Chapter Text
Some wizards traveled by Portkey every day and still had difficulty landing. Likewise, there were those who rarely traveled this way and reached their destination with ease. Charlie Weasley did not belong to either category. He was a wizard who rarely traveled by Portkey and always lost his balance. Thus, he arrived in Colombia just as he had anticipated—with a crash landing.
"Fuck." Cursing, he wiped mud from his face. Heavy rain pelted his body. "This mission just keeps getting better and better."
Shaking his head, he hoisted himself up from the muddy forest floor and checked to see if his wand was still intact. Magical transportation had never been his forte. During his first Apparition test, he had missed his target and knocked an old lady to the ground. Upon his arrival in Romania as a recent Hogwarts graduate, he had landed in a pile of dragon dung. And on his mother's last birthday, he had fallen into the frog pond in front of the entire family.
Charlie grimaced at the bad memories and conjured himself clean. There were now more important things to focus on. For example, a tent that would shelter him from the rain.
Well, here we go.
Thanks to magic, the setup only took a few seconds. Satisfied, Charlie stretched his arms until they popped. Though his travel tent had already seen a few years, it was still a trusty companion in the wilderness. Thanks to an expansion spell, it offered enough space for two or three people to live comfortably together. Moreover, he had sewn so many spells into the fabric that it was virtually indestructible.
After casting a drying spell and grabbing a quick snack, Charlie spread a detailed map of Colombia on his desk. For a moment he listened to the sound of raindrops falling on the tent roof. It had been a long time since he had enjoyed a quiet moment like this. Far too long.
Exhaling, he placed his index finger on the map. "Okay, I'm here, which means..."
Slowly, he traced his upcoming route. When his finger reached the destination point, located beyond a mountain range, he paused. The mountains began to part, revealing a gorge. Next to it, words appeared in bright, cursive writing.
This is the path you must follow. Take care. ~ Hermione
Not for the first time in his life, Charlie thought his sister-in-law was brilliant. Not only had she spent weeks researching to help him and the Romanian reserve, she had also convinced the Colombian Ministry of Magic of their plan, thereby making his mission a legal one. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures had never had a more capable head.
"Bring me coffee and photos from your trip and we'll be even," Hermione had said blearily after he had asked her how he could repay her. Charlie would bring her the best coffee Colombia had to offer and take enough photos to fill an album.
"Day 1," he grinned briefly for the camera and pressed the shutter button. As soon as he was done, however, his smile faded, giving way to exhaustion. He hadn’t gotten much sleep in the last few months. His nights had been filled with restlessness and worry about his dragons. He probably wouldn’t get any more sleep until his mission proved successful. He preferred not to think about the opposite.
Roughly, Charlie folded the map as dark thoughts stormed through his mind. Tomorrow was an important day. Possibly one of the most important days of his life. He owed it to his dragons and his colleagues to keep a cool head, and for that, sleep was essential. Keeping in mind that the time difference between Romania and Colombia was eight hours, he ate a quick meal and prepared his sleeping area.
The Madrigal family, he thought as he lay in his bed, listening to the rain. I hope they are the solution we have been looking for.