Eloria found herself in a clean, organized corridor, where there were
a few sets of oak doors on either side of her. Hoping that Arthur was
correct, she opened the door that was 3rd on her right. In front of her lay
a large desk with an older wizard sitting behind it, scribbling down
something with a quill. A small sign hung on the side of the desk that read
"International Magical Registry for Britain." Once again Eloria looked at
the small piece of parchment that was clutching. Barely able to read her
father's chicken scratches, she managed to make out something that looked
like "Go to Registry and show according papers."
"Well, he did say he was 100% sure these directions were correct," Eloria thought, yet a look of doubt still remained on her face. "And I just hope that he gave me all of the paperwork."
Approaching the desk, the small wizard scribbling looked up. He eyed her badge suspiciously, and started to scatter papers on his desk as if he were looking for something. Without looking up, he handed her a blank form and a quill.
Grabbing the form from the man she slammed it onto the desk. She dipped her quill in the ink so fast and furiously that ink splattered the desk and then pounding the tip on the parchment so hard, the quill went through the paper several times. Her eyes were slits and her lips were so tightly pursed that it looked as if someone had glued them together that way. Mumbling to herself as she went, Eloria unwillingly filled out the form.
"Name...Eloria Felton...Where I originally lived...Seattle, Washington....stupid forms...must have filled out a blasted million by now..."
The man behind the desk, who was now moving the large stacks of papers and looking under them, took no notice of Eloria's irritation. He himself began muttering as well.
"Eloria...Felton...F...F...where is it...He swore he put all arrivals out today..."
Eloria had almost completed the entire form without pausing, until she reached the last question located at the very bottom of the page. Eyes growing wider and making a big gulping sound, she lowered the quill slowly, and wrote something on the parchment. Without checking it over she hastily handed it over to the man behind the desk as if it were a hot coal.
After removing a large stack of green colored papers he produced a purple folder with "Felton, Eloria" marked on the front. He stood up and finally he met Eloria's eyes.
"Eloria Felton?" he asked, even though he had read her badge earlier. He took out a paper that she had just handed him and started reading it. "From Seattle, Washington right?"
Eloria nodded. Eloria was starting to grow impatient with all of the repetitive questions and formalities that she had to deal with throughout the day. Why didn't she just tattoo all of her personal information on her forehead.
"You trained at the AAWA, Auror Academy of Western America that is, and graduated top of your class? And your here to...oh my. You're here to take the official Auror Exam and become a certified Ministry Auror? Because...what does your form say...you feel as if your skills are needed here more?"
Eloria nodded to all of the man's questions, yet her eyes were narrowed and brow furrowed. She had quite enough of him reading her files. She had lots to do and she had already wasted valuable time answering questions people already had answers too.
The man kept questioning Eloria however. "You were given permission to come over by Bartimus Crouch himself? You must be pretty important to have the head of a department to sign. Yes, that is all in order. "Now who signed for you on the other end?"
Eloria slammed her briefcase on the desk, undid the latches yet again, and took out an extremely long piece of parchment with minuscule writing. At the bottom there was a large, loopy signature with a golden wax seal. Handing the document over to the man, Eloria said, "This is my release from Washington. You'll find everything is in order," and pointing to the signature at the bottom she added, "And that is the signature of my releaser. His name is also on the bottom of the form that you were just reading." Crossing her arms, Eloria began to tap her right foot impatiently.
The man took the paper, and while looking it over, began to talk. "It's a big thing, becoming an Auror in another country...so your permission to leave came from...," and the man took a double take before answering. "It was Patrick Felton? A MAA, or Magical Association of America that is, official?" Coming out of his monotone that he had used while questioning her, the man suddenly seemed excited. "How did you get a MAA official to sign? Felton...any relation by chance? A distant uncle or something?" the man demanded Eloria.
She froze in place. After a moments silence, Eloria gritted her teeth, and in a tense, forced voice she answered, "He's my father."
The man's eyebrows rose and his eyes widened. His voice became very high pitched and practically a squeak. "You...your his daughter? The daughter of the man who runs the entire wizarding world on the Pacific coast? The daughter of Patrick Felton? Well, the Ministry will be glad to have you." Returning to his regular state, he handed Eloria the purple folder with her name written across the front and a loose sheet of parchment. "Your official wizarding passport is in the folder, along with a copy of your Auror certificate from the AAWA and the stamped approval forms which shows you are in this country legally," the man said pointing at the purple folder. "Now that," he said pointing at the piece of parchment, "is the form that will allow you to work for the Ministry as an Auror. Once you passed the test that is."
