Harry POV
"Wake up!" a female voice shouted from across the room. The dark-haired wizard sat up in bed and looked blindly around the room. Reaching for his glasses, he slipped them on seeing his jovial sister standing at the door.
"Go away, Alyssa," Harry sighed and flopped back onto the bed. He was determined to catch a few more hours of sleep.
"It's nearly 7 am, Harry," his sister huffed from the doorway. "You need to get moving. The portkey to Paris leaves in one hour."
One hour? One hour was all he had left before leaving. Suddenly, Harry didn't feel like going. The fear that coursed through him was ridiculous, but he couldn't stop it. He knew he would be far away. The thought didn't settle well with his churning stomach.
His bedroom door quietly closed and Harry wished to roll over and hide, but he threw the blankets off and sat up in bed. Stretching his arms over his head, he yawned and looked out the window. The sunlight was streaming into the bedroom with a light breeze ruffling the crimson curtains.
The bespectacled boy threw his legs over the bed and stood up. He ruffled through his drawers and yanked out the clothes he would wear to the camp.
Half an hour later, Harry dressed and shoved his shrunken rucksack in his pants pocket. Harry thought for a split second if he should wear his uniform on the arrival day but figured that no one would wear theirs.
Taking a seat, he pulled the rucksack from his pants pocket and expanded it. Rummaging through it, he found the journal. Letting the bag drop on the floor, Harry opened the journal and grabbed a quill. Dipping it in ink, he hovered over the paper before he began writing.
Hermione
Today is the day! We are leaving in thirty minutes to go to the Ministry where we will jump. Then jump again. I don't know how long it will take, but once I am settled; I swear that I will write to you. I miss you terribly and can't wait to see you in August.
Love
Harry.
Turning the page, he wrote one to Ron. He would feel like the biggest prat if he didn't at least try to communicate with his best friend.
Ron,
Today I am leaving for camp. Wish me luck! I know it will be a long journey, but I am excited. I promise to teach you whatever I learn?
Have a fun summer. Can't wait to see you in August!
Harry.
Satisfied with his letters, Harry closed the journal and placed it gently back into the dropped rucksack. Shrinking it once more, he shoved it into his pants pocket. He opened the door and with a hesitant look back, Harry closed it behind him and headed down the stairs to the dining room where he smelled breakfast.
Entering the room, the air was somber but with an air of excitement. Harry sat down in his usual chair and averted his eyes to his family. He stretched his arm across the table to snag the plate of sausages. Filling his plate with the delicious breakfast food, it didn't take long before Harry demolished the plate and sat back.
He looked over at his family, who smiled at him and reached for his glass of pumpkin juice. Finishing it, he stood up and tucked his chair back under the table. The house-elves would take care of the mess. Harry wondered if there were house-elves in America. He left the room, following his family and headed toward the portkey room.
"You ready to go?" Alyssa's voice broke his musing. Harry nodded slowly and turned to face his uncle and godfather. Both of them embraced the young boy tightly before releasing him back to his sister. He watched as Alyssa reached for the portkey that would take them to the Ministry of Magic, and with a subtle jerk, they left.
Sirius stood there barely holding it together. Today was the day his godson would leave for a month. The former prisoner knew he couldn't travel with him no matter how interesting it would be to learn how the American Aurors worked. In a short time, he had grown attached to his godson. Sirius sighed and looked at a forlorn Remus.
As Remus turned to look at his lifelong best friend, he shrugged and sighed. "They'll be back Padfoot."
"I know Moony, but it's hard to let them go," Sirius said, looking at the space where his godchildren had been. Then a thought crossed his mind, and he smiled for the first time today.
"You know Moony old chap that when Harry comes home, he will kick both our arses."
"Oh, the day that happens..." Remus grinned at him and turned to leave the portkey room. Sirius followed behind him and they headed toward the library where the former prisoner knew that his wolfy friend would get lost in the stacks of books.
He had half a mind to bring the entire Black Family library to Potter Manor. It would tickle his fancy to rip it out, but that would mean he would have to go to Grimmauld Place. Sirius looked around for Moony but realized his friend had disappeared.
Shrugging his shoulders, he turned around and left the room. He had to make sure Harry had his Quidditch Pitch before he returned home. Now that would make a great present.
Harry stumbled as they landed at the Ministry of Magic. Whoever invented the portkey had to be out of his mind! It wasn't the spinning or never-ending nausea that was the problem. It was the landing. Every time he had used a portkey, he always stumbled on the landing.
Landing on his ass, Harry scowled, seeing Alyssa land softly on the floor. He watched as she chuckled at him, but offered her hand to help him up. Taking it, he stood to his feet and looked around at the busy Atrium.
Wizards and witches were moving quickly from one area to the next. Looking around, he saw lifts that would take them to any floor of the Ministry. In the center of the room was a water fountain of the many species that lived among the magicals.
"Where do we need to go?" he asked, tearing his eyes away from the fountain.
"To the Department of Magical Transportation," she said, opening up a piece of parchment. "It's on level 6. We have to go to the Portkey Office."
Harry nodded and followed his sister to the lifts that would take them to their floor. Stepping onto the lift, he noticed a house-elf/gnome-like creature standing in the far corner. It was sneering at the magicals who stepped onto his lift.
Harry's cheeks pinked when the creature caught him staring. He turned around quickly, hoping no one saw him. *Keeping his eyes forward, he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. Five minutes later, after several Ministry employees disembarked off the lift, it came to a stop on level 6.
