Characters and locations in the world of Harry Potter are the property of J.K. Rowling. (My original characters just get to play there.)
Chapter2 – A Summer of Feasts
James had a bit of trepidation as he walked up from the dungeons and towards the Great Hall for the Leaving Feast; this may be the very last time he'd be seeing Hogwarts and his friends and classmates. But there was also an excitement taking hold of him as the idea of new adventures in America was certainly appealing. It was taking a greater importance in his head tonight to the point he almost didn't care about the Quidditch Cup or the House cup. Almost. Tonight was the last night to bask in the end of year glory for his beloved Snakes, even he himself had little to do with the actual accrual of points over the course of the past year. Filing in and sitting with the rest of the Slytherin fifth years, the Hall came to order shortly when Headmaster Dippet stood at the traditional podium just in front of the faculty table, his arms outstretched to gain everyone's attention
"Another year has passed and another wonderful crop of seventh years are ready to leave the nest and spread their wings out in the real world," he said, "eager to show the world what they are made of. I am sad to say that we have one fifth year who will no longer be with us after tonight as well."
The crowds at the other house tables wildly looked around, trying to figure out which student that statement applied to. A good portion of the Slytherin table of course showed no such surprise; they had been informed over the course of the past few days so they knew exactly who Professor Dippet was talking about. Not that it made James any less nervous after the announcement.
"Mr. James McCrea will be transferring to Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the United States, owing to the posting of his father as the British Ambassador to the American wizarding community. This is an amazing opportunity for both McCreas and I wish you all to join me in a congratulatory toast." Professor Dippet paused and stood. "To James and William McCrea."
It was an amazing sight to see every student and every person raise their glass of pumpkin juice, or other libation in the case of faculty members, just for him. It was followed by a short round of applause and handshakes from friends and housemates who had not yet heard the news. Talk flowed freely as everyone began to eat in earnest, the school house elves outdoing themselves again it seemed. The rest of the feast passed in a blur and although Hufflepuff had captured the house cup this year Slytherin house hoisted the Quidditch cup for the second straight year. Sooner than it felt, the feast was over and the students filed up to their dormitories for the last time this school year. After a fitful night of sleep, colored by excitement and melancholy, James dressed and headed down to the train station in Hogsmeade, keeping pace with the flow of students and wistfully fixing every inch of the castle to memory.
The trip back to London was unexpectedly uneventful and James was strolling through the barrier at Platform 9 ¾ at the signal of the attendant. No sense in frightening the Muggles on the other side of the wall. He was almost out to the curb when he caught site of his father waving near his official Ministry car.
"I should have expected this when I accepted the posting, but we will be having a busy summer."
"So I shouldn't bother unpacking my school trunk?"
"Maybe not that bad, but your Grandmother is insisting on having a family celebration before we leave for New York. She said a small one."
"So Gran is going to invite everyone out to the third or fourth cousins then?" James asked with an amused tone.
"She does have a different concept of small," his father said with a wry look and a deadpan tone. James let out a hearty laugh as they got into the car.
The big get together was three weeks after the end of term, apparently due to logistics. Hundreds of relatives were expected to be at his Grandmother's estate in Cornwall and that kind of party took a lot of planning. At least it wasn't going to be a black tie and dress robe affair, although Muggle casual clothing would be frowned upon.
The three weeks passed quickly, as James really didn't have much to pack besides his school trunk. The occasional owl to a housemate from Hogwarts and a couple of trips to Diagon Alley for some potions ingredients for his school supplies killed a few days here and there but the rest of the time was spent dealing with the flurry of activity the family had to endure preparing for the move to New York. Most things would be shipped prior to James and his parents setting out but there would always be a few last minute items to bring. Luckily all the furniture would be staying, as the embassy residences were already furnished.
Looking in the mirror, James straightened his tie, brushed a small piece of lint off his shoulder and donned his blue sport coat. He wouldn't have looked out of place at a Muggle country club in the states, with khakis and loafers completing his outfit. James let out a small chuckle; his Gran's estate was probably the equivalent of a country club. Joining his parents at the fireplace, they Flooed to the library at the estate and were met by the under butler.