"So I really do have to take your test? I mean, aren't my scores from the AAWA enough?" Eloria whined. She had been hoping that she could join and start fighting immediately. For over a year now she had been working to get here, where she would actually be needed. Her father had warned her that she would probably have to take the test, but there was still that inkling of hope in the back of Eloria's mind that she wouldn't. The man looked up from the papers he was sorting. "Yes, afraid you will. Ministry rules. You will find the Auror headquarters on the second floor. Meet a man named Higgins whose cubicle is in the back. He's in charge of certification and will help you with everything else."
"Well, thank you anyway," Eloria mumbled, and before the man could say anything more in his annoying high-pitched voice she exited out of the oak doors and entered the lift at the end of the corridor.
"So much for British hospitality...stupid Ministry of Magic. The MAA would never put anyone through this scrutiny." Eloria began to furiously pound on the elevator button with the number two on it. Luckily, before she could break the thing, the doors opened and she walked in. Crossing her arms again and sulking, Eloria began to think.
"I better be able to take the test today or tomorrow. I will not sit around her like I did at home. I graduate at the top of my class and even have invented spells and potions which American Aurors use everyday, yet what do I end up doing? Sitting around being a decoration. I want to fight. A good duel with some evil wizard or being makes my day. America hasn't had any evil wizards for years now. The most evil thing there right now is the fast food restaurants that muggles insist on building. I don't even want to think of all the calories I consume with one of those Big Mac's..." and Eloria's thoughts began to wander.
Every so often, the doors would open, the female voice would sound which would interrupt her train of thought for a second. Luckily, a witch carrying a ream of papers bumped into her just in time to hear the voice announcing they were at the second floor. Pushing her way past a young blond hair wizard with a boyish face and an older fat witch, Eloria came to yet another corridor. Not even noticing the bewitched windows, she opened yet another set of heavy oak doors. What she found inside this time though was very different. Before her was a large airy room, filled with cubicles. Each cubicle had a witch or wizard in it, conversing with a neighbor, studying some document, or merely thinking. Eloria noticed the small sign tacked up on a cubicle that read AUROR HEADQUARTERS.
Eloria's whole body tingled and she felt as if she had just eaten a levitating sherbet ball. For many years she had dreamed of becoming one of the Ministry of Magic's Aurors. Since the age of 10, she had worked long hours and studied hard hoping to achieve her dream. Since American Aurors were a bit of a laughing stock in the international community, Eloria had made her plans to come to the United Kingdom from when she first graduated the AAWA. A long, tedious year it took for everything to process yet she was finally here. Standing in front of the best dark wizard detectors in Britain, and arguably the whole world.
With a large smile and small bounce in her step, Eloria walked past the various cubicles, all anger and impatience temporarily forgotten. A few witches and wizards watched her walk by, while some did not even notice she was there.
"Now the dude said to meet a Higgins? I just hope he's here..." Eloria thought. Reality was starting to sink in, and her stomach felt as if someone had tied it into a square knot. She had to impress whoever she met. They were already going to be biased since she was foreign, but she was more concerned that her skills would not be up to par. She had struggled a bit with Coding on the Auror test...
At this point Eloria's palms were so sweaty they could barely keep a hold of her briefcase. Her heart rate was so fast she swore that she was going to go into cardiac arrest. Luckily, before she could pass out a cubicle at the end of the room with the name Alexander Higgins clearly marked appeared before her eyes. The man sitting inside the cubicle looked as if he was young but had a rather hectic life, for though is face looked no older than thirty, many worry lines and wrinkles had developed around his forehead and eyes. His dirty blonde hair stuck out at odd places and his robes were wrinkled. He was reading a long scroll of parchment, and did not notice the young woman standing less than 5 feet from him. Scared to interrupt, Eloria quietly tapped the cubicle.
"Sir? The man from the International Magical Registry sent me here. I'm Eloria Felton, here to see about taking some exam?" she said in a voice barely above a whisper. When she spoke Higgins sat straight up, and turned around to inspect the source of the voice.
"Ah, Eloria! Welcome! I have anxiously been awaiting your arrival! It's not often we get anyone from America in our office, wanting to join our own team!" Higgins had a very loud booming voice. Eloria was surprised that nobody turned their heads because she was sure the whole room could have heard what he just said. Shaking Higgins's extended hands, her confidence was slightly restored to the point she could speak in a normal volume.
