Cored

Chapter 36: Appeals

The car didn't drive like her muggle one. It wove in an out of traffic without concern and went much faster than she would have ever dared.

"Where are we going?" she asked, holding her backpack tight in her lap. "The airport exit is further than this."

"You don't really think we fly, do you?" Picquery laughed, holding the steering wheel lightly with one hand while he turned down the radio with the other. "We've got a temporary gate set up downtown. Had to be able to switch out easily."

He exited off the interstate and the cars in his way just seemed to move and make room. Katherine tried not to look. Her foot pressed an invisible break on the ground like her mom had done when she first got her license.

"We'll take the gate to New York. We'll meet Quahog and Crawley there."

Katherine groaned. "Does Crawley have to be there?"

"Unfortunately," Picquery shrugged. "He's the member of the Major Investigation Department assigned to the case. And, as much as even I hate to admit it, he's good."

"I thought you were all aurors?" Katherine asked.

"We are, but aurors work in a few different departments. I'm the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, sort of like your Ms. Granger. Grouse is the Auror Commissioner, and Iz works with her in the Department of Aurors."

"Seems like a lot of people who do the same thing."

"Sometimes," he sighed. "But that's bureaucracy for you."

They drove up to a loading door on the side of a tall brick warehouse. It opened without a button or anything that Katherine could see. Inside, there was a large garage with a line of the same long black cars she had become accustomed to and a tired looking witch with a reflective vest and a blue hat. Picquery nodded at her and pulled into a parking spot. When the garage door closed, Katherine felt the ground start to vibrate.

"Okay," Picquery said, putting the car in reverse.

Katherine looked at him doubtfully. "We didn't go anywhere."

"I wouldn't be so sure," he laughed, backing out and returning to the same door they had entered. But, when it opened now, they pulled out on to the bustling streets of New York.

Katherine felt her magic start to rumble, so she called Nestor to her hand.

"We are not in Kansas anymore," she whispered.

"We went through Chicago, actually, not Kansas," Picquery answered.

"How does it work?" Katherine asked, not bothering to explain her reference to him.

"We've got a big country to get across here. The gates get us from hub to hub. New York, Philly, Chicago, Los Angeles—all the big cities, really. And, for the last month, Des Moines."

They pulled up to a tall building. Picquery got out and handed his keys to a teenager waiting at the curb.

"Thanks, Chris," he said, smiling at the young man. He turned to the trunk and pulled Katherine's suitcase out.

"You coming?" he said to her, opening her door.

She slipped Nestor into her coat pocket and stepped out, cars zooming past her. Pulling her backpack onto her shoulders, she followed Picquery into the lobby. It didn't look any different than what she imagined any other New York office building looked like.

"Is this MACUSA?" she asked.

"No," Picquery answered with a laugh, pulling her suitcase. "We've got a temporary office set up here. Still keeping a tight lid on this."