Black Dawn – Book 2 (Exodus)
Chapter 3
The fugitives now stood on the bank of the Nile just north of the city of Luxor in Egypt. There was a fairly decent sized wizard community hidden in Luxor, and bill took them there straight away.
The hotel was named Isis Luxor on Khaled Ibn El Walid Street, near the temple itself and the muggle airport. Harry had removed his robes, and rolled up his sleeves. The November weather in England had been chilly, but here it was humid and almost eighty. A far cry from the lower 50's with the threat of rain they had been dealing with.
Bill and Harry entered the hotel; the manager greeted them, and nodded knowingly to Bill. Harry retrieved the rest of the group and hurried them inside, casting about worriedly. This was the tricky spot. The kids needed to rest before they could use another Portkey, and besides by now Seamus would be looking for the signature of all these people were making. No, from here, Bill had arranged Harry and company to travel with a caravan to Shalateen, where a muggle ship would ferry them to India, and from there they would take a ship to Australia.
Once everyone was inside, Harry breathed a quick sigh of relief. They were escorted to the upper floors, an area reserved for the more affluent visitors, and the occasional group of wizards and witches. Harry was delighted with the accommodations, and gave the manager a rather large sized bag of Galleons. It would ensure that his memory would remain blissfully innocent of this large group passing through his town.
Two days later the group filed out into the streets of Luxor, and wandered as tourists through the city, all of them stopping at the train station. Tickets were already purchased, and had been in the rooms along with new clothing more appropriate to the climate, passports, and muggle money. They boarded the train, and Harry began to relax. They had done it. They just had a two day train ride as a group of muggle tourists, and once they were on the boat, these identities would vanish in a burst of blue flame.
Harry eased back into his seat as the locomotive pulled them out, Harry had paid a generous amount to the conductor, his group would be the only people on the train. The kids were allowed to run, and for a brief moment, Harry felt like they were on the Hogwarts Express again. But of course that was silly, the train had been destroyed in one of the attacks, and Minerva had opted instead to use Portkeys. The letters sent out to the students would transport them to the site of the old Hogsmeade Station, and from there the children would ride the boats in their first year, and carriages every year after. He had been one of the people to complain about it, indicating that part of the magic of going to Hogwarts had been the train ride. Minerva had smiled sadly at that and indicated that the Ministry had been adamant the children's safety was more important than the notion of the train ride.
The four friends talked easily, and eventually a cart rolled by with an older woman pushing a cart. She knocked politely and spoke to them in slightly accented English. "Care for some refreshments?"
They looked over the card, and found familiar wizard treats. They smiled and Harry purchased Pomegranate juice for them, as well as some sweets. Ron opened a chocolate frog and looked inside and snorted. He tossed the card into the bin, and Harry looked down to see "Ron Weasley" on the face of the card. They ate and drank in comfortable silence, until Ron smiled and pulled out a chess set.
Harry groaned. "God no Ron, we've known each other for half our lives and I have yet to even come close to winning."
Ron looked put off. "So, what do you want to do then mate?"
Harry thought about it a few moments. "Actually Ron, I think I'd like to sleep." He pulled the small bed out and climbed up, Ginny joined him shortly.
They woke several hours later to hear Ron and Hermione re-enter the cabin. "Oi, dinner is still on; if you hurry you can still make it." Ron said.
Harry and Ginny went forward and ate a nice dinner, and returned to the room to find Hermione reading, and Ron asleep. She put the book down and looked at the two of them. "Ron and I were worried."
Harry smiled, "I've been exerting a lot of power Hermione. I've been masking the Portkey trail, it's not easy."
She nodded. "Alright I can see that. So that's why we were using muggle transport then for the next few legs?"
Ginny nodded. "Harry thinks he can cover one more Portkey jump if we absolutely must."
Hermione understood the risk. "Right then, we'll just need to keep up the pretense then. Good night." She turned off her reading lamp and curled up to Ron.
Ginny kissed Harry and they returned to their bed falling asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows.
They woke to the gentle rocking of the train. The early morning light streaming into the compartment. Harry groaned and rolled onto his back "Remind me never to book train passage again…"
Hermione glared at him. "Try it pregnant Harry."
Ron smiled and helped his wife up. "Come on, the pregnant woman gets first shot at the loo."
He helped Hermione into the small cubicle and after she was done Ginny got her turn, Harry and Ron got refreshed and the three made their way into the dining car for breakfast. Slowly families showed up ate and then left, Harry greeted each family making sure all was well. It was almost lunch time by the time Harry returned to the cabin. Ginny and Hermione had returned straight away, and Ron had left after a couple hours.
"Everything is well; everyone is here and seems to be fine. Tonight we will pull into Shalateen, and shortly after nightfall, we'll leave the train under the cover of an obfuscation charm Hermione was so brilliant to find. We'll walk exactly three blocks to the dock and board a vessel called the Sarina Rolena a Greek freighter taking a load of dates to India. This Greek freighter is equipped to move us in relative comfort in the bulkhead." Harry smiled to himself.
Ron checked his watch. "So we've lunch and dinner on the train then, and then we put to sea."
"Correct Ron." Harry clapped his hands and rubbed them together excitedly. "Once we are aboard the Sarina Rolena we are completely outside of the jurisdiction of the Ministry. Relations with Greece has been strained at best recently."
---------------- That Same Time: Beauxbatons, France ----------------------------
"Fleur Delacour! Open up in the name of the Ministry of Magic!" Seamus pounded on the main doors.
Shortly they opened and Fleur stood there in robes of purest white. Seamus swallowed his tongue and coughed. "Seamus Finnegan! How lovely to see you, won't you come in for tea perhaps?" Her voice had become silky, and held promises that made Seamus forget why he had come to Beauxbatons in the first place.
--------------- Seven Hours Later: Shalateen, Egypt -------------------------------
The train pulled into the station, and paused there for what appeared to be no reason with the doors open to any casually passing observer. Staying hidden under the charm, the group walked carefully to the docks, and found the freighter Sarina Rolena.
Harry boarded the vessel and found the captain. He smiled and thrust out his hand. "Capt. Nicolas Brevarious?"
The older man smiled "Harry Potter! I finally meet the lad who saved my son's life!"
Harry flushed "Auror Brevarious sends his greetings, and wishes to inform you his wife Cathy will give birth to your first grandchild in December."
The smile on the man's face grew larger "This is cause for Celebration! Porchay! Go ashore, and bring on board the best liquor you can find!"
A Slavic man nodded to his captain and hurried off the ship. Harry and Nicolas helped the rest into the hold area. It had dining facilities, and rooms for all of them, it had been magically altered of course. Nicolas was a Gryffindor from Arthur and Molly's days at Hogwarts. They spent many evenings talking late into the night. Harry didn't particularly mind the boat trip; Hermione on the other hand looked like she had swallowed something vile, and was sick for most of the trip.
Three weeks later, the ship docked in Mumbai, and from here Ron and Hermione took over. They arranged transport to the train station, and negotiated with the local wizards for booking an entire train from Mumbai to Karaikal, where they would meet up with their friend. Several hours and several hundred Galleons later, the fugitives boarded the train that was to take them to Karaikal, and from there on a muggle cruise liner to Queensbury, Australia.
The train pulled out of the station under the watchful eye of Seamus Finnegan.