章 7: Chapter:7 Trip(1): New England
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Image of Hector
Image of the Van
Image of Hector & Trigony
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Upon seeing their deadpan face, he sighed and pointed at the door,
"Your ride is waiting for you outside."
Finally, upon hearing his words, Hector smiled. He grabbed the key chain from Trigony's hand and marched out the door followed closely by Victoire.
The 'Ride' in Trigony's words was... a retro-style van. She had seen a similar model somewhere before, she just couldn't remember where.
Aha! She had seen it at a scrap yard museum back when she was a bartender.
The exterior of the van was a sleek, aerodynamic design that evoked a sense of grace and elegance. Its color palette included iridescent shades of silver, opalescent blue, and soft pastels that shifted and shimmered, mimicking the mesmerizing beauty of sapphire. The vehicle had an intricate and delicate pattern reminiscent of feathers etched into the surface, adding to its aesthetic appeal.
Opening the side door, she peeked inside and saw plush, cushioned seating with luxurious, soft fabrics in shades of blue, silver, and white, color. There was an ambient, calming lighting inside that lit up the vehicle's inside in a soothing shade of silvery blue. And, according to Dad, it also has advanced magical controls that respond to the passengers' gestures, making the experience seamless and magical.
Now it looked more and more familiar. Her suspicions kept on mounting higher and higher until Trigony finally said,
"Just like ya' asked for Hector old buddy, this van is customized after the looks of a Veela. I still don't get your obsession with 'em. I mean, sure ya' are married to one but this is just too much mate."
She knew it! This looked just like the Lefever carriages, with the same design and pattern and she also knew why.
Their family was closely related to them and their fortune is said to stem from the blessings of the Veelas and their sisters. Heck, she remembered that in one of the biography books of their family, one Patriarch even had fifteen gold statues of the then Veela Matriarch made and used those statues to decorate his halls. And she had a fleeting suspicion that she saw those statues back at the reservoir.
Hector gave Trigony a dirty look and waved his wand so that both his and Victoire's luggage was stacked on top of each other and formed a giant made of bags. It opened the van's back door and packed itself inside.
Suddenly, Victoire felt a fleeting sensation of danger and turned around to see that Trigony was pointing his wand at Hector.
A flash of red erupted, followed by Victoire's warning that ripped out of her throat. For a moment everything was still. A terror grasped her heart as she thought of the possible consequences of what just happened. She grasped her wand and pointed it where she had last seen the auror but he was not there. Slowly, the effect of the flash vanished, and she could see properly again.
Hector was facing her, his wand pointed intently at the spot where Trigony was standing moments before but the auror was nowhere to be seen.
A burst of laughter rippled through the parking lot and looking down, Victoire could see the auror rolling around on the floor. Uncontrollable waves of laughter burst through his lips. For a fleeting moment, she even thought that she saw a smirk adorned on her father's face but that soon vanished causing her to think of them as her imagination.
"Finite"
Hector's voice resounded loud and clear and Trigony stopped laughing. The auror propped himself upright and stared back at him in incredulity.
"I was pretty sure that the spell hit you square on the back. How the hell did you manage to bounce it back at me?"
Hector sighed tiredly,
"That was dangerous you know. If I hadn't been sure we were the only ones present in this lot, then I may very well have used lethal force."
Trigony merely shrugged at the remark,
"I guess it was a dangerous move, but I simply couldn't resist the temptation. You were so defenseless that I simply couldn't stop myself."
Another sigh left Hector's lips and he turned around to see Victoire pointing her wand at the auror.
"Don't worry my dear, there's nothing to fear from him. It's just that he lost to me in a duel and had been trying for a long time to catch me off-guard."
Ridiculous as it may sound, but the reason was quite true. Way back when Hector had first joined the Aurors, there had been a joint exercise to practice anti-poaching operations. He had aced the exercise and Trigony, a senior, had picked a fight with him only to get utterly destroyed. Since then, he has been trying to catch Hector off-guard to pay him back.
Although there was no bad blood between them, he still kept on taking risky opportunities to do so. Once he had almost crashed Hector's wedding resulting in him getting chased off the estate by a group of very angry Veelas, who were also covered in pudding and chocolate syrup due to the stunt he pulled.
Victoire decided to see what kind of man could survive a pack of angry Veelas and managed to make Hector unable to kill him despite wanting to do so desperately.
[Dumprey Trigony: Head of Aurors, New England: Level 67: Luminescent Stage Mana Core]
Not too shabby, he was indeed quite an experienced wizard to be a Grand Wizard at the age of roughly 50s or something. At least she thought he was that age but in truth, he was nearly 75, it's just that wizards lived much longer than muggles did.
Now that she thinks about it, she has never seen her father through the system panel.
[Hector Lefevre: Head of Aurors, France: Level 77: Resplendent Stage Mana Core]
Much better, too good even. An extremely high rank for a wizard his age, roughly in his early 50s. He had an extremely good chance of becoming a legendary wizard before he died.
However, she underestimated him, too much even. The moment she used the system panel, he sensed something and at once sent a stunning spell toward her. The red streak of light whizzed above her head and slammed into the trees behind her.
