⚜ LATE AFTERNOON, 23RD JULY, 1990, THE BRITISH MINISTRY OF MAGIC ⚜
JASMINE NEVER PARTICULARLY liked the bureaucracy — just a bunch of stuck-up people that found pleasure in treating those beneath them like dirt while simultaneously licking the shoes of their superiors in exchange for crumbs of favours, really.
Her family was just about to finish the paperwork necessary to set off for Japan, but the only problem was that the soulless shell of a person that was supposed to be taking them through the process was a grotesque toad-like woman that looked too self-satisfied for her own good.
Dolores Umbridge — the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, as she had so greatly emphasized — sat before them, an insipid smile plastered across her face as she rifled through a stack of Ministry forms with exaggerated care.
Her office was an eyesore. The room smelled of parchment, ink, and just a faint trace of something unpleasantly saccharine — like a perfume that had overstayed its welcome. Every single object was coloured in overpowering pink that disgusted the Potters to the core.
They had only come to finalize the last bit of paperwork for their trip to Japan — straightforward, routine, and, ideally, quick. Yet, for the past fifteen minutes, Umbridge had been prattling on about additional opportunities that the Ministry could offer them.
"The Magical Overseas Property Expansion Grant," she continued, tapping one of the official-looking papers. "A rare opportunity, allowing distinguished families such as yours to acquire exquisite magical properties abroad with minimal bureaucratic interference."
James took a cursory scan at the text. He wasn't an idiot — phrases like territorial reassessment and reallocation of land rights stood out immediately. The supposed discounts appeared more like traps, buried under layers of legal jargon.
Umbridge continued, flipping to the next parchment. "Then there's the Exclusive Enchanted Estate Exchange Program — imagine, a lovely summer in the French Alps or a winter retreat in the mountains of Tibet, all at a fraction of the cost!"
Ivy arched a brow. "A fraction?" she echoed.
"Yes, indeed!" Umbridge beamed. "A most generous arrangement. The Ministry ensures safe, luxurious accommodations in some of the world's most exclusive magical properties."
James resisted the urge to scoff; a quick appraisal of the contract revealed hidden clauses.
Properties were subject to availability (meaning they'd be stuck in derelict estates), cancellations were final (ensuring no refunds), and worst of all, participation in the program required registration of all family-owned properties with the Ministry for 'security purposes.'
"Oh, but this one is particularly prestigious," Umbridge continued, sliding forward a parchment marked The International Magical Investment Portfolio in bold, gold lettering. "It's a high-yield investment opportunity, backed by the Ministry, into prime magical territories abroad."
James exchanged glances with Lily. It was, of course, all nonsense.
The fine print buried deep within the text made it clear: investors bore all financial risk, returns were not guaranteed, and worst of all — funds were funneled through a web of foreign intermediaries, meaning any chance of getting their money back was as good as lost.
"And then, of course," Umbridge added with a conspiratorial air, "for a family of your stature, we have the Aristocratic Preservation Decree. A remarkable safeguard for distinguished bloodlines."
Lily stiffened, already dreading what was coming.
"With this decree," Umbridge continued, "your ancestral estates — whether here or abroad — will receive diplomatic protections, ensuring they are preserved for your future generations, untouched by foreign interference."
Jasmine, who had been silently flipping through the fine print, let out a quiet snort of amusement. "It says here that the 'protections' can be voided at any time due to regional taxation policies," she noted dryly.
Umbridge blinked, her smile faltering for a fraction of a second before recovering. "A minor technicality," she dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Hardly an issue for a family as astute as yours."
James set the papers down, unimpressed. "And this last one?" he asked, tapping the final document.
Umbridge brightened again. "Ah! The Magical Migration Tax Rebate — an exceptional program allowing families who wish to expand their influence abroad to significantly reduce standard relocation taxes."
Lily sighed. "Which only applies after ten years of continuous residency in said foreign country," she pointed out, skimming the fine print. "Meaning that if someone doesn't move, they forfeit everything they put into the process."
"Oh, but if one were to move, the benefits are considerable," Umbridge chirped.
"Yes," Rose spoke up with an easy smirk. "A beautifully gilded cage it is, indeed."
