2002, Woolworth Building, MACUSA, Auror Headquarters, (Harry Isn't Jealous At All Of The Budget MACUSA Aurors Have, Honestly)
Nothing, outside of Hogwarts, could top Harry Potter's sense of wonder the first time walking through Diagon Alley, but honestly, seeing MACUSA from the visitors atrium, came fairly close. He was thankful that he managed to transfigure his outer robe back, and put on his scarlet dragonhide overcoat - now no longer disguised to look like a fashionable Muggle trenchcoat - and at least looked the part, compared to his first visit to Diagon.
Once more he wished he had a dozen eyes to see everything, walkways criss-crossing each other in mid air, clocks and instruments ticking all around, or puffing smoke or changing colour, golden signposts and half a dozen colours that Harry couldn't even name on some doors, it was like an architect saw Dumbledore's Office and the Empire State building and couldn't decide between them.
But he was not a wide-eyed eleven, rather a slightly cynical twenty-two, so he kept his amazement to himself for the most part. It was easier the closer to the Auror Office they got, as Harry was reminded that, yet again, he would be held up as a performing pygmy-puff for past events rather than on his own merits. After making their way through security, Harry was only slightly embarrassed when he was asked to empty his extended bag, his trinkets and presents from various Weasleys and DA members causing more than a few raised eyebrows and one mumbled 'Of course a Potter is prepared for anything.'. once getting the all clear, although it was obvious that the security wizard had no idea what some of the more exotic trinkets even did, he was not so subtly waved on by Jesse Adams, Harry and Jesse made their way further into the heart of MACUSA.
When they finally reached the intricate doorway that read 'Headquarters Of The United States Auror Office' with yet another eagle carved into the double doors, Harry realised. No self-respecting Auror Office would dare have their doors closed during a work day, either he was shown in via the scenic route, or MACUSA really had gone all out and specifically closed the door to the Auror Office during the day. The alternative, that the Auror Office doors were usually shut unless someone opened and closed them as needed, wasn't pleasant.
Jesse Adams, who had no idea about Harry's inner thoughts, turned back towards him with a wry smile and pushed against the arch of wood.
The great oak doors parted, splitting the eagle cleanly in two, and a shaft of golden light emerged from the opening. As the doors continued their passage, the golden light shifted so it was then made up of oranges, yellows, greens and blues, the lights dancing on the carving, making the wooden eagle seem almost alive.
It wasn't until the doors were fully open that Jesse indicated Harry step forward, into the Hall of Heroes.
There was activity here, witches and wizards, along with a number of strange creatures, going from doorway to doorway. Apparently MACUSA used the creatures – that Harry had never seen before – instead of the enchanted memos that were common in the Ministry. Enchanted fires, flickering between orange, blue and green flared above the different archways – Harry guessed they were some sort of indicator system, but had no idea how they could be used.
He could here snippets of conversation as Jesse ushered him through the columns to their destination – an even more ornate archway labelled 'Chief of Aurors, United States Auror Office'. Double checking, Harry realised they were definitely NOT plain columns, each one, six on each side, was carved masterfully in the likeness of a witch or wizard. Probably one of the twelve, Harry thought. It appeared that the columns were either kept in incredible condition, or – which Harry dearly hoped was not the case - cleaned especially for this visit.
As they came up to the archway, one of the younger wizards rushed from one orange flamed arch to a green one across the hall, and didn't see the other wizards making their way to the Head Auror's Office, and collided with Jesse Adams.
He would've collided with Harry as well if it wasn't for the British Aurors practice in dodging flailing limbs and sidestepping angry Weasleys. Harry barely managed to catch the two men before they both tumbled on the floor, it was pure luck that Harry didn't end up being the one on the floor – that and his practice in catching and holding inebriated colleagues.
The two – presumably – American Aurors managed to separate, making it look like they had managed to stay on their feet themselves, Harry was kind of jealous that they could 'style it out' in such a way, and the younger Auror that bumped into them suddenly found himself going wide eyed and lost for words at who he had almost knocked over.
'Err, Umm, We-sorr-erk-' The poor man couldn't quite get his voice to work, his eyes darting between Harry and Jesse, no doubt wondering who to address first.
'Hey, you alright there.' Harry knew from dealing with distressed witches and wizards that the best way to snap someone out of a panic was usually to get them to answer a basic question.
'Err, oh yes-' Barely letting the other man finish, Harry ploughed on.
'Well you have my apologies for getting in your way like that.' Harry gestured to himself and Jesse, who looked like he was about to tear a strip of the unfortunate Auror. 'We'll let you get on with you work.' He finished by nodding to the other man, who thankfully was regaining control of his voice, and was much less pale than before. It would be a lie to say that Harry wasn't used to people being unable to speak to him, and so had become something of an expert at quickly shuffling people away with the minimum of fuss and embarrassment.
