waiting patiently next to a trashcan. It moved forward slowly as if unsure about itself.

"Come on, then," She muttered nodding to the back way into the Hogs Head. They moved up to her temporary room and she did a quick sweep for bugs before closing the curtains and locking the door. When Sirius transformed back into human form he was almost unrecognizable to his image just a few months before. He was far too skinny and his hair was long and matted. He looked like a skeleton with skin pulled across it. Calamity took a step forward to fuss over him, but paused as he looked up at her, a look she had never seen before on his face.

"Sirius," she said, but she paused as he held up a palm to speak first.

"Why didn't you tell me about this Jaden Scott bloke?" His voice was hoarse from lack of use.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "It was ages ago. Four years or so and we had bigger things to discuss. I didn't want you to find out this way, obviously."

"From the paper, you mean?"

"Yes, from the paper."

"No, I imagine not, but life is life, eh?" He chuckled though it seemed sad. "You just forget how much life goes by without you. Twelve years is a long time. I didn't expect anything different, but, it's hard to find out. Remus is older too. He needed me and James because of these silly werewolf stereotypes. And where was I? Reading poetry on an island."

Calamity said nothing as he stared at his hands, shoulders hunched in a way that she hadn't seen since her visit to Azkaban. They were frozen in silence.

"How long are you here for," he said finally.

"The final task is in June. I think I can convince Dumbledore to let me stay here. he's brought in a number of mediwizards and aurors for the last task," she said. "Would you like to stay here...with me?" He didn't say anything, though his stomach growled, so she added, "I can stay at the castle and keep the room if you'd prefer. It would be a bit tricky, but if that's more comfortable for you-"

"I'd prefer you be here with me," Sirius said a shadow of his old grin flashing across his face. "What about Buckbeak?"

"He could go to the Forest and Hagrid for a bit," Calamity said. "And we could get you some real food."

"That does sound good," Sirius said with a smile. "This Jaden has good taste, can't be mad at that. Just do me a favor, before tomorrow, think about anything else I should know about from the last twelve years. I don't want to find out any other great secrets and hidden mysteries through the Daily Prophet."

"Deal," she said. He took her hand and kissed her cheek.

He changed back into a dog and followed Calamity down to the dining area where she snuck him food under the table while Andromeda, Nymphadora, Ted, and Remus listened to Calamity tell them about her trip to America.

A/N: THE FINAL TASK IS COMING! DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!