"Welcome Ambassador," the man said, "your mother is waiting outside in the gardens."
"Thank you Geoffrey; it's good to be back. Are we the last ones to arrive?" William answered.
"I believe so sir. You are the guests of honor, so Madame had certainly made sure you would be fashionably late when the invitations were sent out."
"The definitely sounds like something Gran would do," James said with a laugh. He loved his grandmother fiercely, especially as she was his inspiration in his quest to become a great mediwizard.
When they reached the garden, it looked like one hundred and fifty people were there, a good third of those servants and staff of the household and any caterers that had been hired for the event. The house elves would be staying in the manor house, as some of the relatives were Muggles, another sign clan McCrea was not part of the Sacred Twenty-eight. Dozens of large round tables were strewn throughout the space in an almost haphazard way and guests were sitting down with drinks or mingling and catching up with the rest of the family. Although an only child, James had dozens of first and second cousins so he was never lonely growing up. A handful had been at Hogwarts with him, but all of them were in other houses, a good fair few in Ravenclaw.
"Aha! There is my favorite son!"
James turned quickly towards the voice to see his grandmother hurrying their way, a giant smile on her face and her arms opening wide for a hug.
"I'm not sure I would have been your favorite if I hadn't been the youngest," William said with a bemused tone.
"Likely true," said Gran, "you were a wee bit of a scamp before you had gotten your Hogwarts letter. Oh the mischief you'd get into."
"And the older ones never let me forget it. I still remember Robert and Annabelle complaining that they had gotten grounded for pranks that I had only gotten a shrug and a head shake from you, Mater dear."
"And I'm quite sure I never caught you on half the shenanigans you had gotten up to!" the matriarch said, a merry twinkle in her sharp grey eyes.
Preoccupied with his Dad and Gran, James jumped with a start when an unknown hand grabbed his shoulder from behind, "How's my favorite snake?" whispered in his ear. He smiled as he recognized the voice. "About as well as my favorite kitty," he replied.
Turning around, James stared into the eyes of his recently graduated cousin Ellen, who had been in Gryffindor. "Good summer so far Ellie? You were supposed to have had a couple of interviews with the Ministry, weren't you?"
"Yeah, I've had interviews with Misuse of Muggle Artifacts and Department of Mysteries, and I've got one next week with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
"I didn't think you had the NEWTs to be an Auror, Ellie."
"Oh god no. I wouldn't be an Auror if I got hired in there. I'd probably be at a desk in the Underage Magic unit to start. There's also Accidental Magic Reversal."
"That would be fun, especially with all the stuff the real young ones wind up doing until they're old enough to understand." James's dad added in.
"It would indeed Uncle William."
"I hate to interrupt," Gran said, "but we'll be starting to serve lunch momentarily. We'll all have plenty more time to chat during dessert."
James enjoyed the scrumptious feast and put up with Gran making him and Da the center of attention. He could see his father deserving the spotlight, he was Ambassador after all, but James himself hadn't done anything of note yet. Embarrassment aside, he made every effort to see all the family members he was close to and took one last look around the grounds, not sure of when the next time he would return would be. James was exhausted when the party drew to a close early in the evening but a sense of peace washed over him. He would always be glad of having a large, loving family.
The next week was as much of a blur as the time proceeding Gran's party, but the day had finally come. It was time to transport themselves to the embassy in New York. The luggage had been transported yesterday by Ministry staffers; now it was time for the family to travel and they would carry any small personal belongings they did not wish to be shipped. James took a last look around his parent's house, and prepared to step through the Floo. When did I stop considering this my home? James thought. Probably when it finally sunk in that he would be graduated and out on his own starting his mediwizard residency the next time he'd be back in England. He shook his head and followed his parents through the now green flames, stepping out into a study not unlike the one at his Gran's estate.
"Welcome Mr and Mrs Ambassador," said a woman that appeared to be an Auror. A man with a notebook was behind her. "My name is Amanda Griffin and I am head of the Ministry security detail here. May I introduce Bert Lowell; he is chief of staff for the embassy."