What Harry did not expect was for the other Auror to shake himself out of his panic and snap into a salute.
'Sorry Sir. Won't happen again Sir.' From the sound of it, it was a rote learned response that Harry could guess the Auror fell back on in the absence of being able to find the appropriate response.
'Err.' Harry glanced around, a few Aurors or messengers had stopped their work to glance over at the brief commotion. 'Well carry on then.' He lamely replied, waving in the general direction the other man was heading to.
Relief, and a bit of colour, was visible on the Auror's face, and he darted off, barely keeping hold of the wad of parchments that were now in danger of flying away at the speed he was moving.
Harry looked to Jesse and shrugged in a 'well what can you do' sort of way. Ignoring the harumph from the American captain, Harry continued on his way to the Chief Auror;s office, Jesse having to walk slightly faster to catch up.
As Jesse hurried past him, to look like he was the one leading Harry to the Chief's Office, they both came up to the arched doorway, the door, with a set of scales rather than an eagle carved onto it, opened, and a smiling bearded man got up from his wingbacked chair, judging by his gold trimmed navy robes and the insignia on them – Harry was thankful to Robards for giving him a rundown there – he was the Chief Auror of the entire Magical United States.
'Ah Auror Potter, Welcome to the Auror Headquarters of the United States of America.' He drawled in an accent Harry could not place. Both he and Jesse who shut the door behind him, were inside the rather spacious office, covered with tables and papers, and a group of four other people, 'Please allow me to introduce the team you will be working with.' He pointed to the woman closest to the fireplace. 'Colonel Roberts,' Pointing to two bearded men standing by a side table with a heap of photographs. 'Captains James and Hogan.' The two men nodded and a third man stepped forward from a small bookcase, having just replaced a small book. 'Lieutenant Rogers, and of course you've met Captain Adams. And finally, I am Chief Conrad Williams.' The large Auror gestured to himself.
Nodding, and accepting the handshakes and customary 'Good to meet you' from the named Aurors, Harry turned expectantly to the Chief.
'Thank you for the welcome Chief Williams. I won't make you all stand on ceremony any longer, shall we get onto the investigation?'
'An excellent suggestion Auror Potter, in fact that is what we were just discussing right here.' Chief Williams waved one hand over the multitude of desks with papers that the other Aurors seemed to have taken over, with notes and pins and even a few moving photographs dotted around showing potential suspects. That confused the visiting Auror, surely the Chief's own office wasn't used like a normal planning room?
When he managed to put this question to the Chief, phrasing it as delicately as he could, Williams just laughed.
'Oh no, not usually, my Office is mostly mine. But for certain cases where information leakage might cause significant problems, well this room is one of the most secure in the whole department.'
'Err... right, so is there something about this case that could lead to panic amongst the others?' Harry had to wonder at that, sure potential Death Eaters were frighting, but if everyone was warned about them, then precautions could be taken – the hiding looked far too close to Fudge and Scrimgour for Harry's comfort. A few beats of silence followed before Colonel Roberts cleared her throat.
'Umm Mist-Auror Potter.' she hastily corrected herself, a blush beginning to appear on her cheeks 'My apologies, Auror Potter, have you been keeping up with American Muggle news in the recent months?'
'I do know about the aeroplane disasters and now a war near a number of ancient magical ruins-' Harry began.
'That's part of it Auror Potter. You see in September of last year a number of attacks were carried out by one group of Muggles on some major American Muggle landmarks, the repercussions of this, to summarise are a much heightened fear of, well almost anything 'foreign' operating on US soil, and as you mentioned, the war, which is causing its own brand of problems.' Harry could only nod at this, berating himself for forgetting the context
'Right, yeah we've had a load of problems with apparent 'cuneiform curses' and all sorts appearing in Diagon Alley. I suppose that some of the spells could be from stolen cuneiform tablets. But surely the fact that a group of possible British Death Eaters are in America won't cause a panic-'
'Ah Mister Potter, forgive me but you haven't had the chance to interact with the Chronicle, or the New York Barker, or Owl News.' At the last one, a number of Aurors gave a chuckle and Captain Hogan made a strange hand gesture to more guffaws.
'Err, sorry what is-'
'Be thankful you haven't yet had the displeasure of talking to a journalist from Owl News.' Chief Williams grimaced at that. 'They should've called themselves Vulture News, or better yet, not bother with the News at all. I won't dignify them with talking about their policies in my Office, but lets just say that we'll try to help you avoid their claws whenever we can.'
That sounded a lot like Rita Skeeter, in Harry's mind. He supposed the one good thing was that the Daily Prophet only had one of Skeeter's ilk on staff, it sounded like there was an entire paper made up of Skeeters in the US, something he was more than happy to avoid.
'Right.' This came from Captain James, grinning at Harry. 'Let's move onto the much happier topics of potential terrorist attacks on multiple Muggle American citizens.'
