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Post by Kaelan Arndell on Nov 17, 2015 16:28:10 GMT -8
January 2nd, 2012; 1:26 PM
It was a new year, and this definitely was not the land down under: the climate, the environment, and especially the people were all much different than back home. For one thing, it was no longer summer. He'd left the blazing heat of Australia to come to such a frigid place. He also hadn't expected the culture shock to be so abrupt, considering the similarities and relationships between his home and here, but it was. At least they spoke English, albeit a localized version.
Kaelan had arrived the night before by way of a muggle airplane. Not that magical transportation wasn't efficient in it's own right, he just found it easier. He didn't like the thought of long distance apparition, and even as a Quidditch player, he doubted he could sit on a broom for that long of a ride (assuming he could even figure out how to get here and not be seen by muggles in the process). International portkeys were really the only plausible means of entering the country, but the rules and regulations behind it were annoying to him. It was less of a hassle to go through a muggle airport, even if he did need a passport and the like.
His task today, then, was to figure out where to find Ben. He never got an address to go to from him back in the day and he kind of wanted to surprise him anyway. He figured that the best place to go to find addresses would be the country's Ministry, but he didn't have any clue as to where it was other than the fact that it was somewhere in London. He did, however, have a pamphlet from back home which had information about a "Diagon Alley" that was a wizarding area in London. He figured he could ask someone there where the Ministry was.
He found his way to the Leaky Caudron, which none of the muggles took notice of. With the help of a passerby stranger, he went through the wall and into Diagon Alley. It looked absolutely nothing like it did in the pamphlet. He didn't have time to ponder why this was, however, as there was immediately a checkpoint of some sort.
"Your papers sir?" A gruff looking man asked him.
"Pardon?" Kael stuttered, having not noticed the man or the checkpoint until now.
"Your papers?" he repeated impatiently.
"Oh... right." Kael replied before digging through his backpack. He was a bit confused as to how they knew he was not from the country, but he still produced his wizarding passport that he'd picked up a few weeks ago. When he handed him the passport, there seemed to still be some sort of problem though, as the guard turned toward the other that was guarding the checkpoint with him and began muttering something.
"I'm sorry? Is there something wrong? I'm an Australian citizen visiting the country. I'm trying to find the Ministry so that I might find the address of a friend of mine."
This did little to assuage them though, and they suddenly began whispering even more to each other. A line was beginning to form behind Kaelan and they were growing impatient. A small crowd of those passing by were beginning to stop and gawk which was making Kael uncomfortable. He had no idea what might be wrong or going on, but had a nasty feeling in the pit of his stomach that something wasn't right.
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Post by Markus von Wolfram on Nov 17, 2015 16:33:15 GMT -8
For a January afternoon it was shaping up to be a rather pleasant day. The sun was shining, the wind was minimal at best and probably most importantly, people were back out in the streets shopping and generally enjoying life, even if there was a notable Imperium Guard presence.
What was the Captain currently doing out in the middle of Diagon Alley? Simply put, he was taking a much needed breather. After all the events that were currently happening up in Hogwarts, Markus needed the space or he was sure he was going to lose his sanity, and wandering through Diagon Alley had a calming effect on the man. He continued to walk along the surprisingly crowded streets, stopping a few places to check out the wares before deciding to make a quick visit to the guys manning the check points before he headed back to the castle.
As he neared the designated check point that covered the entrance from the Leaky Cauldron, two officials and a guard were having some sort of heated discussion over what Markus assumed was someone’s paperwork. ”Is there a problem gentleman?” he asked as he walked up to the group, letting his eyes fall on the young man whose paperwork seemed to be the cause of the growing queue and rapidly annoyed citizens. The Captain listened as the older burly looking man explained that the young man was claiming to be an Australian citizen and didn’t have the proper blood status paperwork.
Markus reached out and took the wizarding passport from the guard and casually let his wander over it, picking out important bits of information like, name, age, country before turning his attention back to Kaelan. He placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder in order to pull him out of the way of the rapidly growing queue. Once that was done he motioned to the two guards to continue with their jobs after telling them both he’d deal with this one. That done he gave Kaelan his undivided attention. ”What business do you have here in London Mr… Arndell was it?”
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Post by Kaelan Arndell on Nov 17, 2015 16:33:20 GMT -8
Kaelan continued to wait awkwardly as the two men conversed back and forth. Behind him, a man had begun tutting rather loudly and Kael couldn't help but notice all the whispering that seemed to be occurring. It took what seemed like an eternity, but finally a third man stepped in and took over the situation. He looked over Kaelan's passport before taking him aside by the shoulder so the other two men could proceed to deal with the growing line of people. Now off to the side, this third man asked what exactly Kael's business was in the city.
"Well I was looking for the Ministry," he began, hoping his accent would help cement his credibility. "But I wasn't sure how to get there. I did have a pamphlet from back home about this place... 'Diagon Alley'," he said, reading off the pamphlet which he had pulled out of his pocket to show. "So I just figured that I could find someone here who could tell me how to get into the Ministry."