Umbridge blinked, then let out another shrill little laugh. "Oh, my dear, it's all about protecting what is rightfully yours."
Ivy leaned back as she crossed her arms. "And let me guess — if we don't sign up for these generous offers, we just might find our standard travel paperwork getting...delayed?"
"Why, Miss Ivy," Umbridge gasped, feigning offense. "I would never suggest such a thing! The Ministry is simply looking out for your best interests."
Lily's patience was thinning. "We'll take the standard travel permits. Nothing else."
Umbridge's beady eyes flicked between them, her smile brittle. There was a long pause before she let out a sigh, as if deeply disappointed.
"Very well," she said, stacking the untouched parchments and setting them aside. "I suppose some wizards prefer to handle matters the difficult way."
She reached into her drawer and, at long last, withdrew the actual travel forms they had requested in the first place.
James took them with a grin. "Imagine that. All right, then. We'll see ourselves out."
The Potters stood silently and elegantly walked out of the Travel Permissions Office, leaving Umbridge barely able to contain her rage behind a tremulous smile. Jasmine chuckled — what did the toad expect, really?
The aristocracy were literally raised on nuanced politics, legal jargon, and economic policies. Identifying bureaucratic attempts at boxing them in was a cakewalk for any noble family, and most plutocratic families.
Furthermore, the Potters were in a league of their own in the country.
Jasmine could only wonder what gave the Ministry's bean-counters and pen-pushers the gall to approach them with such a trap. They must have been hit with a mass Forgetfulness Charm, because they appeared to have forgotten their place.
Knowing her parents, Jasmine could already see the gears turning in their minds, silently calculating their next move. A slight like this would not go unanswered — especially not by her mother.
Lady Lily Potter was extremely petty in matters of politics — even more so with government workers, probably due to some unpleasant history. In any case, the toad and her complicit superiors would likely find themselves in a fair amount of trouble orchestrated by her mother.
Regardless, whatever would happen to the poor souls, it wasn't Jasmine's problem. The Potters may have mellowed in recent years, but the bureaucrats would be definitively reminded why the Potters were still generally feared as far as politics was concerned.
The Potters made their way to the Portkey Hub Department, a grand hall of polished marble and shimmering enchantments woven into the very air. The scent of parchment and spell-infused ink lingered, blending with the faint metallic tang of Portkey magic.
The steady hum of bureaucratic chatter filled the space as wizards bustled about, finalizing travel documents and waiting for their scheduled departures. Wizards and witches of all backgrounds bustled about—some speaking in rapid French, others murmuring in German, Japanese, or languages Jasmine didn't even recognize. And yet, despite the cacophony of tongues, there was never a moment of true confusion.
The reason? The Veil of Understanding.
An enchantment interwoven into the very foundation of the building, the Veil of Understanding was one of the most complex, large-scale translation charms in the magical world.
It was sustained by a convergence of spell matrices—layers of magic that translated speech in real-time, ensuring that all official interactions, from diplomatic negotiations to casual inquiries at the travel desks, were seamless.
Unlike the more common Translation Charms used by individual wizards — spells that translated languages word-for-word but often failed with nuance — the Veil worked by synchronizing intent, tone, and magical resonance.
Instead of just hearing words, a listener would comprehend the meaning behind them, as if the speaker had always been speaking their native tongue. The effect was subtle, almost imperceptible.
Jasmine had read once that the Veil of Understanding had been developed centuries ago by the International Confederation of Wizards, a necessity after disastrous early attempts at global collaboration led to spectacular misunderstandings.
The most famous was the Albanian-Moroccan Incident of 1462, where a translation error during a diplomatic meeting caused one party to believe they had been offered the other's firstborn child as a gesture of goodwill.
That, naturally, led to a duel in the middle of an international summit—one that lasted for three days and required the intervention of six dozen medical wizards to stop.
Since then, all major international magical institutions had been outfitted with permanent, reinforced translation spells, refined over generations. Places like Portkey Hubs all had their own variations of the Veil, each tailored to accommodate different linguistic complexities.
But the charm wasn't perfect.
Jasmine knew that highly complex, conceptual ideas — idioms, poetic phrasing, and layered metaphors — could sometimes get jumbled.