Mr McCrea acknowledged each person in turn and shook their hands. Lowell then motioned for the group to follow him upstairs to the residential portion of the building. Apparently the lower floors were offices and meeting rooms. James heard that there was also a grand ballroom on the ground level and they would be seeing it in detail in a few hours. It was already afternoon in New York and tonight would be the official and very formal welcoming feast for the Ambassador, clearly more of the busy summer his Da had warned him about back at King's Cross station.
James spent the next few hours relaxing in his room at the embassy. It was only his for the last weeks of summer break and then he would be off to Ilvermorny for his sixth year, so there was no incentive to put out personal items or keepsakes. Before long he began searching for his dress robes to start preparing for that night's banquet. Checking the closet on a whim, he saw it hanging neatly, already cleaned and pressed. This left him impressed with the embassy staff, who clearly knew what they were about. Nodding his head in a pleased manner, James went into the bathroom to shower and shave, looking forward to soaking under the hot water.
James was combing his hair and giving his bow tie a last check, when he heard a soft knock at the door to his quarters. Peeking out of the bathroom, he saw his mother peeking in.
"Ah, James, there you are. Just checking to see how you're doing," said Olivia McCrea as she finished entering the room. A stunning burgundy gown flowed down from her shoulders.
"If I pass inspection, I think I'm ready."
Doing a slow twirl in front of his mother, James was sure she'd find him up to snuff. Putting a hand on his shoulder when she closed the gap between them, she took the time to stare closely at his face, drinking in the sight.
"My lord, my bairn is a grown man now."
"You're embarrassing me mum."
"'Tis a mother's prerogative, you know. Twill be until one of us is in the grave too!" A mischievous twinkle was in her eyes. "And especially when you finally bring a lass around to meet your Da and I."
A new voice spoke. "Who is James going to be bringing around?"
James blushed a little before responding. "Mum has some wishful thinking about me having a girlfriend Da. It's not like the girls at Hogwarts aren't lookers, but I don't think I'll have time for dating until I've finished my mediwizard residency. And twenty-two seems the perfect age to finally catch the perfect lass." He regained some of his composure and matched his mother's look of mischief with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
"Oi! Who are you and what did you do with James? Only fifteen..."
"Nearly sixteen, Da!" James interrupted.
"...fine, nearly sixteen, and already thinking and acting like a grown-up. God, that makes your mother and I proud!"
"I dinna ken where the years have gone William. He'll be out on his own before you can blink."
"If you two are done gushing, don't we have a ball to attend?" James asked with a bit of amusement.
"Ah, that's the whole point of me barging into your room," William said. "It's time to go down and prepare for the receiving line."
"And spend two hours getting shown off like a prize mare and shaking hundreds of random hands," Olivia said in an mildly annoyed tone.
"But then we'll get to have an amazing feast," William said, taking a few last moments of family time before assuming the mantle of Ambassador. "They say the house elves will be pulling out all the stops for this banquet."
The first hour of the receiving line passed relatively quickly, with most of the guests greeted to this point being minor functionaries of the various wizarding governments. Although there was no gap in the line, now was when the interesting guests would start arriving. The first of those guests happened to be British business wizards, announced by an embassy staffer.
"Mr. Henry Potter. Mr and Mrs Fleamont Potter."
"Welcome, one and all," said the Ambassador.
"Good to see you again, William," said the elder Potter, "you remember my son and his wife Euphrenia, correct?"
"I do indeed. And you remember my wife Olivia and my son James?"
The trios shook hands amongst themselves for a few moments.
"So," started the Ambassador, "what brings the lot of you to New York?"
"Trade talks, what else. Time to renegotiate the tariffs on all my medical potions."
"Ah, that's right. Potters have been making Skele-gro and such for centuries!" James cut in.
"Yes. Bright lad you've got there William."
"Going to be studying to be a mediwizard when he's done with school, that one is," said Olivia.
"And you two just along for a vacation?" the Ambassador asked the younger Potter and his bride.
"Actually, father thought it would be a good idea to start getting a handle on the business, since he'll be retiring in a few more years. That and investigating new product lines."
"What kind of new products?" James asked.
