Chapter 45: Troubles with Travel
The plan was simple. She wrote her father to expect her and he replied with the location. She grabbed the floo powder and shot Sirius one final look.
"You'll miss Harry, again," Sirius said "but it can't be helped. Dumbledore says it's a must."
"Say hello," Calamity said as she stepped inside the flames. They tickled her pleasantly as she threw the powder down calling out, "Llogara National Park!"
She could feel herself spinning madly. She rarely used floo for such long travel, but she wasn't sure about apparating across borders and the need was too urgent for muggle means of travel. She was just contemplating how long she'd be spinning when she felt a tug at her arm. She tugged back, but the second tug was harder and in a moment Calamity toppled out of the fireplace and onto a hard floor.
She looked around at an office that could only be described as sickeningly pink. On the walls a few portraits of kittens mewed. From behind the desk, which Calamity could barely see over from her spot on the floor there came a slight sound, as if someone were clearing their throat.
Hem-hem
Calamity stood up slowly, dusting herself off. At her new angle she could see Nymphadora Tonks and a tall black wizard with broad shoulders and a bald head. A single gold hoop earring was on his ear. They stood on either side of a seated woman in lilac robes that did nothing for her broad, flabby face and wide, slack mouth. As far as Calamity could tell, the woman was as close to a toad as any person Calamity had ever seen. Her desk plate read Dolores Umbridge Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic.
"I hope you weren't hurt in your entry," Dolores Umbridge said in a simpering high-pitched voice that was girlish and breathless. Calamity said nothing and watched the bulging and pouchy eyes. She had the feeling that this Umbridge had no greater hope than the idea that Calamity might be hurt. Taking her silence as submission Umbridge continued from her seat.
"Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic. This is Auror Tonks and Auror Shacklebolt." She did not hold out her hands or indicate that either auror ought to make any move towards Calamity. Instead, she took her thick, stubby fingers (covered in several gaudy old rings) and shuffled some papers about, pulling a folder from among them. "Of course, we know that you know Albus Dumbledore, he was headmatser when you were at school, but our records also show that you were also acquainted with Sirius Black, mass murderer and highly dangerous man. Not to mention we have it on good authority that you've associated with a known and registered werewolf. What do you have to say of this?"
"I'm not sure what you're asking, Ms. Umbridge?"
Umbridge peeked over the folder, then closed it and gave Calamity a sickeningly sweet smile, though her bulging eyes flashed. "You must have seen the Daily Prophets reports on Dumbledore and his attempts to undermine the Minister."
"I've seen a few article, though I don't much care for the Daily Prophet. It seems to be more of a gossip magazine than a newspaper these days. I still don't understand why you pulled me out of the floo network, Ms. Umbridge."
"Senior Undersecretary to the Minister," Umbridge corrected in her sugary voice. "We simply wanted to talk. Auror Shacklebolt is running the investigation on Sirius Black and we wanted to discuss your plans in Albania."
Calamity glanced over at the tall auror whose face remained calm and controlled.
"Well, Ms. Umbridge," Calamity began.
Hem-hem. Umbridge cleared her throat pointedly.
"Dolores, I assure you it has nothing to do with a werewolf or Sirius Black."
Calamity turned to Auror Shacklebolt whose eyes were twinkling at Umbridge's growing rage. "Are you concerned Sirius Black is in Albania?"
"Our last intel says Tibet is more likely," Auror Shacklebolt said.
"Albania is just a few floo stops away," Umbridge snapped. She touched the bow in her hair and straightened her robes, smoothing her face back into it's smiling expression. "Auror Shacklebolt, you may go."
He nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him gently.
Umbridge's smile widened and she cleared her throat again. "Would you like some tea, Ms. Erza-Mahoney?"
Out of the corner of her eye Calamity saw Tonks move her head half an inch to either side, barely noticeable.
"No thank you," Calamity replied. "But I would like to get on my way if there is nothing else."
"I insist," Umbridge said. In a moment she had pulled two cups out and poured tea into them, dropping a sugar cube into Calamity's. "Now," Umbridge said sipping her tea. "What is in Albania, dear?"
Calamity did not touch her cup. "Just a vacation."
"In a forest," said Umbrdige skeptically.
"A national park, actually," said Calamity. "It's quite relaxing to be with nature all alone."
"All alone," repeated Umbridge. She glanced at the untouched tea. "Drink! I insist."
"No thanks," Calamity said again. "If there is nothing else, I'm suppose to get to the park before sunset to set up camp."
"As a matter of fact," Umbridge began, but she was interrupted by a knock on her door. She glared at it and attempted to begin again, but the knock occurred interrupting her once more. Umbridge made a sound of annoyance and hurried over to the door. She poked her head out and seemed to be having a hurried and hushed discussion with whoever was outside. After a few moments Umbridge came back inside, her bulging eyes dancing with malicious excitement. "We'll have to pick this up a little later. Auror Tonks, please take Ms. Erza-Mahoney to the waiting room."
Umbridge hurried away and out of the office through a door on the left that Calamity hadn't seen. Tonks grabbed Calamity's arm and hustled her out of the other door Auror Shacklebolt had exited from. In the hall way they walked in silence for some time. Then, finally, Tonks let go of Calamity and rolled her eyes.
"She's a nutter," Tonks said with a sigh. "But, the Minister thinks she's looking out for his best interest. Glad you didn't drink the tea. I think she puts veritaserum in the sugar cubes."
"What makes you think that?"
"Just stories I've heard," Tonks said mysteriously. "Headed to Albania, ey?"
"I was trying."