Harry looked at Alyssa, who gave him a tight smile and followed her out into the narrow hallway. Life was teeming to the brim here. The Ministry employees were scattered down the hall, some were even muttering nonsense as they passed the two teens.
Harry watched as Alyssa tried to flag someone down to ask where the Portkey Office was but to no avail. Everyone was far too busy to help them. Shrugging his shoulders at her, they turned left and stopped to read each sign above the doors until they found it.
Pushing the door open, Harry saw a harried witch sitting behind a desk covered in rolls of parchment. Harry briefly wondered what was going on.
"Excuse me," he looked at Alyssa, who spoke up.
"Yes?" the witch snapped at them. "What do you need?"
Harry and Alyssa exchanged annoyed looks before turning back to the witch behind the desk.
"We're here to pick up a Portkey to Paris," Alyssa informed her.
"Name!" the harried witch said, finally looking up at them. When she realized Harry Potter was standing in front of her, she blushed heavily and began to stammer. "I—I'm sorry for my behavior, it's been hectic lately." she tried to play it off with a smile.
"Now, can I get your name?" she asked in a much nicer tone.
"Alyssa and Harry Potter," Harry spoke up before Alyssa opened her mouth.
"Potter... Potter..." the witch said, flipping through an opened a pile of parchment. Grinning victoriously as she found what she was looking for, she scanned the parchment before nodding. "Well, everything is in order. They clear you two for a Portkey to Paris leaving in ten minutes."
Harry nodded and looked around the room while Alyssa and the much nicer witch spoke about the upcoming travel. The room was small, yet tidy except for the desk. He wondered if it was cluttered that often. Something must go on for this department to seem like a madhouse.
A gentle tug on his arm got his attention, and he turned to look at Alyssa. In her hand was a blue cracked coffee mug. Harry assumed it was the portkey to the Paris branch of the Ministry of Magic. There, he knew, they would take an international Portkey to New York.
"You ready?"
"Yea," he said, placing a finger on the mug just as he heard the timer chime. With a jerk to his naval, Harry closed his eyes and bent his knees. He knew it would come in handy when they landed.
****Meanwhile at Hogwarts*****
Sitting in an ornate chair in an equally ornate office sat Albus Dumbledore, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump and the current Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. The term had ended only a few weeks ago and today as he sat in his office, he could not fathom how this past year had turned to the worst.
Alyssa Potter arrived and the convict Sirius Black. Both were equally distressing for the aging wizard. In 1991, when Voldemort killed off the Potter line sans Alyssa and Harry, Albus stepped in and separated the two children. He sent Alyssa to America to live with her mother and Harry to his Muggle aunt. Neither of them was to ever know about each other. His mistake was forgetting to place a Memory Charm on the girl.
Eliminating Sirius Black was easy enough. He was the children's Godfather and Albus knew he would seek vengeance against the deaths of James and Lily Potter. It was simple enough for Barty Crouch to place Lord Black in Azkaban without a trial. The following days and nights after the fall of Voldemort were chaotic.
He would have a compliant and easy child to maneuver in Harry when he returned to Hogwarts at age eleven. Over the past couple of years with the help of Severus, they set plans to trap Voldemort and ensuring that Harry was in the thick of it. It was very clear to Albus that Harry faces Voldemort and eliminate him... even if that meant Harry sacrificing himself for the Greater Good that was needed.
Hadn't Albus sacrificed enough when he defeated Gellert? Albus had lost his entire family during the war. His sister was murdered and his brother left him. He sacrificed and Harry Potter should know what it meant.
When young Harry vehemently told him he wasn't going back to his relatives, Albus nearly had an aneurysm. He needed to go back! Unfortunately, he lost all control of the young wizard in question when Alyssa Potter stepped through the gates of Hogwarts and demanded she takes her place as the seventh year.
The little chit had even threatened to take Harry out of Hogwarts and send him across the pond to America! He couldn't have that so he agreed to her demands. What he didn't realize was how far she would go to protect her brother.
Now, sitting alone in his office, Albus stroked his long, thin beard and contemplated how he should bring Harry back onto his side. Just then, a quiet chiming noise pinged throughout the room. Abandoning his chair, Albus raced across the room as much as his old legs permitted him, he found one of his tracking devices puffing smoke and chiming. It was the one for Harry Potter.
Inside it was a blood vial he had gained when the boy was a mere toddler. This device would tell him if Harry had left the country, and it seemed he had. But where had he gone?
A squawk later had him turning around to see a non-descript owl holding a letter in its beak. Genially smiling at the bird, he watched as the owl dropped the note on the desk and flew out the window much to Fawkes displeasure.
Unrolling the sealed parchment, Albus smiled darkly as he read the contents.
Albus Dumbledore
Regarding a mutual decision, I must inform you that Harry Potter has left Britain to travel to Paris, France. I cannot give out further information without risking exposure. You might wish to inquire at the Ministère des Affaires Magiques de la France for more information.
It was unsigned but Albus knew it was all right. His informant was trustworthy. Now he had to find out why young Harry Potter and that sister of his was doing in France. There was much to think about.
They spun in the air for what seemed like hours but might have only been minutes. Cracking an eye open, Harry realized they were almost there. Before he could bend his knees for a smoother landing, the Portkey stopped. Landing roughly on the hardwood floor, Harry cursed mentally and came to his feet.