"Well, father's not sold on it yet, but I think we should try and develop some personal grooming products, since we've got the medical potions market pretty well cornered. Start with a hair care potion I think, something to tame even the Potter family hair." Fleamont pointed at his own slightly messy mop. "Been toying with the idea of calling it 'Sleak-easy' or something like that. But first it has to tame this haystack." He again pointed at his own hair.
"They might not know a damn thing about potions but those Muggles certainly have a great grasp on Economics and business," said Henry Potter. "Wasn't a bad idea to get Fleamont to take some Muggle university after he finished up at Hogwarts."
"Certainly sounds interesting, Mr Potter," James said.
"Call me Harry, lad. Mr Potter is my father and I'd be looking for my Grandfather if you tried calling me.'Henry'."
"Well it has been an honor to meet all of you. I hope we'll have a chance to talk some more later."
The line kept snaking past where James and his parents had been positioned by the embassy protocol officer. Many different ambassadors from a large number of European countries were being introduced now, as well as a good number from South America. Some, like those from the Nordic countries, did little besides shake hands, requiring an interpreter for even the simplest interaction. Others were able to converse directly in a language father knew, like French or Spanish. Still others were able to converse in English, albeit with an accent.
"Lord Krum and son, magical Ambassador from Bulgaria." brayed the staffer.
"Good to see you again, Vorrun. May I introduce you to my wife Olivia and my son James." James extended a handshake while his mother courtside.
"Vell met, Villiam," said the Bulgarian ambassador. "May I introduce my son Vassil? He vill be starting his tird year at Durmstrang in September."
"Splendid," James' father said. "My James will be starting his sixth year at Ilvermorny."
"Not Hogwarts?" the diplomat asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I was given a choice when we found out about Da's posting here. The headmaster convinced me it would be advantageous to come to America rather than stay in England, because of the strong reputation for mediwizard training at this American school."
"Ah, a noble calling. Good luck vith your studies."
"Thank you, sir."
A few more foreign dignitaries were introduced when the line came to the last remaining big wig of the night.
"The Secretary of State, and former President of the Magical Congress of the United States, Madam Seraphina Picquery."
"Welcome to the British Embassy Madam Secretary."
"I am pleased to be here for such a happy occassion, Ambassador, especially after the Scamander episode several years ago."
"Yes, that was rather unfortunate, although it was all sorted out in the end. Apparently it was all due to a faulty latch on a travel case. There was no malicious intent involved."
"Yes, but it caused quite a stir within the No-Maj community here. It took MACUSA what felt like forever to get things sorted. Although I understand Mr Scamander married Porpentina Goldstein, one of our former Aurors, after everything that happened."
"I heard the same thing and that the two of them have been out seeking these fantastic beasts all over the world. I've also heard rumors they may be publishing a textbook from all their field notes, if you can believe that."
"Well, it does seem to have been a happy ending after all. Again, I am pleased to be here tonight Ambassador and I hope your stay here in New York is pleasant and uneventful."
"Thank you, Madam Secretary. I hope you enjoy the banquet tonight."
Eventually the line wound down and they were able to take their places at the head table so the feast could begin. The Ambassador wasn't kidding when he had said the embassy house elves would be going above and beyond even their already high standards. There were menu cards at each place setting with a good variety of entrees and appetizers from several countries, plus a soup or salad. James was in a seafood mood and selected lobster bisque and Maryland crab cakes in order to try delicacies from the States. He looked quickly to see many of the guests also taking the opportunity to try something new, although some clearly stuck with whatever native favorite they could find. The was also small talk among the guests during the meal, as most of the adults seemed to know each other from diplomatic circles or other work. Dessert was a rich local cheesecake topped with a delectable raspberry sauce. James couldn't believe how stuffed he felt as the tables were magically cleared and a selection of coffees and teas appeared. He was also surprised that a string quartet was setting up at the far end of the spacious room. James had been so focused on eating that he hadn't seen there was a dance floor left open among the tables. This truly was going to be an official ball.
