The New Marauder

Twenty Nine

    As the small family of four stepped through the concealed entrance of the MACUSA headquarters, the two small children immediately gasped at the elegance and mystique of the building. True, they had been to the Ministry of Magic plenty of times with their father and uncle, sometimes even their mother, but there was something about this place that struck them into a sense of awe.
    While their parents whispered quietly to one another, the children took a quick glance around the foyer, taking in the tapestries not of important people or those who donated to the Ministry, but of America's history, both good and bad. Jamie, for one, loved the building just on this fact alone. However, Juniper, or June, was stunned as she watched countless witches and wizards talk to goblins and house elves as if they were equals, which was so unlike how it was in Britain. Not that she preferred Britain's way; if anything, the young girl thought it was atrocious how some of the wizards treated the magical beings. But seeing how Americans interacted with them made her think Britain could learn a thing or two.
    "Alright, then let's go," Sirius Black told his children, leading them further into the building past the massive marble columns that rose up to support a ceiling that seemed to vanish into the heavens above.
    "Why must we come here if we are going to Washington?" Jamie asked his fathers as they passed through corridors lined with enchanted portraits that showed live battle reenactments of both muggle and magical throughout the years for passing visitors to watch.
    "Because Americans have different laws than us," Sirius replied over the sounds of hundreds of footsteps that bounced off the polished stone floor. "Your Uncle James said that they are particularly selective about who is allowed to visit. And the gentleman who met us at the airport said your mother and I need to register our wands first before venturing off to visit your Uncle Charlie and the muggle healer."
    At first, Sirius let what Madam Pomfrey had said about Orion's condition roll off his shoulder. It didn't matter to him whether his son could be a boy or a girl. To him, Jamie was Jamie, and that was it. Well, until a week later when the children spent time with the Weasleys and their cousins, and the secret of Orion's condition was overheard by the others. Molly was talking to Arthur about the twins, Orions, and a boy named Cedric getting detention from Charlie for exploring the castle so well that they ended up in Hogsmeade accidentally. The moment Molly spoke of an underground tunnel that led into the cellars of Honeydukes, James and Sirius's eyes had met, and a swell of pride was shared between the two. The reason for it: no one else in the room had known that there was a password needed to enter that specific tunnel; they both knew that their exploration had been on purpose but somehow managed to not get into too much trouble, just like they had. They didn't speak of how proud they were of Orion, but if you knew the two men like Lily Potter did, she knew something seemed amiss, and she took a mental note to keep an extra careful eye on her niece and friends when she arrived after Christmas Break.
    Nevertheless, once the proverbial cat was out of the bag, they couldn't put it back in. Joanna demanded an explanation of her niece's condition from her husband, who eventually spilled the beans. After hearing about the muggle's diagnosis, she couldn't let it go. She and Sirius had many arguments about taking their own children to see the muggle doctor, despite the Healers at St. Mungos giving June and Jamie a clean bill of health. But Joanna had been relentless, and now here they stood in the MACUSA headquarters, trying to find the visitor's entrance.
    Finally, arriving at the Great Atrium, the family followed the signs for visitor and wand registration until they came to the back of a semi-short line filled with other witches, wizards, and other sentient magical creatures. As they waited, both children and adults looked around the space, admiring the large golden clock hanging towards the center with faces on each side. The major difference between the two offices of power Sirius and Joanna noticed was there was no statue dedicated to the human race while the other races doted on in awe. Every being here in America seemed to be on equal footing. Even between the witches and wizards that walked around the building, there was no one holding that aura of pretentiousness that most purebloods held. It made the two adults feel very awkward, although they had never felt that way themselves; that is all they had known in Britain.
    "Business or pleasure," a bored tone behind them carried out loud enough for the family to hear.
    Sirius met his wife's eyes, then stepped forward, clearing his throat. "A bit of both, actually," he answered with a tone of uncertainty. "We are here to see my brother and visit a healer."
    "Names, how many in your party, and country of origin," the wizard in official-looking robes with a golden gleaming badge displayed on his chest sighed, flipping to a fresh piece of parchment.
    "Um, Sirius and Joanna Black, with our two underage children Juniper and James Black. We've come from Britain," Sirius replied, looking over to his wife.
    The man before them let out a hum and tapped a quill with the tip of his wand, causing it to lift up and fill out the documents while the man moved over to a button-punching machine to gather the four that slid out into the tray. "Wands," he stated, pointing to a small weigh machine. "Do you know the laws?"
    "I believe we do. I'm an Auror for the Ministry of Magic," Sirius responded proudly, placing his wand on the scale.
    The man behind the desk finally looked up to the family, but only for a moment before he turned to a woman wearing a different outfit, one that seemed to be more militaristic in nature. Without words, they both nodded to one another, and the man reached forward, handing both their wands back to them along with the buttons that held a picture of an American bald eagle with a flag of Stars and Stripes on its chest surrounded by little magical symbols and something written in Latin. Underneath, printed in little blue letters, it said "Welcome to America."
    "This is Officer Tally; she will escort you to a private room where she and a translator will review all our laws and customs."
    "Is that necessary?" Joanna asked, looking to her husband. "We speak the same language."
    The man rolled his eyes as the woman behind him stepped forward. "This way, Mr. and Mrs. Black," she gestured to the side with a no-nonsense attitude.