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Author Notes (January 12, 2005): I'm reposting all my stories from all my accounts here, as soon as I re-read and correct anything I find. I still probably won't catch all of it, and the formatting is giving me hell, so if you catch mistakes or see something you think I should work on please tell me, and I'll turn some attention on it.

America Septentrionalis: A Vaticinatio

Jess Scefing

From the second she woke up, lying on the stiff cot, its support beam pressing uncomfortably into her back, she knew it was going to be a not so very pleasant day.

"No." she thought sourly. "Today is going to be a horrible day. If at all possible, even worse than yesterday." As she thought about the day before she felt the beginnings of tears start to well up in the corners of her eyes and rolled over, burying her face in the pillow.

"It feels like there is a pit in my stomach. A dull, aching abyss. That's what it is. Maybe if I ate something… I could puke."Rolling over she stumbled to where she remembered the light switch to be in the windowless room. Momentarily blinded, she blinked a bit and found the clock on the plain desk next to the cot.

"Hmph. No way in hell am I sleeping on that thing again." She complained aloud to the empty room as she checked the time. Five forty- seven a.m. Lucky for her it was digital, because otherwise she probably wouldn't have know if it was morning or night. Even so, it was way too early to be awake. Especially when there was nothing to do. But…

Grabbing her bag she had taken with from her home when she was warned she wouldn't be back that night she dug out her CD player, a copy of Box Car Racer already loaded. With a seconds hesitation she dug out her change of clothes and went to check the door.

"Figures." The door was locked. From the outside. "Well, at least I found something to do." A feral grin spread across her no longer tired features as she propped the desk's chair against the doorknob just long enough to ensure no intrusions while she changed. Packing away her CD player she went to inspect the lock.

A simple design. She couldn't tell for sure if there was a spell on the door, but she didn't think so, which would make her job all the easier.Opening the top drawer of the desk she found an assortment of items which wouldn't help her in the least. Quills, ink, even some ballpoint pens were scattered about. Rubber bands, a seal and some wax, Post-It Notes, and...

"Aha!" a pin-on name tag. She pulled it out but kept looking to see if there was anything else which might work better. "Eurgh." A half eaten Mars Bar quickly found its place in the waste paper basket with a clang. "A letter opener? Might be useful." she mused as she set it next to the name tag when: "Oh. Somebody loves me. Or at least underestimates me."

Dropping the pin and letter opener back into the drawer she pulled out a plastic I.D. card and quickly went over to kneel in front of the door. Pushing it into the crack between door and frame she slid it up and down until it hit the spot she needed. Pressing it until she heard the betraying click of the bolt she kept the card pressed tight against the lock until she had the door open.

She was about to toss the card on the desk when she saw it had a barcode on it.

"Don't know what its used for, but it just might come in handy. I'm not going to take my things though. After all, I'm not leaving. Just… exploring."

Leaving the door wide open to display the lack of her attendance she set off "exploring". First stop: wherever she could find a machine that sold coffee. Food might not sound appealing, but a Starbucks would prove the existence of a higher being.

By six thirty and she had found no signs from a caring deity, or even another human being. But she was sure she would see someone soon. People had to come to work sometime after all. But in the meantime she occupied herself by creating mild catastrophes wherever she had access. Which was most every room or hallway she came upon.

For the most part, the hallways were bland and dull, which she came to prefer to the alternative. The others had a touch of that pastel false cheeriness you find in hospitals. Why they ever had it in a Federal office building she would never know. The unassuming (and quite atrocious in her opinion) wallpaper, the mediocre prints showing the reproductions of flowers or wildlife scenes. Those she removed from their respected locations and replaced in a neighbors. Nothing large, but it would make the more observant workers wonder.

A few offices she entered she moved the chairs around, and one she rotated everything in the office so it seemed the entire room had been spun to face a different way. That owner would have a fair surprise. Others she would just rearrange a few items on the desk and in several of the rooms that had computers she switched it around so that the mouse would operate backwards, suited to a left handed person rather than a right.

She even switched a portrait (with its permission of course) with one of the bland non-magical one's from the hall.

Epiphany came when she found herself inside a janitor's closet. Inside was a selection of various cleaners and other supplies of the like. Dumping some disinfectant into an empty bucket she proceeded to switch all the liquids to a different container. Lastly, grabbing the polish and a mop she shinned up a five-foot stretch of floor in front of the door quite nicely.