Looking around the room, he noticed it was like the one in Britain. Instead of a dingy, dark room, this one had a magical window that showed the Eiffel Tower. A man, in a dark blue robe, was sitting behind a desk that was cluttered with parchment.
"Puis-Je vous aider avec quelque chose? (May I help you with something?)" he asked in French.
Harry turned to look desperately at Alyssa, who frowned. France might be across the Channel, but Harry didn't speak a word of the language.
"My name is Alyssa Potter. We are here to pick up an International Portkey to New York," his sister said, taking the reins on this.
The man's face lit up when she said the name 'Potter'. Instantly, he turned to look at Harry, who tried to avoid his gaze. Shuffling his feet, Harry turned his attention to the magical window and gazed out at the Eiffel Tower.
"Ah! Oui!" the man said, switching to English as he shuffled around some parchment. "They schedule you to leave in half an hour."
"Fantastic," Alyssa drawled not pleased they would have to wait before they could travel. Time was of the essence and Harry knew the quicker they jumped, the less time Dumbledore had of finding them.
"Maybe we can wander around until then?" Harry suggested casually.
"Non!" the employee shouted quickly at them. "You cannot be wandering around the French Ministry of Magic! You may have a seat over there," he said, waving his hand toward a small couch in the room.
Sighing, Harry shrugged his shoulders at Alyssa, who was eyeing the man with displeasure. Taking a seat, Harry leaned back into the stiff cushion and looked around the room. He knew he could pull out one book about American Aurors but he didn't want to raise suspicion about why he had the book.
It wasn't a typical book you would buy at Flourish and Blotts. They weren't too keen on selling books about other countries and cultures. He knew Alyssa had ordered this one from America. Leaning forward, he placed his elbows on his knees and stared off into the distance.
His mind traveled over the past year of all the things he had discovered. From finding his sister to learning that Sirius was innocent and to finally kissing Hermione. Kissing Hermione was heaven and hell all at the same time. He wanted to kiss her until her toes curled but very knew of the invisible boundaries that were there.
For Merlin's sake... they were barely fourteen!
Thinking about her brought a blush to his cheeks. He could feel the heat radiating through his fingers and he wished she was with him. Hermione would do very well at an Auror Camp. He promised to teach her everything he learned over the summer.
Casting his eyes around the room, he ignored the coming and goings of the office. People were rushing in and out of the room, handing Pierre stacks of parchments. It was very similar to what he saw in England.
"Excuse me," Harry spoke up, curiosity getting the best of him. "What is going on?"
The Frenchman stopped what he was doing for a moment and sat the parchment down on the desk. Harry watched as the man turned his glaring eyes toward him. "It's for the Quidditch World Cup! Bulgaria and Ireland are playing."
"Oh," Harry mumbled. "When is it?"
"Right before school starts," Alyssa quipped, turning a page in a book.
Harry perked up, realizing they could go. "Are we going? Can we go?" he asked, excitement creeping into his voice.
Alyssa sighed and smiled at him. "Oh, I don't know Harry. We might."
Harry couldn't decide if she was lying to him. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on feeling her emotions. He knew that he would find something.
Excitement
Joy
Secretive
His eyes flew open as he felt her emotions swirl around her. Narrowing his eyes at her, he opened his mouth to accuse her of keeping things from him. However, if he was feeling this from her, then he figured it meant something to her. Maybe this was a surprise that she didn't want anyone to find out.
"All right, keep your secrets," Harry said, turning back to waiting. He wasn't mad at her, but he wanted to know.
Nearly twenty minutes later, Harry was pulled out of his thoughts when Alyssa snapped her book closed. Turning his head to look at her, she smiled and tapped her watch. It was time to go. This would be the longest trip he had ever taken.
Coming to his feet, Harry patted down his pockets again, feeling for his rucksack. When he found it in his left pocket, Harry watched as Pierre removed himself from the desk and walked out of the room.
A few minutes later, he returned with a long piece of rope in his hands. Walking toward the two teens, Harry didn't like how the Frenchman eyed him with interest. "This is your Portkey. It will take you to the American Ministry of Magic. The trip will last three to four hours."
"Hours?" Harry exclaimed, looking alarmed.
"Why, yes Mr. Potter," Pierre said with hidden exasperation. "This isn't some quick trip across Europe. You're going across the Atlantic."
Harry finally realized that the Frenchman was right, nodding his head in agreement. Alyssa nodded her head in understanding. Taking hold of one end of the rope, Harry stood in front of his sister and gave her a brief smile before he felt the sudden jerking of his naval. Closing his eyes, Harry prepared himself for the long journey ahead.
Three hours later or so he thought, Harry briefly opened his eyes to the spinning of the portkey and could see a city up ahead. They were close. Preparing himself to land properly, he steeled himself for impact. It never mattered if he was ready or not. Harry always seemed to land on his face.
Landing a moment later found Harry sprawled on the cold marble flooring of the Portkey Entrance room. Groaning, he didn't miss the small chuckle from his sister, who was standing on her feet. Pushing himself off the ground, Harry stood up and brushed any dirt or lint that had gathered on his clothes while they were traveling.
He turned to look at Alyssa, whose eyes were lit up and turned his head toward the entrance. Outside this room was a whole new world that needed to be explored. Nodding his head, as if he was telling himself he was ready, Harry followed his sister out of the room and into a large lobby was in black and gold accents.