"You see, I have a mate here in England from a few years back," he continued. "I thought I'd stop by and surprise him, catch up and that sort of thing. I never got a specific address though, so I figured there must be some sort of registry in the Ministry that I could look him up in." It made sense, at least to him. The Ministry was supposed to keep tab on wizards and such to make sure they weren't breaking the Statute of Secrecy with all the muggles. At least, that's how they did it back home. Needless to say he was already slightly confused by the process of things here.
"What is all this, anyway, if you don't mind my asking? Surely you don't have that big of a problem with people illegally entering the country? Your mates over there didn't seem to find my paperwork in order anyway. What sort of paperwork are you asking for Mr...?" Kael only just realized he hadn't gotten the man's name.
Kael wasn't angry or annoyed or anything, though perhaps a bit worried. He knew it probably showed on his face - it always did. It was just confusion at this point, though, and he was certain that everything would be cleared up here and now. Perhaps it was fortuitous even, that he had run into an official who could tell him how to get into the Ministry. This way he didn't have to bother some stranger who might not have been as willingly helpful.
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Post by Markus von Wolfram on Nov 17, 2015 16:34:21 GMT -8
Markus listened intently as Kael went on to explain his reasons for being in Diagon Alley, nodding when he was shown the pamphlet that was of the travel agency type. So far the Australians reasons seemed to be legit and nothing the kid was saying was raising any flags, at least not until he asked about what kind of paperwork the check point officers had asked for.
The Captain looked at the kid with a hard gaze, trying to figure out if he was just playing dumb or if he truly had no idea what he was about to walk into. Blood status paperwork had been required for all those living in the UK for the past two years and was more than highly recommended by the ministry for any travelers traveling from foreign countries. A soft sigh escaped the older man before he offered a hand to the younger traveler. ”Markus von Wolfram, Captain of the Imperium Guard.”
”The papers he was asking for were blood status documents, something that has been required for all residents of the UK and highly recommended for anyone traveling from other countries, something you probably should have looked into before you came. Might have avoided this wonderful chat if you had it. You’ll need it to purchase any wand related materials and almost everything from potions to potion equipment as well as certain books. It’s a hassle for travelers but since the regime change new laws have come into effect."
"But since you are an Australian citizen it’s not technically required, however I will have to detain you until I can get someone to clear you. Shouldn’t take too long, maybe twenty minutes for an official to run a diagnostic on your papers just to make sure they are legit. And well they do that maybe we can find an address for that friend of yours?”
He waited a moment for Kael to agree (not that the decision for checking his documentation was up for debate) before motioning the Australian to follow him to a building that was being used as a holding area for those with questionable documentation, just off to the side of where the check point was located. Markus opened the door and let Kael enter first. The door opened up to a small reception area, with two doors off to the right and two doors off to the left. ”First door to the left please,” he stated matter of simply. There was nothing spectacular in the small ten by ten room. A desk with two chairs and a small fire place to make a few quick fire calls as necessary. One quick fire call had Kael’s situation explained to one of the guys in Documentation and a promise of a fast turnaround. That done Markus turned and took a seat. ”So tell me about this friend of yours.”
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Post by Kaelan Arndell on Nov 17, 2015 16:34:32 GMT -8
Kaelan shook Markus' hand when offered after his introduction. "Imperium Guard..." Kael muttered mostly to himself, having no idea what exactly that was. It certainly sounded official, and they were behaving like officers of the law, so clearly that must have been the title they had given themselves. Come to think of it, he wasn't really sure what he had expected the law enforcement of this country to be called. Obviously it would differ from country to country, so he mostly shrugged the name off. It was the dialogue that followed that actually disturbed him.
"Blood status?" he asked. "What does that have to do with anything?" He didn't like the sound of this one bit. What did this country care who his parents were? He had no idea what was up - Ben had definitely never mentioned blood status documentation during their time together back home. It apparently was a relatively new law according to Markus, happening since the regime change. When, though, was there a regime change? Kael was bewildered, and increasingly more concerned about what was going on here.
This had to be a recent development, right? Surely he would have heard about it. Alright, so perhaps he had come here more on a whim and hadn't taken the time to look into recent events. He also was connected to both the muggle world and the wizarding world and perhaps didn't keep track of the specifics in either. Still, though, he couldn't believe he hadn't heard anything at all.
Before he realized it, Kael was being ushered into a nearby building by the captain. Despite the man's calm demeanor and assurance that this would go quickly, Kael still couldn't shake that feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was wrong here. He proceeded into the specified room and sat down on one of the chairs. He waited as Markus' made a quick fire call via floo powder for Kael's documentation. Then the conversation turned back to the matter at hand.
Kaelan's thoughts turned back to Ben. He couldn't help but wonder what his thoughts were on all of this. Come to think of it, it had been a considerably long time since he'd received a letter from him at all. Despite his misgivings though, Kael decided it would be best if he just cooperated and told the truth. "Well, you see, several years ago he came to Australia and joined up with my Quidditch team. We were good friends 'til the team went on hiatus a few years back. He moved back here and I promised I would visit him some day. His name's Turner. Benjamin Turner."
