Chapter 51: The United States of America & the Scourers

For the second time in this months, Calamity found herself on another tour with a slightly pretentious looking red head- this one with a strong North-eastern accent (perhaps Boston) and was certainly not a Weasley. Calamity's tour group was a hodge podge of people- some tourist, some new interns, and a small few, like her, were visiting outsiders. Calamity considered the strangeness of playing a role of an outsider in her own country, but she had moved around so often in the past few years that she wasn't too sure she fit anywhere anymore.

They moved together as a mass through the imposing building covered in gold, emerald, maroon and black. The main hall within the Woolworth Building was several hundred feet tall, filled with light and featuring black and gold accents. It contained a large staircase along with a magical portrait of the most current president of the magical congress of the United States of America: President Radamilla Rios. She was a tall elegant woman with friendly eyes, but a stern mouth and the combination gave the impression of someone who was able to get almost anything done once they decided it was needed. Around the exterior of the hall were desks and columns topped with statues. The tour stopped suddenly in front of one of the statues.

"At it's founding, there were two main aims made in order to ensure the overall order & freedom for American Wizards & witches. First, MACUSA had to get rid of corrupt wizards who had hunted their fellow magical beings for personal gain. Second, was to create a law enforcement system to reel in the number of wizarding criminals who had fled to America from Europe and beyond because of the lack of organised law enforcement. Both of these would be wicked hard to accomplish, by President Jackson (no relation to the no-maj president of the same name) selected these twelve as the first aurors to make the mission of MACUSA a success," the red headed guide motioned to the statues. "Some of their decedents work at the congress today!"

A preteen, touring with his mother, raised his hand nervously. "How often does the ministry have to interact with Scourers these days?"

"Wicked question!" The tourguide beamed reassuringly. "There are still some decedents of the original scourers out and about, but they aren't as active as they once were & our law enforcement branches can do more damage to them than they can do to any of us."

After the tour, Clamaity met Rafael Ortiz for lunch. Tiring of China he had returned to New York & finding retirement too boring, he had happily agreed to make some introductions at the Congress for her, but she was also eager to pick his brain about the current domestic situation. Calamity recounted the tour, including the exchange between the preteen & tourguide.

"Shows what he knows," retorted Rafael. "My sources tell me that there have been some pretty big conflicts recently in Dallas, Los Angeles, & Minneapolis. The one in Los Angeles could have been a real issue, but thank goodness the no-maj there think everything is part of a filming for their movies. Thought they were seeing some excellent special effects."

Calamity leaned closer. "Why are the Scourers so active?"

"Could be a few reasons," Rafael said chewing a toothpick thoughtfully. "There's been a resurgence of tensions between no-maj and wizards in some areas. Just the usual people being afraid of anything that looks different than themselves. Course, some scourers have taken a different view than their ancestors & started targeting no-maj simply for being no-maj. Dirty bunch, going around and picking on innocent people. Makes me almost wish they stuck to the old way. At least when a wizard attacks a wizard there is a fighting chance."

"I thought Scourers blended with muggles."

Rafael smirked.

"Muggles? I see why Fudge is alright hiring an American. You talk more British than American now."

"No-maj, muggle, you know what I mean," Calamity said waving away the comment, but Rafael wasn't going to let up that easy.

"Why do you think he hired an American to work in his British Ministry? We've all been allies before, but distant cousins. Ones who see each other at weddings and funerals but never call one another in between." He was looking at her with steely eyes, as if he were thinking of his own hypothesis, but didn't want her to guess it. " Of course there have been stranger things to happen, but given the timing..."

"What about the timing?" Calamity asked.

"You tell me your thoughts and I'll share mine."

Calamity raised an exasperated eyebrow, then sighed.

"I imagine he is trying to pull any ally he can to him. With all the craziness in the papers-"

"You mean with Dumbledore & the whole business of Voldemort being back?"

"Right. It seems like he is pulling any friend towards him."

"Of course. Keep your friends close..."

Calamity sensed where he was going, so she cut him off, "... and your enemies closer. You think Fudge sees me as an enemy?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if he sent you this way to keep you out of his hair & out of commission. How often did you say this Percy checks in on you?"

"He's to check in once a week or as necessary."

"And this check in is for you to report, what?"

"He wants to know where Americans stand."

"I see. Diplomacy."

"You say that you see, but I get the feeling you have more to share."

Rafael's eyes twinkled suddenly mischievous & he leaned in as a young boy might having discovered the Christmas gifts unwrapped in his parents closet.

"I think he wants you as far away from him and Dumbledore as possible without causing a scene by deporting you outright. That is something the Congress would care about! One of our witches not being able to live in the UK and after she had founded Healers Without Borders & traveled around at great risk to herself to improve the conditions of the world? The international outcry! It would be an embarrassment in a time that he can't afford any other embarrassments."

Calamity was silent.

Rafael beamed and patted her shoulder comfortingly. "If it makes you feel better, I don't think you fell for it at all."

"Hmmmm?"

"No way. I once heard how you distracted a group of traffickers so that Jaden could magic away the last of their human cargo to safety before apparating away. I certainly don't think the likes of Fudge would fool you. I don't even think he'd appeal to you."

"It was only one trafficker & he was very stupid," Calamity said unable to hide her smirk.

"We'll got to our meet & greet & rub elbows & make lunch appointments with enough people to fill your schedule & reports to this Percy. But, I'll say one thing first and then I won't say any more: whatever falling out you & Dumbledore had, whatever the newspapers are saying, it seems to me that he is likely a better side than the Ministry right now. News I've heard is troubling & even my most reliable sources are giving me details that say Fudge might be unprepared."

"Noted," Calamity said.