Harry thought the British Ministry of Magic was large, but it paled compared to the American one. His head swiveled around trying to catch everything and catalog it for later use. In the center of the main room was a monument with four columns featuring gold-gilded Phoenix statues. Harry quickly walked over to it, pushing his way through the crowd of people.
He stared at it for a minute, seeing a group of statues commemorating someone. Underneath the monument is four words he didn't understand.
"The statues are those who died in the Salem Witch Trials," his sister spoke upcoming to stand beside him.
"What do the words mean?"
Harry saw her smile from the corner of his eye, "It reads "Intergritas, Unitas, Virtus, & Magia". It means "Integrity, Unity, Valor, and Magic. The MACUSA motto."
"MACUSA?" Harry asked again. This information was giving him a headache.
"Magical Congress of the United States," Alyssa replied.
"Oh. It's very different here, isn't it?"
She nodded. "It performs many of the same functions as other wizarding governments, but the laws here are far stricter than they are back home." She paused looking for the lifts. "We need to stop and have your wand registered before we leave."
"Registered?! Why would we do that?"
"The office is charged with issuing, verifying and maintaining the registry. This means that you need a permit to carry a wand." Alyssa shrugged, knowing that her permit was still valid for at least another year.
"Well, let's go. We need to be at the camp before nightfall." Harry barely heard her say as she began to walk off toward the lifts that would take them to this Wand Permit thing. As the Boy-who-Lived walked through the lobby of the Magical Congress of the US, he was in awe at how different it was to the British Ministry.
Constantly was he bumping into people who weren't hesitant to say, 'Excuse me! Coming through. Pardon me'. Harry had a feeling these American folk was far politer than their British counterparts.
Not only were the clothes different, but how witches and wizards carried themselves. Stepping into the lift, employees pushed Harry about. The lift was small and smelled strongly of ink and leather. Harry tried not to listen to the conversations he was hearing, but the American accents made it difficult not to listen. He heard things about something called "No-Maj" and the work it took to keep the Statute of Secrecy. Harry turned to catch his sister's eye, who shrugged at him before turning back to people watch.
In the lift's corner was a small creature that reminded him of the house-elf/goblin mix. Even having Hagrid as a Creatures Professor didn't help him as he tried not to stare at the creature who was sneering at the magicals. The lift dinged, coming to a stop. Harry felt a hand grab his elbow and pushed him through the crown of magicals with a half-hearted 'Excuse me' coming from Alyssa.
Once outside the lift, Harry turned back to watch the lift leave them on the floor and he couldn't help but feel relief he was off it. They were standing in a narrow hallway that was barely illuminated. The ones that worked down here were probably people like Arthur Weasley... out of sight out of mind.
There wasn't a sound made other than their breaths as both teens looked around. "Have you ever been here?" Harry asked as he leaned toward his sister.
"Nope. Our wand permit notes are filled out when we receive our wands for school," she whispered.
Before Harry could ask another question, a door appeared before them. Harry blinked and removed his glasses, cleaning them before placing them back on his face. Nope, the door was still there. Above it was a small aged white sign that read "Wand Permit Office." Alyssa took the lead as she walked up to the door and knocked loudly.
"COME IN!" a voice barked on the other side of the door.
Harry shrugged at his sister, who looked just as annoyed as he was. It must be like this in all departments, he supposed. Harry gripped the brass doorknob and twisted it open. Pushing the door open, they ducked as a paper airplane whizzed over their heads.
Inside the room was deathly quiet with rows and stacks of wooden file cabinets with small handles and tiny signs above them. It reminded Harry of a library cataloging system. Behind a plain wooden desk was a pitiful scrawny man who looked as if he wished he were somewhere else.
He was wearing well-worn robes that had seen better days. There was a small stack of files beside him. Harry wasn't sure if it was parchment or some other paper. The man sighed seeing both of them.
"What can I help you with?" he asked the two teens.
"My brother needs to register his wand for his stay," Alyssa spoke to the man, who shook his head and began ruffling through forms.
"How long will he be here?" the man asked.
Harry stood back and let the 'adults' handle this. His eyes scouring the small room, trying to get a clear picture of how things worked in America. He wasn't surprised that the British Ministry of Magic considered wand permits. If they did, he doubts Voldemort or his followers would have gotten their hands on wands.
"He will be here from June 20th to August 10th," Alyssa said, looking down at a piece of parchment that she pulled from her own rucksack.
The man turned and looked sourly at Harry and thrust a form at him. "Please fill this out."
Harry took it gingerly from the man's outreached hand and grabbed a Muggle pen from a cup holder. Taking a seat on a nearby chair, Harry curiously looked over the form.
"... you have a permit, young lady?"
"Ah yes, I do. They raised me in America." he heard Alyssa explain to the sour man.
On the sheet of paper, it astounded Harry that they detailed it. He shrugged his shoulder and shook his head. Writing his legal name, details about his wand such as what type it was, the core and whether it had runes or numbers etched into it. That last one confused him.
He raised an eyebrow when it asked him the "Date of Expiry". Did that mean his death? How would anyone know that?! It was amazing how much they needed to know about it. Maybe it was a good way to identify him if his wand was lost or stolen?
Finally signing it, Harry stood up and handed the paper back to the man behind the desk. "May I see your wand for identification?" he asked, holding his hand out.
Harry reached for his wand in the holster and handed it to the man who barely glanced over it before handing it back. He watched as the Ministry employee signed off on the Permit and handed it back to Harry.