"Well, I'm honored to be here. But I suppose we should get to business. So, tell me when I can take this test and begin work!"
"Well someone is enthusiastic!" Higgins boomed. "Well, I assume you know what will be on the test; considering you have already taken one...this is all just because of formality. I do not doubt your ability at all. Anyway, just in case you want to know more, and maybe refresh a bit, here is a test outline," Higgins said as he thrust a gigantic book into her arms that was about as heavy as a baby dinosaur. "And that's about it! After you pass someone will sign that ruddy form of yours and you can start! I am sure that the Minister of Magic will want to meet up with you. You being the daughter of an official and an Auror!"
"Well, that would be wonderful, yet right now I'm just focused on taking the actually exam. So, when can I take it? It would take almost all day so I suspect it would be tomorrow rather than today..."
Higgins looked down at his shoes for a bit and when he finally did look up at Eloria, his face was full of guilt. He opened his mouth several times to speak, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. When he finally did speak it was much different than his room-filling voice that he had a minute ago.
"You see...I do know that we had arranged to have you take your...your exam...right after you arrived. But...er...since...because of...er...recent events..." Higgins stammered. "Because of recent events...and that some...countries have...uh...lower standards than ours...and we have many of our own waiting...to take the test that is...you will have to wait a few weeks before you can take your exam and become certified." With those final words Higgins looked as if he had just taken a 2 ton load off of his shoulders.
However, Eloria's face suddenly changed; she no longer wore a happy, pleasant facial expression. Instead, her face could rival that of a tiger about to sink in for the kill. For a while, she just sat there thinking.
"A few weeks. It might as well be a few years! They would never do this to anyone from their own country. It is because they don't believe I am up to par." Anger was building up inside of her with every word, causing enormous pressure, like water against the side of a dam. "So, they think they can put me off do they? That I am not worth their bloody time! Well..." When there is too much pressure on a dam wall, water will break through the wall. Much the same thing happened to Eloria. Suddenly, words started pouring out of her mouth.
"A few weeks. A FEW WEEKS! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN A FEW WEEKS! I HAVE WAITED OVER A STUPID YEAR TO GET HERE, AND THE MINISTRY AS WELL AS MY FATHER, THE OFFCIAL OF THE PACIFIC COAST, ASSURED ME THAT I COULD BEGIN AS SOON AS I GOT HERE!" Practically everyone in the office had stopped talking and turned to see the source of the blood curdling screaming and yelling. Eloria was shaking with anger at this point. Taking no notice of everyone else in the office, she continued on yelling Higgins's head off.
"YOU BLASTED BRITISH! NO RESPECT FOR PEOPLE, WHO HAPPEN TO BE JUST AS QUALIFIED AS THEMSELVES! A FEW WEEKS! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO NOW? SIT AND ROT FOR A FEW WEEKS!" At this point, all of the bottled up tension Eloria had developed over the past year came out. It seemed all the stress from filling out the many, tedious forms, contacting the many rude people, and dealing with all of the legal formalities was coming out now. The yelling calmed Eloria. She began to regain her head, and her voice started to die off. Fifteen or so minutes after she had started her outburst, she stopped. The entire office still stood, staring. Higgins slowly peered over his arms that he held over his face.
"Is...Is it safe to come out now?" he murmured. He even dared to give a soft chuckle at his own joke. Eloria however did not find it amusing.
"So...Mr. Higgins, when should I come back, to take this exam."
"I was going to get to that. Well, how about two weeks from today? Okay with your schedule?"
"Well it would be now, wouldn't it, considering the sole reason I came here was to take it?"
"Oh. And the Ministry is putting you up at the Leaky Cauldron, where you can stay free of charge until you find a permanent residence. You can take use the Floo Network to get there," Higgins added, handing Eloria a piece of parchment with some quickly scribbled directions. "All expenses for food and travel will also be taken care of by the Ministry..
"Money is not an issue. What is any issue however is this stupid system of yours..." Eloria began, her voice rising again. Higgins interrupted, before she could start up again. "And the Ministry has arranged for you to meet prominent Aurors and be briefed about your duties. That way, you can start as soon as you take the test."
He turned around to face the piles of papers on his desk once again, but stopped, and slowly met Eloria's intense gaze. His face dropped, and once again he looked as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.
"Sorry about this. I assure you it has nothing to do with you. It's just that the Ministry is very busy in times like this." Higgins extended his hand. Reluctantly, Eloria shook it.
"So, you are welcome to come and visit this office any time," Higgins said, gesturing to the cubicles around him. "And if you need any help, any at all, I am always here. Well, almost always anyway."
