Alexander Harris and The Shadow Council

Alexander Harris and the Shadow Council by Tenhawk
Summary: A step to one side in time, a shift to another in space, and you would be
surprised at the changes one might wreak on an unsuspecting world.
Categories: Crossovers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Harry Potter Characters: Xander Harris
Challenges:
Series: None
Chapters: 99 Completed: No Word count: 303297 Read: 1041381 Published: Aug 01
2008 Updated: Dec 30 2010
Story Notes:
Graphics made for this story can be located at :

http://tinypic.com/a/1b0i0/4
1. Chapter 1 by Tenhawk
Chapter 1 by Tenhawk
****

Salem Massachusetts

The Explosion that rocked the small estate outside Salem would likely have gone entirely
unnoticed had it been even slightly smaller. The fact that it threw debris up into the air almost
three thousand feet, however, and rained it down on the town of Salem put an end to any
hope the Governing Board had of keeping it quiet from the locals.

Luckily, they were tolerant of such things in Salem, having learned a long time ago that it
was best to ignore the unusual as much as possible. The last time theyd really paid attention
to the small estate had been in Sixteen Ninety Three, and theyd paid a price for trying to
draw the Institute into their petty games of morality, religion, and politics.

Even so, the damage control was difficult, as the local media started looking for the cause of
the explosion and source of the raining debris, locals began expounding on old legends and
things best left quiet, and the Institute found itself rather tightly pressed and actually unable
to put their normal level of enthusiasm into repairs and such.

Additionally, the explosion was proving... difficult to... well, stop.

****

Good Lord, Arthur, what were they mixing in there? Stephen Smythe muttered, eyeing the
gout of flame that was still coming from the Alchemical Laboratories.

I have my doubts well ever entirely know, Stephen, Arthur Fitzpatrick sighed, rubbing
his long beard as he subtly shook his head. I suppose we should move on to new business,
however.

Stephen rolled his eyes.

Only Arthur could speak casually of new business while a third of the institutes grounds
was covering in what basically amounted to lava, and choking black smoke continued to pour
into the sky. He supposed that being a hundred and twenty years old had a generally calming
effect on the man.

Very well, He sighed, I suppose that the most pressing is new students. The explosion
has destroyed much of our Freshman facilities, including the Dorms.

Yes, I know, Stephen. Arthur sighed, I believe I have a solution, however.

Oh? Stephen asked, idly, his mind trying to identify where they would build new
facilities.

Until we get this under control, rebuilding is... of course... out of the question, Arthur said
thoughtfully, And Im reliably informed that it will be at least six months before we can shut
down the eruptions.

Stephen groaned.

Six months? Sir, thats intolerable.

I quite agree, however reality often is. Arthur said in kind. What I have proposed, and the
Board has accepted, is that we offer new students placement overseas for the next year.

Oh, Sir, you know thats not going to go over well with the parents. Too many of their
families left Europe specifically to keep their children from growing up with that bunch of
lunatics.

Arthur glared at him crossly, but Stephen merely stared back unapologetically until the old
man sighed.

Yes, well, be that as it may I think we can convince them. It is only for a year, after all, and
its good for a child to be exposed to other cultures.

Bog Rot. Stephen opined.

Your opinion is, of course, noted. However, the proposal has been voted on and passed.
Arthur told him, Well divide up the new names and make the presentations to the parents. If
they refuse, well there is the option of home schooling.

Five gets you ten thats what most do.

Do I look like easy money, Stephen?

****

Stephen Smythe sighed as he looked over the lists, casually dividing up the names and
trying to determine who would go where, at least in theory. In practice it was futile, but there
would be some who would accept.

He eyed the lists carefully, noting which families could afford proper home schooling, and
shifted those names lower on the list. The offer would still be made, of course, but they were
far less likely to accept. He bit his lower lip when one of those names crossed his attention,
however, and hesitated.

This family could certainly afford home schooling, and in fact he was surprised they had
submitted their daughter to the lists to begin with. That said, getting one of THEM out of the
country... there were some people whod worship him for that alone, and the family as a
whole tended to be very close... who knew? They might all leave for a while.

He moved that name far up on the list.

It was wishful thinking, he supposed, but he needed what bright spots he could find.

He chuckled softly to himself then looked over the rest of the names. No standouts that he
could see, not after THEM... but two names did catch his eye. Not because of the names, but
rather the location.

<Oh Lord, we have two possible students growing up in Sunnydale??> He stared, Good
God.

He reached for the intercom, Sam, could you come in here please?

A moment later Samantha Hennessy strode into the room, her tailored suit formed
impeccably to her body, and she nodded, Yes Sir?

I need you to get a recruiter out to Sunnydale immediately.

Sunnydale?? Her eyes bugged.

Yes, Im afraid we just picked up a couple names there, He sighed, Just showed up on
the roles recently, I assume, or wed have sent someone out there long ago.

Uh... Yes Sir. The names?

Alexander Harris and Willow Rosenberg.

****

Westfield New Jersey
0001 Cemetery Lane

The recruiter winced as he looked at the house, shivering at even the *thought* of going
inside the grounds. Everyone in the Community new full well to steer clear of the Addams, it
was an unwritten rule so widely known that it had actually been written down. He steeled
himself and pushed open the gate, steadily making his way up the lane to the house.

Once there he mentally reviewed the thirty eight poisonous or otherwise deadly species of
fauna and flora living in their front yard and made a silent note to have the rest of the area
combed by members of The Force who specialized in mystical cleanup. He didnt expect that
theyd find anything, the Addams were many things but clumsy was not one of them, but it
wouldnt do for many of the examples hed spotted in the fifteen foot walk to make their way
into normal New Jersey.

He stopped at the door and sighed, again steeling himself, then pressed the bell.

A scream greeted his efforts and he grimaced.

Footsteps were heard a moment later, and the door swung slowly open.

Youuuuuuuu Rannnnnnnng? A seven foot tall monstrosity demanded in a long drawn out
groan, looking down at him with a calmly detached appearance.

The recruiter forced himself not to run.

<Its not a Golem, its not a Golem, its not a golem,> He told himself, hoping it was true.
Again he had to remind himself that the Addams werent actually evil. Far from it, in truth.
They were, in fact, one of the most well known mainstays against Evil in the new World. The
problem was that only someone who access to their full files, and a Bureau Seer, would ever
believe it.

Yes, Recruiter Henri to see Mr and Mrs Addams.

The Golem... <Not a golem. NOT a golem...> just stepped back and turned away, apparently
expecting to be followed. Simon Henri took a deep breath and did as he was bade.

****

Sunnydale, California

Elizabeth Berkely shuddered. She truly hated being the Junior Recruiter assigned to Los
Angeles. Whenever there was some little bit of nastiness that involved one of the Institutes
students SHE had to be the one sent to handle it. The entire damned state was a loony bin, in
her opinion, what with the demons and hellmouth burning so brightly.

It probably had to do with the geological activity of the area, or so most people believed.
Geomancy was an ancient practice, almost entirely lost today, but the power in many of those
old monoliths was proof enough in its potency. Much of the state was a power sink of one
type or another, such that even the normal types were affected.

One didnt have to look much further than Hollywood or San Francisco for that.

She sighed and determined to get on with it, however, and came to her first stop.

The residence of one Alexander Harris.

She looked up at the number by the door, confirming it, and knocked.

After a long wait the door opened and she found herself looking down at a young boy of ten
years.

Yes? He asked.

Are your parents home, Alexander?

The boy stared at her for a long time, then nodded. Moms here.

May I speak to her?

I guess.

The boy backed into the house, shrugged, and left the door open. Shes in the kitchen.

Elizabeth sighed and stepped over the threshold, noting the total absence of any protective
wards or even the most basic level of protections that even normal households enjoyed.

<Perhaps they just moved in,> She thought, then instantly recognized that wasnt the case as
the place looked far too... well, lived in was being charitable. She shook her head, put the
thoughts out of her mind, and made her way into the kitchen.

Mom! Theres a lady here to see you!

Elizabeths expression soured involuntarily as she noted the open bottle on the table and the
smell of liquor floating up from the woman inside. <Oh lord, I hate these calls.>

Whore you? The woman asked, with just a barely detectable slur.

Im Elizabeth Berkley, with the Salem Institute...

That threw a shot of steel into the womans spine almost instantly as she froze in place and
the room became very quiet.

Mom? Whats wrong? The boy asked.

Quiet for a moment, Alexander, Jessica Lavelle said softly as she focused on the woman
in her kitchen. What are you doing here?

Alexanders name has come up on our roles and...

Hes... Hes one?

A Wizard? Yes, of course. Elizabeth said, sounding confused.

I didnt think... Im not, you see... My family didnt take it well...

Ah. Elizabeth sighed, beginning to get the picture. Some of the older families were still
mired in the Old World, unfortunately, I suppose they called you a Squib among other
names?

Jessica sighed, but nodded as she looked at her bottle.

The Recruiter shook her head and examined her notebook, Yes, unfortunately that doesnt
surprise me. Your husband, hes the same?

Yes.

The Harris family and the Lavelles, unsurprising I suppose. Elizabeth sighed yet again.
Both originate from Ireland, your lines are not the oldest in America of course, but they are
still as close to aristocrats as we tend to get. A lot of familiar inertia gets built up there, Im
afraid.

But... Alexander is?

On our lists, yes. Elizabeth smiled slightly, getting a better feel for the situation. Perhaps
it wasnt entirely unsalvageable after all. He would have been enrolled in the Institute for
next year, however...

Would have? Jessica paled, Why? Whats wrong with him?

Absolutely nothing, Im sure. No, the problem is a slight accident in the Alchemical
Laboratories has left the Institute unable to handle a Freshman year in the next session,
Elizabeth sighed, For that reason were offering support with home schooling...

But we cant teach him... we... we just *cant*...

Yes, were aware, the other option is overseas schooling, Elizabeth suggested. Weve
contacted several respected institutions, including your families traditional alma mater in
Scotland, if you wish we can arrange a one year scholarship there while we work out other
options closer to home.

Scholarship? We cant afford much... Jessica said, Our families...

In this case I believe that we can arrange tuition and transport. That covers room and board,
though Alexander will require any of his own spending money.

I... I can convince Tony of that... Jessica said, a stray gleam of hope in her eyes.

Excellent. Ill leave you to it, then, please... contact us as soon as you make your decision,
Elizabeth paused, Uh, you DO know how to contact us, dont you?

Yes, yes of course.

Excellent, She said again. Well I have another stop to make, then I can get clear of this
town.

The Recruiter made her exit quickly, not noting the confusion on Jessicas face as she spoke
her parting words. Confusion quickly passed though as she turned to Alexander, who was
looking at her with curiosity burning in his eyes.

What was that about, mom?

That... Jessica swallowed, trying to moisten her mouth, That was someone who wants to
offer you a place in a special school.

What kind?

Remember the stories I told you about magic?

The bedtime stories? Alexander grinned, Course!

That kind of school.

Cmon mom, The boy laughed, Those were made up!

Jessica shook her head. No, they were real.

Alexander frowned, But... they cant be real. Theyre about *magic*!

I swear to you, I didnt make them up.

Alexander thought about it for a long moment, then brightened suddenly. Cool! Wait till I
tell Willow and Jessie!

Jessica smiled, I think you might have a hard time convincing them until you get your
wand and learn some spells, and you wont be allowed to do magic outside of school for a
few years anyway.

Aw... that sucks. The boy pouted, then frowned, Wait... if I go to this school...

His face scrunched up as he thought it through, then suddenly dropped as it clicked. What
about Jessie and Willow!?

Alex... they cant go...

Then I dont wanna go either!

Alex...

No! I wanna stay with Jessie and Willow...

Alexander Levalle Harris! Jessica snapped, quieting him, This is a very big deal, and its
important for you. Jessie and Willow will be here in the summers, but this chance wont
come around again. You ARE going to go.

I dont wanna! Alexander yelled back, I dont wanna and you cant make me!

Alex...! Jessica said, reaching out as Xander broke free and ran out the back door.

She sighed, shaking her head. Nothing was ever easy, it seemed.

****

New Jersey

Ah! Lurch, dear boy, who was it at the door?

Guest. The huge man groaned out as Simon came up behind him. Recruiter...

Oh? For what? The man in the purple suit asked with a grin as he pulled the cigar from his
mouth, Have the Dodgers come to their senses and realized what they missed out on in
Fester?

Simon paused, then shook his head, Uh no... Im here about... umm... Wednesday?

I didnt know she played baseball? The man frowned, confused.

I dont think hes with the Dodgers, dear. a woman in a form fitting black dress glided to
the mans side. Why dont we let the man speak, shall we cheri?

Tish! Thats french!

Simon just stared as the man grabbed the womans arm and began kissing it obsessively.

Later, dear Gomez...

Huh? Oh, right! Gomez Addams said, eyes snapping to Simon again, Now, what was this
about?

Im with the Salem Institute, Simon began, Your daughters name turned up on our roles
recently and...

But of course she did, Mortisha said simply, We submitted her name years ago.

Uh... yes, well you see theres a problem.

Problem? With Wednesday? Gomez frowned, Dont be absurd.

No, with the Institute, actually. You see there was an explosion and...

Say no more, how much to you need!? Gomez asked, producing a checkbook from thin
air. Five million?

Uh...

Ten!

No, you see...

You drive a hard bargain, Sir... Twenty it is! Gomez said, scrawling out numbers on the
check.

Sir, no, thats not the issue...!

Then what is it? Speak up, man! Gomez said, exasperated.

The repairs will take time, money isnt an issue, however we dont have room to
accommodate a freshman class this year. Simon sighed, Weve discussed options with the
board, and are willing to help with home schooling...

We can manage, Im sure, Mortisha said, frowning, But poor Wednesday was so looking
forward to meeting other children.

Well, there is another possibility, Simon said tentatively. The Institute has contacted
several schools overseas and is prepared to offer placement with them, for the first year at
least. Possibly more.

Send our little girl overseas!? Nonsense, wouldnt think of it! Gomez countered.

Dear, she did so want to play with other children.

Gomez frowned, Well yes, I know, but...

Its not the hardship you might think, Mr Addams, Simon offered, She would return each
holiday, and all summer of course... Even at the Institute most children dont come home
more than that.

Hes right, dear.

Gomez frowned thoughtfully, Well well talk to Wednesday about it and let you know.

That would be perfect, Sir.

****

Sunnydale

Alexander Xander Harris bolted from his home and ran through the backyards and
driveways to the one place he knew someone would listen to him. He didnt want to live his
friends, couldnt his mother get that? What was so special about some dumb magic school
anyway? It was probably all some stupid joke, people always played stupid jokes on him and
his friends.

They didnt do it *twice*, but there was always some new moron who thought they were
soft and weak and unable to look out for themselves. Xander had learned the hard way how to
deal with Bullies, at least the way that worked for him. He wasnt big enough to fight them,
so he took the beatings when he had to, but he didnt forget.

Dont get mad, his dad had told him once while he was sober. Get even.

Still, this didnt sound like a joke. His mom sounded serious.

Xander ran up to the Rosenberg house a minute later, frowning as he heard yelling from
inside.

<No one yells at Willow...>

He approached cautiously, the yelling getting louder and louder, then suddenly the door
flew open and he was surprised to see the lady from earlier get pushed out hard by Mr
Rosenberg.

And stay out of my home you... you... charlatan! I wont have your apostasy in my home!
Come here to corrupt my daughter! Get out! Get out of here I say!

The woman huffed, gathering herself up, and turned on her heel. Xander watched as she
strode away, blinking in surprise. Mr Rosenberg never got that angry at anyone.

He was almost afraid to approach so he watched from the corner of the house as the woman
looked around briefly, then drew out a stick and muttered something before vanishing in a
crack that sounded like a gunshot from the movies. Xanders eyes widened in shock as he
took it in.

<Magic IS real!!>

He swallowed, sneaking around back, and climbed the tree to Willows room. Her dad was
really angry, so he knew shed be up there. He tapped on the window and she opened it
almost instantly.

Hey. She said, subdued.

Hey. You ok?

Yeah, She said, Dads really mad.

Yeah, I saw him toss the magic lady out. Xander said, shrugging. I guess youre not
going to that school, huh?

Willows eyes widened, How did you know about that?

She came to my place first, Xander said glumly, Mom is excited, she says I have to go.

What? You cant! Magic doesnt exist!

I just watched that lady vanish right off the street, Wills... and my Mom says it does.
Xander told her.

Thats impossible, Willow told him with supreme confidence.

Xander just shrugged, Between reality and my own eyes, Im gonna go with my eyes,
Wills.

But... but... you *cant* believe in magic! Willow blurted, Its... its... stupid!

Hey, Xander forced a grin, This is me were talking about.

****

New Jersey

Scotland? The young witch asked laconically. Im to go to Scotland?

Only if you really want to, Gomez said hurriedly, assuring her. Youre an Addams, we
can arrange a tutor and...

Scotland will do. Its a good school, correct? Wednesday asked, one eyebrow raising as
she looked at her mother.

One of the best, Mortisha said after some thought, Though it IS in Europe, and they
have... different ways than here in America.

Oh?

More steeped in the old traditions, less willing to see that not everything different is bad.
The woman sighed. Im afraid that they would look very crossly on Lurch and Thing there.

To someone who didnt know her, Wednesdays expression didnt change, but her family
noted the frown the instant it crossed her face and even the normally ebullient Gomez sighed
and settled deeper into his chair.

The Old World Addams dont involve themselves much with the Wizards and their type,
Gomez said tiredly. Were not welcome with them, and to be honest were fine with that.

I see.

You dont have to go, dear, Mortisha said, this decision is entirely yours.

I want to go. the young girl said calmly. It feels... right.

The two elder Addams exchanged concerned looks, but there was nothing left to say after
that. Their daughter had made up her mind, and that... well, was that.

****

Sunnydale
2 Weeks to end of Summer Vacation

Xander shifted nervously, eyeing the man whod been sent to pick him up with some
trepidation.

No need to be worried, Alex, His mother smiled at him. Youll do fine.

Hed better. Tony grumbled, thinking about the couple thousand dollars hed put up for
spending money for the boy.

Now dear, dont be like that. Jessica said mildly, but shooting her husband a arched glare.

Tony sighed, his head nodded, and he turned to his Son. Now listen to me, boy. I know a
few things about what Im going to tell you here.

Xander nodded, eyes wide as his father leaned over.

Lots of kids in that school are probably gonna give you crap about being... Tony frowned,
looking over at the school representative from Salem. What do they call it over there?

I believe youre looking for the term Muggleborn, The man said smoothly.

Yeah, right. That. Tony turned back to his son, I know youve been reading those books
we got you from Salem, right?

Xander nodded, Yes sir.

Tony half smirked, shaking his head at the comment as he leaned in to whisper, And less I
miss my guess you got your redheaded friend to help you learn em, right?

Xander nodded again.

Ok, now listen close boy. Tony said sternly, You dont start no trouble with anyone, but
dont you roll over for any of em either. You remember what i told you about bullies, right?

Xander nodded, I remember.

Youre no fighter, boy, but you dont need to be to take on a Bully. So you remember what
i said and youll do fine. Tony said gruffly. Long as you dont act stupid in class and get
kicked out.

Tony!

What??

Jessica shook her head, shoving her husband out of the way, Youll be fine, Alex. Now
listen you Mr Graden, try not to get in any trouble, and do your best. Ok?

Ok mom. Xander said, sighing as he thought about the goodbyes hed already exchanged
with his best friends. Things were moving so fast, and he felt pretty lost.

Ok, now go along.

The representative of the Salem Institute smiled at him as Xander nodded and turned in his
direction.

Come along, Alexander. Next stop, Salem.

****

New Jersey

Ready to go, dear?

Yes Mother.

Fabulous, Gomez said, clapping his hands. Well run you up there ourselves. Its been
ages since weve seen Salem.

Hmmm... The witch burning museum was quite amusing, Mortisha conceded, But I was
terribly disappointed with all the false advertising.

Yes well, its not easy to get ghosts to haunt restaurants, i suppose, Gomez shrugged.

Perhaps, but youd think that the Hotel would know better.

Come now, darling, forgive and forget... well try another place this time, alright?

Yes, of course, dear... Merci.

Tish! Thats french!

****

Salem

The tugging sensation in his gut let go and Xander stumbled, almost falling before Grading
caught him, and he blinked to find himself somewhere other than his home.

Whoa.

Careful there, Thomas Grading said with a calm smile. Port keys can take some getting
used to. You alright?

Xander nodded, swallowing as he looked at what appeared to be a thirty foot tall volcano in
the middle of school grounds. Uh....

Oh, that. Grading sighed, Yes, well, suffice to say that freshmen should always be
monitored while playing in the alchemical labs.

Students did THAT?? Xander stared, wide eyed, between the volcano and the man.

Yes, unfortunately.

Wow. Ive never done anything THAT destructive before.

I should hope not, Grading chuckled, Very few students get a chance to blow up their
school.

A fonder dream I have never had. Xander replied with a grin.

Tom laughed, Maybe its better were shipping you out to Hogwarts.

What kind of name is that anyway? Xander asked, humor still lacing his voice.

Oh, I think youll find that the Old World wizards are full of strange names and terms.
Grading said, sighing now. Theyre really quite backward, at least by our standards of
culture. Dont underestimate them for it, however, their magical science is just as advanced
as anything weve developed, and theyre even more comfortable with it.

Oh yeah?

Yes... this way please, Grading said, guiding Xander away from the volcano, They
isolate themselves from the normal world, what they call muggles, and are entirely
immersed in magic. We tend to mix a great deal more here, and generally have far fewer laws
on the subject... well, far fewer laws in general really...

Whys that?

Well, American witches and wizards mostly came over here to get away from the Old
World way of doing things... and not very many came over, really, all things considered...
Tom said, steering his charge to the dormitories. There was so much room here that a few
hundred wizarding families could really spread out and only interact when they chose to. We
didnt really HAVE a government until almost the second world war, and only created what
we have now in self defense.

Huh?

Lets just say that the war was a little more complicated than you probably learned and
leave it at that, Tom sighed, The European theatre was a terrible mess, entire wizarding
communities were caught in the crossfire... and to make matters worse, the whole
Grindlewald affair actually set off a fair portion of the war...

The uh... what?

Oh dear, Tom sighed, You have a great deal to learn about the history of the magical
world, but Im afraid we dont have much time for it now. Ill make certain you get some
reference books on it.

Okay. Xander said, unenthused by the prospect.

It wasnt that he didnt want to know, but reading was a pain. Still, the magic books were
sometimes kinda cool, with moving pictures and the like. He brightened up, there might be
moving pictures of the war, and hed always been interested in World War Two. If there was
other stuff going on hed never heard about, well he wanted to know about it.

Here we are, Tom said, Youll be staying here until we gather the other students, then
well send you all on together.

Xander looked at the dormitory and his eyes widened. From the outside it had looked fairly
common, but inside it was huge and filled with posters and bookshelves and all kinds of
things.

Feel free to peruse the books, you can pick any of the rooms as youre the first here. Just
drop your things off and the room will automatically recognize it as yours. Tom told him,
Ill have a history of Hogwarts sent to you... please, look it over... you dont want to be
completely unprepared... particularly concerning their House System.

Huh?

Hogwarts divides its students up into groups according to their... defining motivations,
Tom said, considering his words. Courage, Loyalty, Intelligence, and... well, Ruthlessness I
suppose.

Xander recognized the word quickly enough and frowned, Funny thing to have kids try to
be.

Yes well, the Old World is set in its ways, and Hogwarts has been around for a long time.
Its very much the magical worlds version of Oxford, complete with some rather odd
traditions, but a very high standard of academic excellence. Tom replied. We dont use the
house system here, of course.

Xander nodded, thinking about it. Where would he wind up, he wondered? He liked to think
he was brave, and he was pretty sure he was loyal... ok, he probably wasnt going to win any
points for brains. Ruthless, well... he had to be honest, he could be that if he had to be. Didnt
like it though, so he didnt know what the school would make of that.

Ill leave you be then, Tom told him, heading out.

Xander nodded, said bye, then went to find a room.

****

Ok, the books WERE really cool, Xander had to admit.

The A History of Hogwarts was *huge*, and filled with some of the dullest stuff hed ever
imagined, but at the same time it had pages and pages of all kinds of cool stuff. Wizards sure
were funny looking in Europe, Xander decided after only a few chapters.

And what was with the names?

Man, if hed been named like any of those guys hed have spent his entire scholastic life
with his head in a toilette. When he thought of how easy it was to give someone a stupid
nickname in Sunnydale, then looked at names like Dumbledore and Slytherin... well, he was
just real glad he was named Alexander. Xander wasnt so bad as far as nicknames went.

<Probably shouldnt mention that though,> He thought, <they might not know how stupid
their names are.>

The house system was kinda cool, once he went through it. Gryffindor got the brave kids,
Hufflepuff got the loyal ones, Ravenclaw got all the nerds, and Slytherin... well, there he
wasnt sure. There was something wrong about the stuff printed about Slytherin, something
that didnt read exactly true.

Xander wasnt a big reader, but he could read between the lines pretty easy. Lots of people
didnt like Slytherins, that was for sure. Still, from what he could tell there was nothing
wrong with them on paper. The key traits werent ruthlessness, as Tom had said, but the
willingness to see a goal through to the end, even if you had to get a little dirty to do it.

Ok, maybe that was ruthless, but there was nothing wrong it that in Xanders opinion. Just
kinda dangerous, since it didnt leave any guidelines for what your goal was supposed to be.
Lots of room for pricks to make everyone look bad there.

He put it aside, having found out what he wanted to know, and sighed as he settled into his
temporary room.

He was long way from home, he realized, and it felt pretty scary.

Maybe if he didnt like it, he could go back to Sunnydale... and Willow and Jessie.

He kinda wished Willows dad had let her come, but then Jessie would be alone and that
would suck too. He took a breath, forcing himself not to feel too bad.

Better he feel bad than Jessie or Willow, Xander was used to it. He could take it. As long as
he knew his friends had each other, he could keep on moving forward.

****

It was two days later, and Xander was getting bored with reading about magic and not being
able to try anything. Honestly, his interest had waned by the first night, but hed kept reading
cause he knew Willow would probably kill to be in his position.

The sound of a car outside attracted his attention, however, and he eagerly headed to the
door to see who it was. The car was a classic, no doubt. Xander knew a bit about cars from
his Uncle Rory, though Rory preferred slightly newer vehicles. This one was a thirties Rolls
Royce, Xander thought, maybe even older, and probably was worth more than just about...
well, anything he could think of.

It came to a stop and Xander gulped as the driver got out, towering over the vehicle as he
stared, looking for all the world like Frankensteins Monster.

Whoa. He muttered.

The large guy walked around, opening the door for those in back, and one by one they
climbed out. The woman was pretty, he figured, dressed in something that Xander just knew
his mom would find outrageous, and looked like a vampire or something out of the story
books. Xander thought about the fact that vampires were real and did a quickly glance
upward.

<Ok, sun really IS shining... probably not a vampire.> Xander thought, frowning slightly.
<Too bad.>

A man in a suit was next, practically bouncing on his feet as he looked around and took a
deep breath.

Tish! Smell that!

Yes dear, The vampire lady smiled, Sulfur and brimstone. The students here do good
work.

<Ok, theyre a little weird.> Xander thought, listening to the conversation as the final
occupant exited the vehicle.

This one was a girl about his age or so, dressed similarly to her mother, and looking
distinctly unimpressed with... well anything.

So this is Salem, She said quietly, making Xander strain to hear her. It looks... *nice*

The man sighed, Yes indeed, its sad how far things have fallen. Why I remember
grandpapas stories about running around town, making random accusations of witchcraft,
just for fun.

Do you suppose I could find someone to burn at the stake? the girl asked.

Xander paled slightly. <Shes kidding right?>

Now dear, theyre still a little touchy about that here, The woman said calmly. Best you
wait until youve got a few years in before you try anything as advanced as a stake burning
anyway.

The girl *almost* seemed to pout, But we did it last year at home.

Yes, smashing time that. The man grinned, then frowned, Too bad she got away.

Yes, some people are rather more wiry than you expect, arent they? The woman said
fatalistically.

<Theyre completely nuts.> Xander thought, stunned as the group walked towards him.
<They have to be, right>

Look, Wednesday Darling, a playmate for you! The woman said, drawing the girls
attention to Xander.

He looks... bright. The girl said flatly.

Xander frowned, looking down at the Hawaiian shirt he wore, I like bright colors, ok?

Excellent, my boy, The man grinned, Nothing wrong with a good splash of color now
and then, makes your enemies blink before you slide the knife in.

Darling, manners. The woman said chidingly.

Oh right, what WAS I thinking of, The man shook his head, promptly offering his hand to
Xander. Gomez Addams at your service. This vison of beauty next to me is my wife
Mortisha...

Cada-mia... The woman smiled.

Tish... that sounded like french! Gomez blurted before snapping his hand away from
Xander, who was reaching to accept the shake, and grabbing his wifes arm and kissing it
enthusiastically.

Xanders mouth gaped open as he tried to determine if he was being set up for a joke or
something, but the woman just sighed with a smile and pushed her husband away.

Later darling.

Oh. Right, yes of course, Gomes straightened himself out and looked back to Xander,
grabbing his still outstretched hand, and pumping it almost violently. This is our daughter
Wednesday, and our butler Lurch.

The big Frankenstein guy moaned, sending a shiver down Xanders back.

Uh... Xander. He said, staring up at the big guy.

What? Gomez blinked, looking between Xander and Mortisha, Was that his name, or is
he speaking some other language?

Xander shook his head, Xander Harris, thats my name. Sorry.

Fantastic! Gomez cried out, Good to know, old chum! It gets confusing when people
dont know each others names or languages.

Uh... yeah.

Are you here for school? Wednesday asked suddenly, peering at him intently.

Uh... yeah. I guess. I mean, theyre not taking students here they tell me, but Im being sent
over to Hogwarts or something like that.

Oh good show! So is little Wednesday here, Gomez grinned, Im sure youll get along
fabulously.

Uh...

Tell me, Wednesday looked at him, Do you know how to play ritual sacrifice?

Xander swallowed, Do you know how creeped out youre making me?

I say, man, theres no need to be rude. Gomez frowned.

Rude? Shes talking about ritual sacrifice! Xander blurted, Im no expert, but most of the
books Ive read say thats a bad thing.

They what!? Gomez growled, What kind of school IS this place? Why I have a mind
to...

Dear... Mortisha laid a calming hand on his shoulder, be calm. You know that many
people cant wrap their minds around how we Addams are.

Thats no excuse!

While Gomez raged, apparently just as passionate in anger as he was in greeting, and
Mortisha worked to calm him, Wednesday moved closer to Xander.

Do I really creep you out?

Xander looked at her, then just nodded.

She tilted her head slightly to one side, Is that really a bad thing?

Ill let you know when I figure out if youre going to try and cut my heart out with a
dagger. Xander grinned in response.

She sniffed, Certainly not. Im saving that for my wedding night.

Xander stared, his ten year old mind trying to wrap itself around that... and failing
miserably. Finally he just shook his head and lifted his hand to chest level.

Just so you know, He said, Creep factor just went from here...

He moved his hand up over his head, To here.

The girl looked at him oddly, but didnt have time to reply before Xander shoved his hands
in his pocket and went on.

But Ill be damned if I can decide if its cause of the dagger and heart thing, or the wedding
night thing.

*****

Orientation week, as the instructors liked to call it, came and went quickly. There had been
around thirty or so American, Canadian, and some Mexican students whod shown up, each
being briefed on the schools they were being sent to.

From what Xander could figure, theyd gone to a lot of trouble to make sure that each
student went to a school where they at least spoke the same language. Which was good, in his
opinion, to say the least. Some of the Canadians were sent to Beauxbatons in France, and a
random handful from the group spoke German well enough to attend Durmstrang. The
spanish speaking were being sent to the Order of the Sun in South America.

A few others were being shipped to smaller schools, and then those like Xander himself
were being sent to Hogwarts school for witchcraft and wizardry.

Hogwarts, name notwithstanding, apparently had a fair reputation in the community from
what Xander could tell. He wasnt sure he liked the sound of that, cause him and school?
Well, not a great mix in the past, and he saw no reason why that would change here. Still, it
was all very exciting, and he found himself getting more and more eager to see the place in
person.

Wednesday Addams, on the other hand, seemed terminally bored. Which didnt surprise
Xander as much as it should have since shed literally scared off every other student who
showed up, and a couple of the teachers.

Hed tried to make her laugh with his patented Willow Perk-Uppers, which went down like
a lead balloon. He hadnt fallen on his face that hard since he tried being friendly with
Cordelia in kindergarten, yet there was still something about the girl that kept him trying.

<Im just a glutton for punishment I guess.> He thought glumly.

Today was the big day, though. They were going to portkey across the Atlantic Ocean to
Great Britain, and spend some time in a place called Diagon Alley before catching a train to
Hogwarts. It was kinda scary, really, and Xander found himself chewing nervously on his lip.

Itll be fine.

He looked to one side, the monotone voice almost but not quite startling him.

Huh?

Wednesday Addams looked at him for a moment, You dont have to be scared. Ive read
all about portkeys, theyre perfectly safe.

Actually I was thinking about being in Britain, Xander admitted, never thought of
anything going wrong with the portkey... until now, thanks so very much.

He smirked at her, waggling his eyebrows.

Another pratfall.

He sighed slightly as her expression remained entirely unamused, the dark look she shot him
probably intended to inflict bodily harm. Sheesh, Wednesday, you need to rent a sense of
humor.

So do you.

Xander sighed again, then stopped and did a double take, glaring at her suspiciously. Was
that a joke??

She gave him an even look, then turned away.

It was! Short, dark, and scary made a joke! Xander grinned, Im gonna get you giggling
yet, girl!

I doubt it.

Children! Gather round your designated areas!

Xander filed the odd gleam in Wednesdays eyes as a potential chink in her demeanor, and
vowed to make a project of exploiting and expanding that look. The two of them made their
way over to the Hogwarts group and the professor who had been assigned to them.

Alright everyone, He said, checking the old wind up timepiece on his wrist, forty
seconds, children. Everyone touch the key.

Xander looked at the beach ball everyone was grasping at and raised his eyebrow slightly,
but did as he was told. The countdown started from ten, and everyone was touching it well
before the key activated, and Xander again felt the tug in his guts as the world went lopsided
on him.

As the world came back the children went down in a heap as one tripped and fell into
another, toppling the group like dominos until only Wednesday and the Professor were left
standing. The dark girl looked down at them, one eyebrow raised as Xander looked up at her.

Is it comfortable down there? She asked dryly.

Xander shook his head and extended his hand, Cut out the sarcasm and help me up would
ya, man Im dizzy.

She sighed and took his head, bracing herself to help him up, but Xander just grinned and
suddenly put his full weight into pulling her forward and off her feet. She toppled to the
ground in a heap beside him, and looked over as he climbed to his feet and brushed himself
off.

Comfy huh? He asked, smirking at her.

Wednesday Addams stared evenly up at the boy whod suckered her, then calmly extended
her own hand. He smirked, but perhaps surprisingly took it and lifted her to her feet.

Of course you realize, She said, standing even with him, This means war.

Xander felt a shiver run down his spine, but kept the grin on his face. Whatever you say,
Daffy.

Wednesday took a deep breath, her nostrils flaring slightly as she let it out through her nose,
then she turned her back on Xander and rejoined the group who were now staring at the two
of them with an odd mixture of fear, awe, and childish skittishness. Given that the same mix
was present on the Professors face, Wednesday felt that about the only person in the entire
group worth knowing was at her back.

The professor shook himself, and nodded down the street. Alright, wands first, then
familiars and school books.

****

Ollivanders Fine Wands was, well Xander had to say it... to himself at least, it was a hole in
the wall shop. It looked like an old second hand bookstore he had been dragged to by Willow
back in Sunndale, and smelled surprisingly the same.

The old man, Ollivander, Xander presumed, was waiting for them when they came in the
door and nodded to the professor.

The little ones from America, He said more than asked. Well, well... lets get on with it
then.

He singled out the closest kid, a boy named Thomas Hardy, and within mere moments
Xander found himself ducking for cover as sparks, flames, and what looked like lightning
was erupting through the shop and blowing out shelves all over the place.

Holy! He muttered, hiding behind a corner.

Only the Professor and Wednesday Addams had remained unmoved as the experimentation
went on, and for a while Xander stared at them in shock, but it slowly came to him that it
wasnt as dangerous as hed thought and he crept out to join them.

Ollivander quickly located the wand for Thomas, and moved on to another, plucking a girl
named Joy from where she was hiding behind his counter. Her trials in finding a wand took a
little longer, but were thankfully less spectacular. One by one the children found their wands,
then Ollivander turned to Xander and frowned.

Hmmm... He said, checking a list. Harris you say?

Uh... I didnt actually, but yeah. Xander muttered.

The old man ignored him, try this. Holly, twelve inches, dragon heartstring core.

Xander took the wand, eyeing it for a moment, then flicked it.

He jumped as a force blew out the shelves for three rows, sending hundreds of wands flying
down the aisles.

Sorry! he yelped.

No matter, no matter. Here, Thirteen Inches, Vine Wood, with a Unicorn Hair core.
Ollivander said absently, handing another to Xander.

Xander accepted it, swallowed, and then flicked it as hed been told. This time there was a
fizzle and pretty much nothing came out.

Hmmm... not quite. Very well, try this...

Xander accepted the stick from the man and flicked it, sending a shower of sparks across the
room that threatened to light the place on fire. Ollivander extinguished the flames with a
casual flick of his own wand and frowned deeply.

Most troublesome.

Uh... I can probably get by and, Xander started.

Nonsense. No one has ever left my shop without a wand properly suited to them,
Ollivander said sternly, handing him another one.

Several more times Xander practically destroyed the shop, until he was becoming as jaded
about it as Ollivander seemed to be. Finally the shopkeeper pulled out a wand that had been
polished to a deep reddish tint and handed it to him.

Willow, fourteen inches, dragon heart string core. He said calmly.

Xander flicked the wand and was surprised to see a shimmering of lights come out that
seemed to match what the other successful matches had been. He smiled, turning to
Ollivander, but was surprised when the shopkeeper frowned.

Not quite right. Ollivander said, looking perplexed.

It feels good to me.

No, theres something wrong.

Uh... ok.

So they went through it again, and again, until everyone was quite tired of the whole thing,
and still they found nothing. Ollivander sighed, shaking his head as he looked through the
stores that were scattered all over the place. He finally went back to the Willow wand and
drew it back out again.

A second time, He said, handing it to Xander.

Xander frowned, but nodded and flicked the wand to the same results as before.

Ollivander looked downright put out by the results, but finally nodded, That is the best
match of any wand I have in the shop.

Well take it, The Professor said tiredly. Wednesday, your turn.

Very Well.

Wednesday... Addams? Olivander looked up, his eyes widening as he visibly swallowed.

Thats correct.

For a moment Xander actually thought the old man was going to bolt or try to refuse service
to the girl, but he finally shook himself loose of the effect her name had and nodded.

One wand after another left the disaster area that had been a reasonably neat shop in no less
of a mess as it would have been impossible to make things worse after Xanders excursion
through the wands, yet none of the sticks seemed to do well for the Addams scion.

Finally Ollivander frowned deeply and took a deep breath, drawing out a wand from the
bottom tier under his counter. He handed it to Wednesday, its black surface reflecting very
little light as she accepted it.

Ebony, eleven inches, Dragon heartstring core. Ollivander said with trepidation. Very
rare, not many wands use ebony...

Ill take it.

I believe you should try it at least once, young lady, He said sternly.

I dont need to. She told him, looking up at him. This is my wand.

****

Xander had spent a great deal of his school life practicing the fine art of driving teachers to
distraction, and knew the look intimately. Their chaperon of the moment had that look, in
spades. He hustled them out of Ollivanders, and across to the pet shop as fast as he could,
clearly trying not to look at Wednesday as the girl caressed the smooth surface of her wand
with an intent look on her face.

Ollivander had the look of man due a major heart attack at any time as well, but Xander just
chalked it up to a successful morning so far and eyed the petshop with some anticipation.

Hed never been allowed a pet, though hed always wanted one, and now he was not only
getting one but he was going to be permitted to take it to CLASS with him. Magic school
really had some perks.

Inside they found the place filled with animals of all types, and a few Xander had only
imagined previously.

Please, children. Owls, cats, or rats are preferred.

The children made their way through the shop, picking out the animals of their choice, but
Xander found himself gravitating toward another section where a young pup was looking up
at him as if expecting him to say something.

Please Miss Addams, Owls, cats, or rats. The professor said in the background.

I think not. Wednesday said tonelessly as she went to the counter with a raven on her
shoulder. Ill take him, please.

Such a polite young lady, The woman behind the counter smiled, ringing it up. And who
might you be?

Wednesday Addams.

The woman went pale, hand shaking as she took the coins offered, and watched the young
girl leave. Xander turned his attention back to the pup who was jumping up at him from
inside the caged box.

He made a decision in a snap, and scooped the pup up. If Wednesday could get away with a
raven, he was going to get a dog.

Mr Harris!

Hes the one I want. Xander said, not giving the teacher a chance to continue. He
presented himself at the counter, noticing the woman was still staring after Wednesday.
Maam? Maam, Id like this one please.

Huh? Oh yes, certainly. She said, numbly taking the money from him.

Xander went immediately outside to wait the rest while the frazzled professor tried to keep
the rest in line. He found Wednesday waiting patiently by the curb, the large raven cawing
softly on her shoulder.

Nice. He said, nodding to the bird, You know, everyone seems to know you.

They know the Addams. Wednesday corrected.

Famous family?

She *almost* seemed to smile for a moment, then shook her head slightly, Infamous.

Xander frowned, thinking hard. Isnt that the same thing?

Not exactly.

Oh. Ok. Xander shrugged, Holding up the puppy hed gotten. I gotta name him, what do
you think?

Wednesday looked over at the puppy and raised an eyebrow. Fenrir.

Huh?

Fenrir. She said with an odd twinkle. He should get along well with Odin.

Whos Odin?

This, Wednesday said, gesturing to the raven, Is Odin.

Ah. Xander nodded, frowning, Youre naming your bird after the Norse God?

You know mythology?

I know comic books. Xander grinned.

Wednesday sighed, rolled her eyes, and then settled in silently to wait. Xander shrugged,
knowing that hed scored another hit even if she wouldnt admit it, and settled in beside her
as he held up the pup. Fenrir, huh? Thats cool. You like?

The pup yipped once and licked his nose.

*****

The American hoodlums had been cleared out of her shop finally, leaving the shopkeeper to
sit in semi-stunned silence as her assistant came back in.

Gee Corsa, you dont look so good.

Theres an Addams attending Hogwarts, She said as the young man went about cleaning
the place up.

A who?

Never mind, She sighed, You wouldnt understand anyway. Kids these days.

Hey! Who bought the Dire Wolf cub?

What? The shopkeeper frowned, looking over.

The dire wolf cub, hes gone, who bought him?

A look of horror slowly passed over the shopkeepers face as she thought desperately back.
Oh my, I dont know.

*****

Books were next, but there were no explosions, extreme confusion, or name dropping there
so things went by fairly quickly as they were all outfitted properly for school, and then were
quickly shooed along by the professor escorting them.

School robes were the last stop for the day, and they each got two, though Xander scowled
through the fitting constantly, hating the idea of wearing a dress to school. Only the assurance
that everyone wore them made him give in finally, though he was still pretty unhappy about
it.

When they were done there they were herded back to their rooms to get everything in order
for the next day when they would catch the train to Hogwarts to officially begin their
scholastic experience.

*****

Platform 9 and 3/4s. Xander shook his head at the silliness of it, though he had to admit that
the hidden entrance was cool. Still, anyone who reads comic books like he did could figure
out that its just downright stupid to have something supposedly secret this much out in the
open. He watched as two people walked through the illusion, vanishing from sight, and let his
eyes rove around.

<Yeah. Thought so.> He watched as two people, non magical types he presumed, stared in
shock, then quickly moved away. There was no way to hide something that blatant in a place
this wide open, Xander would be surprised if it hadnt been reported to the press so many
times by now that they were getting bored of it all.

Oh, sure, theyd never believe it, but still... why take stupid chances any...

Xanders eyes narrowed as he watched a man step up to the two witnesses and wave a wand
at them. <Did he just...?>

Children... get ready now.

Xander shook his head, focusing back on the group then.

Wait for people to look at the incoming train, then run through, The Salem Professor said,
nodding to the wall.

Xander took a breath, then frowned as he saw a young boy wander right between them and
the wall.

Hold... wait for him to move on.

The boy wasnt moving though, he was looking around in confusion at the signs and finally
he approached a uniformed guard. Xander sidled closer, trying to listen in.

Pardon me, Sir, but can you direct me to platform 9 and three quarters?

The guard looked at the boy like he was nuts, and Xander groaned. He glanced to one side,
then the other, and was surprised to find Wednesday right there.

We should prevent him from attracting any more attention, The dark girl said tonelessly,
Otherwise the guard will be obliviated, and theres no reason for it.

Right. Xander said, moving forward as he put on a cheery smile. Hey bro, what are you
doing? Making a pest of yourself?

The boy looked confused, but the guard just shook his head,. Here now, push off, the two
of you.

I... but...

Come on, bro, back to the group. Xander said, pulling the other boy along.

Shut up. Wednesday hissed as they came along side, The guard has no idea what youre
talking about.

The boy looked almost pathetically happy to have been found by someone who did. You...
uh... are?

A group going to platform 9 and three quarters. Wednesday replied tonelessly.

Good work you two, The Salem Professor smiled, Sorry son, didnt know you were
going to Hogwarts.

Thats alright Sir.

Xander found that their little group had grown by almost a full factor of two, with the
addition of two red headed adults, four boys, and one girl.

These are the Weasleys, The Professor said, Now, shall we move through before our
little group crowds out the station.

Yes Sir.

Alexander, Wednesday, why dont you go first with young...

Harry Sir. The boy answered. Harry Potter.

B... b.... bloody hell.

Everyone turned to look at the youngest of the red headed boys, and Xander blinked to
realize that they were all staring in shock. He looked over at the other boy, but didnt see
anything physical that might have triggered the response. Well, not other than a scar on his
forehead, so he assumed it was the name.

Gee, I seem to be surrounded by celebrities lately, He quipped dryly, earning him an
intense stare from Wednesday. Of course, since everything she did was intense, he wasnt
worried about it.

Continue it on the other side, go on! Now, no ones looking.

You too Ron, go ahead and show them the way. The older woman said.

The youngest boy nodded and pushed a cart on ahead, heading right for the wall with Harry
jogging after him. Xander matched his pace to Wednesday, who was walking with a dignified
stride that nevertheless covered the ground almost as fast. The two ahead of them vanished
into the stone wall, and they followed. Xander flinched hard just before walking into it, but
quickly opened his eyes as bright light erupted around him and he found himself on a
crowded platform with all sorts of weirdness rushing around.

Clear the way!

The call came from behind, causing he and Wednesday to split smoothly as the two middle
redheads came roaring through, riding their carts like race cars. Behind them the rest of the
group streamed after. Xander and Wednesday waited beside Harry and Ron as the others
assembled.

Are you really... Harry Potter? Ron asked, his tone filled with awe.

Uh, yeah I guess so. Harry seemed slightly perturbed by question.

Brilliant! Ron enthused, Thats fantastic! And youre going to Hogwarts, first year
right?

Harry nodded.

Absolutely brilliant. The redhead grinned widely.

Nice to meet you, Harry. Xander said, nodding. Im Xander, this is Wednesday.

Hi, Harry said, nodding to each.

The Addams scion merely inclined her head in return.

Those are funny names, Ron blinked.

Xander and Wednesday looked at each other, then at him, and actually spoke as one.

Says who?

They looked at each other sharply again, then back to Ron and Harry who were staring at
them.

Cor, do you two do that a lot? Fred and George do it all the time, but theyre twins.

Dont know, we just met. Xander grinned, looking at Harry, So, youre famous I take it.

Yeah, it seems so. Harry said, rubbing the back of his head self consciously.

Of course he is! Hes Harry Pot-! Ron blurted, only to be cut off when Harry slapped a
hand over his mouth.

Not so loud, please! Potter begged, I dont want to be stared at.

Rons eyes bulged, but he nodded in agreement.

Well, someones learned quick how to quiet my Ron down, The older woman,
presumably Rons mother, said as she approached.

Sorry, maam, but I...

Please, thing nothing of it. The woman said with a smile, We all want to do that to Ron
from time to time. Im Molly Weasely.

Hey! Ron growled, trying to summon what dignity he could.

Pleased to meet you maam. Harry said.

Molly turned to look at Wednesday and Xander, Such quick thinking children, helping
Harry out like that. And you are?

Xander Harris, Maam.

Wednesday Addams.

Molly was nodding politely to Xander when Wednesday introduced herself, then paused,
almost choking as she stared. A... Addams you say?

Wednesday raised a single eyebrow, but didnt repeat herself.

Oh my. Oh my. Molly stammered, pulling back.

Are you ok, mum? Ron frowned.

I... Uh, yes Im fine. Well, have a good year Ron. Harry, it was a pleasure to meet you.
Molly said, eyes never leaving Wednesday as she retreated to where he Husband was talking
animatedly with the American Wizard. The children watched as she hissed something to him,
his eyes bugged out, and he stared over at them. They hissed back and forth, then spoke softly
to the Salem Professor, then stared some more.

Blimey. Mum never reacted like that, even to Harry here. Ron blurted, staring at
Wednesday. Who are you?

I believe I already said. Wednesday said tonelessly, idly rubbing her Ravens beak as he
cawed softly.

Yeah, but I mean, I dont get it?

Somehow that doesnt surprise me, The dark young girl said before walking back to the
American group.

Xander glanced her way, then to where Harry and Ron were standing, and made a quick
decision. Ill see you guys around school, maybe on the train.

Then he followed after her.

Weird. Ron said, shaking his head.

Harry raised an eyebrow, looking around the platform at the various oddities he could see,
then looked back at Ron.

What?

Harry just chuckled.

****

On the train the group filled up two compartments under the supervision of their Professor,
who then nodded to them.

Ill be taking my leave now. Behave yourselves.

Youre leaving us alone?

All children go to Hogwarts from this point on their own, He smiled. Dont worry, youll
be fine. Just listen to the Prefects and Professors, study hard, and behave yourselves.

They nodded and watched as he left. Xander glanced over at Wednesday, who was seated
by the window with the raven on her shoulder. He followed her eyes to where their professor
stepped off the train and then with a jerking motion, they were moving.

I guess its really happening, he said, feeling a little nervous.

Wednesday just looked at him like he had said the stupidist thing imaginable, shook her
head, and looked back out the window. Xander chuckled softly, Man, its like dealing with
the Anti-Willow.

That comment earned him another sharp look, though with a hint of curiosity rather than
exasperation this time. It did not, however, earn him any words. Xander took the hint and
joined in a conversation going on next to him between a girl from Colorado and a boy from
Texas.

Some time into the trip the door slid open to reveal a young girl with curly hair.

Hullo, She said, looking around, Has anyone here seen a frog?

The kids looked at each other, then back at her and shook their heads.

Oh drat. She muttered, Neville lost his somewhere and cant remember where.

Well I suppose if he could remember where it wouldnt be lost, Wednesday offered dryly.

Xander snickered, quickly looking away.

The girl looked narrowly at them both, but apparently didnt feel like responding. Well if
you do find it, could let us know? Its important, really.

I could ask Odin to look, Wednesday offered with a gleam in her eyes, I suspect that hes
feeling a little... famished at the moment.

Odin? Whos... The girl trailed off, staring at the raven, and paled as she backpedaled,
realizing what the famished comment meant. Urr, no thats quite alright. Well find him
our way, thank you!

As the girl retreated, Xander sighed and turned to Wednesday, That was mean, you know
that right?

Wednesday merely shrugged.

Xander shook his head, Im going to go see if I can help, Ill let her know you were
joking.

Was I?

Thats what Im going to tell her anyway.

Ah, Wednesday said, tilting her head to one side as Xander left. She looked at the raven,
Odin, please, find the frog.

The bird cawed once, cocking its own head.

No, dont eat him. Yet anyway.

The bird cawed again and fluttered off, out into the halls as Wednesday crossed her legs and
produced a large leatherbound book from her luggage. Everyone in the compartment stared at
her until she looked up, matching their gaze. After that, they others quickly found other
things to occupy their time.

In the narrow corridors of the train Xander quickly caught up with the curly haired girl,
Hey, sorry about that. Wednesday has a strange sense of humor.

I can tell.

She seems alright though, Xander grinned, offering his hand. Xander Harris.

Hermione Granger. The girl returned, shaking his hand.

Cool. Good to meet you, you need a hand finding that frog?

Thanks, that would be very nice.

They moved together through the train, poking around where a frog might hide and asking if
anyone had seen it with little luck. After a bit they made their way into a nearly empty
compartment.

Excuse me, but have you two seen a frog by any chance? Hermione asked.

Hey! Xander grinned, Ron, Harry. Hows the trip so far?

Were goof... Ron said through mouthfuls of food.

Snacks? How come I didnt see any snacks!? Xander instantly complained.

Were you blind? We past the cart three times.

Well you had me sticking my head in any corner a frog might hide, how was I supposed to
see it?

You can have some if you like, Harry offered, smiling.

You sure?

Of course.

Thanks... what are these anyway? Xander asked, looking over the pile, hoping for
something he recognized.

Oh hey, are you doing magic? Hermione focused on Ron, who had his wand out. May I
join you?

Xander looked over from where he had half a chocolate frog in his mouth, I tough yuf
anted oo ind the rog?

She didnt even bother looking at him, focusing instead on where Ron was tapping his pet
rat with his wand and telling it something about the color yellow. Well, thats not much of a
spell, is it?

Id like to see you do better! Ron instantly challenged her.

Well, Ive only tried some small spells, but theyve all worked perfectly for me, She
replied, glancing over at Harrys glasses. Like this... Ocullar Reparo!

There was a small flash and Harrys jury rigged repairs vanished from his glasses, instantly
repairing the scratched lenses and cracked frame.

All three boys stared, impressed.

That was brilliant!

Thank you...

Oh, Im Hermione. She said, glaring at Xander, Since someone forgot to introduce me.

Sowwy. Xander shrugged, trying a jelly bean looking thing, then instantly gagging.

What? Whats wrong?

Who in the name of all thats holy would make a crazy glue flavored jelly bean!?

Those are berty botts every flavored beans, Ron said, when they say every...

They mean *every*, Xander said, trying to spit the taste out of his mouth. Gah!

I have a better question, Hermione said from where she sat, How do you know what
crazy glue tastes like? I mean, Ive heard of eating glue but isnt that a little... strange?

Whats crazy glue? Ron asked, confused.

Dont ask. Xander shook his head, Lets just say it was a stupid dare, and I regretted it
very, very, quickly. I had a piece of popsicle stick stuck to my tooth for three days.

Hermione smothered a laugh as Harry chuckled, but Ron just looked confused.

Whats a popsicle stick?

Before Xander would answer the door to the compartment slid open again, this time to
admit a slim blond boy and two boys that Xander instantly pegged as goons.

So, The blond announced loudly, I hear that Harry Potter is on this train, is that true? Are
you him?

Xander glanced toward Harry, who just nodded.

Well, The blond smiled, arms wide in greeting. I thought Id offer to help you out, show
you how to avoid making the wrong sort of friends...

The flick of his eyes to include the rest of the compartment left them with a good idea of
who he considered the wrong sort.

Sod off, Malfoy! Ron growled.

Red hair, hand me down robes... must be a Weasely. Malfo sneered. Really, Im
surprised any of your lot can even afford to go to Hogwarts.

Ron surged up, but Harry was already between him and Malfoy.

I think I can tell who the wrong type of friends are on my own, Malfoy. Harry said in a
low, serious tone.

The two groups glared at each other for a moment, only to be suddenly interrupted by a loud
cawing sound as a black blur flew in and landed on Malfoys head.

What is it!? Get it off! Get it off! The blond screamed, shocked.

Odin, easily riding out the bucking of the boy, tossed his head in the air and catapulted a
frog across the room to where it landed in Xanders surprised hands. It cawed again, then
cocked its head to one side and looked down at the blond head below, pecking at Malfoy
three times before retreating to the frame above the door just before one of the goons
pounded the slim boy over the head with a bag full of books.

Xander winced as Malfoy went down in a heap, That had to hurt.

Oy! Ron roared, Bloody brilliant! Whos bird is that?

Xander shook his head, not answering as he looked up at the bird with a smirk on his face.
Wednesday, you ol softy.

He turned to Hermione, handing her the frog. This belongs to your friend, I think?

Huh? Right... She said, accepting it, but her focus was on Harry. Are you really Harry
Potter?

He sighed, but nodded and pushed his hair back, showing the scar on his forehead.

Amazing. She whispered, then smiled brilliantly, Im so very pleased to meet you.

Likewise. Harry smiled.

Meanwhile, Draco Malfoy was being helped to his feet, wavering unsteadily as he glared up
at the raven above him.

Vile creature! Ill show you... He muttered, drawing his wand.

Dont.

The quiet voice startled them all as Draco froze, finding a wand at his throat, attached as it
was to a hand and arm that had somehow snaked between his two goons. They parted
instantly to reveal a small girl with a blank expression on her face as she looked at him with
intense eyes.

Who are you?

She didnt answer, merely extended her other arm for the Raven to land on, then backed out
of the compartment. Once she was clear she just turned her back on him and walked away.

Hey! You cant just ignore me! Draco started to charge out after her, wand in hand.

Xander cut him off, tripping him out into the hallway, leaving him sprawled up against the
far wall in a heap. Then Xander stepped on the blond boy as he followed Wednesday, only
glancing back to wave goodbye to the others.

See you in school, guys.

Ron just grinned, his face threatening to split as Draco sputtered and struggled with his two
friends as they helped him to his feet.

Bloody brilliant. The redhead simply said, his voice filled with awe.

****

You didnt have to do that.

Xander glanced to one side, noting that Wednesday wasnt actually looking at him as she
spoke, but figured it was directed his way anyway. Do what?

Trip him. I could have handled it.

Im sure you could, Xander grinned.

Then why help me?

Xander shrugged, Oddly enough, I find I kinda like you.

The dark girl looked over at Xander, eyes intensely searching his face for a moment, then
she looked away and that was the end of the conversation. Xander waited for some response
for a little while, then gave up on it. <Definitely the Anti-Willow.>

He tried not to let it bother him, since he didnt really care whether she was grateful or
thanked him, or even was mad at him for what hed done. Hed heard all the responses since
meeting Willow in kindergarten, from hug to slap. Being ignored was a new one, he had to
admit, but what the hell, shed had her Raven find the frog and it hadnt even eaten the little
critter. Given it a heart attack, sure, but not eaten.

Similarly shed stepped in to help Harry when he was lost, not to mention the security guy
who was probably closer to some kind of magical brainwashing that Xander really wanted to
think about. <Thats wrong isnt it? I mean, they just mess with peoples heads? That IS
wrong... I think?>

He was getting headache thinking about that, actually. He wasnt used to great moral
questions and honestly didnt know the answer. All the comic books he read said that
messing with peoples heads was really bad stuff though, and he didnt think professor X
would condone it just cause someone saw something he probably didnt even believe.

At just barely eleven years of age, though, Xander already knew that the world was more
complicated than that. He knew that drinking was bad, but his parents did it... a lot. In fact,
hed seen adults do a lot of stuff that was supposed to be pretty bad, enough that Xander
wasnt really sure that his comics had been telling him the truth all along.

He sighed slightly, but said nothing else as he absently played with Fenrir while the
Hogwarts Express rolled on.

****

The end of their journey was in the shadow of an imposing castle that brought Xander up
short the second he saw it, and he wasnt the only one. Several students caused minor
accidents as they stared in shock, nearly getting run over in the process. It was like something
out of a fantasy movie, the good kind not the historical crap, with all the trimmings.

He was shocked out of his stupor by a rumbling voice echoing past him, Firs Years this
way!

He looked up, eyes widening, then looked up even further as a huge man came stomping in
his direction, and Xander started looking around for escape paths just in case.

Hagrid!

The familiar voice of Harry Potter and the obviously eager tone calmed Xander down some,
as he recognized that the other boy was certainly not afraid of the imposing figure.

Ello Arry, Hagrid beamed, and right then Xander forgot his fear. This wasnt a man who
was going to hurt kids, that was pretty obvious.

Xander moved forward, nodding to Harry, Hey dude, whos your friend?

Dude? Ron blinked, looking around, Whos dude?

Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes, but Harry just grinned, Xander, this is Hagrid. Hagrid,
this are my friends, Xander, Hermione, and Ron.

Ello everyone, are you ready to go to Hogwarts then? Hagrid beamed.

They all nodded as the first years slowly gathered around, and were shown to a series of
boats that would apparently be taking them across the lake to the castle. With the usual
amount of trouble that came with guiding children, Hagrid got his charges where he needed
them to go and within just a few minutes was hustling them into the school.

They were standing there, waiting for this sorting ceremony everyone kept talking about,
and generally getting impatient, antsy, and nervous in the process when someone screamed,
several others gasped, and Xander turned to find his eyes widening at the sight of several
ghosts floating through the far wall, apparently discussing giving someone, or something, a
second chance.

The ghosts seemed to notice that they were being watched and paused in front of the
assembled students.

Ah, first years I suppose?

Yes Sir.

Everyone, Xander included, turned and gaped at how calmly Wednesday was as the ghosts
looked at her.

About to be sorted?

I believe so.

Good, good, The ghost, who looked like a friar nodded, Hope to see you in Hufflepuff,
young lady. That was my old house you know.

Wednesday didnt change her expression as she gazed up at him, Thats unlikely, Sir.

Oh? The Ghost grinned widely, And why do you say that?

Ive read the requirements, I dont believe I will be placed there.

And where you do you expect to be placed?

The girl shrugged very slightly, Not Gryffindor either, I expect. So Ravenclaw or Slytherin
is my best guess.

The ghosts looked at each other, exchanging more in the glances than anyone could see,
then the friar turned back. I expect well find out how right you are shortly, young lady.

The Friar looked back to the others and nodded, Well be seeing you around.

As the ghosts floated off Xander noticed everyone shifting away from Wednesday and made
a point to move a little closer. You sure know how to get some extra elbow room.

I was feeling a little crowded, She deadpanned in response.

This way children, form a line, A Professor introduced as McGonagal said sternly,
appearing practically from nowhere, hustling them into the Great Hall.

As everyone was oohing and aweing at the fantastic night sky above them, Xander heard
Hermione speak up.

Its not real, you know.

Huh? Harry blinked, looking at her.

Its enchanted to look like the sky, She proclaimed, obviously eager to doll out the tidbit
of knowledge. Xander almost chuckled at the satisfied look, bordering on true smugness, that
crossed her face.

How do you know that? Ron practically demanded, his voice just short of an actual
challenge.

I read all about it in Hogwarts, A History.

Ah, Xander sighed happily, Theres my fix of Willowy goodness. Been missing that.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked over at him, obviously confused.

Nevermind, Xander said, just smiling easily.

Right. Ron shook his head.

The redhead was about to say something else, but was interrupted when the the Professor
brought out an old hat and set it on a chair. They looked on in confusion, and almost
everyone jumped as the hat began to SING.

Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can top them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a steady mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!

Some of the kids hesitantly applauded when it finished, then the professor began calling out
names, starting with.

Addams, Wednesday!

Xander watched as the dark girl stepped calmly forward and had the hat placed in her head.
He seemed to consider for a long time, then finally let out a call.

Ravenclaw!

Wednesday set the hat aside and glanced down at the table of her house, then back at
Xander for a moment. Finally she nodded to him and walked calmly to the applauding
students. Xander clapped too, but he was more interested in the look on the Professors face
as she watched Wednesday nervously the whole time.

One kid after another was called up, then dispatched quickly to one house or another, then
after some time it the call was...

Harris, Alexander!

Xander swallowed and walked up to the seat, knowing by this point that he just had to put
the hat on, so he did. As soon as it was down over his head it began to mumble.

Hmm... interesting. Very interesting, boy. Youre one of the tougher ones to place, Id say.
Youve got heart, loyal to a fault. The Hufflepuffs would gladly have you, no question.
Theres courage here too, though your chivalry is a little rusty... The hat chuckled at its own
joke, just confusing Xander, Your courage isnt blind, but its more than enough to stand up
to the requirements of a Gryffindor. The best I can say for your mind is that you might
survive in Ravenclaw, though I expect youd wish you hadnt. Still... The only answer I can
see is...

Slytherin! The hat yelled out after its long deliberation, and Xander rose up.

He looked around then found the table with green colors and made his way over to it. Some
of the table applauded, some were more stoic. Xander suddenly had a bad feeling in his gut as
he looked at the adult standing behind the table, glaring at him as he approached.

<Oh man. This is gonna SUCK.> He suddenly realized, having a urge then to turn and rush
back, demanding another try with the hat.

Instead he just sat down and tried to make himself invisible as the sorting continued. His
sinking feeling continued when the Blond kid hed tripped on the train was sent instantly over
to the Slytherin table, along with his two goons. School was looking to be about as good as it
ever did he realized with a sigh, only half paying attention to the sorting until Harry was at
the chair with the hat on his head.

There was another long pause as the hat considered, apparently having the same problems
with Harry as he had with Xander. Finally, though, the hat let out a roar of Gryffindor!

The Red and Gold table erupted then, with kids cheering and yelling We got Potter! We
Got Potter!. Xander winced, and could hear the grumbling around his table. <Harrys got
some fans at least.>

Ron and Hermione were also in Gruffindor Xander noted when it was all done, and he
found himself sitting across the room from pretty much everyone he personally knew, and
beside at least one person hed found reason to dislike. <Oh joyous day.>

When the sorting was done the oldest man Xander had ever seen just clapped his hands and
suddenly the tables were covered in foods of types Xander had only imagined, and he
actually stared for several long moments as everyone else tucked in and began to eat.

He shook it off quickly, grabbing some food of his own, and was well into his meal when a
ghostly figure floated into view, apparently sizing up the Slytherin first years. Everyone shied
away from him, but Xander had seen Wednesday speak to them earlier and just nodded to the
rather gory spectacle as it passed by.

Hey man, hows it going?

The ghost paused to look at him closely, leaning in as the two students on either side of
Xander shifted away in a hurry. Xander leaned back, frowning, Uh. No offense, but Im
eating here dude, and the Baron Harkonnen look is kinda freak worthy.

The growl the ghost let out sent a shiver down his back, but Xander stubbornly refused to
back down and finally the ghost moved on.

Dont talk much, does he?

That was the Bloody Baron! A student next to him hissed, No one talks back to the
Baron, hes just here to look intimidating.

Xander glanced around and noticed that the other tables all had ghosts floating around them
and they seemed to be involved in conversation. He filed the information away and just
shrugged, If he doesnt want me to talk to him, he can tell me himself.

The boy looked at him like he was nuts, but Xander had long since determined that he was
in a completely different world and the worst thing he could do right now is look like a
pushover. He glanced longingly over at the Ravenclaw table, only to find Wednesday looking
back at him, her own position just as isolated as his was. At the gryffindor table, things were
different. Harry and Ron were talking and laughing, and the group was generally enjoying
themselves as everyone wrapped up their meal.

As the dishes vanished to wherever they were sent, and Xander made a silent plea to
whatever Gods were watching that he wouldnt have to wash the damn things, the oldest guy
on the planet stood up and cleared his throat.

Xander listened half heartedly as he went on with the standard sounding rules that hed
expect, stay out of the forest, behave, yadda yadda yadda. When the mention of painful
death came up Xander stiffened to attention, focusing on the old man. <What was that?
Third floor?>

While he was still trying to figure it out, however, the Headmaster had moved on.

And now, before we go to bed, lets all sing the school song!

Xander frowned, watching as the Headmaster tapped his wand and shot out a ribbon that
formed into words.

Everyone pick your favorite tune!

Xander found himself compelled to sing along as the whole school roared, the words
spilling from him on automatic as his eyes flicked about. Everyone was singing, and not one
was using the same tune as far as he could tell. The result was a deafening roar that slowly
began to peter out as the faster tunes finished.

Finally it was just two Gryffindor twins, Xander recognized as Rons brothers, singing in a
slow funeral march tune. When they finished people applauded, the Headmaster loudest of
all.

Ah music, Dumbledore said, wiping his eyes. Truely, a magic beyond what we do here.

Xander was ignoring him mostly, eyes on the twins as a smiled played around his lips.
Those two were gonna be fun, he was willing to bet.

Alright, off to bed with you.

****

He was led to the Slytherin rooms by the Prefects, two tall seventh year students who looked
rather dark and dreary in his opinion. They stopped at a painting of a pinch faced woman in
english riding gear, staring haughtily out at them as she demanded, Password?

Draconic Fury.

The portrait swing open and Xander and the others got their first view of the Slytherin
Common room. It was large, with two fireplaces providing head. Green tapestries covered the
walls, and Xander had to admit that the palce looked pretty comfortable. Despite the heat
from the fireplaces, though, it felt cold as he moved through it. There was just something,
cool about the room. Not cool in the good way either, but Xander couldnt decide if it was in
a bad way so he let it go.

Well well, A sneering voice surprised him, making his turn around to see the boy hed
tripped standing behind him. Look what we have here.

Xanders heart slammed in his chest, and his stomach tied up in knots. He knew that there
was no way he could take the three of them, and those two goons seemed glued to blondys
sides. He sighed, Draco, right? We have a problem, I suppose?

Thats Draco *Malfoy* to you, The boy sneered, And I dont have any problems, but
you do. You helped that Gryffindor scum earlier.

No, I kept you from going after Wednesday Addams, who is in Ravenclaw. Xander
corrected, trying not to let his voice pitch upwards from fear. She is a friend, and I dont
know you.

You should have stayed out of it! Malfoy snapped, stepping closer.

You should keep your temper under control, Xander countered, From what I read,
jumping into fights without looking is a *Gryffindor* trait, isnt it?

Malfoy jerked back like hed been slapped, frowning as he eyed Xander coldly for a
moment. Finally he shrugged, Fine. Ill give you another chance.

Xander just barely kept from rolling his eyes at the snotty generosity he was being offered.
Out loud he just nodded, Thank you, Ill give you one too.

Then he turned and walked away from the boy, who was tilting between turning purple and
blue, apparently too incensed to respond. That was fine with Xander and he joined the group
that was being shown to their rooms.

The rooms were in a sub-floor below the common room, no windows, but well appointed
enough to be comfortable just the same. Green seemed to be the color of the day, with white
and silver as the preferred accents. Xander tested his bed and found it was more than he was
used to, and he had a little hope that maybe... just maybe it wasnt going to suck as much as
he thought it was.

He laid down, honestly dog tired, and closed his eyes. In short order he found himself
fighting desperately to ward off the wave of homesickness that washed over him as he
thought of Willow and Jesse, back home in Sunnydale.

****

Classes started off quickly the next morning, with some seriously interesting subjects from
Xanders point of view. Charms, Transfigurations, it was all high grade superhero stuff in his
mind and for once he was actually cracking the books.

A lot of the novelty wore off pretty quick once he realized that the stuff they were teaching
amounted to little more than childrens games, and could be done by most stage magicians.
Of course stage magicians did it by sleight of hand and trickery, Xander supposed, at least
thats what they said.

It did make him wonder.

Charms was pretty interesting, even if the guy who taught it put him in mind of a teacher
hed once had called Snyder. Ok, Flitwick was nicer, and probably a lot better looking, but
still the resemblance was there. Still, the Prof aside, charms was cool cause it basically let
someone put all kinds of spells on normal objects, letting them do some cool things. Xander
could already see some interesting possibilities there, but he was going to need to get ahold of
his comic collection in order to review and consider them.

The problem was, however, that it was damned HARD to make them stupid things work.

Swish and flick. Right. Xander was only eleven years old, but he could make SO many off
color jokes about swish and flick that he was really happy no one back home could see him
trying to do simple charms right now. The ability to completely unchange anything to do with
the object would NOT make up for the humiliation hed get from Larry, or the sneers from
Cordy.

Still, if he could pull it off, well... It had possibilities to be sure.

Transfigurations was something else that was kinda cool, though it interested him slightly
less. Changing one thing into another was good in a pinch, but honestly if he wanted a flower
he could go pick one, he didnt have to turn a piece of paper into it. Certainly he couldnt
think of any good reason to turn a match into a needle, not that he was ABLE to turn a match
into a needle, but the point was still there.

The week progressed much like that, and Xander was pretty relieved to find that no one
seemed to have a huge lead on him or anyone else. Hermione was, pretty clearly, a Willow-
smart witch, and she was going to build a lead on him to be sure, but for the moment just
about everyone was within sight of his own starting position.

Many of his classes were conducted with Gryffindor, interestingly enough, since most of
Slytherin seemed to despise the kitty cats, and it was pretty clear that the cats didnt much
care for the snakes. That made those classes the next thing to unbearable if one was stupid
enough to be caught between the active combatants in the two sided turf war.

Xander made it a point not to sit anywhere near Draco and his Cronies, or the Potter Crew.

After classes, though, was when things got pretty bad. Slytherin was a house divided, and
Xander wondered if it was the same in the others. To the outside, Slytherin stood fairly
tightly united it was true, but Xander thought that was because most of the school seemed to
hate them and that made them tighten ranks.

From the inside, though, it was clear that there were schisms so deep someone could fall
into them and be lost forever.

Xander nearly did just that on his second day.

*****

Mudblood scum...

Xander didnt know what the first word meant, but the second word and tone filled it in
nicely as he stepped up into the Slytherin common room and found himself once again
staring at Draco and his goon squad, this time bullying a Slytherin boy.

I dont know HOW you could possibly have been sorted into this house, Draco sneered as
the boy crawled back, bleeding from his nose as the Draco and the two larger boys loomed
over him.

Probably cause the hat put him here, Xander said sarcastically from where he was leaning
on a door frame.

Draco spun on him, eyes widening, Stay out of this!

Youve had your fun, leave him alone. Xander said, again fighting the urge to shake as he
always did when dealing with kids who could beat him to a pulp. Whatd he do anyway?

He was in my way, Draco smirked.

Next time youll probably have less trouble if you ask him to move, Xander noted,
surprised by his own calm.

Draco and the other two turned on him, leaving the other boy alone. I see you didnt take
my advice to heart. Standing up for this sort of scum is a sure way to take his place.

Yeah well, Ive done that before, Xander muttered under his breath.

Of course, he didnt even *know* the other kid, and that was a bit unusual. Normally he
wouldnt put himself in this position for just anyone. Getting the crap beat out of him for a
stranger was gonna suck.

There was no changing Dracos focus now, though, and Xander tensed as the two monoliths
moved to flank him.

Alright! Thats enough! The four of them jumped as the Slytherin Prefect moved in,
breaking up the conflict with a glare in Xanders direction. We dont fight each other.

Tell that to Drac and his goon squad, Xander retorted.

You dont know how things work here, so Im going to let that go, The older boy
growled, But we are Slytherin, no one else gives a damn about us, so we sure as hell dont
fight each other.

Xander glanced pointedly over at the boy Draco had been bullying, who was getting to his
feet and wiping his nose clean.

If he wants to survive here, hell toughen up fast.

That was the only answer he got out it.

****

As rough as it was for him, Xander didnt see where it was much better for Wednesday. He
didnt have many classes with the Ravenclaws, so he didnt have a clue how she was doing
there, but whenever he saw her around she seemed as alone as he was.

He made a point of checking up with her every day, at least once or twice, but didnt really
get much information from her when he did. Still, she didnt ignore him entirely as she did
pretty much everyone other than professors, and they soon were to be found sitting near one
another when they had time. By the third day, ironically Wednesday, Xander was talking to
her about his experiences in class and out.

On Thursday, she finally said something back.

He was talking about the fractions hed seen in his own house, and the level of crap Draco
and a few others put out when she looked over at him and simply said, Why dont you put a
stop to it?

Xander looked at her sharply, Have you seen the two gargoyles he has with him? Even if
Drac was the kinda guy who could take a hint, he wont with those two bookends. Im
starting to think I should have stayed home. School wasnt always easy there, but at least I
didnt have to worry about being killed in my sleep.

Wednesday shrugged, It seems to me that hes not being very Slytherin.

Yeah, you get that too? Xander frowned, thinking to what hed read, Theres not very
many that are, you know. Is it the same in your house?

No. Everyone is very interested in learning, She said in response, At least...

What?

Theyre close minded, Wednesday said, almost sighing. They want to learn from books
and teachers, but they dont want to know about anything that doesnt fit into their nice little
box shaped world.

Xander found himself staring, impressed that she could string that many words together in
one go. He considered her words, though, thinking about it, I wonder about the other
houses.

Why?

Just curious mostly. You say that your house has some really intelligent stupid people, I
know that my house seems to be heavy on the ruthless ambition, really light on the cunning.
Wonder what the other two are like?

Wednesday shrugged, Probably the same, in different ways.

Xander chuckled, nodding. Yeah.

He sighed, shaking his head. Alright. Fine. Im Slytherin, whatever the hell that means. I
guess I better learn to act like it.

Wednesday looked over at him, rasing a single elegant eyebrow, Oh?

Dont worry, Xander smirked, Im not going to go overboard on the ruthless ambition,
but a little cunning seems to be in order.

Indeed. Wednesday said softly.

And from the sounds of it, you may need to start teaching the ravenclaws a few lessons
too, He suggested.

Wednesday considered that. Honestly she didnt care what they thought, or didnt think,
about her. She was here for her own advancement, not theirs. Still, she was growing bored
with their attitudes, and the lessons were mindlessly simple enough to leave her with too
much free time, so... perhaps a few games were in order.

Perhaps you are right, She said.

Xander smirked, I know I am. Now, let me know if you need any help.

She nodded to him, And you do the same.

****

Friday brought Double Potions with Gryffindor House, which really didnt seem to be a
good thing from what Xander could tell. Half the other kids around him wanted to strangle
the Gryffs, and the other half seemed to be afraid of them to one degree or another. Malfoy
was leading the first group, of course, and he seemed particularly eager to get to class.

Xander figured out why pretty quickly when the Professor turned out to be the head of
Slytheryn House, the sallow faced man whod watched the sorting ritual with an impassive
glare the day before. He opened his lecture with a long spiel on bottling fame and putting a
stopper in death, most of which flew right over Xanders head, then turned almost
immediately on Harry with a sneer that only seemed to get worse as the seconds ticked by.

The Slytherins whod surrounded Malfoy seemed amused by it, snickering softly as Potter
was put on the spot, and Xander was pretty happy with his position suddenly. He didnt think
hed stand a chance in hell of passing this course if he had to deal with that level of contempt.

He was watching Draco, though, and mentally making notes.

From what he could tell Harry was a pretty famous guy, and that was both good and bad. It
had taken him only a little time to get the story from someone. Having his parents killed off
had to suck, no doubt. Xanders mom and dad were pains sometimes, but living without
them? Xander couldnt imagine it. They were his mom and dad.

It was also pretty obvious that Harry was above average in classes, though for the moment
that didnt mean much of anything. As far as Xander could tell, though, the other boy had
done nothing to earn the intense level of dislike from Draco.

Or Snape, for that matter, Xander noted as Snape continued to rip into Harry with question
after question that he knew that HE couldnt answer. That went on until another Gryff,
Xander thought was Neville, suddenly started breaking out in the worst acne Xander had seen
since Jessies older brother turned fifteen. His attention diverted, Snape tore into Neville for a
bit until finally settling down to teach the class.

Lots of stuff just didnt add up, and Xander would be damned if he could figure it out. Hed
run it by Wednesday later, for now he had to figure out how he was supposed to brew this
gunk without winding up looking like Neville.

****

Information gathering was slow, Xander found out over the week. There were so many
things under the surface that he didnt know about. Wednesday had come through, telling him
quietly that Dracos old man had been some kind of cultist back in the day, and the dimwit
who got himself killed by a kid was the top dog of the group.

Which explained some things a bit, anyway. Harry supposedly offs the head dork, so all the
lesser twits are left out to dry. Probably a lot of grudges there, even if it was pretty stupid to
blame a kid for something like that. Xander wondered for a bit how Wednesday had found
out, but decided he probably didnt want to know.

What he didnt know wouldnt get him expelled. He hoped.

Flight lessons were up next, and Xander had to admit... flying? Now that was major league
cool.

Theyd all turned out on the grounds, with brooms of all things being passed out, and the
professor looking very sternly at each of them.

Alright, put your hand over your brooms and say up!

Xander frowned, doing as he was told. The broom shivered a bit, but that was it. It wasnt
the worst result in the class, not by a long shot, but Draco and Harry got theirs into their
hands on the first try. Xander scowled at the broom, UP!

The broom broke loose of the ground, missing his outstretched hand, and smacked him right
in the face. Xander flopped back, hitting the ground with an expellation of air, and stared up
as the broom floated above him for a few seconds, then dropped back onto his face for a
second shot at him.

Both houses were laughing to varying degrees as the professor rushed over.

Are you alright?

Xander didnt answer as he glared at his broom, Of course, you realize, this means war.

Are you alright?

Im fine, Maam, Xander sighed, getting to his feet. Just caught me by surprise thats
all...

A scream startled Xander and the professor, and they both turned to see Neville rocket into
the air like he was heading for orbit, his broom wildly yanking him along for the ride of his
life. Hopefully not the LAST ride of his life. The professor, Madam Hooch went running
after him, screaming at him to calm down until his ride ended with a crashing thud into the
ground.

Xander winced when they were told hed broken his wrist, and were ordered to stay on the
ground or be expelled.

No problem. He glared at his broom, entirely unwilling to give the damned thing another
chance to off him.

Give it back, Malfoy!

Xander turned to see Malfo playing keep away with something golden and frowned. <God,
does this guy have to cause trouble at every opportunity??>

He moved closer, unsure what to do, only to have the point rendered moot when Malfoy
grabbed his broom and flashed into the air, challenging Harry to chase him. The look on his
face when Potter did just that was amusing, but now Xander found himself looking around to
see if the professor was anywhere in sight, and wondering how in the hell he could keep them
from getting expelled if she came back early.

Again, however, he didnt have time to do anything as the duo took their dogfight on the
road, so to speak, and dueled through the air over the school in what had to be one of the
coolest games of tag Xanderd ever seen.

It ended when Malfoy tossed the object away, Harry dove after it, caught it after a death
defying brush with the ground, and was caught by his own head of house.

<Yeah. I see why he was sent to the Gryffs.> Xander thought, shaking his head. <Being
gutsy is one thing, but I dont care what the hell Malfoy stole, it wasnt worth getting killed
OR expelled over. That was just reckless, not brave.>

****

Of course being reckless sometimes paid off as Xander found out a couple days later.
Malfoy was fuming so hard Xander half expected him to spontaneously combust, and Harry
was the reason why. Not only had he somehow survived Malfoys various schemes, but he
was apparently now playing in the school teams for some kind of sport Xander had never
heard of.

It was amusing and all, but honestly Xander didnt have time to pay any attention to it.

Classes were getting harder, and the life in the Slytherin dorms was getting tenser.

There were two distinct factions, Xander had learned, mostly being defined by the second
years and older. The pure bloods, as they called themselves, were the first and strongest.
They were probably about three quarters of the house, and basically lorded it over everyone
else. Malfoy, though a first year, was solidly in their camp and even fairly high up in the
actual ranks as far as Xander could tell.

His family name had some serious clout, otherwise the various humilations hed already
endured would have done some more damage to his influence.

The other group was, well, everyone else.

Muggleborn, Half Bloods, and a couple Pure Bloods whod made a stand. There were
also several students of varying years that were pretty clearly neutral. They were all pure
bloods as far as Xander could tell, the only classification that *could* be neutral. Xander
himself was a bit of an odd duck, he found.

He didnt talk about his family, and he sure as hell wasnt going to start now, so no one was
sure where he belonged. His being a Colonial both reduced and protected his status. On the
one hand, he was a barbarian from the states, but on the other they had no way to check on
his parentage or bloodlines. It gave him a certain degree of latitude that many others werent
afforded, but it was pretty clear that he *wasnt* going to be joining the pure blood group
anytime in the near future.

All things considered, Xander figured his best bet was keep his head down, dont cause
waves, and hopefully go to Salem Academy in the next year.

****

They finally got a chance at some cool stuff in Charms class, when Professor flitwick told
them that they were ready to start making things fly. Of course, start was the key word.
Xander found himself muttering the Wingardium Leviosa spell over and over again, to
varying results. The only one of which that resembled flight was when his feather exploded
in a fiery rain of death and destruction that sent a plume of smoke three feet into the air over
his head.

Actually, it was pretty cool for all that.

Xander was quickly distracted, like most of the rest of the class, by the Gryffindor side of
the table where Ron Weasley was complaining about the impossibility of the task. Hermione
almost instantly jumped on his case, her tone making Xander smile subconsciously as he
clearly heard her correcting the red head.

Youre saying it wrong, She told him, her voice travelling clearly across the entire room.
Its Wing Gar Dium Levio Sa.

Xander only winced slightly as he saw Ron redden, instantly recognizing that the boy had a
fair bit too much pride for his own good. Jessie did the same thing when Willow first tried
correcting him, and it had taken a lot of work to keep the two from killing each other at first.

If youre so good, you do it then! Ron challenged her.

Xander shook his head, now wincing for real as he actually smiled.

What are you smirking at, Harris?

Xander looked over at Malfoy, then nodded to the Gryffs, Ronny boy over there just
walked right into a wall. Watch.

Malfoy looked over as Hermione did a perfect swish and flick, clearly incanting the charm,
and rose her feather with near perfect control.

Five bucks says Ronny turns red enough to hide in front of one of Gryffindors tapestries.
Xander said, chuckling.

Malfoy found himself snickering slightly at the other boys obvious discomfort, then spoke
up loud enough for the class to hear, Good lord, Weasely, cant you even get a simple charm
right?

Xander grimaced, knowing damn well that Malfoy hadnt done one yet himself, and yanked
the blond back into his seat as Ron and Harry glared over at him.

Take your hands off me you... you... *american*. Draco hissed.

Dont be an idiot. What are you going to do if Ron challenges you to do better? Do you
think you can cast better than her? Xander hissed right back, Cause Ive known a girl just
like that, and Ill bet anything you like that she can out cast you on anything in the books.

Draco stiffened, That little mudblood? Im far more powerful...

Maybe, but my money says shes smarter. Thats not an insult, by the way, Xander said,
sitting back and trying to look normal. Shes way smarter than me, and I know it. From what
she said on the train shes not from a magical family, so you probably know more stuff... but
what shes got in her books? Trust me, dont challenge her on it. Thats her own territory.

Draco glared at him, but by then the class had settled down and moved on. Xander honestly
didnt know how the hell half the people in his House had gotten there. They were obviously
NOT the cunning type and, the more he watched them, the more it was clear they werent
even the ambitious or even ruthless types either. Oh, there was no doubt that most of them
could be as brutal as all get out, but there was a certain level of... finesse assumed when you
talked about being ruthless, and finesse was NOT the forte of any of the students hed met
so far.

Malfoy was obviously one of the top dogs, even though he was a firstie like Xander. His
family name had some power, and he obviously swung a lot of clout around with his dads
money bags. The two knuckle draggers that followed him around were proof of that. Pansy
Parkinson had ambition, the way she tried sucking up to Draco made that clear, but the girl
scored zero points of finesse and that was being polite.

It was a lot like watching Cordelia and her sheep squad back home, really. Draco was the
closest Xander could identify to an actual slytherin by the qualities hed read, but he was
obviously either too stupid or too ignorant of how the world worked to make use of his
advantages. Even at eleven years old Xander knew that there was simply no reason to court
as much disfavor as Draco did, no matter how much money you had. It was like the boy was
actively TRYING to get three quarters of the school angry with him.

Most of the rest were worse than that, and that was being polite about things. There were a
few, of course, that Xander couldnt really put a read on. Daphne Greengrass, for one. She
was pretty standofish so far, and didnt go out of her way to attract any attention. The quiet
ones were the ones to worry about, Xander decided. At least in the long term, Draco was
likely to be a short term pain in the ass.

Charms class broke up, interrupting Xanders thoughts, and leaving with another exploded
feather and a couple disgruntled housemates shooting glares in his direction. He sighed and
shrugged it off, stopping short though when they stepped out of the class room.

Its no wonder no one can stand her, Ron was saying, grumbling as he spoke, his words
easily audible to everyone in the hall. Shes a nightmare, really.

Hermione Granger stifled a sob and pushed quickly past them, bolting down the hall.
Xander shook his head and walked up behind the duo as Harry looked over at Ron.

I think she heard you.

No duh. Xander said clearly, slapping Ron in the back of the head.

Oi! The Gryffindor yelped, twisting around as he held his head.

If youre going to be a sneak and talk behind someones back, Xander said sarcastically,
Try and have the *cunning* to make sure theyre not standing behind YOUR back at the
time.

The Slytherins behind Xander laughed openly as Xander paused and looked at Harry.
Well?

Well what? I didnt say anything! Harry said defensively.

Xander rolled his eyes, Fine. Ill do it.

Before either Harry, or the rapidly reddening Ron Weasley could say anything else Xander
had pushed through and headed after Hermione.

The two looked at each other, What was that about?

Hes totally barmy. Ron shrugged, Total nutter.

You two are useless tools, Daphne Greengrass said, rolling her eyes as she walked past.

Hey! Ron objected loudly.

What did I do!? Harry asked, his tone plaintive.

The blond shook her head and walked regally past, If you cant figure it out, Im certainly
not going to tell you.

Nutters. Ron said, shaking his head, Theyre all nutters.

Draco chuckled nastily as he walked past, My My Potter, youre certainly scoring all kinds
of points today arent you?

Harry and Ron glared at Draco as he walked past, and they both heard him as he chuckled
and went on.

Maybe Harris isnt such a waste, he seems to know how to put Weasley in his place at
least.

Ron started to turn an alarming puce color, causing Harry to grab his arm, Come on, its
time for lunch.

Right, mate. Lunch.

*****

Xander sighed, frustrated by the castle he was wandering through. He was missing a class,
trying to find a crying girl he barely knew, and the damn place kept changing shape. He was
about to give up when a ghost floated past.

Hey! Spooky!

The shimmering figure paused, looking back at him, then back down the hall.

Pardon? The floating figure asked quizzically. Are you speaking to me?

Yeah, have you seen a crying girl come through here?

The figure didnt answer him for a moment, looking Xander over. Youre slytherin.

Duh. Xander muttered, Look, pal, Im trying to find a girl who ran through here some
time ago.

But youre a slytherin.

Xander frowned, Whats that got to do with anything?

Slytherins dont talk to me, Im the Gryffindor Ghost.

What? What kind of stupid rule is that?

The ghost looked taken aback for a moment, then blinked, Well I suppose its not a *rule*
per say, but its just not done.

Xander sighed, Look, did you see her or not?

Well, yes, actually. The ghost said, But shes Gryffindor too.

So? Shes *crying* dude!

The Ghost looked truly perplexed, head cocked to look at Xander closely. Are you SURE
youre Slytherin?

Xander growled and stomped forward, actually passing right through the ghost and
continuing down the hall. Stupid effin ghosts... Dumbass Gryffindor ghosts... stupid house
bullsh-

The Ghost known as Nearly Headless Nick watched the young Slytherin stomp off and
bemusedly shook his head, causing it to wobble slightly. Well he certainly has the Slytherin
grumpiness down...

Nick turned after a moment and followed, curious and slightly concerned as well, but
remained far enough back to be out of sight.

*****

The first clue Xander really got to Hermiones location was a small gaggle of girls walking
through the hall ahead of him, whispering loudly and gasping.

Hey!

The girls, who were wearing hufflepuff colors, shrieked in surprise as he approached, then
got ahold of themselves and eyed him warily.

What?

Did you see Hermione come through here?

The girls looked at each other, then back at him, Why would you want to know where a
gryffindor is?

Xander rolled his eyes, I just do, ok?

They eyed him darkly, Well we never saw her.

The three stuck their noses up and walk passed him, leaving Xander completely confused as
to what just happened. He shook head, and thought about it. The last time hed had to go
looking for Willow after Cordelia had ripped into her hed gotten the same reaction from
another group of girls whod blamed him for making Willow cry.

Since he was a Slytherin asshole, that was probably the case here too. Xander sighed,
shaking his head.

<ok... Hermione is like a Willow clone, right? Where would Will go?> Xander pondered,
frowning.

Well, the library came to mind, but actually that wasnt likely. Willow loved the library, but
she never went there when she was sad. Ok, what else? Xander grimaced, remembering that
hed had to pull Willow out of the girls bathroom the last time, and had caught a lot of heat
for it.

He sighed, steeling himself, and started looking for the closest girls washrooms.

****

Nick watched idly as the young Slytherin found the lavatory the girl was hiding in and
pounded on the door, calling out as soft as he could while still hoping to be heard on the other
side. Oddly enough the boy seemed to actually be trying to comfort the Gryffindor girl. It was
rather perplexing, actually. Nick tried to think of the last time a Slytherin had acted quite like
this, and had to think back more than a few years. Before grindlewald, actually.

Of course, back then, Slytherins didnt have quite as bad a reputation as they had garnered
lately. Oh, they werent universally loved, to be sure, but they were respected at least as much
as feared. It was really quite interesting, the old Gryffindor spirit mused.

He really would have to speak with the Baron about it.

*****

Hermione? Xander hissed, far louder than he wanted as he pounded on the door. Are you
in there?

With no answer forthcoming, he steeled himself and pounded again. Is anyone there? Im
coming in!

Go away!

Xander sighed, relaxing slightly as he recognized the voice as belonging to the genius of
Gryffindor House. Come on, Hermione. The carrot top didnt mean what he was spouting,
he was just trying to save face.

I said go away!

Damn it. Xander groaned, I hate this part.

He was about to open the door when a lumbering sound caught his attention and he half
turned to look down the hall. His eyes grew wide as he watched the HUGE figure moving in
his direction and he yelped, throwing the door open quickly and then slamming it behind him
as he braced his back against the door.

You cant come in here! Hermione shrieked, This is the GIRLS Lavatory!!

I really hope that HE knows that! Xander snapped back.

He? The girl frowned, confused. He who?

Before Xander could answer the door shook behind him, throwing him clear across the
room into a skid that finished him with laying at the floor by Hermiones feet, one hand
scrambling to draw his wand as the other pointed. He Him Who Him Him!

Hermiones stared down at Xander, face confused, but then she looked up as the door
shuddered again and cracked opened, revealing a huge troll as it bent over and entered the
room. Hermione did what almost any child her age would do in that situation.

She screamed.

Xander winced, scrambling to his feet as he pushed her behind him. What IS that thing!

Faced with a question, Hermione reacted according to her nature and answered, sounding
remarkably calm for someone who had just let out a blood curdling shriek of terror.

It looks like a Mountain troll. Th... There arent many of them in this area, and none are su-
supposed to be able to get past Hogwarts w-wards.

Great. We had to get the genius troll. Xander muttered, waving his wand threateningly,
hoping that the thing had some fear of them as many animals had fear of guns. If it didnt,
well Xander didnt actually know any spells that he could use here so...

A little help here!? He muttered, still pushing Hermione behind him as he backed away
from the thing, waving his wand futilely as the troll clearly indicated no fear of either him or
his stick.

How!? Hermione blurted in his ear, Its a *Mountain troll*!

Youre the book genius, right!? Xander growled, flinching back as the Troll swung its
club past them hard enough for the air to blast them in the face.

Its a TROLL! Hermione screamed at him, Sure I know how to cast a stunner, but Im
not remotely strong enough to...

I dont CARE! Its not like we have a lot of other options!!

Fine! She huffed, all signs of fear gone from her face and voice as she snapped at Xander,
You move your wand like this and say *STUPIFY*!!

A faded red glow burst from her wand, splattering against the trolls face and caused it to
snap back for a second, shaking like it had just been slapped. Then it growled at them and
hefted its club for a heavy swing, roaring its anger.

Are you happy now!? Hermione screamed, We made it MAD!

Oh yes, because it was trying to take SUCH good care of us before! Xander snarled,
twisting as he did, then grabbing her and spinning around. He used the force of his spin to
throw her clear as he was tossed back in the other direction, just missing the splinterring
crash of the Trolls hammer as it crushed the stonework of the bathroom.

Hermione was sprawled in the corner as the Troll turned on her, and Xander shook himself
as he got to his hands and knees and thrust out his wand.

STUPIFY!!

The blast was much brighter as the discharge slammed into the Troll, but the effect was
largely the same. It did, however, momentarily confused the troll into trying to decide
between two targets. As it stared dumbly at them for a moment the door behind it burst open
to reveal Ron and Harry, who froze for a moment themselves when presented with the Troll
in real life.

Then Hermione screamed again and everyone unfroze.

The Troll turned at her, hefting its club again, and the two boys burst into action. They
charged in, trying to tackle it from behind, only to be thrown clear. Ron hit the ground
sliding, then slammed into the far wall with brutal force, leaving Harry hanging on for dear
life as the Troll tried to knock him clear.

Harry beat at the Trolls head as best he could, his fists bruising but to little other effect,
then reached around to pummel its face. The Troll grunted, more in frustration than any
degree of pain, until Harry somehow managed to drive his wand up the Trolls nose.