"This is your copy. You must keep this for safe-keeping," the man instructed. "Have a good day."
Blinking at the forwardness and quick work of the Magical Congress, Harry and Alyssa walked out of the room and * out into the dark hallway. Harry turned around to see the door disappear before his eyes. Shrugging his shoulders, he turned to watch the dial above the elevator move until it reached their floor.
Clutching his wand permit in his hand, Harry had no clue what to do with it. The elevator doors opened with a small hissing sound. Harry peered into the lift and saw it was empty. He guessed no one ever came down to this floor. Following Alyssa in, he stood away from the same house-elf/goblin creature and kept his eyes toward the closing doors.
Looking up toward the ceiling of the lift, Harry watched in fascination as the ceiling depicted a night sky, much like the one at Hogwarts Great Hall. Without realizing it, he was looking for all the constellations he had learned in his previous three years at Hogwarts.
The lift chimed, showing it was stopping. The doors slowly opened with the same hissing sound and the two teens stepped off and entered the lobby. A clock gonged loudly through the massive lobby overshadowing the hum of conversation.
Harry whipped his head to see the clock that was welded to a black iron stand. It showed that it was after almost three in the afternoon. His stomach grumbled in hunger. Didn't he just eat?
Following his sister out of the lobby, Harry couldn't keep his head from moving around to catch everything. Man, would he have a story to tell Hermione! On the far wall, a massive hanging tapestry depicting a well-groomed man with a politician's smile. He looked like a man that someone could trust.
"Who's that?" Harry asked, stopping his sister.
She turned around to follow Harry's line of question. Seeing the large hanging tapestry, she realized he was asking about this bloke. "That's the President of MACUSA, Elijah Hall."
"I suppose he's a good President?" Harry asked with trepidation.
"I suppose he is. I left before they elected him." Alyssa shrugged. "I'm hungry, you hungry?" she asked, looking at him.
"Yea, I guess. Didn't we just eat?" Harry asked in confusion.
Alyssa chuckled but nodded. "We did. Though the time change will mess with you. It's probably nighttime at home. Just jumping to Paris set us ahead one hour."
Harry nodded and turned back toward what he assumed was the entrance doors. It was still busy for it being in the later afternoon hours. Above the entrance of the doors was an enormous monument of several people. They crafted it with utmost detail and Harry stopped short seeing the man in the front. They dressed the man in old-fashioned American clothing and in his hand was a wand.
It was his face that stopped Harry. It looked vaguely familiar. The man looked almost like his dad. Something stirred inside Harry and he knew that he knew this man. "Alyssa!" Harry called out, slowing her stride once again. He barely noted that she was almost to the exit when she turned around.
"What's wrong?" Alyssa asked him as she came closer, placing a hand on his arm. He knew his eyes were wild and frantic. There was something about the man that Harry needed to know.
"Who's that man?" Harry pointed at the man he hadn't pulled his gaze from. Alyssa whipped her head up toward the massive monument and scanned each face until she found the one her brother was talking about.
"I'm not...," she started but looked closer. "He looks like our dad."
With that, Harry escaped her grasp and pushed his way through the throng of people were in his way. Finally, after a minute, he skidded in front of the wall closest to the exit. There, in front of him, was a plaque with a list of names.
"The Original Twelve Aurors of America"
Wilhelm Fischer,
Theodard Fontaine
Gondulphus Graves
Robert Grimsditch,
Mary Jauncey,
Carlos Lopez
Mungo MacDuff,
Cormac O'Brien,
Abraham Potter
Berthilde Roche
Helmut Weiss
Charity Wilkinson.
Harry's heart stopped seeing the name "Abraham Potter." Running his fingers over the name reverently, he looked up to see the monument again and looked back down at the name. They were related to this man to them! He—he was family.
The Boy-who-Lived felt a familiar presence behind him as he stood in awe of the deceased man before him. A small hand landed on his shoulder and he was grateful for the support. Closing his eyes, he felt a small tear escape his eyes. It ran down his cheeks and forced himself not to cry in the middle of the lobby.
"Abraham Potter," he listened to his sister whisper. "He looks just like dad..."
"Did you know about him?" Harry asked, his voice thick with emotion.
"I learned about the Original Twelve in school, but I never put two and two together. I saw the name but didn't know what the man looked like. Our books don't exactly have pictures," she explained softly.
"I wonder how he got here?" Harry spoke up. "I mean, all the Potters are British, not American."
"Well, they formed the magical government after the Salem Witch Trials. It's possible he came over here on a boat to live in the New World."
"Makes sense, I suppose. I wonder if anyone else knew about him?"
"Doubtful," Alyssa said distantly. "It was so long ago."
Harry ran his fingers over the name slowly and with loving care. Another name he could add to the list of Potters he had never met or learned about. Taking a shaky breath, Harry turned around to see his sister. She gave him a watery smile but gently nudged him toward the entrance doors.
Once they were outside, Harry could feel the life of the city hum around him. It felt like he was in London, but bigger. Looking up, he saw the well-known skyscrapers that New York was famous for. The sights and smells around him intrigued and worried him.
London was a mystery to him, only visiting a few times in his short life. He might live in Britain, but London was basically a foreign city to him. Unconsciously, he gripped his sister's hand as she steered him closer to the busy road.
"Where are we going?" he asked over the din.
"Food. We need it before we travel."
He watched as his sister hailed a taxi with ease. Climbing into the taxi, Harry tried to school his features as he smelled the stench of urine, bodily smells and an overbearing aroma of pine.