*CRASH*
A crashing sound resounded in the parking lot as almost four, thick, oak trees got uprooted and slammed into the trees behind them. It was fortunate that he only felt a curious intent behind the stare instead of a hostile one, or he would have started a forest fire in an instant.
And Trigony was not bad either. In the next moment, he sent a red flare into the sky and cast half a dozen protection charms around them. She only understood a protego, the rest were spells she did not know about.
A minute or two later, a whole squad of Aurors stormed the lot. They searched all around them but found nothing. Hector chalked it up as a false alarm but Trigony was not so certain,
"Do you mean to go through with this trip? This may have been the prelude to a potential assassination."
Hector shook his head, amused at his speculations, and dismissed the crazy idea.
"There's no assassination order placed on my head, not even in the black market. I just checked yesterday."
Just how bored does one have to be to check their bounty?
It took them nearly two hours to confirm the safety of the parking lot, and then they checked the Van and then their Luggage. After they were done ruffling through the bags, they started checking the forest all around them.
By the time they gave the green light, it was already late, and the sun was dipping below the horizon.
Hector hurriedly ushered Victoire into the van and jumped into the driver's seat. The inside of the van was stretched with an Undetectable Extension Charm, allowing for a large amount of luggage to be stored in the back seat. Victoire had brought along two bags, one filled with clothes and the other with books, she couldn't summon, and unsummon books out of thin air in front of her father. Hector, however, packed ten bags and suitcases. One for his clothes, five bags of camping material, two for magical items and potions, one for his and Victoire's broomstick, and the last one with muggle items they may need.
The back of the van had a compartment for luggage, and the walls were covered in cushions making it appear like a two-way mini sofa, a perfect place for two people to sleep in. There was also a sunroof, a small collection of cooking utensils, and a mini shelf for books.
Hector started the van and reversed out of the parking lot, picking up speed once on the road. Victoire was quite surprised that he knew how to drive and she was correct, he was a very bad driver because instead of looking at the door, he was looking at her and picked up the looks she was giving him and understood what she was thinking.
"Don't worry dear, I know how to drive this Van. I have learned how to do it from the very best."
Victoire stared at him dubiously,
"And who is this expert?"
He coughed, a bit embarrassed now,
"From Goftenziek."
"Who?"
Now he was embarrassed,
"My last secretary."
"Why did he leave?"
His face was the color of blood he was having a bit of a rush now.
"Leave due to medical reasons. He had a car accident."
Victoire felt her eyes twitch,
'We are dead.'
The journey to Mystic Hollow took them nearly three days and every moment of these three days had been an adventure in itself.
Victoire and Hector spent the days on the road, stopping by every magical landmark, hideaway, and inn. Yes, the wizards still had inns all over the world.
The first day was a disaster, not to mention that the false alarm caused them to spend much of it in custody, Hector had to learn how to drive after crashing into a billboard. Yes, a billboard, when he couldn't make the van drive in a straight line, he enchanted it to drive itself and less than ten minutes later they were hanging out of a billboard.
Trigony arrived moments later and floated them down the advertisement. He arranged for the van's repairs and an extremely fast crash course in driving for Hector which involved a lot of memory threads. Anyways, the first day ended with the father and daughter duo spending the night in the Ministry dormitory.
The second day was much better. After a good night's sleep and a warm American Breakfast that consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, toast, Hash Browns, and Coffee. Lots of coffee for Hector, he wasn't feeling so good.
Not long after, they once again began making their way to Mystic Hollows.
The journey offered them a breathtaking view of the New England landscape. They marveled at the lush forests, picturesque hills, and charming villages that passed beneath them. As they approached Mystic Hollow, the landscape transformed into a magical wonderland, with ethereal mists and twinkling lights.
They spent the majority of their time driving along the highway, only stopping once at a convenience store to buy edibles and... had to find a bank to exchange their money from Euros to Dollars.
The rest of the day they simply drove and covered as much distance as they could. Departing from Boston, Massachusetts where the New England Ministry of Magic Branch is located. By now, the van was fully equipped with food and gas.
By 3 in the afternoon, they start driving north on Interstate 93, enjoying the scenic views of the Massachusetts countryside. On their way, they saw a herd of winged horses galloping through the grassy countryside.
Soon, Hector and Victoire traveling in their retro-style van, pull into the parking lot of "Carter's Eatery," a bustling American diner. The neon sign of the diner buzzes with vibrant colors as they step inside, and are greeted by rock music playing over the speakers.
They were seated in a red vinyl booth near an old jukebox adorned with '80s band posters. Looking through the famous singers for anyone she might be familiar with, Victoire didn't notice Hector excitedly looking through the menu.
"What would you like to eat, my dear?"
She, however, was lost in the tune of the song 'I'm Still Standing' by English musician Elton John. His poster was hanging on the wall and... dancing?
Hector noticed it too,
"So it's a magician's diner."
The waitress walked over to them, she was a blond woman in her early 20s with a mean look on her face. She stopped near them and said in a rough voice that said all about the number of cigarettes she had just inhaled.