THAT apparently either hurt or really embbarrased the big guy, Xander noted as it howled
and started striking at its back with renewed vigor. Xander was about ready to try the stunner
again when Ron Weasley let out a yell.

Wingardium LEVIOSA!!

Xander blinked, confused. <What the hell is he trying to levitate!?>

The answer came when the trolls own club rose up, then slammed back down on its head,
dropping troll and Harry to the floor.

A deep silence fell over the washroom, panting breaths of the four students the only thing
breaking it for a long moment, then a screech from outside startled them all into turning with
wands at the ready.

What is HAPPENING here!? Professor McGonagal snapped, striding in with Professor
Snape and Headmaster Dumbledore on her heels. The three found themselves looking down
the wands of four first years, who were in various states of distress but looked like they were
uninjured.

Uh... Harry said, looking around. We uh...

Its my fault, professor... Hermione began, only to be cut off.

No, its ours. Right, Harry? Ron cut in.

Harry blinked, then nodded, Yeah. We heard about the troll and...

Ron looked around furiously, And we thought we could handle him, right?

Xander shook his head as the Head of Gryffindor House grew redder and redder. Bullshit.

Everyone stopped and stared at him in shock.

Mr HARRIS! McGonagal snapped, Five points from Slytheryn for your language!

Explain yourself, Harris. Snape hissed.

Xander pointed at Ron, He said something stupid, Hermione was hurt by it, she came here
to compose herself. I followed, we never heard about the troll. Im guessing those two did...

The two Gryffindors nodded miserably.

Xander shrugged, then went on, And decided to save their friend. Why theyre making up
some dumbass story, I dont know, cause its not like anyone did anything wrong in the first
place...

He paused, then shrugged, Except Weasely, who should learn to keep his mouth shut if he
doesnt have anything nice to say.

Ron turned bright beat red as Xander shrugged past them, then paused by the teachers and
looked up at his head of house. Just in case, Sir... How *does* one stop a Mountain Troll??
That stunner really didnt work.

Snape stared, one eyebrow rising, You successfully cast a Stunner?

Xander nodded, Hermione too. Didnt work on that thing.

Excellent spell work, Snape replied, Five points to Slytherin. Well speak later.

And five to Gryffindor as well, McGonagal said, nodding to Hermione, before she turned
on Ron and Harry. However five points from each of your for not following instructions to
return to your dorm rooms. Now come along, well get you checked out.

Through it all the Headmaster remained silent, eyes twinkling as he carefully set the scene
in his mind to reexamine later.

****

Poppy says that theyre all fine, Dumbledore said with a sigh as he took a seat and faced
the professors sitting in his office.

Well thank goodness, Minerva said, shaking just slightly. The thought of how close those
students had come to serious injury or worse shook even her gryffindor courage, more than
any attack on her own person ever had. What were those boys thinking!?

That they were idiotic Gryffindors, Snape replied, snorting.

Minerva shot him a scowl, but it was weakened by the fact that the headmaster seemed to
find the comment amusing, and even Fillius was chuckling softly. All very well for you to
laugh, if they had been hurt however...

Dumbledore held up his hand as the laughter stopped, We know, Minerva, and the only
reason we can laugh is that its over and theyre fine. Still, Severus does have a point...
Ronald and Harry were acting as one might expect for Gyffindor students who thought a
friend might be in danger.

True. She sighed, then frowned slightly. What about Mr Harris? He had no reason to be
there.

True as well, Severus replied with a matching scowl. By all accounts he went looking for
Miss Granger when Weasley shot his mouth off after charms class.

Fillius nodded, I heard the altercation... to be honest, at the time I thought that Mr Harris
was merely taking advantage of an opportunity to score points off a gryff.

That doesnt seem to be the case, Albus Dumbledore said slowly, The impression I
received was quite different. Do Mr Harris and Miss Granger know one another?

Not to my knowledge, Snape shrugged as the others agreed.

Minerva couldnt help but twit her colleague slightly, smirking as she spoke, I suppose he
was just being particularly courageous then... like Gryffindor, one might say.

And one might NOT. Snape snapped, eyes glinting.

Dumbledore looked on in amusement as the two sniped back and forth for a few moments,
then interjected, Now now, quiet the two of you. Merely because one is a Slytherin hardly
eliminates courage from the assets one might wield. You of all people know this, Severus.

Snape scowled, but didnt respond.

Pomona Sprout, head of Hufflpuff house, took that moment to toss a little more fat on the
fire as the case may be. Personally, I appreciated the Hufflepuff loyalty they showed one
another.

Albus fiercely locked down on open laughter as both Severus and Minerva turned on the
head of Hufflepuff house, their ire dripping from them as they defended the honor of their
houses. He shouldnt find it so amusing, he supposed, but Severus and Minerva were so
rarely on the same side of an argument... let alone so enthusiastic about it, that he couldnt
help but find it comical.

Thats enough, He broke in gently, eyes dancing as he again calmed them down, then
glanced at the one head of house who hadnt put in his own two sickles worth, Unless you
have something to add, Fillius?

The short head of Ravenclaw merely smirked and shook his head, No, I dont believe any
of them acted intelligent enough to be admired by a Ravenclaw, though Ronalds creative use
of a levitation spell warrants a mention I suppose.

Dumbledore did chuckle that time, nodding, Quite so. Is there anything else?

Yes, actually, Fillius broke in, Its unrelated, however...

Please, Fillius, what is on your mind?

Id like to ask the Hat about one of my students, Fillius said softly.

The other heads of house turned to look at him, curious. Most years no one felt any need to
inquire after the Hogwarts sorting hat about its choices, however it did come up on occasion.

Indeed? Who, Fillius?

Miss Addams. Fillius admited, shivering slightly. The girl had literally terrified every
girl in her year, and most of the boys as well.

Dumbledore sat back, In what way?

Fillius shook his head, Honestly, Im not sure. Shes not *done* anything I can find...
Personally I think its just her very attitude, combined with the way she speaks. Shes quite
intimidating.

Snape snorted, shaking his head. Really, Fillius, intimidated by a first year.

Have you paid any attention to her in class?? Fillius challenged.

Not that I recall, Snap shrugged, then frowned. Now that I think of it, she does seem to
sit alone mostly. Quiet, studious... typical Ravenclaw.

Fillius quivered in place, obviously holding back some explosive retort. Typical
Ravenclaw students dont calmly speak of chaining their fellows up in the dungeon and
*playing* with Mr Filchs artifacts.

Snape raised a single eyebrow, Indeed. Well now, that IS interesting. Albus?

The teachers looked to the headmaster, who sighed. The Addamses are a very old family
with... well known proclivities.

Minerva snorted, Theyre a bloody menace, you mean.

No, I do not Minerva, Dumbledore said sternly, And I will thank you not to put words in
my mouth.

The Gryffindor headmaster flushed, but nodded.

No Addams has ever gone... precisely... Dark, as we mean the term, Albus sighed. That
is to say, none have ever attempted to force their beliefs on anyone else. By any definition,
they are a very dark family, but they strongly believe that people must make their own
decisions. No Addams would have ever joined with Voldemort, I can assure you Fillius.

After shuddering slightly at the mention of You-Know-Whos name, Flitwick nodded, Still
I would like to hear from the sorting hat, if you dont mind.

Albus nodded and rose, turning to retrieve the hat from its place on his shelves. You have
been listening?

Of course. The Hat replied.

Have you anything to add? Albus asked softly.

The hat was silent for a moment, then began, In Ravenclaw or Slytherin, that girl would go.
Either house would be proud to claim her, I promise you both. The Ravens mind will trump
the snakes cunning, though, and her future is a great one.

Albus frowned, then nodded, Well there you have it, Fillius.

The head of ravenclaw didnt look happy, but he nodded.

Pardon, Snape leaned forward, What of Mr Harris, Hat? Hes been caught in several
fights within Slytherin House already, and tonights excursion with the *kittens* of
gryffindor have me curious.

Minerva stiffened, glaring at Snape, but before anyone could say anything the hat spoke up.

Ah, Alexander. The Heart of any Gryffindor, the Soul of any Hufflepuff. The hat replied
cooly.

That sufficiently redirected the ire of Minerva McGonagal from Snape. What!? You put
one of my Griffs in *Slytherin*!?

Sprouts reaction was remarkably similar.

A hufflepuff in Slytherin!? Are you insane!?

Minerva, Pamona, please. Albus sighed, calming them, then he looked at the hat, Please,
explain yourself.

The hat took a moment, then began to speak again.

At Gryffindors side, this one would stand tall, In Hufflpuffs embrace he would only
survive... Molded by Slytherins fist, however, this boy will *thrive*.

The professors looked at one another, more than slightly shocked.

What does that mean? Sprout demanded, Only survive? You said he had a Hufflepuffs
soul!

The Hat, however, had said what it intended and would speak no more.

Albus frowned, sitting back as the professors argued, primarily Sprout and McGonagal he
noted. Severus was glaring at the hat, his own thoughts occluded behind the Slytherins
impressive shields. After a few more moments of argument, he leaned forward.

Well, I think that explains things. Albus said calmly.

What!? The two turned on him.

He smiled at them both, I too have observed young Alexander, and I believe I agree with
the Hat. He is most certainly brave, and would do acceptably in Gryffindor. He does seem to
lack certain Slytherin traits that I found perplexing until just now... however, with the hats
comments concerning Hufflepuff, I believe I understand.

Well explain it to me! Sprout huffed.

The sorting hats job isnt to place people in houses that fit their personality, contrary to
popular opinion, Albus said, surprising them into silence.

Its... not? Minerva asked hesitantly. But, Albus...

The headmaster smiled, waving a hand, Oh that is how it generally works out, Minerva... in
fact, that is how the hat will make its choice, barring any other information. In this case, I
feel that Alexander is jarringly lacking in the ambition that Salazar held in high regard. That
lack, in Hufflepuff, would lead him to fall into mediocrity... As weve seen tonight, I do not
believe that he is fated for that. Slytherin will challenge him, force him to grow. It should be
a fascinating process to observe.

Minerva huffed, If he needs challenge, I have no doubt my gryffs could provide it.

Perhaps. Perhaps not. Albus shrugged, In either case, the point is moot. Alexander shows
no interest in challenging his placement, and I dont see Severus gnashing his teeth at the
situation.

The two women looked at Snape, who merely shrugged. The boy is no worse, nor any
better, than most of my students. I see no reason to cause a scandal over some insignificant
child.

Minerva began to stiffen, words of censure coming to her lips, but Albus smoothly cut her
off.

Indeed, well then, any other business?

****

Severus Snape paused at the face of the blank wall that led to the Slytherin Common Room,
considering what he had learned so far. Potter was, as expected, a foolish Gryffindor with
delusions of adequacy. His fame and, as much as Snape hated to admit it, the charm hed
inherited from his father, had already led him to gather together his own circle of delinquents.

Granger and Weasley certainly seemed to fill the roll of Lupin and Black, and Potter was
quite obviously his fathers son.

For the moment, however, there was his own little delinquent to manage. Severus glared at
the wall and it slid open without him saying a word, leading the professor to smirk in
satisfaction as he stepped inside.

Harris was sitting by the fire, and Severus took a few seconds to observe the boy.

As expected, he was alone. He hadnt slid into any of the known cliques within Slytherin,
and as far as Snape could ascertain, his own semi-close friend was Fillius stray raven, the
Addams scion. The boy was petting a *puppy* of all things, which Snape found utterly
disgusting until he realized that it must be the boys familiar.

Odd that, the school notes clearly suggested cats, rats, or toads. Severus scowled as he
approached, Harris.

Sir? Xander Harris said, head turning calmly to look at him.

Snape snorted, realizing that the boy had been waiting to be approached. Who taught you
to cast a stunner?

Hermione, Sir.

Granger? I wasnt aware that you two knew each other. Snape frowned.

We dont, Sir. She showed me while the Troll was attacking us.

Snape stared at the boy, schooling his face to an inscrutable glare. Try as he might he
couldnt even fabricate any evidence of falsehood in the boys expression, and that was mind
boggling. First that Granger knew how to cast a Stunner, though he supposed that he
shouldnt be so surprised that the little know it all had read that far ahead. However the fact
that she was able to *teach* it in the midst of a life or death situation, and that this boy had
been able to LEARN it.

Show me. Snape growled.

Sir?

Is there something wrong with your ears, Snape gestured, Cast at the wall.

Yes Sir. Harris said, swallowing as he drew his wand.

Snape watched impassively as the boy mumbled to himself, obviously trying to psyche
himself up for the task. Finally he slashed his wand, with the distinctive twist of a Stupify and
snapped out the incantation. Snape merely raised an eyebrow as his wand glowed for a
moment, spat a few sparkles, then fizzled out.

That was hardly a stunner, boy.

Harris flushed, but nodded and tried again, to much the same effect.

Snape was almost ready to tell the boy off for wasting his time when Draco Malfoy called
out from across the room.

Having a little problem, Harris!? I hear that happens to a lot of you barbarians from
America!

Snape shot a glare over his shoulder, annoyed at Malfoy for interrupting his time, and didnt
notice Harris face screw up in a flash of anger.

Stupify!!

Snape snapped around in time to see a bright stunner bolt flash across the room and slam
into one of the Slytherin drapes and burst the tapestry into flames. He watched it for a
moment, then stepped forward with his own wand raised.

Aquamenti! Snape called, hosing the fire down.

Silence reigned as he walked over to the wall and idly ran his finger along the scorched
surface of the stone wall.

Impressive power for a first year, Mr Harris, Snape said calmly, turning back to the boy.
He sheathed his wand and withdrew a book from his robes, handing it to Xander. This is a
reference of mystical beasts, their uses and weaknesses, and common spells used to contain,
or combat them. The section on Mountain Trolls begins on page eighty two.

Thank you, Sir.

One last thing, Snape said, formulating a question hed wanted to ask all night.

Sir?

Why did you stop those twits from lying to cover for each other? Snape asked, curious,
Whatever they said didnt include you.

Xander looked at him, then shrugged, Always tell the truth, Sir. Lying is wrong.

Snape heard a snicker from behind him, and tilted his head slightly. Is that so?

Yes Sir.

Severus had the distinct impression that the boy was serious, but there was something else
there too. Snape frowned, leaning in and speaking quietly. I dont mind telling you, thats an
odd statement from a Slytherin, assuming you mean it..

Xander just smiled slightly. Lying is stupid, sir, unless you have a damned good reason.
We didnt, so I wouldnt.

And if you have a good reason? Snape asked seriously.

Well then, Sir, I suppose having a reputation for being honest would help me out then,
wouldnt it?

Snape snorted, It would indeed. Good Night, Mr Harris. Try not to get involved in anymore
Gryffindor foolishness, its beneath a Slytherin.

Snapes robes billowed out as he turned and strode from the room.

<Courage and Loyalty be damned, the boy may be lacking ambition, but he knows the
meaning of the word cunning if nothing else.>

****

The next day Wednesday Addams found Xander sitting alone, looking out over the lake.
She quietly sat down beside him and they both stared for a while before either spoke.

You know about Mountain trolls? Xander asked finally.

She nodded, We dont have many in America, but there are three who are Addamses.

That brought him up short, and he turned to stare at her, Really?

Oh yes. Lurg is an great uncle, i think... maybe three times removed? She shrugged, Hes
very nice.

The one yesterday wasnt too nice.

Trolls are easy to anger, and dont usually like humans. Wednesday said calmly, I
imagine that he was very put out to find himself in a human castle.

Xander blinked, I thought he broke in?

Oh no, She shook her head, Trolls dont like human buildings. They like their
mountainsides, with natural magics reverberating around them.

Xander frowned, Thats not in the book...

Which book? She asked, glancing over. When she saw it she grimaced, one of the few
genuine emotions Xander had ever seen her make, Oh. THAT book.

You know it?

She nodded, its a hunters book, Alexander. It details how to kill and capture mystical
people.

Xander shook his head, people? Theres no people in here... just a lot of weird animals.

She rolled her eyes, really. Didnt I tell you about Uncle Lurg? You want to tell him that
hes an animal to his face?

It was Xanders turn to grimace, Pass.

I thought you might. Wednesday said with a hint of satisfaction. The book is accurate, as
far as the facts go, just try not to listen to the opinions.

Xander nodded, Ill try.

Good. Now, are you alright?

Yeah. It was scary as hell, but we survived.

The Addams scion nodded, Good. Now then... I need your help.

Oh? With what?

I want to know who forced that poor troll into the castle.

****
Back to index
****

After Halloween the school quickly returned to what passed for normal in an ancient
haunted castle entirely populated by pubescent witches and wizards, ghosts and, as near as
Xander could tell, totally insane adult witches and wizards.

Of course he was basing that conclusion on the Headmaster, the Defense teacher, and his
own head of house.

Of the three, Snape appeared to be the least nutty, but Xander suspected that was only cause
he was younger than Dumbledore and more disciplined than Quirrel. He obviously had a hate
on for Harry, though it was only marginally worse than he appeared to hold for anyone
dressed in Gryff colors, and there was no way that was healthy.

No, given a few more years Xander was pretty sure Snape would be at least as insane as the
Headmaster seemed to be... if not quite as senile.

The big Gryffindor/Slytherin Quidditch match came and went, with the Gryffs taking the
game when Harry damn near swallowed the snitch. His housemates were in an uproar, so
Xander was frankly glad that he and Wednesday were working on the Troll Project.

Those studies brought him into the library more often than hed like, but there seemed to be
little he could do about that.

<Honestly, who wants to hang around a dusty old library??> Xander thought not for the first
time as he made his way in and nodded politely to Madam Pince.

The Librarian nodded back and Xander found his regular table, cram session already in
progress.

Honestly, Hermione sighed in what was now a familiar sound. Im telling you theres no
such thing, Ive read the reference material front to back. Trolls simply cant interbreed with
most magical species.

Wednesday merely raised a single eyebrow, eyeing the bushy haired Gryff with what was...
for her... a tolerant look. Really?

Xander snorted, shaking his head.

This sort of thing had become quite normal in his life, and for the life of him he couldnt
decide if it felt like good old Sunnydale, or a nightmare version of his home town. Sure back
home Willow would be constantly correcting everything people said, but here there was
someone constantly standing ready to not only contradict her, but willing and quite able to
prove her wrong.

Sometimes it was funny, most times it drove Xander back to the Slytherin bunks where he
could relax by listening to Draco whine about Harry.

Yes Really, it says so right in The Great Book of Magical Beasts.

Beasts?

Hoo Boy. Xander grimaced, knowing that wasnt going to go over well.

So you always trust the word of a bigoted fool who doesnt bother to research his data over
the word of someone with first hand knowledge?

The words were delivered calmly, of course, Wednesday wasnt the type to yell after all, but
there was no mistaking the cool steel in her tone. Not if you knew her, as both Xander and
Hermione did by now.

The gryff hesitated, stuttering slightly as she tried to parse her arguments.

W... well, I... I mean, its in the book and...

Hey, Herms, Xander started, smirking uncaringly under the glare the girl gave him for the
nickname, You do know that not all books tell the truth, right?

B... but its a TEXT BOOK! She protested.

Xander paused, then shrugged and looked at Wednesday, Well she has a point there. Youd
think someone would have checked to make sure theyre teaching the truth.

You would, wouldnt you? Wednesday replied dryly.

Hey, Im not saying your wrong, Im just saying that Herms has good cause to believe her
source. Its not like its some random book pulled out of a store. Its in the library at our
school as a *reference* material.

Wednesday seemed to consider that for a moment, then inclined her head just slightly. I
concede that her ignorance is not wholly her fault.

Oi. Xander grimaced rubbing his forehead as Hermione huffed up and started ranting about
calling people that most insulting of words, ignorant. Playing peacemaker was such a pain
sometimes.

****

Hey! Harris!

Xander paused, glancing back as Draco sauntered in his direction, the two ape like bookends
following along behind him.

<This I do not need.>

Aloud, however, Xander merely nodded. Hey, Malfoy. Whats up?

The blond boy frowned, then looked up as if he actually expected to find something above
him, causing Xander to supress the urge to either roll his eyes or tweak the other boys nose
while it was stuck in the air.

What on Earth are you talking about, Harris? Theres nothing up there.

Xander shook his head. What do you *want*, Draco?

I understand youre hanging around with that mudblood of Potters, what game are you
playing, Harris?

Gee, why would I hang around in the library with a Raven Claw and a Gryffindor who
between them probably account for more brainpower than the rest of our year combined?

The sarcasm was apparently lost on the blond.

Thats what Im asking you, Harris. Whats your game?

Were studying, Malfoy. Xander said slowly and clearly, in a tone that would get the crap
kicked out of him in Sunnydale. You know, with books and stuff?

Apparently the wizarding world, while it may have discovered sarcasm in the last couple
years, had missed out entirely on condescension in the form of speaking as if to a four year
old.

Why would you do that?? Draco blinked.

Xander had just about had enough of things by this point. Not merely Draco, but the entirely
school as a whole. The whole place stank of a mental ward, and he was finally starting to
believe that it *wasnt* some big joke aimed at the muggle born and raised.

He reached forward and rapped the back of two knuckles on Dracos forehead, clucking his
tongue in time to the knocks to make a hollow sound echo through the old stone hallway.

Its a school, Draco. Theyre the two smartest people I know, around here anyway,
Xander shrugged slightly, unwilling to nudge Willow from the top slot out of loyalty as much
as anything else. You know, top marks and stuff? Is any of this ringing any bells?

Stop that! How DARE you touch me! Draco jerked back, slapping Xanders hand and
grabbing for his wand. I should hex you right here!

Go ahead.

W... what?

I said go ahead, Xander replied.

Draco hesitated, looking around as he sensed a trap. What are you playing at?

Im not playing at anything. You think Ive never taken a beating before? Xander asked,
fists clenched to keep his hands from shaking. He could feel his heart pounding, like it always
did when he found himself face to face with a bully.

He couldnt win this, not as a fight, and he knew it. But there were two things that tended to
set a Bully back on his heels. First, having their target reverse the tables. That usually worked
best, but Xander knew he couldnt take the two blockheads, even if he could out hex Draco,
which was frankly unlikely. The Second option was a target that simply didnt bother fighting
back.

That one always messed with them.

Oh, it wasnt enough to just submit to a beating. That was what they thrived on. No, you had
to take the beating and act that it was hardly worth your time. That was something Xander
had learned to do a long time ago, take the pain and make it look like he was bored to tears
rather than crying in agony.

That sort of indifference always freaked everyone out.

Draco, however, wasnt having any of it just then. He was falling back from Xander, eyes
casting about as his voice raised slightly.

I dont know what youre talking about, Harris. Were just going back to the dormitories,
stop trying to pick fights.

With that the blond and his bookends turned and hurried off, leaving Xander to ponder the
rather odd outcome of the confrontation.

*****

Christmas was looming quickly, and the Great Hall had been decorated accordingly in a
fashion that put anything Xander had ever seen to shame. The floating decorations changed
the normally cold feeling of the old castle to something far more festive, and it showed on the
entire student body.

Well, mostly.

Some were so stuck in their ways that nothing seemed to impact on them, for good or ill.
Xander ducked Malfoy and his goons for that reason, not wanting to put up with the downer
theyd bring to the generally cheery mood. Wednesday and Hermione were, for the most part
unchanged. Hermione because she rarely seemed to notice that the decorations were there,
her nose being perpetually stuck in a book despite the efforts of Harry and Ronald Weasley to
shake her out of her self imposed comas.

That relationship had Xander shaking his head, but he supposed that you couldnt hold
saying something stupid against someone. Lord knew, hed said some bad ones in his time
and, if he were being honest with himself, would likely do so again. Still, Ron had been more
than a little hurtful on Halloween, and it had been malicious, though probably only through
his own stupidity rather than through actual intentions.

Outside of Classes, which were going ok as far as he could tell, Xander tended to hang out
mostly with Wednesday and Hermione or the other Americans attending. Either or, that is,
since neither group could stand the other. Wednesday scared the rest of the American kids,
her name alone seemed to spook them more than when someone said Voldemort to one of
the Brits. He had to ask her what shed done to them sometime, but honestly Xander didnt
think he wanted to know.

Hermione, well she had a reputation of a know it all, and few of the American kids wanted
anything to do with someone who was constantly correcting everything they said. Actually,
few of the British kids wanted anything to do with someone like that either, come to think of
it. Xander sighed, it had taken him years to gently persuade Willow that he didnt need to be
corrected for every little thing he said wrong, just the important stuff. The definition of
important was something he and Wills were still debating, but that was another story.

Herms, however, had a lot more confidence in herself than Wills ever did, and as such
didnt mind correcting the entire school if she thought they had it coming.

Xander was musing about that when a shout startled him as he walked toward the Great Hall
for lunch.

Wait! Hang on, stop!

He twisted, but continued moving in the direction he had been and was blown across the
hall when a light flashed in his face and something slapped across his body like the hand of
God. He connected with the wall on the far side and saw stars before the world began to dim.

In the distance he could see two figures run up.

Oh dear, Brother of mine, I believe, One began speaking.

That we have most certainly made an error, The other continued.

In judgement. The first finished, then frowned, Not our first, I must admit.

Certainly not, The other said cheerily, before looking down at Xander. Is the ickle firstie
alright?

Xander groaned, and rolled off the floor to his hands and knees before starting the long
climb back to his feet. What hit me?

The duo that Xander now recognized as the infamous bane of Slytherins everywhere, the
Weasely Twins, glanced at each other then down at Xander and winced.

Ah, well you see, The first began.

We were setting up a little harmless prank...

Harmless! Xander snapped, then winced and held his head. Oh man, what a bump. What
did I do to deserve your attentions anyway?

Actually, we were laying in wait for Flint. The first admitted.

The second nodded, Marcus has some payback coming for the actions of his team in the
last Slytherin/Gryffindor match.

Xander closed his eyes, still holding his head. And throwing him across the hallway is your
idea of payback?

Umm... well, not exactly.

That is to say, not entirely.

Xander looked at them, and the both seemed to blush, which caused him to pale. What did
you do!?

HARRIS!

The Weasley Twins bolted at the sound of Snapes voice, leaving Xander standing there in
confusion as his head of house stormed up.

Explain yourself, Boy.

Excuse me?

Your robes!

Xander looked down and winced, this time not because of his head but because of his
clothing. Instead of the Green and Silver of Slytherin, he found himself wearing Red and
Gold with the words Slytherin Cheaters Never Prosper animatedly running around them. He
gritted his teeth and just thanked God that he hadnt continued into the Great Hall like this.

Sorry Sir, I seem to have run into some trouble.

That much is obvious, Snape said, moving to block Xander from the hall as he drew his
wand. Who did this? I thought I saw the Weasley twins, it was them, correct?

Now, to Xanders mind, telling the truth here wasnt even remotely an option.

Sorry, Sir, I dont know. he lied through his teeth.

Snape eyed him closely, then snorted, Just tell me, and Ill handle it.

Cant tell you what I dont know, Sir. Xander replied stoically. I have no idea who did
this.

He could tell that Snape didnt believe him, but didnt care. This wasnt a matter for the
adults in his opinion. You didnt go running to adults for every little problem, it just wasnt
done. The only question was how to handle the twins.

Xander was pondering that while Professor Snape tried ending the charms on his robes, only
to find that they had been trapped with various trigger spells that resulted in more and more
rude insults appearing as fast as the Professor could eliminate them.

Finally he exploded, Fine! Back to the dorms and change then, and five points from
Slytherin for being out of your house colors!

Xander nodded and retreated, deciding not to push the man any further as he seemed to be
spectacularly frustrated both by the prank itself, his inability to disenchant it, and the fact that
Xander refused to name the twin Gryffs.

Down the hall, Xander turned to head down to the dungeons, ignoring the snickering from
those who were watching him walk by. Twin hisses caused him to pause just out of site of
those students who had been witness to his humiliation and glance to one side to see the twins
hiding in an alcove and staring at him.

What do you twits want? He snarled, seriously unhappy with the situation.

Oi! Listen to the ickle firstie, the first smirked.

They grow up so fast, the second sniffed.

Or they think they do, at any rate.

True, oh brother of mine, true.

Xander sighed, What do you want?

The twins looked at each other, then back at him.

We want to know, The first said.

Why you didnt tell Snape it was us? the second finished.

Xander rolled his eyes, What do I look like?

Well right now, you look rather like a suicidal Gryffindor...

About to go into Slytherin territory in robes even we wouldnt risk.

Xander scowled at the duo, and they held up their hands as they smirked.

Buy normally you look like an ickle firstie snake,

True, brother of mine, The second frowned, but a snake would have gleefully let Snape
string us up by our entrails.

Excellent point, dear brother, so what have we here?

Xander smirked back at them, Sorry, you got me mixed up with Draco. Thats not a
Slytherin trait, thats a spoiled rich kid trait.

Is that so? Twin One asked.

And what, pray tell, Twin Two began.

Are Slytherin traits in your opinion?

Xander grinned openly at the duo, making them drop their own smirks and hesitate slightly.

Payback. he said, then simply turned and walked away.

Fred Weasely watched him go, then turned to his brother George, Hmmm brother of mine,
it would seem that the snakes have themselves an interesting new member.

Oh I must agree, brother dearest. George nodded in agreement. What do you think?

The same think you do.

Then its agreed, we watch this one.

****

Xander threw the charmed robes into a pile in the corner of his room, annoyed at the twins,
though not so much as he supposed he might be. They hadnt been aiming at him, afterall,
and Flint was a prick.

Still, he couldnt just let that go without an answer. Oh no.

Xander smiled slowly, no ignoring Bullies was one thing. Being the butt of jokes, however,
was something else. The only problem was that he didnt have a CLUE how to pull off
anything like the twins had just done to him.

But then hey, what good was it to hang out with geniuses if you couldnt pick their brains a
little?

I bet Wednesday will have some really... interesting thoughts. He grinned to himself as he
pulled out another set of robes. His stomach growled, and he hurriedly threw them on and
bolted back for the Great Hall.

****
Back to index
****

Wednesday Addams looked up when her, well she supposed friend was the best way to
describe him, walked into the library. She hadnt seen him at lunch, but had certainly heard
the snickering from other students. He didnt look terribly happy as he walked in, which she
recognized as being out of character for the young man shed grown to know.

Apparently Hermione had noticed it as well as the verbose girl immediately spoke when she
saw him approach. Xander? Are you ok?

He curled up his lips, Yeah, just dandy. Ive got most of my House ready to strangle me.

Hermione blinked, What ever for?

I lost points.

How many? Hermione frowned, I heard it was only five.

Yeah, but Professor Snape took them. That basically is the same thing as being called a
traitor. Xander scowled, slumping into the chair.

What? But thats insane!

No, its the way Slytherin works, Wednesday corrected mildly.

Hermione growled, That makes me so mad! Thats not how its supposed to work!

Imagine that. Xander muttered, looking around, Hey Herms?

How many times must I tell you not to call me that!?

Uh... at least another time, I guess. Xander shrugged, Look, you dont have any real
strong attachment to the twins or anything do you?

Hermione glanced at him askance, Why are you asking?

I should think that is obvious, Wednesday answered for him, Revenge.

Bingo.

Alexander Harris! You could get into trouble, and if you wanted revenge why not just tell
Professor Snape?

This isnt a matter for the teachers, Xander shrugged, Its between me and them. Its not
like they tried to murder me.

I hardly see what that has to do with anything, She huffed.

Hey, I stand on my own, Herms. Xander replied. Some things you just dont do, and run
to the teachers with every little problem is one of them.

I agree. Wednesday said calmly. What are you thinking?

Xander shrugged and frowned, I dont know yet. Ive pulled a few practicals in my life, but
nothing on the scale these two manage. Theyve got years of spell experience on me, and its
pretty obvious that theyre no slouches in the imagination department. I dont want to use the
old cliche stuff, even if I could figure out a way to pull it off, its just not that impressive
compared to some of the magic stuff they pull.

True. Wednesday acceded. They transfigured your robes, I assume?

Xander nodded, And charmed them , using some kind of trip wire trigger I think.

Really? Thats advanced runic magic, Hermione broke in, I dont think theyve learned
anything like that in class yet.

So theyre working ahead of the grade too, huh? Xander slumped a little. Great.

He glanced behind him at the books, Hey, I wonder if theres anything in here on practical
jokes?

Honestly, Xander, of course there isnt. This is a school library, Hermione said as Xander
got up and made his way to the shelves. I told you, theres nothing there.

Im just checking, Herms. Xander replied, wandering the bookshelves as the bushy haired
girl got up to follow him. Not even in the P section?

Oh honestly, this library is sectioned by category, not alphabetically. Hermione rolled her
eyes, Its a magical version of the Dewey Decimal System.

Xander blinked, then shook his head as he checked the titles and sighed, So Im guessing
theres no practical jokes section then, huh?

No there most certainly is NOT.

He nodded, Figures.

Xander made his way back toward Hermione, only to freeze as one of the books literally
jumped out and hit him on the head. OW!

Xander! Are you ok? Hermione rushed forward, wincing as Madame Pince made herself
known behind them with a harsh shhh.

Im fine. I just got attacked by a book, Xander scowled at the blank tome that had
clobbered him. Weird. Theres no title.

No title? Hermione took it from him, Let me see.

Hey!

She ignored him, frowning as she flipped it open, its empty.

Xander took it back, glaring at her, Empty.

Yes, empty, Mr Grabby. She scowled at him.

Look whos talking. Xander shook his head, then he frowned, What are you talking
about, its not empty.

He had opened it to the inside cover page and was quickly enthralled to see elegant text
appearing in cursive script.

The Scholastic Grimoire of...

Xander blinked when an animated image of a big black dog ran out into the page and started
barking at the words, scattering the letters across the page, then chased them away.

Xander, what?

Shhh... Xander said absently, not looking up as he walked back to the table he shared with
Hermione and Wednesday.

The dog had finished chasing the words away, then paused and seemed to *grin* at Xander
before jumping up and grabbing something out of the page with teeth and pulling down. Like
a shade being drawn a new title page appeared before Xanders eyes.

The Maleficeum Maraudette.

Xander blinked.

The words Sirius Black!!!! appeared in big black block letters, an image of a witch
running out onto the page with wand drawn, casting hexes at the dog as she ran him off, a
text bubble appearing above her as she seemed to scream at the dog, Stay out of our journal
you mangy mutt!.

This is like watching a bugs bunny cartoon, Xander grinned.

Hermione, who was now looking over his shoulder, frowned, Ive heard that name
somewhere before.

Xander didnt respond as the witch turned to him and sighed, shaking her head before
turning to wave her wand around. The dog induced title caught fire and burned away, to be
replaced by the original title, this time in its compete form.

The Scholastic Grimoire of Evans, Prewitt, and Black.

Then, below that, in smaller letters new words appeared and caused Xander to catch his
breath.

A guide to the Art of defensive pranking, or Marauding the Marauders.

Who do you suppose they are? Hermione asked from beside him.

I dont know, Xander admitted, Im pretty curious about why the book attacked me,
though.

Wednesday looked up, head tilted as she seemed to pay attention to them again. You were
attacked by a book?

Look! Hermione hissed, pointing to the book.

The page had turned on its own, and Xander began to read as words appeared.

If you have found this book, then you are in need of its contents. Within you will find all
our class notes from first year to NEWTS...

Xander winced as Hermione gasped in his ear.

However, having found and being able to read this book, it is likely the pages on defensive
pranking that are of most value to you. Having attended school for seven years with those
most annoying of pranksters, the Marauders, and with full knowledge that they have left
many of their own artifacts behind as they too finished their Hogwarts education, we of The
Coven have decided to seed this book for those who may yet suffer under the tyranny of a
Marauders Rule.

Xander blinked, looking at Hermione and then over at Wednesday. Im just going to go on
record now as saying that, while cool, Magic is pretty creepy sometimes.

Wednesday just shrugged, but Hermione nodded.

May I? Hermione asked this time, so Xander nodded and handed the book to her.

She accepted it, and began to pour over it, only to gasp a second later.

What?

Its blank!

Xander paled, he needed that book, and quickly took it back. He frowned, noting the writing
reappearing before his eyes.

For security purposes this book may only be read when being held by the person whos need
activated the charms. Be warned, use the knowledge within with great care. Any violation of
the tenants of The Coven will result in the rescinding of your right to use this tome and its
immediate return to its hiding place in the library.

Fascinating. Wednesday said, for the first time taking an active interest in the happenings.

Thats not right. Hermione huffed, crossing her arms as she slumped in the chair. Books
are for everyone.

Not this one, apparently. Xander said, flipping the pages.

Indeed. The charms work is extremely advanced, Wednesday added, In fact, I believe
that some of them are approaching Masters level.

Hermione reluctantly nodded in agreement, Shes right. Whoever these people are, theyre
really good at spells.

Cool. Xander breathed, then grinned, So... anyone up for a round of torture the twins?

Im in. Wednesday responded instantly, much to Hermiones horror.

Said horror only grew more pronounced as the dark child went on with a gleeful gleam in
her eyes, In fact, I have an idea for you already.

Oh yeah? Xander leaned forward, grinning wide.

His grin dropped a few moments later, and his expression slowly morphed to match
Hermiones as Wednesday laid out her idea. He and Hermione looked at each other, naked
fear warring with awe as they both shuddered.

Ah... maybe later, Xander said after a long moment, I dont think they deserve that just
yet.

Pity. Wednesday said with a shrug, then turned back to her book.

*****

The book made for pretty cool reading, in Xanders opinion. The three Witches who wrote it
had apparently been scarily smart, but they each had their own personality that the passages
they wrote were simply steeped in.

Evans, who seemed to be the ringleader of the Coven, was a Muggleborn witch whos skill
in charms and potions was obvious even to Xanders limited experience. Of course it helped
that he was only permitted to read the sections she had revised specifically for first year
students. She had been the one to enspell the Grimoire, though apparently this Sirius fellow
had somehow managed to sneak in some handy work of his own during the process as every
now and then a big black dog would show up and trash one of the lesson plans, apparently
just for the hell of it.

Prewitt, the second member of the Coven, was a mixed blood student apparently, or at least
thats what Xander through from the reading. She seemed to come from a pure blood family,
but often commented on how she didnt feel fully a part of the large extended family the
bloodline included. Her lesson plans and notes focused more on transfiguration and what she
called pre-arithmancy, which Xander was relieved to note was simple arithmetic with a
primer on mystical number theory.

Black, now there was a lady who had issues in Xanders opinion. He could only assume that
she was related to this Sirius fellow somehow, but she seemed to hold an aloof disdain for the
man whenever his influence made itself known. Her specialties were Curses, Hexes, and
Jinxes, along with an enormous section on Pure Blood traditions and culture, written with an
aim toward educating the unfortunate and ignorant victims of muggle society. Xander
thought she was mostly joking when she wrote stuff like that, since her two friends were
obviously not part of the traditions she was espousing, but it was hard to tell because Black
had the most reserved sense of humor of the three.

What Xander found really interesting, however, was the houses each belonged to.

That was right. Houses.

Evans was a Griff, Prewitt a Puff, and Black was Slytherin.

Now these three made sense.

*****

The Christmas break was rapidly approaching, and Xander would be relieved as hell when it
finally arrived. He wasnt sure what he was going to do with it, of course, but he just wanted
some time away from his own House.

He was, pretty much, officially persona non grata with the Snakes and had been since his
encounter with the twins and his subsequent refusal to give them up to Snape. So far as he
knew he was the ONLY Slytherin to have lost points from their Head of house, and as far as
the rest were concerned that meant he had committed that most heinous of crimes... disloyalty
to the house.

Since the rest of the school had no interest in getting to know a snake, that left Xander with
almost all his free time in the company of Wednesday or Hermione, or of course the few
other American students who held very little stock in the house systems.

Still, that meant that the only fun Xander seemed to have was in the library, studying.

It was enough to make him cry.

****

What are you two doing for the holidays?

Xander frowned at the question, not knowing the answer really. I dont know. I guess I
might go home, but Cali is a long way off.

By portkey its only a few seconds, Hermione informed him, her tone taking on that
superior sound it unfortunately tended to.

Yeah, Xander allowed, But international portkeys are pretty expensive, and I dont know
if my parents can afford it.

Salem Academy is covering those. Wednesday entered the conversation, her eyes piercing
into Xander as she looked up from her book.

Xander grimaced, looking down as he pretended to read from the Grimoire he had taken to
carrying around with him. Yeah... well.

Tell us.

The order in Wednesdays voice wasnt something Xander would ever have missed, even
though this girls version of Willows Resolve Face had little difference from her normal
face. He sighed, I dont much like the holidays with my folks.

The two just stared at him and Xander sighed again.

Look, I live my mom and dad, ok, but they arent the best company around the holidays.
They tend to... fight. A lot. He told them, surprised by his own calm tone and candor. I try
not to be around them much then.

Hermione looked horrified, but Wednesday merely nodded in acceptance of the facts.

Thats horrible!

Herms, its ok, Xander told her with a smile, Ill be fine.

Of course you will be, Wednesday said, Youll be coming home with me for the
holidays.

What!?

What??

Wednesday wasnt one to repeat herself, however, and she merely returned to her reading as
Xander and Hermione exchanged confused glances. Xander shook his head, deciding that
theyd talk about it later and moved to change the subject.

So, what are you working on, Herms?

Hermione stared at him for a moment, then looked over at the dark ravenclaw, then back at
Xander. Finally she shook herself and glanced down at her own stack of books.

Some personal research, She admitted. Im trying to find some information on Nicholas
Flamel.

Oh? Whos he? Xander asked, glancing over.

Im not certain, thats part of the problem. Hermione admitted.

Hes an Alchemist. Wednesday said, not looking up. A Master Alchemist, to be
specific.

They both glanced over at her, Hermiones jaw dropping open. Howd you know that?

Ive read some of his published works, Wednesday shrugged, looking up again.

I havent found anything in any of the lists! Hermione blurted, then flinched as she looked
around for Madame Pince.

Wednesday gazed at her evenly, Im not surprised. They prune those lists after a century
and a half. Flamels work was all published over two hundred years ago.

Hermione looked disappointed, which piqued Xanders curiosity. Oh, I didnt know he was
dead.

Hes not.

Now Xander shifted his attention completely over to Wednesday, as did Hermione.

What? But he must be, to have published masters work over two hundred years ago... She
trailed off, obviously at sea.

Flamel is the creator of the Philosophers Stone, Wednesday replied calmly, though
Xander noticed a faint look of distaste appear on her face.

That seemed to click something in Hermione, however, as her eyes lit right up.

Of course! That explains everything! She said, as if it really did, Wednesday, I could kiss
you!

The dark child merely looked at her evenly, You will not.

Hermione apparently didnt notice, however, as she threw all her books into her bag and
then grabbed Wednesday up in a tight hug. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Then she grabbed her bag and bolted from the library.

Well... Xander grinned, highly amused.

If you value your life and sanity, you will NOT repeat any of that to another soul.
Wednesday informed him in a chilly tone.

Xander threw up his hands, What? Me?

She glared at him for a moment, then turned back to her books.

He chuckled, then went back to reading his own.

*****

The last couple weeks to Christmas passed quickly, and Xander found himself feeling a
little off as everyone prepared to make the most of their holidays. Hed forgotten about
Wednesdays declaration, right up until the day the students were leaving for their vacations
and the Addamses appeared in the Great Hall during lunch.

Wednesday, love, how have you been? Morticia asked, sweeping across the floor in her
graceful, almost motionless step.

Ive been fine, mother.

And have you made many friends?

Xander shot a glare at the Ravenclaw table as several snorted derisively. He made careful
note who, for future reference.

As he was finishing that, he was surprised to be greeted by Mr Addams.

Ah, Alexander old bean, how are things?

Theyre fine, Sir.

Tsk, none of that, call me Gomez. Gomez grinned, I understand youre coming with us
for the holidays?

Xander blinked, I am?

Excellent! Weve procured a fabulous home on the Continent just for the occasion,
Gomez said enthusiastically, ignoring or missing the question in Xanders voice.

Uh...

Youll love it, Im sure. Its a wonderfully gloomy old castle in the Romanian hills,
Gomez went on, fantastic history there, I tell you. Blood letting rituals, sacrificial
ceremonies, massacres... all the holiday festivities.

Xander just stared for a moment as several of the Slytherins around him paled or simply
looked confused. Uh, Sir?

Now now, Alexander, what did I tell you?

Uh... Gomez?

Excellent, now what is it?

Im going to spend the holidays with you? Xander asked, uncertainly.

Certainly, Wednesday told us all about it. Weve arranged everything, contacted your
parents and all that, Gomez waved his hand airily.

Indeed they have.

Xander turned to see Headmaster Dumbledore approach, smiling serenely. Really sir?

The old man nodded, Everything has been signed off on, I thought you knew?

Uh... I guess I did, but I didnt think she was serious. Xander admitted.

Ah, Dumbledore smiled a bit more, eyes dancing merrily. Apparently she was indeed.
Why dont you go get your things so you dont hold up the Addamses.

Xander nodded, then ran off, not noticing the paleness of the professors seated at the head
table, or the look of real fear in the eyes of one Severus Snape.

****
Back to index
****

The portkey to romania left Xander in the dirt once again, dizzy as hell and trying to figure
out why he couldnt keep his balance through a simple transport.

Good lord, lad, what are you doing on the ground? Gomez asked, leaning over slightly.

He likes it down there. Wednesday said blankly before stepping over Xander to look at
the castle.

Really? How peculiar. Gomez shrugged, writing it off as a rather strange eccentricity, and
moving on.

Xander sighed, closing his eyes and counting to three quickly before climbing to his feet.

He rose up, looking around, and swallowed hard as he turned rather pale. He supposed that
he shouldnt be surprised, given what he knew of Wednesdays proclivities, but the castle
was... well, creepy was simple the only way to say it. It rose up from bare stone, so black it
seemed made of obsidian, and the spires were actually covered in dark clouds.

It simply had to be haunted, though that wasnt much of a deterrence any more now that he
thought of it.

Gomez! About time you got here!

Fester, dear boy, how is the place?

Fantastic! The bald man said, grinning wide enough to split his face. Gram-mama
already setup the kitchen and is brewing the stew now.

Ah, most excellent. Oh, I am forgetting my manners, Gomez clapped Fester on the back
and turned around, This strapping young lad is Alexander Harris, a school chum of
Wednesdays.

Xander froze as the bald man grinned at him, the smile seriously freaky, and then walked
over.

Any friend of Wednesdays is a friend of mine, Alexander, The man said, clapping an arm
around Xanders shoulders as he turned back to the castle. Come on, come on, we have
things to do, a holiday to plan. Say, do you like explosives?

****

Narcissa Malfoy frowned slightly as she glanced at her bookshelf.

<Odd. That looks like...> She trailed off, reaching for the slightly glowing book and drawing
it out.

Her copy of the old school grimoire had been activated. The Malfoy matriarch raised an
eyebrow and flipped it open, scowling as the little fight between the title page and Sirius
additions played out. Honestly, Sirius had been such a child.

She settled down in the chair of her study and flipped the book open to the most recently
accessed pages, smiling slightly as she noted the first year spells that had been displayed.
<Someones looking for a little pranking payback. Against who, I wonder?>

She glanced over the notes and lessons carefully, noting that some of them were obsolete,
and noted in the newer techniques. A sad feeling came over her as she did so, knowing that
she was the only person currently alive who would, or could, do what she was doing. Poor
Lily and Alice...

She forced away the raw feeling in her gut, knowing that it would be detrimental to her
lifestyle, and perhaps life, to let it continue. That said, she found herself smiling again as she
reviewed the notes and lesson answers the current owner of the schools copy of the grimoire
had filled in.

<Not bad, whoever you are,> She thought, correcting the answers and making suggestions.

She didnt know who held the book, but they had a decent mind for a first year. Not
brilliant, but imaginative and creative both, which would serve them well. It was beyond
hope that it had been Draco who had inherited the book, unfortunately, as she knew that her
son for all his talents was neither imaginative nor creative. He was a pale copy of his father, a
fact that Narcissa hated but could see no way around.

<Hmmm... Draco will be home soon, I wonder how his school year has gone?> She thought
to herself, closing the book but leaving it on her desk.

It was nice to have a connection to her old life again, even if it was a tenuous link to the past
through an unknown member of the present.

****

The first meal of the holidays could have gone better.

He could have been able to eat it, for one thing.

Xander had sat down at the table as the stew was served, the eerie steam flowing from the
bowls like some dry ice concoction on a bad tv series. He swallowed as a bowl was set in
front of him, and dipped a spoon in, then nearly jumped out of his skin as something grabbed
the spoon and yanked it out of his hand.

Whoa!

Down! Down! The old woman snarled, whipping a knife out of nowhere and stabbing it
into his bowl. After a moment she stopped, sniffed the air lightly, and nodded. Perfect.

Indeed it is, Gram-mama! Gomez grinned, smacking his lips. Youve outdone yourself
again!

Xander stared at his bowl with wide eyes, <This was outdoing herself? What the hell does
she usually make?>

He didnt say anything aloud, though, knowing from his time at Willows that the guest
should always be polite, and vice versa. That said, he didnt see any way out of a little
rudeness here. There was no WAY he was eating something that had to be fought with while
at the dinner table.

Unfortunately it didnt take long for someone to notice his lack of enthusiasm for the meal.

Something wrong, Xander? Fester asked, having taken a bit of a shine to the quiet young
man who, like almost all young men, loved anything that went boom.

Uh... Xander trailed off, finding himself in a serious jam.

Should he keep quiet and look for something else to eat later? He wasnt sure how far they
were from town, but if the castle was rented out to wizarding folk he might be able to find a
floo link, and hopefully work out how to use it. Buy that would really suck for the entire
holidays, to say the least, since he had a sinking feeling that this was normal food for
Wednesdays family.

A strange thought popped into his head then, and he looked over at Wednesday with wide
eyes.

How do you eat at school?

Xanders eyes widened even more as everyone turned to look at him, and he wished he had
his mouth stapled shut.

Uh, I mean, if this is the kind of food youre used to then school food must be kinda weird,
right? Xander found himself babbling, Cause I find this weird, I mean I dont eat food that
fights back and if you do than the school feasts have to be strange cause theyre all normal
food...

Xander paled, I mean normal for us, not that this isnt normal... I... that is, ok Im shutting
up now.

Morticia and Gomez glanced at each other blankly, then Eudora Addams pouted.

You dont like my cooking? But you havent tried it.

I... I... Xander swallowed, then went for broke with the truth. I dont think I can.

Why ever not? Gomez blurted, shocked.

Morticia sighed, Gomez, love, its poor conditioning.

What? Absurd, who would condition a young lad to not eat good food!?

Morticia smiled, caressing her husbands cheek. Oh, mon coer, you are so naive, but I love
you for it.

Tish! Thats french!

Later, darling. Mortisha calmly dodged his attentions, then turned back to Xander. We
will see what we can do about meals, Alexander. I understand that something completely new
is not easy to adjust to.

Uh, thank you Maam.

She smiled briefly at him, then made a point of returning to her meal. Slowly the rest of the
family followed suit.

Pugsley Addams shoveled food in for a few moments, then nudged his sister. Your friend
is weird.

She shot him a dark glance, but the one he received from his mother was far darker, and the
chubby young boy paled and quickly ducked his head again as he began to eat furiously to
hide from his mothers glare.

The uncomfortable silence stretched on for a few minutes, then finally Fester broke it, So
Gomez, did you get your trains set up?

*****

Narcissa watched as her son stepped off the train, feeling an odd combination of pride,
chagrin, and shame. It was one she was familiar with, unfortunately.

Her son was in many ways the perfect epitome of a pureblood scion.

Unfortunately, he was also most of the things she had despised in her youth. Arrogant
without cause, which was her and Lucius fault, she knew. He knew what he had to know to
navigate the treachery of high society, but his fathers money and power had gone to the
boys head. He should know to be cautious, but the protection his family name gave him had
given Draco some of the very worst attributes of a pureblooded gryffindor.

She sighed and smiled wanly as he approached, strutting toward her with confidence she
knew he had yet to earn the rights to.

How was school, Draco? She asked as she guided him away, eyes sweeping the platform
for anything of interest, or any threats of note as he spoke.

There was precious little of interest, but Narcissa spotted three of Lucius political rivals
following them both with their eyes. She surreptitiously laid a hand on her wand and quickly
guided Draco clear of the platform. Once they reached the apparition point she tightened her
grip on him and with a crack they were gone.

The two appeared at Malfoy Manor instants later, and Draco immediately broke clear of his
mothers grip.

Is father home?

I believe he is in his study.

Thank you, mother. Draco said before running off in that direction.

She sighed as he left, and once more thought about the book on the desk in her own study.

How very far she had come from the young woman who had a part in writing that little
piece of magical history. So very far, and yet she felt as if she hadnt taken a single step
forward.

Life enjoyed its cruel jokes almost as much as the Marauders enjoyed theirs it seemed.

Life, however, didnt seem interested in making up for its cruelty. That was something
even the Marauders had strove to do, in the end.

****

Xander sighed, fairly contended with his meal. Theyd had to floo in for takeout, but at least
the food was cooked and didnt give off noxious vapors. He made his way though the old
castle, more than a little disturbed by it but also incredibly interested. This was the second
castle hed ever seen, and was as unlike Hogwarts as Hogwarts was unlike his school back
home.

The Addams, true to expectations, seemed to like things gloomy and more than a little on
the spooky side. Not really Xanders taste, but hed learned enough to be pretty sure that he
was safe here, and so was doing his best not to let it get to him. Morticia and Gomez had
made it clear that he had full run of the castle with none of the restrictions hed come to
expect, and that was more than a little liberating, almost a heady feel really.

He had moved from one of the wide halls to a new room when a swishing sound through the
air caused him to half turn just in time to see a knife thunk solidly into the door he had just
opened.

Drat! Fester yelled, no fair, he opened the door!

Xander crossed his eyes, looking at the knife, then slowly looked back to where Fester,
Pugsley, and Wednesday were standing, more knives in hand.

Uh... He trailed off, really having nothing to say beyond that.

Do close the door, Xander, Wednesday suggested, Were playing a game.

Xander nodded slowly, and let the door close, only to jump again when he spotted a person
trussed up against the wall behind the door, with blades jammed into the wall all around him.
The man had wide eyes as he moaned against a gag that had been stuffed into his mouth.

Move aside, Xander, Pugsley called, its my turn.

Uh... Xander blinked, looking at the guy who was shaking and screaming and obviously
trying to get loose. Whos the target?

Salesman. Wednesday said blandly.

Oh, Xander said, stepping out of the way.

Another knife swished through he air, thunking into the wall between the guys legs. Xander
shuddered, but didnt say anything else as he moved up beside the trio as Wednesday lined up
for her shot.

Youre not actually going to hit him, are you? Xander only half asked.

Truthfully, he already had a feel for Wednesday, and was pretty sure that she wouldnt be
part of actually killing the poor bastard. Scaring him to death, followed by a resuscitation,
that was possible. After he asked, she merely leveled a look at him that Xander interpreted as
her of course not, you moron look.

Xander just nodded, stepping away from her as she drew back and let fly. The blade spun
through the air and thunked into the wall only a hairs breadth from the salesmans head,
actually slicing several strands of the mans hair from his skull and letting them float to the
ground.

His eyes rolled up into his head, and he slumped in his bonds.

Oh POO! He fainted. You win again, Wednesday. Fester pouted, tossing his remaining
knives aside.

Nuts. Pugsley grumbled, I was sure the groin shot would do it.

You guys do this often?

Only with salesmen and Jehovas Witnesses, Fester said cheerfully. Theyre the only two
groups stupid enough not to take the hint.

Indeed. Wednesday said in her bland tone, We use less trying methods for other groups,
otherwise wed never have any visitors... or victims.

Xander walked over, eyeing the knives and their proximity to the body. You ever miss?

Fester bridled at the questions, What? You take us for amateurs!?

Wednesday and I have been throwing knives since we were four, Pugsley said proudly,
grinning wide. We hardly ever miss... anymore.

Xander shuddered, but nodded. What do you do with them now?

Fester shrugged, cut him down and leave him in Gomez study. Hell wake up with a cigar
in one hand, bourbon in the other, and a sales contract for everything hes selling.

Xander broke down laughing.

*****

The Christmas vacation went along in a surprisingly normal manner after that, at least
relative to Xanders recent experiences. It was surprising how much he found he could take in
stride without totally freaking out now that hed actually lived in a haunted castle for a few
months. Honestly, he found that the Addamses werent much wierder than, say, Headmaster
Dumbledore or any of the other adults hed recently dealt with.

They had strange ideas, true, but Xander quickly found that they was to not panic. Just take
it in stride, because they seemed genuinely friendly and while they enjoyed things most
would consider creepy at a minimum, or downright lethal, they never actually endangered
themselves or anyone else.

It took him getting blown up by Fester to figure that one out, mind you.

*****

Narcissa Malfoy frowned, genuinely puzzled as she read the notes in the Grimoire. The
unknown student had taken it with him on vacation, and there was a rather bizarre change in
his responses to the basic quizzes she had setup with Lily for Charms and Defence.

For some reason they had suddenly centered around some particularly violent scenarios,
including being caught in the premature detonation of something called... dynamite.

The Lady Malfoy found herself furthering her own education as she researched just what
this Dynamite was, and what its effects were. The answer, to her chagrin, was located in A
Wizards Guide to Muggles.

Dynamite (Noun) - A Muggle contraption used in the place of Reductor Charms, primarily
for construction or demolition purposes. Please note, while it may appear to be a slightly over
thick wand it is NOT advised to attempt to use it as such. Magical conductance is minimal,
however some magics have been known to prematurely detonate a wand of dynamite. Place
appropriate shield charms on yourself and any nearby persons before playing with this
muggle device. (See Appendix D, Safety Charms for Handling Explosives and Appendix X,
Accidental Deaths due to misuse of Muggle Artifacts)

<Dear lord. What on Earth is a first year doing playing with muggle reductor equivalents?>
Narcissa shook her head, wondering if she was dealing with a Muggleborn, or perhaps a half
blood? She shrugged it off and decided that it didnt matter. She, Lily, and Alice had their
disagreements on the importance of blood, but they had all sworn to treat those who asked for
aid from the Coven equally.

She drew out her master copy again and noted the shield charms from the book, copying
them down into the answers and suggestions sections. Hopefully the child would at least get
the idea that playing with such toys was dangerous until one could cast the appropriate
charms.

****

Are your family all wizards? Xander asked, looking up from his book to where
Wednesday was studying some of her own.

Wednesday looked up at him slowly, eyes cooly appraising him in that way she commonly
did. Why do you ask?

Well, I dont see any wands, but Im pretty sure that Fester used a basic concussion shield
charm on us yesterday right before the dynamite blew up in our faces. Xander replied,
twisting his book around to show her the section.

The dark girl leaned forward and examined the section carefully.

Interesting. She said after a moment, To answer your question, no. Im the first Witch,
but the definition of wizarding culture, in several generations. Addamses have a great deal of
latent magical energy, however.

I believe that. Xander replied dryly.

She cast him an cool glance, but didnt respond to the comment as she went on, Addams
Matriarchs have long been guiding the family bloodline, and the results are wide ranging.
Some wandless magic has become quite common, mostly centering around defensive
casting.

Cool. Xander said, nodding.

I believe Uncle Fester learned that charm from Great Aunt Milsol, Wednesday went on,
Who was a Witch. She married into the family in 1877 to Great Uncle Quirke. She was
something more of a Potions Mistress, though. Gram-mama apprenticed under Milsol,
actually.

Your Gram-mama knows potions? Xander looked up, interested.

Wednesday nodded, Of course. Eudora Addams is one of the foremost Mistresses in the
field, though she writes most of her articles under her maiden name.

Oh? Why? Xander asked, though he figured it out a moment later when he thought about
how everyone seemed to react badly to the Addams name.

Most of the Journals that deal in Potions theory only want to deal in... The girl shuddered,
*light* potions. Gram-mama insists on protecting the Addams name from such
perversions.

Xander was learning that he really shouldnt take anything on first impressions when it
came to Wednesday or her family.

****

Christmas came quickly, and despite the increasingly gruesome atmosphere, Xander found
himself enjoying himself. It was pretty strange to be seeing what he would consider
Halloween being mixed with Christmas, but the more he was around the family the more he
saw it as just who they were.

It was kind of fun too, he quickly found, in a novel way.

They never yelled, at least not in anger, and that alone made it one of the better holidays
Xander had enjoyed. He and Fenrir found themselves thoroughly enjoying the castle, and the
large grounds outside, often spending their days running with Wednesday and Pugsley,
exploring the hills and the castle alike, and more often than not finding things that sent chills
down Xanders spine.

It was only the total positive glee the other two took in locating dangerous snakes and
spiders that kept Xander from bolting for his life half the time. It quickly became a point of
pride that he could stand anywhere NEAR those two when their eyes shone with that unholy
light that told him theyd located something really disturbing.

Christmas day came quickly and Xander found a pile of gifts under the tree with his name
on them. Some gaily wrapped, much to the Addams clear disgust, and some more fitting with
the local decor. Xander didnt have to guess which ones were from which parts of his life.

Wednesday got a whole slew of potions ingredients, including a few that Xander was pretty
sure were so rare as to be nearly impossible to find. He was surprised when she, Pugsley, and
himself all received brooms, American model Stratus Comfort Brooms.

Wow... Xander said, his quiet awe drowned out by Pugsleys yelp of glee. He looked up
at the two Addams whos names had been on the package. I dont know, I mean... this is
too much.

Nonsense. Gomez said airily, waving his cigar around. Top quality brooms are important
in the magical culture. These are good training models, well get you all racing brooms next
year if you learn to handle these well.

We will, we promise! Pugsley yelled, still grinning.

Xander smiled, I... Well, Im going to learn, for sure. I dont think were allowed brooms at
school these year, though.

Bah, what are rules for if not to be broken, Gomez grinned, The answer to that problem
is simple, right Wednesday?

The dark girl merely smiled *slightly*.

Of course, Father. She said, running her hand over the dark wood of the broom, one finger
lightly tracing the chrome plate on the forward edge, Dont get caught.

Precisely!

Xander grinned, as weird as the Addamses were, they were fun to be around once you
started to get used to their unique views of life.

*****
Back to index
*****

The rest of the holidays passed quickly, and as with every holiday Xander could remember,
ended abruptly with him heading back to school. It wasnt so bad this time, though, cause he
had to admit his classes were hilarious, if not outright fun, and the subject matter was almost
universally of interest to him.

The portkey brought them back to Hogsmeade a couple days before classes were to start,
and Mr Addams escorted them through the wards to the main gate.

Distasteful things. He said, glaring up as they approached the castle.

Whats that, Sir?

The wards. Theyre clearly racist.

Xander frowned, I thought they only kept out dark creatures?

Precisely! Gomez fumed, What if some poor werewolf or vampire wanted to attend
classes? Its discriminating, I tell you.

Xander frowned, but nodded dutifully, more because he knew that would satisfy Gomez
rather than in agreement. The Addamses had certainly given him a lot to think about, but he
just didnt know enough to say anything.

At the gates they were met by Argus Filch, who was as always grumbling about being at the
beck and call of the brats who plagued the castle.

Back in my day they let us string up the little runts who caused trouble, He muttered
darkly, quiet enough to expect to go unheard, but thats not how it went.

Capital idea, old man! Gomez clapped Argus Filch on the back, shocking the sour faced
old man into silence. Nothing like some decent recreation to break up the scholastic
doldrums!

They dont let us play with the torture equipment here, Wednesday sighed.

What!? Why ever not?? Gomez blurted, honestly shocked.

Its not considered wholesome.

Gomez stopped in mid-step, looking at his daughter with horror in his eyes. What?
Nonsense!! What could be more wholesome than children playing!?

By this point even Argus was staring at Gomez like he was some kind of strange creature
from another world. Wednesday just sighed, Its alright, Father.

By George it is NOT! Gomez raised his voice, attracting attention from down the hall. I
wont have it! Children should be children, and whats more childish than a spot of torture
now and then?

A soft chuckle announced the arrival of another person, and they all looked over to see the
white haired Headmaster approach.

A quite fantastic way of putting things, Mr Addams. Dumbledore said, his tone warm and
amused.

It is!? Filch blurted, his tone horrified, though whether it was by Addams statement or
the idea of children playing with his collection of torture implements, no one could tell.

Indeed. However, Im afraid that the board of governors would look askance on our
permitting the children to inflict harm on one another. Dumbledore said.

Its an outrage, Sir. Gomez grumbled, How are they supposed to learn?

That gave Dumbledore pause, and he blinked as he looked at the Addams Patriarch. Learn?
Learn what pray tell?

Why, the fundamentals of course! How to ride that exquisite line of pain in order to keep
your victim alive and focused without blurring the experience!? How to properly maintain
your tools... Rusty manacles are asking for all sorts of problems in the dungeon... and what
about...

Father, Wednesday cut in, drawing the attention of all the adults, as well as Xander.
Thats what home study is for.

That took the wind out of Gomez sails, but actually caused Dumbledore to blanche slightly
at the little girl who had so calmly made such a statement.

Gomez, however, just sighed. Of course, youre right, Wednesday darling. I just hate to see
children so disadvantaged.

Having spent the holidays with the family, Xander had become desensitized to the often
bizarre trains of thought they all seemed to follow, the others in the area didnt however, and
the pale faces and shocked looks almost had him laughing out loud at the entire group.

Uh, yes well, we must all endure. Dumbledore managed to get out in a strangled voice.

Too true. Gomez nodded sadly, putting and arm across the old wizards shoulders as he
patted the Headmasters back in commiseration. It seems our lot in life to see inequity
ravage our worlds children.

As everyone stared Gomez just shrugged and turned back to Wednesday, Are you certain
youll be alright here?

Wednesday merely nodded, Of course, Father.

Gomez nodded and sighed, very well. Ill be off then, owl me if you need anything.

I will, Father.

Gomez turned to Xander then, And the same to you, young man. It was a pleasure to have
you with us for the holidays.

Xander, now used to the familys sense of formality smiled slightly and half bowed. It was
my pleasure, Sir. Thank you for having me.

Anytime.

With that, Gomez Addams turned and strode out of the school, leaving gaping figures in his
wake.

Xander exchanged a glance with Wednesday, noting the hidden smile in her eyes, and
wondered just how oblivious to other peoples morals she and her family really were.

****

Slytherin house was pretty quiet when Xander made his way in, most of the house still at
home for the holidays as far as he knew. That left Xander with the time to carefully stash his
new broom under his bed, carefully sandwiched between some random stuff that should hold
no interest to any snoopers. It wasnt the best security, but it would do.

For the moment his concern was actually the twins, and how to appropriately return the
experience they had favored him with. It was going to take some heavy duty planning, and a
lot of study. Now, normally that would have been enough to send him packing, but this was
one time that study was actually fun.

Xander really didnt understand how anyone could NOT love most of the assignments they
were given. Making things fly? Changing some things shape? Every class was an experience
in comic book goodness brought to life. Oh, it wasnt always easy, for sure but he was willing
to endure in exchange for the ability to shift his shape, turn invisible, and fly around at better
than a hundred miles an hour on a fricken broomstick.

Nailing the twins, however, was going to take some tricks well beyond his year and skill.

Xander sighed, opening up the Grimoire and moved on to the next step in transfiguration
techniques.

*****

Narcissa Malfoy frowned softly as she read over the notes made in the Grimoire. The person
on the other end of the book was focusing heavily on transfiguration so far, and she wondered
if it was because this was his or her passion, or if they had a plan.

Draco, honey, She glanced over to where her son was playing a game of wizard chess
against the magical board. Tell me about Hogwarts today.

Hmm? Draco glanced up as one of his knights eviscerated the opposing Bishop. What do
you want to know?

When I was there we had to deal with a group calling themselves the Marauders, Narcissa
said pensively, They styled themselves as pranksters supreme, is there anyone like that?

Draco snorted, The Weasley Twins. Theyre always causing trouble, usually picking on
Slytherins.

Oh?

Yeah. Draco said, distracted by his game. They got one of ours just a little while before
the holidays, though I think it was by accident.

Why do you think that?

I think they were aiming for the Slytherin Quidditch players, Draco said, but they got a
first year instead. He refused to give them up to Snape, though. The professor was furious.

Ah.

Narcissa expected that was an understatement, knowing her sons godfathers proclivities.
How Dumbledore had managed to get him installed as a Potions professor still utterly
boggled her mind, even with Lucius pulling strings on the board.

Draco didnt look up from the board as he continued, Harris stuck to his wand though,
wouldnt give them up for some reason.

Narcissa straightened slightly, looking at her son sharply. Did you say Harris?

Yeah, Alexander something Harris. He goes by the ludicrous nickname Xander.

Is he of the Harris line? Narcissa asked bluntly.

Draco frowned, What Harris line?

The Harris Family is a very old pure blood line, Draco. I had thought they had died out
ages ago.

Draco shrugged, I dont know. I cant imagine him being of any important bloodline,
mother, hes a colonial.

The Americas or Australia? Narcissa asked sharply.

Uh, America. Why?

Many of the Australian families are descended from families that sent their black sheep
members away as punishment. Most of those were stricken from the family line before being
packed away on the ships. Narcissa explained, The Americas were populated primarily by
those who chose to leave, some were stricken from the lists anyway, but many were not.

So Harris might be a family Heir? Draco blinked.

Its possible. Im sure gringotts still maintains the vaults for the old families.

Why would they do that?

Family lines go dormant quite often, particularly in the wizarding world, Draco. She told
him, Squib descendants cant claim a vault, but if they have magical children then those may
come forward. Additionally many of the old families, most in fact, are patriarchal. It can take
several generations before a magical male heir comes forward by times.

Draco snorted, So Harris might be rich?

Narcissa shook her head, Unlikely. Most of the old vaults would have been stripped by
their last heirs, or their inheritors. The vaults themselves, however, are contracted to the
family line.

An empty vault? What good is that? Draco rolled his eyes.

Narcissa permitted herself an expression that bordered on both a smile and a frown. Draco,
please, put some thought into it.

Draco blinked, looking taken aback, then frowned. Only an heir can claim a vault... would
there be other things in the vault?

Narcissa smiled very slightly, Precisely. There may well be, though its hard to say. Of
course, unless he is quite wealthy, an heir could well bankrupt himself trying to claim it.

Why?

Goblins, Draco, dont stop charging Vault fees simply because a vault is empty you know.
Narcissa shrugged, On a particularly old vault one might find the fees associated with
claiming it to be... quite significant.

Draco blinked, then shuddered. Filthy sub creatures. They should have been wiped out ages
ago.

Narcissa sighed, but said nothing further on the matter. Lucius had infected her son with his
attitude and, worse, neither showed the slightest aptitude of being able to HIDE their internal
prejudices. It would get her son in trouble some day, but she couldnt seem to impress on him
the importance of diplomacy.

It was terribly frustrating.

****

He almost had it.

What he had, he wasnt sure yet, but Xander was certain that he almost had it.

The plan to get back at the twins was still percolating, but slowly it had begun to firm up
into something he could really begin to work on. The first step had been the concept, which
had been easy. The twins themselves gave him the biggest part of that, Xander was an eye for
an eye kind of person. The next step was the hardest, the prep work, but he had an idea for
that.

Delivery and Execution, it turned out, would be almost as easy as concept.

The Grimoire was the key to it all, Xander found, when he read one of the sections
describing how the Marauders got away with many of their pranks. A couple days after
arriving back to school, Xander made his first appearance in the Hogwarts kitchens.

****

Yes, young Sir, cans we be helping you?

Xander shifted nervously, looking around, Uh... yeah, I was wondering if I could get a
snack?

The funny looking little fellow practically shuddered in glee, nodding instantly. Certainly,
young master, what would you likes?

Uh... a sandwich? Xander blinked, surprised that it was that easy, despite what the
grimoire had to say on the matter.

The elf quickly belted out a long selection list, and Xander asked for roast beef, then it was
off like a flash as the little fellow built a sandwich, literally, on the fly. When it came back,
large plate of food and a large mug of pumpkin juice in hand, Xander could see how
incredibly happy the little fellow was to be of help.

Um, Xander took a bite, then smiled, Great food, thanks.

The little elf twitched again, sighing in pleasure, then bounced up and down. Mikey is
pleased to help, anytime, young master.

Uh, how come you guys dont show yourselves anyway? Xander asked, leaning against
the wall as he ate.

Oh, school elves is not allowed to show themselves to students, Sir.

Xander blinked, But what about... now?

Mikey did not show himself to young master, young master showed himself to Mikey.
The Elf explained patiently.

Xander nodded, hed guessed that it was something like that from the description in the
book. The rules were there, and were ironclad, but the iron seemed to have rusted through in
more than a few spots. Say, uh, Mikey, could you help me out? I was wondering where they
did the laundry?

Oh, Laundry elves handle that, Sir. Mikey show you.

And the elf proceeded to do just that, leading Xander through the back rooms and
passageways of Hogwarts as he made mental notes and tried not to get lost all the while
listening the the elf babble on in its odd way of speaking.

The grimoire was right, he found quickly, the elves were the key to Hogwarts.

They ran everything, from what Xander could tell, controlled everything from behind the
scenes. Food, laundry, most cleaning, hell Xander was honestly trying to figure out what
Filch did other than catch students who were out of bounds. Of course, it was possible that
was his entire job.

When the tour was finished, and Xander had stopped asking questions, he thanked the elves
profusely and made his way back to the Slytherin common room.

One obstacle down, one more to go.

*****

The students arrival back at Hogwarts was a big deal, with food and a lot of merry chatter
filling the great hall as people shared stories of their holidays. Xander considered doing just
that, but somehow playing torture with Wednesday seemed creepy even to him now that he
wasnt surrounded by the Addamses twenty four hours a day.

They had a cool yet creepy effect on people, Xander decided.

He smiled to Hermione as she walked past the table, heading for the Gryffindor seating,
earning himself a smile in return. Draco Malfoy, on his right, however sneered at her and
then glared over at Xander.

Why are you smiling at the mudblood, Harris??

Xander glanced over at the blond boy, Why not?

Draco paused, seeming to look for a response, Because shes a mudblood!

Which means what? Xander asked, shrugging.

Shes not a pureblood, you idiot.

Im still trying to see why that matters.

Draco was slowly turning a rather disturbing shade of pink at Xanders continued oblivious
stance. He could handle someone attacking him back, but how was he supposed to handle
someone who didnt even acknowledge that his point of view had any validity?

Shes beneath us! Draco blurted, not noticing that he had unconsciously referred to
Xander as a pureblood, one of his own in effect.

So... youre argument is based on the assumption that were better than she is? Xander
replied.

Of course.

Ok. Prove it.

Draco blinked again. What?

Prove it. What makes you better?

Im a pureblood!

Uh... ok, what makes a pureblood better?

Uh... Draco stammered, thinking furiously. He couldnt actually think of any examples,
but that was just the fact that he was being put on the spot, of course. His father had talked
about how inferior mudbloods were all his life, so there had to be some examples in there.

Shes one of the smartest students in the school, Xander said calmly, Ok... shes a bit of a
know it all, really, but thats cause shes nervous a lot. Ive got a friend back home whos the
same way. Magically, she seems to be at least equal to the average, I mean shes not the
strongest but shes not the weakest either. Right?

Draco found himself nodding, almost against his will. It was true enough, he supposed.

So why is she beneath us? Xander asked, unknowingly cementing the opinions of
everyone around him that he must be a pureblood from the colonies.

Im a Malfoy. Draco ground out.

Xander frowned, wondering what that had to do with it, but remembered some of his classes
so far. Ah. Nobility, right?

Daphne Greengrass snickered.

Draco just turned redder, fuming.

What? Xander looked confused.

The Malfoys arent nobility. Theyre a merchant family. Daphne said after a moments
indecision.

Ah, well Hermiones family are dentists. Thats a type of healer, Xander said, in Muggle
terms theyre very respected and very well paid... well, ok, not so much on the respected. No
one likes dentists, he finished with a grin.

Some of the table looked curious, but it was Daphne who asked. Why?

They do specialized healing of the teeth, it can hurt and it really sucks to have anyone
poking around in your mouth for a couple hours. Xander replied, grinning.

Barbarians. Malfoy said with a sneer.

Xander shrugged, having had this conversation with Hermione some time ago. They dont
have potions and charms, so they do things their own way. It works, though not as good as
the right healing charm. The point is, they are rather well respected despite my earlier joke,
and are pretty comfortable when it comes to money.

But theyre not magical. Draco said, trumping the conversation.

No, but Hermione is. Xander returned. So what makes her worse than you?

Draco redoubled his glare, but honestly Xander didnt give a damn. Hed been glared at by
kids and adults his entire life, usually for doing just what he was doing here and now. At least
so far it was just talking, though Xander supposed that had as much to do with it being in the
middle of the Great Hall during meal time.

Tell you what, take your time, come up with a reason or two, and well do this again.
Xander said after a moment, smirking perhaps a little too childishly for his own good. In the
meantime, lets eat.

Draco glared at him for several minutes, then spent the rest of the meal shooting death
glares alternatively at Xander and Hermione. Xander just tried to ignore him, at least the boy
wasnt insulting his friends for now.

He didnt notice Daphne Greengrass eying him with a curious air during the rest of the
meal.

****

That night Xander moved into the next step in his plan, code named Operation : Twin
Humiliation.

This time it involved making his way to the Slytherin common room and finding someone
specific. He lucked out, noticing that she was alone and reading in a corner, and quickly
made his way over to her.

Hey.

The seventh year lowered her book, her garishly pink hair practically qualifying as a stunner
spell.

Wotcher.

I need help. Xander said, taking a breath.

She snorted, Do your own homework, midget.

Not that kind of help. Xander forced a smile. Ive got a plan to take the twins down a
peg. Youre the best in your year in transfiguration, right?

Her hair cycled colors for a moment, then she smirked, Comes naturally, you might say.
You think a midget like you can take on the twins?

Hear me out, then decide. Deal? Xander said, extending his hand.

She laughed, and took his hand. Deal. Call me Tonks, midget.

The name is Xander, Tonks. Xander grinned, Heres the plan...

*****
Back to index
*****

With things set up, Xander just had to decide on timing.

That, however, was proving trickier than expected to decide on. The twins, like the rest of
the Gryff Quidditch team, were barely around for classes as the team Captain poured on the
practice sessions like some kind of insane monkey. Xander considered springing it on them
during those couple of weeks, but frankly he felt sorry for the poor buggers and let it go for a
while.

In the meantime school went on as usual, which was both for the good and bad.

Xander had earned a cold shoulder from Malfoy with his challenges, but little else, while the
rest of the house had apparently shifted him from unknown status toward the neutral camp.
That caused a few to open up a bit, but in Slytherin house there werent too many warm
buddies of any type so nothing much changed.

Draco remained a prick to the rest of the school, bullying and taunting wherever he could
get away with it, and a few places he couldnt. Xander watched him and his two goons corner
one of the Gryffs whod been caught out alone, hitting him with various jinxes before
taunting him and leaving him with a leg locker in place.

After theyd gone, Xander stepped out of the corner hed leaned in and drew his wand.

You too? Go ahead, The Gryff muttered, shaking his head, Why not?

Xander didnt say anything as he cast the counter to the jinx and pocketed his wand again.
Longbottom, right?

Yeah... What do you want from me?

Nothing. Xander shrugged, Just dont much like bullies.

Longbottom snorted, I thought you were a Slytherin.

Im me. Xander told him, My house has nothing to do with who I am.

Right. Well, thanks.

No problem. You want some advice? Xander replied as the boy walked past him.

Sure, why not?

Hit them back.

Huh?

Hit them back. Theyll leave you alone.

Sure. Just hit them back and theyll run off, I bet.

No, theyll beat the crap out of you. But if you hurt them too, next time theyll look for
someone easier. Xander replied honestly. Bullies dont like getting hurt.

Makes two of us.

Look, Neville, right?

Neville nodded.

No one likes getting hurt, Xander replied, then frowned, Well, no one I know except the
Addams family... but theyre pretty twisted.

Neville blinked, confused.

Never mind, my point is, if youve got the guts to take the pain, you can prevent more of it
in the future, Xander told him. Thats how it works with Bullies. You fight back, yeah
youll take a beating, but if you take it with style and send them whining to their momma
they wont come back the next time.

Neville stared at him for a moment, then nodded curtly before walking off. Xander watched
him go, then shook his head and wondered why he bothered really.

Youre wasting your time.

Xander twisted to see Daphne Greengrass approach from around the same corner hed been
concealed at. Its my time.

The brunette nodded, acknowledging the point. I guess. Hes not worth it though.
Longbottoms practically a squib, theres no value there.

Xander looked confused, Excuse me?

She didnt seem to notice, Of course his family is old money, with a seat on the
Wizamgamot. I suppose that in the long term if may pay off.

What are you talking about?

She looked at him evenly, You mean youre not trying to earn favors?

Xander just looked confused.

Whyd you help him then?

He needed help, and I dont like bullies. Xander told her, I have a couple good friends
who were bullied a lot when I was a younger.

Daphne just laughed, shaking her head, Are you sure youre not supposed to be in
Gryffindor?

Xander shrugged, The hat seemed to consider it a toss up between Gryff, the Puffs, and the
Snakes. I didnt much care which.

Loyal, brave, and... well, must be cunning, cause youre obviously not ambitious. She
concluded, interesting. I was offered Ravenclaw, myself.

Whyd you turn it down? Xander asked, somewhat curious.

I wanted to make family connections, and Slytherin is the best place to do that if I want to
hook up with as many real power families as possible. She told him casually. Youre not
like most of the kids we get here, not the purebloods anyway. You act more like a muggle
born.

Xander shrugged, not planning on admitting to being muggle born or whatever it was that he
was. Frankly he wasnt sure on that, and trying to figure it out kind of gave him a headache.
So?

Nothing, She said in reply, Just commenting. Most of the purebloods who come here are
trained from the time they can talk to move through the shadows of power, you just act
different.

Im an American. Xander said, having found that to be a good answer to anything weird.

She nodded, Yes. Id heard that they had a far different system than we have here. How
does it work, anyway?

Xander shrugged, Never really my thing.

Daphne just nodded.

I dont get this pureblood thing myself, Xander shrugged, but theres a lot I dont get, so
thats no surprise.

Purebloods are really just another term for old families, Daphne said after a moment,
those who have power and dont want to lose it. Malfoy could have claimed nobility, you
know, if hed been able to think through the rage you put him in. The Malfoys are
merchants, but his mother is a Black. Theyre full on nobility, I think that the head of house is
a Duke or Baron, though its pretty pointless now.

How come? Xander asked, the name Black pricking up his ears.

The family is dead. She shrugged, The only living members have been cast out, I think,
and Malfoy will inherit the title and estate when he turns seventeen. Since hes a Malfoy, the
family title will be transferred over to him and the Black family will die out officially. Then
hell be able to answer yes if you ask him if hes nobility.

Xander shook his head, Sounds complicated.

Its the way things are.

Why are you telling me this? Xander eyed her closely.

She smiled, I see theres some Slytherin paranoia in you afterall. Im telling you this
because Im thinking maybe youre going to have some influence. Maybe. Maybe not. Either
way, I dont risk much by telling you some stuff everyone already knows, but you will owe
me a small favor. Maybe later, you will be able to tell me something I should know. Thats
how things work here.

Xander stared at her evenly for a moment, then frowned slowly. How many people in
Slytherin are thinking like this?

Most of us, of course. Daphne shrugged, then waved her hand, Oh Malfoy and his two
dimwits arent. Draco is too arrogant to think about what other people might be willing to do
for him, he only sees what he can make them do. Crabbe and Goyle are bookends, too dumb
to tie their shoelaces let alone thing for themselves. But theyre not really what makes up
Slytherin house.

And the rest of the school?

Most of the purebloods think the same, or pretty close. She frowned, considering, I
suspect that Longbottom is probably the furthest from that, even though his family is minor
nobility. From what my mother told me, they didnt expect him to come to Hogwarts, so his
family didnt train him to take over. Theyre probably scrambling to do that now. The
Weasleys know the game, I expect, what with the mother being a Prewitt and their dad being
in the Ministry, but they dont have the cash to play the game so they mostly ignore it.

That was the second name he recognized, and now Xander was actually getting interested.
Prewitt? Important family?

They were, Daphne nodded, but they took a lot of deaths in the last war. Now theyre
mostly dead too. I think theres a direct line heir, but hes some old man who doesnt get
involved in politics.

How do you know all this? Xander asked, actually pretty impressed.

I told you, most of the purebloods know it by our age. Its how you figure out who not to
annoy, and who to help in exchange for favors. She told him, its important business, life
and death for a family. Especially now.

Why now?

Daphne had known that he was clueless, but it hadnt really penetrated just how little he
really knew. She was getting the picture now, and berated herself for starting the
conversation. Still, he was gaining some credibility in the house among both the pure bloods
and the neutrals, and several of the mixed blood and muggle born outcasts in their year
looked to him for protection, though it was clear he didnt know it.

For the moment he was nothing, but that could change, and her mother had always told her
to watch for the future power, not merely the present. In Slytherin house the present power
was Draco Malfoy, Marcus Flint, and a small scattering of others across the years. The future
power, though, was obscured as was usual for the house.

In gryffindor it was blatantly obvious. Potter was going to be a force to deal with, assuming
he survived all the enemies he had, with him Weasley was likely to rise into some power, and
the muggle born Granger would also share in Potters influence.

The Puffs were hard to tell, though Diggory was clearly on the rise there.

Among the Ravenclaws things were a little clearer, since Cho Chang was carving out a
place for herself beyond her year, guided by Marietta Edgecomb, who had strong pure blood
ties. The dark horse there, literally it seemed, was the Addams girl. She held no sway, but
neither was there anyone in the entire school basically who wanted to go against her. That in
itself was power, and could change into influence later on.

Daphne licked her lips unconsciously, considering that Harris had by luck or genius
foresight placed himself in a position to influence two potentially interesting individuals in
other houses. Yes, he was worth spending some time on.

Speaking of which, she found him staring at her, and shook her head clear of her straying
thoughts and focused on his question.

Why now? Because of the war, She answered, A lot of prominent families were basically
destroyed, like the Blacks and the Prewitts. Wizards live long lives, which can put a crimp in
inheritance laws, but basically over then next few years a lot of houses are going to change as
their heirs come of age to claim the head of family title. Longbottom, Malfoy, and Potter are
just the most visible.

Harry too? Xander mused.

Oh yes, The Potters are an old family, something of a mixed blood line but theyre
considered pure blood by most. She said, Not quite nobility, but they have their own crest
and coat of arms, the Potters have traditionally been Knights and, more recently, Aurors. I
understand that Harrys relatively wealthy, though no one is really sure of how much because
the Goblins dont let even the ministry mess around with family vaults and finances.

Sounds like a complicated mess.

It is. Daphne admitted with a shrug. But its our complicated mess, we know our way
around.

They may, Xander noted, but shed admitted that Neville probably didnt know as much as
he should, and Xander would bet Harrys didnt know anything from what little hed heard
from the boy and Hermione.

So Malfoy acts like a dick cause hes going to inherit a title?

Daphne laughed, no, Draco just is a dick as you put it. The title makes him worse it all,
dont be surprised if he works it into the conversation at meals as soon as it occurs to him.

Xander nodded, unsurprised. He wondered just how much education actually went on
outside of Hogwarts suddenly, and whether it really mattered to him. He didnt have to walk
through the minefield, after all.

Thanks, He said after a moment, Ill think about what youve said. You mind if I ask you
some questions later, maybe?

Just not in front of Draco, She told him, unwilling to be seen to be taking sides.

Deal. Thanks again.

Daphne just nodded and left him there, leaving Xander to think about it for a moment before
heading for the library. He needed to think, and the talk to Hermione or Wednesday, and just
maybe look some stuff up.

*****

Hermione wasnt there, but Wednesday was, and Xander dropped into the seat across from
her with a cheery grin. Hey there.

She looked up at him evenly, Hello.

You know anything about all the family stuff everyone seems to care so much about here?
He asked, leaning in to check what she was reading.

A History of Witchburnings. Lovely.

Some. She told him. Why?

Dunno, just got a crash course on it from a housemate, Xander shrugged, Seems like
Malfoy is set to inherit a noble title, and hes not the only one. Guess that war everyone
whispers about really messed them up around here.

The Addams Scion raised an eyebrow, Really? Wars are so interesting. The death, carnage,
mayhem. It makes for fascinating reading.

You read about it then?

She nodded, Yes. However the books are probably wrong.

Oh? How come?

Theyre mostly written by people who werent involved, often based on reports by people
who heard about the events from someone else. That does not make for a good history book.

Xander had to agree with that point. Well I guess there were a lot of families basically
destroyed, and a lot of the next people in line to take over those families are just starting to
come of age now.

That would explain some of the things Ive seen, Wednesday mused, Family survival is
nothing to be played around with. People have committed genocide over less.

Yeah... Xander said slowly, Sure.

I suppose the question becomes... what do we do about it?

Do?

She shrugged, You must have a reason for bringing it up.

Xander frowned, I... guess I didnt think that far ahead.

Wednesday rolled her eyes, Boys.

****
Back to index
****

My my, who have you been talking with?

Narcissa Malfoy was surprised to see the shift in direction the young man had taken, moving
away from practical spells into pureblood politics of all things. This was one of her areas of
expertise, of her family only Andromeda had surpassed her in this field, and Andy had long
since retired from this field to live with her muggle born lover.

In her mind she refused to consider the man as Andys husband, he simple wasnt worthy of
her sister, even if Andy had been stricken from the family lineage.

She noted some interesting observations in the notes, and was surprised that the boy seemed
to grasp some of the less obvious effects the war had had on house lines. Given his relative
ignorance of such things up to this point, it seemed obvious that he had acquired another
tutor.

Narcissa made some notes in return, pointing out a few of the things she had determined
over the intervening years, and corrected a few of his false assumptions. She hesitated when
she noticed his notations on the Black family as it pertained to one Draco Malfoy in
particular. He was under the impression that the Black family was, for all intents and
purposes, dead.

Now that thought rankled, even if it was her son who was poised to take over the family in a
few years. It especially rankled because it was true. Narcissa was a proud Black, and it
maddened her to know how badly her family had fared in the war.

Oh, it was certainly no worse than many others, she could admit, but they were Blacks by
God, they were better than that. Many of the Blacks had sided with the Dark Lord, many
others had chosen the ministry. Sirius had stepped into line with Dumbledore, alone among
his family.

The results for the male heirs of the family was uniformly consistent. They all died, no
matter what side they chose. All save for Sirius, of course, who had turned out to be a traitor.

Narcissa hadnt believed it when she heard it, actually. It seemed impossible, Sirius was
devoted to James Potter. If the Potters had been a Noble Family, Narcissa had little doubt
that Sirius would have sworn allegiance to them.

For him to betray them, well it was inconceivable.

However, after long weeks and months with no public trial, no scandal, no sound out of him
whatsoever... well, even she had her doubts. If he had pulled off such a spectacular
infiltration of the so called light, well she rather suspected that his mother would have been
proud. For all the good it would have done the old bat, her sons both dead on the alter of that
maniacs agenda.

Narcissa sighed and closed the book, not in the mood to make the usual corrective notes any
longer. She remembered the days following the Dark Lords defeat quite well. It had been a
panicked time in Malfoy Manor, with Lucius constantly hosting meetings with the surviving
Death Eaters and Ministry officials.

A huge chunk of the Malfoy fourtune had vanished in those few weeks, but they came
through it intact and still strong enough to rebuild, which was better than most. She had
gained a respect for her husband then, recognizing that he was capable of great things when
pushed. His adulation of the Dark Lord aside, Lucius Malfoy was an impressive individual.

Over the years, through, he had grown more and more bitter over the loss of destiny as he
saw it. Muggle borns were becoming more common, as squib births also rose among
pureblood families. Narcissa closed her eyes, thinking of her second son and only daughter,
two children who had mysteriously vanished when the standard magical tests revealed them
to be squib born.

After the birth, and disappearance, of Morgana Malfoy, her third child, Lucius stopped
coming to her bedchambers entirely. Their love life had never been what Lilly would have
referred to as hot and heavy, but it ended then, with the second squib birth. She had never
been able to get Lucius to tell her what happened to either of them, whether hed sent them
away or...

Narcissa closed her eyes and cried silently, as she learned to do a long time earlier.

****

The second term seemed to rush along, Xander felt, weeks passing in a blur as he attended
classes and found himself actually trying to learn as much as he could for the first time in his
life. Part of it was the fact that the classes were simply damned cool, in his opinion, but part
of it was self defense as well.

He wasnt really safe even in his own bed, he learned after some petty retribution from
Malfoy left him in the infirmary for a few hours after a hex on his bedclothes left him with a
bad rash. So advanced reading in defense put him around fifth in the class, behind Harry,
Hermione, Wednesday, and Draco himself unfortunately enough.

Charms were cool, and he did pretty well there, second in his house year, but only eighth
overall. His marks in transfiguration and potions were roughly in the same category, which
meant that while he wasnt up for any honor awards, his scores were respectable.

Willow would be so proud.

That said, he filed Malfoy away as a minor pest, and returned his focus to the twins.

The Gryffindor/Hufflepuff Quidditch match was nearly on them by that point, and Xander
decided that the time was set to spring his little trap. After a hurried conference with Tonks,
who had held up her end of the bargain, Xander planted the goods in the Gryffindor laundry
while the Elves were away, and ducked out to await the fireworks.

****

They hit the morning of the match, much to Xanders delight. He hadnt been able to exactly
ensure the timing, so hed hedged his bets a little with some extra work, and it seemed to pay
off.

Breakfast was in full swing, the whole school turned out as they were eager to see the match
play out and watched a good jump on the day. At the Gryff table the twins were making their
usual spectacle when one of the pranks went off on Neville, leaving the boy sprouting
feathers and attracting the attentions of the entire hall on their table as the gryffs began to
laugh.

It was the perfect cue for Xander and he drew his wand under the table, then carefully
nodded to Tonks. She nodded back and they both cast the spell she had tutored him in until
he had it perfect. It was really just a slightly more advanced version of the first year Finite
spell, designed to cancel simple and unprotected charms and jinxes. This one was selective as
well, letting them target a specific spell, as long as they knew it was there.

Which, of course, they did.

Half the Gryff table suddenly yelped as the other half were just as suddenly dressed in
Slytherin Green. Ronald Weasley had somehow found himself wearing a large green foam
finger with the #1 written on it in silver, and he wasnt the only one. As most of them stared
at it, and the other similar touches in dumbfounded shock, it slowly penetrated into their
heads and the roar of outrage began.

A roar that ended just as quickly when they realized that not everyone affected had been hit
the same way.

Xander had considered leaving it at that, for about a second. Then he decided that merely
returning the favor wasnt remotely enough. So he made special arrangements for two of the
Gryffs.

The Twins were staring at each other in a strange mix of shock and delight, which Xander
found kinda disturbing actually. The rest of the school, however, was just staring in delight as
the laughter swelled.

Their robes had been replaced by green and silver, true enough, but the ultrashort miniskirts
they now had on showed off two pairs of truly horrifying legs, and the stuffed shirts gave the
twins more prominent chests than any girl in the entire school.

They, in unison, came to a conclusion and instantly drew their wands and pointed it at each
other just as Xander had *dearly* hoped they would.

Finite incantatem! They yelled together.

The school gasped in total shock as their spells worked flawlessly, removing the spells on
the Cheerleader outfits instantly. Unfortunately, since both outfits had been conjured by
Tonks and not made from real materials, the Twins found themselves standing in front of the
entire school in their underwear.

One had red shorts with blue polkadots, while the other apparently preferred blue shorts
with red dots. Xander, very briefly, wondered which was which but really didnt care. He just
smiled smugly and sat back as everyone else laughed their asses off.

Justice served.

****

Merlin, Xander, that was perfect! Tonks laughed, tears rolling down her cheeks as she
leaned against the stone wall. Forgive me for doubting you!

Youre forgiven, but please not so loud! Xander hissed, checking around the common
room to see if anyone was near.

Tonks nodded, catching her breath, Sorry. Though anyone here who hears you will likely
give you a medal!

Maybe, but Id rather the twins didnt get any idea who set them up, if you dont mind.
Xander smirked.

Yeah, that would be bad, She agreed. Whatever gave you the idea of using cheerleader
outfits anyway?

Xander shrugged, Ive never liked cheerleaders.

Tonks raised an eyebrow, but didnt comment, Well midget, if you need anymore help, Im
youre metamorph.

Ill keep that in mind, Xander grinned, But all things considered Im hoping to stay
under the radar for a bit.

She laughed and nodded, heading for the seventh year girls dorms as Xander made ready to
do some work while the rest of the school obsessed over Quidditch.

****

The Gryffs won their match despite the flaming red faces and general humiliation they
went through over the next couple days. Their point lead in the race for the house cup was
secured by the win, then lost the same night when Harry, Hermione, and Ronald were caught
out after dark, which lead the Xander being on the receiving end of a long and bitter pity
party when he met Hermione in the library with Wednesday.

He would have let it go, knowing that his friend did have some cause to wail, but he wasnt
an Addams.

Shut up.

Hermione snapped back like shed been slapped, staring in shock at the other girl. What?