"Good day Higgins," Eloria said, her voice as cold as ice. And with those words she stormed out of the office. Not until the giant oak doors closed behind her did the talking that once filled the office start once again.
"Well, he did say he was 100% sure these directions were correct," Eloria thought, yet a look of doubt still remained on her face. "And I just hope that he gave me all of the paperwork."
Approaching the desk, the small wizard scribbling looked up. He eyed her badge suspiciously, and started to scatter papers on his desk as if he were looking for something. Without looking up, he handed her a blank form and a quill.
Grabbing the form from the man she slammed it onto the desk. She dipped her quill in the ink so fast and furiously that ink splattered the desk and then pounding the tip on the parchment so hard, the quill went through the paper several times. Her eyes were slits and her lips were so tightly pursed that it looked as if someone had glued them together that way. Mumbling to herself as she went, Eloria unwillingly filled out the form.
"Name...Eloria Felton...Where I originally lived...Seattle, Washington....stupid forms...must have filled out a blasted million by now..."
The man behind the desk, who was now moving the large stacks of papers and looking under them, took no notice of Eloria's irritation. He himself began muttering as well.
"Eloria...Felton...F...F...where is it...He swore he put all arrivals out today..."
Eloria had almost completed the entire form without pausing, until she reached the last question located at the very bottom of the page. Eyes growing wider and making a big gulping sound, she lowered the quill slowly, and wrote something on the parchment. Without checking it over she hastily handed it over to the man behind the desk as if it were a hot coal.
After removing a large stack of green colored papers he produced a purple folder with "Felton, Eloria" marked on the front. He stood up and finally he met Eloria's eyes.
"Eloria Felton?" he asked, even though he had read her badge earlier. He took out a paper that she had just handed him and started reading it. "From Seattle, Washington right?"
Eloria nodded. Eloria was starting to grow impatient with all of the repetitive questions and formalities that she had to deal with throughout the day. Why didn't she just tattoo all of her personal information on her forehead.
"You trained at the AAWA, Auror Academy of Western America that is, and graduated top of your class? And your here to...oh my. You're here to take the official Auror Exam and become a certified Ministry Auror? Because...what does your form say...you feel as if your skills are needed here more?"
Eloria nodded to all of the man's questions, yet her eyes were narrowed and brow furrowed. She had quite enough of him reading her files. She had lots to do and she had already wasted valuable time answering questions people already had answers too.
The man kept questioning Eloria however. "You were given permission to come over by Bartimus Crouch himself? You must be pretty important to have the head of a department to sign. Yes, that is all in order. "Now who signed for you on the other end?"
Eloria slammed her briefcase on the desk, undid the latches yet again, and took out an extremely long piece of parchment with minuscule writing. At the bottom there was a large, loopy signature with a golden wax seal. Handing the document over to the man, Eloria said, "This is my release from Washington. You'll find everything is in order," and pointing to the signature at the bottom she added, "And that is the signature of my releaser. His name is also on the bottom of the form that you were just reading." Crossing her arms, Eloria began to tap her right foot impatiently.
The man took the paper, and while looking it over, began to talk. "It's a big thing, becoming an Auror in another country...so your permission to leave came from...," and the man took a double take before answering. "It was Patrick Felton? A MAA, or Magical Association of America that is, official?" Coming out of his monotone that he had used while questioning her, the man suddenly seemed excited. "How did you get a MAA official to sign? Felton...any relation by chance? A distant uncle or something?" the man demanded Eloria.
She froze in place. After a moments silence, Eloria gritted her teeth, and in a tense, forced voice she answered, "He's my father."
The man's eyebrows rose and his eyes widened. His voice became very high pitched and practically a squeak. "You...your his daughter? The daughter of the man who runs the entire wizarding world on the Pacific coast? The daughter of Patrick Felton? Well, the Ministry will be glad to have you." Returning to his regular state, he handed Eloria the purple folder with her name written across the front and a loose sheet of parchment. "Your official wizarding passport is in the folder, along with a copy of your Auror certificate from the AAWA and the stamped approval forms which shows you are in this country legally," the man said pointing at the purple folder. "Now that," he said pointing at the piece of parchment, "is the form that will allow you to work for the Ministry as an Auror. Once you passed the test that is."