She was in her current act of switching the nameplates on door when she heard the first signs of human life coming from the opposite end of the hall. She tossed the incriminating tags in an open doorway and made it around the corner of the hall before they could see her.

"Well, she might be in one of the offices sir."

'I recognize that radio-voice. Mr. Questionnaire is back with a supervisor.' She thought almost happily. Until she realized that if they did look into any of the rooms they would find her source of amusement for the past few hours (it was now

7:53) and she would rather that wait until she was gone. She plastered a tired and slightly bored expression on her face and walked past the corridor they were currently occupying already coming up with an alibi.

"Ecgford!" Turning, she switched her carefully schooled expression into a face of faint surprise and mild relief. She almost lost it for a moment though when she recognized his companion. She had met Dumbledore once that she could remember, when she was around eight. 'Why is he here though?' She had decided to act like she didn't recognize him since she had already missed the chance to show real surprise and it is one of the trickier expressions to duplicate.

"Thank the gods, I have probably been wandering around here for at least half an hour. I couldn't find my way back to my room." She half smiled and continued walking toward them, a bit quicker than usual since she didn't want them to pass the door with the placards littering the floor.

"And why exactly were you out of your room Ecgford? Better yet, how did you get out? We could tell you didn't use a spell." The agent said this in a rather rude tone of voice, though understandably since he had been searching for someone he shouldn't have had to in the first place. Not that it kept her from becoming rather snappish herself. After all, why shouldn't she? She had really every right to herself going by what had happened to her in the past two days, and she could act as tired and pissed off as anyone else. Besides, she was the one who had been "lost" all morning.

Pulling the card out of her pocket she bent it between her thumb and forefinger so it shot off at him. She noted Dumbledore looked amused.

"That is how I got out. As for why I left my cozy little cell, I had to use the restroom. Surely you can begrudge me the vice of being human?" Agent Ass-hole (as his new name was to her) glared as he bent to pick up the card. She glared back with more insolence than anger, and Dumbledore broke in with as much of a grin in his voice as his eyes.

"Erin, you might not remember me. My name is Albus Dumbledore."

She blinked twice as recognition supposedly dawned and she smiled. "Oh yeah, you're the principal from Hogwarts right?"

"Yes, I am. It is the now common belief that you are in danger. Therefore, you are going to be part of a program designed to protect witnesses."

"Witness protection?" she asked, not quite managing innocence.

"Ah, yes, that's it. You unfortunately won't be able to return to Salem Institute because of it. You will instead be attending Hogwarts for what will likely be the rest of your schooling."

The stone mask crumbled and she gaped like a fish

"Uh... What? I... I'm going to a different school? No, wait, not just a different school, I'm going to be in a different hemisphere! And why exactly can't I go to Salem anymore?" The agent spoke up, deciding he should answer because even though it was Dumbledore who had dropped the bomb, she was glaring at him.

"You can't go to Salem because it is too easy to look for you there." He said simply.

"Oh, terrific reason! And how will I be harder to find at Hogwarts? Gonna lock me up in a broom closet perchance?"

"If you think glaring at me will change anything (her face went from Glare to Death-Glare) then you are sadly mistaken. It wasn't even me who made the decision. Though if we even had some information to catch the people who are after you might not have to leave."

"And if you think bribing me will change anything then you are sorely mistaken." She turned to Dumbledore.

"There are probably a few differences in the school supply lists right? I will probably need to get those before term starts."

"Of course my dear. If you have no objections Mr. Riley, we will depart to her house to retrieve what she has already."

Riley was angry. That was obvious. He was supposed to have another day of questioning but since he doubted he would get anything out of her he consented with a nod and turned on his heel to go to his office. Though, that didn't bother Erin in the least. As they left she was solely concerned trying to remember something.

Riley... Riley... John Riley! I remember now! That's the office I-

But at that moment they port-keyed away and she was concerned with the more pressing matters of gathering the things she would be taking with her.

Rather unfortunate that they weren't there for about three minutes longer. She, and Dumbledore to no doubt, would have found the yell that echoed through the halls extremely funny. The portrait from the office across the hall did anyway.