I said, shut up. Wednesday told her. You took the risks of breaking the rules, and now
you suffere the consequences of getting caught. Have the strength of your convictions and
accept the responsibility for it. Next time either do not break the rules, or do not get caught.

Hermione quailed under the flat glare sent her way, but shuddered at the very idea of a next
time. Next time? There wont BE a next time! Im never breaking the rules again!

Wednesday raised an eyebrow, And youre sure you are a Gryffindor?

Whats that supposed to mean?

There are times when you do what is right, not what it expected or required. That is having
courage of your convictions, Wednesday told her, tell me, was it worth it?

What? Was what worth it?

You were out after curfew for a reason. Was it a foolish reason, or did you have a worthy
cause?

Hermione hesitated, then chewed on her lower lip. We had a cause.

Was it worth a hundred and fifty points? Wednesday asked, not caring what the cause
itself was.

Hermions hesitated again, then nodded.

Then congratulations, most would have lost those points for something stupid. So shut up
and lets study. The dark girl said calmly, returning to her books.

That ended the whining for the evening in a single swoop, and Xander was glad of it cause
he had been feeling a little guilty about having made his friends day a little harder with his
counter-prank.

*****

The end of term was upon them quickly after that, with days rushing by until the exams
were looming in the near future, and Xander found himself worrying about his brown haired
friend.

Put frankly, Hermione was acting pretty weird.

Even Wednesday had remarked on it in her normal laconic way.

Of course it might have been the stress of exams, since Hermione was one seriously scary
person under stress, but somehow Xander didnt think that was it. He found himself watching
her intently, and realized shortly that it wasnt just her, but also Harry and Ronald as well.

He hoped they werent up to more of whatever it was that got them in trouble before, cause
he figured that there was only so much even the lax Dumbledore would accept before kicking
someone out of school, but was actually kind of relieved that it wasnt just his friend. Shed
have someone to cover her back, at least, and would hopefully know to ask for help if she
needed it.

Besides, he was having more twin problems himself.

****

We know...

It was you.

The two red heads had cornered him after dinner some time after the great green slytherin
cheer event and confronted him with that.

What was me? Xander asked, faking a bewildered look.

They leveled steady gazes on him.

That little prank.

Me!? How could I pull that off!? Xander went into his prepared act, Im only a firstie,
remember? Those spells were way beyond me!

The twins sighed in unison.

That bothered us too,

Until we decided that you simply recruited help.

The two glared at him then, You hand out with Hermione, did you put her up to helping
you?

Ouch. Xander almost winced at that, then returned the glare.

Leave her out of this, if you go after my friends Ill make that prank look like a tack on
your chair!

The two looked confused.

Whats a tack?

And why would it be on our chair?

Xander groaned, shaking his head, Never mind. I didnt recruit Hermione in any pranks, I
wouldnt do that to her.

Youre a snake.

Of course you would.

Xander growled, glaring up at the duo, Im warning you...

The twins smirked, ooh, the ickle firstie is warning us.

So scary.

Were just telling you we know.

So watch your back, ickle Alex.

Were Weasleys. We dont get even...

We get ahead.

****

After that conversation, Xander had spent the following days dodging minor pranks and
jokes from the twins bag of surprises. Luckily in this matter he HAD recruited Hermione, and
she fed him inside information on what they were cooking up. Or, at least, what they had
cooked up.

The twins were, as he found out in short order, pretty impressive at potions and charms. He
learned quickly to be carful what he ate, as the twins were good at packing tricks into food,
and had some way of getting it on the tables even in the Great Hall.

That really only meant one thing, of course.

They had an in with the Elves.

Luckily they tended to test their concoctions on their fellow Gryffs, which usually let
Hermione warn him about what may be coming down the pipeline. After the first bout of
transfiguration at the table, Xander had quickly gone to the elves and asked them to remain
neutral, but had been informed that they never took sides.

Of course, as Xander had already proven, they could be duped.

That resulted in a sudden interest in learning detection spells, after which Xander and the
twins found themselves at a stalemate once more. Of course, no one else had any idea that
there was any sort of feud ongoing, as Xander wasnt admitting to anything, and the twins
sure as hell werent going to tell anyone that they had been pranked by a firstie.

*****

How long do you intend to let them get away with this?

Xander looked up as Tonks sat by him in the corner of the common room where he was
studying for the exams that were beginning the next day. Get away with what?

She glared at him, All the charmed food and stuff theyve been sneaking onto the table.

Xander shrugged, its minor stuff, Tonks. If I shoot back itll just confirm that I was behind
the stunt theyre really mad about. Then well have a real war on our hands.

Scared of them then? Tonks smirked.

Honestly? Yes. Xander grinned back. Im not in their league, and next year youll be
gone. So let them have their fun. Theyll soon get tired of it and start to think that they have
the wrong guy, and thats when they better start looking over their shoulders.

Tonks smirked, Damn. You are a snake.

No, Im Xander. Xander replied, extending a hand, nice to meet you.

She snorted, Almost makes me wish I wasnt graduating, should be interesting next year.

If I come back. Xander shrugged.

Youre not coming back?

Dont know. This place isnt so bad as I thought at first, but its kinda treacherous, Xander
admitted, I dont like having to check my bed for Malfoys tricks, my food for the twins
pranks, and my back for whoever else I may have annoyed.

Tonks nodded, Yeah, I get that. Still, be a shame to lose you, midget. Youve got
potential.

Thanks, Tonks.

*****
Back to index
*****

Exams ended with Slytherin in the lead for the House cup, and the common room was pretty
happy about it though Xander didnt really see the point. The cheating for points had reached
a level so blatant that he was surprised it hadnt been curtailed by the professors. It was one
thing to bend the rules a little, or even tread right over them, if you got away with it
unnoticed but the sheer staggering arrogance of cheating had been stunning, even to an
eleven year old.

House points were forgotten for a brief moment, though, when rumors began to burn wildly
through the entire school about Harry Potter and hi two friends. When the first of them
reached Xanders ears he bolted for the hospital wing.

Madam Pomfrey had it barred off, but he was relieved to find his friend well and waiting.

What happened?

Hermione looked over at him, her expression a little tired and perhaps even desperate. She
hugged at him and he hugged her back.

Oh Xander! Harry and Ron are hurt, we have to beat all these traps to find the
philosophers stone and then it turns out that Professor Quirell was really Volde...
Voldemort... or something...

Xander let her go, pushing her back so he could see her as he frowned questioningly, That
Dork lord dude? I thought he was dead?

She shook her head, Just his body.

That usually means dead, Hermione.

Were magical, Xander, remember? He must have done some ritual to stay alive.

Lovely. Bad guys who wont stay dead, I knew this place felt like a comic book. Xander
drawled, rolling his eyes. Are Harry and the Twit ok?

She slapped his arm lightly, Dont call Ron that! Hes not that bad, he beat McGonagals
giant chess set by sacrificing himself to get us through.

Xander raised an eyebrow, Giant chess set? *Wizard* Chess?

She nodded.

He was impressed despite himself, Alright, that earns him his name back. Are they going to
be ok?

She nodded hesitantly, I think so. Ron was just a little battered, but Harry was pretty bad.

He took on a professor turned evil overlord, thats to be expected. They have Quirrel
chained up somewhere?

No, he died.

He *killed* an evil overlord, even better, Xander cracked a grin, Bonafide superhero
stuff.

Hermione rolled her eyes, but didnt correct him.

They waited together until Madam Pomfrey came out and shooed them off, telling them that
Harry would be fine. Relieved they both left, however reluctantly Hermione was, passing the
headmaster on their way out. When he was out of earshot, Xander shook his head and leaned
in to Hermione.

What the heck is a Philosophers stone anyway??

Honestly, Xander, werent you listening to Wednesday when she told us about Nicholas
Flamel!?

Xander frowned, um... no?

She growled at him and proceeded to lecture him, in detail, on the stone and its history.

To Xander it felt a lot like home.

*****

The morning after Xander was seated with the rest of the Slytherins when Harry and the
others showed up to breakfast and he breathed a sigh of relief. He didnt know Harry much,
and while Ron had earned his name back Xander still didnt care much about him, but they
were both friends of Hermione so that made them important to him too.

The hall was draped in Slytherin green, and Xander could feel the smugness around him as
he turned his focus on the meal once again. As hed felt earlier there was no glory in winning
something when everyone KNEW youd cheated to get it, so he just let it be.

Then the Headmaster began his speech, and over the process of less than two minutes,
destroyed the Slytherins winning streak with the dispensing of a hundred and sixty points to
gryffindor. Around him the Slytherins began crying out in outrage, but were drowned out by
the cheers from the other three quarters of the school. Xander just rolled his eyes and went on
eating.

Whats wrong with you!? Draco shoved him, They just stole the cup from us!

Xander looked up at the blond and shook his head, So?

So? Its the CUP, its OURS.

Draco, if everyone knows the game is rigged, the prize aint worth squat. Xander replied,
having seen enough of rigged games in Sunnydale. The teachers there always favored the rich
kids, and that was just the way things were.

What are you talking about!? Draco was turning red as he ranted.

Draco, How many points did you get unfairly from Professor Snape? How many did he
steal from the other houses? Xander shrugged, The points are a joke, most of the other kids
know it. In the library they were joking about the snakes winning again, cause they know
its meaningless.

What!? But...

Look around, the Claws and the Puffs arent happy for the Gryffs, you know. Theyre just
glad WE lost. Xander shrugged.

But... that old muggle loving fool cheated, he gave them points for...

Saving an artifact from the Dork Lord Mold-in-his-Shorts. Xander finished, Or
something like that. Yeah, probably not a school thing, but still pretty impressive. Still, yeah,
he cheated. No one cares except you and the Gryffs. The Puffs and the Claws didnt expect to
win it anyway, the older students told all their first years that Slytherin cheats to win and the
professors dont care. If the teachers dont care, why should they? The cup is worthless,
Draco.

Draco slumped back, pouting, but fell silent so Xander returned to his meal in peace.

Untill Daphne leaned over, her face barely composed, Mold in his Shorts?

Xander shrugged, I cant remember his real name.

****

School let out and the children found their way to the train, breaking off into the small
groups of friends that had formed over the school year. Xander found himself sharing a berth
with Wednesday, Hermione, Harry, and Ron as they headed back toward Platform Nine and
three Quarters. Ron pointedly ignored the snake in the room, while Hermione split her time
between her two groups of friends. Wednesday in return ignored Ron as insignificant, save to
ask him if he knew how to play is there a god?. That question sent him as far from her as
possible, and gave Xander a comfort zone as he talked and joked with Hermione and Harry.

School was out, and despite his initial concerns, Xander had to admit he rather enjoyed the
year overall. He wasnt certain what was going to happen for the next year, but it had been
cool and hed learned a lot of neat stuff. In London they disembarked, and milled around until
finding their families and minders.

Xander watched as Hermione was met by a pair of nice looking adults and he smiled when
introduced, nodding to each. The Weasley family was impossible to miss, unless someone
had set fire to the crowd, and Xander snickered as Ron was nearly smothered by his mother.
Harry, though, walked off to a fat, red faced man, who looked like he wanted to explode just
standing there.

Xander had seen that look before, and felt a cold chill as he watched Harry walk toward it.
He was no real friend of Potters, not really, but they werent enemies either. He grimaced,
hey Harry!

Harry paused, turning around, Yeah?

You going to be ok?

Harry hesitated, but nodded. Sure.

Xander didnt know what else to say, and could only watch as Harry left with the fat man.
He was pulled along into the American group a moment later when the professor from the
Salem Institute caught up with him.

Come along, portkey to Salem in three minutes.

****

Back in the states they were given one more class for the year, a short briefing on their rights
as Magical Citizens of the Northern Americas.

Xander was somewhat surprised to find that the borders of the magical communities werent
the same as the borders of the Nationalities. In fact, the US, Mexico, and Canada were part of
the same Magical Government, such as it was. It was really more of a group of departments
within the federal governments of each nation, who all more or less agreed to follow the same
set of magical rules.

It all sounded horribly complicated, so Xander just focused on what he was allowed to do,
which had been broken down into much simpler terms.

He was permitted to use magic at home, but violations of the Magical Secrets Act of 1803
were punished severely, beginning with stiff fines and moving up to forcible relocation to an
all magical community until hed served his sentence. Extreme breaches were punishable
under criminal law, which seemed worse.

As a newly active Wizarding Home, his parents could apply to be hooked up to the
national floo network, and have wards erected as they chose. His teacher had slipped him a
pamphlet on Gringotts USA Warding services, telling him to give it to his parents. Xander
just nodded and pocketed the pamphlet, uncertain on whether they could afford anything like
that.

Still he was pretty glad to be home and, as far as he could tell, so was Wednesday who was
almost hopping with excitement. Well, for her at least.

****

Hey, looking forward to the Summer? Xander asked, smiling.

Yes. She replied, her tone flat as she looked over at him. We havent played wake the
dead in a long time.

Yeah. Xander didnt really need any more information on that than what he already had.
Well, Ive got permission from the teachers to go shopping before they send me home, the
local magic district in Sunnydale is supposed to be kinda dangerous.

Really? Wednesday asked, sounding intersting. The Hellmouth sounds very...
interesting.

Xander shrugged, boring to grow up in, but I guess there are things I never saw.

Indeed.

Anyway, I want to buy some potions stuff, Xander said.

Why?

Ive got some of the twins gag stuff here, Xander grinned, I want to try and figure out
how they made them.

Ah, Wednesday *almost* smiled. Enjoy. Would you, perhaps like to visit?

Sure, thatd be cool. Are you guys hooking up to the Floo?

She nodded, You?

I hope so. We have a fireplace, but I dont think its ever been used. Xander admitted,
then looked a little glum. I hope we can afford it.

Wednesday didnt say anything, merely rubbed the beak of her familiar, Ill send Odin with
our floo address when its ready.

Cool. Thanks. Xander grinned, hefting Fenrir up so the pup could bark at Wednesday and
Odin. Oddly the pup had barely grown in the nearly ten months since Xander had picked him
up, but Xander wasnt complaining. Fenrir was fun to hold and play with as is. Well be
seeing each other then, right?

Of course.

****

The two friends split ways shortly after that, Wednesday being picked up by the family
butler. Lurch, not being much of a conversationalist had merely groaned at Xander when he
greeted the big guy, then groaned again when Xander and Wednesday exchanged awkward
goodbyes.

After that hed gone out to shop in the Salem District, picking up a small cauldron and a
book on identifying magical spells cooked into potions and foodstuffs. The twins had come
up with some really cool stuff, and he was really hoping to give them a surprise or two on the
off chance they met again.

Salem was apparently ready to accept students again, however, so Xander wasnt counting
on seeing the two red heads soon, but hed see to it that their work lived on in America.

After he was done with shopping, Xander was led to the portkey terminal and sent off in a
whirling cyclone for Sunnydale.

Home sweet home.

*****
End Notes:
Well this is the end of Year One of Shadow Council. Year Two is upcoming, in which
things will become no clearer for most of you, or for me as far as that goes. One might
say that Part One of the Shadow Council prologue has come to an end... only four more
parts before we can start Chapter One of the story.
Enjoy, and please remember to leave feedback.

thanks everyone.
Back to index
*****

Sunnydale

Xander shivered as he made his way up the drive to his home, the feeling of his
hometown was like the opposite of Hogwarts. The old castle was cold, drafty, and damp
in many ways, but despite all that it seemed to wrap itself around you like a warm hug
from your mother. Sunnydale was warm on his skin, the sun beating down in a way that
felt incredible compared to the cool Scottish weather he had endured all year, but
beneath that, to his magical senses that were now awakened the town froze his blood.

He shook it off, knowing the reason, and forced the chill out as best he could as he
opened the door to his home.

Mom, Dad? he called out, Im home.

He came up short, though, when he found himself face to face with a group of people,
most of whom hed never seen before. His mom and dad were there, but other than
them his Uncle Samuel Ruiadri Harris. His Uncle liked his name about as much as
Xander liked his middle, though, and generally just called himself Rory, or if a full
name was required, Sam Axe. Xander never could figure out where the Axe came
from.

Four other people, however, were total strangers to Xander but it was easy enough to
identify them as magical. Their sense of dress was just skewed enough to make it clear
that they werent used to keeping up with fashion, though Xander wondered how dumb
you had to be to screw up mens fashions, cause as far as he could tell they hadnt really
changed much in a few hundred years unless you were a teenager with more money
than brains.

His thoughts on the strangers was interrupted when his mother spoke up.

Alex, honey, these are representatives of your fathers and my families.

Thank you, Jessica, One of the men spoke up, Ill take it from here. This is Alex is
it?

Xander, Sir.

Pardon me?

The name, its Xander. Xander told them, not Alex. Alexander if youre pissed with
me, I guess, but Im just Xander.

The man raised an eyebrow, then shook his head, Hardly an appropriate name,
young man. Xander is meaningless, Alex and Alexander have a sense of power behind
them. They have weight.

Im twelve, Sir. I cant carry much weight. Xander replied dryly.

Rory chuckled loudly, earning him a glare that he cheerfully ignored.

The speaker rolled his eyes, staring at Rory, For goodness sakes, Anthony, why did
you invite this fool?

Sam is family, Marcus. Tony said stonily, neither warm nor rude in the ways
Xander might have expected from his dad. And really, I dont trust you.

Marcus snorted, Really, and this *squib* is going to do what to protect you from
me?

Other than cut your heart out before you can pull that stuck from the hidden holster
on your left thigh? Rory asked idly, a knife appearing in his hand as he calmly used it
to pick his fingernails. Get on with it, Marcus. Ive got a date in LA with a hot momma
whos gonna want her lincoln back.

Marcus sighed, eyes not leaving the knife for a moment, then turned back to Xander.
We are here about you, boy.

So much for names, Xander figured, Oh yeah? What about me?

Youre a scion of the Harris and Lavelle lines, despite your parents... conditions, that
entitles you to a place in the world. With that place comes responsibilities, child. We are
here to ensure that you are prepared to meet them.

Oh lord, Xander groaned, looking over at his mom, this is more pureblood bullshit,
isnt it?

Rory started laughing again, but his mom and dad flinched, though they both nodded.

Boy, watch your tongue...

Marcus Harrison. Enough.

The room fell silent as one of the two women Xander didnt know rose up and stood
across from him, I am your Great Aunt Jessica Maeve Levalle.

Xanders eyes flickered to his mom, and she nodded slightly. Xander nodded to the
woman, remembering his lessons from the book and nodded slightly to the woman,
bowing from the waist. Aunt.

A flicker of a smile passed across her face even as frustrated annoyance marred the
expression on Marcus.

Very good, child. You understand some of the propreties.

Xander shrugged a little, I was sorted into the unofficial pureblood superiority house
at school. It was learn to fit in at least a little, or get a knife in the back.

Im sure youre exaggerating, His mom said, smiling hesitantly.

Xander smiled a bit, A bit, mom, most purebloods wouldnt know how to handle a
knife.

Rory near split a gut laughing, again drawing irate glares from the Marcus and the
other man Xander didnt know. Sounds about right, kid. You ever want to learn to use
a blade in a real fight, just ask.

Xander grinned, much to his mothers disconcertion. Rory had, like many of the squib
members of the familes, including Tony Harris, joined the service to escape the
influence of the families. Unlike Tony, Rory had chosen to make it a career and stayed
in for his full twenty, serving fourteen of those years as a SEAL. The idea of him
teaching her son how to use a blade was more than a little worrisome.

Rory, Ill thank you not to give my son bad ideas.

Sorry, Jess. Rory smirked, then winked at Xander.

Xander just grinned back.

The Lavalle Matriarch just sighed tolerantly, but kept her focus on her young great
nephew. I understand that youve spent the year in Hogwarts.

It wasnt a question, but Xander nodded anyway. Yes, Maam.

Our family once held a seat on the board there, She said, then glanced back at
Marcus and nodded, both our families did.

Xander hadnt realized that, Really?

Yes. The British branch of the family, arguably the trunk branch really, died out over
a century ago for the Lavalles. I believe that the Harris line ended during the War?
She glanced back, and received a nod from Marcus.

What, with that Mold in his shorts dude? Xander asked, eyes rolling up as he
wracked his brain to remember the Overlord dudes name. For the life of him he could
never quite remember it.

Jessica raised an eyebrow, but easily decoded his meaning. No. I mean the War.
Grindlewalds uprising, and the Second World War.

Whos Grindlewald? Xander blinked, suddenly interested. The second world war
had some personal meaning to him, as it had deeply affected Willows family, and he
knew that his Dad had family who had served with the US Forces abroad then.

Grindlewald was a Dark Wizard, a true Dark Lord in fact, who led an uprising
across Europes Wizarding world. The fallout of his reign of terror spread into the
normal world, both directly and indirectly allowing for the rise of Adolf Hitler. She
told him seriously, A great many of the old families were crippled or destroyed then, in
the chaos of the aftermath the one calling himself Voldemort rose and inflicted even
more damage across the pureblood families. The European trunk lines of many great
families were destroyed by those two madmen.

Whoa. Xander said, nodding dumbly. There was a lot more to the history of the
world than he knew, apparently. Grindlwald was behind the Nazis then?

Not precisely, young man, Jessica said, taking her seat again and carefully crossing
her legs. The National Socialist Party were entirely founded by normal humans,
however there were several Wizards who pushed it into the direction it went. Dont
mistake me, Hitler was hardly a nice person... nor one that I would want in any level of
power, but many of the excesses of his followers were not precisely at his command. He
fired them up, then unleashed them on Europe. I truly doubt that he ever really
imagined what he had done until it was too late to do anything about it. Whether he
would have done something to stop it, or not, is lost to history now. Grindlewald and
several of his followers took the war machine Hitler had begun to forge and used it to
their own ends.

How?

Everyone knows about the six million jews they killed, Jessica said pensively, Few,
though, even in our world know that they also rounded up over one million squib
families, dozens if not hundreds of poor wizarding families who refused to join
Grindlewalds forces, and also nearly wiped out the Vampire clans, Veela Enclaves, and
many other demi-human communities across Europe. Today, France is the only place in
central Europe where you can find any significant Veela population. The underground
hid them, you see. Vampires have retaken many of their old haunts, however there are
large swathes of Europe where the Lycans still hold sway, notably Paris.

This is ancient history, Madame Levalle, Marcus muttered, And entirely over the
boys head. Youre wasting your time, and ours.

My time is my own, Marcus Harris, and you are free to leave. She retorted icily.

Marcus grimaced, glaring at her, then abruptly rose up. Ive had enough. The boy is
obviously unfit to take on family responsibilities. I will reconsider him when he
graduates. Good day, Anthony.

Ignoring everyone else, Marcus and one of the women that Xander had not been
introduced to, left in a huff as Rory snorted.

Good riddance you old bastard.

Rory! Jessica Harris snapped.

Sorry, Jess. He gave her a lopsided grin. You know I cant stand the folks.

Jessica Lavelle stayed silent for a long moment, then rose. For the moment, I have to
concur with Marcus, Jessica. Teach him of the family history, I will speak with the boy
again before he begins the new school year.

Yes, Lady Lavelle.

Xander raised an eyebrow as Jessica Lavelle swept out of the house, her motions as
graceful as Marcus had been abrupt.

That was fun, Rory smirked.

You dont have to wind him up like that, Rory. Tony said, sighing tiredly. You
know Marcus is a bit of a stick.

Hes a bit of a stick like Im a bit of a womanizer. Rory retorted. Hes the stick up
the families ass, and you know it, Tony. Why you let him come here at all is beyond
me.

The family asked. Tony responded, then burst out, Damn it, Rory, its the first
communication weve had with the family in over thirty years! Dont you miss it? Any
of it?

Of course I do, you know that, Rory responded, irritated. Walking away from the
magic, even for a squib, is like cutting your own heart out. But I did it, and Im done
with it. Im not going back, Tony. You shouldnt either.

Tony just sighed and said nothing in response.

****

Xander was arranging his room a little later when Rory knocked at the door.

Hey kid, mind if I come in?

Sure, Uncle Rory.

Call me, Sam, kid. The retired Navy man grinned, You survived the family gauntlet
down there, you deserve the use of my name.

Xander grinned, thanks, Sam.

So how was school?

Was ok... Xander said hesitently.

Sam chuckled, You loved it, right?

Xander smiled slowly, Yeah.

The older man nodded, Yeah, I still remember magic, kid. Its a whole other world,
though Ive seen enough of the normal world to know that theres some amazing stuff
here too.

Xander nodded, though he wasnt really sure what Sam was talking about.

Dont forget the real world, kid. Magic is fun and really damned awesome, but the
world the families live in is really small too. Sam told him seriously. Learn to live in
both, and youll love life a lot more.

Xander nodded, I will.

Sam smiled, then moved to leave but was stopped when Xander spoke up.

Hey, Sam?

Yeah?

You serious about showing me how to use a knife?

Sam eyed him for a minute, Youre not planning on killing a schoolmate, are ya?

Xander chuckled, but shook his head, No, it just sounds cool.

Sam hesitated a bit, considering, not a real good reason, kid, but in this town it may
not be a bad idea. They told you about Sunnydale, right?

Yeah, Xander frowned, If its so dangerous, though, how come my parents moved
here?

Lands dirt cheap, lots of ways to make a buck, and your folks are both squibs.

Xander looked confused, huh?

Squibs, you know what they are, right?

Sure, non magical people born to magical families, right?

Sam shook his head, Naw, kid. Squibs are *low* magical people born to magical
families. Your mom and dad both have some magic, just not enough to cast spells.
Theyve got full internal stores, though, and that makes them just about as tough as you
are.

Xander blinked.

You never noticed that it takes one hell of a wack to seriously hurt you? The Navy
man asked, chuckling.

I never thought about it, Xander confessed.

Well, trust me, youre tough. Your magic will heal you fast too, given a chance, and
you even put out a low level defense against most supernatural types. Sam told him,
then waved a hand, Dont get me wrong, kid. It wont stop a vamp or much else, but it
will encourage them to look for another meal, given the option. Squibs are the same, so
your folk are pretty safe from most of the trash around here.

Oh. Xander nodded, considering. It made sense, given what hed seen in school. Hell,
Harry alone offered enough proof on that matter, come to think of it. He should have
been killed for a couple of the stunts he pulled on the Quidditch pitch alone.

Yeah, thats why a lot of us, Squibs that is, join the forces. Sam said, Were tough,
strong, and hard to kill. Plus the military is a good way for a kid whos never lived in
the normal world to ease into it. When you start in the service they tell you how to do
EVERYTHING. Right down to how to properly soap your ass, if you get the right... or
maybe thats wrong, Instructors.

That makes sense.

Anyway, Ill show you a few tricks, and hang around town a bit to give you some
pointers on the night life, k kid?

Sure, thanks Sam.

No problem, Sam told him, but not tonight. Tonight I have a date.

****
Back to index
****

Xander spent the rest of the night settling in and getting permission to use the
basement for some of the homework and potions projects hed decided on for the
summer. He couldnt practice some of the defense spellwork down there, at least not
until he was at a higher level and could reinforce the basement with some structural
charms, but it was perfect for most everything else.

His dad helped him clear it all out, and Xander found himself enjoying the time spent
with the old man for the first time in a long time. He hadnt realized just how much of
the bitterness his father had shown throughout his life had been aimed at the family
who had abandoned him, or passively forced him out. The way they treated people left a
lot to be desired, in Xanders opinion, and he privately swore he wouldnt do that to
anyone.

The next day Xander set out early, heading for Jessies place first.

Hello, Mrs McNally, is...

XAN!

Jes! Xander grinned, ducking under the sweep of his friends arm and coming up
behind him. He gave Jessie a light push, sending him stumbling out onto the doorstep,
then closed the door.

As I was saying, Mrs McNally, is breakfast ready? Xander asked with a wide grin as
Jessie started hammering on the door.

Sarah McNalley chuckled, but shook her head, You just missed it.

Nuts. Xander snapped his fingers, stepping clear of the door.

Jessie scowled at him as he let himself back in, So not funny.

Was pretty funny on this side of the door. Xander countered.

True.

MOM! Jessie howled, Dont encourage him, alright!?

How have things been, man? Xander asked after the laughter died down.

Boring! Jessie complained, Without you, Willow is out of control!

Xander blinked, Are we talking about the same girl? Red head, timid, scared to say
boo?

Except when it comes to study! Jessie countered, Shes insane, Xan!

Jessies grade went up over ten percent across the board, Sarah interjected proudly
from the kitchen.

MOM!

Xander chuckled, Well, you know in that case, I met another girl just like Willow. If
you want I could introduce them and...

Jessie paled, looking horrified, Dont you DARE!

Xander found himself again laughing at his friend, Relax, I doubt that Hermione is
going to come over here from England just to drive you nuts.

Alright, alright, you got me again. So come on, dude, how was it?

School was pretty cool, actually. Xander answered, wanting to say more, but
knowing he couldnt. Jessie didnt know about magic, and the law said it had to stay
that way. Willow knew, at least some, so he could talk to her about it, Xander figured,
but even there he knew he had to be careful. Scotland is bloody cold, though, let me tell
you.

Bloody? Jessie smirked. You sound all british.

Xander rolled his eyes, You try living with a bunch of em all winter and not have
some bad habits sink in.

Im sure it was a great educational experience, Sarah said as she reappeared with a
tray of cookies and a pitcher of milk. Here you go boys, enjoy.

Thanks, Mrs M. Xander grinned, grabbing a glass and a couple cookies. You have
no idea how much Ive been craving milk.

The two looked at him oddly.

They dont have milk in Scotland? Jessie asked, skeptical.

They do, but it doesnt taste the same, and really pumpkin juice is way more
popular, Xander shivered a bit. Its not bad, I guess, but it got kinda sickening real
quick.

Pumpkin juice? Oh gross. Jessie made a face.

Jessie! Dont judge other people like that, you werent the one over there.

But mom! Pumpkin juice!

Sarah McNally sighed, shaking her head. Eat your cookies then get outside and blow
the skink off you, but be back for dinner! Xander would you like to eat here?

Sure, thank Mrs M. Ill let mom and dad know.

She smiled nodding at the young man, then went back to her daily activities as the two
boys made short work of the snack before heading out.

*****

Oh my GOD! Xander! Willow squeaked, staring in surprise. Youre back!

So I am! Xander grinned, good to see ya, wills.

Willow abrubtly stopped smiling and slapped him on the shoulder.

Ow! What the hell?

Thats for no phone calls, no letters, no...

Hey, chill... Xander held up his hands, placating her, No phone there, Wills, and
the place is like, really isolated.

Willows eyes widened, Really?

Really.

Jessie frowned, Man, no phone? Thats nuts.

No TV either man. Xander said, sighing theatrically.

Jessie stared at him in undisguised horror. Oh God, youre not going back, right?
Tell me youre not going back!

Xander grinned, probably not. But theres a school on the east coast that I might be
going to.

Jessie sighed, wiping his brow in mock relief, At least they will have TV. No way
theres a place in the states that sick.

Not having TV is NOT sick, Willow lectured, It probably results in better grades...

And a lot of practical jokes. Xander addded.

There, see... wait, what!?

Trust me, bored people with time on the hands in an old Scottish castle equals some
really nasty gags, Xander grinned, I think TV would distract some of em.

Willow glared at Jessie, then sighed and smiled at Xander. Its good to see you back,
Xander.

Xander grinned back, then hugged her, Its great to be back and see you.

He looked over at Jessie and pulled him into a one armed hug that rapidly turned into
a headlock.

Both of you.

Hey! Let me go!

*****

The vacation was off to a great start as far as Xander was concerned, even if he didnt
get any work done for the first few days as nearly every waking moment was spent with
Jesse and Willow. By the end of the week, though, he was squeezing in a couple hours
here and there to practice his magic and work on the potions project he had set himself.
Hopefully hed have some stuff to surprise the twins with, if he ever saw them again.

Willow had surprised him by sitting in on many of these study sessions, mostly cause
Xander never really considered them studying and he could distinctly remember that
Willow often ducked out of anything he considered fun in order to study. She was,
however, fascinated by what he had learned and he showed her a lot of the basics.

Unfortunately she didnt match well with his wand, and with none of her own there
wasnt much she could do until she found him working diligently on his private potions
project one day.

Whats this?

Potions. Xander said, carefully cutting up some of the supplies hed bought in
Salem. Im trying to figure out how the Twins made these things.

What things?

Huh? Oh, Xander nodded to the pile of candies and such the twins had taken to
spiking his food with at the end of the year. Those. Theyre spells in food form. You eat
one and all kinds of weird things can happen.

Like?

Like body transfiguration, delay cast charms, some jinxes and even a hex or two.
Xander said, Theres one there the twins call Ton Tongue Toffee, for example, it
makes your tongue grow so big it rolls out of your mouth and across the table.

Ew! That... so wrong.

Xander shrugged, Thats the twins. Theyre twisted, but pretty brilliant.

So how are you working out whats in them? Willow leaned over his shoulder.

I got an identification spell from my journal, Xander said, and Ive been trying to
break down the results. Here, see?

He showed her a page of notes hed made, and Willow read it with a scrunched up face
as she tried to work out what it all meant.

This is just colors and stuff. She said finally.

Xander nodded glumly, Wizards havent moved into the digital age yet, Wills.
Identification spells are all based on auras, and you have to interpret what they mean.

Willow looked around, Do you have references?

Xander grinned and nodded to the small bookshelf hed setup, Yeah, theres a book
there on basic aura reading and common spell components.

Willow grabbed the book instantly as Xander turned back to his work, I think the
twins have worked to disguise their work, though... either that or theyre using some
really rare components, cause some of the auras dont match up.

Ummm hmmm... Willow mumbled from where she was reading, already oblivious to
him. Xander just smiled and turned back to his potions experiment, laughing internally
at his redheaded friend.

****

A few days after that, while coming back from a movie with Jessie and Willow, the
three of them were treated to an odd sight.

Dude. Check out your dog.

Xander turned to see where Fenrir was running around his yard, being dive bombed
by a raven. The black bird would swoop in, let out a loud caw, then Fenrir would leap
up almost five feet in the air as he took a swipe at the bird.

I didnt know a dog that small could jump that high. Jessie said in wonder.

Xander just grinned, Odin!

The two looked at him like he was nuts, but the raven broke off from its play and
zeroed in on Xander instantly.

Dude! jessie ducked away as Willow too squeaked and dropped to a crouch.

Odin swooped around, settling in on Xander shoulder with a triumphant caw, its eyes
gleaming as he watched Fenrir run up. Xander chuckled at his two friends.

Relax guys, this is Odin. He belongs to a friend from school, she trained him as a
passenger pigeon of sorts.

Jessie slowly straightened up, eyeing the bird with awe, He came from
SCOTLAND??

Xander laughed, No, shes from the States, out on the East Coast.

Still, X, man, you mean to tell me he flew across the *country*??

Xander nodded, fishing some theatre snacks hed saved for Fenrir from his pocket and
offering them to the bird. Here you go, boy. Lets see what youve got for me.

Odin patiently let him take the note, then cocked his head questioningly and cawed
once.

Xander checked the note briefly, and shook his head, Its cool, I dont need to send an
answer. Ill call her later.

Odin cawed loudly, then jumped clear and flew off.

Man. Jessie breathed, That is one well trained bird.

****

As soon as Jessie and Willow left for the evening, Xander went straight to the fireplace.
Theyd managed to get the floo hooked up, but it was for communication only. He lit it
with a barbeque lighter that was there and tossed the floo powder into the flames.

It flashed bright green as Xander called, Number One, Cemetery Lane.

Across the country, in an old and decrepit looking home, the fireplace roared to life
and exploded out into the living room. When a face appeared in it shortly thereafter, no
one deemed it remarkable and Lurch walked slowly over and groaned.

Hey Lurch, Xander grinned, Is Wednesday around?

Lurch moaned again, then nodded and turned away.

Cool. I guess Ill just wait then. Xander grinned.

Alex, my boy, Gomez grinned as he approached, How are things out in... Sunny
California?

Xander grinned as the dapper man shivered as he said those last two words. Oh, you
know sir, nothing like a Hellmouth to keep things interesting.

Hellmouth? Gomez leaned forward, You dont say? Wednesday didnt mention
Sunnydale.

Youve been here, Sir?

Fourth honeymoon, young man, Gomez smiled, puffing on his cigar. Lovely time.
Its just too bad about all those Sabbat breeds, distasteful creatures, those. No sense of
soul, you know?

Not really, but Im learning, Sir.

Ah, excellent.

Hello, Xander.

The two twisted, looking around to see Wednesday approaching. Gomez smiled and
rose up, Well Ill see you another time then, my boy. Enjoy your chat.

Wednesday. Xander said, his tone almost matching hers, then he grinned wide.
Good to see you.

And you as well. She replied, I see Odin made it to you with no problems.

Hes on his way back now, Xander said, Sorry I couldnt send him back through
the floo, but our connection doesnt handle transport. Costs too much, and I guess it has
to be warded heavily for security, and those cost a lot too.

Thats fine. Odin is a perfectly capable bird. Wednesday said, Hell be fine.

Xander nodded in agreement, Oh hey, our address is Sunnydale Harris Home.

I will remember. How have your holidays been?

Pretty good, been working on my potions project, and getting some practice in too.
You?

Much the same, Gram mama is helping me with potions, though.

Cool. Hey, can you ask her how to identify potions ingredients? The twins seem to
have obscured their work, Xander griped.

I will ask, Wednesday promised, and the talk quickly moved along into other
subjects, including what each family was up to. Xander decided that whatever else was
true about the Addamses they knew how to have an interesting time.

****
Back to index
****

Xanders summer holidays quickly settled into a routine, between spending time with
Jessie and Willow and working on his magic he didnt have time for much else. He was
forced to make time, however, when Sam came back to make good on his promise,
which he eagerly did.

Well, Xander was eager until the training Sam offered him consisted of exercise and
lots of it. Sam just smirked, stole a beer from Tony, and settled in to watch as Xander
sweated through the calisthenics.

Tell you what, kid, He called once after Xander whined about this not being what
hed asked for, you get through the whole routine without dying on me, or puffing like
a freight train, then well start with some fighting basics, deal?

Xander glared at him, but Sam only laughed and went back to sipping his beer as
Tony came out and joined him as they watched Xander groan through the paces Sam
had set for him.

So things quickly broke down into a set series of patterns that Xander rather enjoyed,
and the summer became one of the best of his life. He, Willow, and Jessie roared
through Sunnydale, doing all kinds of things that he never really got around to with
them before. The normal stuff too, like movies and parties, but they often just found
themselves out on the cliffs looking over the ocean for long hours as they talked about
the past year and just simply reaffirmed their friendship.

Then he would spend time with his magic, sometimes plotting to nail the twins even if
he had to do it from across the ocean, sometimes just reading ahead in his workbooks.
Wanting to do homework was a new experience to Xander, but from what he had found
at hogwarts it was common to muggle born and raised. The very idea of doing magic
was just so awesome they HAD to do as much as they could.

The pureblood students had a lead on them, but one thing every muggleborn had over
their pureblooded brethren was that they enjoyed trying to catch up. What was old and
dull to the magically raised was awesome and incredible to Xander and those like him.

So he read ahead, and practiced some stuff from the second year books while his
potions brewed. At the same time, Willow spent long hours over in the basement with
him, buried in a book and asking questions that forced Xander to review everything
hed learned. In turn, he found it all the easier to move ahead with the past years work
fresh in his mind.

He and Willow both wished they could tell Jessie, though, keeping the secret of magic
from him was complicated and made things harder on all of them. If Xander had to do
it for more than the summer, he doubted hed be able to manage.

Through it all he kept careful notes and continued to work in the Coven Journal.

****

Narcissa shook her head, amazed at the work being run through the journal. She
wished that Draco would spend as much time on learning magic as this one did. Lily
was the same, though, she remembered idly. When she was spending time doing all sorts
of inconsequential things, Lily Evans had been absorbing everything she could about
magic and its practice.

How often had that happened, Narcissa wondered idly. Lily had started fast, it had
been obvious from nearly her first day that she was bright, but just how bright wasnt
evident until her fourth or fifth year. By Seventh year, well it had been a forgone
conclusion that the little muggleborn girl would be Head Girl.

There was drive there, that Narcissa would have expected in Slytherin or, at least,
Ravenclaw. What made her a Gryffindor would forever be a puzzle. Still, Lily hadnt
been the first muggleborn to take that position, nor the last. Indeed, if she was reading
correctly between the lines in Dracos ranting, there was a young Miss Granger who
was well on her way to being the latest.

There was a certain... love, no, not love. A Lust for magic that the muggleborn seemed
to have, Narcissa supposed. This all consuming infatuation that would eventually die
down to a life long love similar to that which Narcissa herself held with the magic of her
life.

The pale wife of Lucius Malfoy sighed, remembering the envy she had held for her
muggleborn friend during their school years, then went back to working on the journal.
She truly enjoyed this diversion from her daily life, this young man was a fresh wind
blowing through her life. She only wished that her fellow coven founders were still
around to offer their points of view and enjoy it alongside her.

****

The worst day of the summer happened right around halfway through the holidays
while Xander was working on his attempt at rebrewing the twins ton tongue toffee. He
could have sworn he had it right, but when he tested it on himself nothing seemed to
happen.

Resigned to another failure Xander had started to pack things away when he felt a
tightness in his pants and began to fidget.

Xander? Willow frowned, noticing his grimace. Are you ok?

Pass me the antidote we brewed...

Why? It didnt work...?

Willow! Just pass me the antidote! Xander snapped, grabbing at the crotch of his
pants as he tried not to be obvious about it.

Willow, puzzled, quickly handed it across to him and he drank it down but
unfortunately found that it had no effect. Xander, whats wrong?

Uh, nothing. Xander lied. He shifted again, managing to maneuver himself to his
jeans werent threatening to crush the affected part of his anatomy. I, uh, need to go
and do... something.

Willow blinked, confused, but before she could say anything Xander got up and bolted
for the stairs out of the basement, only to run dead into his uncle as Sam came down the
stairs.

Hey, whoa kid, wheres the fire!?

In my PANTS, Xander snarled internally, glaring at his uncle. Nowhere, just need to
go upstairs.

Kid? Sam blinked as Xander pushed past him.

Willow just shrugged when Sam looked to her for an explanation, so he decided to
follow and see what was up. Upstairs he found Xander in the hallway, fighting with his
pants.

Uh... kid? Sam asked hesitantly, then he noticed the bulge in the kids jeans and
started to wonder just what he and the redhead had been up to. You know kid, maybe
its time for you and your old man to have the talk...

What? Xander stared at him for a moment, then grimaced, Ow! God, Uncle Rory
give me a hand here!

Hey kid, that aint even legal in Tennessee. Rory held up his hands.

What are you... ahhh... Xander sighed as his pants came loose and he relaxed a bit,
God that sucked. Stupid potion.

Potion? Sam blinked, Uh... that was caused by a potion?

Xander nodded, face reddening, Yeah. God, what if Willow had seen me!? Oh man,
this is so humiliating!

Sam eyed the kids crotch for a moment before realizing what he was doing and shook
himself clear, Uh... how long does it last?

Xander blinked, I dunno, why?

Just curious, kid. Sam said, thinking hard about the potential benefits. You got any
left?

Xander slumped in a sofa chair, his zipped now undone as his underwear tended
through the split. Why!?

Ive got a date tonight, kid. Sam grinned.

Xander groaned a little shifting again for comfort, then looked at Sam oddly. Yeah,
sure I guess. Its down in the cauldron. Just get it from Willow, I think Im gonna spend
the day in bed.

*****

Xander quickly put that humiliation out of his thoughts and, after the effects of the
potion went down, literally, a few hours later he vowed to never test potions on himself
again. The twins had the right idea, in his opinion. Get some suckers to do it.

In the meantime, though, he refocused on just enjoying his vacation time.

Well until his dad came to him one day and said that Sam had suggested they have
The Talk. After an hour that quickly became the second most humiliating thing that
happened to him that summer, Xander escaped with pretty much no dignity left and a
vow to NEVER tell anyone about those events as long as he lived.

As the end of July came, Xander was surprised to come upstairs one morning to find
Miss Berkeley speaking with his parents.

Ah, hello, its been a year, hasnt it, Alexander?

Ah, I guess so, yes.

Tell me, how was your time at hogwarts?

Xander shrugged, Was ok I guess.

The scholastic recruiter smiled, I think it was a little better than ok, you did quite
well actually. Not top in your classes, but usually within the top twenty, which is quite
respectable.

Xander smiled, Well I learned the trick to that here.

Oh?

Find the smartest girls in school and hang around them, Xander grinned.

Elizabeth Berkeley smiled widely, That sounds like an excellent plan. I was just
speaking with your parents about your options for this year.

Oh yeah?

Yes, The Salem Institute has reopened its doors to new students, though space is still
at a premium due to the volcano...

Yeah, I remember. Xander smirked, Has it kept growing?

Quite. Elizabeth nodded, then sighed, To be honest its been a nightmare. We still
havent worked out what those students were working on, and if we could we would
certainly ban it in the future.

The woman sighed, then shook her head, At any rate, you have a place in Salem, of
course... also, home schooling remains an option, and I am pleased to say that we have
decided to encourage an ongoing scholastic exchange.

You mean we can keep going to other schools if we want? Xander asked, interested.

She nodded, yes, though there are some restrictions.

What kind? Jessica asked, leaning forward.

While Hogwarts and its sibling schools in Europe are well known for high standards
in scholastic pursuits, there are several courses they do not offer that are highly
encouraged in Salem. Berkeley stated, American Wizarding History, for one.
Chemistry, Physics, Biology. These are core courses in the normal world, but only
electives at Salem. Still, they have become increasingly more important as technological
advances begin to match, and in places outstrip, magical alternatives.

What are you suggesting then?

These are mostly introductory courses, because magic is taught so young, they
basically amount to prep courses in case Alex here may wish to pursue them further
after he graduates. She explained, So were considering offering a tutor to help
balance the Old World education and atmosphere with some of our own new world
curriculum.

That sounds pretty cool, Xander said.

Well have to discuss it, jessica said, frowning, wondering about her son being so far
from home yet again, and possibly remaining there for several years, barring holidays.

Of course, just contact me within a week or so?

Jessica nodded in agreement, and Elizabeth rose and said a few parting pleasantries
before leaving.

So, Alex, what do you think?

Xander frowned, considering, I dont know. Hogwarts is cool, and I had a lot of
fun...

And got pretty good grades too, Jessica said, looking at his report, Im impressed,
Alex, this is a big improvement.

Xander flushed, but nodded as he smiled, Thanks mom.

Now though, this is a big decision.

Xander nodded in agreement, yeah.

Did you make any friends?

Sure, Mom, Hermione and Wednesday are great.

And will they be at Hogwarts?

Xander paused, Well Hermione will be.

What about this Wednesday?

I dont know, shes like me, Mom.

Is she the one you talk to over the floo every few days? Jessica smiled.

Xander nodded.

Well go check with her then, see what shes thinking about doing.

Xander nodded in agreement, Thanks Mom.

*****

#1 Cemetery Lane

The explosion of the floo flame startled the Addams clan for only a moment before
Wednesday ran up to the fireplace and actually smiled a little.

Hello, Alexander.

Hey Wednesday, Xanders flaming image grinned back, You get a messenger from
the school?

Hes still here. Wednesday said, taking her normal seat. He and father are
speaking about the options available to us now.

Mine left, has he talked about the exchange program?

She nodded.

Any idea what youre going to do?

I believe I would like to return. Wednesday said after a moment, I believe that it
may be important.

Xander raised a flaming eyebrow, Oh? Are you a seer or something?

No, but the family blood often exerts an influence.

Watch it, Xander smirked, Youre starting to sound like some of the purebloods.

Wednesday arced a brow in return, unsmiling as she responded, Please. The Addams
bloodline is a carefully monitored integration of all blood traits. Those stagnant families
are nothing compared to mine.

Xanders fiery image threw up his hands, Whoa, ok, I give. Just saying.

At anyrate, father is discussing the matter now.

Xander nodded, then grinned as he heard Gomez yell something about a donation in
the background. What was that?

I believe that father is offering to pay for our tutor. Wednesday said with a smirk.

Xander rolled his eyes, knowing from the past Christmas just what Gomez could be
like. So youre going back?

Wednesday looked at the burning image of her friend, considering the question. She
had a distinct feeling that it was important for her to be in Scotland, for the moment at
least. She also thought that it was likely important that she and Xander remain close,
but she didnt know why. Should she convince him to go back? The question bothered
her, as she didnt have all the information for herself. Did he even like it there?

He hadnt been unhappy, she didnt think, but perhaps Xander wanted to go to Salem.
Should she try and convince him otherwise?

Wednesday took a breath.

I am. She said, And you?

Im not sure, Xander said seriously, I need to talk it over with my mom and dad.

Do so. She said, then smiled ever so slightly. If you choose not to, write me.

Count on it.

Xanders image vanished then, and Wednesday stared at the empty fireplace for a long
moment.

No.

His will was his own, he would make his choice as she made hers.

Come what may, she was an Addams and not some pawn of destiny.

****
Back to index
****

Xander was torn, actually, concerning the coming year. Returning to Hogwarts wasnt
really something he had looked forward to, though he did have brief flashes where he
considered a given. Moments where he thought about studying with Wednesday and
Hermione, nailing the twins to the wall, maybe even talking more with Daphne about
pureblood politics.

The journal rested on the bed beside, and he realized that it too was a sign that he had
expected to return, on some level. Of course, what else could he expect? He didnt know
Salem, had no clue about any other school for magic THAN Hogwarts. To some degree,
he supposed, hed never really considered going elsewhere.

He took a breath and nodded. He supposed that was settled then.

****

You want to go back? Jessica asked softly.

Yeah, Mom, Xander smiled, Ive got some friends there, and Wednesday is going
back too.

Ill call Miss Berkeley.

Thanks.

Xander found himself feeling nervous again, just like last year when he was getting
ready to go, but this time found the sensation to be a bit more thrilling than frightening.
He was going to learn more magic, it just didnt get any cooler than that, unless you
counted the fact that he got to do it with friends.

If course he was leaving Wills and Jessie again, and that really sucked, but theyd have
a great summer and another one next year. He wished that Willows parents had let her
attend magical school, but then Jessie would be alone and that wasnt cool either.

There were so many things he wished were different, but the world didnt respond to
wishes and hed learned a while ago that making them was futile. Oddly, though, after
hed given up wishing for things, some of them started coming true. He was magical,
special, that was an old one, a wish hed had since he was old enough to read comics.
Every kid wanted to be superman or spiderman, or something, and he got to live the
dream. A more important dream, one where his parents got along a bit better, seemed
to be coming true too. His dad didnt drink so much now, and his mom seemed more...
here than she had before.

He wasnt sure it was something that would hold, but in the meantime he had to admit
that it felt pretty good to think of his parents as a combo rather than two separate
individuals.

The rest of Xanders summer proceeded at a ever increasing pace, making him feel
like he was riding an accelerating train. The days flashed by, crammed with everything
he could think of doing with his friends before he had to leave them, but it wasnt long
before he could see the end of summer looming and knew that their time was short.

Oddly, his Uncle had taken a bit more of an interest in Xanders magic work in
addition to his physical training, which resulted in a strange conversation toward the
end of the holidays.

****

Hey kid, what are you up to? Sam asked nonchalantly, leaning against the stairwell
as he watched Xander practice.

Pretty good, I think Ive got this Protego shield charm almost right. Xander said,
demonstrating the spell with a powerful shout of Protego!.

The shield shimmered into existence between them, an iridescent bubble that slowly
firmed up as Xander focused on it.

Neat, Sam said, pulling his keys from his pocket and whipping them at Xander.

Xander jumped, the shield flickered and burst like a bubble as the keys struck it then
went on to bounce off his forehead.

Ow!

Stay focused kid, Sam said, walking into the room. A shield is no good if you cant
keep it up.

Xander rubbed his forehead, glaring at his uncle. Yeah, yeah. Jeez, did you have to
throw them so hard?

No, Sam answered, then smiled, I wanted to.

Xander grumbled, but went back to work.

They teach you shielding spells in first year? Sam asked, looking over the book
Xander was working out of.

Nah, I think its like fourth or fifth year, but its COOL. Xander grinned, hard as it
is to believe, Im doing homework I dont have to do yet.

I think that one might be a bit ahead of you, kid. Sam chuckled, shaking his head.
Just remember what I said about magic, ok kid?

Xander nodded seriously.

And, on that note, I was wondering kid... can you make any more of that potion I
borrowed? Sam asked, his expression hopeful.

Why? Xander blurted, then remembered the talk with his dad and shivered, You
know what, never mind. I dont want to know. Uh, yeah, I kept notes so I wouldnt try
the same thing twice...

Xander picked up his potions journal and frowned, flipping through the pages until he
found the one marked as utter failure, do NOT mix again and handed the journal over
to Sam. That one, copy it if you want, but leave the original there. I dont want to
accidentally mix that again.

Sure, sure, kid, Sam said, pulling out a pen. Whatever you say.

Sam then ignored Xander as he went back to practice his spells, preferring to focus on
copying the page contents as perfectly as possible.

****

Hey bro! Jessie called as he and Willow came into the house.

Guys, Xander grinned, I thought we were meeting up later?

We thought wed have a little celebration, dude, we did miss your birthday you
know.

Xander smiled hesitantly, Thats ok, guys, I mean I wasnt here.

Willow ducked her head, We wanted to.

Come in, Jessica said, coming into the room with a big cake, surprising Xander. Is
everyone hungry?

Yes maam! Jessie grinned, bolting for the table.

Xander looked around, a little lost, but Willow tugged him to the table and he followed
willingly.

Guys, Mom, I dont know what to say... thanks.

Looks like you figured it out easy enough, Jessie grinned.

Xander grinned in response as Willow stepped to his side and pushed something into
his hands.

Whats this?

Whats a party without presents? Jessie asked from the other side of the table, a big
slice of cake halfway to his mouth.

Xander glanced at Willow, who had reverted to her shy self.

Its not much or anything, I just... kinda thought it would come in handy.

Xander grinned, then opened the package. He was surprised when he saw the lovely
pen set inside a hardwood box, both because it was a rather elegant style that hed never
seen before, but also because of how much he actually appreciated it. A year ago, he
knew, he would be disappointed not to have a toy or something similar.

I told her we should get you a tv or something, but she insisted, Jessie apologized
from across the table.

Its ok isnt it? Willow asked, her voice suddenly worried. I mean, its not
disappointing to you or anything, right?

Willow. Xander said softly, cutting her off. Its great. Thank you.

Willow beamed at him, Its a really fancy fountain pen, so you might have some
trouble at first, but I thought, you know, with what you told me about the school it
might kinda fit in.

Xander blinked, pulling the silver pen out and looking at it carefully. Willow was right,
actually, the nib of the pen looked very much like the quills they used at school. Some of
the muggleborn kids had the foresight to bring ballpoint pens with them, especially the
older years, but such things were frowned on by many of the teachers. Snape, especially
detested them and wouldnt grade any work done with one.

He experimentally scratched out his name on the wrapping paper and was both
shocked and pleased to see it write almost exactly like the quills, only much smoother
and easier to work with. He mentally compared it to how quill work looked and was
pretty sure it was almost identical.

This is perfect! he blurted, gleefully examining the pen closer, an noticing several
refill cartridges.

Theres a book on calligraphy too, Willow said helpfully.

Oh, just brilliant, Wills, Jess... its great!

Careful, your inner nerd AND inner brit is showing, dude. Jessie said, mock
mournfully, My best pal, lost to the whims of the nerdy British. Its horrible.

Yuck it up, smart guy, Xander scowled playfully at his pal.

I will, Jessie grinned.

Xander grinned then, and looked at his two best friends on this side of the Rockies.
Thanks guys. Youre the best.

*****

After the impromptu party, the trio went out to the movies and spent the rest of the
evening in the Bronze. Despite all the warnings hed had about the dangers of the
hellmouth, Xander had yet to see a vampire and he was actually a little disappointed,
thought not by too much. Even Gomez Addams had referred to the local vamps as
Distasteful, which either meant they were sun loving pacifists, or seriously freaking
scary.

Given the fact that they were, after all, Vampires, Xander figured for number two.
Hed already wrung a promise out of Willow to not go out alone or with someone she
didnt know, and to make sure Jessie did the same. His parents and Sam had also said
theyd keep an eye on the duo, but Xander was seriously going to break the law just as
soon as he could provide some good proof to Jessie and get away with it.

Sam had told him that most vamps dont grab younger kids, though, cause it attracted
too much attention. Xander had felt better after that, but Sam had then gone on to say
that in Sunnydale the attention tended to die out pretty quick, and that teens were
considered primo targets cause of how often the run away.

Xander figured that he had a couple years, tops, to figure out a way to break it to
Jessie without getting himself in deep with the Magical Law Enforcement types.

He would worry about it more, except that hed been looking everytime they were out
after dark, and the town seemed dead at night. If it wasnt for everyone agreeing,
Xander would think they were pulling a joke on him or something.

As it was he just pushed it aside, and trusted that everything was under control. After
all, if the vamps and dangerous types werent anywhere to be seen, it should be pretty
safe.

Right?

****

Xander, youre port key is here!

Xander clomped down the stairs, running over to where his mother was taking a letter
from a post owl and grinned. Whens it set for?

She checked the note, and one eyebrow went up. Five minutes. Lord they cut things
close, dont they?

Ive got my stuff, mom. Xander grabbed the handle of his school truck to show that
he was serious, and reached out for the key.

The portkey turned out to be an actual key, he found as his mother handed it to him
and Xander examined it for a moment curiously. Looks kinda beat up.

Jessica smirked slightly, Wizards like to use old things for portkeys, it cuts down on
the odds of the wrong person picking it up. They probably got this out of a lost and
found tray.

Xander chuckled, and his mother gave him a quick hug.

Behave at school, try not to get into too much trouble, and dont forget youre Great
Aunt Lavelle is going to meet you at Salem for a chat. Be polite.

I will, mom. Xander promised.

Jessica pulled back, checking her watch. Almost time, hon. Im going to miss you.

Im gonna miss you and Dad too, Mom, Xander said, just a tiny bit surprised that he
was telling the truth.

Are you coming home for the holidays this time?

I... I dont know yet. Ill let you know, ok? Xander asked hopefully.

Jessica smiled softly, Alright.

Xander started to say something else when he felt a tug at his navel, and the world
whirled around him, and he was gone.

****
Back to index
****

Xanders arrival in Salem ended with him on his backside in the office of the Dean,
staring up at the bemused faces looking down at him and flushing in embarrasment.

Sorry, He said, climbing to his feet. I cant seem to get the hang of those things.

No need for apologies, Said an old man who reminded Xander a lot of Dumbledore,
though with a little less insanity showing through. I believe I was in my forties before I
learned to land properly from a portkey, though they were a tad rougher back then.

The two other people in the office smiled slightly, and Xander recognized one of them
as his great Aunt and quickly bowed to them both.

Well, a polite young man as well, The old man said, smiling. Im Arthur
Fitzpatrick, young Mr Harris, Dean of Salem Academy for the Magical Arts.

Xander blinked, then turned and bowed slightly to him as well. Pleased to meet you,
Sir.

And you, young man. I regret that you have chosen to school yourself elsewhere, I
think you would have been a fine addition to the campus. Arthur said, smiling widely.
Now, we gathered here to speak of how things will work on this exchange program, if
youre amenable?

Xander blinked, not actually knowing what the word meant, but decided to agree
anyway just based on context. Yes sir, of course.

Excellent, Arthur smiled again, then nodded to the man Xander didnt recognize.

I am Professor Hardy, The hawk faced man said, Ive been assigned to liaise
between Salem and Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. I will be providing you
will extra tutalage in the coursework youll be expected to know should you go on to
higher learning in a non-magical institute after you write your NEWTS.

Nice to meet you, Sir.

You will be expected to maintain a certain level of grades, Alexander, Arthur said
seriously, Last year we didnt watch as closely because we had nowhere else to send
you, but if your grades drop you will not be permitted to continue at Hogwarts.

Xander swallowed, but nodded. I understand.

Judging from your marks last year, I dont believe there will be any great issues,
Arthur said, glancing through the sheaf of parchment he was holding. Youve turned
out very respectable results that, while not exceptional, do show you to be ahead of the
class averages at Hogwarts and here.

Thank you, Sir.

Now, the standard warnings of gloom and doom done with, I believe that youre
Great Aunt wishes to speak with you in private. Arthur stood, You may, of course,
use my office if you like.

Thank you, no, Dean. Jessica Lavelle said as she too rose up. I believe well talk
and walk.

Of course. Arthur replied, returning to his seat with an affable grin.

Come along child, Jessica said, laying a hand on Xanders shoulder.

Xander nodded and let her lead him out.

Once they were away from the office, outside and moving along the manicured paths
that made up the non-volcanic portion of the campus, Jessica spoke again.

Lesson one, never hold a private conversation in someone elses office. She said out of
the blue, It is an invitation to nosy busybodies to spy on you.

Xander blinked, looking back, You think he would have...?

Unlikely, but possible. No, I meant it as general advice, child. The older woman said,
It is far too easy for Wizards or Witches to get the idea that they deserve to know
everything about everyone around them. Power Dementia is an ugly thing.

Not knowing what else to do, Xander nodded in agreement.

Jessica smiled, You dont know what I mean yet, child, but you will. Tell me, what do
you know about your family?

About my mom and dad?

No, Alex. Your family. The Lavelles and the Harris.

Xander shrugged, not much. Mom told me some over the summer, but it seems really
complicated.

Jessica sighed, shaking her head. You should have been identified as magical a long
time ago, Alexander. The scrying devices must have been blinded by the infernal portal
you live near, and no one thought to check The Book. Marcus will tell you nothing of the
Harris family, I expect, and there is little I can say other than some background.

She paused, considering, The Harris magical line is Irish, as is your Lavelle bloodline,
though we Lavelles are a widely traveled bunch. Both trunk lines were destroyed, as I
told you before, and now only the Colonial lines exist. Some here, some in Africa,
Australia, South America. Likely a few extended relations in the Ural mountains, and
possibly even into the Russias, Lavelle family only. Harris clan members are almost
entirely in Australia and America, and most of those in Australia have been disowned at
some point in their ancestry.

Why?

As the non magical folk sent criminals to Australia as punishment, so to did our lines
send... black sheep. Family members who chose not to fit in, but rather to cause trouble
in one form or another. Jessica shrugged, Actually, many of those types came to
America as well, but our ancestors on this side of the atlantic were usually too
important to strike from the family register and so your paternal blood is possibly one
of the last of the official Harris lines.

Whoa. Xander blinked.

You dont understand any of this, I know, She sighed. So much to learn, so little
time. On the Lavelle side youre not quite as important, but youre still one of ours and
we tend to stick together.

I know some of this stuff, Xander said, frowning. Blood seems really important to a
lot of people in England, you know.

She smiled slightly, I was aware, yes.

A lot of my schoolmates, Xander wouldnt say friends, seem to think its the most
important thing when it comes to being magical.

Many people do, though I will say that few of them are intelligent folk. Jessica said,
faintly amused, Of course, in fairness, few folk of any sort are intelligent.

My friends are. Xander said, his tone defensive.

She smiled at that, amused by his instant leap to the defense of his friends. Perhaps.
Are they purebloods?

Xander snorted, Not hardly. Hermione is muggleborn, and Wednesday things
purebloods are pretty thin blooded.

Interesting names. Jessica raised an eyebrow.

I guess.

Ill tell you a little secret, Alexander, something pureblood lines hate to dwell on.
Jessica said after a moment, If you go back far enough, even the oldest pureblood
family begins with a muggleborn. We came from the non magical populace, as does
every variation of humanity in existence. Vampires, Lycans, Wizarding Kind, all from
the same source. What many would consider lowly humans.

Xander smirked, Makes sense. I knew there was nothing to this pureblood stuff.

I did not say that, Alexander. Jessica said sharply. Remember this well, we may
have originated from them, but bloodlines that have existed for centuries and even
millennia are changed by time. There are talents, little blood traits that arise from time
to time in a bloodline, that do follow the blood. They separate us from the majority of
those who are born to non magical folk. You will almost never see a Speaker born to
normal folk, not one of any stripe.

Speaker?

Those who have a natural empathy with an element of magic. There are those who
speak with animals, elements, even the spirits who have crossed over.

Spirits? You mean ghosts? Xander grinned, Anyone can speak with them.

No, those who have crossed over. Not the souls who remain here for whatever reason,
those who have moved on. She corrected sharply. These are bloodline traits, its
almost unheard of for a first generation Wizard or Witch to enjoy anything of the like.

Xander considered that for a long moment, then spoke up, Do our families have any
talents like that?

Jessica smiled, Good question, child. One I will table until another time, however. If
youre very good, youll be able to answer it for yourself.

Xander crossed his arms over his chest and sulked slightly, causing her to laugh again.

Come, Alex. Our time runs short, and you have another busy year ahead of you.

*****

His great Aunt led him back to the dorms, then bade him goodbye, leaving Xander
feeling very confused as to what the whole meeting had been about. One thing he did
know, however, was that he was going to be doing some research into his family lines
just as soon as he got a chance.

The possibility of having magical talents that went beyond casting spells was just too
cool to leave unchecked.

He played with Fenrir a bit, then went to sleep for the night with the knowledge that
hed be heading back to England the next day dancing through his dreams all night.
Lack of proper sleep aside, however, Xander was up early and excited to get moving. He
was meeting up with Wednesday again today.

*****

The Addams once again arrived by car, forgoing the faster modes of transport in favor
of the ancient automobile chauffeured by the title character from Mary Shelleys
Frankenstein.

Wednesday!

Alexander. Wednesday Addams returned his happy shout with a more reserved
greeting, leading Xander to slow his approach slightly, and shift to a more laid back
wave.

Ready for more Hogwarts? he asked, smiling.

Of course. Are you? She asked pointedly, one eyebrow peaking.

Probably not. He grinned.

She sighed slightly, shaking her head, then turned back to her parents. Mother,
Father.

Wednesday, Darling, well miss you so. Mortisha said, leaning over to hug her
daughter.

Alex, my boy, Gomez greeted Xander as he came around the car, How have you
been? Care for a cigar?

Uh, no thanks, and Ive been good, Sir.

Sir. Please, call me Gomez lad. The exuberant man laughed, No need to stand on
ceremony with me.

Gomez, honey, Wednesday is ready to go. Mortisha said, dabbing at her eyes.

Ah yes, off on another adventure. You do us proud, Wednesday, just remember the
Addams motto and youll do fine. Gomez said with a fierce grin.

Of course.

Addams motto? Xander asked, curious.

We gladly feast on those who would subdue us. Wednesday said in a deadpan
delivery.

Yikes. Cheery. Xander blurted with a shiver.

I know, Gomez clasped his hands together. Gives me goosebumps just thinking it.
Thats a strong family statement, my boy.

Xander nodded, slowly. He couldnt really argue with that, that was for sure.

*****

The elder Addams left shortly after, and with only a short bit of milling around
Xander and Wednesday were herded into a smaller group than the last time, with
professor Hardy chaperoning.

Is everyone here? he asked, looking around. Once he had satisfied himself that he
wasnt missing any of his charges, he gave out the last minute directions and held out
the portkey.

When they all touched it, the key tugged them into the swirling space they transited,
and then spat them back out in Londons Diagon Alley. The group arrival created a bit
of a fuss, but things calmed down shortly as the group made their way around the alley,
getting their books for the year. There seemed to be a lot more of them this year,
Xander noticed, most written by the same guy.

Whos this Lockhart dude? He whispered to Wednesday.

I do not know. She admitted, Ive never read any of these books.

They look kinda cool. Xander said hesitently.

Indeed, they looked a lot cooler than the other books they had to buy. Shiny covers,
moving pictures, and a wizard posing on the front of each book with wide smiles and
heroic looking postures made the books seem pretty interesting. Xander tucked them
away, counting out his money quickly, and wondered if he could get some time in some
of the other stores before they had to go.

It wasnt to be, however, as Hardy rounded them up shortly after than and another
portkey later found them on platform nine and three quarters as people milled about,
saying their goodbyes to students who were boarding the train.

Alexander, Wednesday, Ill see you on the train now. Hardy said firmly.

Youre not coming?

No, I have to take the others across the channel to beuxbatons and Durmstrang. he
said, You two are the only two returning to Hogwarts.

Xander nodded and Wednesday merely pulled him along.

Come alone, its time to board.

Alright, see ya, Sir!

Professor Hardy nodded as the duo boarded the train, then turned to the rest of his
charges and withdrew his portkey ring yet again.

*****
Back to index
*****

Xander and Wednesday had taken a seat in an empty compartment, the dark girls
quiet stare more then enough to scare away any firsties who may have normally dared
intrude, and several second through fourth years who had appeared as well. The train
rumbled once or twice, and then a few minutes after they had boarded they were on
their way. The two sat in what could have been uncomfortable silence for most, but was
more of a companionable quiet for them, both reading their own books up until the
door burst open and Hermione rushed in.

Herms. Xander grinned, putting his books aside.

Oh god, have either of you seen Harry or Ron? The young witch asked tightly.

Wednesday raised one eyebrow, Have you misplaced them?

Used to the Raven of Ravenclaws sardonic comments, Hermione just slumped into the
seat across from them, I cant find them anywhere, they didnt get on the train.

Xander frowned, Huh.

Huh!? HUH!? Is that all you can say?

Have you told the prefects? Xander asked.

Of course I have.

Well, until we get to Hogwarts we cant do anything else. Unless you want to fly back
on broomstick and search London. Xander suggested wryly, then paled when he saw
the gleam in Hermiones eyes, And I was JOKING about that. Wednesday and I are
Americans, for gods sake, wed get lost before we even FOUND London.

I would not. Wednesday objected calmly.

Fine, I would. Xander retorted. They probably just ran late, theyll get ahold of
someone and probably be in the castle before we are.

You really think so? hermione asked, expression hopeful.

If not, I think that theres a small army of professors wholl be out looking for them,
and THEY know the area. Xander shrugged. Besides, Harrys tough.

Right, and Ron is with him too. Hermione let out a breath.

Xander glanced at Wednesday, then shrugged, Im sure hell be ok anyway.

*****

Their arrival in Hogwarts was uneventful, though Hermione flew right at Hagrid when
the big man arrived to gather up the first years.

Hagrid! Hagrid, you have to help!

There, there, Hermione, whats wrong then? Hagrid paused, turning away from the
quailing first years.

Harry and Ron never made it on the train!

WHAT!? The giant of a man roared, sending eleven year olds cowering to the
cobblestones.

Relax. Xander said, Hagrids alright.

They looked up at him, unbelieving.

Are you sure? one asked quietly, looking like he was about to pee his pants.

Hes harmless, unless he sits on you, Xander replied with a smirk.

That was a joke most of them got, and the giggled hesitantly. A redheaded girl nodded
in agreement.

Yeah, my brothers say Hagrids the best.

Xander turned his focus on her, one eyebrow crooking. Let me guess, Weasely?

She glared at him, noting his green and silver, Something wrong with that?

I suppose it depends. Xander replied dryly, Do you take after Ron, the Twins, or
Percy?

She grinned cruelly. The twins are scared of me.

Lord help us all, were doomed. Xander returned with an expression and a tone to
match Wednesday at her sarcastic, cutting best.

The girl reddened, but their attention was diverted away from their banter to where
Hermione was chattering urgently with Hagrid.

Right then, The big man said, coming to a decision, Lets get your first years in ta
the castle. Dont you worry, Hermione, Ill go straight to McGonagal as soon as we
arrive. Well get em back, dont you worry none.

Too late, Hermione said softly.

Xander put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed slightly, then nodded to the
carriages. She nodded in agreement and along with Wednesday they headed in that
direction.

As they arrived at the waiting carriages, however, two more redheads were waiting.

Oh brother of mine, look here, our favorite...

Test subject has returned.

Xander rolled his eyes, Do you guys mind? Hermione is worried about Harry and
your bother.

The two shrugged, Those two will be fine...

We taught Ron everything he knows.

Well that explains the attitude. Xander retorted sarcastically.

The twins looked at each other, the grinned evilly at him.

Just so you know...

We didnt get enough time to properly pay you back last year.

But now, the gods have smiled on us. We must have done something right in a
previous life.

The two glanced at each other, puzzled, then spoke together. Cant imagine what that
would have been.

They shrugged, then went on with their normal back and forth.

Anyway, now we get you for a full year.

Our prayers have been answered.

We do hope youre ready for pain,

Humiliation...

Degradations...

And then, when youre used to wearing green and silver again, The twins smirked,
Well take a shot or two at you as well.

Xander rolled his eyes, Get a new act, this ones stale.

Then the three boarded the carriages as the twins looked at each other with
determined expressions.

What should we do, brother of mine?

I know, we will get him...

At the feast!

Brilliant! The two grinned together as the carriage doors closed, leaving Xander to
sigh.

Those two are a good argument for birth control.

Xander! Hermione flushed hotly.

****

As they approached the castle, Xander noticed that Hagrid had indeed beat them there
in the normally slow boats and was conferring urgently with Professor McGonagal. The
older woman got very tense and hurried off into the castle, which told Xander that at
least someone was doing something. He relaxed a bit himself, letting out some tension he
hadnt really known he was carrying.

Harry was a good enough guy, and Hermione liked the two of them, so yeah he was a
bit worried.

Oh look, the Barbarian is back and hanging out with his little mudblood again.

The drawling voice cut into the thoughts of the trio as they walked up to the castle, and
they looked up to see Draco Malfoy leaning against a wall ahead of them.

Still with the same old routine, huh? Xander shook his head, I told the twins that
their act was stale, but youre is growing mold, Draco.

Draco stiffened, glaring at Xander, How DARE you?

Besides, Xander went on, ignoring the question, Its not like mudblood is a good
description of muggle borns, Draco.

What? The blond boy blinked, noticing now that the conversation was drawing a
crowd.

Actually, I think that mudblood would be a better description for purebloods who
have children with known problems, like squibs. Xander went on, I mean, how can
you call Hermione a mudblood when you dont know what her blood line is, was, or will
be? She could be anything, from the worst traits on the planet, to the very best. You just
dont know, right?

Uh...

Draco looked lost as Hermione stared at Xander with an expression alternating
between horror and fascination.

I think that muggle borns, real muggleborns, Xander said pensively, are better
named... Wildbloods.

Wildblood?? Draco blurted out, going red. What kind of nonsense is...

Well, if you cant predict her blood traits, then shes a wild factor, isnt she? Xander
asked, shrugging. So you cant call her a mudblood, because you cant prove it. In a
couple hundred years, after shes had children, grandchildren, and so on... well then
you can say one way or the other, but right now it just makes you sound stupid.

Indeed. Wednesday intoned as she walked past, Not that you need the help.

Several of the gathered crowd stopped murmuring at what Xander had said to laugh
nervously at Wednesdays comments, which only riled Draco up more. He jumped
forward, grabbing Wednesday by the arm and whipping her around violently.

You freak! You cant talk to me like-!

Hus statement was cut off by Wednesdays wand jabbing into his crotch, Xanders
driving up under his ear, and Hermiones glowing between his eyes. He froze, turning
remarkably pale as Xander glared at the two bookends who had only just realized he
needed help.

Back off. Xander growled at Crabbe and Goyle before turning to Malfoy. Heres
how this works. You can insult all you like, well insult back. You can argue, well argue
back. Or you can get violent.

Wednesday looked up at Draco, jabbing her wand once into his groin, And then we
will get violent back... after that, you wont insult, argue, or get violent again. Ever.

Draco, still staring cross eyed at the glowing wand between his eyes, squeaked.

Now go and play, little boy. Wednesday said softly. Before I decide to play with
you.

They released him and the Malfoy scion stumbled back, practically falling on his ass
before Crabbe and Goyle grabbed him to keep him from falling. He stared at them in
undisguised fear before the three of them retreated.

Youve gotten better. Wednesday nodded slightly to Xander as they put away their
wands.

Practicing over the summer, he said, Plus my uncles former Navy and he decided I
needed some exercise and stuff.

Wednesday nodded, not bothering to comment on what stuff was. Xander just
grinned at Hermione, nodding to her wand. That was so freaking cool. What spell were
you ready to cast?

She blushed, Actually, it was just a tinted lumos spell. I thought it would look
intimidating.

Sweet. Xander grinned, glancing over his shoulder, I think you intimidated Draco
into a new pair of shorts.

Oh ew!

Indeed, Wednesday rolled her eyes, I did not need that image, thank you very
much.

Xander shrugged, Everyones a critic.

The trio glanced around, noting finally that they had drawn a crowd. Wednesday cooly
ignored them as Hermione blushed at all the attention, but Xander just bowed.

Thank you, thank you, were here on year folks. he said with a flourish and bow,
please, no flowers, just throw money.

The crowd chuckled at that and began to break up. The trio were heading in to the
school when a scream went up, and they spun around to see people pointing into the air
as an old car *flew* past.

That I did not see coming. Xander said, staring at the sky as the car looped around,
barely missing a tower, and came back.

Oh my god! Hermione screamed, hands flying to her mouth.

Im just guessing, but Id say that Harry and Ron are here. Xander said to no one in
particular.

What makes you think its Potter?

Xander glanced to one side, then nodded to Daphne as the dark haired girl stepped up
beside him.

Two reasons, Xander said as the car did a loop the loop. First, Harrys the only guy
missing who can make an entrance that big...

The car missed its landing, then swerved left and careened into the whomping willow,
which proceeded, well, whomp on it with a great deal of enthusiasm. Xander winced,
And two, only Ron could possibly screw it up that bad.

Proffessors rushed out of the school, running in a group down to the willow as it
proceeded to pound on the car and, as the school watched, Harry Potter and Ronald
Weasley were rescued from the flying car before it, apparently on its own cognizance,
took off for the forbidden forest.

Welcome to Hogwarts, Xander said, looking at the group of first years that was
nearby. Believe it or not, this isnt really all that strange.

A few of them tittered nervously, then several laughed outright, and as the word came
back that both Harry and Ron would be alright after a stay in the infirmary wing, they
began to laugh almost uncontrollably as the teachers came back, looking completely
befuddled by the reaction of the students to the events in question.

Xander let out a breath, then looked around to see that Hermione was gone, chasing
after the teachers who had Ron and Harry. He shrugged, then extended an arm to
Wednesday with exaggerated gallantry.

Shall we?

She looked at him evenly for a moment, then nodded and accepted his arm.

Green and Silver strode with Blue and Black, walking through the laughing first years
and into Hogwarts and their second year of magical education.

****
Back to index
****

Xander watched the sorting from the Slytherin table, trying to ignore the sheer weight
of the loathing he could feel emanating from Draco as the blond boy sat in his normal
position to Xanders left. Daphne had taken a place on his right, for which Xander was
grateful cause it meant that he at least had some semi decent conversation as things
moved along.

The hat had sent Slytherin its fair share of the firsties, Xander noted, though most of
them seemed a little cowed compared to the exuberant ones that were richocheting
around the Gryffindor table. Xander supposed that there were some good things to
being the evil group.

As the sorting was finished, the headmaster looked around and delivered his normal
speech, introducing the new defense professor as one Gilderoy Lockhart. Xander
frowned, thinking about where hed heard that name before, then realized that it was
the author of many of his new books.

Weird, Xander frowned. School books were standardized, right? A professor couldnt
just pick his own books as the ones to teach out of? Maybe the standards had been
updated this year, Xander supposed, and Dumbledore had elected to hire the man
because his books were considered the new standard.

Still seemed weird. He wondered what Hermione thought about it.

Thinking about the bushy haired girl caused Xander to glance over at the gryff table
just as the headmaster uttered his final words and the tables groaned under the heavy
weight of food appearing from nowhere. In that moment Xanders eyes crossed over the
Twins positions and he noticed them both studiously looking anywhere but at the
Slytherins.

That brought him up short and he glared at the food in front of them.

The banquet do anything to you, Harris? Daphne asked curiously, noting his
expression.

Xander hesitated, then drew his wand and glanced around. He spotted a Firstie
wearing glasses and reached over Daphne to snag them.

Hey!

Quiet. Ill pass them back in a moment. Xander tapped the glasses with his wand
under the table and uttered the charm he used to try and break down potions
ingredients, then brought the glasses up and put them on.

The prescription nearly crossed his eyes when he looked through them, and he shook
his head. God, are you part bat? Youve got to be blind as one...

He forced himself to look at the food, though, and noticed that most of it was fine but
the meat pie was showing a familiar pattern. He pulled the glasses off and slid them
back to the table, catching Dracos hand as he lifted a slice of the pie to his mouth.

What are you doing? Draco asked, his expression disgusted as he looked down his
nose at Xander. Unhand me this instant.

Twins got to the meat pie. Xander hissed, Pass it on down the line. Dont know
what it does, but lets not make fools of ourselves at the first meal of the year.

Draco swallowed, but nodded and set down the slice of pie before turning and
whispering the message along as Xander turned to Daphne.

Pass the word, stay clear of the pie. Weasley twins got into the kitchens.

Daphne paled slightly, but nodded and in a few moments the word had rippled down
that side of the table as well. She turned back to him as he helped himself to some
potatoes. Howd you know?

Used an ingredients charm on the meat pie.

She blinked, Did it show you something poisonous?

Xander looked at her, startled, Course not. Theyre pranksters, not assassins. No, the
twins use an obscuring method I havent cracked to protect their recipes.

She frowned, So how did you know they did anything?

Well when the pie wouldnt tell me what was in it, I was pretty sure someone was up
to no good. Xander replied dryly, then chuckled at the chagrined look on her face.

While they were talking, a fifth year moved behind them and leaned in. Whats going
on?

Xander explained, and the older kid frowned, Those charms dont give you specific
information, you have to interpret the aura of the magically affected ingredients.
Everything on this table was just transported up here magically, You mean to tell me
you can tell every possible aura, and its combinations, at a glance like that?

Xander shook his head, Of course not. But the twins use an obscuring technique on
their jokes, so people cant copy them. I recognize that pattern.

The fifth year shook his head, I dont want to know.

Xander chuckled, and the meal went on with the Slytherins carefully avoiding the pie
as they ate, while the twins shot confused glares in their direction. Xander snagged a
piece of pie before it was banished at the end of the meal, then stole the firsties glasses
again when desert appeared. After a careful look around the table he handed the glasses
back, canceling the charm, and nodded to everyone.

Slytherin tucked in as the twins glared at them from the Gryff table but apparently
theyd only had time to nail the one dish since they had only arrived less than two hours
earlier. When the meal ended, the prefects led the first years to the dorms while the rest
filtered in on their own. Inside the Slytherin dorms Xander took out the pie and looked
around at a few who were watching him expectantly.

Alright, lets see what the show was supposed to be... He said, taking a breath before
hesitantly taking a big bite of the pie.

For a moment nothing happened, then suddenly Xanders whole body shook and he
seemed to inflate like a balloon. In a few seconds he had gone from a fairly average
looking sort to the poster boy for pillsbury. He sighed, looking down at himself as he
spat the bite of pie out into the trash.

Right. I need someone who knows runes and someone who knows arithmancy.
Xander said coldly, the tone sounding odd coming from his huge body as he waddled
around. Draco, you know how to get around the school unnoticed after dark, right?

Malfoy glared at Xander, but remembering that he had kept him from eating the
tainted pie nodded grudgingly. Youll never get into Gryffindor dorms without the
password though.

Who wants into gryffindor??

****

Xander got his volunteers, so the four of them, Xander, a seventh year named Harrow,
a sixth year named Jacobs, and Draco snuck out after curfew through a passage Draco
swore them to secrecy about.

Howd you know about that? Xander asked, grudgingly admiring the knowledge of
the blond.

Draco smirked at him, You would never believe the things I know about Hogwarts.

Right. Xander rolled his eyes.

The four made their way through the back halls until they reached the great hall.

Keep watch, Xander hissed to Draco, If you see *anyone* you come get us. Dont
yell, dont run, come get us.

Draco waved at him, Yes yes, just hurry up before we lose enough points to sink any
hope of the house cup.

Xander nodded and led the other two into the hall. They looked expectantly at the
Gryffindor table, but Xander shook his head and lead them straight to the Slytherin
table.

Here, He said softly, drawing his wand and casting the reverse of the identification
charm, This is the plan.

****

Some time later the four snuck back into the Slytherin common room, led by Draco
with Xander taking up the rear. Once inside, Xander looked at them seriously, Just
remember, act surprised and shocked when it happens.

Harrow nodded jerkily, as pale as a ghost, and Jacobs wasnt much better.

Draco looked at them, then back at Xander, When what happens? What did you do?

Xander smirked, You dont want to know.

Draco started to object, but Harrows shook his head, You really dont, Malfoy. I wish
*I* didnt know. If anyone finds out we did this...

They wont. Xander said confidently.

Did what?? Draco was beginning to become concerned. Not for whatever it was they
had done, but for how it might bleed over on him.

Call it plausible deniability, Draco. Trust me, you do NOT want to be blamed for this
one. Xander said with a grin.

Draco looked at the three of them and growled, Fine. Like I care anyway.

He turned in a huff and stomped off, as the other two looked at Xander with concern.

I hope you know what youre doing. Harrow said tensely. If Professor Snape or the
Headmaster figure this out... They might just let Filch break out his toys just for us.

Xander nodded, I know. So just remember, dont let on that you were expecting
anything and dont go sneering at the twins either. Youll give the game away.

Better tell that to Draco, Jacobs sighed.

If Draco *doesnt* sneer at the twins, thatll give the game away. Xander said,
rolling his eyes.

Hes not exactly subtle, is he? Harrow asked, chuckling.

Xander shook his head, Hes not as cunning as he thinks, thats for sure. And lord
knows, his only ambition is to spend his daddies money. You ever get the idea that some
people just get dumped in here by default cause no other house would take them?

Jacobs winced, Thats dangerous talk, Harris. Just a friendly warning, Malfoy may
not be subtle, but with the power his family wields he doesnt have to be. You might
want to stop pissing him off.

Xander shrugged, I dont really care, I mean its not like I have to live around him,
you know? Im an American, and Im going home sooner or later.

Just dont expect the rest of us to join you in annoying the bear cub, ok Harris?
Harrow said with a sigh, We have to live around here.

No problem. Xander smiled, heading for the stairs to his room. See you in the
morning.

The two shuddered, thinking about breakfast.

You know, I might sleep in. Harrow said with a shiver.

Me too.

Xander chuckled evilly, and headed to his room.

The two older students looked at each other after he left and shook their heads.

You know, I think Ill not gamble against Harris. Harrow said carefully.

Yeah, tough to play against someone whos willing to risk everything without
blinking. Jacobs agreed.

****

The next morning saw Xander coming into the Hall for breakfast a little early. He
knew it was stupid, but there was simply no way he wasnt going to be present when this
one went down. He wanted to see the looks on the Twins faces when everything hit the
fan.

Kids were trickling in, and Xander noticed that the twins hadnt arrived yet. He was a
little disappointed, really, cause he was pretty sure that they werent the types to let
their gags go off without being around to watch the fireworks either. Xander shrugged
it off, remembering that it didnt matter if they didnt pull anything this morning.

Sooner or later theyd try again.

He settled in, this time with the safety goggles hed used for potions work in his
basement resting in his pocket. The hardened acetate goggles were crystal clear, and
wouldnt give him a headache like the borrowed prescription lenses had yesterday. He
cast the charm on them quietly and scanned the table quickly, but found nothing out of
the ordinary so he settled in to eat.

The twins came in a few minutes after he did, and Xander tensed as he watched them.

They didnt look at him as they sat down at gryffindor table, along with Harry and
Ron Xander noted with some relief. Hed known that they would be ok, but it was good
to see them up and around. He nodded to Harry, then smiled and waved at Hermione.
The twins glared at both Xander and Hermione briefly, but seemed to give it up as
pointless a moment later before they both looked over at Xander, smiled sweetly in
unison, and waved.

Oh crap, Xander though, his stomach roiling. Did they do what he expected? Or
something new? There was nothing he could do about it now, though, other than hope
they kept up their barrage.

The professors were settling in now, catting amiably for the most part as they ate.
Xander noticed that Snape seemed to prefer reading the prophet in the morning, but
Lockhart was attempting to chat his ear off and the dark professor was visibly
restraining himself from cursing his colleague, probably magically as well as verbally.

It happened shortly after that.

There was an audible pop, the sound filling the Hall, and Xander instinctively looked
over to the twins, who were gleefully looking back at him. He saw their expressions
grow puzzled, then both paled as one as their attention twisted away from the Slytherin
table.

Xander followed their gaze, biting his cheek as hard as he could when he saw what
could only have been Professor McGonagal squawk loudly, feathers fluttering as she
bounced around the table in obvious aggravation. The other proffessors were staring in
rampant shock, except for Headmaster Dumbledore who seemed to be shifting between
amused surprise and mild annoyance.

The next disruption was at the other end of the faculty table, when Professor Snape
suddenly began to gag as his mouth was forced open and his tongue rolled out of his
mouth, thumping down onto the table, and rolled to the left across Professor Lockharts
hand as the shocked man froze in mid reach for a platter of hash browns.

That was the signal for pure pandemonium as one professor after another began to
change into various colors, forms, and whatever else. Even the headmaster was not
immune as his face turned a bright red, then gold, and began to cycle rapidly between
the two like some signal light. Students were caught between staring in shock and
laughing in hysterical glee. Xander settled for what he hoped was a blank stare of
surprise and shock.

Lockhart, one of the only professors unaffected by virtue, Xander thought, of not
having had time to eat while chatting to professor Snape, withdrew his wand
immediatly and began yelling.

Its alright, Im here! I know just the counter curse for this, professor Snape, hold
still now...

Snape drew his wand in a flash, but the four foot tongue made a total hash of whatever
he was trying to cast, and Lockhart quickly cast his counter curse with a flourish.

This time Xander didnt have to fake shock as Snapes tongue *fell out* and flopped
around the tabe. He winced and jumped up quickly, running over, God I hope they can
reattach that!

Go get the nurse! He yelled at the closest student he could grab, then rushed the
head table as Snape glared murderously at Lockhart as the Defense professor
stammered and looked at the writhing tongue in shock.

Uh, well there now, you can close you mouth properly, right? he asked with halting
laughter.

Snapes eyes practically glowed with an unholy light as he snapped his wand out and
cast a silent stinging hex at the Defense professor.

Lockhart jumped in pain, yelping. Here now, theres no cause to... OW!

The third hex sent Lockhart running from the hall with Snape on his heals just as
Xander arrived at the faculty table and grimaced down at the writing tongue that was
curling around a plate of bacon and eggs.

Ugh... No way am I touching that.

The transformations began to reverse, starting with McGonagal, just as Nurse
Pomfrey came rushing in.

Whats this about someone cutting Severus tongue out? She asked, eyes searching
blood.

I dont know about cutting, Maam. Xander said, nodding to the still writing tongue.
But Professor Lockhart cast some kind of spell that did that.

Merlins beard. Pomfrey hissed, looking around. Wheres Severus?

Chasing Lockhart across the Channel, heading for france right about now. Xander
replied dryly.

I doubt theyve reached that distance just yet, young man. Albus Dumbledore said
with an amused twinkle as he too examined the tongue. I havent seen this curse cast in
many a year, I must say, Professor Lockhart has quite a hand with a very obscure
silencing curse.

I dont think this is what he meant to do, Xander said dryly.

Yes, well, thats what well tell Severus at least. Dumbledore chuckled.

FRED AND GEORGE WEASELY!!

Minerva McGonagals scream of outraged ire froze the twins in place where they were
trying to sneak out of the hall.

They turned around, both quite pale.

We swear, professor, we didnt...

REALLY didnt...

Do this. Both said together.

Dont you lie to me! I recognize your idiotic hand in this insane prank! McGonagal
roared, Fifty points from Gryffindor and detentions for the rest of the month! And I
swear, if I catch you pulling anything like this again, why Ill... Ill...

They didnt get to hear what she would do as the room was distracted by Snape
reappearing, dragging a badly beaten Gilderoy Lockhart by one leg. He dropped the leg
just inside the hall and walked with as much dignity as he could muster to the head
table, nodding to Madam Pomfrey, then at his tongue which had returned to normal
size on the table.

Ill see what I can do, Professor, The nurse said quickly, Im afraid I dont know
this curse, though...

I do, Severus, Dumbledore said calmly, And it can be reversed with little trouble.
Have no worries.

Snape visibly seemed to relax as Minerva continued laying into the twins, who had
finally seemed to come to a realization as they stared at Xander as one.

YOU!

Me? Xander tried to look shocked.

Him? McGonagal blinked, Sure youre not blaming a second year for this
ruckus!?

The twins froze, not wanting to be the ones who dragged teachers into it, nor to give
credit to someone for pranking THEM. Albus Dumbledore, however, had already
turned to Xander.

Did you do this, young man?

Xander was about to answer when Snape twisted him around and glared at him.
Xander swallowed, Professors, I freely admit that Ive tried to duplicate the twins
pranks, but Ive not had any luck. Frankly the work is beyond me, and the twins use
some kind of obscuring charm to keep people from working out their things.

Snape glanced over at Dumbledore and nodded slightly as Minerva whipped out her
wand and examined the tainted food.

Hes right, She said, Theres a complex obscurement charm over all the... prank
products. Its far beyond a second year. You two, with me. NOW.

The twins fell in behind their head of house as she left, shooting death glares over their
shoulders at Xander. He didnt dare smirk at them, however, not with Snape and
Dumbledore watching him.

Come along Severus, Poppy said, levitating the tongue with her wand. Ill need
your help as well, Albus, if were to do this quickly.

Of course, Poppy, Dumbledore said calmly. Let us be off.

Xander watched them leave and let out a relieved sigh as he fought to keep his legs
from turning to jello. He walked as calmly as he could back to the Slytherin table,
sitting woodenly as he began to force himself to eat.

Daphne looked over at him, eyes wide. Everyone knew that he was planning
something, but this was beyond anything theyd even dreamt. What did you do?

Xander didnt look at her as he whispered back, We warded the table. Anything the
twins send here with that obscurement charm on it gets dumped on the professors table
instead.

She stared at him, jaw dropping open, the closed it slowly and went back to eating.
Xander didnt move until Harrow and Jacobs entered the hall. He got up and left the
table, meeting them as they were about to sit down.

Destroy the runes, eliminate the evidence. He hissed. Professor Snape will be
looking for blood on this one.

The both paled, then nodded curtly as Xander kept moving past them, heading for his
first class.

*****
Back to index
*****

The rest of the day was damage control as Xander rapidly learned to regret letting so
many people know, or even have a hint of what he had been up to. Slytherins were all
but publically congratulating him on the stunt, and Xander knew it was only a matter of
time before it got back to Professor Snape, and quickly started working on a story that
fit the facts.

He snagged Harrow and Jacobs in between classes and filled them in, leaving Draco
out because the blond didnt really have any details. After that he spent the rest of the
day repeating the same thing over and over, and praying that it got back to Snape
before the original rumors did.

Defense class with the Gryffindors was tense as hell, but luckily Lockhart broke that
up by the end when he unleashed a horde of pixies on the class. Xander and Draco
wound up back to back as the damned things fluttered around, wands out for all the
good they did.

Break for the door on three? Xander asked over his shoulder.

Right. Vin, Greg, you with us?

The two larger boys nodded, also waving their wands around to little effect.

Three! Xander snapped, barely ducking a dive bombing pixy as he leapt over a desk
and rolled into the aisle.

Hey! What happened to one and two!? Draco yelped, sliding to the ground under a
flying book, skidding into the aisle across from Xander as Crabbe and Goyle followed
on their hands and knees.

Xander blasted a stupify into the air, scattering a group of pixies that were lining up
for a run on Hermione and Harrys position, then scrambled to his feet and pulled
Draco along as he bolted for the door. One and two were too damned slow and they got
left behind! Now run unless you want to join them!

They reached the door just as another mini horde of the damn things swung around,
and both Slytherins dove through under the assault, scraping their knees and elbows as
they slid into the hall. They rolled over onto the backs, wincing as Greg Goyle and
Vincent Crabbe were caught in the attack that missed them. The pixies picked the two
hulking boys up, tossing them around for a bit, then casually flicked them out the door.

Xander and Draco split apart, rolling clear as the duo splattered into the floor and
wall where they had been.

You two dead? Xander asked from where he had rolled to a stop.

Vince groaned as Greg just managed to roll his head up and look around with a
stunned expression.

Id move if I were you.

Huh? Greg blinked. Why?

Xander just grimaced as the horde of students came rampaging out of the classroom,
screaming and waving their hands around to hold off the pixies. They proceeded to
trample Goyle and Crabbe into the ground as he and Draco pressed against the hall and
watched them rush past. When the majority had gone by, Draco looked down at his two
friends and winced.

Vince? Greg? Are you two alright?

I think wed better get them to the infirmary. Xander suggested.

Dont be stupid, Draco muttered, Theyre tough. Right guys?

Vincent groaned and sat up as Gregory shook his head and rolled to his knees.

Were fine. Vincent said after a moment. Right, Greg?

Uh... yeah. Fine. What hit me?

Xander shook his head as Lockhart came rushing out, hitching his robes up and
running full bore down the hall. He risked a glance back in the classroom and winced.
Looks like Lockhart has Harry, Ron, and Hermione on cleanup.

