Chapter Text
The cold wind bit into Bethany’s face as she was pulled outside by a man in a cloak. The peaceful orange and pink sunset hadn’t warned anyone of the coming battle; most of the students had been ready to go to bed when the invasion occurred. Dusk was long gone and had been replaced with what seemed like an irreversible dark. Looking back at her family, Bethany could tell that she would not see them for a while. Tears that had been close to appearing now fell on her cheeks while she stared back at her castle home against the midnight sky. Bursts of red and green lights came from the windows of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, causing Bethany to speed up.
“Just a little further,” said the silver-haired MACUSA agent. They ran until their calves felt numb; branches of the mountainous vegetation caught on their robes. The MACUSA member turned around to cast a shield charm between them and the growing fight at the castle.
“Is it time?” asked a panting Bethany, looking into the face of her bodyguard. She stared forlornly at the school in the distance, wishing her family could join them in the escape.
“Yes. Hold onto my arm tightly. We’re going to need to make a few attempts at apparition before we cross the sea.” Bethany gripped white-knuckled onto the man’s arm, taking one last chance to soak in a glimpse of home. With a loud ‘pop,’ the two traveled into the night.
Bethany did not mind apparition as much as she thought she would. It felt like squeezing into a bottle until you popped back out on the other side. The two could not travel very far apparating, so they stopped multiple times throughout the New England coast. The green summer beauty of the forest was a deep contrast to the chaos Bethany had just seen. How she longed to sit in the stillness of the forest and process what had happened. About five minutes into their journey, the agent finally stopped along the coastline.
“I can’t believe that-”
Hushing Bethany’s whispers, the man scanned the surroundings for any sign that they had been followed. Muscles relaxing, he stalked along the tree line to catch sight of their transportation to England. “Over here. And be quiet.” Motioning for Bethany to follow, the man pointed to a red coat tied to the branch of a great oak tree.
“Is that a portkey? Why is it so close to town?” Bethany whispered, observing the glowing skyline of a ski city filled with no-majes.
“Yes, it’s a portkey, and don’t worry about it. It’s a local legend in town. Wizards would come up here and vanish, which caused residents to believe that some monster would eat them without leaving a trace.” The agent chuckled while sweeping back some grey hairs. “Plus, there’s a charm placed around it to keep away no-majes.” He held out his calloused hand for Bethany to shake. “We didn’t get properly introduced back at the school. I’m Matthew Carter, a MACUSA Department of Mysteries and Prophecies agent. Pleased to meet you.”
Bethany shook his hand. “Bethany Moore, 5th year at Ilvermorny.”
Matthew turned back to the sturdy oak tree, studying the coastline beyond it. “Okay, on the count of three, please grab the coat and my arm. We should be back on solid ground in a matter of minutes.” Bethany nodded, hoping that they’d make the portkey jump without being caught. She had to stand on her toes in order to reach the coat, but quickly balanced herself. “One, two, three!” Matthew yelled over the noise of the portkey opening. Bethany gripped tightly once more as she was whisked over the ocean’s rocky waves.