"So I really do have to take your test? I mean, aren't my scores from the AAWA enough?" Eloria whined. She had been hoping that she could join and start fighting immediately. For over a year now she had been working to get here, where she would actually be needed. Her father had warned her that she would probably have to take the test, but there was still that inkling of hope in the back of Eloria's mind that she wouldn't. The man looked up from the papers he was sorting. "Yes, afraid you will. Ministry rules. You will find the Auror headquarters on the second floor. Meet a man named Higgins whose cubicle is in the back. He's in charge of certification and will help you with everything else."
"Well, thank you anyway," Eloria mumbled, and before the man could say anything more in his annoying high-pitched voice she exited out of the oak doors and entered the lift at the end of the corridor.
"So much for British hospitality...stupid Ministry of Magic. The MAA would never put anyone through this scrutiny." Eloria began to furiously pound on the elevator button with the number two on it. Luckily, before she could break the thing, the doors opened and she walked in. Crossing her arms again and sulking, Eloria began to think.
"I better be able to take the test today or tomorrow. I will not sit around her like I did at home. I graduate at the top of my class and even have invented spells and potions which American Aurors use everyday, yet what do I end up doing? Sitting around being a decoration. I want to fight. A good duel with some evil wizard or being makes my day. America hasn't had any evil wizards for years now. The most evil thing there right now is the fast food restaurants that muggles insist on building. I don't even want to think of all the calories I consume with one of those Big Mac's..." and Eloria's thoughts began to wander.
Every so often, the doors would open, the female voice would sound which would interrupt her train of thought for a second. Luckily, a witch carrying a ream of papers bumped into her just in time to hear the voice announcing they were at the second floor. Pushing her way past a young blond hair wizard with a boyish face and an older fat witch, Eloria came to yet another corridor. Not even noticing the bewitched windows, she opened yet another set of heavy oak doors. What she found inside this time though was very different. Before her was a large airy room, filled with cubicles. Each cubicle had a witch or wizard in it, conversing with a neighbor, studying some document, or merely thinking. Eloria noticed the small sign tacked up on a cubicle that read AUROR HEADQUARTERS.
Eloria's whole body tingled and she felt as if she had just eaten a levitating sherbet ball. For many years she had dreamed of becoming one of the Ministry of Magic's Aurors. Since the age of 10, she had worked long hours and studied hard hoping to achieve her dream. Since American Aurors were a bit of a laughing stock in the international community, Eloria had made her plans to come to the United Kingdom from when she first graduated the AAWA. A long, tedious year it took for everything to process yet she was finally here. Standing in front of the best dark wizard detectors in Britain, and arguably the whole world.
With a large smile and small bounce in her step, Eloria walked past the various cubicles, all anger and impatience temporarily forgotten. A few witches and wizards watched her walk by, while some did not even notice she was there.
"Now the dude said to meet a Higgins? I just hope he's here..." Eloria thought. Reality was starting to sink in, and her stomach felt as if someone had tied it into a square knot. She had to impress whoever she met. They were already going to be biased since she was foreign, but she was more concerned that her skills would not be up to par. She had struggled a bit with Coding on the Auror test...
At this point Eloria's palms were so sweaty they could barely keep a hold of her briefcase. Her heart rate was so fast she swore that she was going to go into cardiac arrest. Luckily, before she could pass out a cubicle at the end of the room with the name Alexander Higgins clearly marked appeared before her eyes. The man sitting inside the cubicle looked as if he was young but had a rather hectic life, for though is face looked no older than thirty, many worry lines and wrinkles had developed around his forehead and eyes. His dirty blonde hair stuck out at odd places and his robes were wrinkled. He was reading a long scroll of parchment, and did not notice the young woman standing less than 5 feet from him. Scared to interrupt, Eloria quietly tapped the cubicle.
"Sir? The man from the International Magical Registry sent me here. I'm Eloria Felton, here to see about taking some exam?" she said in a voice barely above a whisper. When she spoke Higgins sat straight up, and turned around to inspect the source of the voice.
"Ah, Eloria! Welcome! I have anxiously been awaiting your arrival! It's not often we get anyone from America in our office, wanting to join our own team!" Higgins had a very loud booming voice. Eloria was surprised that nobody turned their heads because she was sure the whole room could have heard what he just said. Shaking Higgins's extended hands, her confidence was slightly restored to the point she could speak in a normal volume.
"Well, I'm honored to be here. But I suppose we should get to business. So, tell me when I can take this test and begin work!"
