Song: Party In The USA by Miley Cyrus. I chose this song because I simply couldn't help myself, given the opportunity.
"Potter, I can't believe you managed to get us all the way up in the sky before telling us exactly where we're going." Huffed Draco, irritated.
"It didn't cross my mind at the time." Said Harry, finishing up the peanuts the flight attendant had given him.
"You know, Potter, it's because of situations like this that we always have disagreements." Draco informed.
At right about that time the captain came over the intercom, "We are about to descend into JFK Airport. Please remain seated for the remainder of the flight and buckle your seat belts."
"What in the hell is a JFK?" Asked Draco fairly loudly with his strong British accent, still very pissed off at Harry.
Everyone within earshot turned around and glared at Draco. The woman sitting across the aisle from him leaned over and informed him, "JFK was our 35th president," Her Jersey accent distasteful.
"Oh," he mumbled slightly embarrassed.
After a minute, they could feel the plane shift downward a little bit. Theo stared out the window at the giant city below. New York sure was an impressive city. Theo couldn't let his fear of heights get to him in that moment, he was enjoying the view too much.
As soon as the plane made contact with the runway, with solid ground, Theo let out a long pint up breath.
Not too long after, they got off the plane. They had to go through customs, but thank Merlin it was not anything like the security at terminal six back in London. Since they only brought carry on luggage, they didn't have to wait in baggage claim.
Outside the airport Harry managed to flag down a taxi. All three of them climbed in the backseat, sitting three across.
"Where to?" Asked the shady cab driver sitting in the drivers seat, which just so happened to be on the left side of the vehicle. This confused Draco greatly. What was the point of that?
"City hall, Manhattan," Answered Harry.
Before any of them had the chance to put a seatbelt on the cab driver floored it and they all nearly smashed their faces against the glass in between them and the driver. Well, all of them except Theo.
"City hall?" muttered Draco, quietly enough that the driver couldn't hear.
"It's less than a block away from M.A.C.U.S.A ." whispered Harry.
"Ohh."
It took longer than expected to get to Manhattan, the traffic was terrible. None of them really seem to mind, since they got to stare in awe at America's most populated city. Dozens upon dozens of muggles swarmed the city streets racing to their jobs and tourist attractions.
When they got to City Hall Harry paid the taxi driver and he sped off down the road. It is only half a block away from the Woolworth building, so it wasn't a long walk at all.
Inside they found the headquarters of MACUSA, a grand lobby with tons of people bustling about. The whole place really was quite impressive.
Harry turned to Draco and Theo, "You two can wait outside. All I have to do is pick up our wand permits."
"Alright," said Theo before turning around and making his way towards the double glass doors.
Draco followed behind him. The streets were busy with pedestrians, taxis, and litter. Both of them sat down at a bench over looking the street.
Across the street from them a street vender was selling all kinds of New York themed souvenirs. Theo couldn't help himself. He got up and starting walking towards the stand.
"Where are you going?" Draco asked. "The last thing I need is for you to get lost. I don't want to go on a search party with Potter to track you down."
Theo ignored him and crossed the street without looking, which resulted in about five yellow taxis beeping their horns and yelling curse words in Theo's direction. Even worse, Draco lept up after him, nearly getting ran over in the process.
"You bloody idiot!" Draco exclaimed to Theo once they were safely across the street and standing at a soveneir stand. "You're going to get us killed!"
Theo wasn't paying any attention as he started to pile up on foam hats, I heart New York shirts, and magnets.
"How do you plan on paying for all that?" Draco demanded, growing more and more exasperated by the second.
Theo took a red piece of plastic out of the back pocket of his jeans and showed it to Draco. "Ministry credit card." He answered with a smirk.
"Does Potter know you took that?" Draco questioned.
"Nope," Theo said as he handed the vendor the card and he swiped the flimsy plastic card into some sort of machine.
Draco rolled his eyes as the vendor handed the card back to Theo and Theo put on the hat.
"Times like these make me worry about you, mate." Draco said as the two walked back across the street, taking a crosswalk this time.
"Why's that?" Theo replied, speaking loudly so that Draco could hear him over the sounds of the tourist and New Yorkers around them.
"It's beyond your comprehention." Draco replied. Before Theo could reply, though, Harry came out of the double doors of the ministry, three slips of parchment in his hand.
"That was fast." Theo said as Harry handed each of them a permit.
Harry eyed the hat Theo was wearing, "Um, nice hat. How did you..." Harry's eyes widened as he felt his pockets frantically.