"What can I get for ya' fine folks?"
Upon receiving no answer, she looked up from her clipboard and saw the daughter lost in the music and the father staring intently at the menu.
"Hello, Bonjour, whatever it is you say. Have ya' decided on what to order for lunch?"
Sighing at the impatient waitress, Hector ordered a classic American lunch, a "Carter's Special Burger" with a side of crispy onion rings for himself and a "BLT Club Sandwich" with a strawberry milkshake for Victoire.
The food arrived promptly, an appetizing scent wafted off the tray. Hector awkwardly picked up the juicy burger and bit into it, savoring the meaty taste along with its special sauce. Victoire masterfully picked up her sandwich and enjoyed the crispy bacon and fresh lettuce in it. To wash it all down, the waitress brought them a jug of fresh juice, maybe an orange or apple juice. For dessert, they indulge in a slice of decadent chocolate cake.
Hector didn't enjoy his lunch, but it wasn't bad either. The taste was good but eating it was quite messy eating the main course and the juice was 'NOT' freshly squeezed, instead, he was pretty sure he drank the very same thing from a juice box at the Ministry Dormitory. Desert was a disaster, it was, in simple terms, chocolate sludge slopped over waffle.
Victoire was still looking for the wizard or witch in the diner, the poster was still moving and she couldn't spot a wand in sight. Hector walked over to the counter and paid the bill, apparently, he also spotted the wizard because he was speaking softly with the counter guy.
ten minutes later, they were once again on the way to Mystic Hollow. In the Van, Victoire suddenly asked Dad about the wizard at the diner.
"Oh, him? He's a local wizard who opened his diner for both wizards and muggles. That poster you were looking at, was his handy work. They teach that potion in the fourth year, or maybe the sixth year? I don't know, they taught it in the fourth year during my time."
As they continue on I-93, they pass through Salem, known for its historical significance in witch trials and magic-related folklore. This was the place where the need for a long-term breath-holding potion came into being. The muggles of this place used to break the wands of the wizarding folks before hanging them, and therefore made it difficult to survive having one's neck choked.
Right then, the Lefever family's Breath-holding potion and Neck-strengthening potions were concocted, earning them an Order of Merlin first-class, even though the latter stretched your neck till it was half a meter tall. Their first-ever Order of Merlin.
While continuing their exploration of Salem, Hector, and Victoire stumble upon a unique Inn, an old Victorian-style building that exudes an air of mystery. They spent the night at the 'Hags Haunted Houses', an inn run by an old witch named Martha. She was a retired teacher from a local magic school right there in Salem.
[Martha Salmons: Innkeeper: Level 50: Ethereal Stage Mana Core]
An extremely low level for a teacher, well, couldn't blame her, not every place has a Legendary Wizard as the Headmaster.
The dinner was started with a classic appetizer featuring chilled shrimp served with tangy cocktail sauce. Followed by the main course, which was a choice between, Beef Stroganoff, tender strips of beef in a creamy mushroom sauce served over egg noodles, or Chicken à la King, Sautéed chicken, and vegetables in a rich and creamy sauce served over rice, or Stuffed Bell Peppers, Bell peppers filled with a mixture of ground beef, rice, and seasonings, topped with tomato sauce and baked.
Hector's eyes twitched at the oily mess of a menu presented before him, finally, Victoire had to order two servings of Stuffed Bell Peppers because he was busy swearing in French.
The side dish was Baked Potato, A baked russet potato served with butter, sour cream, chives, and grated cheese, or Green Bean Casserole, made with green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and crispy fried onions.
They had butterbeer for the beverage but Hector ordered two Iced Teas followed by the dessert. An Apple Pie served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for Hector and Chocolate Lava Cake with a molten center, served with a dusting of powdered sugar for Victoire.
During their dinner, they were approached by a pair of what appeared to be teenage witches who offered Hector a glass of firewhiskey but his look of utter loathing and disgust sent them shivering back to their table.
The next morning, they checked out and crossed the state border into New Hampshire, appreciating the change in scenery as they traveled through the Granite State.
They took one pitstop at another diner for launch after which they switched to NH-101 West, a quieter and more scenic route, passing through small towns and picturesque landscapes.
Victoire was tired of sitting in a van for two days straight and her complaints started to unwillingly slip out of her lips.
"Are we there yet Da."
Hector sighed in exasperation, she was not the only one tired of sitting in a cramped metal tin. But she didn't hear him complain... well... he would be complaining had it not been for the very small fact that he was driving the van.
"Not yet dear, but we will soon be there."
Following NH-101, they passed through a signpost that read "Mystic Hollow, 10 Miles Ahead".
"Look there dear, we are about to arrive in Mystic Hollow."
Soon, they came across a charming town, and the van started to slow down. Looking out of the window, Hector saw that one of the van's wheels was punctured. Great, just great, now he would have to look through the manual to see how to change tires.
The van came to a screeching halt in the middle of nowhere, Hector called out to Victoire who was reading a book on the back of the Van. They both dismounted and went about doing their things, which in Hector's case meant rummaging through the pile of manuals and for Victoire to set up a campfire.
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