"Well someone is enthusiastic!" Higgins boomed. "Well, I assume you know what will be on the test; considering you have already taken one...this is all just because of formality. I do not doubt your ability at all. Anyway, just in case you want to know more, and maybe refresh a bit, here is a test outline," Higgins said as he thrust a gigantic book into her arms that was about as heavy as a baby dinosaur. "And that's about it! After you pass someone will sign that ruddy form of yours and you can start! I am sure that the Minister of Magic will want to meet up with you. You being the daughter of an official and an Auror!"
"Well, that would be wonderful, yet right now I'm just focused on taking the actually exam. So, when can I take it? It would take almost all day so I suspect it would be tomorrow rather than today..."
Higgins looked down at his shoes for a bit and when he finally did look up at Eloria, his face was full of guilt. He opened his mouth several times to speak, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. When he finally did speak it was much different than his room-filling voice that he had a minute ago.
"You see...I do know that we had arranged to have you take your...your exam...right after you arrived. But...er...since...because of...er...recent events..." Higgins stammered. "Because of recent events...and that some...countries have...uh...lower standards than ours...and we have many of our own waiting...to take the test that is...you will have to wait a few weeks before you can take your exam and become certified." With those final words Higgins looked as if he had just taken a 2 ton load off of his shoulders.
However, Eloria's face suddenly changed; she no longer wore a happy, pleasant facial expression. Instead, her face could rival that of a tiger about to sink in for the kill. For a while, she just sat there thinking.
"A few weeks. It might as well be a few years! They would never do this to anyone from their own country. It is because they don't believe I am up to par." Anger was building up inside of her with every word, causing enormous pressure, like water against the side of a dam. "So, they think they can put me off do they? That I am not worth their bloody time! Well..." When there is too much pressure on a dam wall, water will break through the wall. Much the same thing happened to Eloria. Suddenly, words started pouring out of her mouth.
"A few weeks. A FEW WEEKS! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN A FEW WEEKS! I HAVE WAITED OVER A STUPID YEAR TO GET HERE, AND THE MINISTRY AS WELL AS MY FATHER, THE OFFCIAL OF THE PACIFIC COAST, ASSURED ME THAT I COULD BEGIN AS SOON AS I GOT HERE!" Practically everyone in the office had stopped talking and turned to see the source of the blood curdling screaming and yelling. Eloria was shaking with anger at this point. Taking no notice of everyone else in the office, she continued on yelling Higgins's head off.
"YOU BLASTED BRITISH! NO RESPECT FOR PEOPLE, WHO HAPPEN TO BE JUST AS QUALIFIED AS THEMSELVES! A FEW WEEKS! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO NOW? SIT AND ROT FOR A FEW WEEKS!" At this point, all of the bottled up tension Eloria had developed over the past year came out. It seemed all the stress from filling out the many, tedious forms, contacting the many rude people, and dealing with all of the legal formalities was coming out now. The yelling calmed Eloria. She began to regain her head, and her voice started to die off. Fifteen or so minutes after she had started her outburst, she stopped. The entire office still stood, staring. Higgins slowly peered over his arms that he held over his face.
"Is...Is it safe to come out now?" he murmured. He even dared to give a soft chuckle at his own joke. Eloria however did not find it amusing.
"So...Mr. Higgins, when should I come back, to take this exam."
"I was going to get to that. Well, how about two weeks from today? Okay with your schedule?"
"Well it would be now, wouldn't it, considering the sole reason I came here was to take it?"
"Oh. And the Ministry is putting you up at the Leaky Cauldron, where you can stay free of charge until you find a permanent residence. You can take use the Floo Network to get there," Higgins added, handing Eloria a piece of parchment with some quickly scribbled directions. "All expenses for food and travel will also be taken care of by the Ministry..
"Money is not an issue. What is any issue however is this stupid system of yours..." Eloria began, her voice rising again. Higgins interrupted, before she could start up again. "And the Ministry has arranged for you to meet prominent Aurors and be briefed about your duties. That way, you can start as soon as you take the test."
He turned around to face the piles of papers on his desk once again, but stopped, and slowly met Eloria's intense gaze. His face dropped, and once again he looked as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.
"Sorry about this. I assure you it has nothing to do with you. It's just that the Ministry is very busy in times like this." Higgins extended his hand. Reluctantly, Eloria shook it.
"So, you are welcome to come and visit this office any time," Higgins said, gesturing to the cubicles around him. "And if you need any help, any at all, I am always here. Well, almost always anyway."
"Good day Higgins," Eloria said, her voice as cold as ice. And with those words she stormed out of the office. Not until the giant oak doors closed behind her did the talking that once filled the office start once again.