"Where too?" the driver asked, turning around to see the two teens.
"Closest pizza place you can find," Alyssa said, shuffling her bag in her lap.
"Gotcha Lil lady," the man said turning around to maneuver into the gridlock traffic. "First time in New York?"
"Not for me, but it is for my brother."
"Ah! Where ya from?"
"London," the teens said in unison. The driver nodded and paid attention to the surrounding traffic.
Harry looked out the window and felt like a tourist on vacation. If only he had a camera to take pictures with. Maybe if he did well this year at camp, he could come back and take pictures for his friends at home.
Twenty minutes later, the driver pulled to the curb and parked the car. Harry watched as Alyssa pulled out the money to pay the driver. Stepping out, with a farewell and a 'have a nice visit" from the driver, they stood on the sidewalk.
In front of them, Harry smelled pizza. Lovely, wonderful, fattening pizza. His stomach growled loudly in agreement. Looking at the sign, it said, 'Little Italy Pizza.' People were streaming out of the small restaurant loaded with pizza boxes.
Grinning at his sister, Harry quickly hurried to the front door and yanked it open. As he did, someone stepped out carrying a pizza box and gave a short nod of his head. Stepping inside, Harry saw several small tables where a few patrons could sit and enjoy their pizza. Many were waiting in line to pick up and order.
Following Alyssa to a nearby empty table for two, they sat down and grabbed the menus. Opening it up, Harry looked over the list of pizzas offered. There were a few he wrinkled his nose at, but mostly, Harry felt himself drooling.
"Ah-ha!" Alyssa whispered triumphantly.
"What?" Harry asked, lowering his menu to look at his sister.
"They have calzones."
"And those are?"
"It's like a pizza turnover stuffed with meats, veggies, and cheese," she explained.
A minute later, a server approached them and asked for drinks. Once ordered, the lady wandered off to fill their drinks. Harry looked over the calzones and realized he wanted one. If the boxes people were carrying showed a large pizza, Harry knew he couldn't eat it all himself. Now if Ron was with him, sure but not himself alone.
"I'll have one too," he said, placing the menu back in its holder. The lady reappeared with their drinks, setting them down on the table. Harry ordered a sausage calzone while Alyssa ordered a chicken one.
Fifteen minutes later, they were eating and less than ten minutes later; they were completely stuffed. Harry sat back in his seat and resisted the urge to rub his stomach in satisfaction. American food proved to be delicious. No wonder Alyssa had a hard time adjusting to British foods.
"What do I do with my permit?" he asked offhandedly.
"Toss it in your rucksack. It's charmed to never crumple," Alyssa said, giving a shrug.
Harry looked above his sister's head and realized they needed to go. "Don't we have to be there in half an hour?"
He smirked as Alyssa turned and looked at the clock and cursed softly. "Yeah, we do. Damn, I wanted to drive." she sighed and shook her head, "Means we have to apparate."
"You can do that?" Harry asked, sitting up in his chair.
"Yes, and so will you when you are old enough. It's not difficult, but it requires a lot of concentration. I know where we are going, so you can side-along."
Harry shrugged not realizing half of what she said, but pushed his chair back and stood up. Alyssa paid the meal in cash, leaving a nice tip and quietly exiting the tiny restaurant. It wasn't as if they were being covert but it helped that no one was paying attention to the two teens when they ducked into an alleyway.
They stood there in the wet and dark alleyway that smelled of urine and trash for several long minutes. Harry wrinkled his nose and briefly wondered why anyone in their right mind would live somewhere like this.
Sure he knew there were homeless people, but if he had to choose between an alleyway or his neglectful relatives, he knew he would stay with the Dursley's.
Alyssa grabbed his arm gently and took a breath. Harry realized that she didn't do this often and fear spiked in him. Looking frantically at her, they froze, hearing a tiny voice screaming.
"What the...?" Harry asked looking around the alleyway.
Both teens looked around, seeing no one. Shrugging at each other, Alyssa grabbed his arm again, and the voice screamed again. This time, Alyssa started to panic.
Harry listened intently for a moment as the screaming continued. At least they knew it wasn't because she had his arm. Suddenly, his ears zeroed in on the noise coming from Alyssa.
"The noise is coming from you," he said, looking at her warily.
"What?" she began patting down her pockets, then shoved her hand in her front jean pocket and retrieve her shrunken rucksack. The screaming became louder the closer she moved it to her ear. Pulling it back, she examined the shrunken rucksack.
Palming her wand, she shot Harry a look, and he realized he was on the lookout for Muggles. Enlarging her rucksack, the tiny black blob became full-sized. Shoving her hand in the bag, she felt a vibration. Grasping the object, she removed it from the back and slung the rucksack over her shoulder.
In her hands was a silver hand mirror with delicate ivy carvings. Flipping it over, she saw Sirius staring at her.
"Hey, pronglet! Did you make it?" his image asked.
Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his Godfather. Who in their right mind would give Sirius Black something like this? Harry stepped over to stand beside his sister to peer at the hand mirror.
"Hey, Pup!" Sirius exclaimed joyfully.
"What is this Sirius?" Harry asked.
"This is a communication mirror, my two kids. It lets us communicate over distances," the marauder said proudly.
"Similar to the journals I had made," Alyssa mused, frowning at her godfather. "Wait! I want some of these mirrors! Why didn't you say anything?"