Her father had once recounted an embarrassing moment when he was in Egypt on Auror business, where he attempted to use a local proverb about the patience of a crocodile to impress a delegation of Egyptian wizards.
The Veil, however, had twisted it into something incomprehensible, and instead of seeming wise, he had unknowingly compared their Minister to a "stubborn lizard who refused to sink."
High, vaulted ceilings stretched above them, enchanted to display a vast, shifting map of global Portkey routes, glowing leyline paths connecting magical cities across the continents like a pulsating nervous system.
Some lines burned a steady gold, indicating stable Portkey travel routes, while others flickered red, marking areas under magical disturbance, heightened security, or some other form of interruption.
The international routes went through certain Portkey Relay Stations, some of the most major ones being London, Tokyo, Shanghai, Alexandria, Paris, among others. The International Portkey Network was a real work of art, really.
Floo Powder was too risky for cross-continental trips, Apparition was limited by distance, and brooms were built for relatively short-distance travel. Portkeys? They could link the entire magical world together as far as transport went.
Jasmine walked between her parents, casting a passing glance at the department's enchanted notice boards, which constantly updated with scheduled Portkey activations and travel advisories.
"Delayed Portkey to Cairo — Magical Sandstorm in Effect." "Emergency Lockdown in the Paris Hub – Magical Quarantine Protocol Initiated." "Unauthorized Apparition into Norway — Investigating Authorities Warn of Severe Fines."
As the Potters walked, however, Jasmine could feel the stares that followed them. The bits of gossip. It was a forgone conclusion, given the Potter family's status, but that did not mean that she did not mind it to some degree.
A robed official approached them, glancing at his clipboard before offering a professional smile. "Potter family? Your luggage has already been processed, and your Portkey is ready. The activation will take place in precisely five minutes at Platform Three."
James nodded, his expression easy but unreadable. "And the security clearances?"
The official flicked his wand, causing a small stack of glowing papers to appear midair. He studied them briefly before giving a satisfied nod. "All in order. No flagged items or restricted magical artifacts detected in your belongings. You're clear for immediate departure."
"Good. Let's not waste time then," James said, his voice cool and composed.
They made their way through the department, weaving through wizards and witches of varying nationalities, some of whom were dressed in extravagant foreign robes while others blended seamlessly into British wizarding fashion.
As they arrived at Platform Three, a golden pedestal inscribed with runes of travel pulsed with a soft glow, marking their designated Portkey activation site.
The Portkey itself — a smooth, obsidian disk with a faint, spiraling shimmer — hovered an inch above the pedestal. A wizard in deep navy-blue robes, likely the Portkey moderator for Japan, stood beside it, waiting.
"Final call for Potter party to Tokyo," he announced in a clear, magically amplified voice.
James took Ivy's hand, while Lily placed hers lightly on Rose's and Jasmine's shoulders. The five of them reached out, fingers brushing against the cool surface of the Portkey.
As the countdown began — "Three… two… one…" — Jasmine's stomach twisted with that familiar, stomach-lurching pull behind her navel. The department, the polished marble, the murmuring travelers — all of it vanished in a blur of spiraling light.
And then, just as quickly as it had begun, they were gone.
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Author here.
Just my self-imposed mandatory author's note. I just wanted to go into a bit of nuance with this story to make it more fluid, and it just came to mind to look at the departure from Britain instead of just jumping to Japan.
Furthermore, I just thought of trying my hand at establishing a simple international travel system in the magical world, since I've never seen a story look at such before. Tell me if looks like it works, or if I should just scrap it.
I also thought it would be a good way to show Jasmine's stance toward the bureaucracy, and politics, in general, while also displaying the Potters' extensive knowledge and keen eye for detail.
Also, about Umbridge being in the Travel Permissions Office, I thought that she might be the type of person to take over another post temporarily just to establish superficial dominance by placing herself in a position to carry out her own machinations.
By the way, summary about the Veil of Understanding: it not only translates spoken language, but also written language, for example on brochures or noticeboards.
Finally, I may run through simple explanations on sections in the chapter if I think that the explanation is necessary, but would disrupt the flow of the story. For example, a spell which the characters do not know enough about but the audience needs a bit more understanding.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Ciao! 👍