"Oh damn." Harry muttered to himself. "Don't tell me I've lost the credit card already."
"No worries, Harry." Theo said, taking the credit card out of his own pocket and holding it out to Harry. "I used it to buy some vital supplies we need for the trip."
Draco scoffed, "Yeah. What would we do without our hats, t-shirts, and magnets?"
"You what?!" Harry exclaimed, ignoring what Draco said, grabbing the card from Theo's hands.
"We have a budget! If we spend too much, it comes out of my paycheck!"
Theo had stopped paying attention. He was more focused on the hot dog stand twenty feet away.
Harry snapped his fingers in front of Theo's face. "Those hotdogs probably have rat parts in them anyways." He paused for a moment before continuing, "Come on we have someone we have to meet with."
"Really? Who?" Asked Draco, growing annoyed at Harry.
"A pukwudgie at Ilvermorny, it might know something about all of this." He responded.
"What's a pukwudgie?" Asked Draco, genuinely curious in the matter at hand.
Theo replied, "It's the North American version of a house elf, but these things are a bit more aggressive than what we're used to." He is after all a Magizoologist.
"Ohh."
"How are we going to get there?" Asked Theo.
"Apparate." Replied Harry like it was a no brainer.
The three of them found a empty alleyway, so they couldn't be seen apparating away. The last thing they need is to expose magic in a foreign country. That probably wouldn't end well. Theo and Draco both placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and they apparated away.
Moments later they all fell in a patch of grass, just a short distance from a two lane road. Thankfully, no cars came rushing past them during their landing.
All three of their stomachs growled from both the lack of food and the strain apparating puts on your midsection. Not to far up the road a red neon sign read: Patsy's Dinner.
"Oh, thank Merlin!" Exclaimed Theo, "Patsy better make me some damn good food."
Meanwhile Draco was doubled over holding his stomach, "Patsy better serve me a pepperoni pizza."
The three of them made their way to the middle of no where diner and took a seat at a corner booth. Within no time an older woman, probably in her early 50s, came over to take their drink orders. They got water all around.
Draco picked up one of the menus they were given and studied it, "I have never seen so much fried food in my life."
"Harry, what's a cheeseburger?" Asked Theo.
Harry quickly came to the conclusion that letting them order for themselves would just take too long, so he just ordered three cheeseburgers for the three of them.
While they waited on their food Harry explained how they were going to find Ilvermorny. It is high up on Mount Greylock hidden by a cloudy mist.
"Are you telling me that we're going to have to hike up a mountain?" Asked Draco.
"Yes, but it won't be that difficult." Said Harry, right before he took another bite of his cheeseburger.
"Man, I love America," said Theo as he took another bite of his food, "Merica."
Once all of them finished Harry paid with the ministry credit card and they apparated to the bottom of Mount Greylock. Where they started their climb up the mountain.
"How exactly are we going to find Ilvermorny in the midst of all this?" Asked Draco as he gestured to the great outdoors around him.
Harry responded, "It sits at the highest point on the mountain."
It was a pretty steady hike, the elevation stayed consistently the same for the entire hike up the mountain. At one point Theo tried to talk Draco into giving him a piggy back ride up the mountain, but Draco pushed him away every time he came within arms length of him.
After about half an hour of hiking they came upon some pukwudgie's that were on guard duty in front of an iron gate than connected to a stone wall. Through the iron gate they could see Ilvermorny crystal clear. It was magnificent, but of course it was nothing compared to Hogwarts.
"What do you three want?" Asked one of the grumpy pukwudgie's on duty.
"Well, I need to get inside the grounds." Said Harry, as he pulled out his Auror badge and showed it to the pukwudgie. "I'm Harry Potter an Auror from the ministry back in London and my friends and I have some investigating to do on the grounds."
"Harry Potter, eh?" The guard laughed to himself, behind him the gate opened, "I'll let you pass."
At the entrance of the school there was another pukwudgie that looked rather old polishing a statue of the Ilvermorny founder, Isolt Sayre Steward.
Harry asked the pukwudgie, "Do you know where I can find a pukwudgie that goes by the name, William?"
The old decrepit creature looked up at Harry and replied, "You're looking at him."
Author's Note:
If you want more background info on Ilvermorny and William the pukwudgie you can read about it on Pottermore, under "Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." You don't have to read it to read it to understand this story, I will explain everything that is needed to know.
-MC