The quartet struck up a waltz and a number of the European dignitaries stepped into the floor to dance, flowing effortlessly to the beat. He saw his parents were part of the flow towards the music. Not surprising as dancing was one of their favorite things to do as a couple. James had to have heard the story of how they had met on the dance floor at a mutual acquaintance's wedding hundreds of times while he was growing up.
"They are quite marvelous together, aren't they?"
James looked and saw it was the woman from MACUSA who had spoken.
"Aye, they never miss the chance to dance. 'Tis like breathing air for them." James' Scottish accent was a bit stronger than usual tonight. "Are relations between wizards and Muggles so much more difficult here in America, Madam Secretary? I seemed to pick up on that while you and my Da were talking."
"Difficult may be an understatement young man. For the past two centuries, we've had Rappaport's Law, which forbids all contact between the magical and non-magical communities here in this country. The No-Majs are no better now than they were in the 17th century during our Salem witch trials. So many innocents were killed in the hysteria by their own neighbors. I think that is part of the reason why the magical community here is so much smaller in proportion to the total population. There are no marriages between wizards and No-Majs in the United States, unlike those that I understand occur in the United Kingdom."
"And that was part of the troubles Scamander had caused, because those beasts he was searching for caused all sorts of chaos in the Muggle's world, even if it was all a big accident, correct Ma'am?"
"Very perceptive Mr McCrea. You don't happen to be studying to be an Auror now?"
"No Ma'am, I'll be looking to be a mediwizard when I finish school. Also part of the reason I'll be at Ilvermorny in the fall." James took a moment to reflect before asking Madam Picquery his next question. "So how do the folks take it when a magical child is born to Muggles?"
"Beyond the initial shock? Most parents are accepting; however, there are still a significant number of people in the No-Maj community who abhor magic, refusing to see it as anything other than a sign of evil and damnation. Those parents disown the child at best and some have tried to kill their child, seeing them as no better than a demon at that point."
"I'll need to remember that if I decide to go sightseeing before school starts. I doubt we could handle another accidental incident, do you?"
"No we don't. I find it very hard to believe you're not of age; you're wise beyond your years." Madam Picquery extended her hand. "It was nice to speak with you young man but I must mingle with the other guests. Until next time?"
They shook hands and parted in different directions, the politician heading towards the South American delegations while James headed around the edge of the room, trying to remember where the other teenagers present had been sitting. James thought he remembered the Danish Ambassador had brought a niece or daughter that was around his age. It might be nice to dance some of that rich dessert off. Paying more attention to the other guests than his path, he didn't see where he was going and almost knocked a woman over. Turning to apologize, he saw it was Mrs Potter.
"I am so sorry Ma'am. I've been being such a klutz tonight."
"Think nothing of it, Master McCrea. I was paying more attention to where Fleamont had gotten off to than to where I was going."
"I was trying to remember where I might have met your husband before Mrs Potter and it's finally hit me, if you pardon the pun. I think he was a sixth or seventh year at Hogwarts when I was a first year."
Euphrenia eyed him critically before responding. "Yes, I do believe you would have been a first year when he was a seventh year. You're about fifteen now, aren't you?"
"Yes Ma'am, although my birthday is coming up soon."
"Yes, it definitely would have been his seventh year when you first got to Hogwarts, although it sounds like you were not in the same house as he was."
"That's correct Ma'am, I was not sorted into Gryffindor."
"Hmm. You didn't directly tell me your house so I can only deduce you are in Slytherin. I further suspect you didn't mention it because you are worried I would assume you're one of those 'pure blood' fanatics."
"I you deduced correctly Ma'am. I am not one of those nutters but people might not see beyond the green and silver, if you ken."
"I do understand, laddie, and I'm glad Fleamont saw fit to see beyond that when we were courting." Mrs Potter said with a small wink as she began to scan the room again for her missing husband.
Before James could move himself he heard several loud thumps from around the perimeter of the large room followed by the sounds of crashing glass and women screaming. Turning towards the sound he saw the windows being blown in and men with hoods and masks fly through the debris, coming through on every side of the room.
Author's notes: I had to change Seraphina Picquery's office from President to Secretary of State to keep a bit of canon accurate (according to Pottermore) as to when she was MACUSA President.