Draco laughed, Good for them. Come on, lets get out of here.

Xander took a breath and sighed, You go on, Im going to help out a bit.

Draco gave him an incredulous look, You mean that after all that, youre going back
in there?

Oh hell no. Xander muttered, But my stunner needs practice, so Im going to play
sniper.

Play what? No, never mind, I dont care. Draco shook his head, Come on, Greg,
Vince. Lets leave the mudblood lover to his friends.

Wildblood lover, if you please. Xander replied with a smirk, causing Draco to let out
a snort of exasperation as he stomped off with his bookends in tow.

Xander chuckled and snuck his head around the corner of the door, jabbing his wand
in as he settled his focus on a pixy well away from the others. Stupify!

*****

Clearing out the classroom took most of the rest of the period devoted to DADA, so
Xander figured practicing his stunner on the pixies should count toward his classwork,
even if it was a fourth year spell. The rest of the day wasnt nearly as eventful, thank
god, and soon enough Xander found himself in the library with Hermione and
Wednesday as they reviewed the days events and did their own reading.

Thank you again for the help in Defense, today, Xander. Hermione said, sounding
grudging.

Xander looked up at her, eyebrow raised, Are you mad at me?

You shouldnt have done that to the Proffessors, Xander. She scowled.

Me? Xander blinked, going into his preplanned story, eyes flickering around to see
who was listening. Herms, come on, Im a second year... I spent all summer trying to
match the twins gags and failed at every shot. Ask Wednesday, I even had her check
with her Gramma about potions work. Theres no way I could have pulled off those
transfigurations and stuff.

She glared at him narrowly, The twins are swearing that it wasnt them, they were set
up.

I guess its possible, Xander said, shaking his head, But Im nowhere near the level
in potions and transfigurations to pull that off.

Hermione chewed on her bottom lip, mulling it over, then sighed. Im sorry I blamed
you, Xander. I guess the twins have annoyed someone else.

Yeah well, more power to them, whoever they are. Xander shrugged, mentally
cataloging the listeners. A few ravenclaws, a sprinkling of others, and Madam Pince
were all in earshot. To be honest, I was going to get them back with a prank, but after
this morning we decided it would be smarter to call it off.

We? Hermione raised an eyebrow.

A couple others from my house, Xander shrugged, Its not like the twins dont
deserve some payback, you know. But, like I said, after this morning... it didnt seem
prudent to unleash anymore insanity.

Well good. Hermione said after a moment. At least youre showing some common
sense. Whoever set off that insanity this morning was a complete fool with no respect for
the hard work of the professors here and...

As she went on Xander noticed Wednesday eyeing him evenly over her book, the girls
expression as unexpressive as always, but Xander clearly got the impression she didnt
believe a word he had just said. He just shrugged at her and flicked his eyes to
Hermione, causing Wednesday to nod once and return her attention to her book as
Hermione continued to rant about rule breakers.

Xander cut her off there, Say, who was it who cursed neville last year anyway?

Hermione went beet red, shut up quickly, and ducked her head into her book at that,
leaving Xander to smirk softly and return to his own work in the Coven Grimoire.

*****

Narcissa whistled softly as she read through the notes her unknown student had made.
There were some advanced arithmatic and runes work there, devised as part of a
warding scheme. It was work well ahead of any second year, and she wondered where
he had come across it? It was only an idle thought though, as she was finding herself
interested in his notes on the blood tensions in the school. She had to smile when she
read the term wildblood and its description.

Narcissa was a black, part of an older pureblood culture than the Malfoy family, and
she had been brought up as an alternate to take over the family bloodline. Her sister
Andromeda had been the first choice, their other sibling Bellatrix being too unstable to
entrust with such responsibility. When Andy fell in love with a Muggleborn, however,
their Aunt had struck her name from the family register.

That had shocked many in the family to the core, and set the Blacks steadily on the
road to destruction. Then Matriarch Black was NOT an approved keeper of the line,
and was nothing really, but a small minded and petty bitch. The grand old lady who
had trained both Andy and herself would have reluctantly accepted Andys choice, and
merely removed her from the primary line.

Now, because of the old bitch and her stupid ideas, Andys blood was lost to the
Blacks, as was the potential in the blood of her Muggleborn... no, her Wildblood
Husband. And it was a very interesting bit of potential, Narcissa noted. There had never
been a full metamorph in the Black line before, so the trait in Andys daughter was
either fully inherited from her father, or had resulted in the mixing of blood. A few
generations down the line, it would have been a great boon to the Black bloodline to
bring the descendents of that line back into the Blacks primary blood.

Narcissa sighed.

So many things ruined by the small minds of fools who thought to play above their
station. The wars had taken the lives of so many of the best and brightest of the world
she loved, it seemed that the idiots had inherited what had survived.

Wildblood.

Narcissa reached for a quill and began to pen a note to her sister. Andy would love to
hear this.

*****

The time ran by, with Xander trying hard to deflect the blame, and credit, for the
prank of the first morning. He succeeded for the most part, the professors seemed to
believe that he didnt have anything to do with it, especially once Draco started
bragging loudly about having taken the Twins down a peg or two.

Xander would have smacked him, but hed expected it and planned for it. When Snape
rounded on Draco, and the twit spilled his guts, Xanders cover story had already
filtered through to the professor and he just angrily berated Draco in the common
room, then stalked off. Snape clearly believed that the twins were to blame, and wasnt
interested in hunting down nonexistent Slytherin perps.

He was the most obvious candidate, of course, but that was working in his favor slowly
as many of the more even minded types convinced themselves that he couldnt have
been the guy who pulled off anything that big. Harrow and Jacobs knew better, but they
had done the dirty work and were both slytherin enough to keep their mouths shut until
they were safely away from the school. Xander might have to worry about what Harrow
might say after he graduated, but until then he wasnt going to open his yap.

Luckily for him, Draco was bound and determined to move into the limelight and
unveiled that same night that his dad had bought brooms for the team, and he was the
new Slytherin seeker. The expensive new brooms were the talk of the dorms that night,
and the school the next day, and by the end of the week Xander found himself relegated
to yesterdays news.

The only people who believed he had pulled off the prank of the year, so far, were a
few gryffindors, and a handful of scattered kids who had all the credibility of UFO
spotter back home. Oh, and the twins of course.

Xander had started letting the twins catch him with a few pranks here and there, and
to be honest getting caught by a few he hadnt seen coming, just to make himself look
like the poor victim. Not the most satisfying way to pass his time, but Xander much
preferred to be overlooked.

His close brush with a prank spiraling out of control and nearly getting blamed for it
had taught him once lesson.

Secrecy was golden.

****
Back to index
****

Thankfully the term smoothed out after its rather spectacular start, and Xander
quickly fell back into the routine of classes and hanging out with Wednesday and
Hermione. It was odd, he supposed, but that was pretty much all he did. Of course, back
in Sunnydale he really only went to classes, hung out with Jessie and Willow, and
watched TV. Ok, he also read comics, but he did a lot of reading here too.

The new wrinkle this year was Professor Hardy, who showed up right on time over the
first weekend. Xander and Wednesday were waiting in the classroom when he strode in
and nodded politely to them.

So, how are things going?

Well, Sir. The answered in unison.

Hardys lips quirked slightly, I do hope they teach you more than that old gag here in
Hogwarts.

Xander grinned back, Of course, sir.

Wednesday merely raised an eyebrow.

Alright, here are youre texts for this year. Hardy said, handing them out. Nothing
complicated. American Wizarding History isnt difficult, its just reading and
remembering. Ill trust you to do that yourself, for the most part.

They nodded.

Now, these, He produced several slim workbooks. Are a little different. Youll have
to do some work here, and Ill be available to make sure youre understanding the
work. These are introductory courses to basic physics, chemistry, and biology. For
today, lets look at the chemistry primer, as I suspect youll find some of the details on
lab work to be surprising.

The two frowned, but read as directed and very shortly it became clear what Hardy
had meant.

Sir, some of this sounds like potions, but we do it very differently here. Xander said
hesitently.

Hardy nodded and smiled tightly, You do, dont you. At Salem, however, the
Chemistry and Potions classes are... or, rather, were... held in the same labs and used
the same procedures for safety, among other things.

Then why are things different here? Wednesday asked, genuinely curious, as her
Gram mama brewed her potions in a very similar manner to the Hogwarts Curriculum.

Salem is a member of the New School of potions theory, or as the Europeans tend to
call it, The Jeune Ecole. the hawk faced professor said, Hogwarts, along with most of
europe are adherents of the old school. Most of North America, Australia, and Japan
are proponents of the new school of potions theory, while Europe, South America,
Africa, and China trend to the Old.

Which ones better? Xander asked, looking over the notes. Hey, I used some of
these procedures at home this summer. Mom insisted.

Hardy looked over his shoulder and nodded, Safety one oh one, its a good idea when
working on your own with no experience, no matter which school. As to which is better,
that is a hotly debated issue. There are some clear advantages to both systems, however,
which can be considered.

Hardy paused, making sure that both were paying attention, then went on.

First, the New School uses very tightly controlled procedures, carefully regulated
variables, and meticulous lab work. You cut most of your ingredients on glassware,
unless the recipe calls for a specific cutting surface, and then you never used the same
surface for different ingredients. The idea is to eliminate as many variables as possible,
to ensure a consistent brew. Are you following me?

Xander frowned and looked confused. Uh...

Hardly chuckled, Alright. Ill tell you a story that might help explain things. A long
time ago, people used to believe that tomatoes were poisonous, did you know that?

Xander blinked and looked at Wednesday.

Uh, no?

Wednesday smiled, I did.

Excellent, do you know why?

Lead poisoning.

Exactly, Hardy nodded, then glanced over to see Xander totally confused. He smiled
slightly, People of the day often used lead dishware, plates and the like. Tomatoes are
mildly acidic, and would dissolve the lead, so people eating tomatoes would also
consume lead in dangerous quantities. Now, many magical potions ingredients do the
same thing when you prepare them. They interact with the cutting surface, sometimes
even the knife itself, and add another variable to the potion. Do you understand?

I guess so, Sir.

Hardy nodded, The striving goal behind the New School is to minimize all unknown
variables and allow for potions brewers to produce reliable, consistent, brews with
minimum effort and time.

And the Old School, Sir? Wednesday asked, curious now. She had never been taught
any other way, and wondered what he would have to say about it.

Well, if the new school is a scientists system, then the old school is an artisans
system. He replied, those with real talent tend to flourish better in the older, less
precise system. If you have that talent, you learn quickly to adjust for the variables, and
can turn out superior products... generally at a cost of time and effort, however.

As his two students were considering that, Hardy went on, At Salem we dont turn
out potions masters and mistresses, we prepare people to take their doctorates in
potions theory. The difference between a Master and a PHD is currently a hotly debated
issues at the ICW level, and we dont get too much into it for now other than to say that,
on averate, a Doctor of Potions Theory can brew known potions faster and cheaper than
most masters, often in bulk, however Masters tend to make better overall brews and
currently lead the world in innovations within the field.

Hardy chuckled, Masters tend to call Doctors assembly line workers while doctors
refer to masters as prima donnas. If you ever get to that level, I assure you, the parties
are interesting to watch.

The two children nodded dutifully, not entirely understanding but getting the drift of
it.

The reason I bring this up is that at some point you may find yourselves back in
Salem, or at another school or facility that practices the Jeune Ecole method.... here in
Europe the only school that does so is Beuxbatons, in case youre interested. So I advise
you to familiarize yourself with the lab procedures, just in case.

We will, Sir.

Very good, now then lets have a look at basic physics and how magic interacts with
Newtons Laws. Hardy said, I think youll be surprised by some of the things that
*arent* happening when you cast certain spells.

****

Those tutoring sessions were short, only a couple of hours once a week, but the reading
assigned was significant and Xander found himself spending more time with his school
books than the grimoire as the weeks moved on.

Hermione was soon pulled in by the prospects of books not available in Hogwarts
library, and Xander found himself sharing his texts with her more and more often. She
had immediately gone on a rant about how the new school methodology made so much
sense, and had then gone on to bring it up in potions class to Professor Snape.

Now there was a class Xander wished he could have missed.

Snapes rant had take the entire class, and threatened to spill out into the next period
until hed noticed the time and stormed out of the class, after taking twenty points from
Gryffindor of course. Hermione had been caught between tears and rage, huffing about
the backwards attitude and such, while Snape had spent the next week growling at her
about Potions factories and all sorts of other nastiness.

Suffice to say it made potions with the Gryffs a tense class.

Halloween was almost on them by then, though, and the school was providing its own
distractions to break up the tension. The decorations were being setup, and the kids
were eager for the holiday. All in all, even with the sniping between Snape and
Hermione, things were pretty cheery.

Except for Wednesday, of course.

****

You ok? Xander asked, you look kinda down.

Wednesday gave him a look that would have send most others running, but only
shrugged. There is something... wrong in the school.

Xander grinned, You want to pin it down some more?

She rolled her eyes, I have been hearing... things lately.

Its an old castle, Ive been hearing things since last year.

Not the normal castle sounds, Alexander, She said sharply, darker sounds. Sounds
steeped in black magic.

Xander leaned back at that, In hogwarts?

Indeed. This is a bastion of the light, She said with a twist of her lips. But its
ancient as well, and there are many dark secrets buried here.

Xander nodded, Alright. Any idea what youre hearing?

She shook her head, No. Not yet. But when forces this dark entangle in a place this
steeped in the light... things will be, ugly.

Xander shivered slightly. He wasnt sure he wanted to know what there was in the
castle that could set Wednesday on edge.

****

Halloween was upon them in no time, though, and Xander made his way to the Great
Hall with several others from his year and house. The decorations were spectacular, as
always, with floating jack-o-lanterns lighting the hall, and food bending the large tables
under its weight.

He settled in beside Daphne, nodding to her as she smiled back and tapped a monocle
she had resting on the table beside her.

Foods clean, far as I can see.

Thanks, Xander nodded, taking her word for it as he started to dig in.

The twins pranks had been petering off as Xander continued with his strategy from
last year of taking the small hits and storing them up until the twins had another big
knock coming. At this point he suspected that they were starting to doubt he was the
culprit themselves, and that was the way he wanted it,

In the meantime, most of Slytherin had figured out the identification charm and the
pattern the twins used to obscure their gags. Xander had also noticed some of the
Ravenclaws examining their food before eating, and so he knew that particular method
wasnt going to last much longer.

As a whole, thankfully, the twins were far more dangerous to the Gryffindors than to
anyone else, and with Hermione often ranting about what new stunt they were pulling
on poor first year Gryffs, Xander had at least some warning of what they were working
on.

He had to admit, though, they were geniuses when it came to this stuff. Way beyond
him, and he didnt think he was ever going to catch them. Their real liability wasnt
their skill, it was their love of notoriety. As long as they were looking to take credit for
their stunts, on one level of another, he had an advantage to play into.

He glanced around the hall, expecting to see Hermione and exchange some greeting for
the season anyway, but was surprised to find that not only was she not there, but Ron
and Harry were missing too. He shook his head, wondering for a moment what they
were up to but decided that they could look after themselves.

He nodded to Wednesday, who nodded back, and was about to move on when he saw
the normally unexpressive girl suddenly go tense and snap upright, throwing her chair
back to the floor. The other Ravenclaws around her jumped away from her, obviously
afraid of the girl, but she didnt move. Filius approached the table cautiously, and
Xander rose up himself, making his way around the table.

Are you alright, Miss Addams? Filius Flitwick asked, eyeing his most disturbing
student carefully.

Wednesday didnt reply as Xander hurried over himself.

Wednesday... Wednesday, are you ok? Xander asked, moving around the table.

She snapped her head to star into his eyes.

Something just died.

Xander paled, thinking about what she had said before, and was about to reply when a
scream was heard from outside the hall. He, Filius, and Wednesday were the first to
move and got out ahead of the crowd. They made their way through the halls until they
found Ron, Harry, and Hermione staring at a mess on the floor in disgust.

On the wall beyond them were words written in blood.

Enemies of the heir, Beware!

****
Back to index
****

The panic that captured the school in those few moments was broken as Albus
Dumbledore pushed through the crowd, his very presence broadcasting a quiet security
that calmed the younger people present, and even had a noticeable effect on the adults.

Calmly everyone, he said serenely, Be calm, and well work this out. What has
happened?

Potter did it! Draco bellowed, loud enough to be heard through the school. It was
Potter!

Shut it, Malfoy! Ron snarled, taking a step toward the young Malfoy heir, only to be
held back by Harry and Hermione.

Albus was looking around slowly when Argus Filch pushed his way through, grumpily
telling the children to shove off. What are you all doing out here, no gatherings in the
halls, Ill put you all on... Mrs Norris?

The caretaker froze for a moment, staring at the body of his cat, and then let out a wail
as he rushed forward.

What happened here!?

That is what were here to determine, Argus. Dumbledore said calmly.

Filch looked around, eyes lighting on Harry, Dracos screaming coming immediately to
mind. What did you do to my CAT!?

I... I didnt do anything! Harry protested.

And yet you were here when we all arrived, Severus Snape said silkily.

We were just going back to our rooms!

And skip the feast in the great hall?

We were invited to Nicks death day party! Harry protested again, looking for all
the school to be wallowing, lost in the events.

Xander stepped back, not really caring about it right then. He had the same morbid
curiosity as anyone, but while Hermione seemed to be alright, he was worried about
Wednesday.

Hey, He nudged her, Are you ok?

She didnt look at him, her eyes fixed on the cats stiff body. Somethings not right.

I think we sort of established that.

No. Thats not what I meant. She said, eyes glaring at the cat. There was death in
the air, Alexander. I could feel it.

Cat looks pretty dead to me.

She shook her head, No. Its not.

Argus, your cat isnt dead.

Xander twisted back as Albus made that pronouncement, the echoing sound of
Lockhart yelling I knew it! going unheeded by most.

Shes not? Argus looked up, hopeful.

Merely petrified. Albus confirmed, frowning pensively.

Xander again tuned out the others, focusing on Wednesday. Howd you know that?

She gave him a flat look, I know death.

Oookay, Xander said slowly, You remember what I told you last year about the
creep factor? The bell at the top of the meter just dinged.

Wednesday paid him no mind, however, as the crowd moved away from them and
followed Dumbledore toward the DADA offices. She looked at the blood on the wall,
then shook her head. It wanted death. It was calling for it, for a painful death. Why did
it show mercy?

What? Xander asked, looking around to see if anyone was listening. He didnt like
the way everyone was ready to jump on Harry as the culprit, and couldnt help but feel
that Wednesday might be setting herself up for the same. What it?

She let out a slow breath, then looked at him steadily for a moment.

The serpent.

Then she turned and was gone.

Xander watched her go, hands going out in plaintive confusion. Serpent? What
serpent!?

*****

The castle had little else to speak of in the coming days, the rumors of the Chamber of
Secrets were on everyones lips as the aftermath of halloween rolled over them all. In
history of Magic, Hermione actually managed to talk old Prof Binns into recounting
some of the legend before he droned off about Goblins again.

After classes, Hermione was noticeably absent from their normal study hours, leaving
Xander and Wednesday to themselves. Which seemed to Xander to leave him all alone,
as Wednesday had become even more focused than her normal self, leaving him out in
the cold.

He turned back to his Grimoire, learning spells as the fancy struck him, mostly looking
for the cool ones. He tried his hand at Arithmancy, the concept of developping his own
spells being incredibly cool to him, but found that he wasnt much better at magical
math than he was at regular math, and hed tested pretty low there.

So, for the moment, he moved that aside and started looking into other types of magic
for fun. The Grimoire had a really excellent index system, in which all he had to do was
whisper what he was looking for and the book would fly to the appropriate page, and
even provide a list of books in the library on the topic.

While he had been looking through for creating spells, Xander got sidetracked by
enchanting objects, then was immediately enthralled by a single notation at the very
bottom of that page.

The Magic of Body Art.

Xander blinked. Magical Tattoos? So cool.

Unfortunatly the book only had a very brief discussion of one example, which kind
gave Xander the creeps. A Spell known as the Dark Mark, which had been used by Mr
Mold in his Shorts during his reign of terror over a decade earlier. It described the
mark in detail, surprisingly, listing it as a means of summoning the Lords minions,
punishing those who failed the Lord, and possibly even providing the Lord with
information about those who had been marked.

The hows werent listed, though, just some speculation on the methods. According to
Evans, who had seemed to have done the majority of the research on the topic, the
Mark had to be a compilation of several spells from multiple fields of magic. One of the
fundemental cornerstones, in her opinion, was the Protean Charm, which originated
from a school of magic not commonly used by European Wizards.

The Sympathetic magic of the charm would allow the lord to affect any other Dark
Mark, as long as he had access to at least one. From there the spell work was presumed
to be fairly simple, though according to Evans the Lord had managed to somehow lock
the spells in such a way as no one had yet discovered how to unlock it.

The concept was cool, Xander thought, not that he had any interest in creating dark
marks for himself or anyone else. Still, he found the bibliography for the subject and
started pulling books out of the library. Unlike most of his preferred areas of interest,
almost everything on magical tattoo work was actually in the open area of the library
and not in the restricted, so Xander soon found himself happily learning all there was to
know about the art and magic of body pictures.

Which, actually, wasnt as much as hed hoped.

Most magical tattoos were, literally, magical tattoos. They had no powers, or anything
really cool, they just moved around the body like their real world counterparts might,
and looked cool. Xander had no real interest in that, however, since he really didnt
understand the idea of marking ones body with something permanent just for
cosmetics. What if his taste changed in the future? When he was five he loved the
carebears on TV, but the idea of one of those printed on his chest was really kinda
disturbing at twelve.

And so he was about to give up the avenue of reading when he came across one spell,
buried deep in an old tome that had more dust on it than paper.

To Charm an Image with the effect of a spell.

That was more like it, Xander decided, and he dove into some of the coolest reading
since he had discovered comic books when he was four.

*****

Life moved on at the Castle, however, and within a few days things were slowly coming
back to normal as the school prepared for the next Quidditch match of the season. The
Gryffs were playing this time around, against Slytherin, and that all but guaranteed an
exciting match. Xander found himself pressed into attending as part of the Slytherin
group, ostensibly to cheer on their new seeker, Draco Malfoy.

Much to her dismay, Xander had succeeded in guilting Wednesday into joining him, so
that hed have someone to talk to, er, talk at. Even if she never said a word back,
Xander was pretty sure shed be more intelligent company than most of the rest in his
section.

The game got underway more or less normally, with the usual high flying and heavy
handed play from the two antagonistic teams. Immediately the crowds were treated to a
show of ariel acrobatics from Harry as to give them all shivers as he dodged a
particularly insistent bludger that seemed bent on turning him to paste.

The game went on, scoring climbing, and it became clear to everyone save Madame
Hooch apparently, that something was up with said bludger.

Why dont they stop the game? Wednesday asked, sounding only mildly curious.
As I am to understand, that thing is obviously been tampered with.

Xander shrugged, Dont know.

Maybe the Slytherins have it right, She shrugged, Cheating is part of the game.
Curious, I had thought that these people believed otherwise.

Xander winced as one of the gryff chasers took a hit from the other bludger while the
twins were covering Harry. That had to hurt.

Indeed. Its a more interesting game than I had believed.

Xander chuckled dryly as the time out ran out, and the game began again. In seconds
the bludger was chasing Harry down again as he swooped and twisted in the air to
evade it. Xander wished that he could fly half as well as Harry, but knew that there was
some serious talent packed into the scrawny kid and just had to admire it from the
ground level.

Why has he stopped? Wednesday asked calmly.

Xander shrugged, then followed Harrys gaze to where Draco was floating on his
broom, taunting Harry as the Golden Snitch floated just by his head. Xander groaned
softly, shaking his head, and couldnt help but imagine just how scary the world would
be if Draco Malfoy really was as good as he thought he was.

He had better move now... Wednesday shook her head mournfully as the bludger
slashed out of nowhere, slamming Harry around, Too late.

Harry careened about, heading for the ground in a hurry as Draco seemed to wake up.
They two almost crashed in mid air, then Harry slammed into the soft ground and
seemed to stick there. There was a hush as everyone watched the players rush his
position, then Harry shifted and looked down at his hand in a daze. He lifted it slightly,
then seemed to pass out as Wood arrived and held his hand up to show the Snitch
secured in it.

The crowd screamed, but no so loud as Harry, who let out a wail that could only be of
one dying it seemed. People hushed again as the teachers arrived, Lockhart leading the
way with his wand already drawn.

Step aside everyone! Lockhart called dramatically, Just a broken arm, I can fix it
with a simple charm...

Harry murmured something, shaking his head, and Lockhart laughed genially. He
doesnt know what hes saying, folks... one moment boy, Ill have it fixed in a jiff...

The Professor leveled his wand at Harrys arm, began to flick it through the air as he
opened his mouth to speak, and then screamed as his arm broke in three places. There
was a shocked hush as Lockhart screamed pitiably on the ground next to Harry, who
seemed to only want to move away from the Professor.

Xander, in the stands, meanwhile glanced at Wednesday who was sliding her wand
away.

Didnt know you cared about Harry, he said.

I do not. I, however, care a great deal less about that fool.

Fair enough. Teach me that one?

Wednesday considered for a moment, then nodded curtly.

Cool.

****

The excitement over the match only lasted a few hours, however, before it was eclipsed
by something far more sinister.

The mysterious agent of the Chamber had struck again, and this time it wasnt a cat.

****
Back to index
****

The school descended into a panic that didnt abate for the rest of the week when the
news that Colin Creevy had too been found petrified, his omnipresent camera glued to
his face and an expression of naked fear visible on what could be seen of his features.
Xander didnt know the kid at all, he was a muggle born gryff, which made him pretty
much the last person in the school who would be seen with a snake, but even so he felt
bad for the guy. Everyone said that being petrified was like going to sleep, but it still
was going to seriously suck since the madrake root needed to cure them was several
weeks or more from being full grown.

At their weekly session with professor Hardy, however, more questions seemed to
come up than were answered when Xander asked about the situation.

Theyre waiting for what? Hardy asked, blinking.

The mandrakes are too young to mix the reversal potion, Xander said, frowning.
Couldnt they just call a magical hospital? There are some of those, right?

There are. Hardy nodded, frowning. Someone is running around petrifying
students?

Not someone. Wednesday corrected, Something. A serpent.

The American professor raised an eyebrow, A Basilisk? Surely not. Youd have seen
deaths by now if you had one of those on the loose.

Wednesday glared at the table, That has bothered me as well.

Xander shivered, The lack of death is a good thing in my eye.

Quite. Hardy just suppressed a shudder of his own.

Addamses were hard to deal with at the best of times. Their reactions to stress were
legendary, however, and Hardy wanted nothing more than to get clear of the girl as
soon as possible. He, however, had a responsibility to the two children in his care.

No, its not likely a basilisk. He said after a moment, More likely youve got one of
those death eater twits, or one of their kids, playing around with black magic.

Wednesday just shrugged.

Still, Ill see what I can do. Read to chapter eight for our next session, please? He
said, nodding to the children. Alright. Be on your way.

After the two had left, Hardy withdrew a small compact from his pocket and flipped it
open.

Salem Head Office. He said into the mirror.

The mirror buzzed, once and then twice, and then again and again for several
moments. Finally it stopped and shimmered to show a tired looking face staring back
out.

Hardy? Do you know what time it is??

Im at Hogwarts, Arthur. Hardy said curtly. Theyve had an incident.

Are the kids ok?

Theyre fine, but some local by the name of Creevy got himself petrified. Second
incident this year. Hardy explained.

Oh lord. Some idiot playing with potions?

Maybe. I was thinking one of their terrorist cells, maybe the kid of a member, Hardy
admitted, The Addams girl thinks its a basilisk.

Arthur shuddered visibly in the small mirror. Sweet Franklin, I hope not.

I cant see it myself. You know how those things are, wed be neck deep in bodies in a
school this packed.

Arthur nodded, Youre right, but dont underestimate the girl. Those Addams, well if
theres one thing they know its dangerous magical creatures.

Ill bear it in mind, in the meantime could you put in a call to the CMDC for me, see
if theyve got any reversal potion on ice?

Ill call them right away. Arthur promised, Are you pulling the kids out?

Not yet. Like I said, it looks like its those Death Muncher twits. Neither of our kids
are targets for that sort of thing. Killing american wizards is a damned good way to
bring the ICW into play, and they dont want that level of pressure on them anymore
than the British ministry does.

Agreed. Alright, keep a closer eye on hogwarts for a while though. Ill get a hold of
the CMDC right away.

Thank you, Arthur.

The dean of the Salem Academy nodded curtly and the mirror flashed once before
becoming a simple makeup mirror again. Hardy flipped it closed, then decided to speak
with the headmaster before he took a portkey back to Durmstrang.

*****

The time sped past, and after a couple weeks the worst of the tensions began to calm
down again, though the underlying tension just continued to grow. Potions class was
increasingly a trial as the Gryffindor contingent tightened ranks, such that Xander was
rarely able to speak with Hermione now.

He locked down, just doing his own work and basically keeping his head down while
occasionally regretting coming back. Wednesday was growing more and more distant,
not that most people could tell. He could see it though, and was worried about her, but
the word unreachable had been invented with Wednesday Addams in mind.

Xander worried and tried to talk to her, but she just ignored him most of the time, and
glared at him like he was some insignificant insect the remaining times. Finally he just
gave up, sitting next to her silently and just hoped that she would talk to him.

Christmas was approaching when one morning, during mail call, a large eagle winged
into the Hall and zeroed in on Xanders position. It circled him once, dropped a letter,
then left when it was sure Xander had picked it up.

You got mail? Draco sneered, You never get mail.

Xander shot him a glare, then turned the envelope over and read the address.
Weird.

What is it?

Xander glanced over to where Daphne was leaning in his direction, obviously curious.

I dunno. Xander shrugged, tearing it open.

He pulled the pages open and started to read, his eyes almost crossing as he tried to
understand the wording. Whoa. I thought you only saw this kind of writing in bad
lawyer movies.

Daphne got curious and moved over to his side, May I?

Huh? Sure. Xander passed her the first page while he turned to one that had been
handwritten and began to read.

A moment later Daphne looked up, confused, This says that its an advance on
royalty payments for a medical patent?

Xander stared at her, in MY name??

Daphne nodded.

Weird. Xander shuffled through the pages, then blinked as he located the receipt.
He stared, blanking out until Daphne leaned over his shoulder.

Oh. My. God. Daphne swallowed. Is that real?

I dont know. It says its a draft on a Gringotts of America account. Xander said,
paled. Thats a LOT of zeroes.

What did you invent!?

I dont KNOW!?

The two of them tore through the papers, attracting attention from the rest of the
table. Finally Daphne looked up, a page in her hand, frowning. Xander... What is
Viagra??

Xander frowned, I have no clue.

Heres the patent, Daphne said, handing it to him.

Xander took it, reading through it rapidly, actually growing more pale by the second
until he matched Draco in color.

Im gonna KILL him.

Xander?

Im gonna KILL HIM! Xander snarled, startling basically the entire hall.

Who? Daphne demanded, totally lost.

My Uncle! He did this!

He invented Viagra?

No! He sold my formula!

Daphne looked confused, And stole your money, right?

No, he put that in my name... Xander said, tearing through more pages.

Daphne looked around, a little lost. Uh... Whats the problem then?

Problem!? Problem!? The problem is.... Xander looked around suddenly stopping as
he realized everyone was staring at him.

He rapidly turned red enough to match a Weasleys hair, swallowing as he stared
around.

Nothing. He whispered. No problem.

But...

No problem! Xander exclaimed, grabbing all the pages and crumpling them to his
chest. Theres no problem!

The school watched as Xander scuttled back from the table and then bolted from the
hall, clutching the papers to his chest as he ran.

****

Xander ran back to his room, barely able to breath, and slumped on his bed as he
reread the patent application. He pulled out his potions book, flipping over to the failed
experiments page, and his heart sank as he confirmed his worst fears. His Uncle, the
man he trusted, had sold him out. Xander knew hed never live this down, not when
people found out what hed invented. He didnt know much about sex, but he knew
enough to know that this was gonna come back and bite him in the ass later.

It was a LOT of money, mind you.

Xander stared at the bank draft again, barely able to believe the zeroes after the one
printed there. He checked again, confirming that it was indeed his name.

Im gonna kill him.

Xander took a breath, shaking his head.

No. Death is too good for him.

Im gonna *PRANK* him.

He had all year now to plan for it. But Sam WAS going to pay. Oh yes, he was going to
pay.

*****
Back to index
*****

Rumors spread fast concerning Xanders explosion in the Great Hall, but since there
had been several close witnesses, including Draco Malfoy, pretty much the entire school
knew, or thought they knew, the real story behind the explosion. There were twisted
versions in which Xander was flat broke now, his money stolen by an evil uncle, and
others in which he was rich, the sole heir to an uncles fortune, but basically everyone
knew that an Uncle and Money were involved.

Thanks in part to Daphne they knew it was Money with a capital M as well, but
Xander didnt really blame her since she had been trying to curb some of Dracos more
ludicrous stories. As a story that approximated the real one began to filter out, Xander
found himself the target of various levels of interest from students who had ignored him
before.

After barely evading the attentions of a fifth year girl, Xander ducked into the library
the next afternoon and was pleased to see both Hermione and Wednesday at their usual
table.

Hey, He said, smiling pleasantly as he sat down.

Hey.

Hermione smiled back.

Hello.

Wednesday did not.

That was ok, of course, she never did. Xander rubbed the back of his head, shaking
slightly. Man this is nuts.

Are you alright? Hermione asked, frowning, There are stories all over school about
you.

Yeah, I know. Xander sighed, The latest ones are closest to the truth, I guess.

You invented a medical potion and have been paid a fortune for it? Hermione raised
her eyebrows.

Ah... yeah, those ones. Xander admitted, Though I wouldnt call it medical
exactly.

What is it?? Hermione perked up, bouncing a little.

Please, Xander begged, Dont ask. Please.

But... Hermione pouted. But why?

Cause I didnt do it on purpose, Herms, Xander muttered, And really, it was a
humiliating lab accident, thats all.

What would you call it? Wednesday asked.

Huh? Xander and Hermione both looked at her, confused.

You said you wouldnt call it medical exactly. What would you call it?

Judging by my Uncle? Xander replied sourly, Recreational.

Hermione screwed up her face in confusion as even Wednesday looked a little at sea by
the comment.

Please, just dont ask anymore, ok? Xander begged again, I cant tell it to you two,
its too embarrassing.

Wednesday raised an eyebrow, looking over at Hermione, Now I simply HAVE to
know.

Me too. Hermione happily agreed.

Xander moaned, slumping at the table, covering his head with his hands.

Show us the patent.

What? He looked up, peeking at Wednesday from under his arm.

Of course! Hermione squealed, You dont have to tell us, just show us the patent,
we should be able to work it out.

You think? Xander asked doubtfully. I dont know, its pretty complicated.

Wednesday gave him a glare that would melt steel, while Hermione perked up even
more at the word complicated. Xander sighed, drawing the papers from under his robe.

Wednesday raised her eyebrow again, You have it on you?

Leave this in *Slytherin* territory?? Xander asked incredulously.

The dark girl tipped her head to acknowledge the point, taking the papers from him as
she and Hermione moved closer together to pour over them. Xander sighed, leaving
them to it, and opened up the Grimoire to work on some of his other personal projects.

That was what he loved about this school more than anything else, Xander had found.
The fact that the subject matter was really only a base for doing your own thing. Magic
was all about creativity, working with things only comic book writers ever got to play
with in the real world. The classes were important, but they were just prep courses for
living day to day in the magical world. It was what students could do when they moved
PAST the classes that was utterly and totally cool.

Xander found that he loved the idea of Spell Crafting and its related spheres of magic,
which really meant he had to learn pretty much every sort of magic he could since
spellcrafting, artificing, and enchanting all required first hand knowledge of a vast
array of spells.

Right now he was working on the arithmantic formulas for charging a rune from a
casters own magical core. Hed been able to lift large sections of the work from the
rune and warding work done by Harrow and Jacobs had done for him at the start of the
year. Most of it was pretty similar, actually, since he was working on what was,
essentially a ward you could draw on your own body.

It wasnt quite as simple as that, though, Xander had found quickly. There was
warnings about doing it, actually, since the runes would permanently lower the
wearers magical core. Additionally, wards were always on so to speak and that would
make all sorts of daily experiences rather inconvenient. Xander thought that those two
things were the reason very little had been done in this area of magic, at least as far as
he could tell.

The Dark Mark was a piece of work for much of the same reasons. It actually put a
constant drain on anyone who wore it, albeit a very slight drain. Xander rather
suspected that the drain was bigger than Evans guessed, though, cause he knew that if
he was going to go the evil overlord route he would put a tap into the mark and use the
magic drained for himself.

That wasnt what he was working on, of course. Xander just tended to have giggling
fits at the thought, and he felt he needed some cheering up. He was trying to put a valve
on the charging rune, and create a magical analogue to a battery so that the runes
would only draw power when they were charging, and would shut off when full.

The math, however, was a nightmare.

He knew he had to learn it, he desperately WANTED to learn it, but Xander had a
sinking sensation that it was just beyond him. Beyond him now, and maybe forever.

Whats wrong?

Xander looked up, realizing that he had been gnawing on his fingers as he scribbled
down another attempt at solving the formula he was working on.

Nothing. He muttered.

Wednesday merely stared at him until he broke.

Its the math. He sighed, I dont get the math.

Hermione looked up from where she was pouring over the patent information, ears
perking at the mention of math. What math? We dont have any classes in arithmancy
yet.

I know, Im trying to figure it out anyway. Xander muttered.

Let us see. Wednesday said, reaching out a hand.

He sighed and handed the page over, on one level happy to be distracting them from
the patent information, but on the other a little embarrassed that he needed help. The
two read his notes for a long moment before saying anything.

Xander, some of this is incredibly advanced. Hermione blinked, looking up.

Yeah, I know, I lifted stuff from a warding scheme. Xander replied, Im trying to
adapt it to create a magical battery.

This will not work, Wednesday said after a moment, The warding formulas are not
designed to tap a persons magical core.

Xander grimaced, glancing at Hermione, who nodded.

Shes right. Hermione frowned, The arithmantically important numbers are totally
different when dealing with a human. What are you trying to charge?

Nothing in particular, yet, Xander sighed, shaking his head. I just want to be able
to charge *something*, and stop after the charge is full.

Wont that drain off the magical energy when it stops? Hermione frowned, looking
up, I read that you runes are constantly charging.

Yeah, but thats when the battery comes in, Xander said, We should be able to
store power, I mean it cant be that hard? Normal folk invented batteries ages ago.

Over two thousand years ago, actually. Wednesday said, The original versions were
used for limited electroplating on ancient jewelry.

See? Xander said, If normal people can do it, we should be able to.

Its not the same thing, Hermione complained, electricity isnt stored, exactly.
Batteries store chemical energy and then turn it INTO electricity. You cant just store
chemicals that turn metal into magic, Xander.

Xander sighed as Wednesday nodded.

She is correct, The dark girl replied, It will not work.

Xander finally gave up, nodding, Alright. Thanks for the help.

Im sorry, Xander, Hermione apologized. I wish I could tell you what you want to
know.

No, its ok. Xander forced a grin he really didnt feel. I needed to know before I
wasted more time on it.

Youre trying to work too far ahead, Hermione stated, hesitating.

Xander snorted, Says the girl whos already read up to, what? Sixth year books?
Seventh?

Fifth. She corrected, irritated. Im working on sixth and seventh this summer.

Xander chuckled, a little more real this time, and grinned at her, Dont change,
Herms. I need my Willow Fix.

She scowled at him, I dont think I like the sound of that.

He just smirked and took back his papers, incidently retrieving the patent information
at the same time. He glanced longingly at the worthless formulas for a moment then slid
the pages into the back of the Grimoire under Failed Ideas and closed the book with a
sigh.

*****

Class was buzzing later that day when Xander attended potions, but thankfully he was
entirely off the minds of his classmates. No, they were now excited about the upcoming
Dueling Club that had been announced. Xander was mildly interested himself, as he
knew a couple spells for that sort of thing already, but was still a little down over his
failure with the formulas and wasnt paying much attention.

The class progressed as normal until towards the end when Crabbes cauldron
exploded, covering much of the class, Xander included, in an engorgment potion similar
to the twins ton tongue toffee, only with none of the precision. Xander found himself
with a giant left arm, and ear that was flopping down like something out of Dumbo as
much of the class wailed under similar afflictions.

Every one calm down! Snape instantly yelled, using a sonorus charm on his throat.
It got their attention and they all stilled, If youve been splattered with the spell come
to the front for a reversal draught.

Everyone filed down, Xander included, and were quickly set right as Snape fumed and
stomped up to Crabbes cauldron. He tipped it up and his eyes almost literally flared
when a burned out firecracker fell clear of the pot.

Xander winced, every safety lesson hed learned while working on his own was just
screaming at him that hed gotten off really lucky. Hed been closer to Crabbe than he
really wanted to think about.

When I find the person who did this, Snape hissed, I *WILL* see them expelled.

The dark potions master looked around, eyes lighting on where Harry was sitting and
resting there for a long moment. Finally, after the moment passed, Snape spun away.
Class dismissed.

Xander glanced at Harry, but shrugged and put it down to Snapes apparent hatred of
the guy. Hed never done anything that stupid before, at least not with no sign of heroic
sacrifice to be found. Xander glared at the cauldron for a moment and went over the
ingredients for the standard engorgment potion in his mind.

Luckily there was nothing flammable or particularly unstable. Xander shuddered at
what would have happened if it had been either his, or the twins, specific versions of the
same potion. He quietly packed up his stuff and filed out with the rest.

****
Back to index
****

Xander met up with Wednesday that night, two among the many students who had
elected to see what the new Dueling Club was all about. They made their way to the
appointed place, noting the crowd, and took over a section in the corner away from the
worst of it.

This should be cool.

I hope its not some inane club intended to promote Professor Lockhart, Wednesday
said dryly.

Nah. Xander shook his head, thinking about the Defense Professor. The guys a
coward. No way hed put himself at the end of anyone elses wand.

People do strange things in pursuit of obsession.

Xander was about to respond when he noted the door open and his stomach dropped
as none other than Lockhart himself came prancing in.

Crap.

Indeed.

The two of them sat through the Professors normal long winded introduction of his
favorite person, himself, their expectations dropping by the second. He finally nodded
across the hall with a flash of a smile, And just in case things get out of hand, Ive
invited the school nurse to be here to help out. Please, a little polite applause for
Madame Pomfrey.

The entire room applauded, considerably louder than the sparse reception Lockhart
had received, which earned a frown from the toothy professor. He shook it off quickly
though, inviting the school nurse up to the front.

Now, perhaps we should show the children what well be practicing, he bowed with
a flourish as the matronly woman stepped up, lips puckered in a frown, then winked at
the studends. Have no fear, youll still have your nurse when were done.

Xander rolled his eyes, then did a double take and rolled them again when he noted
Hermione staring with a glaze in her eyes as she watched the Professor. Wednesday
watched his gaze and nodded minutely.

Yes. Shes still infatuated with him.

Still? Xander blinked, How long has that been going on?

Boys. Wednesday muttered, shaking her head. If you werent so tied up in your
own little games, you would have noticed it at the beginning of term.

Xander frowned. That long?

Wow. He finally said, then frowned, Why?

Im sure I have no idea.

They were distracted then as Lockhart and Pomfrey stood across from each other on
the platform, wands out.

On three then, Lockhart chuckled, waving his wand around carelessly. One... two...
three!

They both snapped their wands forward, snapping out the incantation in sharp tones.

Expelliarmus!

Jets of light crossed the platform, striking each of the adults, yet while Lockharts arm
snapped out wildly and his wand flew across the room, Pomfrey managed to hold onto
hers. There was a quiet moment, then Lockhart smiled widely.

There you have it, children. The disarming curse, and I kept my word you see... took
it easy on the lovely lady. Thank you so much for your help, madam.

He poured on the charm and the nurse blushed a little in response.

Not at all, professor.

Alright, into pairs then. Lockhart said, practice the spell as you saw, curse to
disarm ONLY!

Xander glanced at Wednesday, who nodded practically imperceptibly, and the two of
them cut a bit of space out for themselves. They were soon tossing the curse back and
forth, with varying degrees of success, as they practiced the spell. It wasnt long before a
disturbance across the room distracted them, and everyone else, however.

I said disarm only! Disarm only!

They stopped, glancing over as Lockhart rushed into the middle of what looked like a
brawl between Ron Weasly and Draco Malfoy. As he broke it up, Draco said something
they couldnt hear from across the room and Ron turned ever redder than his hair.

Ron snapped his wand out, yelling, Take this you turd!

The spell charged through the gryffs wand, but something went wrong as it had all
session and the wand misfired. A sparkling pulse of magic exploded out the side and
drove straight through the crowd and at Xander. He snapped his wand up in response,
barely able to think, Protego!

A thin, barely formed shield pulsed into being, intercepting the spell before it could hit
him, but the power of his shield was too little and it burst an instant later. It had the
effect, however, of deflecting the spell to one side and directly into the unusually
surprised face of Wednesday Addams.

The Addams Scion gasped in shock rather than anything else as her head snapped
back, raven hair haloing around her as she staggered back a step and went down to one
knee. Xander lunged in her direction, sliding to his knees at her side.

Are you ok!?

Wednesday glared evenly at him and Xander grimaced to see her nose had grown
several times its proper size. Several people were giggling madly around him as
Madame Pomfrey pushed through.

Itll be fine, my dear, Ill have that fixed in just a...

Im fine. Wednesday said coldly, waving the nurse aside. The giggling stopped as
several people, including Pomfrey, gasped as her nose visibly began to shrink again. In a
few seconds the enlarged nose had returned to normal and the nurse was stammering to
explain it.

Wednesday ignored her, however, as did Xander. The duo focused on Ron, who was
staring with an interesting look of horror on his face as the terror of the Ravenclaw
second years and a Snake stalked in his direction. Before they got halfway there Harry
had moved in beside Ron, stepping a little forward to protect the red head.

It was an accident.

Accidents happen a lot around him lately. Xander growled.

Its not my fault! Ron blurted, My wand...

Should be replaced. Xander ground out.

Ron flushed, I... I havent been able to get to Diagon Alley and...

Need I remind you that accidents can happen... to anyone? Wednesday asked
darkly, causing several people around her to pale.

Hermione, swallowing, stepped in between them. He didnt mean it, really...

Hes a menace, Hermione. Xander muttered, then shook his head.

Wednesday glanced at him and seemed to come to a conclusion. Indeed. Come,
Alexander. I think weve learned what little there was to learn here.

The two turned and marched out of the room as people moved out of their way.

Harry looked over at Ron and let out a sigh, You need a new wand, mate.

Ron just looked a little sick, but didnt argue. Hermione looked torn for a moment
then looked back at her friends. I have to go for a minute.

She rushed off, leaving them confused.

Girls. Ron muttered, shrugging.

****

That evening, after the dueling club had let out with no further incidents, Ron and
Harry were making their way back to the gryffindor tower when a shadowed form
stepped out into their path and stopped them. Both went for their wands as they
recognized Xander.

You want trouble, Harris you snake, well give it to you. Ron threatened, his wand
wobbling a little as he shook it.

Weasley, the safest place in this entire school is staring down the business end of your
wand. Xander countered, rolling his eyes.

Ron flushed his hand shaking even more, but before he could do anything Xander
through something at him. He caught it on reflex, dropping his wand in the process,
then winced as it hit the ground.

Yeah. Thats not a great reflex either, Weasley. Xander rolled his eyes. Might want
to work on that.

Ron flushed, then glanced down at the object Xander had thrown him. Whats this?

He shook it, then his eyes widened as he recognized the sound of Galleons rattling
inside. He looked up, confused.

I want to buy your wand.

What?? Ron blurted, Why? Its broken!

Exactly. I want to find out a bit on how theyre made, Xander said, And Im sure
as hell not going to take *mine* apart. Yours is already broken, you need a new one, I
need one I dont care about. Theres fifteen galleons there. That should cover a new
wand.

Ron swallowed, looking down at the money pouch. I...

Xander just waved off what he was saying, already moving to leave. Think about it.
When I get back from the holidays you either give me my money back, or you give me
your old wand. I dont *really* care which, but if you accidentally curse Wednesday
or Hermione again Im going to take it out of your hide as if you did it on purpose.

Ron didnt get another comment out before Xander was gone. He looked over at
Harry, face confused. What do I do, mate?

Harry was torn, uncertain what to say. His best friend was notoriously uptight about
money, something Harry had yet to find a way around. If he accepted this from Harris,
well all the better in Harrys opinion. Harry didnt want to make it seem like he was
trying to encourage Ron to accept charity or anything though.

Well, fifteen galleons is probably a little above market for a broken wand, Harry
allowed after a moment.

Yeah, Ron mumbled, sagging a little.

On the other hand, I havent seen too many around. Harry said, thinking about it.
What do wizards do with broken wands anyway?

Ron seemed a little surprised, Well... throw them out I suppose. Doesnt happen a lot,
though. Most wizards take good care of their wands.

Well, then it wouldnt be easy for him to get even a broken wand, would it? Harry
said reasonably. I think he knows its a bit over the top for price, but I expect he
doesnt care.

Ron nodded sourly, He got all that money, right? Rumors are all over school.

Not what I meant, mate. Harry corrected, You hit his friend with a curse...

That was an accident!

I know that, mate, Harry said placatingly. The point is, what would you pay to
protect Ginny? Or Hermione?

You think he doesnt really care about the broken wand? Ron asked, a twisted look
on his face.

Probably not a lot, Harry admitted, But who knows? Now that I think about it, I
wouldnt mind figuring out how a wand is put together myself.

Ron looked at his friend like he was a little batty, its a wand, Harry. Whats so special
about it?

Harry sighed. Sometimes he really didnt understand people who were raised in the
magical world. Ron, just cause you dont care how it works doesnt mean others feel
the same.

****

The schools fall session ended shortly after that and Xander met Wednesday at the
train as they had agreed.

Ready? She asked him as he approached.

For another holiday with your family? No, but Ill muddle through, Xander grinned.

The dark girl almost smiled at that, not quite giving away her amusement. The
Addamses were not as oblivious as it often appeared to outsiders. She, and they, knew
that their way of life was far from the accepted norm. They mostly just didnt care.
They lived as they chose and would not apologize for it, even by way of explaining
themselves to outsiders.

Few such outsiders voluntarily exposed themselves to further contact after the first,
however. She was impressed that Xander was coming, even though she knew that his
options were limited. International portkeys werent cheap and, while he did have
money now, she didnt think it had quite settled in to his way of thinking.

Still, he could stay at Hogwarts easily enough, yet she had a distinct feeling that he
wanted to come with her. The year before he had honestly seemed to enjoy his time,
mostly, and he seemed to be looking forward to more.

She just shrugged, Father is meeting us in London. Apparently the headmaster asked
him not to come to the school again... he scared Mr Filch.

Xander snickered. It figured that Filch would be scared of anyone who seemed to
agree with the caretakers own suggestions concerning the ancient torture devices he
was constantly jabbering about.

Well then, lets catch that train. Xander said with a smile, We wouldnt want to
strain poor Filchs heart any more by missing the ride and making Mr Addams come
fetch us.

Certainly not. Wednesday agreed solemnly as they made their way to the train.

Xander almost would have sworn he heard the tiniest hint of a giggle in her voice.
Almost.

****
Back to index
****

Alexander, my boy! Gomez Addams boomed cheerfully as Xander and Wednesday
stepped off the train, And my darling Wednesday, we have missed you at home.

Father. Wednesday nodded, smiling at the exuberant man who was attracting
attention all across platform nine and three quarters, Mother isnt here?

She and Thing are seeing to our temporary home.

The castle again, Sir? Xander asked.

Gomez glared at him for a long moment.

Sorry, Gomez. Xander corrected himself with a slight flush.

The wide smile was back in an instant as Gomez swept them both up and bustled them
along, Not this time, my boy. We tried, but some movie company had the place leased.
It didnt seem right to push them out for a family vacation.

Oh? Xander said, curious but mostly polite.

Quite. No, weve chosen a place a little closer this time. Gomez stated, grinning
widely. It took some doing, lad, but weve acquired a lovely little chateau right here in
London.

In London? Xander frowned, thinking, I didnt think there were any castles in
London.

Your education is frightfully lacking, my boy. The Tower, of course. Gomez winked.

Tower? Xander kept racking his brain. The only tower he knew of in London was,
The Tower of London?

Precisely!

Xander frowned again, still thinking very hard. Im pretty sure they dont rent that
out.

Course they dont, Gomez replied, Dreadfully difficult to get a place there too, but
with the right application of money, magic, and, well, Charm... anything is possible, as
youll learn. Come now, heres Lurch with the car.

****

They were going to be arrested.

That was the only thing that Xander could think as the car pulled up in front of the
London monument, and Gomez quickly jumped out and dragged Wednesday and
himself along.

Come along now, The man grinned, leading them toward the old castle set on the
river. Lurch will see to the bags.

It was an incongruous sight, Xander decided as he followed out of morbid curiosity. He
was waging with himself on how close they would get before being challenged, but was
surprised when Gomez led him both to a slit in the walls that had no guards.

He looked around, curious, Shouldnt there be guards here? There are everywhere
else?

Wizard entrance, my boy. Gomez chuckled, Havent bothered with guards here in
almost twelve years.

Oh. Xander said, clutching Fenrir to him chest as they moved through the walls.
Then why...?

Crown jewels, of course. They were worried Voldy Thingamagig would steal them,
took the guards off the day after the celebrations ended. Gomez said with a shrug,
Ministry is a touch weird, if you ask me.

There was a mind numbing statement. Gomez Addams considered someone a touch
weird.

Ah, here we are. Gomez said, stepping out into a hallway that was as dark and dank
as the Hogwarts dungeons. The Royal Wizards Suite.

Royal??

Of course. Wednesday spoke up for the first time, The British monarchy has
always had a Wizard to attend them, since Merlin.

They dont use these rooms, now, of course. Gomez grinned, And the Wizarding
world doesnt have much care for them, which is why we were able to procure their use
for the holidays.

But... isnt this sort of, historical?

Alexander, Wednesday said flatly, How many wizards do you know who care about
the muggle side of the world, even the royalty?

She had a point, Xander supposed, but it still felt... disrespectful to be walking around
here like they owned the place, let alone living here for a couple weeks.

Precisely. Gomez said, To most wizards this is a dirty little secret you dont talk
about in polite company.

They seem to respect Merlin. Xander said, frowning.

Its always easy to respect a giant, my boy, Gomez said, oddly solemn in that
moment, no matter what his quirks. Especially if hes safely dead and not around to
embarrass you any more.

Xander shook his head.

So on the real world side of this, he said, The Tower is a historical landmark,
protected and guarded... and on the magic side... what? You can rent a room?

Not quite so crass, a new voice entered the conversation, and they looked up to see
Mortisha approaching, however that mostly covers things.

Tish, Gomez smiled widely. Ive missed you.

You were only gone a few hours.

A few hours of eternity, my love.

Mortisha smiled, a hint of amusement in her look but mostly just adoration, Mi
Amour.

Gomez growled, shaking his head from side to side before looking up at the ceiling and
letting out a howl. Tish! Thats french!

The man rushed across, plucking up his wifes arm, and began to kiss passionately
along in as she patiently let him indulge for a moment. Then with a wave of her hand
she gently pushed him away, Gomez, later. The children.

What? Gomez looked up, lost and confused. His expression cleared up and he smiled
regretfully, Of course, my love.

Wednesday, Mortisha nodded to her daughter.

Mother.

How was school?

Fine. Wednesday replied, Alexander invented a potion and was paid a small
fortune for it.

Really? Mortisha looked over at Xander, What kind of potion?

Xander turned beat red, alternating between glaring at Wednesday and swallowing
hard. Wednesday, of course, didnt blink in response. I... uh, well it was really an
accident, so its not a big deal...

He wont tell anyone, Wednesday said, I believe hes embarrassed.

Embarrassed?? Nonsense! Gomez declared, You got paid, right lad? Thats the
american way, how could you be embarrassed?

Xander shook his head, clutching Fenrir so tightly the pup yelped.

Mortisha cocked her head slightly, eyes focusing on the dog. Is that Fenrir?

Uh, yes maam.

How curious.

Xander blinked, What?

He hasnt changed in a year. Mortisha said, sounding puzzled.

By Jove, youre right. Gomez said with a crooked grin as he drew out a cigar. What
sort of dog is that anyway?

He is a Dire Wolf. Wednesday supplied.

Wolf!? Xander yelped, holding the puppy out from him and staring at it. Fenrir
barked once and panted back at him. Why didnt you tell me!?

I believed that you knew. Wednesday said dryly, You did choose him, after all.

Gomez snapped his fingers, Dire wolf, of course! That explains it!

It does? Mortisha asked, sounding confused.

Doesnt it? Gomez asked.

Explains what!? Xander asked, hopelessly lost.

I dont know, my boy, Gomez admitted with a grin. What does it explain, Tish?

Really, Gomez, doesnt it seem odd that the puppy hasnt changed in a year?

Now that you mention it, that is passing strange. Gomez frowned, I dont know
much about puppies though, creepy little things.

Fenrir barked once, then growled at Gomez.

Gomez! Mortisha chastised him, Be polite. Fenrir is Alexanders guest.

Of course, youre right, Cadida. I sometimes lose all manners, Gomez sighed, then
looked evenly at the puppy. I apologize.

The dog seemed to consider than, then yipped once and turned away.

Mortisha examined the dog intently for a moment, Even a Dire Wolf ages far faster
than a human, he should be near full growth by now. How curious.

Is something wrong with my Dog? Xander asked, voice worried.

I dont know. Mortisha admitted, considering it. I am hardly an expert, but he
seems fit and hale. Gomez, what do you think?

The Addams patriarch considered for a moment, then held up a finger. Cousin Itt.

Of course, darling, youre a genius.

Cousin Who?

No, Itt. Who is the family Doctor. Gomez said, shaking his head. Unreliable fellow.
Never around when you want him, cant get rid of him when you dont.

Gomez.

Im sorry, Tish, but that fellow is a little strange if you ask me. Gomez replied,
shaking his head.

Mortisha sighed, shaking her head slightly, Ill put in a call to Cousin Itt. Hes a fully
certified Master in Care of Magical Creatures.

Family over achiever, that one, Gomez confirmed. Hell know whats up.

Xander nodded hesitantly.

Where are Uncle Fester and Pugsley? Wednesday asked, now that the issue of the
dog had been settled for the moment.

Sulking. Mortisha said with the slightest hint of exasperation.

Poor boys, Gomez said with a shrug and a wave of his cigar, but what can you do?
The rental agreement was quite clear, no explosives in the tower.

****

Xander settled into his room that night, thinking about what had been said about
Fenrir. The call had been put into Cousin Itt, or that, or whatever his name was and
they said that it would all work out, but he was a little worried about the pup.

Are you ok, boy? Xander asked, looking at the dog as he sat on his bed.

Fenrir yipped once, sounding happy to Xander.

So why arent you growing? Xander asked rhetorically.

Fenrir barked again, several times, leaving Xander in no greater clarity than before.
Xander sighed, throwing himself back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He hoped
his dog was ok.

There was a draft then, and a chill, and Fenrir began to growl softly from the floor.

Xander sat up fast, eyes wide as he looked around and snagged his wand from the end
table. What is, boy?

Fenrir continued to growl, and Xander got his feet, wand leading the way as he looked
at the wall the dog was focused on. Xander didnt see anything, and leaned in slowly.

I dont see any- AHHH! Xander yelped, falling back on his ass as a ghostly shape
came through the wall, holding its head in her arms. He scrambled backward for a
moment, holding his chest, then glared at the form. You scared the crap out of me,
Lady! What the hell!?

****
Back to index
****

Narcissa Malfoy nodded to her son as he entered the manor, smiling warmly.
Welcome home, Draco.

Thank you, mother. The blond boy said, dropping his school trunk to the floor.
Dobby!

The house elf popped into being, flinching back from the boy, Yes, Master Draco?

Put my trunk in my room, and mind you dont go looking through my things. Draco
growled.

Right away, Master.

The elf and trunk popped away as Narcissa sipped her tea. Hard semester?

No more than usual. Draco said, slumping into his chair.

Sit straight, Draco, She corrected instantly. Slovenly posture is for your private
rooms, we entertain here. You do not wish to get into that habit.

Draco sighed and shifted until he was sitting up, Of course.

You see perturbed.

No, not really. Just thinking about things.

Such as?

Draco glanced around, as if looking for someone. Wheres Father?

Lucius is at the Ministry, he wont be home early.

Draco nodded and sighed, giving Narcissa a clue to what was on his mind. Something
he didnt want his father to know about, at least not just now.

Mother... The boy suddenly seemed many years younger as he hesitantly spoke up,
I... Why are purebloods better than mudbloods?

Narcissa raised her eyebrow, both eyes widening in surprise. Pardon me?

I mean, I know we are! Draco said quickly, hands up as if to stave off punishment,
But I need to know why.

I am curious, Narcissa said after a moment, What brings this up?

One of my housemates challenged me to answer that question, Draco admitted,
And I still cant. Not the way he wants me to. I know that the reasons have to be there,
we ARE better than they are, but I dont know what they are.

She smiled slowly, Very good, Draco. Youre learning to question, be careful
however... your father is not the sort who likes to be questioned.

Draco nodded, swallowing.

But... we are better, right?

Narcissa smiled a little wider, Yes Draco. Purebloods are, at least to a degree,
superior.

So... what makes us better?

There are many ways to answer that question, most of which I will tell you now, your
father does not understand, nor does he care to. She told her son. I heard a word
recently that describes muggle borns far better than the term you tend to prefer. Not
mudbloods, Draco... Wild bloods.

Narcissa was shocked when Draco hissed and grimaced at the term. Whats wrong?

Thats what Harris, the housemate I was talking about, calls them.

Harris. So that was the one who had the book, or it seemed likely. Interesting.

Well they are, Narcissa replied, then shrugged, Or at least those who are not
descended from a squib line are. Consider a well bred hound, Draco, and compare it to
a fox. The fox is a wild blood, the hound a pureblood. You can, to a certain degree,
predict how a Hound will perform based on its bloodline. You can even, if you are very
careful, influence how a hounds blood line will develop.

And... thats good?

Narcissa smiled thinly, Sic a hound on a fox and see which one is more likely to come
out on top. The fox is generally quite lucky to escape with its life.

Draco nodded slowly, understanding at least slightly.

There are more factors, however. Blood traits, such as Speaker talents, follow a
bloodline. Muggleborns almost never develop even the weakest of these, Narcissa
continued. Parseltongue is a known trait of Salazar Slytherins line, for example.

The Dark Lord. Draco said, nodding.

Precisely. Rowenas bloodline has been rumored to have strong instances of Second
Sight, perhaps ironic since Rowena herself was a powerful detractor of seers and the
like, Narcissa said, though its perhaps because she herself suffered from an
uncontrolled gift. Each of the founders lines had powerful gifts, as do many of the older
pure blood lines.

What were the others?

Gryffindor supposedly had a very advanced instance of Mage Sight, Narcissa said
thoughtfully, And Helga was a powerful emotive caster. The Malfoy line has begun to
show hints of several talents, but nothing steady quite yet.

What about the Blacks? Draco asked, eager to hear about his own heritage.

The Black line, Narcissa paused, sighing, The Blacks were known for several
uncommon talents, but the signature trait of the Blacks was a form of Mage Sense
similar to Gryffindors Mage Sight.

What can you do with it?

Those with a strong gift could feel raw magic, She told him, including wards,
natural lines of ley magic, and conjunctions of such. Many Blacks took on duties as
curse breakers, and were unparalleled at it.

Could I...?

Its unlikely, Draco, She told him gently. That was a trait of the main Black line,
youre from a cadet branch. Im afraid that the wars have all but destroyed that
particular gift.

For the first time in a long time, Narcissa could see her son really thinking about
things instead of parroting what her husband had told him. It wasnt that she disagreed
with her husbands position, but she knew that blind faith often led to a dead end and
was pleased that Draco was considering the ideas for himself.

There is one thing to remember, Draco. She said after a moment.

Yes, mother?

The fox is a wild blood, as I said... but never forget, so is the wolf. Narcissa told her
son, And a wise hound will think twice before stalking a wolf.

*****

Wednesday Addams paused outside the door to Xanders room, and eyebrow going up
as she heard conversation from within. She knocked after a moment and waited until
she heard Xanders voice inviting her in.

Inside the room she was only mildly surprised to see Xander leaning back on his bed,
chatting with a headless ghost.

Hey, Wednesday, He greeted her with a grin, This is Anne.

The ghost tilted slightly at the waist, not a bow but a greeting. Good evening, young
Wednesday.

Your Majesty, Wednesday returned, with a respectful tilt of her head.

Majesty? Xander blinked.

Boleyn, I presume, Wednesday directed at the ghost.

Indeed.

She is a former wife of Henry the Eighth, and one time Queen over England.
Wednesday said to Xander, slightly disdainful of his lack of awareness.

Xander grinned, shrugging as he caught the tone, hey, what do I know about
England? Im a Cali boy, remember? And its not like they bother teaching us anything
about real history in Hogwarts.

Wednesday had to concede the point, True.

Anyway, weve been having a nice conversation... at least we have since my heart
started again, Xander said with a playful scowl.

Must I apologize once more? The ghost asked, her eyes rolling as she held her head
against her side. Few are the living who can see me, and even fewer are those who can
do so consistently as you two do.

We arent normal. Wednesday replied dryly.

I had divined as much. Anne replied in kind. Though we did officially repudiate
witchcraft, I was aware of the Royal Wizard young one. You are of his sort, I assume?

We are.

Fascinating. I have not see any like you before, and I have been wandering these halls
for many years.

You likely have, Wednesday corrected, However were likely ignored. Ghosts are
commonplace for those of us who live in the magical world, and this building holds little
interest for wizards. So those who did bother to come here, would have no particular
interest in yourself.

The ghostly woman winced, I suppose that makes some sense.

No, it does not, Wednesday replied evenly, however it makes as much sense as
anything else done by men... wizard or otherwise.

Xander got a sinking sensation when the ghost laughed bitterly at the joke, and the two
began to chatter about how oblivious his gender was. That was his queue to escape and
he quietly sidled up to the door before bolting down the hallway. No way he was
hanging around a ghost of some woman who got her head cut off and Wednesday
Addams when they started talking about men.

*****

He was congratulating himself on the escape as he explored a little when he heard
sounds from ahead and decided to investigate. Xander made his way into a large setting
room and noticed that Gomez had apparently taken the room over, having setup a large
train set. Xander idly walked around it, checking out the impressive layout as he did.

Ah, Alex my boy, how are your rooms?

Inhabited.

Pardon? Gomez frowned curiously, teeth clenched on his ever present cigar.

Wednesday and Anne Boleyn are complaining to each other about men, Xander
explained. Given that one had her head chopped off by order of her husband, and the
other is Wednesday, I did the smart thing.

Ran for your life, Gomez nodded, Good job, lad.

Whats with the trains?

Every man needs a hobby, Alex, Gomez grinned, waving Xander over. Have a
look.

Xander did so, marveling at the detail of the set. It really was a pretty spectacular
layout. He peered closer as one of the trains moved past, and tilted his head slightly as
he could have SWORN that there was a man looking out at him.

Uh... Xander held his hand up questioningly.

Not the same though, Gomez sighed, setting down the controls. No explosives
clause... its a travesty.

Um... Xander shifted, trying to see if he could spot the trains passenger again.

Terribly annoying. Frightfully unfair. Gomez went on, pacing around the table. He
suddenly stopped and shook his head, Listen to me, here I am in lovely historic
London, in one of the most haunted places in the world, and Im pouting like Fester and
Pugsley over the lack of explosives.

Gomez laughed, Im truly a spoiled American, Alex. Cant live without the modern
pleasures. Well, time to correct that.

Uh, right... Xander said, eyes still following the train.

I think a little old world entertainment is in order. You game, my boy!? Gomez
bellowed.

Xander blinked, then shrugged, eyes still on the train. Uh, sure.

Excellent. En Guard!!

What? Xander snapped up, looking around in time to see a sword coming his way.
Ahhh!

He caught it on reflex, but unfortunately not by the hilt. The blade bit into his palm,
blood running freely as Xander fumbled it twice, cutting his fingers as well, then got a
grip on the hilt before the weapon hit the ground. Ow!

He looked up, eyes betrayed by the injury Gomez had inflicted, just in time to see the
attack coming. Gomez vaulted the table, flipping easily over it in a perfect summer
sault, and landed just a few scant feet away as he slashed his own blade in a cutting
stroke at Xander.

Ahhh!

Xander screamed, throwing himself back as the blade ripped his robes open.

Defend yourself! Gomez cried, lunging in.

Gahhh!

Xander swiped his own blade across, but totally missed the strike, and winced as he
felt a slice open up in his leg.

Come on, lad! You can do better than that!

No I really cant!! Xander cried out, dodging to the left and nearly impaling himself
on Gomez next strike.

Luckily Gomez pulled the blow and paused as Xander gasped for breath. My lord,
lad. Didnt anyone teach you the basics?

Sword fighting isnt basics anymore!! Xander snarled, glaring at Gomez, it
stopped being basics a hundred years ago!!

Nonsense! Gomez declared, shaking his head at the state of education in the world
today, Alright then, lets start with footwork. We have a great deal to cover, and so
little time to do it in.

****
Back to index
****

Wednesday Addams raised an eyebrow when she entered the drawing room and found
Xander wincing as he bandaged his hand.

Xander, looking up, noticed her and grunted, Your dads nuts.

She considered that for a moment, debating whether it was intended as an insult or a
statement of fact, then shrugged. Fencing?

Is that what you call it? I call it Stab Xander Time.

Judging from the cuts and blood Xander was sporting, Wednesday had to admit that
his appellation had merit. She sighed, shaking her head slightly.

What? Xander defended himself, Im twelve! Ive never used a sword before!

The second is a reason, the first is not. Wednesday replied dryly, idly taking up a
blade from the wall and swishing it through the air. How is your hand?

Itll be ok. Ive had worse just mucking around with Jess back home, Xander
admitted.

Good. She said, replacing the sword. Did father show you anything more then how
to bleed?

Xander rolled his eyes, He started on about footwork, and talked about lessons.

She smiled lightly, Perfect. Pay attention to him, Alexander. Father is perhaps one of
the finest swordsmen alive today.

I believe it. Xander grumbled as he reached for another bandage.

Ah! Alexander, Ive been looking for you!

Xander started as Gomez entered the room, What for? Come to finish me off!?

Gomez laughed, Course not, my boy, Ill do that next lesson. No, I wanted to
introduce you to Cousin Itt.

Xander stood up, turning around to say hi to this Cousin, and froze dead as he found
himself staring at a walking, five foot tall, bundle of hair.

The hair suddenly jabbered something Xander couldnt hope to decipher in a fast
machine gun burst of what Xander could only suppose was words of some kind.

Quite right! Gomez responded, Well boy?

Well what!?

Bring out the pup, lad, you think Itt here has all day?

Xander blinked, still confused.

Wednesday sighed, Cousin Itt came to see Fenrir, Alexander. Remember?

Oh, yeah. Xander said slowly, still staring.

Itt chattered again.

No, no, of course not. You look absolutely spiffy as always, Gomez assured the hair
ball.

Alexander.

The cold tone broke Xander out of his reverie and he shook himself, What? Oh,
yeah... sure.

He whistled once, and there was an almost instant reply as Fenrir bounded into the
room while yapping happily. The hairball turned toward the dog and chattered again,
causing the pup to skid to a stop and growl as his hackles came up. That didnt seem to
perturb the Addams cousin, however, and Xander took a step forward as Fenrir began
to circle around.

Its alright, boy. Not gonna let him, er... it, hurt you. Xander said, causing Fenrir to
relax and Itt to go off on another chattering spree.

Itt, not it. Wednesday growled instantly, in a tone low enough that the others didnt
hear.

Uh... Xander blinked, staring at her.

His name is Itt. She hissed as Itt produced a dog treat from somewhere and tossed it
to Fenrir.

Thats what I said? Xander offered weakly.

She gave him a glare that clearly showed how little she bought into that story, and he
buckled.

Sorry. Ill remember.

Wednesday nodded curtly, and Xander recognized the matter was closed. For now.

Meanwhile Gomez was listening intently to Itt as the furball chattered away.

You dont say, Gomez said, sounding shocked.

Itt chattered on a little more.

You dont say. Gomez replied, this time sounding amazed.

Itt nodded, more of a bob Xander noted, and went on again.

You dont say.

By this point Xander had had enough, he wanted to know what was up with his dog.

What? What is it?

He didnt say. Gomez shrugged.

There was a long moment of silence as Cousin Itt snapped around and seemed to
somehow *glare* at Gomez while Wednesday delicately pinched the bridge of her nose
as if to stave off a headache.

Gomez, for his part, grinned widely as if hed just delivered the best punchline ever.

Itt sighed audibly and turned to Wednesday, chattering away.

Wednesday nodded in understanding and looked over to Xander, Everything is fine
with Fenrir.

Xander, distracted from glaring at Gomez, let out a sigh of relief. Thank god.

It seems hes made a Familiar Bond with you, She explained, which has altered his
aging to match your own. Its not precisely rare, but not terribly common either.

So hes going to age as I do? Xander asked, considering it. That didnt sound too
bad at all.

Itt chattered again, then Wednesday nodded.

Precisely. Cousin Itt says that he should be due for a growth sport quite soon, as
should you. She said, though he mentions that there could be some unexpected
incidents since Fenris is a magical creature.

Huh?

Wednesday rolled her eyes, Dire wolf, if youll recall.

Thats not a normal breed of wolf?

The Addams scion just rolled her eyes and sighed.

****

Draco Malfoys mind was reeling as he tried to understand all the things his mother
had laid out, knowing even as he did that there was no way his father would agree with
even half of them. There was a cold logic to his mothers statements, though, a sort of
certainty that he couldnt refute.

One thing that he found disturbing, though, wasnt the differing beliefs of his parents
so much as the level of bitterness his mother seemed to hold. Hed never noticed it
before, as she had always held herself as the perfect pure blood wife and mother. The
way she spoke of the Black line, though, seemed to physically hurt her.

It did hurt him, though he wasnt sure why.

He was a Malfoy. The Malfoy heir even. To the Black line, if the family still existed,
Draco was under no illusions of his importance there. If the family were still intact, he
would be a moderately important tool and nothing else.

His mothers words still shocked him on that account.

Muggle borns have their place, Draco. Make no mistake of that, She had told him
hours earlier. Take yourself for example. As the Malfoy heir, no Matriarch of the
Malfoy Line would permit you to be wed to a muggle born...

Draco had been indignant in his reply, I should hope not!

His mother had merely smiled slightly, A Matriarch of the Black Line, however,
would indeed consider a match between you and, perhaps Granger, as a suitable... even
desirable, match.

Draco still shuddered to think of his mothers words, even now unable to find any
suitable way to respond to them.

She had, of course gone on, As a member of a Cadet line of the Blacks, that would be
your duty. Cadet branches exist to test unknown blood lines, and to filter out unwanted
traits. Within a few generations, one of your get would, ideally, be bred back into the
main line in the hopes of preserving the best traits of yourself and your wife.

Wife.

Draco shuddered, thanking merlin that he was the Malfoy heir and not some play toy
of the Black line. The very IDEA of being married off to some mudblood...

It made him physically ill.

****

Narcissa laughed softly to herself, remember the look on her sons face from their
earlier discussion.

Draco was many things, she supposed, but flexible was not among them. As a mother,
she doubted she should take quite so much pleasure in his discomfort, but the bulge in
his eyes at the mention of the muggle borns name had been too funny. She had used
Granger intentionally, of course, knowing from Dracos previous rants that, one way or
another, her name would evoke an emotional response.

Narcissa wondered if Draco had quite realized yet how open he left himself when he
allowed someone to affect him so deeply. Likely not. She wasnt sure if he harbored
some hidden crush on the girl, or more likely just a deep envy of her intelligence. Likely
the latter, Narcissa supposed, though the former was far from impossible.

The Malfoy Matriarch sighed as she fastened her cloak and made her way down the
alley and into Muggle London.

She easily found her way to the hidden bistro buried deep in one of the citys back
streets and walked in.

Ah, Madam Malfoy. The Maitre D smiled warmly. Your table is waiting, and
Madam Tonks has already arrived.

Thank you, Charles. Narcissa said, her voice polite but cool.

She walked past the man into the dining area and made her way through to the semi-
private table where her sister was sitting.

Ciss.

Romy.

The two sisters smiled at one another briefly, then laughed softly.

Your regular orders, my Ladies?

Yes, Charles. Thank you. Andromeda said as Narcissa nodded.

Very well, it wont be a moment.

Take your time, we have much to catch up on after all. Narcissa told him, her eye
gleaming as she looked back at her sister.

Andromeda nodded in return, Indeed.

****
Back to index
****

The holidays progressed quickly, Xander found, and as normally as one could expect
when one was hanging around the Addamses. Despite the ban on explosives in the
tower, Pugsley and Fester had found a nice little quarry a few miles out of London
which served as a nice testing spot for various explosives the duo cooked up.

What are you two up to today? Xander asked, swooping down on the two and
hopping off his broom.

He had to admit, flying was one of the big bonuses about having magic, but he really
wished it wasnt on broomsticks. Comfort charms be damned, the stupid thing rode up
his crotch and kept binding up the Wizards robes in really uncomfortable places.

Unfortunately there simply was no spell to superman the whole process, at least not
under his own control. As far as Xander had been able to find, it was patently
impossible to levitate or otherwise fly under ones own magic. He could do it to
someone else, or they could to him, but something about trying it on himself would case
the magic to be annulled by his own core.

Hey Xander! Fester grinned, hunched over as he sidestepped from one charge to the
next, Youre just in time. Were going to be trying semtex today!

Xander blinked, looking at the dull white blocks of putty. Hey, wasnt the semtex you
used last Christmas like orange?

Yup! Fester grinned widely.

Why isnt this stuff that color?

Couldnt get a permit to buy any in England. Fester replied.

So... you what? Brought this from the states?

Nope.

Xander sighed, Wheres it from?

Black market. Fester grinned, only the legal stuff is color coded. Military semtex
doesnt have the coloring, or the chemical markers to trace back to its source.

Oi. Xander pinched the bridge of his nose.

Fester finished up and turned back, See how I did that? Always be very careful with
the wiring, boys. Last thing you want is a misfire.

Yes, Uncle Fester. Pugsley replied dutifully.

Xander leaned in slightly, Triple twist with a cap?

Right you are, you remembered! Fester grinned gleefully.

Yeah well, blow me up once, shame on you... blow me up twice, shame...

On me! Fester cackled, pulling them back. Come on, come on.

Xander let himself be dragged away, snagging his broom as they moved back to the
safe zone. Safe being by Addams definition, mind you. Hunkered down behind a
boulder, Fester produced an old plunger style detonator and grinned.

Ready?

Ready! Pugsley grinned.

Are we far enough...

Apparently, in Addams talk, what Xander started to ask translated directly to ready!
because Fester instantly depressed the plunger. The explosive crack made him jump
slightly, pressing closer to the boulder, then the shock wave rolled over them and
popped Xanders ears.

Fester was yelling and dancing with Pugsley as Xanders hearing came back, and the
two looked at him and yelled something.

What!?

Watch out for falling debris! Fester repeated himself.

Xander blinked, then looked up and yelped. He dove to one side just as a chunk of rock
the size of his head slammed down into the boulder hed been sheltering behind and
splintered into shards. Xander rolled to his feet and glared at Fester.

Safe distance!?

Fester shrugged, Very slim chance of being hit.

Slim. Slim he says, Xander muttered, shaking his head.

If you boys are quite done, Wednesdays voice rang clearly through the general
melee as she swooped in on her own broom, riding side saddle with a level of dignity
Xander wished he could approach, Father says were going to Diagon today to do some
shopping.

Cool. Xander grinned, I need to get to gringots and check out this cash Im
supposed to have.

Im certain the Goblins will be able to answer your questions.

****

Diagon at Christmas time was a site, though the more Xander thought about it, the
more confused he got.

Something bothering you, Son? Gomez asked as they navigated the throngs.

Well, yes Sir. Christmas is a Christian holiday, so why are witches and wizards so big
on it? Xander asked, looking around.

Complicated question, my boy. Gomez replied, Do you want the short answer, or
the long one?

Uh... short?

Theyre not big on it.

Xander waited, but it became obvious that he wasnt going to get much more than
that. Ok, longer than that.

Gomez smirked, Part of it goes back to the fact that Wizarding society as we know it
today really didnt begin until a little over a thousand years ago, which was well after
the entrenchment of Christianity into the society in which most wizards come from.

Hogwarts is a a thousand years old, Xander frowned, the school is as old as
wizards?

Well no, there were wizards around long before that, just not connected as a society
the way they are today. Gomez told him, Druids and Shamen, priests and seers, they
were all around but mostly they were part of world society in general. So now, for
bonus points, what caused the seperation of the two societies?

Xander grimaced, this was NOT covered in history class. Uh. Witch hunts?

Gomez glared at him, Come now, lad, arent you paying attention in history class?

They dont teach that in history. Wednesday spoke up.

What!? Its the single most important event in wizarding history, and they dont
teach it?? Gomez blurted, drawing attention. What about the classes from Salem?

Those are mostly American Wizarding History. I believe that they expect Hogwarts
to teach us the rest.

What do they teach??

Goblin rebellions mostly.

Gomez paused, actually shaking slightly as he slowly changed color. Seeing any color
in the normally pale mans skin was interesting, but Xander didnt think the puce look
was healthy. The more I learn about this school of yours, Dear, the less I like.

He sighed, shaking his head, Wands my dear boy. Around eleven hundred years ago,
give or take, the first modern wands were developed.

Xander frowned again, then looked over his shoulder back to where he had bought his
wand. But, isnt there a sign about fine wands since 40 BC?

Ah yes, the Olivanders. Gomez rolled his eyes, Nice folk, but a little dreary. The
family began creating Staves in 42 BC, however Staves while based on many of the same
principals as wands were much more power intensive.

I dont understand, Sir.

Call me, Gomez, lad. Gomez quirked a grin as his cigar twitched in response.
Simply put, only a tiny fraction of people can use wands, we call them wizards today.
Only a tiny fraction of THOSE people can use a stave, in fact I think there is only two in
England today who could. Your headmaster Dumbledore, and Nicholas Flamel. We call
those people, legends.

Not much of a market for Staves then, huh?

Not much, no lad. Gomez grinned, Actually, as the legend goes, the original
Olivander created only one, as much by accident as anything else, and it found its way
into the hands of Merlin. The family knew that they had magical potential, however,
and spend generations refining their work. The breakthrough of wands came about
with the help of Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin during their younger days,
before hogwarts.

Xander frowned slightly, considering that carefully.

Now, mark me, lad. Gomez said seriously, Because for your sort, that is perhaps
the most important event in history. Most wizards without a wand? Nothing more than
peasants working the land. With a wand? Well, you get what you see here today.

Xander looked around, all the decorations lit up around him, the entire place animated
without any hint of technology or electricity, and he rather imagined that it probably
had been very much like this ever since Diagon Alley was created.

Now, back to your original question, most wizards came from normal society and
they brought along the various christian influenced holidays with them, and even as
they began to drop christian beliefs, they kept the link to the holidays.

Cool. Xander said as he thought about it. I kinda thought it was something to do
with the old druid holidays, like christians were supposed to have coopted in the first
place.

Gomez shot a sharp glance at the young man, then smiled, Sharp, lad. I like that. But
no, modern wizards have mostly lost all touch with Druid and Celtic rituals, the same as
the rest of the modern world. Some tell themselves that story, mind you, cause they hold
no love for the church and dont like to admit any connection, but its all bunk. Now, if
you want to learn about real druid rituals, I know a few people.

Xander swallowed at the nearly feral grin on the mans face and shook his head,
maybe later, Sir.

Pity. And how many times must I tell you, call me Gomez!

Wednesday cleared her throat, and the two looked at her.

Yes?

Were here. She said, nodding up.

The two looked up, spotting the gringotts sign.

Ah, yes. Come along then, Gomez said, Right inside.

****
Back to index
****

Gringotts was certainly not what Xander had come to expect, though in fairness he
really had no idea what a wizarding bank would look like. The little Goblins running
around sneering at people didnt really fit any of the images hed come up with.

Mr Addams led them up to a teller and glanced at the name plate idly as the Goblin
finished scratching out something or other on parchment.

Yes?

Yes, Gilfarb, Gomez said airily, be a good fellow and see to this document for the
young man.

The Goblin, Gilfarb, scowled at Gomez and took the papers from Xanders hand. He
glanced through them quickly and scowled again. This is a draft on a different bank.

Is that an issue?

There are transferal fees.

Of course. Gomez said dryly, You are bankers.

Will the young man be wanting to open a vault?

Gomez glanced at Xander, who just looked confused. No. I believe a transfer of, well
say five hundred galleons will be sufficient.

Very well.

The Goblin scratched out the paperwork in record time, then handed it and a quill
over to Xander. Sign this.

Xander reached for the paper, but was blocked by Gomez who scanned the paper
quickly.

Now see here, Goblin. The normally jovial man snarled, his face suddenly very
much a mirror of the goblin he was facing, Transaction fees are one thing, but they
dont give you the right to fleece the boy!

I assure you, that is our standard...

Twenty five percent!? Gomez cut him off, Youll take two POINT five and be
happy with it.

Or what, Wizard? Gilfarb challenged.

Dont insult me, Goblin. Im no Wizard, Im an Addams.

Gilfarb paled to an almost pastel orange at that and his mouth shut instantly, his teeth
vanishing from sight. After a moment he spoke again, hesitantly, A... Addams? Which
family are you...?

Im the American Patriach, Gomez Addams. And if you like our accounts as they are,
youll take two point five and not try to cheat a friend of the family. Gomez replied, his
tone suddenly dead even.

Yes Sir. Two point five will do nicely. Gilfarb said, hastily scrawling out a new paper
and pushing it across.

Xander slid it to Gomez this time, who nodded, then Xander signed. He received his
money directly and the three made their way out of the bank.

Are Goblins always like that? Xander asked hesitantly when they were clear.

Bankers are always like that, Gomez responded, his tone again jovial. You just
need to know how to handle them. Goblins are a little different, though.

How?

Well, lad, you know the expression humans like to bandy around, Respect is earned?
Gomez asked.

Xander just nodded.

Well, humans dont really believe that. For humans, respect is lost. Gomez said with
a grin, We tend to give people we dont know a certain level of respect until theyve
earned more, or lost what they started with. Goblins, though, dont work that way.
With a Goblin you always start at zero, so mark that boy, if you have to deal with them
in the future.

Oh. Xander said, feeling a little at sea.

He understood the meaning, he supposed, but it was a weird way of looking at things.
That kinda sucks.

Maybe, but earn a Goblins respect and theyll never cheat you, theyll never stab you
in the back, and they will never betray your trust. Still, never give a goblin any respect
he hasnt earned, Gomez finished, Thats a mark of weakness to them. And theyll
mark it, and you, for an easy target.

Xander swallowed, but nodded, Alright. Ill try and remember that.

Good lad, Gomez grinned, Now, on to some shopping, shall we?

****

Shopping took the rest of the day, but it whizzed by like lighting until they were back
in the tower. Xander once more found himself creeped out, yet occasionally awed by the
Addams as they went about the preparations for their yuletide celebrations.

He found himself wondering what the Addamses really celebrated, however. They
werent remotely Christian, that was certain, yet they bedecked themselves in all the
trappings of the holiday with vigor and joy. They even went so far as to put a santa hat
on Lurch, or someone did. Xander privately wondered if the big guy had noticed it yet
sometimes, but didnt want to be rude by asking.

From Mr Addams comments earlier, Xander thought that they might actually be
celebrating the winter solstice, but at the same time that didnt seem quite right either.

It was only a few days to Christmas when he finally broke down and asked them.

Gomez had looked at him queerly, surprised by the question, but it was Mortisha who
spoke up.

Why Alexander, were celebrating family of course.

Xander just stared blankly.

Fester looked at him oddly, then grinned, You didnt think we were celebrating a
religious holiday did you? Please. Christmas isnt about religion. How many folk
worship Sandy Claws anyway?

Precisely, Fester old chum, Gomez broke with a wide grin, Jesus of Nazarath
wasnt even born in December, lad. Christmas is as much a Christian holiday as
Halloween, which is to say... not at all. This is a time for friends and family, Alexander.

Xander didnt really have a response to that, so he just nodded quietly.

Sometime later, Wednesday moved over beside him and spoke softly as she watched
the decorations across the room.

Do you miss your family?

Xander had to consider it, A little. But things were always tense around the holidays.

Why?

I dont know. Not for sure, Xander admitted, But I think it had a lot to do with my
family being from magical families, and maybe they were missing their families.

Wednesday just nodded and fell silent.

The two sat together for the rest of the night, just quietly thinking about the past, the
present, and the future.

****

Christmas day came quickly after that, and like the year before it was one of the more
pleasant ones in Xanders memory.

Since neither he nor Wednesday had shown any interest in high performance brooms,
their gifts this year had been new school trunks with four compartments each. One
bookshelf, two normal trunk sections, and one room sized section Xander found
absolutely incredible.

How do they make it so much bigger inside than out? He blurted, not for the first
time, as he withdrew his head from the room sized compartment.

Arithmancy. Wednesday replied calmly.

Huh? Xander blinked.

Its all math, Alexander. She said simply with a shrug.

Oh. Xander pouted, sighing. I suck at math.

How do you know, I doubt youve ever tried this.

They did the tests at school and everything. Xander shrugged, Im not, you know
special or anything, but Im not so good with math or spacial whatsit.

Wednesday regarded him stonily for a long moment, I think you would learn to trust
yourself over some test given to you by people you neither know, nor have any reason to
believe in.

Why would they lie? Xander blinked.

I did not say they did. However, were it me, I would do my best to prove the matter to
myself.

Yeah, maybe. Xander replied, trying not to feel down.

Enough of that for today, children. Mortisha came to his rescue. Lets finish with
the presents.

Holidays with the Addamses were creepy, but surprisingly enlightening.

****

With Christmas past the rest of the holidays swept by in a blur, leaving the second part
of the school year upon them before they really knew it. Xander didnt know about
Wednesday, but he had far more mixed feelings concerning the return to school that he
normally had.

On the one hand, it was still school.

No matter what else was going on, it was school and school was, by definition, boring.

Still, it was MAGIC school.

Xander had to admit, short of having classes on The Enterprise or something, that was
about as cool as you could make school.

But damn it, it was still SCHOOL.

This cycle of thought was playing through his mind the entire time he and Wednesday
were waiting for the Express to leave and return them to Hogwarts, the slightly geeky
goofball in him railing against the bizarre new love of learning Xander had picked up
since being introduced to magic.

He really had no idea where it came from, he had after all spent a good many year
making sure that he didnt catch it from Willow.

Jessie would be so disappointed in me. He murmured softly.

Excuse me?

Xander looked sideways at Wednesday, surprised that he had spoke aloud, then
grinned. My pal back home, hed be horribly disappointed in me for looking forward
to school. We were dedicated underachievers together.

She raised an eyebrow, And were you good at it?

Xander blinked, Uh, I suppose so.

No you werent.

Xander blinked. Huh?

If you were dedicated to underachieving, and were also good at it, then you were
achieving what you set out to do. So you werent very good at underachieving.

Uh... Xander stared for a long moment, then finally blinked. Brain... hurts.

Wednesday just shrugged as the train lurched on the tracks and they were once more
heading for school. At least thats evidence of having one.

Once more, Xander found himself swearing that the girl beside him was having a good
laugh at his expense, even though she was physically doing nothing of the sort.

****
Back to index
****

The school looked majestic as they approached, the fresh snow coating it from tower to
cornerstone, with lights dancing off the powdered white. Xander had donned his
Slytherin robes, but underneath he was packing all the layers he could muster as he felt
like he was freezing his appendages off with each passing moment.

Stupid snow. He said through chattering teeth, Im a Cali boy for crying out loud.
This just sucks.

Wednesday rolled her eyes and casually waved her wand at him, casting a warming
charm.

Ahhh... Xander moaned, Thats so good. Howd you do that?

Ill show you later. She said, shaking her head.

Thanks.

As the two approached the castle they saw Harry and Ronald coming in their direction
from inside. Xander nodded cooly to the Gryffindors as they paused.

I just wanted to give you this. Ron said, shoving his broken wand at Xander.

Xander accepted it with a nod, thanks. You have a good match with your new one?

Ron nodded, actually smiling in the company of a snake, Oh yeah. Its fantastic,
nothing like the old one.

Good. Then therell be no more accidents. Xander said pointedly.

Ron reddened, but nodded, No more accidents.

The redhead turned away, but Harry paused for a moment then looked back at
Xander.

Thanks, mate. He really needed that wand.

I dont give damn what he needed, Harry. Hermione is my friend and Ron was a
menace with this thing, Xander said, holding up the wobbly wand. Safest place in the
school was wherever he was trying to curse. Worse, hes got a temper and tends to go
for his wand first. You and Hermione were going to get hurt sooner or later.

Harry just shrugged, Ron wouldnt hurt us.

Right. Im sure hes a great guy, but I wouldnt want Jesus Christ himself at my side
if he had a backfiring gun and an itchy trigger finger. Xander returned dryly.
Friends like that do your enemies job for them.

Harry hesitated, Ill talk to him.

That would be my advice, dude. Remember, hes got a new wand so no excuses. He
hurts Hermione or Wednesday, and Im gunning for a lion pelt. Xander promised.

Harry nodded and followed his friend as Wednesday stared at Xander evenly.

What?

I am quite capable of looking after myself.

Xander smirked, I know it, but sometimes it takes an outsider to make people see
things that should be fixed.

The Addams scion stared for a moment longer, then nodded curtly and the two
proceeded into the warmer environs of Hogwarts as they prepared for the winter term.

****

After getting settled in, his new trunk replacing the old with all his belongings stashed
inside it, Xander headed out of the Slytherin dorms and into the school, just getting
used to being in the castle again. Unsurprisingly he found himself in the library, and
smiled when he spotted Hermione at their normal table with a stack of books practically
hiding her from sight.

Hey Herms, he said, dropping into the seat across from her, How was the
holidays.

She looked at little frazzled as she looked up at him, but she quickly smiled, Xander!
God, its good to see you. Is Wednesday back too?

Xander nodded, idly plucking a book from the stacks and checking it out.
Petrifications? Doing some research into the incidents?

Hermione nodded, sighing, There are just so many possibilities, but theyre so
obscure! Its taking forever to rule each one out.

Xander grunted, flipping through the book. Our professor from Salem seemed to
think that it was probably one of the kids of the terrorist twits you guys had here fifteen
years ago.

Ron and Harry thought it was Draco, Hermione whispered, leaning forward
slightly.

Xander laughed sharply enough to get hissed at by Madam Pince, he winced but shook
his head.

No way, Draco couldnt keep a secret if his life was on the line. Xander said, still
chuckling. If hed been doing it the only mystery would be why he hadnt been caught
yet.

Hermione giggled slightly, Thats pretty much what we figured out.

Xander eyed her carefully for a moment, then shrugged, deciding that shed tell him if
she wanted to. Anyway, Wednesday says its a snake.

Hermiones head shot up, A snake?

Yeah, like a Basalip or something. Xander shrugged.

A Basilisk. Hermione hissed tightly, eyes wide, I think that would do it.

She and the Professor said that there should be deaths, though, if its a Basilisk.
Xander said, Anyway, dont know anything about them.

I think I have a book here somewhere... oh drat, where could it be??

Xander smirked slightly, shaking his head. Let me know if you need any help.

What? Oh, right. Sure...

Xander chuckled softly and pulled out the grimoire and laid it out on the table in front
of him, he had come up with a few thoughts for one of his ideas and wanted to do some
checking.

*****

The term started off smoothly, thankfully, with no more accidents. The winter was still
making it difficult to cultivate the mandrake required for the restoratives that the
victims would need, which was seriously of the bad, but beyond that things slid back
into a routine.

Draco was still pouncing around like he owned the castle, and pretty much everyone
else was still ignoring him. Xander had happened on him terrorizing the first years a
few times, especially those muggleborn and mixed bloods who had the misfortune of
being sent to Slytherin, but had managed to deflect him each time with little effort.

For some reason Draco seemed unwilling to get into any debates with Xander, and had
apparently also decided that violence wouldnt be useful either. That surprised Xander,
to be sure, but he figured hed take what he was given and be happy for it.

He never noticed the relieved looks on the first years face when he would walk into the
common room, or the fact that many of them tended to choose to study wherever he was
spending his time. It was something that didnt go unnoticed by everyone, however.

*****

Is Harris building a cabal?

Daphne Greengrass shook her head as she glanced across the room to where Xander
Harris was reading the same book he always seemed to have in his hands. She turned
her focus back to her friend, Tracy Davis, No. I dont think so at any rate. Believe it or
not, as far as I can tell he honestly doesnt notice.