"And stay out of trouble while you're in America," Rafael added.

"I thought you said just one thing more," calamity teased.

"You're back home now and if it were up to me I'd force you to stay. But, try to be cautious. Promise?"

"Promise."

Calamity stayed out of trouble for exactly two months, twenty-eight days, & five hours, but in that time she was on her best behavior. She reported all of her findings to Percy. Rafael had been correct in his prediction. The Congress had little concern for Fudge or his issues & many had not cared to learn a bit about them. Percy checked in more than weekly & when he did he took some time to ask how she was fairing. He was not as pretentious as his first impression gave, but he did seem to be looking more and more fatigued. It made sense to her. She still received the Daily Prophet & through it had found that Sturgis Podmore had been sent to Azkaban and Umbridge was now working at Hogwarts & evaluating teachers (whatever that meant). From Tonk's slightly cryptic message, Calamity had the idea that the ministry was likely watching floo networks & mail for people of interest, especially at Hogwarts. For her part, Calamity had been writing to Tonks with updates about her assignment & Percy, making her letters sound like casual discourse between friends, but knowing that the important info about Percy being safe would get back to Molly.

Given that it was Thanksgiving week, Calamity asked Percy to skip the check in for the week, which he seemed relieved to do. She traveled to Houston to see Rachel & spend the holiday with her. The dishes were a mixture of thanksgiving (stuffing, turkey, mashed potatoes) & Vietnamese. Rachel's Mother treated them all to Ca Kho To that had fish with such sweet-savory gooeyness that Calamity came back for thirds & fourths.

"I hope you saved room for dessert," Rachel groaned, unbuttoning the top of her pants dramatically. "My aunt always makes Banh Cam."

"Banh Cam," Clamaity asked. She wasn't sure she had any more room for any air, let alone more food.

"It's so good. It's crispy on the outside and chewy inside. Basically these golden-friend glutinous balls that's covered in sesame seeds and filled with sweet mung bean paste."

"Stop," teased Calamity. "I'm so full even hearing about it is making me feel like I'll explode."

"Let's go for a walk then to move some stuff around and make room," Rachel beamed. She led Calamity out of the house and they fell in step moving towards a nearby park.

"Sorry again about my family," Rachel said. "They just love hearing about Healers without Borders, even when you tell them that we aren't in the field as often anymore."

"It's fine, that's what family is, right?"

"Yeah."

They walked in silence until they arrived at the park. It was empty and quiet in the waning moonlight.

"Sorry to hear about your dad," Rachel said as they followed a sidewalk around the edge of the park. "I heard about it in the news."

"I was surprised he got an obituary, but I suppose he's been on the run for a while, so they wanted to alert everyone of his status." Calamity said. "Thanks, though."

"Have you been doing alright being back without him? I mean, you haven't been back for this long since before we started Healers without Borders and usually you had Jaden with you if you came back. I think no matter what i think about my family, even when they're at their most annoying, I'd still be heartbroken if I lost any of them."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Calamity said. "I sort of miss the UK."

"Is it a guy?"

The surprise of the question made a heat rush to Calamity's cheeks. "W-what?"

"It is! Who is he? What's he like? How come he didn't come with you to America?" Rachel was twittering as if they were teens.

"No, Rachel-" Calamity began, feeling silly, but Rachel made it clear she would not be giving up the topic any time soon, so Calamity did her best to describe Sirius without giving away who he was exactly, throwing in some older details.

"A flying motorcycle," Rachel repeated as they rounded the farthest corner of the park and started up a slight incline. "That can't be completely legal. Always the troublemakers for you!"

Calamity nudged her playfully & was going to tease Rachel about her own taste in love interests when something caught her eye- on the other side of the small hill before them, there were lights & rowdy sounds. Rachel paused and gave Calamity with a sideways look.

"Probably just a thanksgiving BBQ finishing up," Rachel offered, but she didn't sound convinced. Calamity had a gnawing feeling in her stomach. She touched her wand in her pocket, but it was cool to the touch. Whatever it was couldn't be that dangerous.

Rachel pulled Calamity into the shadows hurriedly & nodded to their right. A broom was rising slowly from the other side of the hill. It's rider was wearing white, a mask covering his head & some sort of drink in one hand, wand in the other. He swayed a little as he looked down the hill away from them at the action below. For a moment he almost fell off, but steadied himself again and turned to face where they had been. Finding no one present he removed his wand and shot white sparks. In response, three other white sparks shot into the air and the rowdiness on the other side of the hill increased with whoops & hollers.

"Let's get closer," Rachel said, nodding towards the bushes at the top of the hill. When they got to the top Rachel let out a quiet sound of distress.

Below them was a group of six or seven young men, four holding brooms. Cans & bottles were scattered around the ground & they were all holding wands pointing at three no-maj teens, unmasked and looking quite frightened. There were words being exchanged, but Calamity couldn't catch any. She wished she had one of Fred & George's extendable ears.

"See their robes," Rachel said quietly. "SS. Stands for Sons of Scourers. Bunch of no-maj hating bigots. They're responsible for some of the issues in other cities like Los Angeles. I was reading the papers last week about them & how they're on the rise across the US, but I never thought that they'd be in our neighborhood. This neighborhood's been mixed for decades."

She gave Calamity a determined nod. Calamity twisted her wand in her hand. She and Rachel had been in enough tricky situations to know what was to be done & certainly she trusted Rachel to make a wise choice in battle.

One of the robed people threw his empty can at one of the no-maj, who pushed his friend back and stepped forward, taking a fighting stance which made the scourers burst into loud drunken laughter.

"Ready," Calamity said & they moved quickly out of the bushes.

"Stupefy!"

"Stupefy!"