Sirius grinned at her but said nothing. Harry chuckled quietly beside her catching on to what Sirius had done. Alyssa shot both of them a dark look. A light wind whipped down the alleyway, making both of them grimace.
Sirius caught the facial expression. "Where are you two?"
"In an alleyway about to apparate."
"I thought you would drive upstate?"
"Thought so, too," Alyssa grumbled. "But lunch took too long and now I have to apparate."
"Remus and I wanted to check on you guys. Maybe see what the American camp looked like?" Sirius said hopefully.
"Let us apparate there and then we will talk again," Alyssa said. Sirius nodded his head, and the screen went black. Tucking it back in her rucksack, Alyssa shrunk it once again and shoved it in her pocket. "Let's go," she said, taking Harry's arm again.
Harry closed his eyes, not knowing what it would feel like. He knew behind his eyelids that everything went black. He felt like he was being pulled and stretched in all directions. He couldn't breathe and he felt his eyes try to suck back further into his brain.
All this lasted for a second.
"Harry, you can open your eyes now." Alyssa's voice said soothingly.
Trusting her, Harry opened his eyes and the last brightness of the day blinded him. Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness, Harry's mouth dropped at the sight of the entrance of the camp. To Muggles, it would appear as a Restricted Section of a park. Probably unkept and dangerous. Harry inhaled, taking in the clean air that he could compare to the Forbidden Forest.
"Where is it?" he asked, seeing the broken down metal gate.
"It's beyond the gate. Think of it as..."
"The Platform to 9 3/4," Harry finished understanding what she was telling him. "Well, let's go."
"We can't. Not yet. Someone has to escort us through," she replied calmly to his impatience.
Ten minutes later, as the sun was slowly setting on the Adirondack Mountains, they heard the shuffling of weeds and branches snapping as someone was coming closer to them. Palming his wand, Harry found himself in a fighting stance. He would take out whoever threatened to harm him or Alyssa.
A man, wearing black cargo pants and a white tee-shirt, stepped out of the brush brandishing a wand. He was intimidating. Harry gulped silently and wondered if he would get this big during his training here?
"What's the passcode?" he snarled, eyeing the both of them. Apparently, he didn't recognize Alyssa.
"Unum robore virium ("Strength, Unity, Valor")," Alyssa answered proudly.
The man nodded his head and lowered his wand. "Your papers, please?"
Harry watched in shocked silence as Alyssa bought the papers and handed them to the intimidating man. The two teens watched as the man flicked his wrist, his wand disappearing. A few minutes of shuffling papers along with a hard glance at Harry, the man nodded and stepped aside.
"Right. Welcome to the Junior Auror Camp. Step through the gate and follow me," he said briskly and turned away from the two teens.
Glancing at one another, Harry shrugged and followed Alyssa and the unnamed wizard through the gate. The surprise on the other side startled him. When he turned around, the gate looked pristine and new. The despondent image that was shown to Muggles had changed.
Harry followed Alyssa and the unnamed man down a winding pathway that he supposed led to the camp. Fifteen minutes later, Harry stopped and swallowed a gasp.
They were standing on top of a hill that overlooked an expansive area. This must be the camp. Below them, Harry saw two rows of houses that he could only assume was the living quarters for the campers. He snorted, was 'campers' the right word? Further on, he saw several areas of training equipment, a large lake, a mess hall and a nondescript building that puzzled him.
The crunching of leaves caught his attention as he noticed that Alyssa and their guide were leaving him. Cursing under his breath, he hurried to catch up to them. Panting as they briskly walked down the hill, Harry realized that it was far steeper than the one going to Hagrid's hut.
He felt completely out of shape and he hated it.
Five to ten minutes later, they reached the bottom, but still had a way to walk before they reached the entrance. Taking a deep breath, Harry could smell the aroma of food coming from the mess hall and the fresh smell of the woods and lake.
As he followed behind, Harry started to like being here more and more. Not to say that he didn't miss Hermione like mad nor his family in Britain but something about this place set right with him.
Stopping at the gate, Harry finally noticed several teens waiting around. He figured they were waiting on the unnamed intimidating man in front. The group of three stopped at the gathering of teenagers. Alyssa turned to him and smiled. "This is where I leave you. I will see you in August. Good luck Harry," she told him, reaching for a tight hug.
For the first time in a very long time, Harry blinked hard trying to ease the tears that stung his eyes behind his round glasses. Squeezing her back in a tight hug, Harry let her go a minute later and watched as she disappeared into the camp. He knew she had more business to attend too before she would return to the Ministry building and portkey her way back to Britain.
Harry turned back to the intimidating man before him and gave a short smile to the bloke standing beside him. "You new here too?" the kid asked. Harry couldn't place his accent.
"Yea, you?"
"First-year man. I am stoked to be here. I've been on the wait-list for years. What about you?"
Harry's ears pinked. He quickly surveyed the crowd. Unlike everyone else, who had been wait-listed for years, Harry got in under a good reference letter. "The girl that just left... she's a graduate here."
"No fucking way!" the guy said, trying to find Alyssa in the crowd. "So you're a legacy. That's cool."
"A legacy?" Harry asked confused.
"Yeah man, it means that you're following in the family footsteps. You're technically like a second generation." the kid explained. "Oh "I'm Joey Tyndall. I'm from Chicago."
"Harry Potter. I'm from London." Harry said, nodding his head at Joey. He released a breath he didn't know he was holding when the kid didn't recognize his name.