But look at them. Tracy said, nodding to the group of first and second years who
were arrayed around Harris.

I know, but honestly, hes a bit thick. Daphne said, delivering her considered
opinion. I dont know what the hat saw in him, but it wasnt ambition. Or if it was, it
was buried under so much cunning that hes just a brilliant sneak.

This IS slytherin.

You dont really think that a twelve year old is that good, do you?

I suppose not, Tracy conceded, then scowled, But it a whole lot nicer to consider
than that hes bumbling around like an idiot and doing by accident what were all
trying to do on purpose.

Daphne chuckled, Its possible, I guess, that stunt he pulled at the start of the year
was brilliant.

How did he pull that off anyway?? Tracy demanded, The only people who know, or
claim to know, are Jacobs, Harrow, and Draco... and the first two arent talking while I
dont believe a word Draco says.

Daphne closed her mouth, her eyes moving away.

You know! Tracy hissed, leaning in.

Its actually kind of obvious once you know the answer, Daphne said softly. They
didnt do anything much, just redirected the Twins pranks away from our table.

Tracy stared, blinking. Thats it?

Daphne nodded.

But.... but, thats so simple!

Shhh! Daphne shut her up. And yes, it was. Which is why no one figured it out.

Tracy leaned back, eyes falling over to Xander, So is he some sort of genius, or the
living embodiment of Occams Razor?

Daphne frowned, What?

Its a philosophy thing, Tracy told her, basically it says that if you have two
answers that are equally likely to be true, youre best choosing the simpler of the two
until more evidence is available.

Well Xander certainly is the simpler of the two, Daphne snarked as she nodded from
Xander over to where Draco was holding court at the far end of the room.

The room quieted for a moment as the boys looked nervously over at the two witches
as they broke down in uncontrollable giggles.

****

Valentines day arrived in the castle, much to the delight and disgust of the school.
Delight and disgust because Professor Lockhart took it upon himself to cheer things up
and turned the entire place into a nightmare from the most twisted minds at Hallmark.
Lurid pink was the color of the day, with actual dwarfs running around singing poems
and generally embarrassing the hell out of half the school while the other half laughed.

Xander watched in mild amusement as Harry was the recipient of a particularly
horrid piece of writing, then felt something of a chill as one of the Dwarfs cleared his
throat from the Ravenclaw table and attracted the attentions of many in the hall.

It had stopped right in front of Wednesday, and was preparing to read from the paper
in its hands when she interrupted it.

Life is short enough, She said coldly, Must you really hasten the approach of the
spectral hand of death?

The cupid costumed dwarf swallowed hard and shook his head, ripping up the paper
in his hand. He turned to Lockhart, I quit!

Xander smirked, then exchanged a curious glance with Wednesday. She arced and
eyebrow at him, which he interpreted to mean did you send that?. He shook his head
slightly, twisting his head slightly and exposing his neck.

She nodded, receiving his message loud and clear.

Of course not. Do I look like I want my throat slit?

*****
Back to index
*****

With the horror of Valentines day past them, and classes settling down to the normal
routine, Xander finally found time to do some work with Rons old wand. The Ash
wand was held together by the spello tape still, and he had to carefully unstick that and
peel it slowly off to reveal the damage. The wood had been totally shattered, but the
unicorn tail hair was still intact and held the two ends together.

Xander supposed that was what allowed the wand to still work, though it obviously
became unreliable after the break. Probably because proper wand movements would be
next to impossible with the tip of the wand wobbling slightly, though it was possible that
the magic simply didnt jump across the break in the wood properly.

What ARE you doing, Harris?

Xander glanced up as Draco approached, Just pulling apart an old wand.

Thats Weasleys isnt it? Draco sneered, as he usually did. I noticed he had a new
one. Whyd he give you that?

I asked. Xander shrugged, Wanted to see what these things were like on the
inside.

Why ever would you want that?

Funny, Xander drawled in an imitation of Dracos tone, You sounded exactly like
Ronald there for a moment.

Draco reddened, his hand wrapping around his wand, Are you calling me a
Weasley!?

Xander considered it, not reaching for his own wand, Well, I dont know how far the
inbreeding actually goes...

The Malfoy scion shook, wand out in his hand now, How DARE you?

Draco, Xander sighed, Think about it. Why would anyone want to see how wands
are made?

Draco rolled his eyes, Thats what I asked!

And Im asking you to answer it.

Draco cooled down a little, then shrugged, I suppose if you wanted to be a wand
maker it would be important.

One good answer. Xander agreed, Any others?

Draco just shrugged.

Did you know that the current wands havent really changed in over eleven hundred
years? Xander asked, Before that it was mostly Staves, and only a handful of wizards
could use them.

Everyone knows that, Harris.

I didnt, Xander shrugged, And I suspect that most muggle borns dont know it
either.

Why would I care what they know?

You wouldnt, but the point is that not everyone knows it. Xander said, turning his
focus back to the wand. This little stick changed the world, its probably the single
most important item in the entire wizarding world, and no one cares how it works?

Why should we? Draco asked with that permanent sneer he maintained, Tools are
there to be used.

Xander shrugged again, No reason, I guess.

Draco smirked at him, confident at having won the argument, and pranced off with his
nose in the air. Xander watched him go for a moment before returning his attention to
the wand. He noted that the unicorn hair had been pulled just slightly out of the wood,
which meant that the two pieces could no longer be fit together properly without
bending the hair.

Another point of failure, probably.

There were no books on basic wand making in the library, Xander had discovered, so
he knew too well that most of this was just guess work at best. As near as he could tell,
the secrets of wandmaking were controlled by certain pureblood families.

The Olivanders in Britain, The Marceu family in France, and the Gregorovitch family
in eastern europe had a rather tight grip on the construction of those little pieces of
irreplaceable wood and magic. Wands in the states were mostly imported, Xander had
learned after a discussion with Professor Hardy, though there were some wand crafters
who had setup shop in various places in the American Wizarding World.

Crafters were different than the Three Families of Wands, according to Hardy. They
custom designed wands for their users, which roughly approximated the same quality as
a matched Olivander wand, however it took several weeks to craft each wand, where as
Olivander and the others of the Three Families could make a wand with their technique
in as little as an hour.

Of course there was no guarantee that said wand would match with a given wizard,
but the sheer number of wands they could make, combined with the huge backlog each
of the Three Families had from generations of wand makers, nearly guaranteed a good
match for any wizard or witch who came in the door.

For that reason, the cheaper yet equally effective wands from the Three Families
basically owned the market in Europe, most of Africa, and much of Asia. Only in the
Americas, Australia, and a few oddball places did crafters survive due to import tariffs
and other local restrictions. If he had bought his wand in the States, Xander found out,
he would have paid closer to a hundred galleons for it and would have had to wait
several weeks at a minimum if he commissioned it from a crafter.

Xander couldnt put his finger on it, but there were whole aspects of the wizarding
world that just seemed off somehow, and this was one of them.

He kept trying to compare them to stuff in his comic books, but really couldnt get the
reality to match up with the fantasy. It kinda disappointed him, really, he had been
seeing the magical world as an extension of his comicbook fantasies, but something was
just... wrong.

He sighed, scratching down some notes in the Coven Grimoire and settled back into
the chair to think.

Interesting pen.

He opened his eyes and flicked over to see Daphne sitting across from him.

Thanks, it was a gift.

I dont believe Ive seen one like it before, is it a muggle pen?

He nodded, A fountain pen, invented a long time ago. Marks just like a quill, but you
dont need an ink pot, it holds the ink inside.

Daphne nodded, leaning forward to get a closer look. And you use it for class?

Xander smirked, Not Professor Snapes, but I do use it for his homework. Have all
year, hes never noticed a difference.

She smiled slightly, tipping her head slightly as she leaned back. I couldnt help
overhearing your conversation with Draco.

Translation, Xander said with a grin, my Slytherin side made me listen in, along
with everyone else in the common room.

Daphne smirked tightly, glancing around as several other students suddenly found
very interesting things in their own books to focus on. Precisely.

So what of it?

Im just curious, really, She admitted, What do you hope to learn?

Xander shrugged, Dont know. Just seems wrong, somehow, to wave these around
and not have some idea how they work. You know, in my school back home, I took
muggle classes, including some science courses. They always tried to explain HOW
something works, even if its just a really simple explanation that leaves out the details.
I guess Im used to that.

She nodded slowly, eyes hooded slightly as she considered his words.

Xander knew she was smart enough to have noted that he admitted to taking normal
classes, but he was banking on her being smart enough to read more into what hed said
than he meant. Hed learned that Slytherins tended to do that, and if she did than he
expected she would draw conclusions that would lead her away from the truth of his
family situation. The last thing he needed was for the house to figure out that his
parents were squibs, as that was really only slightly better than their being muggles.

I guess that makes sense. She said after a moment, Is schooling that different in the
States?

Xander considered for a moment, thinking about the classes he had to take now.
Well, Im taking classes in physics and chemistry even now, as well as biology.

You are? Wait... what are those?

Xander raised an eyebrow, hed known that the wizard world didnt put much stock in
muggle sciences, and with some good cause really. Magic really did violate many of the
rules of science so utterly that it made the courses seem stupid. Hardy had been
adamant there, though, that the laws in the books were in fact accurate despite the
appearances.

Magic didnt follow Newtons laws of motion, for example, or really any of the
common laws of the world. Apparently magic fell into a category Hardy called High
Energy Physics for the most part, where the laws of nature were markedly different.
Xander hadnt understood a word of it, though, and Hardy had told him that he wasnt
expected to unless he went to a Doctorate program and beyond in certain specialities.

At anyrate, what surprised him here was that Daphne didnt even know the words.
She wasnt a stupid girl, and youd think that one some level or another shed have at
least heard the basics about them. He had, after all, probably before he could say the
words. They were the sort of thing you were bombarded with in what Xander was
rapidly thinking of as the real world. Biology? Spiderman, Frankenstein, almost every
monster flick hed ever watched were based on some screwed up version of biology.
Chemistry was the basis for all kinds of stuff in horror movies and comics, from the
acid blood in Aliens... which, now that he thought about it, was also a weird kind of
biology... to the Jokers maniac persona in Batman. Physics, well that was the basis of
every sci fi flick hed ever watched, of course.

And shed never heard of any of them?

Uh, well, Chemisty is sort of a muggle version of potions, Xander answered, its
the basis for, well a LOT of stuff they make. Physics is how the world works, you
know... if I push you I have to brace myself or Ill also push myself *away* from you?
Stuff like that. And, well, biology is just how livings things work. Sort of like Care of
Magical Creatures, I guess.

Daphne frowned, but nodded. Those muggles, they can be kinda cute with their
playing around, cant they?

Xander blinked, Uh... I guess...

****

The gryffindor/hufflepuff game was on them shortly after that, and Xander joined
most of the school outside to watch it. He wasnt really into sports, but he had to admit
that as far as sports went, Quidditch was probably one of the more fun to watch.

As they were getting ready to get the game underway, however, they all saw professor
Mcgonagal stride out onto the field with a megaphone and the crowd hushed.

Quidditch is canceled! She called out, then ignored the protests as she told them to
make their way back to their dorms.

Xander watched as he got up and started to move with the group, eyes on the professor
as he spotted Harry chasing after her. On a hunch he broke from the pack and followed
at a distance. Harry and Ron went with their head of house to the infirmary, and
Xander moved in quietly just close enough to see through the door.

Inside he could hear their gasps of shock as he spotted Hermione on the bed, arms
sticking up in an awkward position, her eyes open and unmoving.

Shes been petrified, Im afraid. McGonagal said from inside the room.

Xanders knuckles turned white as his face rapidly paled to match, and he fell back
from his position and retreated towards the Slytherin common room.

****
Back to index
****

Professor Hardy had dealt with students for some thirty years and had seen most
everything there was to see in that regard. So, when Alexander Harris kicked open the
door to his classroom at their regular time and strode in looking like he wanted to
murder someone, Hardy merely raised an eyebrow.

Problems?

Alexander simply growled, slamming his books down as he paced back and forth
furiously.

Calm down.

The ice cold tone from Hardys second student at Hogwarts brought both of them up
short, and even Alexander seemed to freeze for a moment as his fury seemed to cool.

Damn it, Wednesday! The angry flared back up again, Shes our friend!

And anger, undirected, will do neither her, nor you and I, any good. Wednesday
countered calmly.

Xander slumped, Shes our friend.

Hardy sighed, shaking his head, You knew the last girl to be petrified, then?

They both nodded, and Xander turned to him.

Sir, did you hear back about those calls you were making?

Hardy winced, but nodded, Yes. The CMDC keeps certain potions on ice in Atlanta,
including petrification cures, but theres a problem.

What problem!?

The local ministry has a ban on imported medicinal potions, Hardy sighed, or,
rather, they insist on a two month quarantine to assure against tainted imports.

You called more than two months ago, Xander countered, Why isnt it through?

Because this type of potion doesnt keep that long without some rather extreme
refrigeration, Hardy explained.

Bureaucrats. Wednesday said flatly.

Quite. Hardy sighed. In point of fact, I have two doses available. They were
shipped to the embassy in a diplomatic pouch, one for each of you.

Give mine to Hermione. Xander said instantly.

I wish it were that easy, son. Hardy said wearily. For either of you, I could force the
situation. Youre American citizens, and are both technically my wards while youre
here in Britain. I cant do anything for a citizen of the UK without the consent of their
guardians, and Im not likely to be even told who Miss Grangers parents are, let alone
where they live.

Xander let out another curse, slamming his hand into the desk. Just GREAT.

Patience, Wednesday suggested, She will be fine, the petrification causes no lasting
effects.

Thats true, Hardy interjected. Given the current climate around here, shes
probably safer than most.

Xander settled down, nodding.

He knew that was true, of course. The Ministry had sent in Aurors to arrest Hagrid for
the crimes, and Dumbledore had been given the boot by the governing board of the
school in the day following the attack on Hermione. Draco was prancing around like a
peacock in full strut, bragging about how his father had given Dumbledore the boot.

For now a peace was holding, since McGonagal had received the temporary placement
as Headmistress, but Xander was privy to a lot of background information and he knew
that Dracos Dad seemed intent on putting a pureblood sympathizer into the position. If
THAT happened, Xander was checking out and going home. Hed be sending notes to
Hermiones parents advising them to get her out of the country at the same time, cause
there was no way the school would be fit to live in if someone like Professor Snape took
over the position.

Xander didnt have anything personal against the professor, but the way he favored
the purebloods was painfully obvious, and if people like Draco thought they didnt have
to worry about the rules anymore? Anarchy, at best. Tyranny at worst.

He took a breath, Can you get that potion here, Sir?

Itll only keep outside our cold storage for five days, Alexander. Hardy said quietly.
We have to store it in freezers normally intended for cryogenic containment of
samples.

Five days. Xander sighed, And when did they expect to be able to mix their own
here?

By the end of the month.

Xander shook his head, I hate this.

Not much to like, son. Hardy shook his head, Now, not to be an ogre, but we do
have some work to do. Have you both done your reading?

****

Xander was still in a sullen mood after the class as he and Wednesday walked back
toward the library.

So when do we start?

Xander looked sharply at her. Start what?

Hunting down the Creature.

Xander paused, leaning on a wall for a moment. You still think its a Basalisk, then?

I know it.

And the lack of deaths?

Wednesday shrugged, The mind of a Basilisk is easy to understand, the mind of a
human who orders one about? That can be more complicated.

Yeah, Xander said slowly, his jaw tightening. Someones pulling its strings, arent
they? Someone ordered it to attack Hermione.

She nodded.

How big are these things anyway?

That would depend on age, Hermione shrugged, Like many magical creatures,
Basalisks are quite long lived, and they do not stop growing.

If the legends are true, its been here, what? A thousand years?

Then it would be quite large.

Hard to hide.

Wednesday shrugged, Old castles have a tradition of secret passage ways.

Xander nodded, Alright. So we just have to find some secret tunnels, track down a
big killer snake, kill it... then find the person ordering it around and, what? Catch
them?... Kill them?

Wednesday raised an eyebrow at the hesitancy in Xanders last question, First we
determine who they are, then we decide on how to proceed.

Xander nodded, How do we find the passages?

That, Wednesday admitted, Will be the difficult part.

****

They duo marked off their usual table in the library and began to do research as best
they could, focusing on the location of the victims, as well as the few details they could
locate on the last time this had happened.

I wish would could speak with Hagrid, Wednesday said while reading.

No way he did any of that, Xander shrugged, remembering how the big man had
treated the first years. Hagrids a soft touch.

True, though it is remotely possible he did something by accident. Wednesday
countered.

Xander had to concede that point, but just shook his head. Doesnt matter, hes not
here. One fatality the last time, Myrtle Rountree.

Wednesday frowned, looking up, Myrtle?

Xander nodded, Yeah, why?

Theres a ghost, she haunts the girls bathrooms.

Yeah?

They call her Moaning Myrtle.

Sounds like a lead. Xander said, pushing the books away.

She nodded and the two packed up their books and quietly left the library. As they
walked, Wednesday continued to consider the situation.

To order the basalisk, we must be looking for a Parselmouth. She said out of the
blue.

A whatsit?

Parselmouth, someone who speaks to snakes. A speaker. She said, its a rare talent
that follows certain bloodlines.

You know which ones? Xander asked, drawing out his Coven book.

No. Why?

Just checking. Xander scribbled down a couple notes, and closed the book. Ok, so
other than a parcel package, what else can we guess about this guy?

Most likely pureblood, of course, though if he or she is smart they may be hiding their
affiliations.

Right. Sneaky dude pretending to be a good guy, check. Xander replied.

Wednesday rolled her eyes, nodding at a door ahead of them, Were here.

The two cautiously made their way into the bathroom, and Xander frowned. Hey, this
is where we near got killed by that troll last year.

Wednesday sniffed, causing Xander to hide a grin. The youngest of the Addamses was
still more than slightly ticked at having missed a shot at the Mold in his Shorts dude
whod involved the troll.

She didnt say anything about it though as she looked around, Myrtle?

They waited, but there was no response.

Hey Myrt! Xander called.

There was a bubbling as one of the toilettes began to overflow, and then in an
explosion of water a ghost appeared and charged up in Xanders face.

Oh sure! She called, Dont bother to learn poor moaning myrtles real name, why
should she care if you call her funny names, shes just a ghost...

Chill, Spooks. Xander cut her off, grinning. I call everyone by funny names.

The ghost paused, head cocking, Really?

Well, almost everyone. Xander admitted, then pointed at Wednesday. She scares
me.

Myrtle turned to look at the dark Ravenclaw, let out a screech that nearly sent Xander
scrambling for cover, and dove back into the toilette.

Xander worked his fingers around in his ears, then glared at Wednesday, What the
hell was that?

Addams are often trained in necromancy. She replied, Its a natural gift.

Oi. Xander rolled his eyes, Some gift. You scared our lead down the toilette.

He walked over to the toilette and shook his head, I hope you got a plunger, cause I
aint going after her.

****
Back to index
****

After leaving the girls washroom, their abject failure in coaxing Myrtle back out of
her hidey hole, the duo spent the next couple days trying to brainstorm another lead
when matters were forced on them. The rumors of the mysterious chamber abounded,
and the fact that she would rest in the chamber forever.

The identity of the girl in question was the subject of rumors, but in short order it
became obvious that there was only one missing student.

Ginny Weasley.

Xander blinked when Wednesday delivered that information, You sure?

She raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

Right. Of course you are. Xander rolled his eyes. Ok, new plan. Lets move.

Where?

Where else, we find Harry and follow him.

I fail to see how that will help.

Xander half smiled, You ever hear the expression better lucky than good?

Of course.

Harrys lucky. Xander said, then shrugged, Both kinds of luck, in spades, but hes
lucky. Rons little sister is in the Chamber, right?

I see your point.

Then what are you waiting for? Xander smirked, nodding to the door of the library.

****

Finding Harry and Ron wasnt hard, figuring out what the hell they were up to on the
other hand was another matter.

What are they doing? Xander hissed from where he and Wednesday were
shadowing the duo.

I believe that theyre going for help, Wednesday replied, disgust in her voice.

From *Lockhart*!? Xander returned, equally disturbed.

The dark girl didnt answer as the two reappeared from the DADA professors office,
holding wands on the so called professor.

The very fact that two second years got the drop on him should clue them in to the
fact that hes not going to be much use. Wednesday said dryly.

Better lucky than good, Xander replied in a soft hiss before the twosome broke cover
to follow the group.

They were led through the halls until they wound up right back at Moaning Myrtles
bathroom, much to Xanders disgust. Xander and Wednesday crept forward in time to
hear an argument going on inside.

So how do we get in?? Ron grumbled, kicking at a fixture.

I dont know, Harry replied, equally perturbed, but calmer about it. But it has to
be here somewhere. Myrtle said...

I know what the moaning ghost said, Harry!

Xander shot Wednesday a dark look as he whispered, Oh look, some people dont
scare the ectoplasm out of the only witness around. Imagine that.

Wednesday scowled at him and calmly laid a hand across his thigh, then squeezed.
Xanders eyes bugged out as he crumpled to the ground, teeth clenched in pain. When
she let go he took a few breaths, then nodded, Good point, its probably time to let go
of that and move on. Never dwell in the past, thats what I always say...

She rolled her eyes slightly and focused back on the argument in the bathroom.

Its impossible, I tell you, Lockhart was saying, much calmer now than he had been
earlier, Only the Heir of Slytherin can open the Chamber, accept it and move on.

Move on!? Ron snarled, jabbing his wand at the professor, Thats my SISTER
youre talking about!

Yes, yes, tragic I admit, but theres nothing to do. Lockhart said, obviously faking a
sad tone. However it would require at least a bloodline trait of the Slytherin family to
gain access.

How do you know that? Harry asked suspiciously.

Well obviously I know how to do my research, Lockhart sniffed, My books didnt
write themselves, you know.

Wouldnt surprise me if they did, you git. Ron growled.

What traits did the Slytherin line have? Harry asked, his tone a little desperate
sounding.

Well, several really. The line is one of the oldest pureblood lines in existence, you
know. Lockhart said, rolling his eyes. Most famous is Parselmouth, of course, then...

Wait, whats Parselmouth?

Talking to snakes, Ron answered, Only dark wizards do that.

There was a long silence from inside the room.

Uh... but I can do that, I think. Harrys voice said, sounding very small.

What!? Ron and Lockhart yelped together.

I mean, I did it once I think. Harry said, When I was younger.

But... but... thats a *dark* wizard ability. Ron hissed.

Look, do you want to save your sister or not!?

They didnt hear another else out of Ron, but instead heard movement followed by a
soft hiss and then a harsh grating sound.

Blimey. Ron said softly. You found it, Harry!

Yes well, Lockhart spoke up, Glad I could help, Ill just be going now and...

Move it! Ron growled, You go first.

Wednesday and Xander waited until they heard three whooping yells, then ducked
inside. They found a gaping hole and tunnel where the fixtures had been.

My my, Wednesday said, her voice idly interested. Harry Potter is a Parselmouth.
Fascinating.

We going down there? Xander asked, looking down the tunnel, Cause Im not
really fond of sewers, you know.

Honestly. There are no sewers in Hogwarts, especially not in an area of the castle this
old. Wednesday replied, When the castle was built sewage was handled entirely
externally.

Huh?

Think outhouses.

Oh. Xander nodded, then grimaced, Still looks like a sewer.

Wednesday sighed, then jumped. As she spun silently out of sight Xander grimaced
again and followed suit.

****

At the bottom they slid to a stop and got to their feet in a hurry as they heard shouting
just ahead. The two drew their wands and quickly jogged down the path to find
Lockhart threatening the two boys with a wand, obviously about to cast a spell as he
sneered at them.

Xander glanced at Wednesday, who looked at him, and they both nodded together and
aimed their wands.

Difindo Ossi!

The two bone splitter curses slashed out, one striking the professors right arm, the
other his left. Xander winced slightly as Lockharts arms were suddenly jerked straight
out in either direction and snapped with a sharp tug. He howled in pain as he collapsed,
his wand clattering across the floor.

Buh... buh... bloody hell! Ron swore, face sweating slightly.

This yours? Xander asked, hefting the fallen wand.

Yeah, Ron nodded.

Xander tossed it back to him, then looked down at Lockhart, who was moaning in pain
as he tried to cradle his broken arms, which only resulted in twisting them more than
they were already. What were you two thinking, bringing this waste of good O2
along?

Waste of what? Ron blurted.

Nevermind, Xander shook his head. So, this is the Chamber, huh?

Harry nodded uncertainly, We think so. See the snakeskin?

Xander looked over and paled as he saw the size of the skin in question, Thats one
big snake, Wednesday.

Indeed. It would appear that the legends are true. A Basalisk would have to be almost
a thousand years old to be that size.

Right. Xander looked around, eyeing the walls. New plan. We grab Rons little
sister, run like hell, and then maybe collapse this tunnel. It doesnt look too stable, I
think we could do it.

But... Ron started to object.

Look, Im not too keen on killing a thousand year old snake, ok? Xander cut him off.
Anything that lives that long, its meaner than me.

Im not so sure about that, Harry said, looking at Lockharts whimpering form.

Oh please. Wednesday rolled her eyes.

We going to do this, then?

Ron and Harry exchanged glances, then nodded.

Alright then. Onward and, well... downward. Xander said with false enthusiasm.

****
Back to index
****

What did you hit him with anyway? Ron asked as they walked away from the
moaning Professor.

Bone splitter curse, Xander shrugged, Wednesday showed it to me. Its a
tournament legal version of the Fragier Ossi curse, cause its non lethal.

What if you hit him in the head? Harry asked, grimacing slightly.

Skull fracture, Wednesday answered, Unless they hit the ground badly, thats all.

Thats bloody enough if you ask me. Ron replied.

And the other one? Harry asked, curious.

Bone fragmentation curse, Xander answered, You dont want to know what that
does when you hit someone in the head.

Harry and Ron turned a little green, but nodded as the group came to a stop at a set of
doors.

This the place? Xander asked, looking up.

Wednesday rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

I guess so. Harry shrugged, More snake speak, you think?

Likely, Wednesday said, eyeing the ornate craftsmanship.

Harry hissed at the doors snake carving, and for a moment nothing happened, and
then a loud clunk sounded and the doors slowly opened on their hinges. The four kids
looked at each other nervously, then pushed forward past the doors and into the
Chamber.

Oh bloody hell. Ron whispered.

Yeah, I can rock with that. Xander replied.

Impressive. Wednesday said softly, eyeing the large room interestedly.

Guys! Its Ginny! Harry said, surging forward. The three others chased after him,
spotting the girls form on the ground, and the teenage form standing over him.

They led with their wands, eyeing the unknown person warily as they approached.

Back off! Get away from my sister!

The teen looked at them calmly, eyes alighting on Harry and automatically rising to his
scar.

The Great Harry Potter, The boy smiled, Ive heard so much about you from dear
Ginevera here.

Youre... Tom? Tom Riddle?

The boy nodded.

You know this dude? Xander asked, wand dropping slightly.

He was Slytherin head boy back when Hagrid was in school.

Xanders wand jumped back up, He dont look that old.

Ginny! Ginny! Wake up! Ron said, nudging his sister gently as he knelt by her side.

She wont wake.

What did you do to her!? Ron snarled.

Shes not...? Harry swallowed.

Riddle ignored Ron, eyes only on Harry, Dead? No. Not yet.

What are you, dude? A ghost? Xander asked, eyes flickering over to Wednesday.

A memory. Riddle responded softly, eyes moving over to take in the other two
present. And you are?

Harris. Xander said curtly.

I know a Harris, Riddle said, losing interest. Useless near squib.

Xander shrugged, Oh joy. Blood supremacist I assume?

Only as it suits me. Riddle said in response. I believe in power, boy.

What did you do to Ginny!? Ron cut in, wand stabbing forward as he rose to his
feet.

Forget him, Ron. Xander advised. Grab your sister, were out of here. Madam
Pomfrey can look after her.

Im afraid that wont be possible. Riddle said.

Look, Tom, we have to get out of here! Harry said urgently, The Basalisk...

Wont come until its called for. Tom said calmly.

It was you. Wednesday cut in. Youre the so called Heir.

Why yes, I am. Tom said with a cool smile. And you are?

Wednesday. She told him, Wednesday Addams.

Riddles eyes widened slightly, Are you really? My my, Theres hasnt been an
Addams at Hogwarts in... well, ever, I think. As a member of a renowned dark family,
you must appreciate the genius of what Ive done.

A memory couldnt control the Basalist, Wednesday said idly, walking around the
fallen girl. She paused and looked up sharply, Possession?

It is nine tenths of the law, or so they say.

Wednesday looked down at the redhead, She opened the chamber and controlled the
basalisk.

Bravo.

Ron reddened, No way! My sister would never have...!

Silence, fool. Tom snapped before focusing back on Harry and Wednesday. It was
easy really, if a bit dull. Shes such a silly little girl...

He assumed a mocking pose, raising his voice slightly to imitate his victim, Oh dear
Tom, how will I ever let Harry know how I feel? What if he doesnt feel the same about
me? He *so* cute, and hes the boy who lived...

Tom rolled his eyes, Frankly, I was shocked. I didnt believe it was possible to be
nauseous without a body.

Wednesday smiled slightly, She fought you.

The memory of Riddle glared suddenly, She failed pitifully!

No one died. Wednesday said, her voice suddenly clear as if a light had lit in her
mind. The Basalisk is insane, Ive heard it ranting. Its a killer, and yet no one died.
She fought you, right to the end.

And she FAILED. Tom growled, Soon she will be dead, and Ill be back... and the
Wizarding world will tremble at my feet.

Youll be stopped! Harry yelled.

By who? YOU!? Dont make me laugh, boy.

Dumbledore will stop you! Harry said.

That old fool was chased from the castle by a mere MEMORY of me! Riddle snarled
back. He couldnt stop me before, and he wont be able to now.

Liar!

Havent you figured it out yet, Harry? Tom sneered, I dont care about
Dumbledore. This is all about You.

Harry fell back as the others looked confused, M... me? What do I have to do with
it?

Everything. Tom said, stepping toward Harry. As soon as she wrote about you, I
knew that I had to arrange this little meeting. I had to know, you see. How did a little
BRAT like you take down the most powerful Dark Lord of all time?

Harry swallowed, What do you care? Voldemort was after your time!

Tom sneered again, Voldemort is my Past, Present, and Future you idiot boy.

He drew out Ginnys wand and flicked it through the air, writing out his name.

Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Then, with a series of wand gestures, he rearranged the letters.

I Am Lord Voldemort.

The group read the changes in stunned silence.

For a second.

So this is the dude with Mold in his Shorts?

Ron gaped at Xander in total shock as Wednesday smirked just slightly and Harry
stifled a snicker.

Tom, however, spun on him, You DARE!?

Hey look, youre the dumb dork who picked a name that easy to make fun of, man.
Xander told him. You should have stuck with Tom. Hard to make fun of Tom. Of
course the Great Dark Lord Tom doesnt have much of a ring to it, so I guess I
understand. Still, man, you should have picked something scarier.

Indeed. Wednesday said simply, Flight from Death is hardly fear inspiring.

It means flight OF DEATH!

No. Wednesday shook her head, That would be Vol *du* Mort. Vol de Mort is
flight FROM death.

ENOUGH! The memory of Tom Riddle screamed, stamping its feet with
depressingly little effect since he was lacking much in the way of a body.

I think we hit a nerve. Xander mock whispered.

I believe youre right. Wednesday replied.

Silence! Tom snarled, then turned on Harry. Now speak! Tell me, boy, how did you
survive!? Twice we have met, in your past and my future, and twice I have failed to kill
you. What makes you special!? How is it that you, of all people, can survive the greatest
sorcerer ever?

*Cough*Arrogant*Cough* Xander said into his hand.

Tom ignored him, focusing on Harry. Speak boy. SPEAK!

Harry straightened his back, glaring right back at the memory of his parents killers.
Youre not, you know.

What?

Youre not the greatest. Albus Dumbledore is! Everyone says so. You were afraid of
him when you were alive, and your shade still cowers in some dark hole today, afraid of
Dumbledore! Harry yelled, Youre a coward. You always were, and you always will
be!

Riddle screamed in frustration, Albus Dumbledore is NOTHING compared to me! I
am the most powerful sorcerer of all TIME!

And modest. Xander said, looking at Wednesday, So modest too. Dont you think?

Wednesday rolled her eyes, For a certain meaning of the word. Hes certainly a
modest sorcerer, at least.

Tom glared at her for a moment before her words penetrated, then he let out another
scream and spun around.

Speak to me oh Slytherin, Greatest of the Hogwarts FOUR!

The sound of stone grinding on stone began to echo through the chamber.

****
Back to index
****

Get between the girl and the snake, Wednesday instantly ordered, her wand leaping
up, And close your eyes unless I say otherwise!

Our eyes!? What about you!? Ron blurted.

My family doesnt petrify easily.

Amen to that, Xander muttered, eyes slamming shut. Ive seen stuff at their place
that would scare the venom out of this thing, trust her.

Trust her? Ron moaned, Youre telling me that our lives are depending on
someone who can scare a bloody Basilisk, and trust her is the best you come up
with!?

Shut up, Ron! Harry snapped, Do what she says, that thing doesnt sound happy.

Its insane. Wednesdays voice spoke up again, As you would be if you were locked
for your entire life in a hole like this, subsisting on vermin and magic. Alexander,
straight ahead of you, slightly up. Bone splitter.

Difindo Ossi! Xander snapped, his wand dancing out. Did I hit it?

No, but you made it turn around.

Ill take the consolation prize.

Where is it!? Where is it!?

SHUT UP RON!! Xander and Harry snarled together.

Contrary to her appearance, Wednesday Addams was worried. It was true that she
wasnt susceptible to petrification, and even the Basilisks killing stare would have
diminished effect on her, but neither did she have access to anything that would
seriously injure the great snake. She watched it as it moved around them, staying
mostly to the shadows, but noted that the thing was larger than shed thought. It was
certainly as old as the legends said, and judging from its insane rambling had been
locked down here almost the entire time.

For a moment she wished that she were a Parselmouth, rather than just had the gift of
tongues all Addams had, but set that thought aside. The snake was quite simply mad.
There would be no bargaining with it.

Youre only prolonging the inevitable. Tom Riddle said, shifting his attention to the
Addams scion. Mere students have no chance against a Basilisk, let alone one this
powerful.

Wednesday ignored him, though she would much rather have cursed him. Potter,
Weasley, do either of you know any useful spells?

Silence.

What would be useful?

Oh lord, were dead. Xander moaned.

Hey! Ron bristled, eyes still shut. We can take you anytime you slimy snake!

With what? Rictumsumpra?? Xander countered.

This is not helping.

Sorry. Xander said, noting the tone in her voice.

We just have to hold on, Harry spoke up, Dumbledore will find us!

Were in the Chambre of Secrets, Dude! Xander countered, If he didnt find it fifty
years ago, what makes you think hell find it now?

Dumbledore is a stupid old fool, Tom Riddles voice said smugly. Accept your fate,
you are already dead.

SHUT UP! Harry snapped, Dumbledore is a great wizard! The most powerful one
alive! Hell find us, and if he doesnt hell still stop you!

Youre a deluded child...! Toms voice began, only to be cut off when a pure sweet
song cut through the air, softening all other noises in the chamber. What!?

Its Fawkes. Wednesday said, eyes climbing to the bird as it circles. The
Headmasters Phoenix. Watch out, Harry! Its dropping something.

Harry flinched as something landed on his head, but kept his eyes shut. What is it?

Hello again there, Mr Potter.

H... Hat? Harry asked, feeling the rumpled cloth on his head.

Indeed, The Headmasters birdy thought you may need something from me. Just a
moment now and all will be clear.

Wednesdays eyes widened as she watched the Phoenix turn on the Basilisk, slamming
into its eyes and scratching viciously. I think you can open your eyes now.

The other three blinked, looking around, and soon found themselves enthralled by the
battle in progress. The Snakes eyes were destroyed by the birds assault, but it
retaliated with a vicious twist of its body and slammed the phoenix across the chamber.

Fawkes! Harry screamed out, charging forward.

This is the Headmasters help? Tom asked dryly. A battered old hat and a crippled
songbird. Even with its gaze you stand no chance against the basilisk!

Xander and Wednesday had stepped forward, ignoring the blathering memory, and
were raining bone splitter curses down on the large snake with depressingly little effect.

How the hell do you kill one of these things!? Xander yelled.

The crow of a rooster, Wednesday replied between curses.

Oh great. Xander muttered, And we didnt bring one of those with us WHY!?

Someone killed them all weeks ago, there are none for miles.

Figures.

As they bantered back and forth the snake had decided to take the fight to the two
main threats, twisting violently as it rocketed across the chamber directly at them.

We should move. Wednesday declared quietly as the snake closed the distance in
mere seconds.

Right with you! Xander yelled, diving into her as the Basilisk drove straight at the
Addams girl.

Wednesday sprawled out of the way, leaving Xander in her place as the snake reared
up, its mouth opening wide to reveal gleaming and dripping teeth.

Difindo Ossi! Xander let out, wand leveled at the snakes mouth.

The Basilisk let out a roar of pain or rage loud enough to shake the world and began to
violently curl around on itself as the spell struck on its its upper fangs and split it from
the beasts mouth. Xander stared stupidly at it for a moment until Ron and Wednesday
grabbed him from behind and yanked him out of the way of the mass of muscled coils.

Whoa! Xander muttered from where he was sitting on the ground, Did you see
that?

Very nice spell, too bad you forgot to move afterwards, Wednesday told him dryly.

Yeah, mate, Ron muttered, A bit thick, that.

Xander shot him a dirty look, but was distracted by the snake getting its act together
again and rising up to strike at them.

Were boned.

As it crashed down, however, Harry dove in between them with a sword in his hand,
driving it up into the snakes mouth and through its brain pain from the underside.
For a moment it seemed to pause, then the huge bugger crashed down on Harry,
practically burying him and crushing down on the others.

Mate! Ron yelled, lurching to his feet, pushing himself free of the coils.

Xander groaned from where he was pushed into the ground, dragging himself out
from under the huge serpent, and glared at Wednesday who had somehow managed to
be in the one spot the snake didnt hit.

How do you do that? He asked the serene looking Addams, spitting out blood from a
split lip as he bled from multiple scrapes.

Do what? She asked calmly.

Never mind. Xander sighed. Yo, Ron! Harry ok?

There was a long silence.

Ron!? Xander started climbing over the snake, stopping when he spotted Ron
kneeling over Harry. Jesus, Harry you dont look too good.

The black haired boy smiled weakly back, Thanks a lot.

Xanders eyes followed the blood trail on the other boy, to where the Basilisk mouth
was closed over his arm, and saw the tooth that had penetrated Harrys arm.

Damn. He whispered.

Hell be dead in moments.

Xander growled, sending a bone splitter into the memory of Tom Riddle. The spell
phased through him easily, leaving the memory to smirk.

Help me up. Harry said.

Mate, you need to stay down.

I said help me UP.

Ron swallowed, but nodded, helping Harry up. Xander grimaced when he saw the
tooth still jabbed through Harrys arm, broken off from the snake itself. The redhead
helped his friend out from the mess of dead snake, Harry pale as a ghost as he glared at
the memory of Tom Riddle.

You wont win. I wont let you. He gasped out.

Big words from a child only moments from death, boy.

Harry cast around and found what he was seeking. With a surge of strength he broke
from Rons grip and stumbled to the ground, grabbing the diary from where it lay
beside Ginny Weasly.

What are you doing!?

Harry jerked the tooth from his arm, smiling a deaths head grin at Tom, and jabbed
it into the diary with the last of his strength. The Diary began to smoke instantly, and
Tom began to scream. In seconds their was black smoke rising from the ruined book,
and a spirit like form erupted from it, howling in pain, and then vanished.

Harry collapsed back as the others stared in shock.

Whoa. Xander muttered.

There was silence for a long moment, then the phoenix song erupted again as Fawkes
circled around and landed by Harry. The bird looked the boy up and down for a long
moment, the tilted its head sideways and shed a single tear into the wound.

Its... its closing up. Ron said, leaning over Harrys arm.

Xander slumped down on the coil of deadly serpent and let out a sigh. Yeah. You
know what, next year, leave me out of you adventures. K?

Ron stared at him, gaping for a long moment, but Xander just ignored him as he
thumped the side of the snake idly.

Oh yeah, and just FYI, He said, Im staking a claim here and now, Im getting me a
pair of snakeskin boots out of this deal at the very LEAST.

****
Back to index
****

Escaping the Chamber proved to be a bit of a trick, given the fact that the tunnel back
to the girls washroom was a slime covered slide. Ron and Wednesday carried Harry
out that far while Xander put the unconscious form of Ginny Weasley over his shoulder
in a firemans carry like hed been taught in gym class and followed along.

How the hell are we going to get up that? Xander muttered, looking at the slide with
distaste.

I doubt that Salazar would have designed his chamber with this as the only way in
and out. Wednesday replied, looking around.

That doesnt help up much, Ron complained, Unless the snake over there has some
Slytherin secrets to spill.

Xander and Wednesday exchanged glances, but neither commented.

Any alternate is probably guarded the same way as this one, Xander said instead,
So with Harry out cold, unless either of you two can speak snake, were looking at the
only way out.

Ron grimaced, and Wednesday shook her head.

No, the Addams never developed a talent for Speaking, pre say. She said, shrugging
her shoulders, We can understand almost any language, and make ourselves
understood, but we dont actually speak the other languages. Thats why Father loves
French so much, hes never been able to speak any language but English but always had
a fascination with the romance languages.

Xander half smirked, I think your Dad loves French cause your Mom is the one
speaking it.

Wednesday smiled slightly, then shrugged.

Ok, Xander looked up the tunnel, Thats a long way up and weve got two people
who need medical attention in a hurry. Suggestions?

One of us could climb out, Ron said, brow furrowed, Go for help?

Maybe. Xander nodded, You think you could make it up that thing?

Ron grimaced, I dont know, but weve got to try, right?

Unless we find another option, yeah.

So Ill try.

Wednesday? Xander asked, Any ideas?

She looked up the tunnel, shrugged, Wingardium doesnt work on people,
Mobilicorpus will help for a bit, but thats well out of its range.

We could chain it. Xander suggested, lift each other up in steps.

She nodded, true. Or we could ask the Phoenix.

A trill of amused joy filled the air, startling Xander, who spun around. Huh?

I suspect that hes been following us for a reason, She said.

Son of a... I never saw tweety sneak up on us, Xander muttered. How can he help?

An impromptu lesson in Care of Magical Creatures later, Xander watched as Ron
hung on to Harry in a death grip while Fawkes extended a tail feather to him. He
grasped it and with a breath of surprise they vanished up the tunnel in a rush. Fawkes
was back in instant later and the remaining three were rushing through the air with an
ease that surprised Xander. It was like he was floating, even his grip on Ginny Weasely
wasnt weighing him down in the slightest.

At the top he grinned at the bird, That was a rush, Tweety. Thanks.

Fawkes trilled out another uplifting note, then pecked him on the head before
vanishing in flames.

Ow! What the hell!?

Come on, Ron cut him off, We have to get them to the infirmary.

****

They burst into the infirmary, shocking Madam Pomfrey into immediate action as
they deposited the two onto the beds and them collapsed themselves. It only took
moments for the doors to burst open again, the headmaster leading a whole clan of
redheads along with Professors McGonagal and Snape.

Sir! Ron blurted, Mom, Dad! We got Ginny... we found her!

Yes, we see Mr Weasley, The kindly old man said, smiling, May I ask how...?

Werent you kicked out of the school? Xander asked, his mouth running ahead of
his brain.

Dumbledore looked at him intently for a moment as everyone else scowled openly at
Xander.

Indeed I was, Mr Harris. I came back as soon as I heard of Miss Weasleys
predicament.

Xander nodded, laying back as he waited for Madame Pomfrey to have a moment to
patch up his minor scrapes. What the headmaster said made sense, he supposed, except
that if he hadnt been able to do anything to help the others, what did he expect to be
able to do for Ginny Weasley? Probably a family thing, he decided, as he watched the
Weasley clan pour over their injured daughter/sister.

Ron was telling the tale, and Xander just tuned him out as he lay back and watched
Wednesday from across the room. She was looking back at him with that dark intensity
of hers, and for the moment the others in the room faded away. They didnt matter, the
only ones who mattered were the ones who went down into the chamber.

Even Ron, Xander thought with a quirk of his lips.

Wednesday seemed to pick up on his thought, eyes turning to the redhead for a
moment as he extolled on the battle, then she rolled her eyes expressively and lay back
to rest. Xander did the same himself, only listening long enough to hear that Harry and
Ginny would be fine before he let himself doze off.

****

The next few days were a blur, people coming through and asking questions, others
celebrating, most just staring at the subjects of the latest rumors. Hermione and the
other victims were returned to normal and rejoined the school, much subdued from
their former attitudes, and Harry was released from the infirmary to wild acclaim when
he joined the school for his first feast since the incident.

Xander was getting the cold shoulder from his house, as was becoming normal he
found, since the rumors had him working with Potter and that was tantamount to
betrayal most vile. He shrugged it off, spent his days with Wednesday and Hermione,
and tried to relax. Harrys awakening was the time they were waiting for, though, so he
and Wednesday ambushed Harry, Ron, and Hermione right after the feast.

****

Hey.

Harry turned, smiling, Xander. How are you?

Im good. You?

Better. I didnt see you much while I was in the infirmary, Harry said, sounding
hesitant.

Nothing personal, dude, Xander half smiled, But I knew youd be ok, and frankly
its getting dangerous around certain members of my house who shall go unnamed.

Harry grimaced, Sorry.

Nothing to do with you. My choice, dude. Xander shrugged, But look, weve got to
talk.

Harry nodded and they retreated to a more quiet position.

We want to go back down there, Xander said.

Are you bonkers!? Ron blurted.

A Basilisk of that size should not go to waste. Wednesday said calmly.

Waste? Its a dead snake. Ron countered, Good riddance.

Dude, I told you. Im getting my boots out of this mess, at the least. Xander
countered, then shrugged, besides, I need some magical material for some side
projects. I scored a couple unicorn hairs from Hagrid, and some other random stuff,
but a thousand year old snake? Come on, tell me that doesnt sound like some powerful
stuff?

Harry shivered, I dont know, Xander. I dont really want to go down there.

Dont have to. Xander said, Just open the door, weve worked out how well get
back up. Come back later and make sure its open for us. Deal?

Harry shrugged, I guess.

Barmy, the lot of you. Ron said, rolling his eyes.

Honestly, Ronald, Hermione cut in, Theyre right, you know. But do you know how
to properly harvest the materials? This sounds like something the Professors should...

She cut off, nearly jumping out of her skin when two large and gleaming knives
appeared in Wednesdays hands.

I have experience.

Everyone, Xander included, moved quickly away from the dark girl. Xander shook his
head, Jeez, Wednesday, thats just creepy!

I know. She smiled.

Harry swallowed, How long do you need?

Five hours if I do it alone, seven if Alexander helps.

Hey!

****

The plan made they waited until the weekend to execute it. Xander and Wednesday
went down alone on Saturday morning, with Hermione fretting and Ron shaking his
head as Harry closed the passage behind them. They found the snake again and
Wednesday went to work while Xander poked around for the most part, helping only
when the girl had a specific job for him.

The Chamber was a mess, all things considered, but that was to be expected he
supposed. After a thousand years things were going to be a little run down. Xander
checked out some of the side tunnels, and found that they extended out some distance
from the castle in all directions.

I think its a bolt hole, He said, coming back to where Wednesday was joyously
cutting into the big snake.

That is likely, She told him, excising a venom sac with quick motions.

No way anyone built this place after the castle was constructed, Xander mused, At
least not normally. Maybe with magic, I suppose.

Wednesday was humming slightly to herself, not responding, but he wasnt really
expecting her too.

The day passed quickly like that, until they were done. The materials were properly
stored in their trunks, and they made their way back to the tunnel. This time they were
ready and proceeded to leapfrog each other, and their trunks, up the tunnel with a
combination of mobilicorpus and wingardium spells, along with sticking charms so they
could rest for a few minutes at a time.

At the top, Xander knocked on the secret door and it instantly opened to reveal Harry.

You ok?

Were good. All done. Xander said, Thanks, man.

Harry shook his head, You two helped save Ginny, thank you.

That thing hurt Hermione, Xander said, glancing at Wednesday. Nothing hurts one
of our friends and gets to brag about it, even if it is a giant snake.

The Addams girl nodded once in satisfaction, Exactly.

****
Back to index
****

The Final exams were canceled, something that didnt bother Xander so much on one
level, but did leave him wondering how in the hell the school could work out where
people were in a given grade if they did that. Hermione, in between bouts of sulking,
explained to him that the yearly scores didnt actually have any impact on their grades.

In actuality only the OWLs and NEWTs counted, and those were tested in their fifth
and seventh years. The regular class scores existed merely to allow professors to gage
who needed more attention in preparation for those two events.

He filed that away as interesting, especially when he learned that OWL and NEWT
exams were standardized at the ICW level.

The remainder of the school year degenerated into a series of practical reviews while
they were in class, and hanging out with friends while outside of class.

Two days after they had finished harvesting the Basilisk components, however, Xander
and the others realized something shocking.

****

In the Great Hall the students were eating supper when Dumbledore rose up and gave
a little speech about the Chamber, and the heroics of those who had gone down to save
Ginevera, but as he was finishing his speech he paused and looked to his right briefly at
an empty seat.

Alas, he said, No luck has been had in the search for our Defense Professor,
Professor Gilderoy Lockhart. We can only hope that he is once more out saving lives
and doing good in the world.

A series of snorts and outright laughter echoed through the hall, but Xander Harris
was sitting bolt upright with wide eyes. A quick glance around told him that Harry and
Ron were doing the same, though Wednesday had already gone back to eating.

Xander looked at the Gryffindors, and they stared back at him, and the same thought
blasted through their heads.

We left Lockhart in the Chamber!!

****

Should we go after him? Ron asked when they got together after.

After him where? Xander asked, He wasnt there when we went down after the
Basilisk.

Where could he go?? Harry blurted.

I wandered a bit, there are tunnels ALL through that place, probably going for
miles. Xander admitted. He could be anywhere.

We cant just leave him down there. Harry groaned, Damn that prat. Hes
torturing us even while hes gone.

Xander sighed, I guess wed better tell Dumbledore.

****

They went to the headmasters office and were mildly surprised when the Gargoyle
jumped aside as they approached. The group had to duck aside when Arthur, Molly,
and Ginny Weasely came down.

Im very disappointed in you, Ginny, Arthur scolded his daughter, How many
times have I told you to be careful of intelligent magical items when you cant tell where
theyre holding their minds?

Im sorry Dad. Ginny said miserably.

Gin! Ron blurted, I didnt know you were out, are you ok?

Im fine. She said, sneaking a glance at Harry, then looking straight at him. Thank
you for saving me, Harry.

Wasnt just me, Gin. Ron, Xander, and Wednesday were right there with me. Harry
told her with a friendly smile.

Well, thank you anyway. She said, then looked at the other two, And thanks.

Youre my sister, course I was gonna go. Ron mumbled.

Xander just shrugged, No problem. I had my own reasons for going down.

Well whatever they were, we cant thank you all enough. Molly said, gushing. You
helped save our Ginny.

Xander just shrugged a little, not knowing how to respond.

Are you going to see the Headmaster? Arthur asked.

Uh... yeah.

Well go on up, but youd better hurry, Molly advised, I think hes meeting with
Lucius Malfoy later.

Ok, thanks. Harry said, hurrying up with the other two following.

****

Albus stared at them, his eye twinkle dancing as bright as ever.

So, to be clear, He said, You broke both of Professors Lockharts arms and left
him to wander through the catacombs under Hogwarts?

Harry grimaced, Well...

He had it coming. Ron blurted, The git was going to Obliviate us!

Harry, Dumbledore sighed, Im afraid Ill have to ask you to open the entrance for
us so we can locate our missing professor.

Harry nodded.

The headmaster chuckled, its just as well, I believe that Severus wanted to go down
and see what he could recover from the Basilisk.

The three students eyes bulged and they looked at each other for a moment.

Uh... Of course, Sir. Harry blurted, swallowing hard.

Dumbledore looked between them for a moment, then leaned back, In the meantime,
Harry why dont you stay. I believe that the meeting with Lucius would be very...
educational for you. You two may go.

Thank you, Sir. Xander and Ron said together, practically bolting for the door.

Once outside then paused, looking at each other.

Blimey! Snape is going to skin *us* when he sees that you already got the Basilisk!

I just hope we can get out of school before it comes to that, Xander said, shaking his
head. Maybe we can convince him that Lockhart got to it first?

Ron grinned, Id love to see the ponce run when Snape found him.

****

The remaining days passed without incident, as Dumbledore had decided to get Harry
to open the chamber and leave it open over the holidays so the teachers could examine
the forgotten section of the school while they searched for Lockhart. Xander sort of
hoped that the idiot didnt get himself killed, but really what was he thinking running
off when the slide was the way in?

He and Wednesday sat together on the train as it pulled away from Hogsmeade,
heading back toward London, and Xander had to admit it had been an interesting year.
He lad learned a ton of stuff, granted most of it hadnt been from his teachers but what
the hell, theyd had some good times, an adventure or two, and things had worked out.

Not too shabby.

He was getting along, more or less, with his house... minor speedbumps like helping
Harry in the chamber aside. He had some good friends, and he knew that Hermione and
Wednesday werent going to turn on him for sure. Harry was an ok sort, and even Ron
was starting to seem like a decent guy.

He did have some things on his mind, though. Some worries, some dark concerns.

First, what was he going to do to his Uncle, cause there HAD to be some retaliation
there. He had an idea, but wasnt sure if it was over the top or not.

Second, though, was bothering him deeply.

Something Arthur Weasley had said to Ginny was preying on his mind.

Dont trust magical objects that show intelligence when you cant see where they hold
their brain.

Xander looked down at the book that had been so important to him over the past two
years and glared at it. Finally he sighed and opened it to one of the interactive sections,
then pulled out his fountain pen.

With careful, neat lettering, Xander wrote in the section.

Who are you?

****
Back to index
****

The trip back stateside was uneventful, and within hours Xander and Wednesday were
at Salem, wandering across the campus and waiting for a meeting scheduled with the
Headmaster. Arthur Fitzpatrick watched them for a while, observing the two from a
distance. Hed heard a lot about both of them, through Professor Hardy as well as
others.

The young Addams girl had a frightening intellect, quite possibly in every meaning on
the expression, and her records bore that out. Harris, on the other had, had been an
average student in non magical courses by all accounts. According to his teachers he
was a slacker, and while certainly not stupid he wasnt particularly intelligent either.

Arthur wondered if the teachers were incompetent, or if the introduction of magic had
changed the child profoundly. While he wasnt a genius, Alexander Harris had proven
to be quite impressive in hands on magic. Various reports indicated that the boy could
cast a Protego, Stunner, and some other advanced dueling charms well beyond his
experience.

His practical test results bore that out, though his theoretical knowledge was spotty at
best. Some people just learned better from doing, Arthur knew well, and he suspected
that Mr Harris was one of those.

The Headmaster of the Salem Institute smiled crookedly and strode out into the quad
toward his two wayward students.

Ah, Miss Addams, Mr Harris. Good to see you both again.

Sir. They both said, nodding respectfully.

I wished to see how you both were doing, in the wake of the events at Hogwarts this
year. I understand it must have been stressful.

They glanced at each other, then shrugged as one.

Franklin, thats creepy. Arthur thought, shaking off the shiver.

Were fine, Sir. Wednesday said.

Good, good. I understand that the Hogwarts tests were canceled this year?

Yes Sir. Headmaster Dumbledoor believed that the school had been stressed enough,
Wednesday told him in a dry, almost sarcastic tone.

Yes, well, Albus generally does as he thinks best. I would prefer if you two were to
take some short practical tests here before you leave for the summer? Arthur asked,
Strictly speaking, I cant require it, and neither do I want to add to your stress as you
said, but it would be very good for your records, and my paperwork, if you consented.

Again the two did that simultaneous glance then head bob as they responded together.

Of course Sir.

Creepy.

****

The tests, all Oral and practical, were easily accomplished for the duo and the teachers
confirmed on the spot that they were where they should be at least and not to worry
about it. As they had been told at Hogwarts, the only test results that counted were first
the OWLs, and then later the NEWTs. All other examinations were for internal school
use only, and didnt have any real impact upon graduation.

The two spent the rest of their time, while waiting for Wednesdays family to arrive
exploring the school grounds and library. Since they had been informed that they could
borrow books for summer reading, as any student was permitted, Xander quickly
located some books on Wand Crafting for himself, and noted idly that Wednesday was
digging into the schools index of rarer potions tomes.

Will they let you borrow those? he asked, curious.

Unlikely, however as we are students here, technically speaking, we can come in at
anytime during the year to do research. She told him, I am merely determining what
is available.

Xander nodded, Cool.

She eyed his books briefly, Are you intending to replace your wand?

Xander shrugged, I dont know. I just want to learn a bit about it.

He drew his wand, flipping it idly over his fingers as he looked at the piece of wood.
Pretty much the only thing that separates us from anyone else out there is this stick. I
know Im not powerful enough to ever learn anything more than the most basic of
wandless tricks, so without a wand I may as well go back to Sunnydale.

Wednesday considered his words and while she didnt entirely agree with what she felt
he meant, she knew that his stated words were factual. Few wizards ever learned
wandless casting, it was frightfully consuming on a Wizards energy. It wasnt that it
required more power, though it did, but rather that the focus required was mentally
exhausting.

Only the most powerful AND disciplined minds ever mastered true wandless magic.

She was rather fond of Alexander, but knew that he had neither the power nor mental
control required. One of those may be corrected, but short of a very few extremely dark
rituals, the other never would. She herself was on the cusp, her mental capacity was
likely sufficient, however she didnt believe she had the magical stamina make wandless
casting practical.

I understand. She said finally, you wish to understand what sets you apart.

Well, yeah, that and I think wands are freaking cool. Xander grinned.

She resisted the desire to pinch the bridge of her nose and groan, Alexander had a way
of testing even the limits of her control.

****

The Addamses came later that day for Wednesday and they said goodbye, exchanging
promises to stay in contact regularly. Then Wednesday was gone and Xander retrieved
the portkey that would sweep him across the nation.

A word activated it and in a cyclone of motion Xander landed in the Magical district of
Sunnydale California. Not that it was much of a district really. More like a back alley
several blocks west of the Bronze, right on the edge of the warehouse district. Perhaps
two dozen Wizards in total lived within Sunnydales city limits, most of them probably
wanted by some law enforcement group *somewhere*.

Still, the Alley had wards keeping out non magical people and demons alike, which
made it one of the safest places in the area according to what Xander had been told.

He dusted himself off from the landing, nodded to a passing witch who had seen better
days maybe a century earlier, and made his way to the edge of the wards. He tapped on
the footstone at one corner and waited for the doorway to appear. He stepped out into a
dirty restroom that had a permanent closed for repairs sign right under the word
ladies, grimaced slightly, and walked out into the bar with Fenrir chasing after him.

Hey Willy, He said, nodding to the man behind the bar.

Hey kid, back already huh? The squirmy looking man said, nodding to him.

Yeah, all good in the Dale?

Same ol. No big news.

Xander nodded, not really pausing on his way by. Well Ill see you later, Willy.

Be watching for ya, kid.

Xander waved slightly, not looking back. He didnt notice, therefore, that Willy had
paused in his wiping down of the bar to jot down a note on a pad he kept nearby.

****

Mom! Dad! Im home!

Jessica Harris came out of the kitchen, smiling at her son. Hey, Honey, how was the
trip back?

It was a port key, Xander said dryly, pointing to the scuffs on his pants where hed
hit the ground.

She smiled in response, I remember those. A little dizzy?

A bit, its not too bad. The one from England was worse. Xander admitted.

Jessica nodded, You went through international boundaries, and probably some hefty
wards.

Oh yeah? The put up wards around the country?

Xanders mother frowned, Not exactly, from what I recall. But there are many layers
of wards all through New England.

Oh, Xander shrugged, Well anyway, it wasnt too bad.

How did you do in school?

Decent, I guess. Im better in practical stuff than bookwork, so those classes have
better marks.

Youre not letting your bookwork slide are you? She asked sternly.

Jessica was surprised when Xander laughed.

Mom, if you knew my friends, you wouldnt ask about that.

She was about to ask for clarification when Anthony and Sam came in from the back.

Son, good to see you home.

Thanks, Dad. Pretty good to be back.

Not missing the magical world already? Anthony Harris asked, a bit of a bitter tone
in his voice.

Nah. Honestly, Im missing TV right now. Xander grinned.

Sam laughed, Thats a sensible kid. You get my present, kid?

Xander glared at Sam, Oh yeah, and we need to have words.

What? Wasnt it enough? Sam asked, looking genuinely confused.

Sam! You... You put a... Xander grimaced before blurting, SEX drug in my name!

Tony and Sam burst out laughing as Jessica sighed, rolling her eyes.

Come on, kid, it aint that bad. You cant say the money wasnt good.

Xander sighed, A hundred and fifty thousand galleons? Yeah, thats pretty good.

Golden Eagles, actually. Sam corrected, Comes out around a hundred and thirty
thousand Galleons, depending on the exchange. Over a million bucks, USD. Thats
pretty damn decent. And its just the advance, once that stuff passes the FDA you get
five percent!

Jessica could see Xander grimacing again and broke in, I dont entirely agree with
Sams actions, Alex, but he did do well by you. And the money will ensure that youre
future is provided for.

I just want to know what the hell you were trying to cook up in the first place, Tony
cracked, and started laughing.

That broke Sam up, and in a moment Xander and his mother were watching them, one
with a resigned look on her face, and the other with one that promised retribution.

****

Who are you?

Narcissa Malfoy stared at the text for a long time, wondering what had brought the
boy to a realization that he was dealing with a person?

Few wizards of any stripe would have made that connection, not in a world where self
updating books were common and magic seemed to breath life into the lifeless on a daily
basis. It was a penetrating question, one that took her by surprise and made her think.

This one was growing up, she supposed.

Alright, it was time then.

She opened her copy to the index page and pressed a wand to the paper. In a moment a
big black dog raced out, panting eagerly as he stared up at her from the pages.

Alright, Sirius, She said tolerantly. You may consider yourself off restriction.

The dog barked sharply, jumped around on the page, and then ran across the book
and off the page on the other side.

Narcissa sighed, smiling slightly at the memory of her cousin, and carefully and
deliberately took a quill and began to compose her answer to the young mans question.

****
Back to index
****

Xander called Jessie and Willow first thing after hed unpacked, and in short order the
two were over at his place and they were getting caught up on the past year while some
of the shows Jessie had taped for him played in the VCR.

A Prank war? Jessie cackled, Youve got to be kidding.

No, these twins are insane, Xander grinned, Though I have to admit I almost
thought I was dead meat when one of the pranks I set up caught the teachers.

You pranked the TEACHERS!? Willow screamed while Jessie laughed.

Yeah, but I got it blamed on the twins. Xander smirked, then frowned as he
considered, Though it did get a little out of hand. The pranks werent bad, but one of
the teachers reacted kinda... stupid. Made things worse.

Jessie was still laughing as Willow openly scowled at him.

Anyway, it was an ok year except for the snake. Xander said.

Snake?? The two blurted together.

Xander nodded, yeah, once got loose and bit some students. Caused a bit of an
uproar.

Willow shivered. Snakes she did NOT like. Jessie just whistled softly, Cool dude.

Anyway, its summer, I got money, and while I do have some work to do I also want
to have some fun. What do you two say? Xander asked with a grin, up for a real blast
of a summer?

Sure, what have you got in mind? Jessie grinned back as Willow nodded.

Well, I figure we take at least one day a week and do something awesome. Xander
said, Theme parks, a day in LA, whatever. Sound good?

Sounds cool to me, good with you Wills? Jessie looked over.

Willow nodded, I think I can sell my parents on the idea.

The deal made the trio settled in to watch some more TV until Jessie had to go home
for Supper. Willow, who lived closer, lagged behind.

Xander, were those stories true? She asked when they were alone.

He nodded, Just underplayed. The snake was actually a sixty foot long Basilisk.

Willow eeped. Youre kidding!

Xander shook his head.

You HAVE to be kidding!!

I wish. It petrified a friend of mine, Xander said, frowning. He then smiled slightly
and looked up at Willow, Hermione, actually. Shes kinda like English-Willow.

Hey! I speak English!

Xander chuckled, Not what I meant. Anyway, yeah the stories were true.

Jeeze. Are you sure you want to go back there?

Xander thought about it, then shrugged, Yeah, I think so. Its awesome, Wills. Were
learning stuff you only see in movies and comics. Come on downstairs, I want to show
you some of my notes.

Down in the basement that had been set aside for Xanders magical studies, he broke
out his notebook and showed it to Willow. She skimmed through it quickly, then looked
at him with a curious eye.

Magical tattoos?

It sounded cool? Xander replied with a weak smile.

She rolled her eyes, Can I borrow this, Xan? Ill bring it back tomorrow.

Sure.

Ok, Ill see you then, She said, getting up to leave. Its real good to have you home.
Bye.

Bye.

****

It took some convincing, but the three of them managed to convince their parents and
the first excursion day was set for the beginning of the following week. Xander and the
other two settled in to a bit of a routine otherwise, watching tv and doing whatever
came to mind. With Willow he found himself working on his projects, as well as a bit on
homework, and he spent his time with Jessie pouring over comic books and Jessies
latest obsession, Role Playing Games.

It turned out that, without Xander around, Jessie had started hanging out with
Jonathan and the Wells brothers, as well as some of their friends. That group was into
the geek scene SO much more than Xander had every been, but it was fun to be
immersed back into a years worth of total geekdom in just a few days.

The books were cool too, since they gave him ideas for things to research when he went
back to his projects.

It was his Uncle who surprised Xander, though. Sam had showed up to make sure
Xander was still working out as hed begun to the year before, and express disgust at
how much Xander had slacked off, then he got serious for a bit.

Hey kid, Sam said after one workout, while Xander was wiping the sweat away, got
someone Id like you to meet.

Xander shrugged, Sure, unc. Who?

Hes family, Sam told him, Squib, same as me, from way back. He asked about you
after you left last year.

Oh yeah? How come?

Keeps tabs on the family, heard you were going to magic school I guess.

Xander nodded, Alright. When?

Today, if you want. Hes out near LA, Ill drive you.

The drive out was peaceful, leaving Xander relaxed as they drove up to a nice colonial
style home tucked into the hills maybe an hour out of Los Angeles. Sam brought him in
and they found a really old man sitting on the porch, looking out over the Ocean.

Hello Robert. Sam said respectfully, pausing at the porch steps.

Sam. This your nephew then? The old man asked, looking Xander over carefully.

Sam nodded.

Well dont just stand there, come on up, take a set.

They did, and there was a moment of silence before the old man looked at Xander
again.

I understand the Family has been showing an interest in you.

Xander shrugged, I suppose so, Sir. I dont really know much about it.

The old man snorted, Dont suppose you would. Watch out for the Harris son, Were
a sneaky lot.

Xander smiled weakly at the man.

Anyway, Sam also tells me that youre taking schooling abroad?

Hogwarts, Sir.

Robert nodded, Was a good school in my day, havent heard anything much about it
lately, but then I dont keep up like I used to.

The conversation fell into a lull for a long moment, then just as Xander opened his
mouth to ask why the old man wanted to see him, Robert spoke up again.

So tell me, son, what happened over there this year?

Xander blinked, Pardon?

Robert chuckled, Last year Sam and your Dad are telling me about how you were a
Wizard and all, then this year past the family starts buzzing about you, and just last
week youd think someone dropped a live grenade in the Elder Harris lap. Youre
causing waves, son, and Id like to know why.

What does it matter to you? Xander asked, a little put out that his life was being
watched so closely.

Me? Nothing much. To be honest, I probably wont be around much longer anyway.
To the family, though, it may matter.

Wasnt anything much, just a memory of that psycho dark lord. Xander shrugged,
Loosed a basilisk on the school, didnt have much to do with me, I just went down with
the guy who killed it.

The old man snorted, Wasnt anything much. Funny. And the year before?

Hey, I had nothing to do with that. Xander protested, That was all Harry and his
group.

Robert chuckled, Youre an interesting lad, Alexander. What are you studying
beyond the basics, if you dont mind my asking?

Nothing really, Xander said, Im signed up for Arithmancy and Runes next year,
but those are my first electives.

Rovert nodded, Any history classes?

American Wizarding History and History of Magic, Xander responded.

Robert exchanged glances with Sam, then turned back to Xander. Tell me, do you
plan on living solely in the Wizarding world, lad?

I dont know, but I doubt it. Im not giving up my TV, Xander declared.

The two men chuckled at that, but shook their heads.

Not what I meant, but it answers the question well enough. Robert said with a sigh,
You know, most children who go into the magical world never come back. They lose
the ability to exist in the realm of mere mortals. Even those who were born to
completely normal parents.

Xander frowned, how come?

Because, from the age of eleven all they see is magic for ten months of the year. By
eighteen, the normal world has moved on without them, and that was decades ago.
Today you can lose your place in the world in even less time.

Xander grimaced at the thought, but another one was pushing to the surface. Why
are you guys so intent on all this stuff?

Sam laughed, Told ya hed ask.

So you did, whelp. Robert grumbled good naturedly, then turned back to Xander.
Were interested because it suits us to have a contact who can walk in both worlds.

Cant you?

Were both Squibs, Robert explained, We know the magical world, but the magical
world doesnt really want to know us.

Sounds like those idiot pureblood types in England.

To a degree, yes.

So what do you guys want?

For now? To do you a favor, if you really want to walk in both worlds. Later, well
well talk about later when it comes. Robert said.

Did the rumors mention I was sorted into Slytherin? Xander asked dryly, Cause
youve got to be cracked if you think Im going to agree to anything without knowing
the end price.

They laughed, No end price, lad. We dont recruit or blackmail children. However,
by helping you now we at least have a chance at a future arrangement. Thats
something we wont have if you vanish completely into the magical.

Xander frowned, hed never thought about it in those terms.

Alright, what did you have in mind?

****
Back to index
Author's Notes:

****

Lately it seemed that no matter what Xander did, or which way he turned, he was
faced with more work than hed ever imagined hed do, let alone want to do. Sam and
Robert had offered him some tutoring in subjects more useful in the normal world,
including more exercise and some actual fight training this summer, and Xander had
accepted.

Then he arrives home and cracks open his favorite book, the Grimoire of the Coven,
and found a long note in the interactive section of the book.

Who Am I .

That, young man, is an interesting question with a detailed response. Simply, I was Miss
Black.

Xander blinked, looking at the words in surprise. Was? Did she die? Was this
something like Riddles diary then? He read on.

Before my marriage that was my name, at least. Today I use another name, one that isnt
important for the moment.

Xander sighed, grinning a little to himself. At least he wasnt facing some weird Dark
Chick trying to do whatever. Well, probably wasnt facing that anyway.

When I went to school, Miss Evans, Miss Prewitt, and myself became... unlikely friends.
We shared some classes, and some acquaintances, and eventually many things together as
we grew from the young girls we were to the women we became. Miss Evans was killed not
long after graduating, her familys opposition to the Dark Lord finally demanding the
ultimate price. Miss Prewitt now resides in St Mungos, where she has been since almost the
same time, and will likely remain for the rest of her days.

They were both reliable and very good friends, and while still in school we made an
agreement. We would help any who came across the book you now hold, regardless of their
blood or their politics. You see, We three held very different views in those regards, views
that ultimately led us down the roads we have taken, to the destinations we each found.

The words within this tome are not political, they are not intended to sway your thinking
or your actions. They are, however, the opinions of three very different young women who
came of age in a difficult time and so are highly charged and should always be carefully
considered before being accepted as truth or falsehood.

So, the answer to your question is that I am who I agreed to be when I made the pact with
Miss Evans and Miss Prewitt. I am who they would be, if they could. I am your advisor,
occasionally your tutor, and if it is so required I will be your confidant. Nothing you write
in this book with be shared with anyone else on pain of the Oath we took, of that you have
the word of the Coven.

Narcissa Malfoy Nee Black of the Coven

Ps. I do apologize for the plague I have unleashed upon you, however as it is your third
year certain agreements have to be upheld.

Xander gulped.

Plague??

Then he frowned. The plague was scary, but he suspected that it was less than lethal,
whatever it was, and so it took second place. First place was taken quickly by the name
Malfoy.

Was she related to Draco? She almost had to be, which made a certain sense as he
thought about it. Miss Black was a blood purist, Xander knew from reading her entries.
She didnt have a particularly low opinion of muggle borns and all, but she still believed
in the superiority of breeding.

No Matter how he looked at it, things were starting to get interesting.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Xander nearly jumped out of his skin. The coven
grimoire suddenly jumped on the desk, as the large black dog that represented Sirius
Black bounded into view. The dog began barking up a storm, its cartoonlike speech
bubbles blocking out the page as it seemed to be trying to get Xanders attention.

His attention it got, and Xander quickly forgot about the note from the coven member
at he tried to get rid of the dog that was in the process of befouling his pages.

No, stop it! I said stop it, dont eat that! No, I need those notes! You crazy mutt,
Xander screamed at the book, trying in vain to get the dog to behave.

The black dog was jumping up and down, obviously having the time of its life, gleefully
ignoring Xanders protestations. After several minutes of this, Xander finally gave up
and slumped down in his chair. Shortly after that happened dogs excited rampage,
came to a stop. Xander slowly looked back up at the book, and found the dog staring
seriously out at him.

For a long moment the two looked at each other, and then the dog slowly began to shift
morphing into a bottle of ink, and then finally into a man.

Now youve finally learned its futile to fight a marauder, the man grinned up at him,
lets move on to the fun stuff.

****

Sirius Black was insane. That was all Xander had to say on the subject.

No, scratch that. Xander had a hell of a lot more to say, the problem though, was that
Sirius wasnt listening. Instead the black mongrel of a shape shifter was tearing through
Xanders notes and lessons and generally making a pain of himself. Not that he cared
what Xander thought, of course.

Still, the man knew his magic.

Practically against his will, Xander found himself learning from the troublemaker.
Sirius went in-depth into what he called the noble art of the prank, though to Xander it
often sounded like good old-fashioned bullying. That said, while he didnt approve of
Siriuss methods of identifying the target, Xander had to admit that the ideas were
scary good.

In fact, he shuddered to imagine the twins with the amount and kind of information
that Black was feeding him.

The first weekly trio trip, as Xander had taken to calling it, came along not a moment to
soon. Between black, his relatives, and Willow, Xander figured he was working harder
on his holidays than he did during school. So when, under the supervision of Jessies
mother, the trio headed for LA, Xander was determined to do nothing that even
resembled work for the entire day.

****

Disneyland, Jessie exclaimed, I love this place!

Xander laughed, draping an arm over the shoulder of both his best friends, dragging
both closer to him as the trio walked in the magic kingdom. This is going to be so
cool.

You know I heard they have great educational...

Hey! Xander cut Willow off abruptly, holding up his hand a stop her in place. We
talked about this Willow, no work, no learning, only fun.

Jessie smirked and Willow, enjoying the outraged look on her face as she turned on
Xander.

Just because were having fun, doesnt mean we cant learn something to, Willow
huffed at him, obviously spinning up for rant.

Xander just grinned at her, today is not for learning Willow, todays for mindless,
totally unproductive, and utterly time wasting, fun.

Will crossed her arms, glaring at Xander, who just kept on grinning back at her.
Finally, after a long moment, she gave up and grinned back. Alright fine.

Yes! Jessie crowed, pumping his arms in the air in triumph. Let the fun times
begin!

Xander put his arms back around his two friends, and trailed by Jessies mother, the
trio made their way into the happiest place on earth.

****

the three of them spent their day going from ride to ride and show to show, and
generally just having fun. For Xander it was the first time, and perhaps as much two
years, that he just focused on nothing but fun. That thought struck him as they were
leaving the park, and the concept actually staggered him for a moment.

It was insane, where was the slacker he used to be? He and Jessie had perfected their
dont care attitude, had spent hours on it even, and now what was he? The horror of
horrors was that he was becoming, God for bid, Willow or Hermione.

Now there was a scary thought.

In all seriousness, though, it did worry him somewhat. The idea that he was losing
himself kept coming back to him. He couldnt help it though, just the idea of magic and
the things he could do, those kept him up at night. He would lie awake, staring up at the
ceiling in the dark, and just try to mentally map out all the things he could accomplish.

It was like living in comic book, the wonder, the horror, the sheer infinite possibilities. It
was, in plain and simple fact, a fantasy come true. How could any geek worthy of the
title possibly do any less?

****

the day after the Disney trip, Willow came over in the morning and the two of them
went down to the basement and immediately began to crack open the books.

Have you been reading over the winter, Xander asked.

Willow nodded enthusiastically, Ive read all the theory, and even managed to practice
some of potions, but it was hard keeping it from my dad.

Xander nodded, they around more this year?

Willow shrugged, not really. But potions stink, so I cant really do any inside.

Yeah I can see that. Xander responded, opening his notebook on wand making. It
kind of sucks that your dad is so close minded.
Willow grimaced, neither nodding nor refuting Xanders statement. I guess, but I
dont really want to give up my computer classes either. So I dont know, maybe Im
happier here?

Xander shrugged, mulling that over. Finally shook his head, you could be right.
Wizards are a little strange, and really backwards it seems. As long as you doing what
you love, Ill be happy for you.

Willow blushed red for a moment, ducking her head down to look at her toes, thanks.

Xander just smiled, then looked down at his book. Willow took a moment to regain her
composure, then looked over at what he was reading.

Wand crafting? Willow asked, her voice getting a touch of excitement. You want to
build a wand? Because I would really love to have one, you know if you thought you
could do it, but it can be really frustrating reading through the books and not being able
try the spells, you know...

Xander laughed, holding up his hands to stem the flow of words from his friends mouth.
Hold on, hold on. Im just doing the basic reading, we are a long way from building
one.

Oh, Willow said, blushing again. I was just, kind of you know, hoping and all.

I know, Xander said sympathetically, but its supposed to be really hard to make a
proper wand.

How are they made?

Well according to what Ive been reading modern wands are built with a wooden
conduit, Xander said seriously, thats around a magical core.

Willow blinked, that sounds simple enough.

Xander shrugged, where it gets complicated is the fact that no one knows why or how
it works. At least no one knows is talking. In fact, I think I read almost a dozen different
explanation so far and all of them contradict each other.

Willow scowled at the book, theres no facts? Have there been any studies? There
should be standards, shouldnt there? If every wizard or witch needs to use a wand
wouldnt it make sense for want to be the most studied piece of magic in the world?

Xander half shrugged, half smirked, you just used the words wizard, witch, and sense
in the same sentence. Im pretty sure that violate the law some where.

When Willow scowled at him, Xander couldnt help himself, he broke down laughing
much to his redheaded friends ire. As he laughed she kept glaring, which caused him to
laugh harder, which in turn caused her to glare more. The circular reinforcement
continued until Xander was clutching his side painfully, and even Willow was finally
beginning to crack a smile.

****
End Notes:
okay, for the record I'm trying something new this time around. Almost the entirety of
this chapter along with the notes, have been transcribed by Dragon naturally speaking
10. What this means, is I'm relying on a piece of software to turn my voice into the text
you're reading. The good news, is that should cut down on spelling error's, the bad
news... well, keep an eye out for new weird grammar.
also, do let me know if you think there's any change in the way the story is being told.
I'm curious to know if my storytelling technique either improved, suffers, or remains
the same despite this new method of getting the words into the computer.
Thank you for your readership
Tenhawk
Back to index
****

Hey kid, how was the week?

Xander nodded to Robert, tossing down some of his exercise gear, pretty good, you?

At my age kid, any morning I see the sun, thats a good morning. Robert grinned,
belying the grim nature of his words. So how is Sam treating anyway?

Xander rolled his eyes, suppressing a groan. The aches and pains in his muscles had
aches and pains of their own, but it wasnt something he exactly wanted to advertise.

The old man just grinned at him, I know that look boy, seen it in my own eyes while
looking in the mirror all too many times in the past. All I can tell you, is that it gets
worse before it gets better.

This time Xander did groan, not even bothering to hide it. That was about the last thing
he wanted to hear, God man, are you guys sure I need all this? I mean, really, phys ed
doesnt seem to be a real big deal in the wizarding world as far as I can tell.

Robert fell silent for a moment, looking at Xander intently. Magic is a glorious thing
boy, but like everything else it has its limits. I grew up in a small town in Westmoreland
County, Virginia. Spent my first 15 years in the family home. Like you say, working
out, making yourself stronger, it doesnt seem too important to most wizards, not on the
physical level anyway. When I left, I learned that strength and muscle, those are things
I could trust. It took painful lessons, but they were important lessons, lessons I paid for
dearly.

The old man was quiet for a moment, as if considering what hed said, or maybe
considering what was left to be said.

The most important thing a man can do right in this world, is learn from his own
mistakes. Robert said after a long moment, but learning from another mans
mistakes, thats the mark of more than a man. Thats the mark of a leader.

Xander was silent in turn, considering Roberts advice. The old man hadnt given any
real examples, but it was obvious he was serious. Xander found himself licking his lips,
a little nervous, what happened?

Again, Robert was quiet for a long moment, and Xander wondered if maybe he
wouldnt answer this time. Still, however, the moment ended in the old man began to
speak, I joined the Army boy, but back then it wasnt the same armies you join today.
Training consisted of being shown what end of the rifle bullet came out of, assuming
you were lucky enough to get a rifle.

As Robert told his story, Xander listened at first a little confused, trying to work out
exactly when Robert had been born. After a short while, however, the confusion faded
as he just began to absorb the words.

Our family was well-to-do, so I had a rifle of my own when I joined. But I come from a
magic home, we didnt hunt for our own food, so my shiny new rifle had never seen
use. Robert said, looking a little lost in his memories, because of my familys position,
I was groomed for leadership role. Thats not how we do things today, but then it was
the natural order of things. My first squad, my first assignment, we were sent out to
deal with the minor Indian uprising.

Robert shook his head, his face tinged with memory, we were told it was a walk in the
park. The superiority of our civilized military assured our victory.

By this point Xander was spell bound, listening intently.

We lost half the squad in the first few seconds of the ambush, most of the rest the next
three minutes. Robert said stonily, I almost died because I couldnt move fast enough,
couldnt think fast enough, and couldnt keep a steady hand when I needed it. That was
when I learned my lesson, paid my price. Family position, magic, civilized culture...
these are wonderful things, but in the real world, where the blood splatters the ground...
they mean a whole lot less than wed like to.

With that said, Robert rose from his chair and tottered a little unsteadily back into the
house. Behind him Xander sat silently, questions whirling in his mind. He heard a sound
behind him, and turned to see Sam standing there.

How..., Xander hesitated, when...?

Robert was born in 1807, Sam answered, already knowing the question Xander
wanted to ask. We dont live quite as long as wizards, at least not as a general rule, but
we still live a long time.

But then hed be almost... Xander trailed off.

Sam nodded, hell see his second Centennial in a few years. The oldest squib I know
of.

Xander swallowed, and you say wizards live longer?

On average, Sam answered with a nod.

Wow.

Sam chuckled, patting Xander on the shoulder as he walked past, heading into the
house. Why dont you run through the katas I showed you kid, I need to speak with
Robert for a few minutes.
Xander nodded dumbly, shaking himself from his stupor, and slowly got down to work.

Inside the home, Sam found Robert leaning on a cane staring out at the boy as he
worked in the yard.

Whose story you telling? Sam asked quietly.

Robert let out a quiet breath, my older brothers.

Sam nodded, was a good story.

I learned from my brothers mistakes, Robert said with finality, I hope he can do the
same.

Sam just nodded again.

There really wasnt much else he could do, or anything he could say. Some lessons you
had to learn yourself, and the mark of a man was how well you learned them. That said,
however, there were bigger things in the world than being a man. Sam knew, as Robert
did, but the ability to learn from the mistakes of others was perhaps one of the most
elusive, and valuable, qualities to have.

****

By the end of the week, Xanders work out had gotten a little easier. The muscles hed
let go while back at Hogwarts slowly tightened up again, and even showed signs of
perhaps not trying to kill him while he slept. He had to admit, he did make sense, or
least it seemed it did that being fit would probably benefit him whether he had magic to
use or not.

Of course, he supposed that he might see it that way simply because that was what he
was told from a young age. A fit mind in a fit body. That was the saying, but it was a
saying from a non-magical school.

Still, it made sense, he decided. So until he had evidence to the contrary, Xander
decided he was going to stick it out, and deal with his sadist of an uncle. It was
something have to look up though, if only to determine what value, if any, the whole
routine really had.

His personal projects were moving along better than his workouts, thankfully. With
Willows somewhat obsessive help, Xander thought that maybe they might beginning to
handle on the wand crafting thing.

They had actually tried making one already, with no success. The preparation of the
word was apparently one of the most complicated parts, all the book seemed to agree on
it. The reference material he picked up in the New Salem library indicated that wand
blanks were often aged much as 50 years, which really put a crimp in lot of his ideas.

It was Willow unsurprisingly, who offered him an intriguing alternate path.

****

Are all wands made of wood? Willow asked, looking up from the book.

Xander nodded, all modern wands are anyway.
What about non-modern wands?

Xander stopped, leaning back from his book, and thought about the question.

Well, he said slowly, staves were made from wood, but they often used a crystal
focus.

Crystal? Willow asked curiously.

Xander nodded, remembering the history book hed read on the subject. Actually,
there was a time when Crystal foci were pretty trendy.

What kind of Crystal?

Diamonds were the most popular, Xander answered, I think some other crystals
were used as well, but those were very rare.

Diamonds, Willow mused, falling silent for a moment as she considered it.

Xander recognized the look on her face.

What is it? He asked.

What is what? Willow blinked, looking up at him.

Xander smiled, leaning forward, I know that look. You have some kind of idea, and I
know you well enough that I want in.

Willow blushed, well, I dont know if its an idea... really is just a vague thought.

Xander raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Willow sighed then leaned forward with just a glimmer of a glint in her eye, its just
that diamonds and would have something in common.

Xander blinked, they do?

Willow smirked, nodding happily at Xanders confusion. They do.

Xander thought about it for a long moment, then shook his head, I give.

Carbon.

Xander looked puzzled, rolling it over his head, carbon?

Willow nodded, carbon is the base material of all life on earth.

Xander nodded, carbon-based life, right? I remember that episode of Star Trek.

Willow rolled her eyes, really Xander, life is not a television episode.

Can I help it if everything I really needed to know, I really did learn from TV?
Xander grinned.

Willow stomped her foot, eliciting a crack that echoed in the basement. Thats not
funny mister.

I beg to differ.

Xander smirked as Willow reddened slightly, glaring at him. Her tolerance levels to his
nonsense had dropped markedly in his absence, and he was really enjoying the fact that
he could get to her more easily than he used to.

Willow took a few breaths however, and calmed down. As I was saying, diamonds and
wood have carbon in common.

Xander thought about it, frowning a little as he puzzled it out, okay, yeah. Diamonds
are pure carbon right? But wood isnt. I dont think, right?

Willow sighed, but nodded, no, wood isnt pure carbon. But carbon is the most basic
element of all life, including wood, here on earth. And if the diamond works as a foci,
then maybe carbon is whats important in a wand.

Xander considered it, could be. How do we test it?

Willow thought about it for a moment, then get an expression on her face and Xander
had a hard time recognizing. It was an expression, he realized shortly, that would have
been more at home on Wednesday Addams face. And while he become inured to that
look on Wednesdays face, seeing it on Willows sent a spike of fear up his spine.

Lucky for Xander, he wasnt the target of the expression of pure evil. Not this time
anyway.

Willows face morphed back to one of pure innocence as she spoke up, well, you know
daddy bought a new set of golf clubs.

****
End Notes:
well this is the first part written completely in Dragon NaturallySpeaking, and the
results of the second session I have spent with this program. Let me know you think.
Back to index
****

Over the next couple weeks Xander and Willow played around with the notes and few
details Xander had been able to pick up on the rather nebulous art of wand crafting. As
he found out in Europe, there were very few details in the public domain, to the point of
it being simply ridiculous. Certainly, the process followed by the three families of wand
making was for all practical purposes passed only from father to son.

The lesser art of wand crafting, with all its foibles, was only somewhat more open. The
basic process was available to those who wished to research it, however by all accounts
the devil was in the details.

In their pursuit of the ideal, however, Xander had to admit to being a little scared of
how obsessively Willow was pursuing her goal. Stealing her dad golf clubs, well that
showed a good deal more nerve than he really gave her credit for.

In the end, though, Xander figured Willow was just really pissed off over not being able
to go to a magic school.

That said, even she wasnt willing to do more than wreck one of her fathers clubs. So
that was how the two of them wound up crouched over an expensive graphite club,
hacksaw in hand. With the club properly dissected, their having gained two pieces
about long enough to use for a wand, the duo began to puzzle out how they were going
to put it all together.

The core would be easy enough, since Xander been planning this for several months.
While still at Hogwarts Xander had managed to finagle several unicorn hairs from the
groundskeeper, Hagrid. He figured that those would make an excellent start for a new
wand crafting project.

As the preparations for this little project continued, however, a new force made her way
to Xanders summer.

The floo specialists from the California County Bureau of the American ministry
arrived and put Xanders special order into effect, opening the Harris home floo to full
transport, as well as communications, capacity. With that done, two of the girls in
Xanders life were now on a collision course to meet.

****

Wednesday tucked in to a roll as the burst of green fire flared in the fireplace, coming
back to her feet about halfway into the living room. The dark haired girl glanced
around briefly, idly dusting the floo powder from her close as she did.

Wednesday! Xander grinned, striding forward and gave his friend a brief hug.

She spared him a brief glare in return, then grudgingly returned the embrace.

Man, its good to see you! Xander said, stepping back and gesturing around.
Welcome to California, home of Hollywood, giant redwoods, rainbow pride, and the
hellmouth.

Yes... Wednesday said slowly, as she turned around. I can feel it.

Xander carefully had a smirk, thinking about how it was strange those things you could
get used to if you really had to. From anyone else that comment would have sent shivers
up the spine, but from Wednesday Addams it really was just par for the course.

Its like a cold dark presence, she said, musing mostly to herself. A chilled blanket,
to keep the summer warmth away. Delightful.

And there went the shivers.

This time Xander had to muffle a snicker. Wednesday was of course, purely
Wednesday.

Come on downstairs, Xander said with a grin. Theres someone I want you to meet.

The Addams scion merely inclined her head slightly, and then followed Xander without
comment.

****

Willow was pouring over one of the wand crafting books, trying to absorb the sections
on theory, when Xander and Wednesday walked downstairs. Xander smiled when
Willow characteristically didnt even bother to look up, just waiting in his general
direction as she mumbled, hey Xander.

Wednesday, for her part, merely raised a single eyebrow as she took in the near disaster
zone of books and papers that surrounded the redhead. It would appear, that I have
located the reason for you being so comfortable in the presence of Hermione.

Willow jerked up at the sound of the other girls voice, twisting around in a manner
that really couldnt be recommend, and wound up falling off the chair and flat on her
butt.

Ow!!

Just as jumpy, Wednesday noted, though perhaps a little more clumsy.

Willow pushed the hair out of her face, staring up at Xander and Wednesday with wide
eyes, hey! Im not clumsy ...

Wednesday raised an eyebrow.

Willow flushed red, looking around at the mess she had made when she fell, and sighed.
Well, not normally.

Xander snickered.

Its not funny!

Xander started to laugh, slumping against the wall as he managed to nod and get a few
words in between breaths, yes it is.

Willow glared at him, Wednesday merely stared, and Xander... well Xander just started
to laugh harder. Finally, after several minutes and several hundred gales of laughter,
that even Xander would have to eventually admit were over the top, he calmed down.

Wednesday, Xander wheezed out as he tried to catch his breath, meet Willow.
Willow, meet Wednesday.

Willow, who was still flushed bright red, nodded towards the dark haired girl. Nice to
meet you.

Likewise.

Wednesdays dry, acerbic drawl, left Willow flustered and uncertain as to whether the
other girl meant what she said or was merely humoring Xander. The moment of
uncertainty caused her innate shyness to kick in, and she ducked her head turning
quickly away from the darker girl, mumbling some words about getting back to her
studies.

Wednesday glanced at Xander, raising her expressive eyebrow again, and Xander
shrugged in return. The Addams scion sighed silently, and then the two of them walked
to the table, split apart by mutual consent, and took seats on either side of Willow.

So, Wednesday said her monotone voice, what are we working on today?

Wand crafting.

Wednesday glanced over at Xander, unsurprised. Xanders interest in wands had been
ongoing, so there was certainly nothing new here. She glanced across the materials on
the table, taking them in silently as she also took the moment to formulate her thoughts.
There were two items that she took to be wand blanks resting in the center of the table,
both of them identical, and both of them looking surprisingly like her own ebony wand.

She reached out, taking one, and realized instantly that really it was nothing like her
own.

This isnt wood. She said as she examined the rod in her hand, was this from a golf
club?

Willow blushed deeper red, hiding her face behind a curtain of her hair as Xander
grinned wide enough to split his face. Wednesday was far from stupid, she couldve put
the whole story together with a lot less evidence.

So, just to be clear, you cut up what looks like a brand-new golf club, she drawled
dryly, which Im guessing, from the look on your faces, you didnt exactly have
permission to do. Am I right?

Xander snickered as Willow just nodded mutely, practically pressing her face into the
desk.

Impressive.

Willow bolted up straight, eyes wide as she stared in surprise at the other girl. What?

Wednesday however wasnt someone to repeat herself, so she merely examine the
material more closely. What is your justification for this material?

Willow swallowed, well we, I mean Xander in me... that is, Xander and I, we were
looking for ways to build a wand when we realized, well actually Xander realized that
the wood usually had to be prepared, sometimes seasoned as much as 50 years. Since we
didnt really have that much time, I mean I sort of want a wand before Im 65, so we
looked for alternatives. Did you know they used to use diamonds as foci? Thats cool,
but a bit expensive, I mean I have some money but not like that...

Wednesday stared over at Xander, her expression practically unreadable, except for the
fact that hed spent two years learning what her expressions meant. At the moment she
was caught in the cross roads between surprise and amusement.

Oblivious to the communication between the other two, Willow continued on, anyway I
thought that since diamonds are carbon, and thats the only thing that they have in
common with wood, maybe another form of carbon would work as well.

Wednesday raised an eyebrow, examining the former golf club in her hand. A graphite
club? Interesting. Intriguing even.

She said to rod back down the table next to its twin, then nodded to the books and
papers, what have you found?

****

With Wednesday coming through the floo every couple days to help out, they quickly
moved the project along from theory to the more practical aspects of testing. Some
things of course, were easier theorized than accomplished.

For example, embedding the unicorn hair into the shaft was both simple and
complicated at the same time. Simple because the shaft was hollow, and more than thick
enough to accommodate the hair. Complicated because the shaft was hollow, and too
thick to hold the hair firmly in place.

Xander suggestion of superglue was quickly shot down, much to his disappointment.

What about a liquid core, Wednesday suggested.

Xander frowned, thinking about it, the only liquid that would work is...

Blood.

Willow squeaked, eyes going wide, b... blood?

Wednesday nodded silently.

Xander scowled and thought about it, arent blood cores illegal? I think I read about
that in here somewhere.

Wednesday shrugged, so?

Willow squeaked again.

Xander thought about it, then shrugged as well, before we even think about that, I
think we should research blood cores. In the meantime, what if we filed down some of
the graphite and filled core with powder?

Willow nodded enthusiastically, happy to be away from the topic of blood. That sounds
like a good idea.

Wednesday sighed, rolling her eyes, if we must, then we must.

Xander hid a grin as Willow stared wide-eyed at the dark haired and just plain dark
Addams scion.

Excellent, Xander said, clasping his hands together. We have a plan of action then.
Lets do this.

The two very dissimilar girls nodded in agreement as they began to gather the materials
needed for their first hands-on project of the summer.

****
Back to index
****

By the middle of summer, now with a months worth of goof off days under their belt,
Xander, Willow, and Jessie, were finding themselves a little tired of theme parks and
the like. Xander had been disappointed to learn that Willow and Jessie had begun
drifting apart, as Willow spent more of her time studying and Jessie began to hang
around Jonathan and his friends.
Unfortunately there didnt seem to be much that he could do about that, so Xander
focused as much he could own spending time with both his friends while he was home.
That meant study time and projects with Willow, but for Jessie a different tack was
needed.

Thus while his afternoons were spent in pursuit of academia, his evenings, more often
than not, were ironically spent in pursuit of evil wizards, dragons, and monsters of a
mythical menagerie.

****

Yes! A natural 20!

Jessies crowing echoed through the room as he pumped his arms in the air.

The game had progressed, with the players delving deeper and deeper into the
dungeons designed by Warren, the groups game master. From Xanders point of view,
it was actually rather comical to the point where he was having trouble hiding snickers
when they were attacked by giant rats, spiders, and the like.

Having gone down into actual dungeons, and faced monsters a good deal more
dangerous, there was a surreal aspect to the whole thing.