"Well, I reckon you can go from a ministry fire. Who knows when she'll be back. She might not even have a meeting, maybe she's just trying to wear you out."
"You won't get in trouble?"
"I can't hold you legally. I mean, if you invoke your rights as an American wizard and we have no reason to hold you I have to let you go. It's policy to avoid any international messiness."
"Well, I'd like to invoke my rights as an American Wizard."
"Glad to hear it."
They stopped at the fireplace and Tonks pointed to the floo powder.
"Maybe wait a month or so before coming back," suggested Tonks."I'm sure they'll get distracted by then. This is the second time you've been threatened by a ministry member, so, the odds don't look too good. I'd hate to see you on the deport list, or worse."
"I'll see what I can do."
This time, when Calamity stopped spinning she stepped into a large log cabin with darkened windows. Only the fire she had just stepped from illuminated the sleeping man in the large armchair. Her father looked grayer than before and tired despite his sleeping state. As if sensing her arrival he stirred and pushed his glasses up his nose as he blinked awake.
"Clara! You're late!"
"I ran into some ministry issues."
"Nothing too bad I hope."
"Not yet," she replied looking around. "Where are we?"
"Only cabin on the floo network in the whole park. Also the only wizarding inn. We've got a room upstairs."
"I see and is this where you stay now?"
"No, no," her father said. He looked at her again and in the firelight his eyes seemed to stand out gaunt from his face. "But it's where we need to be. Get some rest, tomorrow we'll go for a bit of a walk."
The next morning her father insisted they start as the day broke explaining that light would be scarce enough where they were headed. The park was beautiful as the morning light fell across it's rolling mountains. They walked for two hours, maybe three in silence until they came to a tall dead looking tree, it's arms sprawled out as if it were being attacked by some unseen force. Calamity felt her pocket warm ever so slightly. She touched her wand as they approached.
"You feel it," asked her father in a hushed tone pulling out his own wand.
"Feel what?"
"The dark magic. We're close. I found it all last month, but this is the closest I've been able to get so far. I'm hoping for the best."
They walked on into trees. While the rest of the national park had had open air with low lying vegetation, these trees grew taller and taller as they moved up the mountain slope. The trees threw shadows that grew darker and darker. The path became overgrown, then disappeared all together. Still, it seemed that her father knew where to go. After walking for twenty minutes, she had to pull out her wand and light it. The shadows were so dark that it felt as if it were night.
Finally, they came to the ruins of a hut. As far as Calamity could tell the structure had once been a decently sized house, but all that remained was the foundation and the wall where the entrance door might have been. An empty archway stood in it's place.
"We'll have to stay here for a bit." Her father sat down on the ground and pulled his bag in front of him to dig out trail mix.
"What," Calamity asked surprised. "Here?"
"That wand you have," her father asked, ignoring her suprise. "It's a Beauvais, isn't it? Where'd you find an original like that?"
"New Orleans," said Calamity. Her father chuckled knowingly.
"The real capital of American magic. I've always heard rumor that Beauvais wands were inclined to dark magic. Maybe you're taking after your old man."
Calamity didn't respond.
"Dumbledore told me you had it," continued her father after the pause, he had not taken his eye off of the hut. "I told him I'd thought I'd found something he'd be interested in and we agreed that your new wand might be up to the task, though I'm not sure how comfortable you are with it."
"You and Dumbledore seem to be very cozy."
"He puts up with me out of necessity, just the way I like it."
They were silent again, the only sound coming from her father eating the trail mix as he stared at the wall as if waiting for a person to appear in the doorway and invite them within. He's a loud chewer, thought Calamity. Drowning out all the birds and animals. It wasn;t that, she realized listening closely. There were no other sounds, not even the sound of a wind pushing the leaves. Nature was completely silent and only her father's chewing broke the barrier. He seemed unbothered by this thought, which she knew he must have realized.
After five minutes he spoke again, nodding towards the only remaining wall.
"Why don't you go ahead and approach it."
"The ruin?"
"Go give the door a good alohomora."
"What door?"
"Don't be immature. Go give it a try."
Calamity stood as a petulant child might and moved towards the wall. As she approached her wand grew warmer, almost hot. She stopped a foot from the threshold where the door ought to be. She couldn't get closer. It was not that she didn't want to. It was as if her legs were suddenly made of lead and would not lift from the ground. She gave them a final tug and found it had no effect. Lifting her wand she muttered, "Alohomora."
Nothing happened. She looked back at her father who was still eating trail mix as if this were an everyday father-daughter picnic.
"Like you mean it, Clara."
Calamity rolled her eyes and looked at the space the door ought to be. She imagined it- probably an older wood door with brass hinges and knob. She imagined the keyhole and said the spell again, this time with more force. "Alohomora!"
In the silence she could hear a click, like a lock being undone. Then, the sound of a creaking door, though still no door or lock had appeared.
Her father looked a tad impressed.
"He must have been weak when he made the protective charm, though I don;t doubt that he underestimated any wand not made by a Brit. Hubris is a fatal British flaw," her father said putting the trail mix away. He stood and walked passed her, towards the hut and into the doorway. The ruin looked as if he'd be able to peak his head over the wall, or that Calamity might be able to see it despite his efforts, but he disappeared completely. There was a whistle from beyond the doorway, and it sounded like it echoed around walls. Her father stuck his head back out. "Come on. It's better than I'd even hoped."
Calamity looked around at the silent forest and against every instinct she had she followed her father through the doorway.
The ghost door clicked closed behind her.
A/N: Don't forget to review! Another one coming soon!