"Nice to meet you. Maybe we'll be roommates." Joey said offhandedly.
"Same to you too," Harry said turning back to the unnamed man who was talking quietly to another man. He, too, was in the same black cargo pants and white tee-shirt. He didn't look as menacing.
"All right you lot, I'm Stephen Hatter. I am one of your instructors here at the Academy. I teach Mind Magics, such as Occlumency and Legilimency. Beside me is Roger Tompkins. He teaches Defensive and Offence spells. He will also help train you to become competent duellers." Stephen said surveying the crowd of new and eager students. He was looking for one in particular. Harry Potter. He had already stopped and talked to Alyssa a few moments ago, and he hoped that Harry was as good as his sister.
"In a few minutes, we will separate you into groups. You will stay in the group you are assigned too. All of you know what it's like to have dorm-mates. We will divide groups into males and females. This might be a co-ed camp, but the sleeping quarters are not." He said, eyeing each teenager.
"We are here to train you to defend yourself. Many of you will enter the Auror Academy of your native country while the rest of you will enjoy the training provided. I won't lie to you kids, the training is brutal. We only accept the best for the second season. If you bail out, then you will be sent home. Being an Auror is not for you." Roger spoke up, eyeing the teenagers. He could already spot those that would bail out at the end of camp and those that would be here next summer.
"We will not tolerate petty duels between campers!" Roger barked, getting everyone's attention. "If you have a problem with someone, take it up with one of your instructors. Failure to follow any rules listed in your dorm rooms will send you packing fast. Now, when we call your name, you'll split off into groups."
Harry listened in amazement. This was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Hermione would ecstatic if she was here. He could already see her berating him. Telling him to stay out of trouble, work hard and learn what he could. He watched patiently as names were being called. Once a group had five people, another one started.
When his name was called Harry walked over to his group. He smiled, seeing Joey Tyndall standing there. A semi-friendly face. There were three other blokes in his group. While the names were being called, several older campers had arrived.
"These guys behind me are your Resident Counselor. You got a problem, talk to them. You need help, talk to them. They have been here the longest; they know the camp best. Many of them are graduates that come back to help every year." Stephen said, motioning toward the group of Residents. "Now, the Residents will show you to your dorm. You will unpack and get a tour of the facilities. Tomorrow, ladies and gentlemen we train!"
*******Meanwhile back at Hogwarts*******
Albus Dumbledore was on a mission. A mission to find Harry Potter once and for all. It irked him that no one could tell him where the blasted boy had run off to this summer. When he received his anonymous letter saying that Harry was last seen at the French Ministry of Magic, he made a short trip over.
Stepping through the Floo of the lobby of the French Ministry of Magic, Albus's eyes wandered around trying to find his way toward the Portkey office. In his robes was an illegal purchase of Veritaserum. He would dose the person in charge and find out where Harry Potter went. Several floors later and one wrong turn, Albus found himself in the Portkey Office.
Behind the desk was a woman who looked as if she had better things to do. The entire floor was a madhouse. Apparently, they were getting ready for the Quidditch World Cup that was being held in England this year. When the witch's back was turned, Albus slipped three drops of Veritaserum in her mug.
He waited patiently as she turned around to see was in her office. She took a sip of her tea and instantly, Albus saw her eyes glaze over. "Did Harry and Alyssa Potter come to your office in the past 48 hours?"
"Yes, they did," the witch answered in the monotonous voice of the potion.
Albus smiled wickedly, "And where did they go?"
"America," she replied.
America! Albus snarled on the inside. Fury raged in his body but he kept a cool facade. "Do you know what for?" he asked his last question before the potion wore out.
"No, they didn't say," she said, shaking her head as the potion wore off. "Excuse me, can I help you?" she asked in a normal tone.
"No, thank you. I seem to be lost," Albus replied before stalking out of the room.
Returning to the Floo area, Albus stepped through and in minutes he was walking into his office at Hogwarts. Walking over to the window, he absently pets Fawkes on the head. America. What in Merlin's name was Harry Potter doing in America? He must bring him back to England!
Albus knew his next step would be to contact someone in America and find out. Crafting a letter, he explained who he was and who he was looking for. His way with words, the concerned Magical Guardian, would surely tug at someone's heartstrings and answers would be revealed. He rolled the parchment up and gave it to Fawkes, who clutched it in its beak. "I need you to find out who can give me an answer. I suggest someone that deals with Portkey or International traveling."
Fawkes nodded and shrilled loudly in the quiet office. In a fiery flash, it went him to deliver the message. Half an hour later, he returned with another letter in his beak. Dropping it in Albus's outstretched hand, Albus smiled gleefully that he had finally found Harry Potter.
Dear Mr. Albus Dumbledore.
I regret to inform you that any International traveler is protected by the MACUSA constitution. We cannot and will not reveal any information about the said minor. What we can tell you is that a minor Harry Potter checked in with his guardian at the Wand Permit Office. Other than that, we cannot reveal his location.
Please have a good day.
Sincerely,
Amanda Tompkins
Head of the Wand Permit Office
Albus bit back a scream that threatened to erupt from him. Who dared to tell him NO! Who dared refused to answer his questions? He slammed the letter on his desk and ran his hands over his face. Maybe he could convince Ronald Weasley to let him use that magnificent journal again and find out where the Potter boy was. Yes—that would do it. Harry Potter would tell his best mate anything.
He had another letter to craft.