Still, as Jessies fireball torched their enemies Xander leaned back and thought about
the difference between the magic in the books, and the magic in his life. The fireball
spell was one example, in school books the closest hed come to was the incendio. That
spell, however, operated in a different fashion. For one thing it didnt waste energy
blazing across the intervening space between the caster and the target, rather it lit the
target on fire directly.

Xander did suspect however, that there were plenty of spells in the wizarding world just
as wasteful, and just a spectacular.

When the session that ended Xander hung around with the others and read through
some of the sourcebooks.

How much these cost? He asked glancing over at Jonathan.

Some of them are pricey, Jonathan admitted.

Why? Warren asked with a sly smile, hooked?

Xander shrugged, could be. Its interesting reading at least.

Jonathan nodded enthusiastically, I love reading through them for fun.

How many of them are about magic and spells and stuff? Xander asked.

For Dungeons & Dragons? Jonathan asked in return.

Xander thought about it for a moment then just shrugged, or any game.

Tons.

Xander raised an eyebrow, looking over curiously, yeah?

The whole group nodded furiously.

Oh yeah, Jonathan spoke up first, just in DND there has to be more than a dozen.

Warren, who had worn the same scowl almost the entire time Xander known them,
rolled his eyes as he spoke up. What are you just asking the magic? Theres lots of cool
stuff in these books.

Xander shrugged again, just like magic I guess.

For really cool magic, Warren suggested after a moment, checkout Shadowrun.

Oh yeah, whats in that?

Technomancy.

Xander leaned forward, his expression interested, sounds cool.

That seemed to be the key phrase that set the whole group off, then suddenly each of
them were throwing him recommendations from their favorite games. Xander wasnt
sure that any of that would be useful, but he hadnt lied about them being interesting
reading, and if you got any good ideas out of it well then it would be worth the price of
the books.

Before too long, however, the discussion deteriorated into it heated debate about the
relative merits of one game versus the others. Xander mostly tuned them out at that
point, and only peripherally entered the discussion as he spent most of the rest of the
evening reading through various magic sourcebooks.

****

Of course while Xander considered most of the time spent with any of his friends to be
enjoyable, and thus arguably playtime, his time with his uncle was most certainly not.

The workouts this summer were a great deal more strenuous, leaving him in serious
aching pain at the end of his days. The early weeks were particularly bad, which forced
Xander to vow not to slacken off so much the following year.

It wasnt that he didnt enjoy the time so much, of course. If he hated it, he simply
would not of done it. Even with enjoyment however, it was still damn hard work. By the
middle of the summer though, Sam had begun to introduce him to basic sparring, as a
lead-in to fulfilling his promise concerning the proper usage of fighting knife.

What that really meant, however, was that in addition to aches and pains Xander now
had black and blue bruises to show off to the world.

What really kept them coming back however, were the discussions with Robert, and the
stories he related.

****

The discussion of the day had begun while Xander was wrapping up his cooldown
routine, and Sam was heading for a cold beer. What had begun with Robert pulling out
some of the flaws in Xanders defense tactics and quickly moved on to a discussion of
magical versus mundane defenses.

Wards! Robert scoffed, shaking his head. Some of the most worthless things
around.

Xander frowned, people seem to trust them?

Robert laughed, thats what makes them worthless.

Seeing that Xander was still confused, Robert went on. Wards are flighty things, you
see. They work good enough within their limitations, but most people use them dont
bother to learn about them. Your school, Hogwarts right? I expect youve heard of the
fidelius, given how famous it is over there now?

Xander nodded, the fidelius was indeed the most famous defense Ward he knew about.

Thats a funny one, Robert said with a crooked smile. It can hide a location from
any searcher, so perfectly that no magic, and no technology so far, has ever been able to
penetrate it. Right?

I guess so.

Bullshit.

Xander flinched slightly at the flat tone Robert delivered the curse in.

How many folk you think can cast that spell?

Xander shrugged, dunno.

Robert chuckled dryly, on the whole planet, only one man. Leastwise, only one man
who admit to it. Thats what makes that spell so strong, its never really been tested. At
least not in recorded history.

Xander blinked, thinking he heard something in Roberts tone. Recorded history?

Yes boy. That one was a lost spell, until the Evans girl managed to piece it back
together from old artifacts. At least thats the public story, or the semi public story I
suppose.

Xander perked up, eyes widening. Evans girl?

Robert nodded, the one who married Potter, the mother of the boy-who-lived. The
point is, that Ward is only secure through obscurity. The more common a ward is, the
less secure it is. Do some research, kid, youll find the most powerful wards of the world
are all ancient magic. Theyre all based on formulas that no one remembers, and no one
could possibly recast today. Your school, the major banking centers of Europe, various
ministries, theyre all the same. They are ancient wards that are only maintained today,
never cast.

Xander thought about that for a moment, then a slow realization came to him. Its not
just wards, this is?

Robert smiled slowly, what do you think?

I think... Xander said slowly, I think the magical world is buried in secrets. Wand
makers dont seem to ever tell anyone how to do the job. Now you say this about wards,
what about other areas?

Good, boy. Very good. Robert said with a smile, thats exactly the point. Secrets are
powerful, magical secrets doubly so. A ward is like a lock, the problem is the key to the
lock is the one thing that every wizard on the planet carries.

A wand. Xander said, his eyes opening wide.

Bang on. Robert said with a grin, so what good is a lock if everyone holds the key?
Of course in this case the locks are really combination based, so thats where obscurity
comes in. Never use a ward out of a book if you really intend to protect something, you
may as well just hand it over to whoever wants it instead.

It made sense, Xander had to admit, and it matched with the things she was seeing when
he explored or researched the wizarding world. Secrets, hidden formulas, ancient
magic, they were everywhere. Why were the best protected places always protected by
long forgotten words that were, today, merely recharged by their caretakers?

Those old magics, they had come from somewhere... Xander said softly.

Robert nodded in agreement, oh yes. Oh yes, they certainly came from somewhere.
There was this time, during the war, when I let my cavalry unit over a ridge. We just
crested it when we all felt a tingling down our spines. Most of my boys, they were non-
magical, didnt know what it was. I knew, I felt it before, just not that strong. It was a
chain collapse of multiple ward fields, the most powerful Ive ever felt. My men, our
horses, they all panicked. Standard my unit, but I was transfixed. Ahead of me, there
were these two mountains side by side, and as I watched they jumped apart.

Robert fixed Xander with a piercing stare, you dont know what its like to see two
huge mountains actually jumped apart. I found myself staring into a fertile valley that
wasnt there a minute earlier. This valley, held hundreds of hectares of ground,
probably a good chunk of the state it was in. Until that day, however, it never existed on
the map. Think on that a moment, and not how many other slabs of land have been
parceled up and forgotten by the wizarding world.

Xander swallowed as he thought about it and wondered who or what cultures have
developed spells like the fidelius. What if that was a common ward once in the distant
past? How much of the earth was hidden from men, from wizards, from them all?

Staggering thought, isnt it? Robert asked with a knowing smile. Ive thought a lot
about it myself, since that day. Its humbling to realize that its just possible that the
world we live in is only a small fraction of the world we should have inherited.

****

conversations with Robert always left Xander with something to ponder. The old man,
approaching his second Centennial, had a way with words and the way with people. He
also had away of planting seeds with his words, then it is invariably took root and began
to push their way through Xanders thinking.

Secrets.

It was the opposite of how he been brought up to think, Xander realized. You learned
from shared information, you built on what other people know, that was how things
were done. Airplanes, television, computers. These things couldnt exist on their own.

People stood upon the shoulders of giants to accomplish these things.

Was it really possible that the magical world was so different?

He didnt know.

But Xander knew that he would have to find out.

****
Back to index
****

As summer peaked and began the inevitable march towards fall, Willow, Wednesday,
and Xander finished their first test wand.

Graphite wand blank, unicorn tail hair core, first test. Xander said as Willow
scribbled down the words.

He held the wand in his normal fashion and just flicked it through the air with a casual
motion. His breath caught, and Willow gasped, as a moderate shower of sparks erupted.

It works! Willow said gleefully.

Wednesday held up a hand, proceed with the test.

Xander nodded, shifting his grip on the wand. He turned towards the far wall, a solid
cement buttress that was part of the houses foundation, and cast his first spell.

Stupefy!

The result, an uninspired pink pulse of energy hit the far wall a moment later and
vanished with a pop.

Well, that was disappointing. Xander said, sighing.

Willow frowned, it wasnt supposed to do that?

Wednesday rose, and walked over beside Xander, her own wand in hand. Stupefy!

A glaring red blast of energy tore across the room and slammed into the wall before
bursting into a multicolor display.

That, is what it should do.

Wow.

Yeah, Xander said in agreement, were missing something.

The three were silent for a moment, until Willow spoke up, well, what about the other
spells? Maybe theyll be different?

Xander shrugged, I dont see why, but lets try em.

He turned to a book on a table, and with a classic swish and flick intoned the words,
wingardium leviosa!

He was surprised when the book was steadily into the air, showing no real signs of
instability.

Intriguing. Wednesday said calmly. Try the shield charm.

Xander let the book down, nodding in agreement, and turned away from the table
again. Protego!

The shield popped into existence, showing some of the soap bubble lines that indicated
weakness and instability, but it was almost a strong as Xander could currently manage
with his own wand.

So... Is that good? Willow asked uncertainly.

It seems to be better for charms, then curses. Xander said thoughtfully.

Wednesday nodded in agreement, may I?

Xander shrugged and dropped the graphite wand into her interest hand. She accepted it
and gracefully swished it through the air as a test. Her reward was a shower of sparks
very similar to the one Xander had created.

Stupefy! Wingardium leviosa! Protego!

The three spells as tried to Wednesday, reacted fairly close to how they had for Xander.
When she was done, Wednesday was the one on the table and calmly took her seat.

Well I believe further testing is required, it would appear to be a fairly functional
wand for charms at least.

Xander frowned, yeah, but why? Do you think its the graphite, the core, or something
we did?

Wednesday and Willow ponder the question, until finally Willow spoke up.

Theres really only one way to find out.

Wednesday nodded in agreement, try another wand.

Right. Willow agreed, we try again, then we change one variable. Only one.

So we to find wood for a new wand blank, new material for the core, we change our
construction method? Xander asked.

Willow nodded, thats right. We should try a new core, at least I think so. A different
blank will actually introduce multiple variables, since the wood isnt as pure as
graphite. Also, our construction method has too many steps to change in a controlled
manner for testing.

Xander frowned, okay, I can see that. The trouble is, I dont have any Dragon
heartstrings, and I sure as hell dont have any Phoenix feathers.
There was a long moment of silence, until Wednesday spoke softly.

But we do have basilisk materials.

After a moment, Xander let out a long low whistle.

Never heard of that in a wand, which just makes me more interested to see if it will
work. He grinned.

****

of course, working with basilisk quickly turned out to be easier said than done. One of
the few details of wand crafting that Xanders research had been able to turn up was
that wand cores were normally taken from as close to the center of a creatures magic is
possible.

For dragons, their magical core with their hearts. The feathers of the Phoenix held some
of the most potent magical energy in the known wizarding world. Unicorn tail hairs
were an exception to the rule, but only because taking materials from any closer to the
unicorn center of magic would result in the death of the creature, something no sane
person would risk being responsible for.

What that meant for this project was twofold. First, they didnt know for certain what
the magical center of a basilisk was. For obvious reasons, there had been little research
on the subject in the past. They could make some educated guesses, which revolved
mostly around the giant snakes eyes and fangs, which were the creatures most potent
weapons.

Those guesses led directly into their second problem. Namely, the fact that those things
the trio believed were most potent, were also those things that they had the least of them
were loathe to waste.

Finally they decided to start with something more common, with the full knowledge that
it was almost certainly less potent.

****

Graphite wand blank, basilisk muscle sinew core, first test.

Xander again turned to the wall, and casually swept the wand in front of them. A burst
of green and red sparks showered out of the end of the dark wand, showing that it was
distinctly capable of channeling magic.

That done, Xander shifted his grip and moved on to the first spell.

Stupefy!

A deep red bolt flew across the room been splattered into the cement foundation on the
other side.

Wingardium leviosa. Protego.

Both of the following two spells didnt cast properly, but were obviously weak. The
wingardium was shaky and unsteady, forcing Xander to apply unusual focus to
maintain the levitation of the book. And the protego, was the worst he had cast in
almost a year.

When he was done, Xander place the wand on the table beside their other completed
model and carefully wrapped a circle of green tape around the end. The green wrapped
basilisk wand rested beside the blue wrapped unicorn wand as the trio consider the
results of the test.

I think we need to test them against our regular wands with spells we can easily
quantify, Wednesday said simply.

Willow nodded in agreement.

Okay, well have to write up a list of spells to use then. Xander said, but for now its
looking like we have an answer.

I think so too, Willow said in agreement, however she held up a cautionary hand,
but its not proven yet.

True.

Xander nodded, agreeing with the other two. Agreed. For now though, unicorn hair
seems better for charms, and basilisk muscle sinew appears to be better for curses.

The other two merely nodded in agreement.

Theres nothing about that in the books though, Willow complained.

Wizards like their secrets. Xander said thoughtfully, his face twisted into a puzzled
frown. Still, it wasnt that difficult to test. There should be some mention of it, right?

It was impossible to test. Wednesday corrected, until Willow here suggested the use
of graphite. Any wooden blank would require several years of seasoning, at least, it
would likely introduce several unknown and unknowable variables.

Willow nodded, I think shes right. Graphite is pure, its just carbon. We know now
that carbon will channel magic, but wood isnt pure. Of course, that may be why our
wands dont react as well to you as your own.

Wednesday fixed her with a stare, explain.
What I mean is that the impurities in wood may be beneficial to wand crafting.
Willow said slowly, like how little bit of carbon introduced during forging turns iron
into steel.

Youre saying that these graphite wands, Xander said with a grimace, may never
match up to proper wooden ones?

Willow nodded glumly, right now its clear that even in their areas of strength, the
graphite wands arent as good as your matched wooden ones. In other areas, their
weaker ones, theyre far inferior.

Xander sighed, disappointed, but he had to admit that Willow was right.

Its not a failure, Xander. Willow said quickly, we made real wands! They work,
thats incredible, right?

Shes right, Xander. Wednesday said calmly. We have something new here, it may
lead nowhere, but it may just lead some were very interesting indeed. To find out we
have to walk the path.

Xander nodded, I know. I guess I was just hoping for a miracle.

Miracles are for the weak and the desperate.

Xander had to smile at the cold, bleak tone that Wednesday delivered her statement in.
Still, the word had their effect, and he nodded in agreement.

Alright, ideas then. Where do we go from here? Just brainstorm, will organize the
ideas later.

For the rest of the afternoon that was what they did, just throwing out various ideas and
jotting down for later organization. The three of them knew that there was a mountain
of work remaining to do if they wanted to even bring this idea into the realm of
practicality. However, for the moment it wasnt labor, it wasnt work, it was quite
simply fun.

****
Back to index
****

Xanders summer had turned into a hectic one, and he often found himself almost
literally running from one activity to the next. Still, by the end of July, Xander realized
that for all the running around hed been doing there were some things on his list that
hed forgotten.

That led to a shopping excursion in Los Angeles magical district with Willow and Sam.

Three Angels block was a section of LA cut directly out of the city by several advanced
Ward schemes that were powered by the geological Ley lines that existed all up and
down the West Coast. The trio took Sams 1952 Chevy from Sunnydale and arrived in
LA a few hours later.

To access three Angels they drove up to a barricaded alley were Sam stopped the car
and leaned out the window.

Do you see that? Willow asked, staring ahead of them.

Xander nodded, yeah.

Willow twisted around the car, looking behind them, why cant anybody else see that?

Xander grinned, magical sensitivity wards. In Europe they call them Muggle wards,
theyre designed to hide the area from people who dont have enough magic in them to
see through them.

Willows eyes widened, oh wow.

If you like that, Sam grinned as he as he straightened back up, youre gonna love
this.

Willow squealed at Sam put the gas petal down in the old classic surged forward
directly into the barricade.

Oh my God! Were going to --

Her squeals were cut off as the car effortlessly penetrated the barricade, actually
seeming to be swallowed up as they drove on through. They broke out into three Angels
a moment later, bright sunlight from above beating down on them at Sam guided the
old Chevy through the immense park they found themselves in.

Shopping district is over that way, Sam said nodding in the direction he was turning.

Wha but how? Willow stared around in shock, but we were in LA!

Still are little lady, Sam grinned. Three Angels is a magically expanded area. It
started as a single city block back around 1850, but as the city boomed the magical
population grew as well. The Ley lines in the area offer a lot more power than most
places get, so they were able to engineer some pretty impressive wards and magical
effects.

Even Xander, who had seen diagon alley in London was awed by what he was seeing
here.

There are only three cities in the states within a significant magical population, Sam
explained, New York, San Francisco, and LA. Most of the rest of the Americas are
spread out pretty widely, for a lot of reasons. LA and New York are immigrant towns,
while San Francisco tends to draw in all sorts because the city itself was built on
multiple Ley line nexus. You kids will have to visit San Fran sometime, Im a squib and
I can feel the air tingle up there.

As Sam spoke they were approaching a congregation of people and buildings that
looked like the shopping district he mentioned. The two kids were surprised to note that
Sams car wasnt even remotely out of place. In fact, neither of them saw a vehicle that
seemed newer than the late 60s. When they brought it up, Sam just laughed.

No electronics. He said by way of reply, any magically dense area will blow any
electronics you bring into it. Dont know why, just the way things are.

Willow frowned, the idea of losing your computer just by driving through a magical
area not sitting well with her. No ones done the research to find out why?

Sam laughed again, lots of people done research, no one got any answers. There is
always some bright young genius, usually from a non-magical family, crusading to find
the answer but its apparently hiding pretty well.

Xander, unsurprised by the response, just shrugged. Willow, however, seem to take it as
a personal insult, or challenge. Xander just grinned as she ranted under her breath,
knowing that their little research group had just picked up another project.

Before she could get much steam up family pulled the car over to a stop in a nicely
shaded parking lot near the shopping district.

Alright come on kids, the former Navy seal said as they climbed out of the vehicle.
You have your lists?

The duo nodded, so Sam led the way to the shops.

Willow wanted a wand more than anything, unfortunately they had found that since she
wasnt on the list of approved magical school she couldnt legally buy one. Xander had
been racking his brains, looking for an option, but had yet to find one. To date, the best
hed found, was to get Willow a tutor as soon as possible.

Without her parents consent and knowledge, however, the earliest easy time would be
when she turned 18.

He hoped that theyd find another option, but in the meantime the redhead had laid
claim to the graphite wands they had crafted, saying that they were better than nothing.
Xander didnt mind, of course, though it did mean that he needed more graphite blanks
to continue experimenting.

He was distracted from his reverie by Willows squeal as the redhead spotted the
bookstore.

Sam chuckled to himself as his nephew was dragged bodily but a girl a fraction of his
weight, and decided to wait for them at the Starbucks across the road.

****

Xander found himself at the center of a whirlwind as Willow dragged him from stack to
stack, all but drooling over the wealth of information she found herself surrounded by.
The redhead quickly tapped out her own budget, picking up copies of the standard book
of spells grade 3, and other books recommended in Xanders supply list. Xander had
already handed over his books from first and second year, along with many of his notes
since most of what felt was valuable was stored in the coven grimoire, or his research
notebooks.

Even so, Willow ran out of money long before she ran out of books.

Xanders budget, was somewhat larger however. His new bank account, while far from
inexhaustible, was more than sufficient to the task of buying all but the most rare and
expensive research tomes. So when Willows list was done, the two of them turned their
focus to books that might have answers, or even leads, for the projects they were
working on together.

So it was that by the time they were finished Xander was quite certain his new library
would rank quite respectably, even in the eyes of the likes of Hermione and Wednesday.

From the bookstore the two made their way across the promenade, waving to Sam when
they saw him outside the Starbucks, chatting up a woman they didnt recognize.

I cant believe they have a Starbucks. Willow said shaking her head.

Xander shrugged, Money is money. Im surprised there isnt a McDonalds.

Willow made a horrified face, shaking her head, at least theres some standards here.

Xander chuckled, I wouldnt say that until I looked around a little bit more, if I were
you. We did just get here, there could be a fast food strip right around the corner.

Willow groaned, but was quickly distracted by the sights through the shops front
windows. There were, of course, brooms and quidditch equipment, cauldron and
potions ingredients, and all the things Xander come to expect after seeing diagon alley.
There were also the oddities and unidentifiable objects that he had also come to expect
after seeing diagon alley. These were all mixed in with a smattering of more common
non-magical items the two of them were far more familiar with.

Xander for his part, quickly located a letter and hide working shop and made his way in
that direction.

Why are we going in here? Willow asked, puzzled.

I made a promise. Xander said as they walked in.

May I help you? A man asked from behind the counter, as he laid down an awl in
strip of leather.

Yeah, you guys make boots? Xander asked with a halfway smirk.

****

after Xander made his order, the rest of the day progressed fairly quickly and without
incident. The trio returned to Sunnydale that evening with bags of shrunken goods
fueling the boisterous good moods of the two children.

That was so cool! Willow gushed.

Xander nodded, definitely awesome. I never realized there was such a large magical
community this close.

Nature of the beast, Sam replied as they walked into Xanders house.

Whats the nature of the beast? Anthony Harris asked from the couch as they
approached.

Sam dropped and the couch beside his brother, snagging an unopened beer right out of
anything hands. Secrecy and magic.

Hey! Tony growled, grabbing the beer back. Get your own, you moocher!

Sam grumbled, starting to get up off the couch, but was stopped when Willow jumped
up.

Ill get it for you, she said in a rush as she ran for the kitchen.

Sam settled back down smirking at his brother, I could get used to this.

Anthony just rolled his eyes, so why the talk about secrecy and magic?

I was just saying that I was surprised that there was such a large magical community
so close to us.

Tony nodded, twisting the Off his beer and taking a drink, yeah, three Angels. Been a
while since Ive been there, would have liked to join you today if I didnt have to work.

Xander shrugged, smiled, its alright dad, we just did some shopping anyway.

Sam nodded, spent most of the afternoon drinking coffee.

Tony shrugged, yeah I guess. As for secrecy, three Angels has to hide from 12 million
people right on the doorstep. Not too hard to imagine why we never hear of it here in
Sunnydale.

Xander nodded, knowing that it made sense. Hed only known about the magical world
going on three years now, and most of his experience in it was halfway around the
world. It was plainly obvious that there was a lot to see, much closer to home.

You get all your shopping done, son?

Xander looked up, shaking from his thoughts, then nodded after a moment. Unless
they change the books on us again this year, but no big deal if they do. Ill be able to
pick up what I need in diagon.

Tony grunted, go back to Hogwarts then?

I think so, Xander said. Ive got friends there now, and Im doing pretty well in my
studies. No reason to change it now.

Tony nodded reluctantly, just dont like the stories coming out of that place.

What stories? Sam asked as Willow returned with his beer.

Petrification of students, and the boy here being involved in some fight with a
basilisk. Tony responded.

Xander grimaced, they told you about that?

Damn right they did. Tony said crossly, something you should have done when you
got home.

Wasnt a big deal. Xander shrugged, its not like I was a target anyway.

Sam leaned forward, target? Would you mean target?

Professor from Salem seemed to think that they have a terrorist problem over there.
Tony answered, probably the same group from 15 years ago.

Sam settled back, closing his eyes as he thought back that far. Death eaters then.
Theyve been quiet since their Dark Lord got himself roasted by a baby, whats
bringing them out now?

Xander rolled his eyes, you remember the babys name?

Sam snorted, hard not to. Every wizard on the planet knows his name, so if youve talk
to one of them in the last 13 years, youve heard it. Potter. Harry Potter.

Xander nodded, you want to guess whos in my year?

Jesus. Sam cursed, you mean to tell me those dipshits have been trying to a 13-year-
old?

And failing miserably. Xander responded with a grin. "since he was 11."

Fuck.

****
Back to index
****

Dude!

Xander half turned, looking over his shoulder to see Jessie approaching with Jonathan
and Warren in tow. He grinned, waving to the trio as they approached, hey guys!
Right on time.

The trio grinned and nodded to Xander as he turned with them and the group headed
into Sunnydales games and comics shop. Xander grinned as he looked around, nodding
to the owner.

Xan! Michael Smith greeted him with a smile, Havent seen you in ages.

Boarding school, same as last year. Xander replied, pausing to lean on the counter
and chat with the man who had pretty much singlehandedly supplied him and Jessie
with years worth of comics.

Doing well, I hope?

Not bad, Xander said, Im not going to take honor spots, but Im doing pretty good
according to some people.

Good, good. Here for the comics youve missed? Smith asked, grinning.

Actually, these delinquents are trying to get me hooked on gaming now. Xander
said, grinning back.

Oh, excellent, those cost MUCH more than comics.

Xander laughed, but nodded, Yeah, well I guess I better see what theyre about then,
huh?

You have any questions, just ask, Im here all day.

And most nights, as I recall. Melinda Smith, Michaels wife said as she walked over.
Hello, Xander.

Hey, Mel. Xander nodded.

Gaming now, is it? She asked with a smirk.

Hey, you told us that it was our duty to sucker... er, invite our friends into the fold,
Jessie spoke up.

Mel rolled her eyes, Subtle you aint, McNally. Ok, what game are you interested in,
Xan?

I want all of them, Xander smirked.

What? Mel blinked, noting with surprise that the others didnt seen phased.

Well, I want details on all the magic systems, spells, stuff like that. Xander
ammended. So any books on magic, at least, plus the core rules I guess.

Whoa. Thats going to set you back a little.

Thats ok, for this I can afford it. Xander said, knowing that hed basically sold the
idea as educational to his parents, so they werent going to make a fuss over the
money, even though they still had some control over his accounts until he was eighteen.

Alright...

****

The day was spent picking up core books and magic based sourcebooks for everything
from AD&D to Gurps, from necromancy to technomancy, and everything in between.
The hit to his back account didnt quite break the thousand dollar mark, but only
because they only stocked the more popular books.

Mel promised to find more uncommon titles, and even said she would check into older
occultist titles if he was interested. Xander wasnt sure if those would be of much use
compared to the books he could find easily in the Magical quarters, but he agreed
anyway.

If nothing else, between Wednesday, Willow, and Hermione he was quite certain that
any book he bought would eventually be read on way or the other.

He wasnt buying any of these titles to learn magic, of course, but rather because he
thought that maybe he could learn new ways to use magic. There were some cool ideas
in the Gurps book on technomancy, if they could figure out why electronics and magic
didnt mix of course.

Besides, it was really pretty fun reading, and more importantly it was something he
and Jessie could get together and do to catch up. Xander wasnt sure he liked the way
things were going in Sunnydale, from what he could tell Jessie and Willow were drifting
apart, and he was worried about where that left his best gal pal. Wills had never been
the sort to make friends easily, all through grade school it had really just been him and
Jessie, no one else lasted.

Girls and guys alike were put off by her intelligence, Xander knew. So much so that
Willow had gotten progressively shier as the years went by, her bubbly nature being
buried slowly under more and more self conscious fears.

Really, he worried about her.

Oh, not in the long run. Xander was pretty certain that Willow would eventually blow
past anything the world left in her road, but in the short run she was hurt so easily. He
knew she had to be hurting that Jessie was hanging around less, but he also figured that
she was hurting because he wasnt around.

That really bothered him, because he didnt see any way around it. School mattered to
him suddenly, but even so hed throw it out for Willow, except that Xander knew shed
skin him alive if she did.

Shy and bubbly was one thing, but Angry Willow was a scary sight to see.

Xander!

Xander shook his head, looking up, Huh?

I asked which game you wanted to try tonight? Jessie asked him again, nodding to
the stack of books laid out in front of them.

Xander forced a smile, pushing the thoughts aside for another time. Lets just stick
with your campaign, guys, at least until we read through these more.

****

And so the summer moved on, with Xanders time being split between his family and
his friends. Sam had a contact that secured Xander an ample supply of graphite rods to
play with, and even came up with another suggestion for them to pursue.

The former Seal knew a bit about high tech materials, though how and why Xander
didnt know, nor did he press on, and had some suggestions to make on his own.

****

So youre using graphite as blanks for making wands? Sam asked, drumming his
fingers on his chin as he considered what Xander had mentioned, Interesting. Never
heard of that before.

Well, it was Willows suggestion really.

Willow blushed, It was nothing, just obvious I think.

So obvious no one thought of it yet, at least as far as I know. Sam said with a smile,
then looked pensive, yeah, I think I can get you a supply. Theres a company that does
contract work for Darpa, supplying stuff like that, I know a guy. Have you thought
about Carbon Fibre rods, though? Or Carbon rods?

Xander looked blank, Arent they all carbon?

Sam chuckled, Sure, but Graphite is a naturally occurring crystal. You might want to
figure out if its the carbon that matters, or the molecular bond.

Willows eyes lit up, Of course!

Huh? Xander shook his head.

Diamond and Graphite are both allotropes of Carbon, theyre not just Carbon,
Xander. Willow said in a rush, We should try both of Sams suggestions, and
anything else we can thing of that might work.

Alright. So where do we get Carbon rods and Carbon Fibre?

Carbon rods are used in a lot of things, including nuclear reactors, Sam said
pensively, But theyre not restricted, so we can get a hold of those easily. Carbon fibre
rods are a bit rarer, but I know a guy at Lockheed. Ill make some calls.

****

So they got new materials and continued the experimentation, with Wednesday
regularly coming through the floo to join in. It didnt take long to determine that
carbon rods worked fine, but didnt have the flex of graphite, which made them less
suitable for charms but quite decent for curses. The common swish and flick motion
that formed the basis of most charms movements was enhanced by a little flex in the
wand, while curses required a strong steely anchor to properly cast.

Carbon fibre was a mixed bag, though, which puzzled the trio. Some blanks worked
exceptionally well, rivaling Xander and Wednesdays matched wands in some areas,
depending on the cores, yet others were completely useless and seemed to turn out dud
wands as far as any of them could determine.

With continued experiments, though, they were able to start cataloging different
results based on materials used.

Unicorn tail hair worked best with Graphite, particularly when they carefully aligned
the hair along the length and fixed it in the precise center of the blank. The resulting
wand was exceptional for charms work, and quite decent for transfiguration, but very
poor indeed for curses.

Basilisk material showed promise when combined with pure Carbon rods, and was
frighteningly good for curses, particularly the darker ones in Wednesdays repertoire.
Xander suspected that a Carbon wand made with core material from Basilisk venom or
powdered basilisk eye would be something terrible to behold, indeed. The material was,
however, nearly worthless at charms work, and only moderately decent at some
transfiguration spells.

Also, while the Carbon rods were tough, they were also somewhat brittle in the size
and lengths used. Plenty of drawbacks when compared to their strengths, such that
Xander couldnt see one being practical as it stood.

Still, they carefully documented each wand they made, and began to wonder about
other core materials.

They finally had to go back into LA and look up some Wandcrafters, just to ask their
questions.

Phoenix Feather, they learned, was beyond rare. When Xander asked around in Three
Angels, the response was unequivocal, phoenix core wands were generally only made
once or twice a generation, and sometimes not at all. They were considered by many to
be among the most powerful of wands, however, though it was probably more due to
those who wielded them than the wands themselves.

Wendelyn The Weird, an exceptionally powerful witch from Spain, who Xander had
learned about in History of Magic, was one. Benjamin Franklin was another, as was
Nicholas Flamel. Albus Dumbledore himself was rumored to use a Phoenix core wand,
though there was some dispute over than, from what the local Wandcrafter had to say.
Apparently during his battle with Grindlewald, the Arch Mage had indeed used a
Phoenix core wand, the same wand he had used all his life up to that point. Afterwards,
however, several historians had noted that he began using a different wand in public.

The most powerful wand, speaking of legends, was of course the fabled Elder wand.
Made of Elder wood and Thestral Hair, it was one of the so called Deathly Hallows.
Supposedly it made its wielder unbeatable in combat, though its bloodied history of
one dead wielder after another made Xander doubt the stories. It sounded rather Lord
of the Rings, to him, with the so called all powerful artifact actually being cursed and
not blessed.

Dragon Heartstrings were actually the most common of core materials, since one
dragons heart could supply the material for hundreds of wands. It was this, in fact,
that led to Dragons being a protected species by Wizard Kind, since they had been
hunted to near extinction by Wizards who wanted to turn their flesh into materials for
spells, wands, and other magical artifacts. Even today, Xander learned, Dragon
poaching was a serious problem in many parts of the world.

In the end, though, all their questions came back to one simple truth.

Any magical creature could donate material to create a wand core, some wand crafters
had even created functional wands with human hairs from witches and wizards. The
key was to take the material from as close to a creatures center of magic as possible. In
many cases wand crafters had to settle for second best, however. In Unicorns the horn
would be the ideal, however only the darkest of dark would craft a wand from that, and
the consensus was that such a wand would never suit them. Dragon hearts were more
potent, because that was the true center of the Dragons power, while Phoenix feathers
were probably one or two steps removed from the true center of the avians magic,
which made the potency of feather core wands even more impressive.

What it came down to, Xander, Willow, and Wednesday decided was experimentation.
They would have to acquire material from as many creatures as they could, within
ethical bounds, and build wands to see what happened.

****
End Notes:
Another chapter of Shadow Council, and this story begins anew. I'm going to try and
skim through Year Three, FYI, because really not a lot happens different from the
books. So we'll see some scenes here and there, and I'll try and keep the general story
thread connected, but hopefully it'll pass fairly quickly.

You can check my blog for new posts, comments, or ideas I'm playing with...
blogs.tenhawkpresents.com/tenhawk/
Back to index
****

I want you to be careful when you go back to Hogwarts, Alexander.

Robert leaned forward seriously, eyeing his young relative.

Come on, man, its not that bad.

Your parents have told me about the Basilisk, child. The old man replied wryly,
shaking his head. That is hardly a safe environment.

Didnt hurt anyone really, Xander shrugged, Besides, we got it.

A miracle, however welcome, does not a stable world make. Robert returned.

Their current discussion had risen from a brief back and forth between the two on
Magical beasts, and their dangers. Robert had only middling experience in such
matters, most of his life had been spent in the non magical world, but other than the
Addamses, whos opinions on dangerous creatures was suspect, he was the only person
Xander could talk to.

Robert had heard all about Hogwarts from Xanders parents, however, and had
obviously been looking for an opening.

When navigating the magical world, remain vigilant Alexander. he said, sounding a
little tired. There are threats there that are utterly inconceivable to the non magically
inclined. Especially if youre involving any of your friends from outside the magical
world.

Why? Xander asked, puzzled.

Because youre a Wizard, boy. Im a Squib. That makes us tough compared to most,
a non magical person would be dead in a very short time if left on their own in a
magical environment. Robert countered sharply, even squibs like myself dont fare
well as a general rule. Hell, boy, only a thousand years ago people we would today call
Wizards were cowering in mud huts, pretending to the non magical because it was
safer.

That surprised Xander, it was something he hadnt gleaned from his History classes.
Huh?

Before wands there were few magically adept who could stand up against even the
most mean of magical threats, Robert explained, with a wand you could be killed by
pixies easily enough.

Xander grimaced, remembering the first day of defense class the previous year, and
had to concede the point. Ok, I guess I see that.

Damn right, and you should. Wands are a force multiplier.

Ok, you lost me again.

Its a military term, Alexander. Robert smiled, It just means something that takes
what you have, and multiplies it by a certain factor. Before wands came into common
use, for example, humans were often under siege by Goblin rebellions. Even after they
came into use the rebellions continued for a time, while Wizards learned to maximize
their use. Now, however, Goblins dont stand a chance against Wizards and they know
it. Wands are the reason why.

Really? Why dont they just make their own?

Because Wizards have banned non humans from making, owning, or using wands.
Robert replied, plus human wands dont work particularly well for Goblins, and since
they lost the wars, the concessions they had to give up include the right for Ministry
officials to perform search and seizure on any suspected focus research.

Huh. Xander replied thoughtfully, mulling that over.

Dont get me wrong, the Goblins arent pushovers, Robert went on, They hold a
mastery over warding magics thats beyond anything Wizards have yet produced, and
they know more about ritual magic than most wizards alive. All of which makes
attacking them a dicey matter, however if they want to come out of their warrens they
have to meet Wizards in the open field, and there they would be slaughtered.

So its a balance of power, then.

For now. Robert nodded, With the balance tipping somewhat in the favor of
Wizards at the moment. While a successful assault on Goblin Warrens would be...
Pyrrhic to say the least, Wizards hold the threat of siege over their heads. Cut off from
outside supply, the Goblins would be forced to surrender, or stage a final battle, within
a few months at best. All because of wands.

Wow. Xander muttered, rolling the term around in his head. Force multiplier.

The military says that the Moral is to the Physical as Three is to One. Robert said,
Napoleon said it first, at least in those terms. Thats a force multiplier.

I dont get it.

Say youre a soldier, Robert said and waited for Xander to nod before going on.
Well give you a value of one. Thats your mathematical impact on the battlefield,
alright?

Again, Xander nodded.

What Napoleon meant was that a motivated soldier, one who wanted to fight, had a
reason to fight... was automatically worth a value of three. The multiplier of morale,
three, times the standard value of one. In theory, at least, it meant that one motivated
soldier has the impact of three normal soldiers. Robert explained patiently. Myself,
I think I would rank wands as being a factor of ten. A normal wizard without a wand is
worth one, that same wizard with a wand, assuming he knows how to use it, is worth
ten. Do you follow?

Xander nodded, I think so. So, youre saying that a motivated wizard with a wand is
worth thirty normal soldiers? Or normal wizards?

Pretty much the same thing, Robert smiled, Magic is a multiplier as well, but so is
training. If you really wanted to work out the battlefield math youd have to take that
into account. For example, a soldier is worth one, but advanced training is perhaps a
multiplier of five. And, generally, highly trained soldiers are usually motivated.

So theyd be worth fifteen? Xander asked.

As a base value.

So, magic is worth... how much?

Now THAT is a good question, Robert smiled, leaning forward. I dont think
anyone has every worked it out because theres no standard value of M. We know that
some wizards are more powerful than others, which will affect its value, but theres no
chart to calculate from. What is the value of a Merlin? A Dumbledore? A Franklin? Are
they exceptional because theyre powerful? Or are they powerful because theyre
exceptional?

He let Xander consider that for a moment before continuing.

That said, its safe to say that even moderate magical power and reserves is at least as
valuable as advanced training. So, for your average Constable, we can give the value of
magic to be around five. Thats really the minimum combat level for magical ability, I
would say. For a powerful wizard? I dont know. Could be twenty five. Could fifty.
Robert said seriously, The math just isnt available to tell.

That would mean that a well trained and powerful wizard would be worth... Xander
blinked, thinking about it.

Hundreds. Maybe thousands of normal soldiers, assuming the equations balanced.
Robert said, However the math is never the whole story when it comes to human
interactions. Those numbers are really based on theoretical averages, what will happen
in the long run if you run thousands or millions of battles out to their final conclusion.
Individual cases can always surprise you.

How?

Imagine Merlin, today. A supremely powerful wizard, trained to the highest standard
imaginable. Give him any value you want, Robert said, One thousand, ten thousand,
a million.

Xander nodded intently.

Now, on the other side. One soldier. Hes motivated, trained, and equipped. Give him
a value of maybe 45 for those factors. Hes a sniper, thats at least worth 10, so now hes
450. His target, our Merlin, doesnt know hes out there. He will only get one shot, but if
he makes it... our little 450 value sniper just eliminated a player worth, at least, twice his
value... quite probably more. Does it mean the math was wrong?

Xander didnt know, he shook his head and shrugged.

No, it means it was incomplete. There were other factors that we didnt add in, that
conspired to increase the value of that one soldier, in that one instance, to an equal or
greater level than his target. Robert said seriously. And that is the danger of the real
world. We cant know all the variables, and so things surprise us.

Xander swallowed, but nodded in understanding.

And that is why Im telling you to be careful in Hogwarts, boy. You may think its not
that bad, but Im telling you now, you dont know all the variables in the game thats
being played around you. Robert said suddenly, sternly. And make no mistake,
someone is playing a game there. Probably several someones, and you dont want to be
drawn into it blindly.

Xander nodded again, Ill be careful.

Robert forced a smile. Good. Now go on, get out of here, but think on what Ive told
you.

I will, Sir. Thank you.

The old man watched his young relative leave and thought about some of what he was
hearing from the other side of the Atlantic. There was more than one game being played
over there, he suspected, with more than a few players. He hoped Alexander didnt get
drawn in, because he was too young to see the game for what it was, and those types of
players were rough on their pawns.

There was now family pressure to keep him in Hogwarts, however, something Tony
and Jessica had no clue how to fight. The boy was getting close to some heavy duty up
and comers over there, and the family wanted it that way.

****
Back to index
****

Xander didnt know what to think about everything he was being told now, it seemed a
little messed up.

Thats totally messed up! Willow responded when he told her, pulling a laugh from
his throat.

I think I got that much, Wills.

I mean, why send you back there if theyre so worried?

Xander was wondering that himself, he knew that he parents werent happy about it,
and now Robert was giving him advice that basically amounted to watch your back,
someone has a knife. He was thirteen for crying out loud, what the hell was he
supposed to do about it?

I dont think its that dangerous, Will, He said finally.

Her eyes widened, But... the big snake! And spells, and stuff...

None of it was aimed at me, Xander said, thinking it over. I involved myself,
right?

I guess, Willow said reluctantly.

Its not like Im Harry or anything.

Willow perked up at the mention of Harry Potter, almost drawing a groan from
Xander.

God, Wills, dont tell me youve joined his fan club.

Willow blushed red, Of course not, dummy, but Ive read all the stories about him
and...

And from what Harry grumbles about, you now know a lot of very near fictional
stories about his life. Xander grinned wryly.

Those were HISTORY books! Willow blurted, scandalized.

They were written by people who didnt know much history, apparently.

Willow looked a little disturbed by that, but didnt comment further. It brought to
mind the similarities between her and Hermione, and Xander had to smile at the
thought.

<What is it with me and scarily smart gals?> He wondered, a shiver passing through
him as he looked at Willow for the first time as a Girl, and realized that she was a lot
cuter than he seemed to remember. <Whoa. Where did that come from?>

Xander shook off the thought, Anyway, Im a nobody at the school. Whats more, Im
an American nobody, so Im not worth killing.

Willow slapped his shoulder, Dont talk like that! Youre Xander, youre a somebody
to me.

Thanks, Wills, but thats not what I meant. Xander said softly, smiling at her. I
talked with Professor Hardy about it. Im not worth anything to either side over there,
but dead I could cause them a lot of trouble.

Why? Willow scrunched up her face, confused.

Cause it would attract attention from the States, Xander shrugged, And a lot of
other countries, I guess. Right now the bad guys are still pretty crippled from what
Harry did to their boss twelve years ago, and the good guys are the British
government... How much do you think they want a bunch of Yanks stinking their nose
into british business?

Not much, I suppose.

Xander smiled, Dead on. Anyway, Im pretty safe.

Not if you stick your own nose in where it doesnt belong, Mister. She told him
firmly, resolve face in place.

Wills... That snake hurt a friend. Xander told her evenly in return.

Willow paled slightly, but nodded.

That was one thing she knew about Xander, one thing that she wouldnt change. He
protected his friends, as best he could anyway. When they were younger he took
beatings from Bullies to protect her and Jess, even though neither of them wanted him
to. It was just what he did, it was who he was.

She sighed, Alright, but please... be careful.

Hey, no worries. Xander smiled, Ill have Wednesday there, and you know that
when in doubt, we lead with bone splitter curses.

Willow rolled her eyes, but nodded.

****

Summer was coming to a rapid close, and Xander found himself against the wall as he
seemed to be running out of time, but not out of things to get done.

His conversations with Robert continued, with the older man speaking to him a lot
about history, especially military history. That was cool, Xander found, because hed
always had a degree of interest in it, and now he had someone to talk to who had
actually *fought* in the American Civil War. Robert had also been involved in the first
and second world wars, and every conflict up until Vietnam, though he had only been
an advisor by that point.

Robert had a far different opinions on most of the subjects than Xander had always
heard, but a lot of his points made sense, so Xander wasnt sure what to believe. Robert
insisted that he had to learn all he could about something, though, and only then form
an opinion. Too many people just accepted the common thoughts on a subject, ignoring
the facts, and what was worse, ignoring the people who were twisting those facts to their
own ends.

Wand research continued, though they didnt make a lot more progress than they had
managed already. Willow now had two wands claimed as her own, a Carbon rod with
ground Basilisk scale core, and a Graphite model with unicorn tail hair. The two made
for a good all round casting capacity, they had found.

Xander had stored all their extra blanks in his trunk, along with his notes and various
components. He was already planning his own wand for fighting, based around a
Carbon Rod blank and Basilisk eye core. He didnt want to waste the basilisk eye
material they had, though, until he had perfected the design, it was far too valuable,
especially since he and Wednesday were quite certain that the eyes were the core of the
large snakes magic.

He wasnt sure, of course, that he would be able to make anything better than a fitted
wand, but it *felt* like they were on the right track, so he was making plans in the
hopes they would succeed.

A trip back to Three Angels had won Xander his new pair of boots, which he was
certain would make an impact back at hogwarts. The new boots were based off a
Motorcycle design, with metal clasps that gleamed against the iridescent green flecks of
the snake skin material. Almost black, they glimmered green in the right light, and
suited his Slytherin colors perfectly.

They had cost him a bit, more so in materials than cash, since he had to provide the
basilisk skin for them, but Xander figured it was worth it there. The bootmaker had
counseled him to use more material than needed, fashioning a larger pair of boots than
he normally wore. Charms were then applied to shrink them to a perfect fit.

When Xander had asked why, the answer had surprised him not so much because it
was surprising, but rather because it made so much sense.

Well boy, its like this, The old man had told him, Sizing charms can make a cloak,
or boots, or whatever, larger or smaller as you need them... but they cant make more
material. So theyre stretching the material, or compressing it, to fit. In most cases, that
dont matter none. But this here, this is basilisk skin, and it has some properties that
you dont want to spread thin if you have a choice. Better to make it bigger, then shrink
it down, that actually makes the material tougher by focusing its strengths into a
smaller area. Thesell be as fine a pair of boots as Ive ever made, youve my word on
that.

With that answer, Xander had simply nodded and told the craftsman to do his best
and he would take the experts advice on the matter.

Xander had to admit, though, that he was looking forward to getting back to
Hogwarts. Willow, Jessie, and all were great, but there was just something about a
magical environment that was so damned cool. He couldnt believe that he was actually
getting assigned *magic* as HOMEWORK. It was so insanely cool that Xander could
barely contain himself sometimes.

Being a Star Wars geek from way back, it was like being approached and asked to join
the Jedi order or something. He honestly couldnt understand anyone who didnt love
every moment of it.

Which brought him back to the Grimoire.

That book from his first year had unlocked a few levels now that he was about to go
into his third, giving him access to spells even further along than it had before. The
release of Sirius Black into his precious reservoir of knowledge, however, was a mixed
blessing at best. The Wizard turned Shaggy Dog, or vice versa (Xander wasnt certain
which), was a pest that constantly forced Xander to fight him off if he wanted to
actually read anything.

The flip side was that Xander was getting better with a lot of rather obscure spells that
pertained to enchanted items. Hed also begun to learn more and more about how the
book had been written originally.

It was all based around a very old charm known as The Protean Charm, ironically one
that Xander knew quite well since he had come across it when research magical tattoos.
It was the same spell that made the base for the Dark Mark on the arms of Chief Moldy
Shorts thugs.

The Protean was from a very obscure branch of magic that was based strongly around
what was called the Similarity Principal. In fact, Xander had learned quickly, that few
Witches or Wizards had ever really heard about it, maybe as little as one in ten. Which
was ironic, since almost every non magical person on the planet knew of one of its
applications, the Voodoo Doll.

Basically, the Similarity Principal stated that like affected like, and it was possible to
connect two similar items so that what affected one, would affect the other. That was
how a Voodoo Doll, properly made, could affect the person it was crafted to resemble, it
was also how Voldemort could inflict pain on anyone wearing the Dark Mark from any
Dark Mark within his reach. It was how the book was connected with the one in
Narcissa Malfoys study...

And, more interestingly in Xanders opinion, it was also how a LOT of semi-legal
wizarding objects were made, including one Sirius Black referred to as The Marauders
Map.

Sirius refused to hand over the details on how to make said map, but he had been
hinting around it, and Xander was wondering if it were possible to make one of his own.
The protean charm was very advanced, NEWT level at least, but much of the rest was
relatively easy, though probably long, detailed, and precise in nature. He would bring it
up with Hermione and Wednesday back at school, Xander decided. If nothing else, it
would be fun to research, especially when he started to think about what ELSE the
Protean could be used to make.

****

Almost too soon, yet after such a long wait, it was time to leave for school again.

Xander had said his goodbyes, and was waiting for the portkey to Salem when his
Mom and Dad came in.

Anthony looked serious as he sat down, Son... we should talk.

Whats up, Dad?

We just want you to be careful.

Xander smiled, I will, Mom... Dad, I promise. If it was really dangerous its not like
Id be going back, right?

His parents exchanged a glance, which caused Xander to stare for a moment.

Some in the family want you there, Son, Tony said after a moment, Theyre putting
a lot of pressure on us, and the school.

How?

Harris is a big family, with a lot of power, Tony sighed, And right now, the head
seems to think that you getting closer to a few of those kids over there is a good thing.
That place seems a little off too me, but Ive never been to a magical school, so I dont
know for sure. I know that the Wizarding world can be dangerous, or at least seem like
it, to normal folk though, so I expect its not as bad as it seems to me...

Xander nodded, hed already worked that out. Well, and Robert had said as much as
well.

So I just want you to know to watch your back, and try to keep your head down, ok
boy? Tony said gruffly.

Xander nodded, I will.

Jessica hugged him quickly then, and Xander fought off a lump in his throat as she
sobbed a little.

Were both going to miss you, so try and come back in one piece, k? Tony asked
with a wry smile.

****
Back to index
****

The portkey released Xander with all the normal grace he was able to muster, that was
none at all, and he slammed into the grounds outside Salem.

Did that hurt, man? That looked like it hurt.

Xander groaned, pushing himself over, and looked up to see a boy about his age
looking down at him.

You ok? The boy asked, extending a hand. Im Mike.

Xander. He replied, taking the hand and letting the boy help him to his feet.

Good, the right guy came falling out of the sky.

Xander curled his lip up in a sarcastic expression, but didnt reply.

The Headmaster wanted me to meet you, Ill take you to his office.

Thanks.

The meeting with the headmaster was really just a formality, and Xander breezed
through it in a few minutes. His marks, both from the Hogwarts professors and
Professor Hardy were adequate to keep pretty much everyone off his case, so really all
he was doing was confirming what he already knew.

When released, Xander headed back for the main gates. Hed agreed to meet
Wednesday here, as theyd be going on the England together, and despite the fact that
they had gotten together a lot over the summer it felt like a reunion of sorts.

Alexander.

Xander turned and recognized The Lavelle Matriarch, Jessica, as she approached.
Maam.

How was your summer?

Fine. Xander said, his tone a little uncertain. He wasnt sure what this woman, or
anyone else in the family for that matter, wanted with him. But everyone he knew was
warning him to tread softly.

I understand that you are doing well in your classes.

I guess so.

Excellent. A Hogwarts education carries a great deal of esteem in certain circles,
young man. See that you take it seriously.

Xander nodded automatically, I do.

Have you chosen your courses for the next year?

Xander nodded, Im taking the normal load, plus Runes and Arithmancy.

Good choices, The Lavelle Matriarch nodded approvingly. Those will open the
widest career path in the future. Have you thought that far ahead?

Xander shook his head, Not really, Maam. Over there its easy to get caught up in
whats happening, but when I come home everything is different.

She raised one eyebrow, indeed. I can see how, if you were from England, one might
seriously plan on joining The Proud.

Xander blinked, The Proud?

Sorry, She smiled slightly, What do they call it over there? Oh yes, The Aurors.
The Proud are the American Ministrys Law Enforcement Branch, well... theyre our
Federal level group, at least. Unlike the Europeans, we Americans dont centralize law
enforcement to the same degree. Wizarding Constables enforce the laws in their own
communities, The Proud exist to handle issues beyond their ability, generally Dark
Lord types and Dark Bands.

Xander couldnt help but smirk, I didnt know Metallica was a threat.

Apparently purebloods in the States werent quite as separated from normal culture
as in England, because that comment earned him a dark scowl from the old lady. A
Dark Band is akin to what you might know as an Outlaw Gang. A group of wizards and
witches, and occasionally other creatures, that while individually are not particularly
powerful, operate as a group to terrorize communities.

That brought Xander up short, as he considered it, Wow. Ive never heard of the
like.

Well, its not a strictly American invention by a long shot, young man, however our
extremely large expanse of territory, compared to population, makes it a viable
alternative for outlaws of all stripes. When you combine it with American laws against
using military force on our own citizens, you can see how these groups survive.

Xander nodded, filing the information away. Why do they call the cops, The Proud?

She smiled, Because theyre LEOs, and Lions always travel in a Pride.

Xander blinked, but was obviously confused.

LEO, Law Enforcement Officer. She explained, The Proud, or Pride, is Americas
Federal Response Organization. We mandate them to less than one hundred members,
but theyre the most powerful and well trained Wizards and Witches in the country,
some say the world.

Xander smirked, Most of those live in the States, Ill bet.

Or Canada, Mexico, Cuba, and the like, She nodded with a smile.

Wha? Wait, why?

Why what? Jessica seemed as confused as Xander suddenly felt.

Why would Cuba or Mexico say that our guys are the best?

Our...? Her face suddenly cleared, Oh, wait, I see. You were muggle raised, of
course. I apologize, I can see that there are several things you dont know. For one,
there is no Magical Ministry of the United States. The American Ministry of Magic
actually represents Wizards and Witches from Canada, The United States, Mexico...
Basically down as far as Panama, and yes Cuba is under the same government on our
side of things. Basically all of North and Central America, aside from Alaska.

Xander blinked, Why not Alaska?

The Russian Magical Federation controls that, She said with a shrug, Always has.

Xander slumped, trying to wrap his mind around it, and failing almost totally.
Whoa.

Most political lines in our world doesnt quite match up with the corresponding lines
in the non magical world, child, She said matter of factly. In Europe, particularly,
things are a horrid mess. All the Muggle wars have shifted the lines around massively
from where they originally were, yet few of those wars affected Magical lines of
authority. I dont suppose thats really much of a concern to the schooling in Hogwarts,
however, since Magically the British Isles falls entirely under one government.

Oh man, Xander moaned, You mean I have to learn a whole new set of
countries??

The Lavelle Matriarch suppressed a smile with thin compressed lips, but nodded,
Yes, though most of the countries are more or less the same, just their boundaries have
a margin for error.

No wonder the world seems to be in such a mess, Xander muttered.

I rather think that there other reasons for that, young man, She told him sternly,
At anyrate, in North America at least, its part of normal life.

Whys that?

Because our ministry is more of a loosely allied group of independent states, She
explained, So the idea of flexible boundaries of jurisdiction is something you should get
used to. There are different laws in different areas of the country, even in different
towns in some cases.

That sounds... complicated.

Wizards and Witches came to America to get away from the iron hands of European
rulers, and the ministries they were backing. She told him, Central government is
anathema to most first Generation Americans, and were not yet so far removed from
those men and women that weve forgotten. In fact, its entirely possible that there are a
couple of them left, Franklin knows that weve misplaced one or two of the Founding
Families, and their Founders.

Misplaced? Xander asked, amused.

In the Magical world, anything is possible, Alexander. She told him calmly.
Including some truly spectacular ages. At anyrate, this is getting beyond the original
topic, which I believe was what you intend to do when you graduate?

Xander shifted uncomfortable, I dont really know yet. Ive been playing with a lot of
things, and there are some that interest me, but I dont know enough about anything
yet.

Hmmm... She nodded, accepting that. Ive heard about your patent, so perhaps you
have a future in potions research.

THAT was an accident! Xander protested, flushing hotly. I was trying to make a
joke potion to turn back on some pranksters at school! I swear!

She chuckled dryly, practically a cackle, No need to swear in my direction,
Alexander. I believe you, but still many great discoveries are made by accident. That
doesnt mean that the people who made them were worth any less in their fields.

She rose up just as an ancient Rolls steamed onto the school grounds.

Remember, Alexander, She said, sparing him a glance before turning away. The
Families are watching you now. We can aid your greatly in whatever you choose to do...
or not.

Xander watched the old woman walk away, his expression darkening at her parting
words as he wondered if it was more of an offer... or a threat?

The Rolls Royce came to a smooth halt in front of him, breaking him of those thoughts
as the doors opened and the Addams stepped out. He smiled genuinely, and rose to greet
them.

****
Back to index
****

Platform 9 and Three Quarters, London

The trip from Salem had gone as smoothly as any International Portkey had ever gone
in Xanders experience. That is, he would up flat on his face while Professor Hardy and
Wednesday looked down at him in thinly disguised amusement.

The secret to landing on your feet is to remember that youre moving, Hardy said as
he helped the boy up. Most people, especially non magical raised, expect it to be some
sort of teleport. Star Trek, beam me up Scotland, and all that.

Xander barely held back the snicker, though he had to admit that Hardy was a lot
better at the non magical references than most Wizards seemed to be.

Its not, however. Hardy went on, Were actually moving, and you have to land like
your moving. Move your legs to absorb the excess momentum, and youll land at a
walking pace. If you dont, itll just slam you into the ground every time.

Thanks. Xander said, shaking himself as he looked around.

The Platform was filling up nicely, students from all over England gathering for their
year at Hogwarts. At a glance you could easily tell who was the purebloods and who
came from a non magical family, irrespective of whether they wore robes or jeans.
There was just something about how they walked that gave them away, in Xanders
opinion.

I smell fear. Wednesday said softly, looking around.

What? Xander glanced over at her.

She didnt repeat herself, however, instead choosing to study the crowd. Police.

Where?

She nodded to several red cloaked wizards who were moving through the crowd, then
again to several others that were moving the same way, but wearing normal robes. Only
after did she turn to Professor Hardy, Has something happened?

Hardy frowned, Im not sure. I heard something about an escaped criminal, but that
was weeks ago.

Hang on, Ill find out. Xander said, spotting someone he knew.

He made his way over, through the crowd, and paused by her side. lo.

Daphne Greengrass jumped a little, then smiled as she recognized him. Harris. How
was your summer?

Well spent, Xander returned the smile. Then he nodded around, Whats going on?
Aurors running around, both in and out of uniform, and people are tense enough to
snap if you look at them wrong.

Daphne glanced around and sighed, leaning in closer to whisper, Its Sirus Black.

Black? Xander blinked, honestly stunned.

Daphne mistook his reaction for something else and nodded, I know. How anyone
could escape from Azkaban, I have no idea, but he did it. I take it you just got here from
America?

Xander nodded.

The Ministrys been pumping it up for weeks, now, even though Black hasnt been
seen since he got loose, Daphne said, My father expects that Fudge is using it to push
some unpopular legislation through the Wizemgamot.

What did Black do? Xander asked, really curious.

You dont know??

American, remember?

Ah, yes, well... Daphne gave him an arched look. Black is the one who betrayed the
Potters to the Dark Lord. After He Who Must Not Be Named died trying to kill Harry,
they say Black went mad, He killed Peter Pettigrew and over a dozen muggles with a
single curse and was laughing hysterically when the Aurors found him.

Xander frowned, trying to place that with what he knew of Black from the Grimoire.
Sirius was a pain in the ass, but a Blood Purist he was not. At least not by words or
actions within the book. Very strange, Xander thought. Of course, Wizards were all
nuts, so who knew?

Daphne took his frown for worry and merely shrugged, I wouldnt worry overly.
Daddy says that Blacks reputation is overblown anyway, hes really only so widely
feared because as the traitor who have up the Potters hes almost as famous as the Dark
Lord himself. He was a good Auror, apparently, but nothing beyond that.

Xander nodded with a quirk of his lips and a shrug, Hey, Im not worried. Even if he
is some super villain incarnate, hes going to go after Harry first, remember?

Daphne giggled slightly, but nodded. Thats what everyone says.

Xander nodded, mind racing, and thanked the girl for her help before heading back to
Hardy and Wednesday. He quickly filled them in as the students began to board.

Hardy shook his head, Going to school with that Potter boy seems to keep things from
getting dull, Ill admit. Alright, Ill see you at school in a couple weeks. Follow your
lesson plans, and do watch your backs.

Yes Sir. They said together, drawing a smile from the man.

Go on, get lost the both of you.

The two smirked and clambered aboard the train.

****

The train filled up quickly, but Wednesday and Xander had scored an empty
compartment with little trouble. Most people who past took one look at Xanders
slytherin colors and moved on, and those who seemed inclined to enter paused when
they spotted Wednesday before bolting. There was one who ignored the terrifying third
years, however, and entered quietly.

May I sit here?

Wednesday looked over at the blond girl, recognizing her as a Ravenclaw a year
behind them and nodded. You may.

Luna Lovegood smiled, her expression a little dazed like she wasnt exactly listening to
the here and now, and promptly dropped into a seat across from them. Thank you. Im
Luna.

Xander. Xander said with a smile.

Wednesday.

Oh, I know. She said, Youre infamous in the dorms.

Xander snorted, Shes infamous everywhere.

He grunted under a strategically placed elbow, and forced a smile through the pain.
Truth hurts, I guess.

Yes. Wednesday replied, Particularly the person who speaks it.

The train got underway, leaving the three alone in their carriage and to their own
devices. Xander spent some time working on his old battery project, using some ideas
Willow had given him, while Luna tried to engage Wednesday in a chat about magical
creatures.

I knew I could sense the wrackspurts in this compartment, Luna said, her tone
disconnected from her expressions. They must cling to your terribly.

You are mistaken, Wednesday returned equally, Wrackspurts tend not to survive
around an Addams.

Luna blinked, Oh! Then they must be...

Wednesday permitted herself a slight smile.

Oh, Im terribly sorry to hear that.

Why? I get along fabulously with them.

Xander looked up from his book, his mind having half been on the conversation, and
noted that Lunas expression had shifted to one of mild, though wide eyed,
apprehension. He made a note to ask what the hell they were talking about later, but
after years of experience with Willow, Wednesday, and Hermione, he wasnt stupid
enough to ask it now when the two of them could gang up on him and bury him in facts
he didnt need, nor particularly want.

So he filtered out the conversation and went back to his notes.

The problem of a Magical battery was a pain, though Xander was starting to think
that maybe he had a way around it. Willow had pointed out that there were lots of
historical, and current, magical items that did exactly what he was talking about. They
stored magical power, and let it out on command.

The problem was that they all used certain things in common with each other. Gold,
Silver, and Wood were good at holding a spell, for example, however he didnt want
some large clunky item. He was looking for a tattoo, much to Willows ire.

Oh the rant shes leveled on him over that one, Xander shuddered to even remember
it. Still, the conversation did bring up some good points. He *could* use gold and silver,
in fact many high end tattoo inks used metals as their base. The problem was that they
were trace amounts, not enough to hold any significant charge of magical energy.

That was where Runes came in.

Runes could also hold a charge, and even generate one to a degree. So now Xander was
looking into how to work gold and silver based inks, with runic designs, into his
concept. Hed run the numbers by Hermione, then Willow, and see if anything came of
it.

****

While Xander was reading the train got underway, and sped quickly to its destination.
They were closing on Hogsmeade, in the process of getting changed for school, when the
train stopped suddenly and threw Xander into Wednesday, and both of them into Luna.

What the hell?

The trio got untangled, and Xander was looking around in confusion.

Is it getting cold in here? He asked, shivering suddenly.

Yes.

Xander glanced over at Wednesday, surprised at her answer. Hes assumed it was just
him, but then he looked at the window and saw what she saw, ice crystals forming
quickly along the glass. His wand was out in a second, trailing just behind Wednesdays
own. Whats going on?

Were being searched. Luna said, her tone clearer than before, but somehow
smaller.

Xander glanced over, and was disturbed to see the girl curling up and shuddering on
her seat. Are you ok?

No. She said, barely muffling a sob. No please...

Xander felt sick to his stomach, the chill pealing through him as the light itself seemed
to retreat. Wednesday... whats going...

Get behind me. She said, pushing him back.

The door to the compartment burst open then, and Xander saw a ghastly thing float in.
He shivered, but lifted his wand, the bone splitting curse on his lips.

Dont. Wednesday pushed his arm down. It wont work.

B... b-but. Xander shivered.

Hold her. Wednesday pushed him at Luna. It will help.

He slumped into the seat, and almost instantly Luna latched on to him, sobbing into his
shoulder. Xander felt cold, through and through, like every good thing in his life had
been taken, and would never return. And so he held her back, and it seemed to help as
the feeling lessened.

Get out. Wednesday said, staring evenly at the thing. There is no one here that you
seek.

The thing gazed at her for a long time, then slowly backed out, retreating from their
compartment the way it had come. The door closed behind it, and for a moment nobody
moved. Then Wednesday Addams took a shuddering breath and slumped, falling into
Xanders free arm as he grabbed her and pulled her into the seat.

W-what the hell was that thing? He gasped out.

Dementor. Wednesday said, Minor demons.

She shivered slightly, eyes burning as she looked at him. I hate demons.

****
Back to index
****

The arrival of the Express in Hogsmeade was a somber, yet frenzied, affair as Aurors
rushed the train, and students struggled to get off. Xander and Wednesday pushed
their way off, Xander carrying Luna who was still shivering.

Hey! Can we get a medic here!?

A shabbily dressed figure rushed over to them and, quickly eyeing the three of them
produced a large slab of chocolate and handed it over. Share this between you. Itll
help.

Xander glanced at it, its chocolate.

The man grinned, Trust me.

Wednesday accepted the slab and broke it into pieces, handing some to Luna and the
rest to Xander after she had taken her own. Xander was surprised at how quickly the
warmth returned as the chocolate melted in his mouth, and in a few seconds Luna asked
to be put back on her feet.

Whoa. Xander blinked, Ok, I can admit when Im wrong.

Practice does make everything easier. Wednesday replied dryly.

Hey! Xander glare over at her, Thats uncalled for. Probably true, but uncalled
for.

Luna giggled slightly, then clapped a hand over her mouth, her wide eyes even wider
than before.

Im everyones entertainment. Xander sighed theatrically.

Not everyones, Wednesday said, nodding to another group.

Draco Malfoy was crowing in Harry Potters direction, Fainted, Potter? Really now, I
knew you were overrated but come on...

Xander shook his head as Harry was helped off by Ron and Hermione. Harry
fainted?

Dementors affect different people in different ways, Wednesday said by way of
explanation. Most of our age experience a mild chill, and a sensation of happiness
fleeing forever.

Xander nodded, Yeah. That... sounds about right.

The worse your experiences, however, the stronger the effect. The girl went on, If
your life has been hard enough, a Dementor can summon up the very worst thing you
have ever experienced and force you to relive it.

Xander grimaced, knowing that Harrys life hadnt exactly been perfume and roses.
You didnt seem too bothered, not until it left anyway.

Wednesday looked over at him for a moment, then turned toward the castle. That...
thing had no idea who it was facing. I react differently to darkness than most.

She was walking away by the time she finished, leaving Xander to stare after her.

She aint kidding, either. Xander finally said, chuckling as he too headed for the
carriages.

****

The sorting ceremony was a subdued affair, with the teachers and students both
quietly going about their business with very little of the boisterous behavior of previous
years. Xander had mixed feelings on that, since he was having doubts about his planned
opening salvo against the Twins.

Hed been planning it all summer, however, and as the firsties were being sorted off
Xander finally decided to go for it and surreptitiously began casting.

He used his Graphite/Unicorn Hair wand, because he figured that it wouldnt leave the
same tell tales as his matched wand, and carefully began laying the charms needed on
the room. The Great Hall was a spectacular piece of enchantment, something Xander
would have recognized even without Hermione hammering it in every year, practically
everything in the room was charmed or enchanted somehow. The spells were, in fact,
nearly impossible to break or alter in any permanent way, the strength of the magic
involved was so great.

However, they were also explicitly designed to accept temporary modifications as a
method for adapting the room to different needs. Technically only the Headmaster or a
Professor was supposed to be able to make said modifications, however over the years
several students had worked out the methodology for doing so... including the Coven
and the Mauraders.

Now Xander prepared his first sally of the year using their techniques as the hat
droned on, sending students to their tables.

By the time the sorting was done, and the Headmasters requisite nonsensical words
had been uttered, Xander too was finished and the meal appeared.

This year no one was digging in too fast, having remembered the events of the year
before, and the upper students were carefully vetting the food. Xander, however, didnt.
He quickly dug in and drew surprised stares from around him.

Did you check the food? Daphne nudged him.

Xander shook his head, nope.

But... the Twins?

If they get me, they get me. Xander replied, then smirked, but I dont think theyre
stupid enough to try. Not after last year.

Daphne considered than, and had to admit that it was likely true. She shrugged and
took a sampling for herself, You think theyve given up?

Xander snorted, not hardly. But theyll come from a new direction this year, Ill bet.

Thats hardly comforting.

Xander just grinned.

The meal progressed with little incident, apparently even the twins were feeling less
than eager to mix things up given the events of the day, until the desert course was
served. Xander waited until that was petering out, most students looking around more
and at their food less, then he tripped his charm string and carefully made a point of
digging in to a new slice of pie.

At first nothing happened, then a gasp and series of whispers began to echo back and
forth through the hall. Xander looked up, putting on a confused expression, and looked
to where the others were pointing.

On the charmed ceiling of the Hall a large banner was playing itself out.

HEIRS OF THE MARAUDERS, BEWARE.

Xander smirked inwardly, really he felt kinda cheap stealing Mold in his Shorts lines,
but it was too good to pass up. The tension in the room had cranked up noticeably, and
Xander was only mildly surprised to see the twins pale slightly.

He had been wondering if they knew anything about their predecessors, but from what
he could tell from the book it was entirely probable so hed played it out as if they did.

<So, I wonder what little piece of the marauders they found?> he mused as the ceiling
changed again.

THE COVEN AWAKENS, AND WE ARE WATCHING YOU.

It really was all he could do not to grin insanely at the sudden look the twins shot each
other, their freckled face paling a little more as they searched the room for their
unknown adversaries. That was a memory worth savoring, Xander decided, as he
looked around the room himself.

The twins reaction was exactly what he had hoped for, but it was the *teachers*
reactions that sent his mind into overdrive.

The shabby looking man who had given them the slabs of chocolate earlier was sitting,
wide eyed and opened mouthed as he stared up, and *every* other teacher including the
Headmaster, was staring at him with suspicious eyes.

Well, except for Snape, who was glaring with killing intent.

<What the hell is that?> Xander wondered, as he wracked his brain for the mans
name.

Lupin, he thought. He hadnt been paying a lot of attention when the Headmaster
introduced him.

Remus Lupin.

Xander frowned, his focus shifting as he started thinking about the reaction from the
teachers and filed the twins away as less interesting for the moment. Lupin was now
shaking his head and whispering intently to the headmaster, obviously denying
involvement.

Xander knew that Lupin had no connections to the Coven, at least none that he could
think of. So, realistically, that only left one possibility.

Was he a Marauder?

The teachers quickly dispelled the charms Xander had laid, and amidst the whispers of
the students, the assembly was broken up and everyone sorted out to their dorms.

****

Well! Daphne blinked, What was that all about?

Dont know. Xander lied, Did you see the teachers, though?

Yeah, they were glaring at that new Professor. I wonder if he did it?

Snape seemed to think so.

Daphne cracked a wry grin, True, however as much as it pains me, that may not be a
good judge of the situation.

Xander chuckled, but nodded as the two of them let themselves into the Common
Room.

You filthy little worm! What possible excuse could the hat have for letting something
like YOU disgrace our great House!?

Xander looked up and rolled his eyes. Apparently Draco had made it back first, and
had quickly corned a First Year. God, Draco, its the first day. Do you HAVE to be
courting trouble already?

Malfoy spun on him, Stay out of this Harris.

What did this one do?

This little mudblood, who belongs in a ZOO, touched my robes.

Having spent a little time chatting back and forth with Dracos mother, Xander had to
wonder where the guy got his lines. His mother, while a pureblood supremacist to be
sure, at least had style.

Dude, Xander sighed, Isnt it enough that two thirds of the school would probably
look the other way if they saw you bleeding on the floor? Do you HAVE to make
enemies in the place you sleep?

What are you babbling about? Draco turned on him, the first year scrambling away.

Pretty much every Gryffindor hates your guts...

As if I care.

Which means most of the Puffs hate your guts, Xander continued.

Useless twits.

And a good chunk of the Claws too. Xander finished, I figure that ammounts to
about two thirds of the school. I dont know WHY you seem to want them to hate you,
and I dont care. But, if it were me, I dont think Id be trying to make enemies of
people who, A) have been sorted into the house of ruthless cunning, and B) Have access
to where I *sleep*.

Draco looked a little lost for a moment, then paled. Are you threatening me?

Me? Dude, I dont hate you. Xander shook his head, If I did, I wouldnt be telling
you this, Id just slit your throat or whatever while you were sleeping. Which brings me
to my point...

Draco looked around, noting the people listening to the conversation even as they
struggled to NOT appear to be listening, and swallowed. No one would dare.

You and I have GOT to be using different definitions of the words ruthless,
cunning, and ambitious, Xander said dryly as he pushed past Draco and headed for
his room.

Behind him he left a completely confused, and newly paranoid, Draco Malfoy looking
around with new eyes.

****

Nice speech.

Xander glanced up and nodded to Blaise Zabini as the boy entered the room. He didnt
respond, though, having noticed that Blaise tended to be quiet himself, and just went on
with unpacking.

I doubt hell take it to heart.

Xander looked up again, and this time shrugged, Distracted him long enough for the
Firstie to get away. Thats all I was aiming for. If he takes it to heart, thats a bonus.

Zabini nodded, not saying anything more.

Xander opened his trunk and pulled out some of his research books to set by his bed.
He didnt take out any of his notebooks or the Grimoire, of course, those remained
safely secured. Then he shifted the trunk to another compartment and drew out a
change of clothes.

That caught Blaise attention, and the dark skinned boy leaned over.

I say, is that an expanded trunk?

Xander nodded, Yeah, why?

Surprised to see one. Blaise admitted, Theyre bloody rare.

You have one, dont you? Xander asked, having noticed it before.

Blaise nodded, Sure, but my Grandfather builds them. Id bet good galleons that
were the only students in the school with one.

Youd lose. Xander smirked.

Blaise stared for a moment, then nodded, Addams. Of course. Grandfather Zabini
sold two last fall to Gomez Addams. He only sold three all year, and one of those was to
a Master Auror who had the standard Ministry subsidy they all get.

I didnt know they were that rare. Arent all school trunks a little expanded?

Blaise nodded, Yes, but those are childs play compared to a multi compartment
trunk. Those are bought premade from Muggles, then charmed by apprentices usually.
True expanded trunks are hand made, and it takes a Master Charmsmith and
Carpenter to do it.

Wow. Xander said, looking at the trunk again, impressed. I didnt know. How
much are they worth?

That depends on who you ask, Blaise smiled very slightly. My Grandfather would
say that theyre priceless. I believe the going market value is around twenty thousand
Galleons, unless you have the Ministry subsidy.

Xander blinked, thinking it through. A Galleon was worth about one point three
Golden Eagles, and a Golden Eagle was worth... last time he checked, Xander tried to
remember the exchange, a GE held 6 grams of pure gold at around thirty dollars a
gram... Xanders eyes flashed opened and he whistled.

Thats a lot of cash. he admitted, wondering at how much Gomez had spent on him.

And now you know why I was surprised. Blaise said simply.

Xander nodded silently, and made a quick promise to return the favor to the
Addamses when he could. He also eyed the trunk with a little more respect than he had
before, surprised at the value of something he owned.

It seemed that there was more to the Wizarding world than cool toys.

There were *expensive* cool toys.

****
Back to index
****

Malfoy Manor

Narcissa chuckled softly to herself as she read the days entry in the Grimoire,
particularly when she reached the part about Remus being caught in the crossfire of the
little joke Xander had played on the Twins.

<Poor Remus, he must be going spare.> She thought to herself, finding the mans plight
to be amusing for a moment.

Then she thought about Sirius and her humor was gone.

How that man had escaped from Azkaban, she didnt know, but it did present an
opportunity, if she could get to him before he got himself caught again. Unfortunately
Lucius was being no help at all, merely growling at her when she asked him to contact
Sirius.

<honestly, its not as if its difficult to work out that my dear husband was a Death
Eater,> She thought irritably, <Only a total fool would believe otherwise, which
explains Fudge quite nicely. All I want is for him to contact Sirius so I can speak to my
cousin before he does something stupid like attack the Potter boy at Hogwarts.>

From what Fudge reported that seemed to be her Cousins target, but it could NOT be
allowed. Narcissa set her jaw, if Lucius would not help she would have to make some
inquiries of her own.

Sirius must NOT be caught.

****

Stop playing us for fools, Lupin. Severus Snape sneered, The very day you step foot
back in this school, the name of the Marauders is flaunted across the great hall, do you
expect us to believe you had nothing to do with it?

I already answered that, Severus. Remus said softly, face pensive. And to be honest,
its not the Marauders name that has me on my heels.

Do explain, Remus. Albus motioned to the tired looking man.

I havent heard from the Coven since I finished school, Albus. Remus said pensively,
James and I never did figure out who they were, and Sirius would never tell us. He
thought it was a great joke.

Are you saying that Sirius Black was part of the Coven?? Minerva McGonagal
stiffened in her chair, eyes wide as she pinned Remus with a glare from across the room.

No, but he found out who they were. Remus replied, a touch of a smirk showing on
his face, We waged war with the Coven for three years, and only stopped when Sirius
brokered a treaty.

I remember. Minerva said sourly, drawing chuckles from Fillius and Albus.
Particularly since you four had no idea who you were fighting, so you just targetted
everyone.

That was mostly James idea, Remus admitted with a smile, We also had to fire
twenty times as much in order to make up for the fact that they knew who we were.

Indeed, Albus chuckled softly, but then grew serious. However, the fact that Sirius
Black has connections to the Coven, and their reappearance now... has disturbing
connotations.

Remus sighed, I know.

So we must find out who is taking up their mantle, Albus said softly, Did Sirius
ever give any hints at who they may have been?

Remus shook his head, Not really. He seemed to think that we knew them, though.

From my House? Minerva leaned forward.

Possibly, Remus acceded, But Im nor sure that the Coven was just one house.
Sirius seemed to hint that they were a cross house alliance of sorts, specifically created
to nail us.

If anyone could drive multiple houses to close cooperation, it would have been you
four. Severus said sourly.

Remus didnt rise to the bait, however, and just shrugged in response.

Very well, Albus said, Well have to watch for any more action by this Coven.
Judging from the choice of names, were probably looking at Witches I believe.

Remus nodded, Traditionally, a Coven is all or mostly female.

Only for the last century or so, Minerva warned.

Indeed, Albus conceded, The old root simply means to Convene. However, if
students invented it twenty years ago...

Minerva nodded, acceding the point.

It may be unrelated, Fillius spoke up for the first time.

Fillius? Albus questioned softly, Do you have information to add?

Professor Flitwick considered it, Possibly. Was it just me, or did the message seem to
be targeting someone specific?

Remus scowled a little sourly himself this time, Thats how it felt.

Fillius chuckled, Not you, Remus, I think you were merely... unintentional
splashover.

Several teachers chuckled at that, and Remus seemed to be caught between which was
worse, being the target or merely having wandered blindly into the firing line. Who
then?

The Weasley Twins, Fillius suggested. The Heirs of the Marauders.

Thats possible, Minerva conceded, Those two are surely cut from the same cloth.

There is also Harry.

The room fell silent, all eyes turning to Albus, who went on, Harry is the only blood
Heir of the Marauders, and the message could have been aimed at him. I believe that it
would behoove us to locate the members of this Coven as quickly as we can, just to
ensure the safety of the school.

The staff nodded in agreement, and shortly thereafter the meeting broke up.

****

School went on, the year beginning with a bang but quickly descending into routine as
the students found that even with demons floating around outside the wards, things
were mind numbingly normal within.

Xander had set aside the wand projects for the time being, not having anything more
than a few minor adjustments in mind for them, and those could wait until summer. He
instead started interesting Wednesday and Hermione in a new school project of sorts.

Mauraders Map? Hermione frowned, looking over the notes. These are some
advanced spells.

Xander nodded, yeah, but think about the final form. A realtime map of the school?
Too cool.

Indeed. The information value alone is staggering, Wednesday admitted.

What you two might want with such a map is, quite frankly, frightening. Hermione
said flatly.

Could be worse. Xander smirked.

How?

The twins could have one.

Hermione shivered, cringing at the very idea. Thats horrifying.

Xander grinned and nodded, then turned back to the notes. Its all based around this,
The Protean Charm.

Hermione leaned in, Thats very advanced.

NEWT level, Xander confirmed.

Hermiones expression wavered between horrified and enthused by the prospect of
learning a spell that advanced.

The tough part is actually going to be linking the charm to the Castle Wards.
Xander admitted while she was thinking, though. From what I can gather, thats not
easy.

Why?

You have to do it from the Headmasters Office.

Hermione started, then drew in a breath to scream at him, only to have Wednesday
calmly slap a hand over her mouth.

Were in the Library.

Hermione eyeballed Wednesday for a moment, then nodded as she took in a deep
breath through her nose. As the hand dropped away she leaned in, whispering fiercely.
Are you insane?? You cant be serious!

Xander shrugged, Thats where the keystone to the wards is placed. Its the only
place you can finish the map.

Well then were not going to be making one, are we? The bushy haired witch hissed.

Well, I dont know about you... Xander grinned.

You dont have the Arithmancy to pull this off. She said simply.

No, but I do. Wednesday replied.

Plus I think I can get some help from others, Xander said with a smirk.

Ill... Ill tell!

Xander raised his eyebrows, Really? Over this?

Hermione wavered, wincing visibly.

You wont tell, Hermione. Xander said after a moment, You wont betray us over
this. Were not talking about hurting anyone, or ourselves. Worst thing that happens is
we get caught.

Thats bad enough. She objected sullenly. You could get expelled.

Xander rolled his eyes, Hermion, Draco Malfoy regularly attacks other students.
Harry, Ron, and yourself are constantly getting into the most idiotic messes... Do you
*really* believe that well get expelled over breaking into the Headmasters office?

Hermione grimaced, then shook her head.

No.

Besides, even if we did, Salem would take us. Wednesday said cooly.

Thats fine for you, but Im not American. Hermione said to that, then let out a
breath, Thank god.

The two just looked at her for a long moment.

Ok fine, She huffed, But if we get expelled Im blaming you two.

Deal. Xander smirked, pushing the pages over. Heres the first steps. Do you think
we can learn the Protean soon?

It depends, I havent looked at it too closely yet, Hermione sighed, Its on next
years reading list, to be honest. Ill move it up.

Xander grinned at her. Only Hermione had her reading lists planned out like that,
AND could remember them so easily. Well, her and maybe Willow. He wasnt sure
about Wednesday, maybe her too, but it was hard to tell. All he ever saw her reading
was horror tales.

Xander made a note to introduce her to Horror comics sometime.

For the moment, though, they had a project and he had a rather difficult spell to learn.

****
Back to index
****

As classes got into full swing Xander began to question his choices when it came to
electives, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy both tested his resolve to learn as much as he
could about magic, and his interest in same. Until Arithmancy in particular, Xander
didnt really think ANYTHING could make Magic boring.

Luckily, and unluckily as it were, he already had a base in Magical Number Theory.
This was good in that he wasnt struggling in class, but he was even more bored than he
would have been otherwise. Good and Bad traveled as a pair, or so it seemed.

The base ideas in Magical Number Theory were fairly easy to grasp. Certain numbers
held a power of their own. Three, Seven, and Eleven being the most common and
powerful numbers most wizards encountered. It was magically beneficial to do things in
a way that related to those numbers, such as brewing potions in batches of three doses,
or being the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.

For an even more pronounced effect you combined them, such as brewing eleven doses
of a potion that required seven ingredients in three brewing steps. The real challenge, of
course, wasnt in devising the most powerful way to make such a potion, but rather
formulating a potion that did what you wanted while also requiring the arithmantic
steps. Potions Masters had spent their entire lives carefully reformulating specific
potions to take advantage of that common rule of magic.

Madame Vector had carefully introduced them to the Wave Graph of Magical
Influence, which was basically what it sounded like a large graph that showed magical
potency along one axis and numbers along the other.

As you can see, She said, looking over the class, Magical Potency increases as we
approach the number three, then declines to its lowest ebb by the number five, only to
increase again as we reach seven.

The class nodded, understanding that much from the clearly printed graph, but
Hermione quickly raised her hand.

Yes, Miss Granger?

What about Zero, Professor? Hermione asked, frowning as she looked at the graph,
Your numbers start with one.

Well you can hardly perform zero steps, or use zero ingredients in a potion, Miss
Granger. Vector replied a little testily.

Hermione sank back, shrinking a little as several in the class laughed or sneered at her.

The Number Zero is one of the most important mathematical concepts in history,
Wednesday Addams spoke up softly, her voice still somehow being heard all through
the room. I find it difficult to believe that it has no bearing on Arithmancy.

Yes, that doesnt mean it isnt so. Vector said calmly, looking around the class.
Scholars have studied magical numbers for thousands of years, since before Wizarding
Society came to exist as we know it today. These are tested truths, and while they may
not be complete they are as close as anyone has yet gotten. Should you be able to add to
this knowledge, you will have truly made an impact on the world.

Silence followed that statement, and she nodded in satisfaction.

Very well, take our your quills and note this down...

****

The quiet and peaceful school year didnt last long for Hogwarts, of course, since in
short order Draco had managed to stir things up while in Care of Magical Creatures.
Hed been injured by a Hippogriff and was milking that for all it was worth, promising
retribution upon the animal and on Hagrid as the class Proffessor.

Now Xander didnt much know Hagrid, and he didnt have that class, but what hed
seen of the big guy had been good so he was having a hard time matching what Draco
was saying with the man hed met as a first year.

As it turned out there was a reason for that, which he learned in the Library was
studying with Hermione and Wednesday.

It was really all Dracos fault, you know, Hermione practically growled, her hands
flipping pages with near violent motions. Hagrid told him to be respectful, but he had
to be... be...

Draco? Xander asked mildly.

Yes! Exactly!

Shhh! Madame Pince hissed from behind her desk.

Hermione blushed and shrank down a little, And Ill bet its not even a bad injury...

It isnt. Xander said dryly, Draco doesnt wear the sling in the dorms...

I knew it! She hissed.

That doesnt meant that Hagrid did right, though, Xander went on, Its like you
said, Draco was being Draco. If youre going to do something potentially dangerous, you
have to know how people are going to act.

Hermione shrank down yet again, looking glum, Well, when you put it that way.

Wednesday looked up, eyes narrowing as she pierced Hermione with a stare. How do
you know all the details?

I was there, Hermione said hotly. I saw everything.

That class was conducted at the same time as Ancient Runes, was it not? Wednesday
said quietly. The class you attended with us?

Hermione suddenly got nervous, I, Um, well Im not sure. Couldnt have been. Oh
my, I have to go, Ill see you later!

Wednesday and Xander exchanged glances as the girl ran out of the room.

Shes hiding something.

Xander smirked, Ya think?

The Addams scion merely rolled her eyes as his amused tone, I fail to see how she
could be in two classes at the same time.

Dont know, Xander shrugged, Magic?

That earned him a glare, Do NOT make me hurt you.

Then she paused, considered her words, and smiled slowly. On second thought,
please... make me hurt you.

Xander gulped at her tone, and it was his turn to squirm in his seat as he made a show
of looking at his bare wrist. Hey, look at the time. Gotta go.

Wednesday watched him bolt from the library and shook her head slightly as she
smiled. He was such a fool, but not in a bad way she decided. Much like Uncle Fester,
perhaps. On the surface Xander resembled her father, but Gomez Addams had a
terrifying dark side beneath the clowns facade.

She had seen it once, when she was very young, and it still gave her shivers to this day.
Of course, all Addams had their demons, but there was something truly exciting about
the true unleashed darkness shed witnessed that day.

Wednesday shook herself free of her reverie a moment later, carefully returning to her
studies with disciplined intent.

Like her father, she too had a dark side. She merely chose to leash it in a different way.

****

Defense Against the Dark Arts started off with a bang, literally, when the professor
used an incantation that sounded suspiciously like a childs mumbling, or perhaps an
African city, to fire a piece of chewed bubblegum straight up Peeves nose when the
Poltergeist tried to prevent them from entering class.

This was the first time Xander had a chance to examine the Professor closely since the
opening feast. On the surface there was nothing impressive to relate about the man,
other than his old and frayed robes as Malfoy constantly pointed out. He seemed
competent as a teacher, though, so Xander was relieved to not be dealing with another
Lockhart.

Their first class brought about a new spell, and the introduction of the class to a
creature known as a Boggart. Lupin brought them up to a Staff room and, after some
words from Snape, selected Neville to be the first to try the new spell.

The spell, simply incanted as Riddikulas was, on the surface, nothing but a joke spell.
Make fun of someone by casting a simple cantrip to make them look stupid, which made
Xander wonder why he hadnt heard of it already until he looked the spell up later and
found that it was, pardon the pun, ridiculously easy to stop. Like most cantrips, it
actually didnt work properly, if at all, against an unwilling Wizard.

Against the Boggart, however, it worked fine as Neville proved when he turned the
image of Professor Snape into a crossdresser. Even many Slytherins laughed at that,
including Xander, though he did keep it a little muffled.

After that the class was treated to a spin of the Wheel of Phobias as Lupin directed
them in to face their Boggart and cast the cantrip to repel it.

After Seamus had given his Banshee laryngitis Lupin called out, Harris!

Xander moved forward, wand in hand, and blanched slightly as the boggart became
two forms that lunged in his direction. A Black clad jack booted Gestapo glared at him,
drawing a Luger, while a gaily colored clown with creepy face paint grinned at him
wildly.

R... Riddikulus! Xander snapped, flicking his wand at the duo.

The two merged and in the next instant there was a Gestapo Clown wielding a floppy
rubber chicken in a way that could no longer be remotely considered menacing.

Excellent, back now, Lupin said, nodding to Wednesday. Addams.

Wednesday calmly stepped forward and the Boggart changed instantly, looking
suspiciously to Xander like Mary Poppins. The incantation rang out and Wednesday
stepped back as the Boggart became one of the most hideous hags hed ever imagined,
cackling wildly while singing Supercalifragilistiexpialidocious. Xander, alone the entire
room, burst out laughing wildly as everyone else screamed at the change.

Lupin, sparing puzzled glance at Wednesday, stepped in and calmly dispatched the
Boggart when it turned into an image of the Moon for him. He moved away, then
quickly nodded to Neville again, Foward Neville! Finish him off!

Neville did just that, considerably more confident this time as the crossdressing Snape
made its reappearance once more.

*****
Back to index
*****

Narcissa Malfoy nee Black slammed the palm of her hand into the corner of a table,
her face just slightly twisting into an irritated grimace as she attracted the attention of
several others in the pub. Rosmerta looked over in her direction, but she merely shook
her head to the inquiring glance.

There was nothing Merta could do to help her, nothing anyone could do, or would do
apparently.

Some days she would cheerfully strangle her beloved husband. A word from him and
she knew that she could get a meeting with Sirius, Lucius was as plugged into the Dark
Lords network as he had ever been and she knew it. Instead what was she doing?
Haunting Hogsmeade and playing muggle dog catcher!

<Sirius, if you live through this, Im going to kill you.> She thought grimly as she
finished her drink and left a few coins on the table as she rose.

Will there be anything else, Madam Malfoy? Rose asked, stepping up quietly.

Thank you, No, Rose. Narcissa said with a tired shake of her head.

Rosemerta leaned in close enough that no one else could hear, You look like hell,
Ciss.

Narcissa stiffened slightly, but a glance in the mirror behind the bar told her that Rose
had spoken the simple truth. She sighed and nodded, I have things to do.

If youre not going to go home, take a room upstairs for a few hours. The bar owner
suggested, Youll do no one, least of all yourself, any good if you collapse in the
streets.

Narcissa grimaced at that image, but steeled herself just the same. She had to find her
idiot cousin before he did something stupid to get himself killed. I dont have time,
Rose, I...

A scream went up from outside, shocking them both, and they instantly ran to the door
to see a group of Aurors herding dementors through the streets in a hurry, heading in
the direction of Hogwarts.

Whats going on!? Rosmerta called out to a passerby, yelling above the commotion.

Havent you heard!? A Man called back, Sirius Black snuck into Hogwarts!

Narcissa gasped softly, her knees buckling as the world wavered around her.

Rosemerta was there instantly, a single strong arm holding her up and a concerned
look shooting in her direction before she looked back to the man. Did he hurt
anyone?

No, he tried to break into Gryffindor Dorms to get at Potter but the Painting
wouldnt open.

Did they catch him? Narcissa asked tonelessly.

Not yet, this is part of the search party.

Narcissa shook slightly, breathing a sigh of deep relief as she steadied herself. Rose was
eyeing her nervously now, and the two just stood there as the procession moved on up
the road to the Castle.

I think you need to be talking to me, Ciss, Rose whispered in her ear, her tone hard
and with a lot less of the concern she had earlier.

****

Xander observed the commotion as he was sequestered in the great hall with some
others from his years, not quite able to fathom the situation. That Black had been able
to break into the castle wasnt the problem, from what he knew about Black the man
knew more about Hogwarts secrets than most anyone alive.

That, in fact, was the problem he was having.

You ok?

Xander started as Daphne came up behind him, What?

You look confused.

I am. Xander admitted. Something about this stinks.

How so?

Black isnt a stupid guy by any description Ive heard, Xander said, shrugging, So
why go looking for Harry in the dorms during the Halloween Feast?

Maybe he was going to wait for him and kill him as he went to bed? Daphne
suggested.

And attacking the painting to announce his presence fits into that plan, how exactly?
Xander asked sarcastically.

Dont get snippy with me, Harris. She snapped back. Hes been in Azkaban for
twelve years, his brains probably addled.

So addled he snuck through the line of Aurors and Dementors, then broke through
Hogwarts Wards and made it to Gryffindor dorms without being seen? Only to blow it
then? Xander scoffed.

Look, what do you care? She rolled her eyes, its not like hes here for you.

Xander shrugged defensively, not willing to mention the book or the fact that hed
spent a summer learning all sorts of things from Blacks avatar. I just think its weird
is all.

You are weird, Harris. Black is nuts. Theres a difference. Daphne said with a flick
of her hair as she turned away from him and headed for the girls bedding pads a few
yards away.

Xander sighed, taking a seat by the wall and drawing out his copy of the Grimoire. His
fountain pen in hand he carefully noted the events of the day in one of the interactive
sections, then entered a one word question.

Why?

****

Whats this all about, Narcissa? Rosmerta demanded in a hard voice when they were
alone. I dont like your reaction out there one bit.

Its none of your concern, Rosmerta. Narcissa returned in an equal voice. This is
between me and Sirius.

That... murderer... has no business with any decent human. Rose growled,
Something that, until now, I always believed you to be. Give me one reason why I
shouldnt call the Aurors over here.

Narcissas eyes glinted, the soft blue turning steel grey in an instant as her wand
appeared in her hand, startling the tavern owner. Because it would do you no good,
and would likely cost you everything.

Rosemerta paled slightly, taking a step back. Narciss... Cissy, why are you doing this?
Youve never been this sort...

This is a matter of blood, Rose. Narcissa said fiercely. Intervene in my affairs and I
will crush you.

Rosmerta swallowed as the ephemeral blond spun on her heel and strode out, leaving
her to consider the words carefully. Narcissa was not joking, she knew that as a fact.
Rose left the private room and looked outside for a moment, eyes falling on a passing
Auror as her sense of propriety warred with her sense of self preservation.

Finally she stepped back, letting the door close, and mechanically went back to work.

There was nothing she could do against Narcissa Malfoy, and even less for the Aurors
to do. There was no crime in being concerned for a relative, even a murderer. She had
always thought that Narcissa detested her cousin, though?

****

The confusion reigned for that night, but by midway through the next day things were
back to normal in the school. Xanders mind was still running in circles as the facts of
reality clashed with everything written in his Grimoire, and he didnt like it. He was
becoming distrustful of the book, and the contents within as his arguments with the
Avatars went round and round.

Evans and Black would have screamed his eardrums bloody if theyd been able to,
both insisting that it was IMPOSSIBLE for Black to have betrayed the Potters, let alone
killed Peter Pettigrew. What made that even more confusing was the revelation that
Evans was, in fact, Lilly Evans who became Lilly Potter, who supposedly died at the
behest of Black himself.

Pettigrew was, along with Black and two others (including, Xander was becoming
more certain, Remus Lupin) part of the Marauders.

All Xander knew for sure was that he was being lied to, and he didnt like it.