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Post by Markus von Wolfram on Nov 17, 2015 16:35:36 GMT -8
The name Benjamin Turner was not a name Markus had expected to hear and he was sure his surprise showed though it was quickly shoved back behind the mask he usually wore when he was on duty. Not only was the man in question wanted fugitive, he was also an Order member... or was, or still was depending on who you talked to since as far as Markus was concerned the Order was nothing anymore. He couldn’t exactly say he was fond of the other man; Ben was far too cocky for Markus’ tastes and had a tendency to make light of serious situations.
The Captain remained quiet for a moment as he tried to figure out how to deal with this rather unexpected turn of events. It was clear Kael had no idea about what was currently happening here in the UK, so it couldn’t be expected that he would know about the slavery of muggleborns, that his friend was a fugitive, or that if he said the wrong thing to the wrong person he could end up in Azkaban. He let his gaze settle on the door, drawing his wand as he did and cast a quick locking charm on the door. It wouldn’t keep out anyone with half a brain but if for some reason someone came in it would offer the Captain enough of a warning to change the subject if necessary.
”Mr. Arndell… Kael…” the Captain started, not really sure how to go about this. ”I regret to inform you that your friend, Benjamin Turner, is a wanted fugitive in the eyes of the current regime, an undesirable. I suggest that you keep a low profile and not mention that name to anyone who you don’t know. Most guards would arrest you and have you thrown into Azkaban for associating with a known fugitive. I’m not one of them so you can relax, but you should know that the UK you knew of before is not the same UK now. Things have changed… and not all for the good.”
Markus slouched back comfortably in his chair and waited calmly for the man across from him to process what was just said. It was a lot to take in after all. Kael was sure to have questions, questions about the regime and how Ben ended up as a fugitive. Whether or not he’d be able to answer them all truthfully was yet to be seen. It would all depend on the questions asked.
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Post by Kaelan Arndell on Nov 17, 2015 16:41:57 GMT -8
Kael gave a small half snort/half laugh at what he was being told. What a ridiculous notion, that Ben would ever do anything criminal in nature. True, he was bold and reckless and might push the boundaries of what was legal per se, he would never do anything serious. "Fugitive" and "Undesirable" - these were never words Kael would never associate with his old friend. As he looked to Markus, however, his face fell. "You're... you're serious aren't you?"
His brief look of amusement quickly vanished and was instantly replaced by worry and perhaps even a little bit of panic. Not only for the fate of his friend, but that fact that he had entered the country looking for a fugitive didn't bode well for himself. It was pure happenstance that he'd been questioned by one of the guards who wouldn't immediately imprison him just on that fact alone. Still, Kael wasn't a coward. His concern for Ben outweighed that for himself. He had to get the bottom of this mess and figure out what exactly was going on. The UK that he had known only snippets about might not be that UK anymore, but Ben was still his friend for certain.
Kael decided to press on and see what information he could obtain from the captain. He knew he would have to tread lightly. He briefly wondered whether this room was being monitored somehow, but disregarded this concern. "Ok..." he started, taking a breath, "This 'current regime' - why exactly have they made Ben an outlaw? What has he done? What laws are in place that he would ever break?" Kael tried to hide his disdain for any government that would deem Ben an 'undesireable'. Unfortunately, hiding his feelings and motives was not his forte.
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Post by Markus von Wolfram on Nov 17, 2015 16:43:36 GMT -8
Was he serious? Had he given this man any indication he was being otherwise? Markus didn’t think so, and Kael’s shift in demeanor a few seconds later said the other man was catching on to the fact that this wasn’t a joke. The captain leaned back in his chair and sighed. Now that Kael new his friend was a wanted man, questions were sure to follow. He smirked to himself. No sooner had he finished that thought, Kael spoke up, and made his feelings clear on the matter. The real question now was what to tell him. It wasn’t like he could just out and say straight up Ben was with the Order and doing everything he could to thwart the regime…
”Your friend is a known member of a formerly prominent resistance group,” he stared, leaning forward to rest his arms comfortably in front of him on the table before continuing, ”This group in particular have gone out of their way to bring harm to the regime and those who support it. A philosophy clash if you will since not everyone agrees with the slavery of those less than half-blood. One of your friends more notable moments was when he led a jail break to free their leader. As you can imagine, that moves someone up the priority ladder real quick.”
The captain went silent after that, giving Kael a few minutes to digest what he had let slip. Most was already common knowledge amongst civilians already, so it was no big deal to fill the man in. He’d find out eventually. What he wasn’t willing to do was go into great detail over it, nor tell Kael that Ben was actually just holed up at the safe house. The risk was too great. He would however; send an owl of with mention of this conversation to interested parties and with any luck, Ben would be able to clue Kael in before the younger man found himself in Azkaban.
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