Chapter Text
The grey sky was visible through the thick glass doors of the MACUSA headquarters, almost white – the sun threatening to pierce through the rain-heavy clouds. Four figures, dressed in tandem with those who usually enter the building; sharp, mute, and stiff.
They marched in and through the lobby floor with even more confidence than the ever-moving crowd in the lively building.
On the floor above, Eve had tucked away her purse under her desk, coffee hot on her desk, and compact pocket mirror at ready for a lipstick check – a ritual she had made to accomplish before her day start as the secretary every working day.
A few Aurors were in the room – two were chatting amongst themselves, and two others were standing independently in silence by the window, working to finish off their coffee before their shift started.
Savor the calm before a storm, Eve always thought.
Multiple footsteps are heard approaching from the hall. The clacking to the granite floor echoes sharply, typically when dress shoes are worn.
Four men, in long coats, approaches Eve’s desk and she regarded them with a visual scan from their face to their hands. Another ritualistic habit Eve conducted to help predict what the guest’s needs would be.
“Pardon, we are looking to access the records vault as per the ongoing case regarding the murder of Muggles on Rivington,” the man leading the group said.
On Eve’s desk, a little trinket of a butterfly encased in a cloche began to fly in circles within the glass; its silk and gold wired wings fluttering wildly. Eve paid it no mind, only acknowledging it from her peripheral vision. The butterfly in the cloche was an enchanted security feature disguised as a desk decoration – and right now, it’s telling Eve that whatever that was said was a lie.
“Oh? I will need to record your badges as well as the ministry’s papers with the case number. Is the director aware of your visit?”
The men looked confused but quickly schooled it to indifference.
“We can provide you our badges, but the papers are not with us. We came from Peoria with a similar case and have high suspicion that they could be related.”
“I’m sorry, but I wasn’t informed of any visits. Normally something this important would have been brought to my attention in advance so we can expect your visits with preparations, you see -”
“Ma’am, we came a long way, and the evidence are insurmountable,” the man continued to argue.
The butterfly continues its frantic circles.
“I can’t let you proceed. I’m sorry,” Eve said with a little more force. “But if you’d like, I can send up a message to the director to come down to sort out this misunderstanding.”
“Listen,” the man was losing his patience and becoming more menacing, “do you have any idea how dire this situation is? There had been eight Muggles murdered within our jurisdiction! Eight! We -”
“Maybe we can help you gentlemen? Perhaps to guide you back to the entrance door for your departure?” A new voice behind the group enters the conversation.
The visitors turn to see one of the Aurors in the room approaching with a hand hanging onto his jacket lapel and other twitching at his side; ready to draw his wand from its pocket. The other Aurors in the room had already abandoned the relaxed moment and had turned towards the rising hostility.
“No. No... we are here on duty with orders from our superior -”
“Your superior should have been aware of the procedures and communicated with our office beforehand so our expectations would align. We can’t just let anyone in, y’know?” Eve’s tone was condescending.
One of the men in the group discreetly pulled out his wand at his side, but one of the Aurors on the sideline had spotted it and took it as a threat and whips out his own wand.
“Put away your wand,” the Auror warned.
“Expelliarmus!”
All hell broke loose. Aurors and visitors all drew their wands and began shouting incantations, sending damaging blasts of lights towards each other.
Eve ducked under her desk and cursed. She could hear the crashing of furniture and wall paintings that were caught in the crossfire and men shouting before she heard a pained cry. She peeked out from under her desk to see one of the Aurors on the ground – alive but injured.
Even looks over to see that none of the other men were paying any attention to her as they were focused on fighting the opposition. She pulled out her wand from the pocket of her skirt and took a stance.
“Diffindo!” Two of the intruders what were conveniently lined up in Eve’s direct vision were violently slashed by the spell, leaving massive gashes on their upper body and neck before they hit the ground. The remaining intruders were momentarily stunned by the sudden downfall of their comrade, and the Aurors took the opportunity to up their offenses.
Seeing that they have gotten to the point of disadvantages, the two remaining intruders came to the same idea and dashed towards Eve to collect her as hostage. Both sending a spell her way to stun her before they would grab her.
Eve nonverbally conjures a protego with one raised hand, forming a shield, to block the shot from the attacker on her left while simultaneously casting a depulso to knock back the stupefy from the attacker on her right.
Just as all spells landed, incarcerous from new persons rushing into the room, incapacitating and dropping all of the remaining intruders. Eve looked over to see more Aurors arrived for reinforcement and to detain the five men.
Among the Aurors was Director Percival Graves, who looked around to access the situation before landing his eyes on Eve with disbelief.