The intelligences locked in the book were of a limited sort, unfortunately, and that
meant that they couldnt answer ay of the more relevant questions he had, or had been
specifically locked against revealing them. Xander had determinedly locked the book in
his trunk when they had been permitted back into their rooms, against the vociferous
objections of the books inhabitants who were demanding more information.

Classes moved on, Snape taking over Defense for a few days and tearing into the
Gryffindors for Nevilles crossdressing boggart. The next bit of excitement came when
the Puffs won their match against Gryffindor on the pitch, largely because a whole
group of Dementors had bolted across the field like the demon wraiths they apparently
were, scaring the hell out of the school and nearly killing Harry.

As usual, he survived, but the loss of the match had shifted the balance in the scores
pretty heavily, which had most of the Kittens looking downtrodden while Draco was
puffed up like a marshmellow, strutting around like a peacock.

Xander just shook his head, listening to the whispers behind the boys back. He
wouldnt have looked so foolish if he had anything to do with it, but as it stood Draco
just didnt seem to realize that he was making Harry look better and better with every
strut.

After all, apparently Slytherins seeker needed Dementors to take on Potter.

Xander just sighed and let it pass. He didnt understand the game anyway, so what did
he care?

Soon it was time for the Hogsmeade visit.

****

Xander and Wednesday made their way into the small town with the group of
students, all gleefully happy to be free of the castle for a few hours. The walk felt good,
though it reminded Xander that hed started to let his conditioning go again and would
pay for it if he didnt find some time to exercise soon.

In the group of students he easily spotted Ron and Hermione as they made their way to
town as well, but didnt attempt to approach the group. Tensions between the Gryffs
and Snakes had ratcheted up again with Dracos nonsense, and Xander didnt feel like a
confrontation with some kittens who didnt know enough to avoid a snake.

Are you well?

He was startled by the question, turning to Wednesday. Why are you asking?

Youve been sullen, withdrawn, and antisocial for the past week or more, She said,
eyeing him intently, Most unlike you. I was starting to think you were hopelessly...
cheerful.

The way she spat the word made Xander laugh, which drew a disgusted look from her
and he just shook his head. Im fine. Just had some heavy thinking to do lately.

I see.

She didnt push it any further, and he didnt offer anything else, so the two made their
way into town and browsed the candy shops, supplies, and general window shopping
they were expected to do.

Xander nodded to Hermione when they saw her in Honeydukes, and she nodded back.
She didnt look too happy herself, he noted, but he supposed that he shouldnt be
surprised.

****

Ron spared a glance at the snake as he passed, I dont know what you see in that
guy.

Hermione rolled her eyes, He only helped save your sister last year.

Yeah, hes ok for a snake, Ron said grudgingly, But still...

Honestly. She huffed, shaking her head.

Leave her be, Ron. Xanders a good guy. Harry said tiredly from where he was
standing under his cloak. Anyway, like I was saying, the Twins gave me this map... its
called the Marauders map...

Hermiones eyes widened as she heard that name, looking at Harrys disembodied
head in confusion. What did you say?

****
Back to index
****

After the Hogsmeade visit Xander turned his focus back to the arithmantic work
needed to construct the Marauders map. It was both complex and simplistic in nature,
since most of it was tied into the Protean Charm. The individual equations were easy
enough to deal with, really they were simple addition and substraction work since the
Wizarding world hadnt yet gotten too deep into multiplication and division as far as
Xander could tell.

It was weird, in a way, he thought. He had yet to find one single instance of
multiplication or division in his Arithmancy books. Everything was add this, subtract
that. The real complexities of Arithmancy seemed to be in the number selection, as there
was a huge difference between three of something or four. In fact, from a magical point
of view, you were almost always better off using three instead of four or five, even if
logically the situation would seem to call for more quantity.

That bugged the hell out of him on one level, but mostly Xander just shrugged it off.
He knew that there had to be something more to it than just what was in the books, but
he supposed that it was in the more advanced courses offered later.

Certainly there was a LOT of power available in the simple addition and substraction
of magical numbers. In class they had broken down the Wingardium Leviosa spell from
first year, analyzing its numerical formula. It was rather surprising to learn that the
spell was just a long run of threes and sevens being added or subtracted in what looked
suspiciously like a triple meter beat.

Hed brought that up in class, only to receive a strange look from the teacher and a
sneer from some of Malfoys sycophants in the row behind him. He just sighed and went
back to work.

Music wasnt something Xander knew a lot about, but hed taken some piano and
guitar lessons in school and had even gotten some lessons with Willow when she learned
to play the recorder and flute. He couldnt exactly read sheet music, but he could get a
sense of the pace, and he was almost CERTAIN that the spell formulae was broken into
a triple meter beat.

Tying the numbers into the incantation and wand motion was another aspect of the
formulae that Xander found pretty cool, though. Well, actually, the term tying was all
wrong. He noticed immediately that the swish and flick motion was actually part of the
base formula, and all charms would have similar base wand movements. The
incantation, however, was a bit of a puzzle. He couldnt find any connection there at all,
it was as if the words had nothing at all to do with the spell.

It was all terribly confusing, but at least Xander now felt like he was really at school.
For a while there he had started to imagine he was just getting to play every day.

****

Hermione watched, eyes narrowing like a Hawks before striking, as Xander worked
on the next step in the making of the Marauders Map.

How did he get the instructions for such a thing? Especially since Harry was now
holding the original, or what she supposed was the original.

And just who were Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail? They had to be brilliant
students, she thought, to have devised a map like this, but at the same time it was
obvious that they were troublemakers on the order of which only the Weasley Twins
seemed to approach.

It was all very distressing, Hermione found. She felt like she was caught between her
two groups of friends, not able to tell either group about the other without betraying
someone. She was distracted for a moment when she noticed Xander struggling with the
Arithmantic formula for part of the map, and realized why it seemed to be so out of
place.

Xander, wheres your Grimoire? She asked.

Xander looked up, his face darkening. I left it in my room.

Why? You always bring it...

I just did, ok. He said, sharply enough to leave her feeling rebuked, so Hermione
quieted down.

Wednesday looked between them, eyes glittering darkly as she measured the
conversation but remained silent.

****

The fall term swung ever closer to an end, and Xander found himself looking forward
to Christmas Hols since he knew he would be spending it with the Addamses again. He
had, once more, offered to remain at Hogwarts but neither Wednesday nor Gomez
would hear of it. Xander hadnt really expected much else, but felt the need to make the
offer anyway.

Work on the map was progressing nicely, though it was a lot rougher without the help
of the shade of Sirius Black and occasional answers from Narcissa Malfoy. Even so,
Xander didnt want to bring the Grimoire out again, not until he knew he could trust it.
With the constant fear of Black practically permeating the entire school, even Xander
was feeling a lot of paranoia over the figure hed originally considered a slight pain in
the ass at most.

The end result of the paranoia, though, was a steep decline in Xanders capability to
manage his fun projects, and a lot more focus required on his school work. That, in
turn, made the school work feel more and more like, well work, and left him feeling a
little trapped by the drudgery of constant repetitions of the same little thing.

He was really looking forward to the upcoming Break.

****

Gomez and Mortisha Addams arrived in the town of Hogsmeade by car, the old Rolls
silently appearing out of a fogbank and rolling smoothly down the cobblestone streets
much to the shock of the towns populance.

Isnt that one of them muggle carts? Mundungus Fletcher drawled slightly as he
looked out from his permanent seat in the Hogshead Tavern.

Cant be. Aberforth Dumbledore said without looking up, The whole town is under
muggle repelling wards.

Looks like one ter me.

Aberforth sighed, then turned and looked just in time to see the Rolls slide fully past.
My word. Was that a Silver Cloud?

No, that was a Cart, Im telling ya.

Aberforth rolled his eyes and made his way to the door in time to confirm his thoughts.
Good lord, that car is worth more than... well much of the town, I believe. How on
earth did it get here? We arent even connected to the highway.

What high way? Fletcher asked, leaning out past him, and looking up as if peering
for the way Aberforth was talking about.

The bar owner sighed, never mind, Fletcher. Go back to your drink, the car must be
enchanted so its not muggles.

Fletcher shrugged and happily went back to his drinks.

****

Elsewhere in town the passage of the vehicle elicited many of the same reactions from
the inhabitants of the town, confusion both from those who were aware of what it was,
and even more so from those who werent. At the far end of town one Narcissa Malfoy
was tiredly finishing up what had become a near daily routine of Mutt Watching when
the vehicle appeared from around a corner and nearly ran her down on its way past.

Well Ill be! She gasped, glaring at the departing muggle conveyance. Its bad
enough to deal with those blasted things in London, but what is one doing here!?

She glowered after it for a while, but it was on its way up to Hogwarts and she
couldnt muster up the indignation to chase after it. Frankly, she had her own problems
to deal with, and careless fools in muggle toys werent even remotely on her list of
priorities.

****

Quite a stir. Mortisha said, glancing out the back of the Rolls.

Indeed! Gomez grinned, slightly maniacal as he waved his cigar around. They must
recognize the Addams car and have come out to greet us. Wave to the nice people,
Tish.

She waved dutifully, but frowned ever so slightly, That blond woman doesnt seem to
be the greeting type.

Nonsense! Gomez declared, Why else would she have risked getting so close to the
car as we passed by? Why Lurch almost run her down.

True.

Such nice people. Gomez marvelled.

Perhaps we should consider a home in the area? Mortisha suggested.

Capital idea, love. The weather is positively dreary in the fall, perfect holiday
weather. Gomez said, It might be nice to have a home in the Old World again.

Lurch, from the front, glanced back and droned out, The School.

The couple looked ahead to see Hogwarts Castle approaching as they topped the hill.

Its just such a... Mortisha grimaced, light and airy place for an old castle, dont
you think? These are usually so wonderfully dreary.

Ah, love, not everyone can have the comforts we enjoy, Gomez said sadly. Its a
truth of the world that injustice reigns.

I know, She leaned into him, but why must Wednesday endure this?

It builds character, love. Youll see.

The conversation was cut off when a dark, dank feeling of hopeless dread filled them,
and the two Addamses exchanged glances briefly before Gomez leaned forward.

Lurch! Stop the car!

The Rolls slid to a stop, and Gomez was instantly out. You feel that, Tish?

Thats not natural, his wife said as she nodded, Where...?

There! Gomez pointed, noting the darkening form floating in their direction.

Demons? Here? Mortisha blinked.

Dementor, unless I miss my guess. Gomez said, his face serious. The locals keep
them as prison guards on some island up the coast.

So why are they here, at a school?

Some imbecile in government, I suppose. I cant imagine Mr Dumbles allowing it,
hes far too cheerful a sort to permit this, so it must be someone above him. Gomez
didnt move as the demon approached.

Oh dear, Mortisha said distastefully. And with Wednesday around too.

Yes well, well see about this. Gomez just barely grunted out, his demeanor
changing as he suddenly glared at the demon as it approached, the feeling of chilled air
increasing tenfold.

The dementor paused, hitching in mid flight, and then dropped like a stone to the
ground where it crumped and didnt move again.

Gomez smirked, Still got it.

Of course you do, Mon Cher.

The serious demeanor was gone in an instant as Gomez spun around, eyes wide as he
stared at his wife.

Tish! Thats French!

Lurch only moaned as Gomez vaulted across the priceless automobile, grabbed his
wifes arm, and began to pepper her with kisses.

****
Back to index
****

The last feast before the hols was well underway when the doors to the Great Hall
opened and three figures strode in.

Mr Stumbles! I would have a word with you! The lead said, loud enough for the
entire school to hear.

I believe its Dumbles, Hon.

Is it? The man looked confused, How odd. Never mind that anyway, Just why is the
school ringed by demons??

The murmuring of the feast fell away as the mans question rang out clearly, causing
Headmaster Dumbledore to rise.

Mr Addams, I presume you mean the Dementors? He asked with a genial sort of
gesture, Im afraid that while I am able to prevent their encroachment on school
grounds, the Ministry has decreed their presence beyond.

There, I told you, Tish, Gomez shook his head.

You did, Dear. She agreed.

Surrounding a school with demons is stupidity of the highest order, Mr Dumbles.
Gomez ground out as he, Morticia, and Lurch strode up the hall. Its a miracle they
havent hurt anyone.

Half the school looked over to where Harry was sitting, causing him to shrink from the
attention.

I assure you, the safety of the children is paramount. Dumbledore said seriously.

Says the man who left an insane basilisk to run loose in his school last year, Gomez
rolled his eyes, not that I have anything against keeping pets, Mr Dumbles, but
obviously you dont know how to tend them.

Mr Addams, Dumbledore said with a put upon sigh, I assume youre here to pick
up young Wednesday and Alexander?

Of course I am, man, but stay on subject.

I know that youre also aware that parents are supposed to pick up their children and
charges in London. Dumbledore said tiredly. This is so as to avoid disrupting the
school.

You have DEMONS surrounding your school and Im the one disrupting things?
Gomez looked over at Morticia, confused, Is he insane or am I?

Why not both? She asked lightly.

True. Gomez admitted with a sudden grin. May I enquire as to why...

His question was lost in the clatter as the doors to the Hall burst open again, this time
revealing a contingent of Aurors with wands drawn, being followed closely by a chubby
man in a bowler hat.

Where is he!? The man demanded, Were here, children, its safe now! Where is
Black!?

Dumbledore sank in his chair, shaking his head, Minister Fudge, so pleasant to see
you. Are you here for a reason?

Dont play with me, Dumbledore! Where is Black!? Fudge demanded.

What makes you think that Sirius Black is here? Dumbledore asked, honestly
curious.

We found a dementor just outside the grounds, A tall black Auror said crisply as he
and the others carefully covered the room. Or, we found what was left of it.

Murmurs filled the room and Dumbledore straightened up, Left of it? Explain.

It was dead, or as close to it as Ive ever seen in a Dementor, The Auror said calmly.

Yes yes, Black is a dangerous one, now where is he!? Fudge interrupted. He must
be making his move and...

Oh that, Gomez said calmly as he leaned on the Ravenclaw table and picked at some
of the food in front of his daughter, That was me.

The Aurors spun to look at him, about half of them covering him with their wands.

You!? Fudge sputtered. Impossible! Who are you anyway?

Gomez grimaced as he tasted a sip of pumpkin juice, setting the goblet down with
distaste. Gomez Addams. And you?

A... Addams you say? Fudge faltered, staring at him.

Precisely, now why were demons stationed around the school? Gomez asked lightly.

Theyre hunting a dangerous fugitive, Fudge blustered.

Who?

Sirius Black, of course!

Black? Gomez looked thoughtful, Where have I heard that name from?

The paper, dear, Morticia said lightly from where she was standing, The escaped
prisoner?

Oh yes! The very man! Gomez snapped his fingers, Escaped from Azkaban,
right?

Exactly!

And you set dementors on his trail.

Precisely!

So, just so I understand things, Gomez went on, You set dementors to hunt down a
man whos already proven that he knows how to escape from them.

Exac... wait, no, I mean... Fudge blinked, thinking furiously.

Indeed. Gomez pushed off the table, turning to look at his daughter. Are you ready,
my dear? I thought we may get an early jump on things.

Of course, Father. Wednesday said simply, folding her napkin and setting it aside as
she rose up.

Alexander?

All set. Xander said, rising as well. Just need to get my trunk.

Splendid, well be about that then, shall we?

The two children nodded and as a group they made to leave the hall.

Hold on just a moment! Fudge blustered. You attacked and destroyed property of
the ministry, thats a serious charge and...

Gomez turned on him, his jovial tone gone and a dead sounding one in its place.
There are no laws in any country on this entire world that protect demonic entities
from destruction, Fudge. Try to get one passed, and youll learn why the Addams name
is feared.

Then, in an instant, the dead sounding tone was gone and Gomez smiled at the two
children with him. Come along then, time to go. We have a wonderful place for the
holidays this year...

Then they were gone, leaving the Minister, The Aurors, the students, and the
professors staring in stunned shock at their wake.

Minister, Auror Shacklbolt, if I may ask... how did the Dementor die? Dumbledore
asked quietly.

Shacklbolt looked over at him, then back at where the Addams had been, Looked like
it starved to death, Headmaster.

*****

They retrieved their trunks quickly and Gomez led them out of the school to where the
Silver Cloud awaited. Xander had to pause for a moment at the incongruity of the car
sitting against the backdrop of Hogwarts, then smiled as he shook his head and moved
forward.

Really, demons at a school. Whats next? Gomez shook his head, The world has no
sense of balance, Tish. If its not those horrible fairytales with Knights killing poor
defenseless dragons, its allowing demons within striking range of children.

Xander had to admit, the comment about poor defenseless dragons seemed more in
keeping with the Addamses he knew. Though Wednesday had also voiced her
displeasure with the presence of the Dementors as well, so he wasnt sure.

They stowed their trunks away in the boot, and piled into the surprisingly roomy back
of the car, with four people and two familiars. Xander shifted oddly, noting that the car
was tilted heavily toward the passengers side of the old car, and was about to comment
on it when Lurch settled into the drivers seat and the car instantly evened out.

He glanced over his shoulder at the large, man he supposed, then shivered a little and
let it pass.

Uh, Sir, whats so bad about Dementors? He asked, however. I mean, other than
the obvious. You dont seem to have a problem with Werewolves, vampires, and all
those...

Xander shifted uncomfortably as they stared at him, and was about to say something
else when Gomez spoke up.

Hardly the same thing, lad. He said, There is a difference between magical beasts
and demonic ones. We Addamses have no truck with demons, theyre not to be trusted
and certainly not to be permitted within range of children.

They are unnatural. Wednesday supplied.

Precisely! Gomez seized on the comment. You can feel it when youre around them,
if you listen carefully to your instincts. Demons are the antithesis of everything we stand
for on this world, they live only to destroy.

Gomez, darling, Morticia put a calming hand on his shoulder. Im sure that
Alexander doesnt understand, and you know how bad misinformation can be.

Gomez sighed, Yes, yes, of course. Demons, my boy, are not from this world. Thats
one of the key points about them. Theyre not even from a world remotely like this one.
Please, dont misunderstand me here, we Addamses dont expect others to believe as we
do but there are some things we hold to be self evident. One of those things is that you
dont make deals with those who would destroy you.

Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc. Wednesday said calmly.

Not just pretty words. Morticia smiled.

Exactly. Gomez said with a flourish of his cigar.

Xanders latin had, as a matter of necessity, gotten fairly decent over the past three
years but he had to struggle a bit to place the phrase.

We gladly feast on those who would subdue us.

Xander cringed, Family motto?

Yes. Wednesday said with a hint of a predatory smile. Now imagine what we do to
those who would destroy us?

****

How on Earth did that... man... McGonagal said, obviously using the term lightly.
Kill a dementor?

Dumbledore sighed, shaking his head, Im afraid I have no idea. The Addamses are
an old family line, with possibly thousands of years of family magic to draw on.
Additionally, they dont blink at interbreeding with many... beings... that we would
consider abhorrent.

Obviously they draw the line at Dementors. The Head of Gryffindor said dryly in
return.

Dumbledore nodded, thankfully so. The family has long held an active state of open
warfare with what they term demonic species.

What they term?

Their definition varies somewhat from most accepted scholars, Dumbledore
admitted tiredly. So its not easy to say precisely what species they will, or wont,
accept without prior experience.

Lovely. Minerva sighed, I suppose we should be glad that it was only a dementor
that was harmed, then.

Far be it for me to wish harm on any creature, Dumbledore sighed, But I do wish
Cornelius would remove the Dementors from the area. They are causing far more
trouble than theyre worth.

Why dont you oppose him in the Wizemgamot, Albus?

That would not be a productive use of my efforts at the moment, Minerva.

****
Back to index
****

Toledo, Castilo La Mancha, Spain

The Rolls Royce Silver Cloud rolled silently out of the fog bank, slowing to a crawl as
Gomez looked fondly, and eagerly, out at the passing countryside.

Welcome to my home. He said cheerfully, nodding ahead of them.

Xander turned in his seat, looking up the winding road to see a forboding castle in the
distance. It looked hard and dark, a gloom surrounding it even in the bright Spanish
sunlight, and he had to admit that it was most certainly an Addams building.

Castle Addams. Gomez said, almost sounding serene for a moment. Oh the times
we had here, such wonderful times.

Gomez, darling, we should return more often.

Right you are, Tish, Gomez sighed, But we have our responsibilities at home.

Of course, She said simply, We are Addamses. Even so, if Wednesday is to be part
of the magical world, perhaps we should extend our influences again.

Maybe youre right, my love. Gomez said thoughtfully, then shook off the pensive
nature of his thoughts and smiled again, For now though, let us enjoy the holidays in
true Addams style.

But of course, mon coer. Morticia responded.

Tish! Thats french!

****

Castle Addams was a huge affair, in horrible disrepair from what Xander could see
but the family seemed to love it as it was. As they approached the gates they were
greeted by an ethereal blond woman whose hair seemed to flow against the wind with
an eerie motion.

Marietta! Gomez crowed, spreading his arms wide as the woman grinned in return
and stepped into the embrace. Its been too long!

Hello Dear Gomez, Mariette said with a smile, Welcome back to Castle Addams.

Wednesday, you remember your aunt Marietta, Gomez said with a smile.

Hello Aunt Marietta, Wednesday said with a calm look, subtly jabbing Xander in
the side as he stared at the woman, in a daze.

He grunted in pain and blinked as the fog lifted from his mind, looking around in
confusion.

And who is this strapping young buck? Marietta asked with a sly smile.

This is Alexander Harris, Gomez said cheerfully, A friend of Wednesdays from
school. Alexander, Meet Marietta Addams.

Nice to meet you, maam.

Maam. She chuckled, None of that here, young man. I am Marietta to you, all of
you.

Of course. Morticia said softly, smiling faintly as she and the others walked onto the
ground.

Xander was shaking his head slightly, rubbing his temples, What was that?

Marietta is a Xanas. Wednesday said softly, distantly related to the Norwegian
Veela, they have similar charms.

Xander frowned, remembering only a little about the Veela from somewhere.

They can enthrall men, Wednesday explained as they began to walk after the family.

Can they ever. Xander muttered, earning himself a dark look from his friend. Hey,
Im just saying. That was plain creepy.

Wasnt it though? A hint of a smile played at Wednesdays lips, then she turned
away from him and began to walk ahead.

Xander watched her for a moment, then groaned as he knew that he had failed some
sort of test. Its gonna be some holiday.

*****

The initial rush of meeting the Castillo branch of the Family Addams faded away as
the holidays moved on, though Xander had to admit that they were every bit as
memorable as the American branch of the family.

Hernandez Addams, the Castillian Patriarch was frightening reflection of Gomez.
Moody where Gomez was cheerful, the man seemed older than his looks suggested and
moved like he had something sitting on his shoulders. Nevertheless he had greeted his
guests with gusto, then almost instantly challenged Gomez to a fencing duel that raged
across the entire castle while the rest of them settled down to dinner.

His wife, Marietta, was almost the antithesis of Addams. Light fairy hair that blew in
the absence of wind, a cheerful pleasant personality that seemed to hold none of the
darker aspects of the rest of the family, and a genuine earnest love of everyday things
like the perfect rose blossoms that took up the center of the dining room table. The one
thing that marked her as an Addams, in Xanders opinion, was that eerie charm she
wielded without even thinking about it.

Xander had managed to acclimate himself a little to the food the Addamses ate,
enough so that he was able to pick at the food without worrying about going hungry
until he found a Macdonalds, or the local equivelant.

Marietta noticed, but only smiled slightly and pushed some of the more normally
accepted foods in his direction as she leaned over to avoid the sweep of her husbands
blade.

Come back here, you lazabout! Hernandez yelled, chasing Gomez around the table.

Never! Gomez grinned, planting a foot on the table and vaulting up to the
chandelier, hooking his legs in it and hanging upside down as he fended off his cousins
attacks.

He twisted there for a while, casually parrying sweeps of Hernadez blade, then
abruptly curled up and somersaulted off the chandelier to land squarely in the center of
the table, feet planted on either side of a bubbling gravy mix.

Alexander, my boy! Youre up! Gomez said, dropping his sword in Xanders
direction.

Xanders eyes bugged as he caught the sword on reflex. What!?

Gomez flipped off the table, landing in his chair, and began helping himself to a meal.
Id duck if I were you, lad.

Xander ducked.

The Toledo Steel blade swept over his head, right about neck level, and Xander didnt
stop. He rolled to the right as the blade reversed and swept down through the back of
his chair.

Footwork Lad! Gomez called as Xander scrambled across the floor, Footwork!

I... Xander gasped, narrowly avoiding a slash.

Have to... He threw up his blade, deflecting a lunge over his head.

Get to my... He rolled, narrowly ducking a follow up strike.

Feet first! he finished, twisting his sword around and driving the point of
Hernandez blade into the floor between his knees. Xander immediately locked it in
place with a twist of his blade, preventing the Castillian from moving his own blade.

Good show lad! Gomez smirked, but uh... look down.

Xander frowned, blinking, then looked down to grimace as he found Hernandez had
his Main Gauche just fractions of an inch from Xanders groin. He shuddered and
carefully stepped back, letting go of the blade.

Good reflexes, but your form is atrocious. Hernandez said calmly as he took
Xanders sword, then threw both of them casually aside one after another.

They were caught, in turn, by a disembodied hand and thrown back up on the wall
where they had come from with an ease that spoke of practice.

I dont get a lot of chance to practice... Xander gasped out, resisting the urge to pat
his crotch down to ensure everything was still there.

We only began his lessons last Christmas, Gomez spoke up while he ate. Well be
continuing them, of course.

Xander nodded dumbly.

Good lad. Hernandez said seriously, taking his seat at the head of the table.
Bladework is the fundament of a strong and balanced life.

I dont know that Id go that far, Gomez said with a smirk. But it certainly is a fun
way to pass the time.

You never take anything seriously. Hernandez scowled at his cousin.

Of course not, Gomez returned, Whats the point of that? Sucks all the fun out of
life.

****

Fester and Pugsley arrived at Castle Addams a couple days later, flushed from their
excursion to Bosnia.

Bosnia? Xander just had to ask. What were you doing there?

Sweeping mine fields. Fester grinned widely. Great fun.

Yeah, it was AWESOME. Pugsley affirmed. Uncle Fester must have flown fifty
meters when he set off that anti tank mine!

Those suckers are hard to detonate, Fester said, shaking his head. I must have
jumped up and down on that for five minutes.

Xander sat down slowly, rubbing his temple.

Honestly, he was sorry he asked, but he was also really, really curious about the
details.

****

The Holidays were pleasant, though, as the weather remained beautiful in the area,
much to the Addams frustration. Xander spent his time fencing with Gomez and
Hernandez, reading his RPG books, and playing with Wednesday and Pugsley. Though
the third one was by far the most dangerous activity hed experienced yet, and he was
including the Chamber of Secrets in that list.

He quickly learned to avoid certain games, like Innocent Sacrifice and Condemned
Man. When games involving electrocution and decapitation came up, Xander begged
off to read.

That, of course, attracted Wednesdays interest and she cornered him quickly to ask
about his material.

Theyre game books. He said, Role Playing Games, basically stuff written by people
who like to pretend they can use magic.

A twinkling hint of amusement showed in her expression, and Wednesday sat down
beside him. Are they helpful?

There are some interesting ideas, Xander admitted, Im reading about
technomancy right now.

I havent heard of that, but I can guess what it means. Wednesday frowned, Does it
exist?

Yeah, a little, Xander said, pulling out a reference book hed bought in Three
Angels. Its kind of a matter of definition, though, I guess. People have been charming
cars to run on magic for, well, as long as there have been cars.

I know, our car works that way.

Xander nodded, unsurprised. Right, anyway, that could be considered technomancy I
guess. It worked well right up until microchips started showing up in everything.

Oh?

Yeah, magic makes them stop working. Xander said, frowning, The newer ones
anyway. Some of the older ones were charmed successfully. But even they werent
reliable.

Whats the difference?

Im not sure. Xander had to admit. Whatever it is, its pretty clear though...
anything electronic is REALLY hard, if not impossible, to charm.

Curious.

****
Back to index
****

As was normal with the Addamses, the days passed in swift, if often disjointed and
bizarre, fashion. They spent some time in the castle, but also got out to visit the local
magical community in Toledo, the Villo Del Brujas, or Witches Street. It was probably
about twice the size of Diagon, Xander decided as he walked through the crowded
plaza, everyone making room for them as people recognized Marietta Addams.

That was something he was getting used to, the Addams name carried far but where
they were recognized by sight it was otherworldly how fast people got out of their way.
Xander wondered if it was like that for Gomez and Morticia in America?

Witches Street was much like Diagon in what it had to offer, though Xander noticed a
couple smithy shops and the like with swords on display, as well as some items hed
never seen before like a Magic Carpet shop. He paused in front of that one, checking
out the advertisements.

Family Carpet, Flies Six!

Racing Carpet, Hundred and Twenty mile per hour top end!

And so on, as he looked.

Interested, young master?

Xander looked up, startled as the owner of the shop approached. Uh, no I dont think
so. Im just surprised, Ive never seen a flying carpet before.

The man looked at him quizzically, American?

Xander nodded.

Odd, from what I understand America imports carpets for recreation purposes.

I dont have a lot to do with the magical community there, yet, Xander admitted,
Ive been schooled at Hogwarts.

Ah, well that explains it. The man said with a chuckle, Unlike America, Britain has
a ban on carpet imports under their Muggle Items laws.

Yeah? Weird.

Not especially. The Nimbus Broom company is based in Britain, and they have
friends in the Wizemgamot and Ministry, The man explained, Carpets were cutting
into their business. In America no one uses brooms or carpets enough to matter.
Theyre not really useful for transport when people can live hundreds of miles apart or
more, so in larger countries like America theyre really just used for sport and hobby.

Oh. Xander nodded, You know, Im not surprised that carpets were biting into
broom sales. I dont really love the whole broom experience myself.

The salesman chuckled, Let me guess, robes bunch up on you?

Yeah. What is up with that anyway? Xander asked, I mean, I thought I was doing
something wrong, but...

No, no, The man assured him. Let me guess though, American Broom?

Yeah... Xander said, confused.

Thought so, You see the comfort charms are different on European Models, and since
you have a British instructor on flying... well, youve learned the wrong grip.

Youre kidding me. Xander blurted, eliciting a chuckle.

Im afraid not, get a hand book from your Broom company, it should explain the
differences.

Thanks.

No problem, young man, The salesman smiled, I love to talk flying. However, I
believe I see a customer, so I must bid you a farewell.

Xander said bye to the man and moved on down the street, thinking about what hed
been told. He stopped again by a smithy, and began to examine the swords and shorter
blades on display. A barrel shaped man noticed him and moved around a huge anvil in
his direction.

May I help you, young sir?

Im just looking for now, Xander admitted, Though Im thinking that I may like to
buy a blade soon.

The man grunted, sizing Xander up. You carry one now.

Xander looked at him sharply, How did...?

Right boot, outside edge, under your pantlegs. I can see it in how you walk.

Xander nodded slowly, impressed. Hed received the blade from his uncle two years
earlier, but had only received permission to carry it toward the end of the previous
summer. Xander thought that Sam was being a little paranoid, but hed gotten in the
habit of planting the blade in his boot every morning.

May I?

Xander nodded and kneeled down, drawing out the Fairbairn Sykes dagger from its
sheath and casually flipped it over and handed it to the smith pommel first.

The man took it, glancing it over with a grunt and handed it back. Muggle made,
mass produced. Adequate.

Im still learning, Xander said with an easy grin, I wouldnt know a great blade
from a piece of junk, but my uncle said this would serve well enough.

Hes right, its an adequate design. The smith affirmed, turning to a wall with a lot
of blades mounted on it. This, however, is a real weapon.

Xander accepted the blade from him and twisted it over in his hand. It was about the
same length as his own dagger, with a wider blade and beveled point that gave it a more
elegant look. The blade itself was mottled with dark patterns, and its polished gold
pommel and rope wrapped grip gave it a practical but artistic look.

Very nice. Xander admitted.

Damascus Steel recipe, Toledo Steel workmanship, The man said simply, but with a
certain pride in his voice. The muggles lost the ability to make that material centuries
ago when the Persian Ministry finally agreed to sign with the ICW in 1704. It wont
dull, it wont break, and unlike your blade itll hold a enchantment if youre interested
in that sort of thing.

Xander nodded, handing the blade back. Im impressed. Do you make swords the
same way?

****

Narcissa Malfoy tiredly sank into her chair, wearily activating the lamps with a wave
of her hand as she considered the situation.

On the plus side, her idiot cousin hadnt gotten himself caught yet.

That was about the only thing that seemed to be going in her favor at the moment,
however. Fudge, the imbecile, was increasing dementor security around the school in
response to Sirius encroachments in the fall.

There would soon be over a hundred of the blasted things infesting the area, and
frankly she was beginning to be afraid for the children, her Draco most of all. She was
no expert on the beasts, of course, there were few if any outside the Department of
Mysteries that could make that claim, but she knew that they werent exactly the most
discerning of beasts and they had already broken through the outer wards of the school.

Fudge swore up and down that it was an aberration and wouldnt happen again, but
that was no more or less than she expected of the idiot. She was disappointed in her
husband, however, for backing the Minister on this subject. The man shed married
wasnt this STUPID.

Narcissa growled, driving her elbow into the chair in a small fit of pique. She was so
CLOSE to doing something she had given up on ever being able to accomplish, and not
only was that little TOAD of a Minister standing in her way, but he was also risking her
only Sons safety in the process.

It was infuriating!

****

Francis Hardy sighed, weary by the complications he was dealing with. This whole
exchange idea had sounded like a lark when it was presented to him, a way to travel a
bit while keeping his tenure track. He had three students in Beauxbatons, all from
Quebec, everything ran smoothly there. There was two in Durmstrang, siblings from a
second generation German American family, and everything ran smoothly there
although he had to make some hard points concerning their Dark Arts program.

Hogwarts, however, was a yearly headache.

First, he didnt even know why the hell they had anyone there. The blasted course load
was antiquarian, which made things all the tougher on the students. The Addams girl
didnt surprise him all that much, not any more than anything else at anyrate. She was
an Addams, after all. Why the Harris lad was there, though, was a real pain.

First it was just a simple matter of following the Addams girl, Hardy suspected. But
this year the Harris family had swung some of their weight around, keeping the boy in
Hogwarts when a few people wanted to try and convince him to go to Salem.

He was showing some real promise, that one. His little potions accident was fast
tracked to being a multi billion dollar invention, and he was showing hints that maybe it
wasnt entirely a freak accident. The Headmaster at Salem wanted to bring him in to an
easier program, where he wouldnt have to do twice the work of his peers to make up
for below par education in classes like Defence, History, and Potions.

The school had the best Charms and Transfiguration programs in the world, as long as
you didnt count a few dedicated apprenticeships and the like, but it hardly made up for
the shortfalls in the other core programs.

Getting Harris into a better balanced program should bring his marks up significantly,
and give them a chance to see if he needed any special help in certain areas. As it was he
was holding on with respectable grades in most areas, but Hardy knew the boy could do
better.

And now this idiocy with the Dementors.

Honestly.

Who put soul sucking monsters around a Franklin be Damned SCHOOL??

Hardy suspected that it was a simple budgetary decision on Fudges part, of course.
Aurors wanted to be paid, Dementors just wanted to suck peoples souls out. No brainer
there.

Literally a no brainer, Hardy was starting to think.

He sighed, rereading the official complain Gomez Addams had placed with the
American Ministry and the ICW concerning the whole affair. They had no authority to
tell the brits to do anything, but the potential for outrage at home was turning into a
fiasco on its own. He didnt even want to THINK about what would happen if one of
the kids were attacked.

Briefly he toyed with the idea of teaching them the Patronus Charm, but he had
decided against it.

The Patronus was useful, but really it was nothing more than pissing in the wind when
you were dealing with more than one dementor. They things were no geniuses, but they
knew enough to split up and attack from two directions at once. So even if he succeeded
in teaching two underage children an incredibly difficult and, frankly, nearly useless
charm it wouldnt likely do them much good.

So Hardy found himself in nightly meetings arguing with the likes of Cornelius Fudge
and Albus Dumbledore over the life and safety of two of his charges.

One way or another, though, he wasnt going to let those two bastards stonewall him
on this.

Perhaps it was time to bring Arthur in on it, though. He knew Dumbledore personally
and may be able to convince the man to bend a little.

****
Back to index
****

Christmas came quickly, Xanders days being occupied with exploring, studying, but
mostly dodging the Addams siblings games. Honestly he wasnt sure how the duo
survived some of the stunts they pulled off, but he was far from confident that he would
be able to do the same, so he did his best to stay out of the way when they started
playing games that civilized nations didnt inflict on their worst criminals.

Of course that brought some attention to him as well.

Arent you having fun, dear? Morticia asked him one morning when she found him
reading and most certainly NOT hiding from Wednesdays latest Game Storm, which
involved lethal injection and fire ants.

Im great, Mrs Addams. Xander assured her, I just like to read, thats all.

Back in Sunnydale Willow flinched as a deep chill ran along her spine, and Jessie
jumped as if spooked.

Please, its Morticia. The elegant, though dark, lady said with a knowing smile. Are
Wednesday and Pugsleys games not to your liking?

Theyre a little more... risky than Im used to, Xander said with a grin, But thats
ok. I really do like to read, now anyway.

Now? Morticia asked, taking a seat beside him as Pugsley tore into the room, most
of his clothes eaten through and a large army of red ants chasing him. But not
before?

Xander tore his eyes away from the direction the Addams heir had gone, looking at
Morticia, That didnt concern you at all?

Boys will be boys. She said airily, then raised an eyebrow as Wednesday funeral
marched through the room after her brother, a huge needle in hand. And Wednesday
will be Wednesday.

And the kids at school wonder why no one in Ravenclaw bothers her. Xander
shuddered. Only the Gryffindors are stupid, I mean brave, enough to take a shot at
Wednesday.

Oh? Does my little darling have some lion admirers? Morticia asked with a hint of a
smile.

Not living ones. Xander said dryly.

Marvelous.

Xander couldnt help but smile a little as he shook his head. He had gotten somewhat
used to the Addams sensibilities, or at least what they put forward for public
consumption, but it still amused him every time he experienced it. He wasnt actually
convinced that the Addamses were really any different than anyone else, really, Xander
often suspected that they just wanted everyone to THINK they were different.

Pugsley rolled back into the room, covered in ants and screaming as Wednesday
liberally sprinkled him with steak sauce.

Ok, they may be a little different.

****

Christmas day with the Addams was about as close to normal as Xander ever saw
them act. That morning they settled down like any other family, surrounded by
decorated skulls and even more disturbing paraphernalia, and just spent time with each
other.

It was almost picture perfect.

Ok, so the picture was a little twisted, but hey Xander had spent some of his past
holidays outside in the yard cause he didnt want to hear his parents scream at each
other. No matter how twisted, there was a purity in the familial love that the Addams
held that beat that hands down.

Idly, Xander wondered if his parents still screamed at each other on Christmas, or if
the reintroduction to the magical world had begun to heal the fractures theyd endured.
He would have to spend a Christmas at home soon, he decided. Just to know.

The Gifts of the morning were what Xander had come to expect, from the disarmingly
innocent (and generally deceptively lethal, to the bizarre and horrifying. Xander had
received a long rapier from Gomez, on that looked as old as the castle they were in, and
some assorted bits of explosives, chemicals, and components for his projects from the
rest of the family. He had to gape at most of it in awe because, unlike the trunks from
last year, Xander knew exactly how much the materials cost and furthermore how hard
it would be for him to acquire any of it and he was stunned.

My god. He choked, This is...

Dont you like it? Morticia asked softly, Wednesday made several strange
suggestions, but she generally knows about such things...

Its... incredible. Are those... Xander hesitated, Dragon heartstrings?

Indeed. Poor thing, Morticia sighed, Poachers chased it onto Addams land a few
months ago, along with its Pride. By the time the family had finished... harvesting... the
poachers, well this one had died of its wounds. Valiant creature, however, it defended
its fellows with its life.

Thank you. Xander croaked, mind still almost blank. I...

He just shook his head, still stunned.

He wasnt the only one to be stunned, mind you. As the gifts continued to be passed
around Xanders gifts to the family were opened. They were mostly small things, such
as a poisonous black rose Xander had managed to get Neville Longbottom to smuggle
out of the school greenhouse for him, the cutting had survived and was now growing
strong again, much to Mortishas delight.

Hear now, boy, thats my wife your charming! Gomez chuckled, grinning widely as
he slid his cigar back into his mouth.

Morticia rolled her eyes as Xander blushed, but didnt comment as she cooed to the
budding rose plant.

Fester and Pugsley got a binary gift of potion flasks that left them confused until
Xander suggested they mix them. The ensuing explosion blew both of them out of the
room, leaving Gomez black with soot with a smoking stub of a cigar in his teeth as
Xander dropped the protego protecting himself, Wednesday, and Morticia.

Good show. He complimented the boy, grinning through the soot, How far do you
suppose they flew?

Probably back into the snakepit, if I aimed it right. Xander deadpanned.

And you said you didnt like to play Addams games, Morticia said with a soft smile.

No, I said they were a little riskier than I was used to.

She nodded, but held an amused glint in her eye as the christmas ritual continued.

Gomez was the next to stop as he opened his own gift from Xander and stared. My
boy...

He numbly drew out a blade in the rapier style he preferred, noting the distinctive
mottling of the metal that told him it was Damascus steel and unconsciously whipped it
through the air a couple times to test its weight.

Near perfection.

He snapped it to the left, flat of the blade curling around his waist slightly as he caught
the tip behind his back and drew it the rest of the way around, holding the sword like a
belt around his waist, tip the pommel in the front. Then with a snap he let it go and the
blade snapped back straight and true and he stared at it.

Its beautiful. He said, noting the Addams coat of arms on the hand guard.

Xander smiled, Im glad you like it. Figuring out what to get the family who has
everything they want, well thats tough.

Gomez smiled again, suddenly, Its marvelous my boy, simply marvelous.

Morticia clapped her hands slightly, That said, its time to eat.

****

The Hols moved by quickly after that, and before long it was time to return to school.

They loaded into the car, as they had arrived, and drove off into the mist that seemed
to grow up to meet them.

A time later, Xander wasnt sure how long they had been driving through the mist,
they broke out into the small town of Hogsmeade and glided to a stop near Madame
Rosmertas. Gomez ushered them all inside to where Wednesday and Xander saw
Professor Hardy waiting as he sipped on a bottle of butterbear.

Ah, Mr and Mrs Addams, children. he nodded, setting the bottle down.

Professor. Xander and Wednesday chorused, drawing a smirk.

Mr Hardy, Gomez said seriously, Do you have them?

He nodded, retrieving a couple hatpins from his pocket. He handed one to Xander and
one to Wednesday. Xander looked at his, noting that it proclaimed his love of the Los
Angeles Kings hockey team with some amusement. Wednesday looked at her LA Lakers
pin with substantially less, however.

What are these? She asked disdainfully.

Portkeys, Hardy answered, Theyre one way tickets out of Hogwarts wards,
straight to the Magical Receiving Zone of the American Embassy in London.

The two children blinked in surprise, but gave the pins slightly more interest.

Theyre only to be used in an emergency, Hardy warned, but if something happens,
like those Dementors get on the property again, then dont hesitate. Pull the pin apart,
then you have about two seconds before it and anything touching it is dropped right in
the MRZ. Dont draw your wand when you arrive, and if you already have it out, drop
it on the ground. The Marines there are squibs, and they dont have a sense of humor.

They both nodded.

Hardy knew he was overdoing it with that warning, the Marines were diplo protection
people and were used to all sorts of folks arriving at the MRZ, but just the same they
would react badly to a drawn wand so it was better to have the kids be careful. During
darker times, like the last war with Voldemort, the MRZ had been staffed by members
of the Pride, not squib marines, and the reception to a drawn wand in those days was a
lot cooler.

Now like I said, those are emergency use only, He stressed again, it took a lot of
work to get those for you, and your headmaster had to create them himself. Dont play
with them, wear them all the time, and be careful ok?

We will. The two said.

Good. Well meet for our first class of the session in a week. Well be working on
Chemistry and Physics. Prepare yourselves.

Yes Sir.

Hardy stood up, nodding to the Addams. Mr Addams, Mrs Addams.

Thank you for your help, Professor. Morticia said serenely.

Its my job, he replied wryly, Im glad I could help.

****

Xander and Wednesday found Hermione in a funk when they arrived back in the
council, the bushy haired girl was sitting alone at their usual table in the library. She
looked depressed and more than slightly frazzled as they split around her and sat down
on either side.

Whats wrong?

Xander winced slightly, noting that tact was not really Wednesdays forte.

Nothing.

Wednesday merely nodded, Alright.

Oh for. Xander sighed, pinching his nose, We can tell somethings wrong, Hermione.

I dont want to talk about it.

What happened with Harry and Ron? Xander asked, sighing.

How do you know...??

It hardly takes a genius, Wednesday spoke up, You are rarely affected deeply by
anything else.

Hermione crumbled then and spilled the whole sordid tale of Harry getting an
expensive broom for Christmas and how shed told the Professors about it and it had
been taken away to be examined.

Xander winced, but shook his head, Yeah, I can see that causing some friction.

It could have been from Sirius Black! Hermione defended herself.

Hey, not arguing. Xander held up his hands, But you know, Harry? Hes not real
big on self preservation, remember? Anyway, I doubt Black would try anything like
that so dont worry about it, hell get the broom back.

Hermione looked at him narrowly, What makes you say that?

If Black tampered with Harrys broom it would probably be to make it fly into the
girls showers or something, Xander said dryly, That man had a real weird sense of
humor.

And how would you know this? Wednesday looked up with an arcing eyebrow.

Xander scowled a little, shrugging, Black had a hand in writing the Grimoire.

Hermiones eyes widened, Xander! You have to tell the Headmaster!

Why would I do that? That book was written years before he turned on the Potters,
Xander said, then shrugged, if he turned on the Potters.

What do you mean, IF??

Look, no offense to you since your British and all, but what Ive seen of the local
government doesnt really instill me with confidence. They locked up Hagrid last year
on no evidence, helped toss Dumbles out of the school when, frankly, we needed every
wand we could get in here... Xander muttered, I mean really, they threw the most
powerful wizard alive OUT of the school and locked US in here with the freaking
SNAKE. Does this make sense to anyone??

Hermione had leaned back, her face shocked at Xander hissing outburst.

He didnt wait for an answer, And now this year Sirius Black escapes from the Azka-
whatsit place, so they think its a good idea to turn Hogwarts into New Azkaban. No
offense, Herms, but you Brits are nuts. Frankly, I think wed have been safer if they just
locked the prisoners in here instead of sending us the Guards.

Indeed, Wednesday said sourly.

Im sure that Minister Fudge had a good reason...

Fudge is an incompetent fool. Wednesday said simply in response to that.

Yeah, probably, Xander shrugged, Incompetent or Crooked.

Why not both?

Xander snorted as Hermione looked affronted.

Just because you two are from America doesnt mean you have to look down on our
government...

No, we look down on it because its stooped over so low Fudges nose has dirt on it.
Xander smirked.

Im not certain thats dirt, Wednesday replied lightly.

Hermione scowled at them again, face flushed as she rose to the defense of her nation,
but Xander cut her off with a grin.

Feeling better, are we?

She glared at him, then her eyes widened for a moment before narrowing again,
Oooh you...

Pleased to asist, Xander said, And like I said, dont worry about Harry. Hell come
around, though next time, Herms, you should tell him first. You ever go over my head
before trying to reason with me, Im going to get real angry too... even if you ARE
right.

Agreed. Wednesday added as she reached for a book, considering the subject closed.

Hermione winced, her stomach suddenly clenching. I suppose that makes sense.

Xander just snorted as he opened up one of his notebooks along side a reference book
and a GURPS magical sourcebook.

****

Unfortunately for Hermione things seemed doomed to get worse before they got better,
as even though her relationship with Harry stabilized shortly after, Ron seemed
determined to make her pay for the loss of the Firebolt, bringing it up nearly constantly
when the three talked. Xander watched as Hermione spent a couple miserable weeks,
leading into a miserable month, in which the girl became more and more frazzled with
each passing day.

It puzzled him because while she was having trouble with some of her friends it didnt
seem to be so bad as to cause what he was seeing. He caught up with Wednesday one
morning at the Ravenclaw table for breakfast, that topic on his mind.

The dark girl merely frowned ever so slightly and shrugged when he brought it up.
Im not certain. Ive been wondering too.

Oh, its a Tremwrurts infestation, A blond to Wednesdays left said airily.

Huh-wha? Xander blinked, looking over at her.

Is it really? Wednesday looked over herself, suddenly seeming interested in the
conversation.

The blond nodded.

Whats a Trem-whatsit?

A nearby Ravenclaw snorted, and several others giggled.

Something not to be discussed in front of the plebes. Wednesday said acidly, rising
from her breakfast. I have class, well talk later.

Several of the plebes looked affronted, but none of them quite had the courage to
challenge the statement. Xander just sighed, confused, and hoped he would understand
the explanation.

****

Before they could have that conversation, Hermiones problems seemed solved. The
broom was returned and there was much celebration among the Gryffs, and a fair
amount of griping amongst the Ravenclaws who were next slotted to play a match with
the lions. Said reprieve lasted only a few hours however, Xander found out in the
morning, when her pet cat killed Rons pet rat.

The bushy haired girl was near in tears at breakfast, sitting well away from both
Harry and Ron, and her moment of reprieve from the frazzled look she had been
cultivating was long gone. She was nervous and seemed tired, often acting like she
didnt know where she was supposed to be.

Xander presumed it was a sign of the whatsit infestation, assuming the blond girl had
the slightest idea what she was talking about. He hadnt been able to find any reference
to it when he looked, yet Wednesday seemed to recognize the term.

Wednesday was another puzzle, he was discovering. She had buried herself in her
studies in a way he hadnt seen her do before. Not that she wasnt a good student, she
was, she just never seemed to study. Her time in the library with he and Hermione was
usually spent on private reading, as far as he could tell, yet now she was pouring over
reference books and barely grunted when he tried to talk to her.

Girls.

Well, Girls and Addamses.

Xander figured it would be a bad sign if he ever understood either.

Then, in a rapidfire assault on the school, Sirius Black made another attempt, this time
getting as far as Harrys room where he was caught standing over Ron when the
redhead woke up. Xander shuddered at that, the idea of waking up to someone wielding
a knife over your head was chilling, but he was also now driven to understand this
Sirius Black.

How the man from the Grimoire became a deranged knife wielding psycho was
something Xander couldnt fathom. So, in the meanwhile, he steeled himself and
returned to his room while it was empty and pulled out the Coven Grimoire for the first
time since before the holidays.

****

Narcissa was nearing the end of her patience.

Her fool of a cousin INSISTED on sticking his head into the noose, and there seemed to
be nothing she could do about it. Honestly, sneaking into a boys bedroom to kill him,
then *running* away when a twelve year old woke up.

The Blacks werent the noble and kind hearted family in history, Narcissa would be
the first to admit, in only in private, so she was fairly certain that several of them were
rolling over in their graves at the moment.

Not because Sirius had tried to kill a child, but because hed failed in so stupid a
fashion.

If youre going to kill someone, their Great Grandfather had always said, do the job
right the first time. Because your second opportunity may only come at a time of your
targets choosing. And that was no way to run an assassination.

Honestly, he could have finished it then and there, Narcissa scowled. She didnt care
one whit for the Potter boy, live or die didnt matter to her, so she rather wished Sirius
had finished the job. At least then he could put this stupid obsession behind him and
maybe they could have gotten the damned fool out of the country and away from the
dementors.

Argentina was nice this time of year, Narcissa considered, and the Blacks owned an
island off the coast somewhere in that region.

She thought it was in that region at least.

The blasted thing was covered in so many wards that only one person alive knew how
to get there, she suspected.

And that one person was trying to get his soul sucked out by the bloody dementors!

Were she a different person, Narcissa Malfoy would have screamed her frustration to
the world then. As it was she merely stiffened her step and made her way back to her
rented room over the Three Broomsticks.

Damn her idiot cousin and her moronic husband both.

****
Back to index
****
Xander growled slightly as he pushed his fountain pen into the page of the Grimoire,
angrily countering the protestations coming from the embedded personalities. It was an
exercise in frustration, unfortunately, since they werent supposed to be truly
independent people, but recorded facsimiles of same.
The process used to embed the personalities into the book was similar to that used to
create portraits, a combination of the Protean Charm and various memory spells that
caused the book to become similar to the minds of those who had cast the charms on
themselves. Xander had to bear in mind that, in magical terms, the word Similar had
very specific connotations. It didnt mean similar, it meant *Similar*, with a capital S.
The Similarity Principal of Magic could easily be summed up by saying Like affects
Like. That, however, was a kindergarten way of describing the true meaning. It was like
saying that the Sun was a burning ball in the sky. It was accurate enough to convey the
concept, but wholly inadequate to actually describe the power and majesty that existed
in a Stellar object if that nature.
In his reading Xander had been surprised to discover that Normal Science had begun
to predict the existence of this, incredibly important and yet underestimated, branch of
magic. It had first shown up in his RPG books, prompting him to read into it further in
his Physics text.
It was called Quantum Entanglement, a theory which held that certain quantum
particles could become entangled with other, identical particles, and affect each other at
any range, instantly. It was, Xander thought, rather shocking that Normal Physics had
begun to theorize the existence of an entire branch of magical study.
In the here and now, however, it was merely giving Xander a headache.
On the on hand, the book he was holding was supposed to hold several weak imitations
of people. People he had been arguing with for several hours and, for all intents and
purposes, losing too. They didnt TALK like reflections, not once he aroused their
interest. They changed from the rote by rote teachers and began to argue that real
people, often ignoring Xanders own attempts to enter the conversation in their ire with
each other.
Lilly Evans and Sirius Black were adamantly screaming his innocence, while Narcissa
Black was playing Devils Advocate and pointing out that Sirius HAD come from a
noted Pureblood Family and could easily have fallen into line in his later years. In fact,
she pointed out, his infiltrating a noted family like the Potters would be considered a
coup worthy of a Black.
Xander had winced when that point was made, he was relatively certain that his ears
would have been ringing from the outraged replies.
Alice Prewitt was more muted, offering quieter thoughts on the subject, and sometimes
drifting off into confusing and nearly incomprehensible lines of thought that brought
nothing but confusion to the topic at hand.
ENOUGH.
Xanders heavily scored writing brought a moment of stillness to the book, and he took
a few seconds to breath a sigh of relief before putting pen to paper again.
These are the FACTS. One, He wrote, the Potters were betrayed and Black was
presumed to be the Secrete Keeper. Two, Black did get in a confrontation with
Pettigrew in which Pettigrew apparently died. Black was thrown in Azkaban and DID
recently escape, and DID show up in Harrys room last night wielding a knife.
Those words burned into the page for a moment before the inked blank dog slumped
in place and seemed defeated.
Its not possible, the word bubbles said over the dogs head. I couldnt have. Right?
Of course you couldnt, Lillys representation, a delicately inked flower, responded.
We must not have all the information.
That was possible, Xander conceded. Hed grown to like the annoying troublemaker
over the past few months, and just couldnt wrap his mind around Black as a
murderous traitor. Of course, thats exactly what the book would want him to think if
the book was some evil talisman like the diary from the year before.
But would he be able to think that way if it was?
Xander rubbed his temple, trying not to groan. It was just a pain in the ASS.
He sighed, his pen clattering to the desk as he pushed the book away. Hed trying
getting answers, but all he got were more questions.
****
Narcissa frowned at her copy of the Grimoire. She didnt know why she had brought it
with her to Hogsmeade really, though it did provide a link into the school that couldnt
be traced, and thus a way to get information out that may be otherwise suppressed by
Dumbledore or the Ministry. With Lucius being no help at all on this matter, she
needed every scrap of information she could lay her hands on.
The ongoing debate within the pages was just short of ridiculous in her opinion, and
she wondered what the boy was trying to accomplish with it? The memories within had
no will of their own, and no real information past the day the book had been charmed.
Or so she thought, until she noted Lilly referring to herself as Lilly Potter.
Narcissa scowled, that wasnt right. And why in Merlins Name was Lilly so adamantly
defending Sirius anyway?
Back then they had barely tolerated each other. The Grimoire had been completed at
the end of their fifth year, before Lilly and James had started to date, and while Sirius
was still detested as the Casanova want to be of Hogwarts.
She cast her mind back to the spell they had used, wondering if they had forgotten to
seal it properly. Perhaps the book was even to this day drawing on their memory
connection?
Narcissa shook her head, then quickly cast a few diagnostic spells on it, and herself.
No, no connection to be found.
She sighed. It was quite strange, but not immediately important she decided. She had
more important things to deal with in the near term.
****
Xander barely muffled his groan when he stepped down into the common room and
right into a, patent pending, Draco Malfoy Rant (tm). The blond was roaring about his
punishment, saying that McGonagal didnt have the right to punish him and basically
going on and on to anyone whod listen.
It actually took Xander a while to remember what the hell the blond was being
punished for, mostly cause he rarely paid attention to Quidditch. It hit him when Draco
said something about a harmless prank, reminding him of the long dementor robes
Draco and his hangers on had used to try and intimidate Harry during the match.
Oh not this again, Xander muttered, just before he could stop himself.
Stay out of this Harris! Draco snapped, whirling around. This is none of your
business!
You can say that again, Xander shook his head, pushing past the group and moving
toward the far side of the room. I just came down to get some air, and I dont mean hot
air thats already been blown up everyones ass.
Several people in the room laughed openly at that as Draco visibly trembled, turning
an alarming shade of puce.
How DARE you!?
Me? Youre bitching about being punished after that stunt? Xander laughed dryly,
If I were McGonagal Id give you points for that. You made us look like idiots, and
Harry look like more of a lion than ever!
Draco jerked back, like hed been slapped.
Its amazing, Xander said with a shake of his head, You have to be Harry Potters
best ally, he can always count on you to make him look good.
Draco snapped, her wand in his hand in a flash as he snapped it in Xanders direction,
Furnunculus!
Protego! Xander replied, his own wand having already been gripped tightly as he
recognized Dracos state of mind. Stupify!
The red blast of energy crossed paths with Dracos curse in the middle of the room,
giving the blond just enough time to drop to the ground as it passed over him and
dropped Goyle in his tracks. The Furnunculus curse splashed across Xanders shield,
dropping its effectiveness but not penetrating the magical bubble.
Xander instantly dropped the shield, killing the power drain, but prepared to cast
another.
Ive told you before, Draco, if you intend to CHEAT dont get CAUGHT. Xander
said clearly, shifting to one side so if too many of them decided to help Draco he could
duck out the door into Hogwarts proper. Getting caught cheating is worse than losing,
even if you win.
Nothing is worse than losing, fool. Draco sneered as he climbed to his feet.
Xander rolled his eyes, If everyone knows you cheated, you get no respect for the
win... and the people you beat, lose no respect for their loss. But if THEY beat you, and
everyone knows you cheated, you lose a HUGE amount of respect for having lost despite
having the advantage, and they win an equally huge amount for having beaten the odds.
By cheating obviously you give the other side all the cards and concede victory to
them.
Draco looked confused, then shook his head, Thats nonsense! If you win you win.
Thats what counts.
In a war, sure. Xander returned, his wand still between them and ready to cast. But
this isnt war. Winning on the field doesnt get you anything off it, unless people think
you won fair. Everytime you go and do something stupid like the other day you make us
look worse off the field, and everyone else look better. ESPECIALLY the Gryffs.
Xander moved back to the door and felt it open as he tucked his wand into his pocket.
Not that I care, He shrugged, Im a yank. All this house rivalry crap is meaningless
to me.
With that parting shot Xander backed out of the Slytherin Common room and let the
stone wall close. He turned and began to make his way up the hall, he really did need to
get some air, and then maybe back to the library.
After that little spell exchange he was feeling a lot better actually.
Hermione had cracked the Protean, somehow, he wasnt sure how. She didnt seem to
have any TIME to do so. But now it was just a matter of preparing the spell to map
Hogwarts Wards.
Frankly, Xander felt it was overtime to get himself a Marauders Eye view of the
school.
****
Daphne Greengrass leaned slightly back as the commotion in the common room began
to die down, noting with amusement that several of those who had been hanging on
Dracos every word a few moments earlier were drifting out of the room even as the
blond picked up a new rant against his housemate.
He has a way with words.
Daphne looked over at Tracy Davis, one eyebrow arcing.
Harris, not Draco.
Ah. Daphne nodded, I think hes been thinking about that one since first year,
actually.
Still. He has a point. Tracy said with a put upon sigh. Youre closer to the Malfoys
than I am, Daph... is it an act?
Excuse me? Daphne blinked, surprised at the question.
Draco. Tracy elaborated. Is it an act? Or is he really this stupid.
Daphne had to stop there, suddenly considering the question. I dont know. I doubt
its all an act, though. Hes been too perfect at it.
Tracy snickered softly, but nodded in agreement. I hope youre right.
Daphne nodded soberly, Me too.
Because if it was an act...
She shuddered to think of it.
Ugly thoughts aside, Daphne said slowly, I believe that Xander has secured a slight
lead in the race.
Tracy nodded thoughtfully, considering the likely repercussions of the events of a few
minutes earlier. Certainly his little speech had shook a few of the uncertain allies
Malfoy had gathered back to neutrality, but it was very likely that Harris own little
cabal had grown slightly as well.
I think youre right. She said after a moment, then rolled her eyes, Do you think
either one of them have any idea?
Draco doesnt, for sure. Daphne said with certainty, At least hes shown no sign of
even acknowledging that there ARE Slytherins who arent rich, pureblooded, and
worship the Dark Lord. So long as his core followers are there, I dont think he even
knows that the rest of us really exist.
He knows, Tracy said sourly, He just doesnt think we have minds of our own.
Thats reserved for the rich and powerful.
I stand corrected, Daphne accepted the correction easily. Draco Malfoy simply
separated people into two groups, well three really. First was the people like himself,
rich or at LEAST pureblooded, and espousers of the Dark Lords philosophy. Second
was, well everyone else. The second group was divided up into people who rightly
obeyed the orders of their superiors, IE Draco, and those who didnt. Those who didnt
had to be destroyed, or put back into their place. Those who did, well they only existed
insofar as they had some use to Draco.
Both girls were quite concerned with what use they would have for Draco in the not
too distant future, though their own worries were quite small compared to some in the
house. The Greengrass and Davis line were strong enough to make even the Malfoy
scion wary of crossing the line of propriety, at least in the current political climate.
Should a new Dark Lord come into ascendance on the Malfoys side, well then things
could get ugly.
Which made them VERY interested in the second horse running in what, realistically,
should have been a one horse race. Alexander Harris had pretty much literally come out
of nowhere, a true dark horse in a House that prided itself on taking others by surprise.
His own cabal of followers, or allies, was relatively low on political power but during
their Hogwarts years it wasnt political power that counted.
No, it was actual in the hand power. And that was something Harris had on tap,
whether he realized it or not.
Since the previous year Tracy and Daphne had taken close notice in his actions and
their repercussions. He was one of the more talented students in their year, prone to
strange leaps of seeming genius by times, but not really at the top of any one thing.
Draco and Potter both had him outclassed in Defense, Granger, Daphne herself, Tracy
and many others had him outclassed in the other classes.
Still, when everything was averaged out, he always seemed to be in the top five for
their year. Added to that, he was close friends with numbers one and two, Hermione
Granger and Wednesday Addams, and was said to have fought at Potters side in the
events of the previous year which at least implied an accord with one of the most
politically powerful students at Hogwarts.
Within the house he had on several occasions openly challenged Dracos position and
actually backed the Malfoy scion down, or at least diverted him from his course much
to the gratitude of many in the house.
So, what had begun as a small loose alliance of house rejects was now looking like a
solid powerbase at least as practically powerful as the traditional Slytherin cabal. It was
true that Draco had a far more potent external powerbase to call on in certain
situations, but for all intents and purposes he couldnt fully tap that power except for
those very specific situations.
In the long run that political power would likely be the deciding factor in the race, but
their class only had four more years to go before graduation. Once free from the
immediate proximity of the Malfoy, well options opened up considerably. So neither
Daphne, nor many of the smarter students in the house, were truly playing a long game
at the moment. They were looking more to the medium terms, and in that range of play
Harris seemed to be the top dog.
In many ways the only thing preventing Harris from assuming full leadership of
Slytherin house was the simple fact that he hadnt yet demanded it.
All that as a third year, no less.
It was absolutely infuriating that he didnt seemed to have the slightest CLUE as to
any of it. Daphne was beginning to wonder if he wasnt some sort of idiosavant.
****
It was done.
Xander couldnt help but smirk a little as he looked over the work. Hermiones
calculations and spellwork had been immaculate, as always. His own numbers
confirmed her work, as did Wednesdays. That was good enough for him, the map was
ready to be imprinted.
That did leave the very annoying problem of how to get it into the Headmasters office
however.
As a Slytherin he couldnt just get caught doing something bad and get sent their for
discipline, Professor Snape handled his own house entirely IN house. Xander figured
hed have to murder someone to wind up in the headmasters office, and that seemed a
little extreme for his current plans.
Basically that didnt leave him many options really.
He could try and break in, he supposed. The fact that the Headmaster used various
sweets as the password to his office was no secret, but even so Xander suspected that the
system was a little more complicated than that. If hed been setting it up he probably
wouldnt let the password work unless he was sitting in his office or it had been used by
someone who was cleared through the wards. Even if Dumbledore was careless enough
to do otherwise, hed damn sure have the wards record entries.
Showing up as having broken into the headmasters officer would be a bad way to
keep his anonymity, and since he wasnt a ward breaker that option was out.
That left a Trojan Horse, which should be doable, but hed have to set the conditions
carefully. Xander hummed happily to himself as he began to cast small cantrips hed
learned in his first year. Sometimes the best spells were the simplest.
****
Sir?
Professor Severus Snape paused, half turning as his robes flowed around him, and
glared at the young Slytherin coming up behind him. Yes?
The second year gulped but held out an envelop, Im sorry sir, but I found this.
Snape took the proffered envelop and noted the name on it, one eyebrow raising. And
you bring it to me because?
I cant find Xander, Sir. The boy said, It looked important.
He looked at it again and noted that the letter did indeed have a seal that read
Gringotts of America. A markedly different seal from Gringotts, he noted with an odd
flash of annoyance. Arrogant colonials. Severus fisted the envelop, however, and drove
it into his pocket. Very well, Ill see to it that he gets it. Be on your way.
Yes Sir.
Snape didnt even pause to watch the boy run off, he just turned and continued on his
way to his nightly visit with the headmaster.
Milk Duds. He growled out, not breaking stride as the gargoyles leapt out of the
way.
In the Headmasters office he found the other heads of house waiting and nodded
curtly, My apologies for being late, I was stopped by a student.
No trouble at all, Severus, Albus smiled calmly, holding out a bowl of
confectionaries, Lemon drop?
No, thank you. Snape said as he took his seat.
Now then, let us beg... Dumbledore began, then paused with a frown to look back at
Snape. Are you aware youre carrying a charmed item?
Snape stiffened, mind racing, No, I...
He calmed quickly, sighing, and fished out the envelop the student had given him. I
was just given this, apparently Mr Harris left his correspondence lying around
carelessly.
Albus took it from him, adjusting his glasses, My my, Gringotts of America. Yes, I
see.
Is it a problem, Albus? Minerva leaned forward.
No, no. Merely an identification charm that was activated, Albus chuckled, I must
be getting paranoid.
Is Mr Harris nearby? Pomona blinked.
No, Albus chuckled again, No it was most likely reacting to me as Headmaster, and
legal guardian of all my students. Slightly shoddy spellmanship, but I suppose American
Goblins are a little laxer in their work than our own.
He handed the envelop back, See to it that Mr Harris receives his bank statements,
Severus, I understand hes made quite a lot off that little potion of his.
Snape scowled, stuffing the envelop back in his robes as the others chuckled. He didnt
need to be reminded of that. The very idea that such a simple potion brew could have
become worth so much was, well it was both mind boggling and more than a little
infuriating. Hed looked up the patent himself shortly after it became public and was
quite disgusted by how so frivolous a brew had become to sought after.
The only thing that saved Harris, in Snapes eyes, was that the boy was quite rightly
embarrassed by the whole matter.
Still chuckling at his Potions Master, the Headmaster shifted the topic back to the
daily reports and began the meeting in earnest.
****
Xander was sitting in the Common Room when Professor Snape strode in for his
nightly inspection. The Professor spotted him from across the room and smoothly
crossed over, parting the students with no effort whatsoever, and unceremoniously
dumped the letter in Xanders lap.
I strongly advise you not to lose your correspondence in the future. Snape hissed
softly, glaring down at him. You may not be so lucky as to have someone return it.
Xander nodded, clearly swallowing. Thank you, sir.
Snape rolled his eyes and pivoted away, robes billowing around him as he walked.
Xander watched him leave before breaking the seal on the envelope and taking out the
blank parchment inside.
He couldnt help but smirk slightly as he looked around to make sure no one was too
close, then tapped the paper with his wand.
Deafening Silence?
The words flowed onto the page smoothly and Xander smiled slightly, Sweet
Sorrow.
The words faded away, replaced by a series of lines that grew out from the center,
showing a clear view of the Slytherin Common Room with name tags for everyone
currently within, and slowly grew to encompass the whole school.
The New Coven Proudly Presents, A Marauders Eye View.
Xander idly placed a finger on the map and used it to drag the view around until he
could see the Gryffindor Dorms, his eye picking out Hermione Grangers name in what
he presumed was her room. Another smooth motion brought him to Wednesday, sitting
at her desk in Ravenclaw dorms.
Mischief managed, Mr Black, He whispered, with a small decidedly evil looking
grin. But not complete, not by a long shot.
Xander tapped the map again, quietly telling it, Military Intelligence.
The map went blank as he got up and walked across the room to a second year hed
saved from a Malfoy beat down.
Thanks, Derrick. Xander nodded, Just let me know what you want from town next
weekend, ok?
No problem, Xan, Derrick Smythe, halfblood Slytherin outcast said with a small
smile.
****
Back to index
****

The next day Xander sat through his classes, barely able to sit still as he thought about
the completed map. He couldnt stop thinking about how insanely cool that little piece
of spell work was, and what could be done with it. The security, and counter security,
uses alone were fantastic but hed read the copious notes Black had made concerning
the map, and those uses were the LEAST of its abilities.

In effect, anything reported by the wards were accessible to the map. Unfortunately it
was strictly a realtime device, with no recording capability, but Xander was thinking
about how to change that already. Even so, before hed crashed the night before Xander
had accessed some of the higher functions of the map to watch the progress of the
Prefects on their nightly patrols.

Percy Weasley had been paired with the Ravenclaw Prefect, Penelope Clearwater. They
had an interesting method of patrolling the broom closets on the third floor, a very
thorough examination of one in particular Xander had noted with a smirk. The Map
didnt have visual capability, of course, that wasnt something that was built into
Hogwarts wards, but many areas of the castle, including almost all public areas were
monitored by listening charms tied into the ward structure.

The map faithfully rendered various epithets, moans, and groans into speech bubbles
coming from the two Prefects and, much to Xanders amusement, Blacks addition to
the spellwork created cartoon caricatures that writhed together luridly as he watched.

The Marauders were brilliant, but twisted Xander noted, and he was hardly surprised
that the Coven had detested them on principal. He was certainly glad that Blacks
supplementary notes hadnt been included in the spellwork hed shared with
Wednesday or Hermione. The map construct itself was so complicated that it was all
but impossible to really pick out the difference between the more straightforward
functions of the display and Sirius Blacks extra additions, otherwise Xander had little
doubt that hed have been treated to a game of Human Sacrifice, with two irate girls
wielding the knives.

He shuddered at that, Hermione may stop before actually cutting him in that situation,
but Wednesday wouldnt.

Xander shared almost everything with his friends, but he wasnt entirely without
survival instincts.

At least after reading the supplementary notes on the Map, Xander had a good idea
what it had been age coded to only let him talk to Black when he was at least in third
year. A couple years ago hed have probably showed the map in spy mode to
Wednesday for giggles.

That would have gone over SO well, he was sure.

****

When classes were done for the day Xander headed for the library. While he was going
to hold back some functions of the map for reasons of personal security, not to mention
an allergy to pain, he had to let the girls know that it had worked.

He found Wednesday at their regular table and immediately noticed that something was
up. The dark girl was sitting stiffly, as was her habit, but she wasnt reading. Her
glittering eyes were focused on Hermione who was sitting across the room at another
table. Xander followed her gaze and paused in place as he took in the normally perky,
brightly enthusiastic, girl. Her hair was badly frazzled, looking like it hadnt been
brushed in some time, making its normal bushy appearance look like the height of
fashion.

Xander exchanged a glance with Wednesday, who nodded and rose from her place.
Together they split around the tables and approached Hermione from either side,
taking the seats beside her silently and clearly startling the girl.

Youre not looking so hot, Xander said, eschewing any attempt at tact as he reached
over and slid her book away from her.

Hermione glared at him, Well thank you so much for that pick me up.

If the truth irritates you that much, perhaps youre worse off than you appear.
Wednesday said idly as she and Xander looked at the title of the book Hermione had
been reading. Dangerous Creatures Statutes?

Interesting reading, Xander said with a twitch of his head. Theres not another big
honking snake in the school is there?

Dont be silly. Hermione rolled her eyes, Where would another Basilisk come
from?

I dunno, same place the first one did? Xander shrugged. Honestly, Im not real clear
on where that one came from.

Hermione huffed, but Wednesday merely smiled slightly. He has a point. I presume,
however, that this has something to do with Buckbeak?

Hermione slumped a little, looking tired, but nodded.

I take it that hasnt gone well?

We lost, Hermione admitted, Buckbeak is due to be executed in a few days.

I see. Wednesday said quietly.

Xander felt bad for the animal, he knew for a fact that Draco hadnt been as badly hurt
as hed pretended, but the fact was it did attack a student and he was pretty damn sure
that any dog that did that on school property back in the states probably wasnt going
to last half as long as this Hippogryff had. More to the point, however, Xander had a
feeling that this wasnt the core of the issue hed come over here to deal with, namely
why Hermione looked like she was up for about three days straight.

Herms, that cant be all of it. You really look horrible, are you coming down with
something?

No. She said sharply, glaring at him, I most certainly am not. I just havent been
sleeping much lately, thank you very much.

With that she got up in a huff and strode off, leaving Xander to frown thoughtfully.

Is that part of that Tremwrurt thing you and Luna were talking about? He asked.

Wednesday blinked, looking at him with a genuinely confused look, What?

Tremwrurt, remember? Luna said something about that and you said it wasnt to be
discussed with the plebes? Xander asked again, this time he was the one who was
confused.

Ah, Her face relaxed into understanding. Is that what she actually said?

Bwa?

Alexander, Ive mentioned before that the Addamses have a gift of languages,
correct?

Yeah, last year.

Well I didnt hear what she said, I heard what she *meant*. Wednesday said cooly,
collecting her books. Luna is a very interesting person, I dont believe she herself
knows the names for the things she sees, so she makes up things to call them.

Uh... ok. So what did she see?

Elementa Aetas. She said before following after Hermione, leaving Xander perplexed
behind her.

What the heck does that mean? He asked of the air around him.

Predictably, he got no answer.

Great. He sighed, getting up and collecting his own books.

In all the excitement he hadnt even got a chance to show his map to the girls.

****

Hermione.

Hermione half turned, seeing the dark Addams scion walking toward her, and sighed.
What is it, Wednesday?

You may relax, Im not concerned with how youre manipulating time.

Hermiones eyes widened and she started to stammer, Im sure I don... dont know
what youre talking about... and further...

Wednesday held up a hand, Stop. I told you, I dont care. I am interested in helping
you with your other problem, however.

Whats that? Hermione asked suspiciously.

Buckbeak.

Hermione sighed, I dont know that theres anything we CAN do.

A slightly sinister smile played at the lips of the dark girl, Didnt I ever tell you that the
Addamses are widely considered the worlds foremost authorities on magical creatures?
We even maintain several private reserves for them.

Hermiones eyes widened, You do?

Lets talk.

****

Xander sighed, laying back in his room and watching the names move around on the
map. Hermione and Wednesday were speaking together near Gryffindor dorms, but
even though they were in a public area Xander didnt activate the maps
eavesdropping mode. He hoped that Wednesday could help Hermione, but was pretty
sure that neither would be appreciative of him listening, or reading, in.

Other students were running around the school in various states of madness, the end of
year exams having snuck up on them. Xander ignored them, just randomly sliding the
image around. Headmaster Dumbledore was in his office, Professor Snape was down in
the dungeons, and he noted Harry and Ron were out on the Quidditch Pitch.

Someone named Peter Pettigrew was running across the grounds outside, and Xander
paused on his name for a long moment.

Peter Pettigrew... He mused out loud. Ive heard that name before.

He shrugged it off, not able to place it.

Must be a student from one of the other houses. Hufflepuff, probably, he decided. He
didnt know any of them really.

****

Narcissa looked over the notes in her copy of the Grimoire, puzzled by the sudden
interest Alexander had taken in the situation with Sirius. She should have kept his
shade locked away she supposed, but it seemed harmless at the time. Sirius was safely
locked away, his shade was merely an echo of his Hogwarts self, and was by and large
harmless.

Now she had to worry about what the boy was learning, or believed he was learning,
about her cousin. Sirius had always driven her nuts in the past, but it was normally in a
annoying way, not the year the hair from her skull way he was currently managing
without even thinking of her. She hoped that Alexander didnt do anything stupid if he
ran across Sirius.

Whatever the man had been, he was a dangerous felon now.

Narcissa sighed at the lost dreams of her past. The ways they were going to change the
world, her, Lilly and Alice. As a trio they had been unstoppable, fighting even the much
vaunted Marauders to a humiliating defeat during one of the most renowned prank
wars in Hogwarts history.

Ok, it had only been the rout it was because the Marauders never knew who they were
and even Sirius didnt find out until Lilly and James were all but betrothed. By that
point Sirius had taken the fatalistic point of view that James would never be able to go
all out against Lilly, and the equally pessimistic view that Lilly would have no such
problem.

Probably the most realistic view he could have taken, Narcissa supposed. Earlier in
their shared history the Mauraders would have probably dominated the fight, given the
fact that they had the greater experience and knowledge of Hogwarts. When the Coven
had learned of the Map, well even Lilly had been stunned into silence by the sheer
brilliance of the artifact.

As it was, without knowing who they were fighting, the Mauraders never even touched
Lilly or Alice, and only caught Narcissa herself with secondary splashover.

They had been brilliant, but there was only so much one could do without at least some
basic information on your opponents. That was a lesson Narcissa had learned then, and
was relearning now in her hunt to bring her erstwhile cousin down before he got himself
killed.

Though she was beginning to wonder if maybe letting him get kissed and claiming the
body may not be the best avenue. Would certainly result in fewer headaches, she
suspected, however it was certainly not her preferred option. She wasnt certain if the
Magic would accept an Heir conceived post-soul, and for obvious reasons wasnt eager
to find out.

She would be damned, however, if the Black line ended now that she had a chance to
save it. Even as slim as chance as it was. Not without ever possible effort being expended
on her part.

****

End of Year exams were on them shortly after that, leaving few of them with any time
to do much other than study and test. Xander found himself fairly confident in his
classes, not too worried about the exams, which was a nice change from how he ended
every year back home, sweating and panting and praying that Willow would save his
sorry ass from repeating a year.

Ok, that was possibly a little bit of an exaggeration, his marks werent that bad but he
still went through the horrible anxiety every single year and he was so not missing it
now.

Charms went smoothly, his practice with the shield charm gave him a nice extra credit
boost on the test, but overall he was sure hed done pretty decently. The ones that still
tripped him up were the simpler ones they had learned, ironically, because hed pushed
on ahead.

Transfiguration kinda sucked, Xander found, but he probably scraped by there. He
didnt have the natural hand at it that Hermione seemed to show, but he wasnt as low
on the pole as Ron Weasley or Neville Longbottom either, so he figured he was doing
ok. He didnt expect to ever get a mastership in that subject, however.

The Defense course was exhausting, a rigged up challenge against various dark
creatures that had him sweating by the end but little else. Hermione had been badly
shaken by the finale obstacle, a Boggart, which marred her otherwise stellar showing.
Harry had, on the other hand, blown through it with an absurd ease in Xanders
opinion, like he was testing below his ability.

Some people just made Xander want to grit his teeth.

Potions was easy. Not that he was a budding potions master or anything, but Snape was
generally soft on Slytherins and Xander was no slouch with an Athame and a Cauldron,
so he passed. He felt bad for Harry and the others there, since they were working five
times harder than he was, and generally got less out of it.

Mind you, if they survived Snape there wasnt a thing in the real world that was going
to phase them.

Arithmancy was grueling. It wasnt so much that it was difficult, it was just so
DAMNED boring. add three ones, add seven, subtract nine. What do you get? A
powerful spell that was based on the friggin number you STARTED with.

There had to be something else going on there that Xander just didnt understand yet,
but for the moment it was just obscene amounts of adding and subtracting with no real
correlation to practical applications that he could see.

It was enough to drive a man to drink, that is if Xander wasnt massively anti-alcohol.

By the time the exams where done everyone was worn out, but glad to see them go. The
Gryffindors were still roaring over their victory on the Pitch, while the Slytherins were
by and large whining about losing.

That was what drove Xander to bed early that night, his mind finally clear of school and
still revolving around the mystery of the grimoire and Sirius Black as he laid himself
down to rest.

*****

Peter Pettigrew!

Xander bolted upright in his bed, eyes wide as he stared into the darkness.

No way.

He shook his head, then lunged across the bed and scrambled over to his trunk. A quick
glance over his shoulder told him that no one had noticed his waking, and he quickly
fumbled through the lock on the trunk, opening it to the first storage section and
retrieved his map.

The map shimmered for a moment in response to his tap, and then the words Civil
War appeared centered in it.

Quiet Riot. Xander replied softly.

The map blanked again, then the lines of Hogwarts appeared. Xander quickly panned
over to the Hufflepuff dorms, remembering his thoughts of so many nights earlier, and
frowned.

Pettigrew... Pettigrew... Theres no Pettigrew there. He mumbled to himself, panning
across the Gryffindor with the same result. Ravenclaw was next, and still there was no
one by the name of Peter Pettigrew.

Its not possible, is it? He licked his lips, zooming the map out so he could scan the
grounds. There were a few tags moving around and he quickly scanned over to them.
Hagrid was no surprise, but he blinked when he spotted Wednesday and Hermione out
and about and heading toward Hagrids hut. What are you two up to?

He scowled at the names, but then scanned around some more. Wednesday was far
from helpless, and she generally knew what she was doing, so he wasnt going to impose
himself on their company for no reason. Besides, he still had a mystery of his own to
solve.

The fact that Ron and Harry were out as well had him shaking his head.

Does anyone sleep in this damned place? He muttered.

Xanders annoyance was cut off, however, when he spotted the name he was looking for
close to where Ron and Harry were as those two left Hagrids. He hadnt imagined it.

Pettigrew was alive? But that made no sense. How does someone hide from the entire
world for so long? Especially when theyve received accolades as a hero in such a small,
insular, society? It didnt seem possible.

He was still puzzling that out when another name crossed the ward boundaries, heading
dead for Harry and Ron.

Sirius Black.

Oh hell. Xander muttered, grabbing his wand and robes as he bolted for the door. So
much for getting to bed early and resting up

****

There he is, Hermione whispered, pointing to the spot where the hippogryff was tied
out. We dont have much time, theyll be here soon.

Follow me. Wednesday said softly, breaking position and creeping toward the garden
patch Hagrid kept out behind his hut.

The two girls made their way down, keeping an eye out for the ministry representatives
who were scheduled to arrive that very night. Hermione wasnt sure what Wednesday
thought she could do, but she was going to take any chance she had to save Buckbeak.

Damn! Hermione hissed. Theyre here!

Down. Wednesday responded, dragging her into the pumpkin patch, behind one of
the enormous gourds. They stayed crouched as they heard Minister Fudge speak.

Bad business this. The Minister said as he, Dumbledore, and another man were
admitted to the house.

What do we do? Theyre going to really do it! Hermione hissed, sounding halfway
panicked.

Shhh. Wednesday replied firmly. Wait.

Wait for what?

When the face Wednesday had been eyeing in the window turned away, For this.

She rose and quickly approached the Hippogryff, pausing just long enough to bow
politely without taking her eyes off it. Buckbeak returned the bow almost instantly, and
then her hands were on the rope, undoing the knots with ease.

Come. She ordered flatly, leading the apparently docile animal quickly and quietly
away from the pumpkin patch.

Hermione, shocked, followed in meek silence.

****
Back to index
****
Xander hit the old courtyard at a dead run, having used his map to dodge the Prefect
patrols and Filch. Fenrir was at his heels, tongue lolling out as the young puppy happily
ran along with his human. The duo headed straight for the Womping Willow, which
was where the names were apparently converging on the map, and arrived just as a
scream broke the air.
Xander slid to a stop on the moist grass, eyes wide as he watched Ron just yanked
down and under the large tree and Harry dive after him, barely dodging the flailing
branches.
Stupify! Xander snapped, extending his wand out at the familiar looking black dog.
The crimson bolt barely missed Harry, splashing harmlessly and ineffectively on the
trunk of the Willow as Xander lost sight of his targets.
Damn it. He muttered, edging closer. It only took a few moments to determine that
he wasnt getting through easily, and Xander didnt like his odds of getting through at
all. He sighed, and backed off.
Wheres Dumbledore... Xander muttered, drawing out the still active map and
starting to slide the image around.
He paused a moment later when he noted that one Remus Lupin was rushing across
the grounds, heading for the main gate.
What the... Xander scowled, trying to make sense of things.
Everyone seemed to be on the move, Xander tried to puzzle it out but couldnt. Still,
the defense professor was the closest teacher so he bolted off in that direction.
Xander arrived at the main gate in time to see Remus pause just outside, then vanish
with a loud crack.
FUCK. Xander cursed, not for the first time in his life perhaps, but certainly the
loudest. He pulled out the map again and glared at it. Whered they go??
Unfortunately the Womping Willow was right up against the castle wards, and
whatever passage lay under it apparently led straight out and beyond the maps range.
Xander sighed, looking out in the direction it seemed to lay and noted that it wasnt
quite in the direction of Hogsmeade, but it was close.
Xander turned to head back but was brought to a stop when Professor Snape rushed
through the gate, not looking to the side even slightly, and vanished with a similar crack
before Xander could say a word.
Alright, what the hell is going on?? Xander growled, glaring at the spot the Potions
professor had occupied a moment earlier. Does everyone know something I dont?
Fenrir yipped once.
Shut up, you. Xander half smirked at the dog, then sighed and started panning the
map again, looking for Dumbledore.
****
Did you hear that? Hermione asked softly.
Wednesday nodded, Sounded like a gunshot.
At Hogwarts??
I said like, not that it was one. The dark girl replied. I dont know what it was, but
were a little busy at the moment, no?
Right. Sorry.
We will have to fly Buckbeak out, Wednesday sighed, The closest reserve is on the
Continent, it will take several days to arrive.
What? But... Hermione was aghast. Missing several days of school, without
permission? Well be expelled!
Shut up. Youll get us caught. Wednesday hissed, then sighed. Ill do it.
But... you cant, youll be...
Salem will take me, if not well my family will home school me. Wednesday shrugged,
They wont question my choice.
Hermione swallowed, stomach rolled into tightly chorded knots. Ill... Ill come too.
No, you will not.
I cant let you take the responsibility for this, it was my idea! Hermione hissed.
Wednesday smiled slightly, Only one of us can go, Hermione. Buckbeak cant carry
us both that far. And since it can only be one of us, do you know where the Addams
Range is?
Hermione grimaced, but shook her head.
Precisely. Rest assured, it will be handled.
The duo were skirting the Forbidden Forest as they led the Hippogryff away from
Hagrids hut and its legally mandated grisly fate. Wednesday wanted to be well clear of
the area before flying Buckbeak off, not wanting to be spotted by anyone, especially so
early in her flight. They were close to where she intended to leave from when a
shadowed figure appeared, heading straight for them.
Hermione and she drew their wands, but were surprised to see the figure hold out his
empty hands.
Whoa, whoa, I come in peace!
Xander, Hermione growled, irritated as she slid her wand back into her robes, You
scared the hell out of me.
Yeah well, thats the least of our worries. Xander muttered.
What do you mean? Wednesday asked, eyebrow rising.
I just watched a big black mutt drag two students into a tunnel under the womping
willow, Xander explained.
Who?? Hermione blurted.
Xander just stared at her for a minute, Which two students are not present and are
also known for getting into this kind of trouble??
Oh God, Harry. Hermione gasped.
And Ron. Whats worse, Im pretty sure the mutt was Sirius Black. Xander said, his
face deadly serious.
Hermione cried out, her knees buckling. Before she could fall, Wednesday had her by
the arm, Get ahold of yourself.
The Addams scion turned back to Xander, What makes you think it was Black?
This, Xander produced the map, already active. The two girls looked at it and saw
their names centered on it, You can change shape, but you cant fool the wards that
easy. Heres the weird thing, though... They werent alone. Peter Pettigrew was with
them.
Hermione stared at him for a moment, eyes clearing as she dredged up the memory.
They widened a moment later, Thats impossible!
Thats what I thought, but he was in Hogwarts last night too, I didnt put it together
until a little earlier.
I dont know this Pettigrew person.
Hes the man Sirius Black supposedly killed after betraying Harrys family. Xander
explained.
Wednesday nodded, remembering the story then. Interesting. Well, this is all
fascinating, but we should act.
We need to tell the teachers!
Yeah, good luck finding one. Xander muttered, Dumbles is nowhere in sight, Snape
and Lupin both left the school, and the others are on the other side of the grounds...
ALL the way on the other side.
Show me the tunnel. Wednesday ordered.
Xander winced, but nodded. The trio, plus one Hippogryff, rushed off. At the Willow
Xander pointed to the tunnel entrance as they stood back at a safe distance. Right
there. It goes off in that direction, if its straight.
Whats out there? Hogsmeade? Wednesday asked.
No, Hermione frowned, Its the Shrieking Shack.
You sure?
Thats the only thing in that direction.
Very well, Wednesday nodded, handing her the reins theyd put on Buckbeak.
Take these for a moment.
Hermione accepted the reins, then Wednesday walked calmly into the Willow.
Wait! You cant! Xander lunged after her, but missed as he realized too late what
she was doing.
She ignored him, ducking one swinging branch then stepping into another and petting
it softly as she murmured something they couldnt hear. In a few moments the tree
drooped and made a sound that seemed suspiciously like a sigh of contentment.
After a moment she looked up, Xander. Go through the tunnel, be careful. Well meet
you on the other side.
Xander hesitated a moment, then nodded. Right.
In a few seconds he was gone.
****
The tunnel was dark, dank, and generally sucked but Xander pushed through as the
cobwebs brushed the side of his face. He cast a Lumos, lighting up the length of the
tunnel, and increased his pace.
<How does Harry get into these situations?> Xander grumbled to himself as he moved
as quickly as he could. <Its like the dude is cursed or something. You know what?
More important, how does Harry get ME into these situations? I barely know the guy!>
He slowed down as he came to the end of the passage and looked up to find a wooden
trap door above him.
Well, end of the line. Xander whispered, then grimaced, Hopefully not literally.
He took a breath and grabbed the rungs of the old wooden ladder that led up to the
door above. He winced as it creaked under his weight, but made his way up to the top
where he started to hear voices murmuring beyond. He paused at the top, listening, but
couldnt make out the words just that the emotions were running pretty hot beyond.
<Great.> Xander hooked his hand in the ladder and looked at his wand, wondering
how he was going to do this. He shoved the wand into his teeth and then reached up for
the trap door. As it opened a crack he could hear the words beyond.
Expeliarumus!!
<Oh Crap.>
Xander started to surge up as a thud sounded above him, then suddenly a second thud
struck the trap door and slammed down on Xanders head, knocking him off the
ladder. He hit the ground on his back, stars spotting in his eyes as his wand flew from
his mouth and clatted down beside him.
Ohhhh crap... He gasped for air, rolling over, That sucked.
He gasped for a few moments, sucking at air that wouldnt come in, then finally
managed to fill his lungs with a long, ragged, influx of oxygen that burned as much as it
tasted good. He got to his hands and knees, then picked his wand up off the ground and
glared at the tooth marks in the wood.
Just friggin great. He muttered, shaking his head as he climbed to his feet.
He looked up at the door above him again, then determinedly shoved his wand into his
robes and started climbing again. This time at the time things were quieter, so Xander
tested the door and found it free of obstruction so he slowly pushed it open and climbed
up into the room beyond.
Xander drew his wand as he knelt there, and looked around. The room was dark and
empty, whoever had been there had left while he was gasping for air down below. He
got to his feet and started for the door when a yip from below startled him.
Fenrir!? He hissed, looking down. Shut up!
The puppy growled up at him, jumping up onto the second rung of the ladder.
Alright, alright, give me a second. Xander muttered, holstering his wand as he
climbed back down and hooked the pup up into his arms. Pushy little mutt.
The puppy growled at him, but Xander ignored him as he heaved the puppy up over
the threshold and into the room beyond. Xander then pulled himself up and rolled onto
the floor and up to his knees where he redrew his wand.
You ready, mutt? He asked wryly, looking at the pup.
Fenrir yipped once in response.
Shhhh!
Xander got to his feet and quickly crossed to the door, looking outside cautiously.
Everything seemed clear so he and Fenrir made their way out from the Shack and
looked around. Xander could see the lights of Hogsmeade in the distance, and those of
the castle glowing off over the crest of the hill.
Great. Where the hell did they go?
****
Oh my god, were going to die! Hermione wailed into the night as she clung to
Wednesday, the two flying over the Forbidden Forest to the beat of the big Hippogryffs
wings.
Wednesday didnt respond, merely taking the time to guide the direction of the beast
beneath them, leaning Buckbeaks back and guiding him into a dive. Hermione
screamed as her stomach leapt up into her throat and tried to strangle her.
Theres the shack. Wednesday pointed ahead of them.
Dont let go! Hold on! Hold on!
Calm yourself. Wednesday intoned darkly, looking back over her shoulder.
Watch where youre going!
Wednesday glared at her coldly, then turned back to the front. Look, There are
people walking there.
Hermione grimaced, whimpering slightly, and forced herself to look down. After the
vertigo started to fade, being forced back by nothing by her determination alone, I see
them. Can you tell who they are?
Wednesday shook her head, No. Its too dark. Theyre levitating two people.
Do you think Harry or Ron are hurt?
One looks like an adult. The other may be small enough to be Ron... Wednesday
shrugged, I dont know.
Theyre going back to Hogwarts. Hermione decided, Thats good right?
I dont know. Look at the shack.
Hermione pulled her attention away from the group and looked to the shack. Another
person moved out of the shack, pausing to look around.
Xander.
Wednesday nodded, Yes, I see Fenrir as well.
We have to signal him.
Agreed. Wednesday drew his wand, Lumos.
****
Xander hesitated, trying to determine what direction to go, when a light flashed above
him and he looked up. A glowing light moved across the sky, and Xander could
occasionally make out the silhouette of wings. He smiled slowly, then nodded.
Right. Back to school then.
Xander turned toward the glow of Hogwarts and started off at a light jog. Above him
the light went out as he started to move, so he picked up the pace and set his jaw as he
jogged off into the night.
****
The clouds above them were clearing, Hermione noticed, and she looked up to see the
full moon appearing in the sky above them. Below the forest was awash in a pale light,
shocking the young witch with its beauty.
My God. She whispered, awed.
It looks like Harry and Ron are fine. Wednesday said, nodding to the ground.
Hermione looked down, recognizing her friends and sighed in relief. Thank God.
Even as she said that, however, Hermione could tell something had changed. The
group stopped, shocked and turned towards one figure that seemed to stagger. A howl
echoed through the night and her blood froze.
Did Xander say he saw Professor Lupin run out tonight? She asked with Dread.
Indeed. Wednesday replied softly. This is very bad.
****
Xander bolted when he heard the howl and screaming, Fenrir running along side.
Its always something. He muttered, cresting the hill with wand already tracking. He
spotted the group ahead of them, scattering away from a furry form in the middle
Xander skidded to a stop, staring as his stomach dropped.
Oh please tell me Im just having Flashbacks to Snapes Defense lecture. Xander
froze, swallowing hard.
The group scattered below them, the large wolf man growling and slavering as it
turned about. Xander watched as it gave chase and grimaced as he caught sight of
Harry in its path.
Crap, crap, crap. He muttered, breaking into a run, I have got to be the stupidest
person Ive ever heard of. Why the HELL am I chasing a werewolf??
He led with his wand, snapping it out in the motion for the stunning curse.
Stupify! Stupify! Stupify!
Three red bolts lanced out, the first splattering against the ground, but the remaining
two striking the wold dead on for what little good it did.
Oh great, I pissed off Shaggy and now hes looking at me. Xander skidded to a stop
again as the wolf man turned in his direction. Harry! Run!
The wolf began to lope in his direction, causing Xander to backpedal.
<The STUPIDEST thing I have EVER done.> He thought desperate as he clenched his
wand and started casting bone splitters.
Difindo Ossi! He snapped out, praying for any kind of edge.
The spell splashed off the wolf, barely fazing it as it sped up.
Xander!? Xander get out of here! Harry screamed from where he and another man
were scrambling up off the ground. Hell kill you!
I KNOW THAT! Xander stumbled backwards, still casting bone splitters with
desperate speed.
The yipping of a small dog startled Xander for a moment until he remembered that
Fenrir had been with him, and he panicked as he recognized the small mutt bolting in
from the side on a collision course with the wolf man.
Fenrir! No! Run! He screamed, his throat hurting from the effort as the small dog
leapt into the air.
Xander tripped back, falling on his ass as the yipping sounds gave way to deep
growling snarls, the fifteen pound puppy gone and a four hundred pound wolf
slamming into the wolf mans side like a locomotive. Xander gaped, shocked beyond
words as he looked at the wolf that had been his puppy and saw an animal over a meter
tall at the shoulders snarling and wrestling with the werewolf.
Fenrir? He blurted, shocked. Is that you?
Xander! Harry ran up to him, What are you doing here? Are you alright?
Xander snapped to look at him, What am I doing here? Im trying to save your idiot
gryffindor ass! What brain cell were you using when you dove after Ron anyway? The
one you keep in your backside, Im assuming!?
A snicker from one side snapped Xanders head around and he recognized the face
from his Grimoire.
Black! He blurted above the growls of the two wolves, his wand snapping out in
reflex. Stupify!
No! Harry knocked his hand to one side, sending the stunner into the ground at
Sirius Blacks feet. Hes innocent. It was someone else who betrayed by parents.
Xander glared for a moment, then got up, one eye on the wolves. Fenrir seemed to be
holding his own, leading the werewolf away from them.
Ok fine. Pettigrew, I assume? Xander asked.
Now it was Harrys turn to gape, along with Black. How did you know that?
Xander smirked, holding up a piece of parchment. Coven secret.
You... Sirius blinked, The Coven, but Lily and Alice... Narcissa? She helped you?
Before Xander could say anything a shout came from above, and he looked up to see
Buckbeak winging low enough to recognize the riders.
Xander! Harry! Hermione screamed, Dementors!
The three on the ground turned to see a dark cloud visible in the night sky, and
growing.
Oh Crap.
****
End Notes:
Oddly enough I was recently asked via review for links to any art for this series. I say
oddly because I've been playing with some concepts for it lately. Links below
http://tinypic.com/a/1b0i0/4
http://feed4.tinypic.com/rss.php?ua=5XKZOVn5Brauk0EEE3W1Tg%3D%3D

Back to index
****

Bolt for the wards! Xander snapped, shoving Harry towards Hogwarts.

The three of them broke into a run, the frost chill rushing along ahead of the dementor
line as they raced on ahead of it.

Theyre going to catch up! Sirius panted out.

Change into padfoot! Harry yelled, You can outrun them!

What about you!? Im not leaving you!

Harry paused, twisting around, and snapped his wand out. Expecto Patronum!

A silver mist formed, flowing out from his wand in the direction of the approaching
monsters, but it only slowed them slightly.

Damn it! Run! Xander grabbed Harry by the shoulder and pulled him along. After
they were moving he glanced over his shoulder, What was that anyway?

Patronus Charm! Sirius shouted back, only spell known to affect dementors!

Hard to cast?

Devilishly tricky.

Great. Xander muttered, weighing options as he ran. After a moment he glanced
over, Can I assume you know it, Mutt?

Used to. The wanted man puffed out.

Here. Xander flipped his wand over and thrust it over in Sirius direction.

The disheveled man blinked but took it as they ran, then glanced back. Thanks.

Just get them off our ass.

Right. Harry? Sirius said, slowing. You up for a little Godfather/Godson bonding?

Harry broke out into a smile and nodded.

On three then.

THREE! They shouted together, flicking their wands out, Expecto Patronum!

Two silver beasts, a prancing stag and panting grim like dog rushed out and charged
into the midst of the oncoming dementors, scattering them somewhat.

That bought us some more time, Sirius said, How far to the ward line?

Not sure, well have to cut through the forest to get there, though. Xander said as he
looked ahead.

Sirius winced, not good.

We can make it. Harry said, sounding more confident than any of them were really
feeling. We have to.

Alright, lets go.

The three broke for the forest, leaving the milling monsters behind to regroup from the
patronus charge. They reached the forest line before the dementors gave chase again.
The thick undergrowth slowed them, but it also kept the wraiths from dropping down
on them from above, so they were thankful for the scratches they endured as they
moved.

Will the wards keep them out? Harry asked, panting with exertion.

They didnt last time. Sirius muttered.

Xander shook his head, Dumbles was pretty pissed over than, my money says hes
done something about it.

Thatd be fine if it were our money you were betting. Sirius muttered.

Got a better option? Xander snapped.

Guys! Harry growled, Can we not do this now?

Right. Sorry. Sirius muttered, And no, I dont. So lets move on.

They all nodded in agreement and pushed towards Hogwarts wardline with as much
speed as they could muster.

****

Fenrir was no fool, in fact the wolf rather thought highly of himself and his intelligence,
which many may not consider meaning much but those people were prey more often
then not so their opinions didnt exactly count. That said, tangling with a cursed wolf
was not on the young wolfs list of things he loved to do.

Life with his human had so far been pretty quiet, quiet enough that the wolf had to
admit that he was becoming... domesticated.

That explained why the tussle had gone on as long as it had, and Fenrir decided that it
was time to maybe consider a little exploration of his wolven roots. Later. Like when he
wasnt fighting off the dripping maw of a cursed wolf.

Ignorant mongrel.

Fenrir twisted, rolling them along the ground as he got his teeth dug into the cursed
wolfs flank and growled out a statement of dominance.

MY turf, lapdog!

The Cursed Wolf wasnt one to give up, however, and Fenrir felt its claws rake along
his own flank, drawing blood as his flesh was sliced open. Its mangled howl filled the
night air as it responded in badly accented wolven.

Me Alpha!

Fenrir snorted through the tainted blood filling his mouth. That would be the day. The
damned Curse Born couldnt even speak the language, and it wanted to be Alpha? Fat
chance.

In the words of my Human, Bring it on Mutt.

****

A... are they ok? Hermione asked, chilled both in spirit and flesh.

They were flying above the Dementor wave, unnoticed by the creatures, and while
Hermione wanted to rush down to save Harry and the others, Wednesday refused. The
Addams girl knew that while she may be able to stand off a single dementor, even her
father would have difficulties with the massive wave of them below.

I do not know.

We have to help them!

We will. When we can. Wednesday responded, At this time, we can not. We dont
know where they are, but then... neither do the dementors, from what I can tell.

Then... theyre ok.

There are more dangers below than dementors.

Hermione looked down again and swallowed as she finally noticed how close they had
strayed to the Forbidden Forest.

****

Difindo!

The spell lashed out, cutting an Acromantula in twain as Sirius spun around and looked
for more targets. Bloody hell! Where did these things come from?

Aragogs nest, Harry replied. Hes a friend of Hagrids.

Sirius stared for a moment, then barked out in laughter, That just figures. I dont
remember them being here when I was in school.

They were probably smaller in number then, Harry shrugged. And Aragog was
younger, more in control. Their nest is a long way east of here, that was probably just a
scout.

Sorry if I killed a friend of yours, Sirius said, half seriously as he wondered just what
the hell his godson had been getting into.

Dont worry about it, Harry sighed, without Aragog around we couldnt reason with
them, and even with him it would be touch and go at best.

We need to keep moving, Xander said, feeling a little twitchy without his wand. He
would have to start carrying backups, he decided.

Right. The others agreed.

Sirius sighed, he had to get Harry and this other boy... Xander... back to safety before
he could leave. With Peter escaped, he was still a wanted man with no way to prove his
innocence. The disheveled man ground his teeth at the thought of his onetime friend.
Peter would get his comeuppance, that was destined like the rising of the sun. If he had
to hunt his old friend from this life to the next, he would make him pay.

Were almost through, Xander said suddenly.

The three broke out into the open and looked up to see the lights of Hogwarts in the
distance, only to be blinded when a score of Lumus spells erupted around them and
they looked to see men and women in Aurors robes approaching.

Sirius Black, youre captured. Give it up!

Sirius looked around slowly, grimacing.

He has hostages!

No! Harry screamed, jumping in front of Sirius, Hes innocent! Hes...

Stupefy!

The red bolt dropped Harry in his place, causing Sirius to snarl and start to flick his
wand outward. A hand locked on it, plucking the wand from his grip at the last second
and he looked back to see Xander shaking his head as he gripped the wand in a read
grip.

Sirius looked down at Harry, then sighed and lifted his hands.

I surrender.

****

The trudging walk up to the castle was a grim one as the Aurors kept Sirius under
wandpoint the entire way and refused to ennervate Harry on the belief that Sirius had
confounded the boy. Xander kept his peace, knowing that he wouldnt be believed
anyway.

At the castle they were met by an entourage of people that included the Minister for
Magic, Lucius Malfoy, and the Headmaster among others. The Minister was puffed out,
immensely proud of having captured Sirius Black, while Malfoy merely smiled an oily
sort of smile that was filled with satisfaction. A blond woman behind them looked sick,
but she was alone in that as even Dumbledore was more focused on Harrys state and
gave no indication that he had even noticed Sirius presence.

Black! Youll have the Kiss for the trouble youve caused us. Fudge announced
pompously.

Sirius just glared at him, then looked back to Harry, but said nothing. What was there
to say? They hadnt listened to him after he was incarcerated, why would they begin
now?

Hey Black, A younger voice spoke up, one that Sirius would pay attention to, I need
to know something, before you get whats coming to you.

What is it, Xander? Sirius asked.

You really kill all those people?

Of course he did, boy. Fudge blasted out.

Xander and Sirius ignored him, just looking at each other.

No. Sirius said finally. I didnt.

Liar!

Xander just nodded, hand reaching up to scratch his collar. When you get where
youre going, Black... Take some advice. Ask them for asylum.

Black looked confused, as did everyone else but Albus Dumbledore who looked up in
alarm and started to move toward Xander. My boy, dont...!

Xander snapped his hand out, throwing something at Black, who caught it on reflex. His
eyes widened as he felt a tug at his navel and was suddenly yanked away by portkey.

Everyone gaped for a moment, then the place exploded into chaos.

What have you done!? Fudge roared, Aurors arrest that boy!

Where did he go!?

What happened!?

My God! Black escaped!

Xander didnt say anything for a moment as the Aurors turned on him with their
wands. Then he let his clatter to the floor and slowly interlaced his hands behind his
head.

My name is Alexander Harris and I am a citizen of the American Ministry of Magic.
As I am a minor please contact my embassy or my legal guardian, Professor Hardy
from the Salem Institute.

Embassy!? Fudge sputtered, Youll get Azkaban for this!

You cant, Minister. Dumbledore said, eyes blazing. Hes a minor, all you can do is
kick him out of the country.

But... but...!

Minister, if I may, Dumbledore said slowly, I think that the boy may be safely
ignored for the moment.

But he let Black escape!

He sent Sirius Black to the American Embassy in London, Minister. Dumbledore told
him, Even now, Black is being taken into custody by the Americans. The faster you
demand extradition, the faster this is ended.

Cornelius Fudge blinked, Are you certain?

I made that port key myself, Minister. The Americans were rightly concerned after
you let the Dementors barge onto the grounds the last time.

Fudge reddened, Ah, well... nothing to be done now then. I have to get to London!

Fudge turned and rushed out, Aurors following along with Lucius Malfoy. The blond
woman stayed behind for a moment and nodded at Xander. Then she too was gone.

*****

Jennifer Simmons sighed when her secretary informed her that the British Minister for
Magic was in the waiting area outside. Shed been expecting him, but that didnt make
dealing with the idiot any easier. Officially, Jennifer was assigned to the American
Embassy in London as a senior secretary who, for some reason no one not in the know
could figure out, didnt actually work for any of the ambassadors people.

In truth she was the Ambassador for the American Ministry of Magic, and represented
the rights of any Canadian, American, Cuban, and Mexican Witches and Wizards
visiting England. Oh, and a smattering of Carribean nations as well.

For the most part it was a dull job. London was a reasonably safe destination for
American Witches and Wizards, and that translated to the rest of England. Compared
to Bulgaria and other Eastern European nations Britain was a free thinkers paradise.

And then, earlier in the evening, one Alexander Harris emergency portkey tripped.
The Marines on station had been told that a couple kids had been issued those, but it
was no kid who showed up. A rather confused looking Sirius Black had landed, roughly,
in the middle of the Magical Receiving Zone and been greeted by a half dozen M-16s
and eight very burly Squib Marines who wanted to know where their kid was.

All things considered they hadnt roughed him up too badly, at least hed been able to
speak in order to ask for asylum with the American Ministry. She almost wished that
theyd broken his jaw, however, cause this was looking to be an international incident.

Send him in. She said, pressing the button on the intercom.

Minister Fudge bustled in the door, followed by an aristocratic looking blond, which
was in turn followed by another aristocratic looking blond. Jennifer sighed as softly and
unobtrusively as she could.

Purebloods.

It was worse than shed feared.

Ah, Minister Fudge. She forced herself to smile, rising from behind her desk to offer
her hand. Please take a seat, Ive been expecting you.

I should hope you have, Fudge blustered. Weve come for Black. Release him at
once, we have Dementors waiting to administer the Kiss.

Jennifer stiffened, her smile vanishing. Minister, surely you are aware of American
legislation concerning Cruel and Unusual Punishment?

What does that have to do with anything?

The American Ministry ruled that the use of demonic entities as punishment for
crimes qualifies, Minister.

This is London, Woman! Not the back woods of the colonies!

This is American Soil, by treaty agreement, She returned coldly. Which means we
have a problem.

Fudge was about to blow when the blond man stepped smoothly in, Perhaps, Minister,
if we were to guarantee that Black would merely be returned to Azkaban?

The Minister looked between them for a moment, then back at Jennifer, who shrugged.
No need to remind them that the mere presence of Azkabans guards qualified. So long
as they guaranteed not to administer a death penalty, it would make things smoother on
the legal side of things.

That would simplify matters on a legal level, in that case we merely need to begin
extradition processes.

Finally. Fudge muttered.

Now, Ill need the court records of Mr Blacks trial, She began, only to trail off when
the Minister went a very ugly shade of white. Minister? Are you alright?

F... fine. Why do you need those? Fudge stammered out, Everyone knows Black was
the right hand man of the Dark Lord.

Aside from the fact that its required for my paperwork, Mr Black claims otherwise.

Of course he would!

He has also volunteered to undergo Veritaserum questioning.

Which can be beaten by a skilled occlumens, the blond man said smoothly.

Which is why we have Master Legilimens on call to perform interrogations. She
countered, rolling her eyes.

What was it with these people, trying to tell her how to do her job? Despite public belief,
Veritaserum wasnt some infallible source of truth. There were many ways to spoof it,
including Occlumency and Judicious use of Obliviates. Either of those could be detected
by a skilled interrogator, however, and she had a few names in her rolodesk who were
known to be VERY good at what they did.

That being established, well need to see the court documents of his trial as part of
your request for extradition. She repeated herself, Access to any evidence you still
have, his wand in particular, would also be highly useful to your case.

Fudge, still that pasty white, stammered again, H... His wand was snapped.

Jennifer grimaced, but wasnt particularly surprised. That was standard procedure in
Britain, as well as many of the old world ministries. The Pride would be screaming right
about then, since American LEOs didnt believe in destroying evidence. Old World
Aurors, however, operated on the other side of the debate, believing that separating a
wand from its wizard permanently would significantly affect the wizards ability to use
magic on any level.

It was even true, in the short term. That was a well researched effect, for several hours
to days after the snapping of a bonded wand, a magic users powers were severely
reduced. American LEOs didnt believe it was worth destroying evidence of spells cast
for most cases, however.

Very well, She said calmly, The court documents, then?

When the minister continued to pale and didnt answer, an ugly thought crossed her
mind.

Minister, there WAS a trial, correct?

****

Xander let out a long slow breath as he sat on the stone wall just outside the front gates,
thinking about what had just happened. He was very possibly in deep, deep crud but
honestly he was more worried about Wednesday.

Hermione had shown up shortly after the fireworks calmed down, but had immediately
been hustled into the infirmary to see Harry so he couldnt ask her where Wednesday
was. Most everyone involved in the mess was back, everyone except Lupin and Fenrir.
Xander hoped his dog was ok.

Well Mr Harris, an eventful evening I dare say.

Xander started, then glanced back to see Albus Dumbledore coming up behind him.
Yeah. So, am I to be booted out of the country?

The headmaster chuckled, I think we can avoid that outcome, though I dare say you
may want to avoid the Minister for a while.

I doubt thatll be a problem.

Indeed. I thought I would inform you that Miss Granger and Mr Potter are both fine.

I know. Harry was just stunned by the Aurors. Xander shrugged, Hes lucky they
were competent. Cops in LA might have shot him dead for doing that, youve got to be
touched in the head to jump in front of twitchy people with guns... er... wands.
Whatever.

The headmaster chuckled again, True, true. I will, in fact, try to impress that on young
Harry.

Good luck. Xander said dryly.

That brought a sharper laugh from the old man, I see that you hold the same
confidence I have in his ability to learn that particular lesson.

Xander just snorted.

The Headmaster sighed after a moment, May I ask if you too support the story that
Mr Potter has told me?

What? About Black being innocent? Xander shrugged, Dont know.

I see.

What I do know is this, Xander paused, frowning for a moment. Peter Pettigrew is
alive. Sirius had Harry and his friends under wand point several times last night, and
not only did he not attack them, he defended Harry. I also know that the ministry
snapped Hagrids wand for something he didnt do, then later threw him in Azkaban
for something he, again, didnt do. You do the Arithmancy, Headmaster, what answer
do you get?

You make very cogent points, Mr Harris. This is why you gave Mr Black your
portkey?

The guy deserves a chance to be heard. I dont know if hell get it at the embassy, but
he sure as hell wasnt getting it here.

Dumbledore nodded, then frowned slightly as movement on the grounds caught his eye.
What is...

Fenrir! Xander grinned, jumping up and rushing out.

He and the Headmaster rushed out to meet the wolf, noting that Fenrir was dragging
the battered and bloody body of the schools defense teacher. As they arrived the wolf
dropped Lupins arm and barked at Xander.

Boy... is that really you? Xander whispered, kneeling as he looked the huge wolf in
the eyes. God... you look... big.

The wolf seemed to grin, teeth glistening in the lights from the school behind them and
Xander grinned back as he lunged in and hugged the big wolf just as it shrank and
reverted back to the puppy he knew.

Most fascinating. Dumbledore said, looking over from where he had examined Lupin.
I dont believe I have ever seen a more complete familiar bond, Mr Harris. Save
perhaps... well, another time. Come now, I must get Mr Lupin back to the infirmary,
and you cant stay out here alone.

Xander nodded and got up, carrying Fenrir back to the school as the headmaster
floated Remus Lupin along with them.

****

By morning, when most of the school was just learning of the excitement, Xander was
well down off the adrenaline rush and mostly ignored the rush of questions. There were
a couple, however, that he couldnt avoid.

What did you do with him? Harry was angry as he apprached, his wand in hand and
clenched tightly. No one will tell me anything except that you did something.

Xander blinked, then looked down at the wand in Harrys hand. You planning on
using that, Harry? Dont miss.

Harry looked down himself, then flushed. What happened to Sirius!?

I sent him to the American Embassy in London. Xander shrugged, It was that or the
kiss. Hell get a chance there, I figure.

A chance? A Chance!?

Harry! Xander snapped, What else was I going to do?

Harry slumped, but nodded. I know. I... Im sorry.

Yeah. Dont worry about it. I get it, ok. If I hear anything, Ill let you know as quick as
I can.

Harry nodded, thanks.

That was the first encounter Xander couldnt ignore. The second, well that came from a
different place.

What were you THINKING you traitor!?

Gee, Draco, Xander didnt look up from his food. I didnt realize that I was in any
kind of alliance with you.

Youre a Slytherin! You cant go helping Gryffindors!

Xander glanced around the table, noting that everyone was listening. Dude, youre
raving. Youre also spitting in my food, cut it out.

Draco turned an alarming shade of puce, then slowly ground out, Why would you help
them??

Hermiones my friend.

Shes a mudblood! Draco hissed, glaring at him.

Wouldnt matter if she were a House elf or a Goblin, or anything else.

What are you talking about??

Think about it, itll come to you eventually, Draco. Xander sighed as he pushed his
food away and got up.

Dont you walk away from me!

Xander ignored him, or at least appeared to. In fact he kept one eye and both ears on
the people around him. When a firsty gasped, Xander stopped.

Im going to tell you the same thing I told Potter, Draco. Dont miss.

When nothing happened for a moment, Xander kept on walking.

Behind him, Draco was gripping his wand tightly as everyone in the Great Hall stared
at him.

Xander, for his part, was just glad to be going home. It had been a long year.

****
Back to index
****

Xander packed up his things, thinking again about how Wednesday was. Hed gotten
the story out of Hermione, and figured shed be fine, but just the same he was a little
worried. There was, however, not a thing he could do about it. He didnt even have a
way to call Gomez to let the family know.

Xander paused, frowning for a moment, then dropped the armful of stuff into his trunk
and changed it over to a different compartment. He pulled out a wood covered
sketchbook and flipped it open, quickly drawing out some lines and then made some
notes.

Could work. Xander mumbled before dropping the heavy book back into the case.

The train was due to leave shortly, so he hurried things up and with a flick of his wand
levitated his trunk, telling it to follow him.

He really loved magic.

****

Id say that Harris won the year. Daphne said idly to Tracy as they settled into their
compartment on the express.

If hes allowed back in the country. Tracy countered dryly. The Minister was
distinctly displeased.

Daphne nodded, conceding the point. The Davis family was closer to the Minister than
the Greengrass, but it didnt take a genius to realize that the Minister was going to be
unhappy if the rumors were true. Of course, the question was which rumors were true
exactly. Still, Xander had managed to annoy the Malfoys, the Minister, and at first it
seemed Potter and his faction as well.

Now THAT must have taken some fancy footwork, Daphne half snickered. You had to
do something really bad to annoy all three of those groups.

The rumor mill ranged from helping Sirius Black escape to assaulting the Defense
professor, though no one was entirely certain why either of those scenarios would so
annoy all of the above groups.

One firsty had suggested he did both, but that was so stupid he got laughed at.

Still, Daphne said out loud, assuming he returns, I think Xander has the edge now.

Tracy considered, then nodded. Agreed. Daring Draco to shoot him in the back was
brilliant... well, that or insane.

Daphne laughed, too true. Still, it was in front of everyone, including the teachers.
Draco couldnt do much, or even Snape wouldnt be able to get him out of it.

Brilliant then. For timing and location, if not actual action. Tracy conceded. Youre
right, I think that Harris has control of almost a third of the house now. Dracos cabal
is... a fifth?

If that. Daphne shrugged, Probably only that high if you count the fence sitters as
being on his side.

They may as well be, Tracy countered, You know theyll come down in his favor at
the slightest prompting.

Daphne nodded, accepting the point.

The two girls continued to offer point and counter point as the train shook and left
Hogsmeade. It was something they did every year, for each house. When they got home,
they would be quizzed by their parents and evaluated. Such was the life of a
pureblooded scion of a political family in England.

This year would show some upsets, however. Slytherin especially, but Potter seemed to
be moving into the lead in gryffindor a little earlier than theyd expected, given his last
couple years. For a celebrity, that boy was downright antisocial, and it had made them
wonder if maybe hed just skulk through his school years largely unnoticed.

This year hed started to come out a bit, though, and both girls knew that control of
Gryffindor was Potters for the asking. All he had to do was stand up and take it.

Diggory was undisputed now in Hufflepuff, which was entirely expected. The Puffs
were solid like that, rarely was there ever a real power struggle in that house.
Ravenclaw was... confusing.

So what do you think is happening in the Claws? Tracy asked, finally bring up that
house.

Daphne grimaced, I have no idea.

That wasnt going to go over well, the two knew. Their fathers would be distinctly
unhappy with the confused information they had on the Claws. Until this year it had
been fairly clear that Cho Chang was heading the up and coming power, while the
sitting power was the prefect, Clearwater.

Something had changed, though, and for the life of them they couldnt figure out what it
was. The Claws were shifty suddenly, nervous. Paranoid one might say, particularly
Chang and her group. The problem was, no one seemed to know why.

It was damnably annoying.

****

The train arrived at Platform 9 and 3/4s on schedule, and the platform was soon
swamped in kids anxious to get home.

After watching Harry being hauled off by the overweight guy he met every year,
Xander quickly found Professor Hardy where the man was waiting and greeted him as
he moved over.

Uh... Wednesday is... Xander grimaced.

Shes fine, Hardy said dryly, I was contacted yesterday. She shouldnt have left
without telling anyone, but thats neither of our problems at the moment. You, however,
have some questions to answer about your portkey.

Yeah... about that... Xander grimaced for the second time.

Causing an international incident is NOT something we encourage our students to do,
Mr Harris. Hardy sighed, Still, judging by what the Ambassador told me, you
probably didnt have many palatable options.

Couldnt let them suck the guys soul out, not if he was innocent.

Hardy nodded tiredly, I know. Come on, you have some interviews to do before we can
get you home.

****

The interviews turned out to be fairly friendly, Xander found, but long and pretty dull.
Mostly just retelling his story over and over, omitting a few details to protect... well,
himself. He didnt feel like letting them in on the map, it was his. Ditto for the Grimoire.

They let him talk to Sirius, perhaps surprisingly, and Xander found the guy to be in
good spirits and looking better than he had a few days earlier.

So you found the grimoire, huh? The man asked with a crooked smile.

Xander nodded, its got me through school.

Thats what they made it for, Sirius nodded, then smiled, Well that and teaching the
art of counter-pranking. Lilly was scary good at that.

Yeah, well Ive done a few things, Xander admitted with a half smile. But mostly I
use it for study.

Im having a hard time accepting that a Slytherin was helping Harry, Sirius
admitted, sighing as he sat back.

As I tell people, Im a yank remember? Xander said easily, I dont have any house
prejudices. Neither does Harry, not too many anyway. But I didnt help him for him, I
helped him cause Hermione is my friend, and shes his friend.

I dont know her. Sirius admitted, Whats she like?

Scary smart, her parents are dentists, Xander said, shrugging, Shes a girl, what do
you want?

Your girlfriend, or Harrys? Sirius asked, smirking.

Xander threw up his hands, Whoa, friend. Not girlfriend. Dont know about Harry,
but I think the same. She helps me study, I help her with what I can.

Right.

Yeah, your Sirius Black alright. Xander rolled his eyes, You know, your damn
mongrel avatar destroyed half my notes in the grimoire? Rewrote most of the other
half. Since they let you loose, Ive had to keep my notes in other places.

Bet you dont leave em lying around anymore, though?

Mutt. Xander growled, shaking his head. He sighed, then half smiled again, You
know whats going to happen with you?

Weeks of red tape, Sirius admitted, After that... dont know.

Well, they let you out to play, Im from Sunnydale. California, that is. Xander said,
Look me up. Chances are I can get word to Harry for you.

Thanks.

Xander nodded, then got up. Ive got to go. See you around.

Sirius nodded soberly and watched as Xander left, knocking on the door to have the
guard unlock it and let him out.

Outside, Xander glanced back through the glass, and was surprised to realize that he
kinda liked the annoying bugger. Hed lived with him for nearly a year, in a manner of
speaking, and had long since gotten used to the mutt.

****

Sunnydale California.

Lord, Xander loved his home.

Xander paused outside Willys bar, looking up at the clear blue sky and just let the sun
bake him for a moment before he pulled off his long shirt and flipped it over his
shoulder. He walked home like that, enjoying the heat hed missed out on in scotland.
Heating charms were nice and all, but they didnt come close to matching the real,
honest, sun.

He made it to his place, noting that a lot of the little things that had been broken for
years were now repaired, and there was new paint on the place. Xander suspected that
had come out of his potions money, but he wasnt complaining. The place needed the
work, and his parents jobs just didnt quite cover it all.

Mom! Im home!

Jessica Harris stepped out of the kitchen and smiled, Welcome back, Alex. How was
your year this time?

Besides the escaped convict and the demonic prison guards running around the school
grounds? Xander asked, chuckling.

Excuse me? Jessica looked caught between amused and concerned.

Dont worry, they werent after me, Xander grinned, I thought the school would
have told you.

Well, wed heard something about Dark Creatures, but were told that youd been
given an emergency portkey and everything was fine.

Yeah, basically it. Its a long story, though. Xander said, shrugging as he collapsed
into the chair.

Well, tell it later then, since it seems to have worked out.

Thanks, Mom. Xander let out a long breath. Hey Mom?

Yes, Dear?

Its good to be home.

Its good to have you back.

****

Xander!

Xander looked up and grinned as Willow barreled in the door, bracing himself just in
time to catch the redheaded missile that had locked onto his position.

Ive missed you so much!

Me too, Wills. Xander returned the hug, glancing up behind her. No Jessie?

Hes got a gaming night with the guys, Willow rolled her eyes, He said hell see you
tomorrow.


Its not! Willow grumped, Hes like... a big poopy head.

Xander tried to hold back a snicker, and managed to just snort a little as he raised an
eyebrow. Im not sure Im familiar with the term, Ms Rosenberg.

Oh you did NOT just go all Spock on me! Willow slapped him, And he IS. You just
got home, Jessie should be here.

Wills, Ill see him tomorrow. Thats fine. Xander replied with a calm smile, knowing
that Willow tended to get a little hyped up over small things. Jess had plans, its really
no big.

He should have at least dropped by. Willow grumbled.

And yet, Ill survive the disappointment.

Oh you... Willow muttered, slapping his arm again. Anyway, enough about the
poopy head. How was your year?

Eventful. Xander replied dryly.

Willow looked a little worried, Compared to last year?

Eh. About the same, I guess. I think my family is going to be a little worried about
sending me back. Xander shrugged, Assuming theyll let me into England now.

Willows eyes widened, You... You think you got kicked out of an entire COUNTRY?
Howd you do that!?

God, Wills, thats a long story. Xander sighed.

Well get comfortable, Mister, and start talking.

****

Telling the story again took a little less time than the last few shots hed had at it, as he
was now becoming quite expert at getting the basics across without wandering off into
nonsense. Willow cringed and made appreciative sounds at all the right places, but this
time Xander included something hed left out in all previous iterations of the story.

He told her about the map, and immediately had been forced to pull it out and activate
its magic. Xander had tested it in Salem during the brief stopover and found it worked
even across the oceanic distances, and now he was please to see that basically on the
other side of the world the map worked just as well as right in the castle.

Wow. This is your school? Willow asked, watching the few little dots and names that
represented people moving about.

Xander nodded, Yup. Thats the Headmaster there, in his office. Hes like Merlin from
the Disney version of King Arthur, only hes got a Phoenix instead of an Owl.

Willow giggled, covering her mouth quickly with her hand. Seriously? You just mean
he looks like Merlin, right?

Well, Merlin was a little more sensible in that movie, Xander admitted with a grin.

Willow started giggling again, Youre lying, Mister! Dont lie to me.

Gods honest truth, Wills. Xander grinned widely as he held his hand over his heart.
Dumbledore would be hilarious if he didnt have a reputation as the strongest wizard
on the planet. I guess when youre that powerful, you get to have some quirks.

Umm hmmm... Willow managed to get out between giggles. How about this one?

Xander looked to where her finger was pointing and grimaced semi-comically,
Professor Snape, my head of house. Hes not really very nice, but hes one of the top
potions masters in England. Hes in his lab now. If this were a Disney movie, hed be the
arch villain plotting the death and demise of everything good and pure.

Willow burst out in giggles again, Xander! Stop it!

No, seriously, this guy could sub in for any male Disney villain you want to think of,
Xander grinned, He even dresses like a vampire.

She kept trying to stifle her giggles, resulting in a very red faced Willow groaning in
pain between bouts of laughter.

For all that, hes pretty brilliant, Xander admitted, nodding back to the book shelf
behind them, We have a couple potions books by him in our study wall.

Willows eyes widened as she straightened up, SEVERUS Snape!?

Xander nodded.

Oh My God. Willow forgot all about giggling, The man is a genius, Xander! Youre
so lucky to be learning from him.

Eh. Xander shrugged, I decided last year that Genius he may be in potions, but he
shouldnt be allowed near children on pain of death. Not until like, sixth year anyway,
and only with people whove already earned Os on their potions OWLs.

Willow looked dismayed and shocked at his words, prompting Xander to continue.

The dude cant teach, Wills. He said with a shrug. He should be in research or
something, not teaching eleven year olds. We had one guy in my year who was more
scared of Snape than ANYTHING else in the whole world. Think about that for a
second, Wills... In the last three years weve dealt with giant snakes, trolls, escaped
prisoners... plus, this guy? His parents were tortured or something by terrorists back
when he was a little kid. And Snape scares him more than all that.

Willow looked downcast, That isnt good at all.

Yeah. Xander agreed dryly, Lucky for me, he mostly just leaves me alone. Im in his
house, but not important enough to show up much on his radar.

You are too important!

Xander smiled, I dont think he rates things on the Willow scale.

Well he should. She pouted, bringing a laugh to Xanders lips.

Enough about school, Xander said after hed calmed a bit, eyes dancing as he looked
over at Willow, Want to hear about this summers projects?

Oohh! Yes! Willed jumped forward in her seat, literally sitting on the edge of it.

Let me tell you about my new favorite spell in the whole world, Xander said with an
air of drama.

Willow actually groaned a little, knowing Xanders previous proclivities in that area.
Stunners, bone splitting curses (GROSS!), and shielding charms. She loved her best
friend dearly, but he was SUCH a boy. She swore, if it werent for magic hed probably
be all into guns or something. Well, maybe not, it was California after all. Probably
surfing or skateboarding.

Xander, oblivious to Willows thoughts, flipped open a book and turned it to her with
the air of someone unveiling a magic trick. May I present, the Protean Charm.

Willow frowned, tilting her head slightly as she started to read.

This wasnt some fighting spell! In fact, she was puzzled more and more as she read,
trying to figure out why Xander was so excited. When she was finished, Willow just
shook her head slightly and looked up at Xander, who was looking back with an amused
sort of expression.

I dont get it.

Get what? He asked, expression turning innocent.

Why this spell, mister? Willow demanded, setting her own expression. It wasnt quite
Resolve Face... yet.

Xander sniffed, looking put out. You dont see it?

See what? Willow asked, Ok... its kinda cool. Ive read about the Familiarity
Principal of magic, and this is obviously from that school, but...

She shrugged, not seeing whatever it was that Xander was seeing.

Oh Wills, Wills, Wills, Xander said, sounding disappointed as he tried to keep a long
face.

She growled, actually GROWLED. Xander couldnt help but bust out laughing.

Sorry! Sorry! He held up his hands to stave off retribution, then hastily wiped his
eyes as he took a few deep breaths. Its just that everyone has that same reaction to this
spell, Wills. Its neat and sometimes useful, but so what? Right?

Willow nodded slowly.

Wills, the map is based entirely around the Protean. Xander said, nodding to the
parchment still laid out between them. Its the core of all the enchantments, without it
nothing else works.

Willow frowned, looking at the map for a moment. Really?

Really. The Protean is linked with the wards at Hogwarts, so what they report is
automatically mirrored here. Xander said by way of explanation. You know the story
of the Dark Lord dude who was scaring the crap out of England back when we were
born?

Willow nodded, shed read all the histories of course.

Well his mark, brand really, that he put on his followers was based on the protean.
Xander said. It let him communicate with them, punish them, and all that evil overlord
stuff.

Ok, Willow had to admit that was kind of impressive. You know, in a really squicky
kind of way.

Even so, its just mirroring stuff, right?

Xander couldnt help it, he laughed at her.

Xander! Willow complained, picking a throw pillow and reading to make it live up to
its name.

Whoa! Whoa! I couldnt help it, Wills. Xander grinned, You of all people, saying
that communicating information was no big deal!

Willow paused, blinking.

Wait. Her mind suddenly shifted into gear so fast that it would have made a grinding
sound had it been a car. The map was sending information across the PLANET, with no
satellite relay, no towers, no cable. She stared at it for a long moment, eyes blinking
slowly as it penetrated. She slowly looked up at Xander, eyes questioning.

Its got limits, He said, But as far as I can tell, range isnt one of them. At least not
within any scale *I* can test. Its tough to cast too, but I think I can get a handle on it.
So what do you say, Wills? Want to see what we can make of this?

She nodded dumbly, mind still racing along.

Suddenly she jolted, Xander! Do you know what this means!?

He half smiled, I know what I think it means. What do you think it means?

We can make something that lets us talk even when youre at school! Willow blurted,
eyes beaming.

Xander smiled fully, yes. Yes we can.

And a whole lot more, if his thoughts on the matter were even close to reality.

****

The first night was mostly talk and a little behind the back plotting between Xander and
Willow on what they wanted to do with the Protean spell over the summer, and various
ideas they had on improving old projects like their wands.

Willow wanted to try playing with the cores, including dual or multi-core wands, while
Xander wanted a backup with him at all times after the incident with the Dementors.
Handing his wand off to Sirius had been necessary, but if more acromantulas had
attacked while they were struggling through the forest he would have been a sitting
duck.

They quickly sketched out some preliminary lists for materials and such, and plotted a
trip to Three Angels in the near future with either Sam or Xanders Dad. Xander also
wanted to pick up some scrap metals, mostly brass, bronze, and copper. All three of
those metals were known for being easy to work, magically, and capable of taking
enchantments.

Gold was good too, better in fact that the three Xander wanted, but he didnt want to
waste gold if he didnt need to. Still, a small amount of it went on the list as a second
thought.

The next morning Xander was surprised when Sam showed up without being called,
and naturally invited himself to breakfast.

****

Smells great, Jess, Sam Ruaidhri Harris grinned, taking a seat and a plate from his
brother.

Get your own, Rory. Tony growled, grabbing his food back.

Is that any way to treat a guest? Sam whined.

Jessica sighed, rolling her eyes as she prepared another plate and slid it down in front of
Sam. Here you are.

Well, we know which one you married up in this relationship, eh Tony? Sam smirked
at his brother.

What are you here for, Sam? Tony groaned.

Sam ate some bacon before nodding his head over to Xander, I hear that the family is
already looking to get him back to England.

Thats what Im told, Tony admitted. Not too happy about it this year. Last year
was supposed to be an exception. Not sending my boy back to that loony bin.

Sam shrugged, You fight the family, youre going to lose, Tony.

Not before Alex is done at Salem I wont. Tony countered, I can hold the line for a
few years.

Maybe. Sam shrugged. Maybe not. Besides, as much as I hate to agree with the
family on anything... and you KNOW I hate doing that, they do have a point. Kid is
making some powerful contacts in the old world. Theyve been contacted by the current
Matriarch of the Malfoy family, and acting Matriarch of the Blacks, concerning him.

Tony frowned, thinking about that. He knew the names, but never really paid much
attention to that stuff since, as a non magical, it didnt matter much to him. Even so, the
Blacks were an important family. Or they used to be.

Blacks are gone, aint they? Tony mumbled.

Not entirely. Xander and Sam said together.

Sam smirked, Go ahead kid.

Sirius Black applied to the Ministry for Asylum from the Brits, Xander said, idly
nibbling on a piece of bacon. Hes the head of family, but Im not sure what thatll
mean in England.

Technically hell be Lord Black in Exile, Sam filled in, I had to do some research in
a hurry. Legally that limits what he can do in England, but he does have access to the
Black assets and can make financial decisions through gringotts. His Heir presumptive
is that Potter kid that supposedly iced their last Dark Lord as a babe, one of Xs
classmates, right kid?

Xander nodded, Harrys sort of a friend. Weve, what did you call it Sam? Bled on the
same ground?

Sam nodded, Yeah. Changes folk, dont it?

Yeah.

Anyway, that links the kid to the Blacks, the Malfoys, and the Potters. Lot of power
and influence there, Tony.

Which means dick all if the kid gets killed by some floating demon or sixty foot snake.
Tony countered.

Point. Which is why Robert has an alternative to offer. Sam suggested.

Like what?

He called in an old favor, you remember Tommy Falcon?

Tony snorted, You dont forget the man who saved your life, Sam.

Yeah, well Robert was the guy who got Tommy a shot at The Proud. He was
discharged a couple years ago, starting to slow down I guess, Sam snorted. At eighty
years old Tommy had been a member of the Proud for over thirty years. It wasnt a
record, but it was well above the average, which rested just under ten. Tommy says
hell give the kid some training, teach him to take care of himself.

Tony grimaced, Damn it Sam. All the training in the world wont save Alex from a
death curse in the back.

No, it wont. Sam admitted, But the truth is still that X isnt a target, hes just not
smart enough to stay the hell out of the way.

Both men tossed glares at Xander, who suddenly became very interested in cleaning his
plate. Sam chuckled at it, then turned his focus back to Tony.

You know the Family is going to push for this, Tony. I dont like it much myself and, to
be honest, most of the family probably arent in love with it. Theyre bastards, but
theyre not into getting kids killed. Sam said, lips twisting, The kid was just dumb
enough to go and dangle something incredibly juicy in front of them.

Tony sighed, then turned to Xander, Alex... youre old enough to have a say in this.
Im not promising to go with what you want, but I want to hear it.

Xander looked back up at them and considered it for a moment.

There were pros and cons to both options. On the one side, he was learning tons in
Hogwarts, though to be honest most of it was probably OUT of class and could be
learned in the States. Hogwarts library was one of the top in the world, by all accounts,
even those professors hed spoken to from Salem, however, so some things hed
probably lose out on elsewhere. Like his family had realized, Xander was making some
friends and contacts at Hogwarts that were very influential in England and probably
Europe, but Xander didnt know what that translated into in the real world.

The other side was obvious, Harry couldnt go through a school year without getting his
ass into some mess that Xander had been dragged into two years out of three. Xander
paused for a moment, then added in the Troll incident and upped the counter to two
and a half years out of three.

That said, the only times hed really been in lethal danger where his own damn fault.
Hed gone after the snake cause it hurt Hermione, and no one asked him to chase after
Harry when Black had grabbed them. Xander supposed that if the same thing
happened in Salem, hed make the same choice again.

I think Id like to go back, He said after some thought, I know its not as safe as
youd like, Dad, but you know what... the worst danger I was in, well it was my own
fault. I chose to walk into those situations. I cant say I wont do the same again either,
doesnt matter if it happens in Hogwarts or Salem.

Tony sighed, slumping in his chair.

After a long moment he nodded, Ok. Tell Robert that Alex can train with Tommy. I
havent decided yet, but... it wont hurt nothin.

Sam nodded, setting his utensils down, Ill set it up. Hey kid, I hope youve been
keeping up on your conditioning... cause Tommy Falcon is full blood Sioux and he dont
go in for lazy white man things like sleep.

Xander gulped, then squeaked out, What?

Sam left, chuckling deeply the whole way.

Xander just groaned. Why did he always get himself into these things??

****

At that same time, half a world away, a group of men were meeting for the first time of
the Summer Season, with a long agenda to look over.

I suppose the first thing we deal with may as well be the recent incident with Mr Sirius
Black. Said the man at the head of the table, eyes twinkling softly as they were wont to
do.

Theres not much I can do directly against his application for Asylum, Chief
Mugwump, The American representative said softly. Its already gone public to a
degree.

Thats fine, Marcus. Albus said calmly. Im actually more curious about the results
of his interrogation.

Marcus Simmonds nodded, drawing out a parchment and glancing it over. Mr Black
was interrogated by a Master Legilimencer while under the influence of Veritaserum
that had been administered by a Potions Master. The team is one of our best
interrogation duos.

Dumbledore nodded, waving softly to the man.

According to his testimony, one Peter Pettigrew betrayed the Potters and killed the
Non Magicals that night. Marcus said, Our team confirms his statement.

I see, Albus sighed, Well thats that then.

What will the British Ministry do? Dietrich Blein asked, leaning forward.

Minister Fudge refuses to hear any alternative to his constructed world, Albus said
with a sigh, only his eyes seeming to express anything other than disappointment. They
twinkled softly, as they tended to when he was amused by something.

And how does this affect your situation with the Potter boy?

It does not. With Sirius as The Lord Black in Exile he has no legal ability to change
Harrys status. Albus said with finality. I can continue to keep Harry protected from
his enemies.

The men around the table murmured, but in general nodded in agreement.

Very well, then we let the Asylum proceedings continue unimpeded. Francois
Renauld moved.

The motion was quickly seconded and passed. Albus couldnt help but suppress a slight
chuckle at how fast many of the nations representatives jumped on the opportunity to
make a fool of England and, of course, its Minister. Fudge had made no friends for
himself on the international scene, and was burning more bridges with the inane
appointment of Ludo Bagman to the chair of the upcoming World Cup.

Albus put those thoughts aside as the meeting moved on, and The Council began to
debate matters of international impact amongst themselves.

****
Back to index
****

The rest of the day was spent catching up with Jessie and Willow, just hanging out
mostly. They did some shopping, much to Jessies confusion when Xander insisted on
hitting a plumbing story for a large variety of brass fittings and the like.

Dude, are you taking plumbing classes over there or what?

Extra-curricular project, Xander replied with a smile.

You want to fix toilets as a hobby?

Just let it go, ok? Xander asked, chuckling.

Sure, whatever. So what do we do tonight?

Movie night? Willow suggested.

Eh. Seen everything showing, went with Jon and Warren last week. Jessie shrugged.

Well Ive got to hit some movies for sure, but I can wait. Bronze? Xander asked.

Sounds like fun I guess. Jessie replied, smirking suddenly.

Xander looked at him, confused for a moment, until Willow spoke up.

Oh God, Jessie, youre not still chasing Cordelia are you?

Xander choked.

Cordelia?? He sputtered, As in CHASE??

Jessie flushed red, rubbing the back of his head, Uh well, you see...

He thinks shes hot. Willow said, rolling her eyes.

But... the we hate cordelia club! Xander hissed, Jess, you were the Vice President.

She grew... up? Jessie managed.

He means she grew *out*. Willow corrected helpfully.

Willow! Both Jessie and Xander sputtered, Xander half laughing as he looked at his
suddenly blushing redheaded friend.

Well... he did. She said, sounding a little petulant.

Xander couldnt help it, he started laughing hard, wheezing in his attempts to breath.
He hadnt laughed so hard in months.

Its not funny! Willow and Jessie called out together, leaving Xander to his the
ground and roll as his laughter redoubled.

****

Once hed calmed down the rest of the day moved along quickly, though Xander took
every opportunity to torment Jessie over his new lady love. That got even more
pronounced that night at the Bronze when Cordelia did, in fact, show up and Jessie
proceeded to chase her around like a bog chasing a bitch in heat.

A comparison Willow actually made, bringing another roar of belly laughs from
Xander when she continued on to say, Its no wonder hes acting like that, since she IS
a bitch and, you know, acts like shes in...

Stop. Please stop. Xander moaned, hammering the table with his fist as he tried to
breath through the laughter.

Will someone put a leash on this mutt. Cordelia Chase said as she appeared by
Willows side, glaring at the redhead. Hes yours, right? Keep him away from decent
people.

Xander howled, tears were running down his cheeks as Willow turned beat red and
seemed caught between giggling or sinking under the table in embarrasment.

What are you laughing at, Loser? Cordelia demanded, eyes turning to Xander.

Xander just shook his head, unable to speak.

Cordelia tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing, Xander? Is that you? Like, when did
you get back?

Yesterday. Xander croaked out, wiping his eyes desperately.

I heard you were in an institute for delinquents.

Xander choked, thoughts of laughter gone as he stared at her with wide eyes. Huh?

Willow grimaced, She means she started that story, she didnt hear it.

Im sure Cordelia didnt... Jessie offered from behind the brunette.

Shut it, dweeb. Cordelia snapped, then glared at Willow, I dont need to start
rumors, mouse. I start trends.

Private boarding school, to be precise, Xander said, climbing to his feet and standing
a little over Cordelia. Hed learned while dealing with Draco that sometimes you needed
to take the high ground, any high ground you could. I spend my winters in Scotland.

Chyaaa. Cordelia muttered, disbelieving. What boarding school could you get into.

One that only accepts students from less than one percent of the population, Xander
shifted mentally into his pure blood tone, unaware that as he did his accent took on a
slightly British overtone. Willow was accepted as well, for your information, but her
parents didnt want her to be that far from home.

Cordelia felt a shiver run up her spine as the person in front of her changed from one
second to the next, then glanced at Willow who was nodding glumly in agreement with
Xanders statement. She knew that the redhead was a certified genius, even smarter
than she was and Cordelia knew that her own IQ was nothing to be remotely
embarrassed by.

She hadnt know that Xander was anything special, though. Hed never acted it, yet
now hes apparently been spending the last three years in an exclusive boarding school
that had tried to recruit Rosenberg as well.

Well, its been a pleasure, Miss Chase, Xander said, still deep in the persona hed
cultivated for shutting Draco down, however Im here to have a little fun. Willow,
would you care to dance?

Willow flushed again, but nodded dumbly as Xander extended a hand. She took it and
he led her out to the dance floor as the band swung into a heavy hitting tribal sound.

That was great! Willow yelled in his ear to be heard over the music.

Xander grinned, dropping out of the pure blood act and looking a little goofy again,
Thanks. It was kinda cool wasnt it?

Willow nodded as they danced, grinning widely.

****

All in all it was a fun night that Xander regretted having to end early due to his
scheduled meeting with Robert, Sam, and their friend Tommy Falcon in the morning.

A morning that came all to early, Xander found, when Sam woke him up and gave him
five minutes to get dressed before hustling him out of the house and into the car that
took them to Roberts place just north of LA.

Alexander. Robert nodded once in greeting.

Hey Robert, hows it going?

Fine. Id like you to meet an old friend of mine. Robert nodded to a six foot two tall
American Indian beside him, This is Thomas Chayton of the Sioux Tribe. I believe
Sam told you a bit about it.

A bit, Xander nodded, but I dont really know much about it and all. I mean, the
Proud are like what? The FBI?

Thomas nodded, Somewhat. The Proud are the Federal level Auror organization for
the American Ministry. From a non magical point of view they are more accurately
compared with the US Marshals of a hundred and fifty years ago, except that The
Proud have much, much, tougher requirements to join. The federal mandate for the
group limits them to precisely one hundred members.

Thomas served for thirty years, Robert said, Which means that in his first year he
beat out over eight thousand applicants for the position. In the remaining twenty nine,
he continued to place above all other applicants to hold his position, and retired by his
own choice four years ago.

I was slowing down, Thomas admitted with a shrug, I would have been replaced in a
few years anyway.

Xander blinked, then whistled. Whoa. And youre going to show me how to fight?

If you wish it, Thomas nodded. It will not be easy, but if youre willing we can drill
the basics into in a few weeks. True skill takes years, but even the basics can level the
field of combat for a few seconds.

And in a fight, a few seconds is often all you get. Robert spoke up.

Xander nodded, swallowing, Im willing. I know the shield charm and...

We wont be using that. Thomas said, shaking his head.

But... its one of my best spells. Xander blurted.

I tell you what, The former Auror said with a slight hint of a smile, When you can
shield a curse, then return fire in the same second... then Ill start teaching you proper
shielding techniques. Until then, shields are only useful if youre withdrawing from the
fight, and while that is often the intelligent thing to do, there is little I could do to teach
you how to do that any better than you should already know.

Oh. Xander said, trying really hard not to pout, Then what do we work on?

The three Cs, The Native American said, Curses, Conditioning, and Consciousness.
We work on your spell repertoire, your physical and magical strength, and your
situational awareness.

Ok. Xander blinked. Which will mean what?

Sam snorted, grinning, Pain. Itll mean pain, kid.

Thomas spared the former Seal a glare, then looked back at Xander. He is correct, but
that is an unfortunate side effect. For the Curses segment well work with the most
useful tactical spells for beginners. What are your best offensive spells?

Im a decent hand with the Stunner, but I prefer bone splitters. Xander replied.

Thomas nodded in approval, Good picks. The Stunner is very useful in crowd
situations, members of the Proud are trained to open with wide area stunners when we
have targets in a crowd. Taking out civilians is the primary intent, but if we get a Crim
or two its a bonus. In a straight up fight against medium to large numbers, however,
stunners are less effective because the enemies can be ennervated.

Xander nodded, it made sense.

The bone splitter is a damn good pick for a kid, Thomas went on, Most tend to think
of the Reductor curse, which really requires a very good wand hand to use safely. Well
teach you the Bone Fragmentation curse to go with it, though, because while its harder
to fix a split bone than ennervate a stunned target, its still a tactical option.

Xander stared for a moment, unwinding the words, then nodded. Uh. Ok.

So, out spell training will be... Bone fragmentation, splitter, the Severing charm, and
Leviosa. Thomas decided, mentally making notes.

Wait, Leviosa? Xander blinked, A Levitation charm?

Thomas smirked slightly, one of the most useful combat spells to learn, kid.

Im going to drop people off cliffs or something?

Youll see. The Sioux Indian said, If youre really good, Ill even throw in the
banishing charm to complete the combo, but youll have to show me that youre serious
and know what youre doing.

Uh... ok. Xander just looked confused.

Dont worry, youll get it. For conditioning, well half of that will be easy enough I
hope. Sam here tells me that youve been training with him?

Xander nodded, Yeah, and Ive tried to keep it up in the winter too... but its hard.
Scotland gets damn cold.

Sam snorted, Kid, youve got a lot to learn.

Thats fine, well work it out. Thomas cut off a rant from the former Seal. Magical
Conditioning will be covered in our fight training for the most part, though well work
with some high power spells to see just how far you can go. Mostly well just be trying to
determine your limits, but if you keep up Magical Strength Training youll be able to
squeeze another ten percent out of your core, maybe twelve. Understand?

Like working out, right? Xander said questioningly.

Precisely. Though you tend to get less out of it with MST compared to heavy duty
Physical Conditioning, you also wont lose it once youve gained it. Thomas explained,
Magical core levels never drop unless affected by an outside source.

Cool.

And that brings us to Consciousness, The former Auror said, Well start that today,
though we probably wont see much out of it anytime soon.

Why?

It begins with Occlumency, which is a method of meditation and organizing your
mind. Itll take you weeks or months just to get the basics down. Thomas explained,
Then more months building mental defenses, then more months reorganizing your
sense feeds.

Bwuh? Xander was completely and totally lost, and didnt mind admitting it.

Luckily for him Thomas hadnt expected him to know any of what that meant.
Occlumency has several initial benefits that youll see fairly quickly, this includes an
apparent increase in intelligence.

Cool. Xander said, eyes wide.

You wont actually be any smarter, Thomas smirked, But youll process information
faster and more efficiently. The next benefit is something approaching total recall,
though not quite as effective as the phenomenon known as photographic memory.
Youll be able to remember just about anything you need to, but unless you already
have a perfect memory youll need to pause a moment to center yourself.

Still cool.

Next is the ability to sense intrusions into your mind and begin to defend against them.
Mind readers, Possession spirits and demons, and so forth. Useful, but not commonly
needed, which is one of the reasons Occlumency has faded into obscurity. Thomas said,
At this point youll begin to train in Legilemency, often mistakenly called the art of
mind reading.

Whoa, like Prof X? Triple Cool! Xander grinned.

Legilemency is high restricted. Thomas snapped, glancing at Robert who just
shrugged. Normally I would never show it to a civilian, especially not a pubescent boy.
However, you have powerful patrons, which will probably be enough to keep you out of
prison as long as you dont do anything spectacularly stupid.

Wide eyed, Xander slumped and fell back a step. Whats so bad about it?

Legilemency can be used to violently tear through someones mind, causing mental
and emotional trauma best compared to being raped. Thomas said remorselessly,
glaring at Xander and daring him to be excited about that.

Whoa. Ok, I dont think I want to learn that ok?

Interesting. The former Auror looked at the boy, taking in everything about him, and
concluded that he meant it. Most would be promising not to abuse it, not refusing to
learn it. He softened just slightly.

It can also be used as part of an extended awareness of the world around you.
Thomas said, taking in more information... temperature shifts, sounds above and
below normal hearing range, powerful thoughts being broadcast by people who are
excited or nervous. All of these things are very useful in a fight, and in other disciplines.
Theyre also perfectly legal and considered morally acceptable.

Oh.

Well begin with Occlumency meditations for the next hour, then youll run.
Tomorrow we start spell training. Agreed?

Xander swallowed, but nodded. Yeah. Im in.

Good. Robert?

Have a room set up for you inside.

Thank you.

Xander followed the big man into the house, mind whirling as he once more wondered
how he got himself into these things and, perhaps more to the point, what had he gotten
himself into.

****
Back to index
****

Man, I have such a headache. Xander bitched as he slumped into his basement studio
of sorts.

Occlumency work was a pain, and running afterwards was worse. The entire time hed
been trying to meditate and clear his mind, Chayton had been doing what he called
probing. Xander called it shoving hot needles into his minds eye. It felt like he was
being forced to relive memories, but just for an instant before suddenly his mind would
be his own to control again. Chayton said hed have to learn to keep off those light
probes before he could begin any kind of mental organization.

Something about having to have a mind that could hold more water than a sieve before
he started trying to decide what went where.

Xanders problem with the situation was Chaytons use of the term light when he
referred to the probes. If that was what he called light, Xander didnt want to know
what heavy was.

He grabbed a bottle of tylenol from the bathroom and swallowed a couple tablets on his
way over to the ratty old couch that decorated the basement. His parents wanted to put
in new stuff, but hed told them to forget it. Half his magical projects exploded or worse,
so why waste good money?

Xander looked over at the mound of stuff hed gathered for his latest idea, mournfully
staring and willing himself up to work on it. Will power failed a moment later, however,
and Xander just curled up on the couch and closed his eyes as he tried to block out the
light that was sending spikes of pain through his skull.

****

Hello? Xander?

Willow let herself into the darkened basement, hesitantly looking around. Xanders
mother had said he was down there, but it looked like the place was empty.

Xander? She turned on the lights, taking a step down.

Ow! No lights. A voice moaned up at her.

Xander? Are you alright? Willow asked, now really concerned.

Brain hurts. Lights off. He mumbled at her.

Willow turned off the lights, then slowly moved down the stairs. Better?

Much.

Well, he sounded better anyway. Not much for conversation, though, Willow thought.
Whats wrong?

Brain torture. Xander mumbled, sitting up in the dark. Then the sick son of a...

Xander!

Mother... Xander finished lamely, made me go running while my head was
pounding.

Someone tortured you... then made you exercise?

Bingo bongo.

Doesnt sound like a torturer to me.

You say physical conditioning coach, I say torturer, its all perspective. Xander
sighed, tossing back another couple tylenol.

Oh. Is it really bad? Willow asked tentatively, now having a better idea of what was
going on.

Not so much with the throbbing pain now, Xander admitted, mostly the light hurt
my eyes. What time is it?

Just after supper.

Oh. Ive been out most of the afternoon, Xander said wearily.

Is this going to be your summer? Willow asked, kind of afraid of the answer.

Oh god, I hope not. Xander got up and went to the bathroom, wincing as he turned
on the light and started running water to wash his face, You can catch the lights now.

K. Willow said as she did just that.

She was looking over the pile of stuff Xander had been collecting since he got back,
impressed and confused by the quantity and quality of it. Xander, why do you want so
many brass plumbing things?

Cause its easier to transfigure stuff permanently if Im just changing its shape and
not its molecules. Xander answered.

Oh. That makes sense. So why do you need the brass?

Its pretty easy to enchant, Xander said, And I have a couple ideas I want to try.

For wands? Willow asked eagerly. Shed been carrying her two pack of wands since
the summer before, but rarely got a chance to use them because she was worried about
both her parents and the statute of secrecy stuff.

No, well some yes. Xander said, pulling a stool up to the table. I do want to try some
different wand sizes. Im thinking I want to see how small we can make them, you know
for backup use.

Small wands? Hard to flick, dont you think?

Yeah, but not for all spells. Im thinking about emergencies, Xander said, Shield
charms barely flick at all, and stuff like stunners and stuff are almost just straight line
slashes.

True. Willow nodded, Ok, we can do that. What else do you want to do besides
wands?

Kick a certain indians ass. Xander muttered.

Xander!

No yelling please. Xander winced.

Dont disrespect the Native Americans, Willow huffed, They were here first and
we...

Yeah, yeah, stole the country. I remember thanksgiving at your place, Wills. Xander
mumbled, remembering the last and only time hed spent a major holiday with
Willows parents. Honestly, it was better to deal with his mom and dad fighting than
listen to them preach.

She glared at him for a moment, then looked over the rest of the stuff. So whats this
all for?

Xander smiled a bit, the first genuine smile hed managed since early that morning,
Thats a secret, Wills.

Hmmph. Willow grumped, I dont like secrets, mister.

Too bad. He grinned, winking at her.

Willow flushed red, swallowed, and changed the subject. What were your classes like
this year?

Xander smirked, recognizing the real Willow peeking out and demanding information
on what hed learned. We mostly followed the listed stuff this year.

Willow nodded, relieved. The previous year shed studied almost all different books
than Xander, and while he insisted that hers were better she wasnt sure she really
believed him.

I think we got a little ahead in charms, a little behind in transfiguration overall,
Xander went on, Defense was mostly about magical creatures this year, though, so
youre not going to be caught up well there. Too much practical work you couldnt do.

She winced, Damn.

Xander arced an eyebrow at her, causing Willow to go read again.

I mean Darn. Darn tootin. She blurted, then sighed, Look, Jessies been getting a
little wierder ok? He hangs out with Warren and those guys a bit too much.

Xander nodded, knowing that Mears wasnt exactly the cleanest mouth around. He was
still amused by Willows descent into potty mouth, but he could understand it. Not that
he would let her get away with it without some ribbing, of course.

Sure. I believe you, Wills. He said patronizingly, millions wouldnt but I know my
bestest pal...

Xander! She screeched, right about the time he reached out to pat her on the head.

That drove a spike of pain through his still slightly throbbing head, and Xander
grimaced as he pulled back and held his temples.

Serves you right, Mister. Willow folded her arms as she glared at him.

Man, I so have to kick that cigar store...

Xander!

Ow! Stop yelling! Xander glared openly at Willow this time, Damn it, Wills, that
hurts.

Then you stop being a... a... poopy head!

Xander couldnt help it, pain and all. First he snorted, then snickered, then started
openly laughing even as his head throbbed at him.

I said stop being a poopy head!!

Oh lord it hurt, but it hurt so good at the same time.

****

Sirius Black was bored.

This was generally not a good thing for anyone within a hundred and fifty meters of his
position but, as had been the case for the last 12 years, he was without a wand and
rather limited in his pranking capabilities.

The American Ministry had seen fit to provide him with low level bureaucrats as
companions, probably an Auror trainee or two in the mix but he hadnt noticed much
difference between them. Other than that, though, theyd been remarkably generous
with him he supposed. Room and board which, while not luxury, was miles above what
he was used to to say the least, not to mention the protection they were giving him from
going BACK to what he was used to.

For all that, though, he was still really bored.

Hey, Sammy.

Samuel Winston looked over, sighing, Yes Lord Black?

God, stop calling me that. Exile and all, remember? Sirius moaned, I just want to
know if I can get out of this place.

Winston shrugged, Youre still wanted to be on hand for questioning, but youre no
longer under house arrest since the court proceedings closed.

I can do the questioning thing anywhere, though, right?

No, youd have to be in Washington, New York, Los Angeles, or San Francisco.

Any of those in California? Sirius asked.

The last two are, yes. Why?

I was thinking about checking out a place called Sunnydale. Sirius said candidly.

Winston stiffened, eyes widening as he stared at Black.

What?

The croaking voice surprised Sirius, and he paused, Are you ok?

Why do you want to go to the Hellmouth??

Hellmouth? Sirius paled, I... Thats in Sunnydale?

Winston nodded.

The kid who saved me, he lives there! You let a kid live on the Hellmouth!?

Whoa, not our business where someone chooses to live, Black. Sam defended himself.
This is a free country. Besides, the place is only a little dangerous to your average
Wizard. If youre going there, though, I should ask if you know your Vampire control
methods?

Sirius blinked, Sunlight spells, cutting curses, and pure white magic right?

Plus wooden stakes, holy water, and so forth.

Those dont work on Vampires.

Not the Clans, Black, Sam said after blinking for a moment, working out what Sirius
meant, demon breed.

I thought those were mostly hunted out.

Not in places like Sunnydale, Sam shrugged, They breed faster than we can cull
them, and even faster when we try. We keep them out of most major cities, but some
places like the west coast generally just reach a stable population point. We dont go out
of our way to eliminate them any more unless theyre being stupid. Just wastes time.

Not to the people theyd otherwise kill, Ill bet.

I told you, they breed faster when theyre being hunted heavily. Sam replied, Kill
dozens of times the number of people they feed on normally. Magic is like that.

Sirius nodded, recognizing the truth. Magic had a habit of working to protect itself, in
whatever form it existed in. Dark creatures were especially good at it, since they didnt
give a damn what they had to do in order to live. Lighter creatures, unfortunately, were
more vulnerable which is why many species like Unicorns had to be protected by
Wizards and such.

Which, Sirius supposed, could just as easily be magic protecting them in its own way.

Id like to go to Sunnydale, anyway then. Just to say hi to the kid, if you dont mind.

Ill set up a portkey to LA and well get you settled in there. Three Angels will be a
good place to live for you, and you can run up the coast to Sunnydale from there.

Thanks.

****

Xander tried to ignore the throbbing that had become his near constant companion
over the last few days as he delicately transfigured one of the brass fittings into a grill
plate. Doing magic while your head was pounding was TOUGH, so much so that
Xander was putting off the complex work with the protean charm until later on when
he was feeling better.

Honestly he had a lot of prep work to do before he got there anyway, and his original
plans just werent shaping up the way hed hoped. Still, the new direction it was taking
was sort of cool too, so hed see where it took him.

The custom wand project was a little further ahead, though, since Willow could help
him more with that one.

When hed tried one of the mini wands hed made, a carbon fiber shaft about four
inches long, the results had been decidedly mixed to say the least. Theyd used their
normal procedure, and wound up with a wand that was pretty much useless for almost
everything.

It was the ways it was useless that somewhat confused Xander.

With the Stunner, the wand didnt even manage sparkles, so it was obviously no good
for curses. Given the small size and the fact that the core was Unicorn Hair, Xander
wasnt so surprised at that.

Still, with that result he hadnt expected anything from the charms tests and, for the
most part, had been proven correct.

Leviosa cast with the mini wand was shakey, unsteady, and basically too underpowered
to levitate a feather with any security. Most charms were similar, but when hed tried
the Protego hed received a bit of a surprise.

Xander and Willow had expected a thing, filmy, shield a little smaller than normal.
Basically, a worthless waste of energy from an unfocused wand. What they had gotten
instead was a remarkably solid shield that was roughly the size of a small dinner plate.
It could actually block a fairly strong curse, Xander determined, but youd have to be
Darth Vader or someone to get the damn shield into the right place to intercept the
oncoming spell.

Well, at range it would be simple to block slower moving spells, he supposed. Still, at
range he could more easily move out of the way if it came to that.

So, sadly, Xander and Willow had shelved the mini wand concept for the moment and
moved on to the redheads dual core ideas.

That had resulted in a series of nasty explosions that blew the glass out of houses for
half a block. Xander still grimaced at the memory.

*****

A few days earlier

Xander?

Xander grunted from where he was laying, covered in debris. His head was aching more
than should be allowable by all the laws of man and nature, and he wasnt sure his ears
were still attached since all he could hear was a dull echo of the world.

Are you alive?

He grunted again, sitting up, and glared at Willow. If Im not, I swear, Im here to
haunt you.

How was I to know!? She wailed, I couldnt have known!

Note to self, Xander muttered, shaking his head, Dragon Heart string and Unicorn
hair do NOT mix.

Christ! Boy! Are you ok down there!?

Were fine, dad! Xander called out as Tony Harris picked his way down the stairs.

What happened here?? Tony asked, looking around with wide eyes.

A little mishap with magical components, Xander sighed.

Id hate to see a big one. Tony muttered, This isnt going to work, boy. Another blast
like that and well have half the neighborhood ready to string us up.

Xander winced, but nodded in agreement. Sorry dad.

Tony shook his head, looking around, Maybe we should look into a new place.

Xander brushed himself off, shrugging, Whats the restrictions on using the money
from the trust Sam set up?

I think we can put money down on a place, but it would be in your name. Tony said,
frowning as he thought about it, but I was thinking about your mom and me. Weve
been fixing this place up, maybe we should sell it before you blow it out from under us.

Xander scowled at the smirk on his dads face, Funny dad, real funny.

Property is cheap in Sunnydale, I think Ill start looking.

Have a ball, Dad. Im going to clean up.

You do that. Ill try and explain to the cops that are no doubt about to knock on our
door that my idiot son doesnt know better than to smoke around a gas leak.

Hey!

****

His Dad had been right, the neighbors were unthrilled with the loss of their windows,
and it cost Xander a good chunk of his allowed spending money from the trust account
to smooth things over. That left him a little strapped for cash, but he had most of his
materials already so it wasnt bothering him a lot.

His additional training with Chayton was taking up most of his time anyway, leaving
him with little left to spend on projects or even hanging with his friends.

That was chafing on Xander, a lot. What the hell was the point of summer if he was
going to spend it all training like this?

Yet, hed agreed, and Xander was loathe to go back on an agreement. Especially when
he had an idea of how much Robert had put out to get Chayton to come down and offer
some training. Plus, he was learning some really cool stuff too.

It was going to be a rough summer, no matter how he cut it.

****

Kid has potential, Robert. Thomas Chayton said as he settled back and took a sip of
the herbal tea hed brewed. I can see why youre interested.

Hes an outsider, Robert nodded, sipping at his own coffee. The families want to
play him like a plywood violin. Hes proven that hes valuable to them, but most of them
will toss him in the gutter when theyre done with him.

Tommy nodded. He had some experience with the actions of the Families himself, and
knew that they would use up and resource they could, and throw out what was left. It
wasnt that they were all evil bastards, though some of them were, but most of the old
families had adopted a frighteningly pure version of the American Dream as their
creed.

Capitalism was a poor substitute for Honor, in Chaytons opinion, but one that had
been adopted by the Harris Family in particular.

It wasnt surprising, he supposed. The American branch of the family had been
established by a few individuals who had been exiled from their homes by shifting
political winds. Theyd been thrown to the wolves, in some cases literally, with only
what they could carry to their names. From that kind of loss and poverty, you
developed some serious issues, as the modern parlance went.

The Lavelles werent as bad, but they were also more Old World in nature. From a
French line, the family had strong ties with Gypsy blood through Eastern Europe, and
tradition was more than a word to them. Whatever Matriarch Lavelle had in mind for
Xander, Chayton doubted it would be particularly pleasant. Family duty rarely was.

The Sioux Warrior looked over at his old friend, and wondered what Robert was
playing at in this little game. The Squib was from one of the branch families of the
Harris Clan, but had no real power in the magical world. Well, nothing official anyway.
He was a politicing old bastard, though, and was probably owed a few favors similar to
the one Chayton himself had owed him.

Robert was one of the more influential voices in the community of Squibs that inhabited
North America, however, particularly within the military sub community of the United
States. That was a powerful little clique, since it generally included a frighteningly high
percentage of Generals, Admirals, and former Military personnel within any given
Administration.

To be honest, the boy wouldnt add much to Roberts influence anywhere that Chayton
could see. Though, one supposed, that another favor owed by a potentially talented
Wizard was a very good thing.

Youre wondering why Im so interested, Robert said, smiling as Thomas looked up,
startled.

Yeah, I am.

Xander is family, for one, and Im from and older school of thought than the current
Harris elders. Robert said after a moments thought. You dont turn your back on
family. I learned that in the military. I also think that Xander is from the same school of
thought, though his definition of family is a little different from most.

Its very close to the military definition, Id say.

Robert smiled slyly, Isnt it, though? If he can, hell pay back any investment I choose
to make... and then hell keep paying. Thats the way he is.

I see. A good investment, then?

Very good, I believe. Especially if the families spend some time cultivating his new
contacts in Britain. Hell be highly placed by default.

Thomas nodded, understanding the reasoning. He considered it for a while, then
shrugged to himself. Mostly, it wasnt his concern what games the Families or Robert
played. He had served with the Proud because he chose to, and not because he had some
stake in the American Ministry. The one good thing about the Ministry for Magic here
in North America, in Thomas opinion, was the fact that they rarely meddled in the
affairs of the communities they governed.

His own home was a small magical village within a Sioux reservation back East. As a
general rule, they never heard from the Ministry, as they had their own constables and
local government. The magical government never went through the unifying period that
the railroad brought on the non magical world, though he supposed that it wasnt
surprising.

Thomas personally knew at least two people who had been present when Thomas
Jefferson had given the speech in which he said that which governs best, governs least.
Magical lifespans were long, generations equally so. The Magical world had not yet had
time to forget that lesson, unlike those who ran the non magical side of things.

He supposed that the Magical world was about two hundred years or so behind the Non
Magical, at least in terms of culture. In many ways the Magical world existed in a state
very similar to that of the Old West. Most governmental power was spread out thinly,
with local lawmakers largely in charge of their own areas.

It was, to his mind, exactly the way he wanted it to be.

Thomas shook his mind free of the wanderings and looked back to Robert, Alright.
The kid has potential, good reflexes, decent mind, solid power. He wont be a duelist in
the time we have, by any standard, but hell be a pretty fair wand hand for his age.

Good, good.

One thing, Thomas said after a moment.

Whats that?

Those wands of his, the ones he makes?

Robert glanced over, Yes?

Get him a registry signup as a wand crafter.

I thought they werent as good as normal wands? Robert frowned.

Theyre not, though they may be some day. Thats not the point, though. A wand
maker is legally permitted to carry heavy in any member nation of the ICW. Thomas
said, they have to be able to show their wares, after all. Britain restricts wand
ownership to one registered wand, though they have all kinds of loopholes for legacy
wands, of course.

Of course, wouldnt do for pure bloods to have to give up their parents wands.

Thomas nodded, I dont know if his experiments with carbon fibre of all things will be
of any value, but carrying heavy is. He can make working wands, so hell be able to pass
the registration test.

Got it. Alright, Ill get paperwork pushed through, shouldnt be too hard. Robert
shrugged, The family will be looking for anything they can use to make Alex more
valuable to them.

Good.

****
Back to index
****

Sirius looked around his new flat, that is his new apartment, with satisfaction. The
Goblins had dutifully transferred a portion of his funds to the American Branch, more
than enough to see to his needs, and hed settled on a nice one bedroom loft overlooking
the main park in the center of Three Angels.

The magical energy that crackled through the area was amazing, he had to admit. Hed
only felt its like at Hogwarts, and Sirius would be hard pressed to say that Hogwarts
was stronger. The Geomantic energies from the Ring of Fire location were immense,
and he had to admit that the Americans had put it to good use.

Three Angels was dozens of times the size of the Magical Centers in London or Paris,
both of which he was intimately familiar with. In fact it *wasted* more space than
either of those places even had with its immense magical park that actually housed
many magical creatures native to the region. Back home reserves like this would be cut
out of unused land, not expanded Wizarding Space in the center of a muggle city!

He shook his head clear and went over the list of things he needed to get done once
more. Finding Harris wasnt too hard, the kid had given him everything but his street
address, and as it turned out the Ministry here had his floo address listed in the public
directory.

Next he had to see if he could get a hold of Harry, or rather the best way to do so. Owls
across the pond werent the best way to go, but at the very least he should be able to
send a message back with Harris, assuming the kid didnt get kicked out of England for
helping him. Either way, he had some work to do.

****

Xander rubbed his temples as he set his wand down, focusing on the identical devices he
had crafted using brass fittings, old bronze trophies, and some gold coins hed managed
to get his hands on. They didnt look much like what he had envisioned when he started
out, but just the same the little buggers looked pretty cool.

The Protean had been cast, twice, and he was feeling pretty much tapped out but happy
all the same. Now all he needed to do was finish up the second phase of the project.

He set aside the two devices, content with the work so far and turned to the pile of lego
technix hed bought from Toys R Us, letting his mind clear as he worked with the
mechanical blocks.

Occlumency was a bore, but sometimes he could just see what Thomas was talking
about. Momentary flashes where Xander felt like he was able to see for the first time in
his entire life, like the big picture was just in his grasp after a lifetime of seeing nothing
but narrow flashes. Such moments were difficult to maintain, however and faded really
quickly.

Thomas told him that as he continued to improve, hed be able to hold those moments
longer and once he began training in Legilimency, they would be even more intense.
Xander wasnt sure he could handle *more* intense.

Alex! His mother called down. Floo Call!

Xander jumped up, moving before his mind had fully caught up to his body, and was
halfway up the stairs before he realized he was moving.

Weird.

He shuddered, but kept moving. Sometimes the mental disconnect that was part of
Occlumency training was disconcerting.

He waved to his Mom as he headed for the living room and pulled up a sofa chair as he
leaned in close to the flame and smiled.

Wednesday! He called, How are you? Did you get clear ok? Jeeze, its been weeks...

I am fine. The Addams scion said with a hint of a smile, And everything went well.
Buckbeak is now happily roaming with a herd on one of the Addams Clan habitats in
Eastern Europe.

Cool. Glad to hear it, so you didnt get into trouble?

My parents were pleased with my initiative.

Xander chuckled, unsurprised.

May I come through?

Sure, come on, Xander jumped up and pushed the chair back.

The flames flickered for a moment, then roared out in a rush, and Wednesday stepped
calmly through and idly brushed the soot from her clothes.

Its good to see you, Xander gave her a quick hug.

Wednesday stiffened slightly, a look of momentary surprise floating across her face, but
she returned the embrace quickly and nodded as they parted. You as well.

So, The girl went on a moment later, Are you in trouble for your actions?

Nah, looks like Im in the clear. Xander said, frowning slightly, From what Ive been
told the Minister has dropped any complaints against me, at the request of the
Malfoys.

That too surprised Wednesday as the two headed down to the basement, I must admit
to being surprised. Headmaster Dumbledore, I would expect perhaps, but not the
Malfoys.

I think its Narcissa, Xander said thoughtfully, Remember, she and I have been
communicating through the Grimoire since first year, plus she really wanted to save
Sirius.

Oh?

Last of his blood line, Xander explained, From the notes she left, hes the last of the
main Black Family, and the only person left alive with the full measure of the Blacks
ability to sense Magic. Sirius was a Curse breaker for the Auror division back during
the war.

Impressive. Wednesday allowed, understanding the motivations of Narcissa Malfoy
now. Shes trying to continue the line, then.

Probably, Xander nodded.

Still, be wary of the Malfoys, Xander. We have not seen particularly worthy attributes
in either of the two we have met in person.

Xander nodded again, yeah. Dont worry I will.

Good. Wednesday looked over the work table and frowned, What is this?

You like? Xander scooped up one of the objects on the table and tossed it to her.

What is it? She asked, turning the metallic object over in her hand.

It was a small box, perhaps the size of four match boxes glued together, with a metallic
grill on one side. She thumbed the grill slightly and noticed that it flipped open, so she
pushed it all the way up. Underneath it was a series of concentric circles with runes laid
out evenly around them and, as she explored with her thumb, she found that the circles
turned easily.

Check it out, Xander said, picking up the other one and flipping it open. He twisted
the circles easily, then thumbed down the rune in the center.

Wednesday was surprised when the one in her hand whistled softly.

Put to your ear, Xander said, putting his own up.

She did as she was bade and was surprised when Xanders next words came from the
metal grill.

I call it a Spell Phone. he grinned at her.

Surprised or not, Wednesday groaned slightly and lowered the device as she pinched
her nose. You do not.

Sure I do, why not? Xander smirked.

You are a simple little being, you know that right?

Xander nodded in agreement, Hey it was that or go with my original plan and call it a
Kirk Special.

She blinked, then looked at the device again, and winced a second time. It was indeed
clearly based on the communicators from the original Star Trek series, though the solid
brass and bronze work, as well as the various additions, gave it a unique appearance all
the same.

Show me your work, She said after a moment, impressed with the design and detail of
the construction, if not with its name.

Xander grinned wide and flipped open his note book, Its not that tough. The hardest
part was casting the Protean.

It is NEWT level, She commented.

Yeah, seriously. I screwed it up three times before I got the first one right. Four more
times before the second one worked, Xander sighed, Ruined seven home runes.

Home Runes?

The center rune, He explained, its what primarily identifies each phone. The
protean only connects identical objects, right?

She nodded. The Protean was based on the Similarity Principal of magic, so by
extension only objects that were similar were connected by the spell.

Well the rings let you dial a specific phone, Xander explained, Using the home rune
as the keystone. That way we dont wind up with one huge party line.

Impressive. Wednesday allowed, You plan to make more?

He nodded, Yeah. One for you and one for Willow at least. These two are for me.

Why two?

Xander grinned, Thats the brilliant part.

Somehow Im now frightened. She told him blandly.

Ill show you when Im done. I guess well need one for Hermione too, Xander said
after a moment, And if her then Harry and probably Ron.

You could sell them, Wednesday suggested, Surely theyd be in demand?

Illegal. Xander shrugged, Just owning one is kind of borderline in Britain. Were ok
here, but we still cant sell them.

Really? Why?

Not sure, but I found it out when I was researching the Protean. Xander explained,
The law reads kind of weird, but basically it translates into making most
communications devices that use the protean or similar magic a legal grey area.
Basically you can make them, but not sell them. Which really means that very few
people can get them, cause its NOT an easy spell.

Wednesday nodded, knowing from experience helping Hermione enchant Xanders
Map that the spell was quite taxing, and very intricate. She was actually surprised that
Xander had only destroyed seven Home Runes in his attempts to make two working
devices. She wouldnt have expected him to succeed at all, the spell was that difficult.
She looked closer at him, then realized something.

Youve changed.


Something is different about you. She said, Youre... calmer.

Oh, that. Occlumency lessons, I guess. Been meditating. Xander shrugged, then
frowned, You can really tell?

She nodded slowly, its faint, but the traces are there. Your magic is more controlled
now.

Cool. I guess its working.

Why are you taking lessons? She asked, though she did approve, both of the lessons
and the changes they had wrought already.

Im getting some lessons in fighting from a guy named Chayton, Xander explained,
then frowned, Though my uncle keeps calling him Falcon.

Chayton is Sioux for Falcon.

That would explain that. Xander admitted, Anyway, he says that Occlumency and
Legilimency are key skills to have.

Indeed. Wednesday said, considering.

Traditionally the Addams clan had very little use for Occlumency. Few were the fools
who entered an Addams mind uninvited. Few were the fools who entered invited, for
that matter. However, she had to admit that if only a short couple weeks of training had
changed Xander visibly, whether the skill may have other uses than mere defense of the
mind should be considered.

She would have to look into it, she decided.

****

So, its settled then? Narcissa Malfoy said calmly, her voice firm.

Yes, Dear. Lucius replied, gritting his teeth.

Few were the times that his wife challenged him, fewer still when she won, but honestly
there was no sense fighting her over this. In truth, it was a good move for the family, but
it went against his grain to do it just the same.

Good. Well extend an invitation for Mr Harris to join us for the World Cup later this
summer. Narcissa said with a calm smile.

****

Xander? Willow called as she let herself into the basement, working her way down
the stairs, Are you here? Your Dad let me in!

Down here, Wills.

Willow peeked around the corner, a little nervous about entering the basement for the
first time since she and Xander had, well, blown it up and all. Her fears were
unfounded, however, and she smiled when she recognized the extra person in the room.

Hello Wednesday.

Willow, The dark girl inclined her head slightly. It is good to see you.

You too.

Willow found herself liking Wednesday, which was kind of a new feeling for her. She
didnt have any female friends really, just a few she occasionally studied with. In school
the only people who would hang out with her were Xander and Jessie, and since Xander
left Jessie had been spending more and more time with his friends and she was alone a
lot.

Wednesday was smart, but in almost every other way Willow could imagine she and the
Addams girl were polar opposites. Yet, somehow, they seemed to get along well. Or at
least as well as Willow could tell, since Wednesday didnt give off many warm fuzzies.

Have you been practicing? Wednesday asked laconically, nodding to the wand
Willow was retrieving from her pocket.

Willow nodded eagerly, Oh yes, Im through the third year books and have all the
spells I could safely cast down. That was most of them, but I wasnt able to practice a lot
of the Defense spells.

No, third year is dedicated to dark creatures. Wednesday allowed with a slight wave
of her hand, While you have many of those here in Sunnydale, I would not recommend
you look for them alone.

Willow agreed with that, and shuddered a little. Shed read up on Vampires and found
that she really didnt want to run into any. Supposedly the low order types located in
Sunnydale werent much trouble for a Witch or Wizard, but they were really nasty just
the same and werent to be approached for no good reason.

W- what are you up to? Willow asked, looking at the duo.

Xander was just showing me his... Wednesday sighed, Spell Phones.

Willow scrunched up her nose, Spell Ph... Oh Xander... you didnt.

What? I like the name. Xander grinned.

Willow groaned, but looked on interestedly, So this was the super secret project?

Xander nodded happily, Yeah, and it worked pretty well.

You didnt just magick from cell phones did you? Willow asked, knowing that
Xander could have bought a couple phones if he wanted.

No, I read up on all the tries on that sort of thing and magic just fries them. Xander
shrugged, I started from scratch and made these.

Willow caught the one Xander tossed to her, eyes wide, Xander! You should be more
careful!

Why? Its practically solid brass. Xander looked puzzled, You could drive over that
with a car and not break it.

It looks like a Steampunk Communicator from Star Trek, She noted, half with
distaste and half with the sort of bubbly fan awe that wanted to jump up and scream
Awesome! to the whole world.

Steampunk? Xander questioned, What ARE you reading now, Wills.

Never mind, She blushed a little, as she flipped the phone open. Runic dials? What
runes are these?

A bit a mixed bag, Xander admitted, The runes are just identifiers, they dont do
anything besides create a unique number for each phone. If you want to contact
another phone you just have to match your dial to the internal dial on that phone.

I get it, good thinking, Willow praised, smiling. Youre making me one?

Xander nodded with a smile, Next one is all yours.

Thank you. She said happily, sitting down. Are we still allowed to work down here?

Wednesday shot them a curious look at that question, eliciting a rueful grin out of
Xander.

We found out that Unicorn Tail Hair and Dragon Heartstring, not a good idea in a
dual core wand.

Wednesday rolled her eyes, Honestly. Very few creatures would mix well with
Unicorn, Xander. Perhaps Pheonix Feather, but very little else. Unicorns are far too
pure and tend to react badly to anything impure.

Oh! Willow blurted, wide eyed, Thats why it blew up!

Blew up?

Heh, yeah. Xander admitted, rubbing the back of his head as he grinned some more.

Wednesday just shook her head.

*****

Sirius Orion Black found that apparating to Sunnydale was a bit more difficult than
hed been told. The American Coordinate system was a real pain in the ass to learn, but
luckily it was still pretty new and they had conversion charts available for the old
Lattitude Longitude system.

Sirius thought ruefully as he looked around the dingy alley that made up Sunnydales
magical community, such as it was. The place made Nocturn look respectable, Sirius
thought as he moved quickly to the marked exit into Sunnydale proper, noting a pair of
hags watching his movements.

The seedy bar that served as the entrance and exit point for the magical alley was just
as bad, and made Sirius long a bit for the homey feel of the Leaky Cauldron. A rat
faced man at the bar just stared at him as he walked past, and Sirius paused just
outside the door as a chill crept up his back. He leaned back slightly, just enough to
catch the rat faced figure marking something down in a book he kept behind the bar.

Sirius decided as he moved on.

For who was a bit of a question, he supposed, but given the location the man occupied
he pretty much had to be reporting to the authorities. So likely the Aurors man in
Sunnydale, or one of them.

It was good that the Ministry had an eye on things in Sunnydale, he guessed. He wasnt
happy about being watched, mind you, but it was the bloody Hellmouth after all. Sirius
checked the street name, then glanced at the map hed gotten in LA and the address he
had for the kid from the muggles directory.



****

Narcissa Malfoy grimaced slightly as he stomach twisted in her belly. She had very little
taste for using long distance portkeys. The things were bad enough in close to mid range
travel, but moving a significant distance was truly nauseating.

The alley shed arrived in was not helping matters either.

I cant believe people live like this. She sighed in disgust, carefully avoiding putting
her feet in something that looked suspiciously like human fecal matter. Absolutely
disgusting.

Things were hardly any better when she let herself out of the Alley and into the pub that
guarded its entrance. The place was filthy, lacking even the low class comforts of the
Leaky Cauldron. Narcissa eyed the sallow faced figure behind the bar as he stared at
her a little too closely for her taste.

Look at me one moment longer and Ill personally transfigure you into something
those hags back in the alley would consider... a delicacy. She said in a soft, yet sharpy
tone.

The man gulped and swivelled away, looking carefully at the other side of the room.
Yes Maam

Harris. You know him?

Which one, Maam? The rat of a man asked, risking a glance back at her.

The younger, Alexander.

The Wizard, yeah, I know him.

His parents arent magical? Narcissa asked, remembering that her son seemed to
believe otherwise, as did she, though she had assumed that his branch of the families
had gone the integrationist route.

Theyre low magic, Maam. Didnt get into one of the schools.

Ah. That explained a fair bit to her mind. Squibs then, but probably first generation,
still in fairly close contact with the Families. She frowned thoughtfully, Both parents?

Yes Maam.

Both parents were squibs, and the boy was a fairly strong Wizard. Unusual. Normally
Squib lines went generations before rekindling the flame of magic, if they ever did.
These two must be exceptionally compatible in order for them to produce a boy like
Alexander. She was quite familiar with the numbers on the matter.

Perhaps one half of one percent of the world population was Magical. The exact number
was a little confused due to the tendency of magical communities to hide, but it couldnt
be much more than that. Around thirty million people, worldwide. America had a
slightly higher percentage of Magicals than most places, due largely to immigration, but
Britain was close as well because much of the old families had congregated there
between 1000 AD and around 1700 AD.

The total magical population of the UK was about three hundred thousand people,
perhaps as high as four hundred thousand. The last two wars had taken a chunk out of
Britains normally high magical population, but they still rode above the curve. Of that,
schools like Hogwarts served perhaps twenty percent, which amounted to perhaps forty
to fifty children each year when it was all worked out.

The rest, those who were not powerful enough to attend a school like Hogwarts were
generally home schooled, attended community education facilities, or simply never
purchased a wand.

In other words, for Alexander to be in Hogwarts at all, he had to be within the top
twenty percent of a community that consisted of less than a half percent of the total
population. For his parents to both be squibs, well something had gone gloriously right
for the boy.

She looked around herself with some distaste.

Of course, he lived here. The boy was certainly owed something right in his life.

Narcissa sighed, and shot another glare at the man whos eyes had dropped south of her
face, Where does he live?

What? The man jumped, startled.

Alexander.

Oh, uh... The man stuttered and stammered through directions, leaving Narcissa to
sigh and draw out her wand.

Wait, I...

Shut up. She shook her head, laying the wand in her hand. Point me, Harris Home.

The wand spun wildly for a moment, then settled on a direction and Narcissa gave the
place one last look of distaste before striding out into the open air beyond.

Willy mopped his face with the rag he kept on the bar, Lord, what a bitch.

He almost forgot to note her passing in his log book.

****
Back to index
****

Anyway, Xander shrugged, So Dad figures we need a new place, and me... well, I
figure hes probably right.

The weak smile he gave betrayed Xanders nervousness on the subject, he wasnt really
sure about getting a new how. It was weird, but the place they were in had become
something of an anchor in his life. No matter what insanity he saw in the Magical
World, or horror he experienced with the Addamses, home was always there and never
really changed.

Stupid really, he supposed, but that was how it was.

The girls were nodding in agreement with his statements, however, and Xander
shrugged off the feeling of regret.

Hes right, Wednesday nodded, Believe me, as an Addams I am quite aware that
neighbors can had the strangest reactions to things like losing their windows on a
regular basis.

Right. Xander couldnt help but smile, thinking of the time two years past when
Gomez had opened his daily routine by sending golf balls arcing over the old walls of
the Tower of London and out into the city proper.

The sounds of car crashes woke him up multiple times that particular vacation.

Anyway, He said, laughing softly as he did, For the moment we need a new place to
experiment. Especially if were going to be blowing stuff up.

Well, Id offer my basement, but you know my Parents would be even less
understanding and I dont think bringing witchcraft to my very Jewish parents is a
good idea so maybe we should look for something else, I mean we could try my place if
you really wanted to... Willow slowly turned redder and redder as she went on.

I think well pass, Wills, but thanks. Xander smirked, Actually I was thinking of a
place.

Really? Where? Willow perked up.

Jess and I used to go there a few years ago to break stuff with slingshots, Xander
confessed, The old Junkyard just out of town, you remember?

Willow shuddered, The one with the rottweiler?

Xander smirked, Thats the one.

The redhead shook, her head and her body, Oh bad idea, Xander. I really dont think I
like this idea...

Relax. Xander said, Well be fine.

Oh, this wont end well. Willow said mournfully.

Jeez, Wills, youre starting to sound like Hermione.

Starting? Wednesday deadpanned.

Come on, grab the stuff, well check it out and see if its decent. Last I remember there
was only one guy working that place, and hes always at the front.

Charming. Wednesday said, shaking her head as she grabbed one of the satchels
Xander had laid out. You do know that we could simply floo to my place, right?

Xander paused, blinked, then grunted. Never thought of that. Well call that plan B,
K?

Why is the sane plan, plan B? Willow demanded, The crazy plan should be plan B.
Plan A should not be the plan that gets us eaten by a rottweiler.

You havent seen the Addamses place, Wills. The Crazy plan IS plan B.

May I point out that you havent seen my home either, Alexander. Wednesday
countered.

No, but Ive seen your family. Can you honestly tell me that the Rottweiler isnt
safer?

Wednesday considered it for a long moment, then frowned, Define safe.

Were going to the junkyard.

****

Sirius checked the street against his directions and nodded in satisfaction. Right Place.

He was making his way up the sidewalk when he noticed three teens leave a house
ahead of him, the boy in the lead someone he recognized. He was about to call out to
them when the whispered voice of a Marauder nagged at the back of his head and he
piped down.

After all, it wouldnt hurt to check the kid out, right?

The trio made a left, heading purposely onward, and Sirius tagged along behind them.

****

The Junkyard was chained up when they arrived, surprising Xander.

Its way to early for this place to be closed. He muttered, glancing at Willow.

Dont look at me, She shrugged, Im not stupid enough to come here, remember?

Not *normally* stupid enough to come here, Wednesday corrected.

Willow shot her a dirty look.

Right. Xander ignored the byplay, No big. We were breaking in anyway.

We were? Willow squeaked.

Well I wasnt going to go up to the front desk and ask if I could borrow the yard to
practice making magic wands, now was I? Xander challenged her as he led them
around back.

Well... No, I guess not. Willow admitted reluctantly.

He led them around the long fence to a spot in the back he was familiar with and kicked
the fence a couple times. Huh. They fixed it.

He shrugged, pulling out his wand, No problem.

Diffindo. He murmured, slashing his wand along the chain links of the fence, cleaning
slicing a line in the metal. Then he pulled it open and made a sweeping gesture with his
arms, After you, ladies.

The two girls stared at him for a moment.

How gallant. Wednesday said dryly as she ducked and swept inside.

Right. Willow scoffed, Somehow I dont think true gentlemen invite ladies to commit
criminal trespass first.

Everyones a critic. Xander sighed as Willow huffed past him. He glanced around,
frowning slightly, then ducked through himself.

****

Sirius smirked as he watched the trio break and enter the old junkyard, remembering
similar forays that He, Remus, James, and Peter had gotten up to. Hed built his bike in
a place like this, though by that time they were actually permitted to be there. Kind of
took the fun out of it, though.

He removed the disillusionment charm and made his way over to the fence a ways from
where the trio had entered, calmly casting a shrinking charm on the chain links and
walking over the miniature section of fence and into the yard. Behind him the fence
returned to normal a moment later, obscuring the Wizard from sight.

He silenced his feet and jumped up on a stack of old cars, recasting the disillusionment
charm as he did.

****

Ok, we ready? Xander asked, looking at the makeshift lab theyd setup across the
hoods of a couple old wreckers.

Willow nodded, Materials are ready.

I have the blank prepared. Wednesday confirmed.

Alright, Xander flicked his wand, carefully intertwining the materials. Ive got it,
Wills... step back.

Willow nodded and ducked out of the way as Xander manipulated the materials into a
tightly wound spiral.

You have the recorder? Xander asked.

Right here, Willow said, holding up a huge old tape recorder made sometime in the
seventies and charmed to work with magic. She pressed down the record button,
Were recording.

Alright, Xander said, Dual Core Wand, take two. This is Dragon Heartstring and
Basilisk muscle sinew in a Carbon Rod Blank.

He carefully guided the combined cores to the drilled out blank, and found that they
wouldnt fit. Wednesday?

The Addams scion carefully cast a shrinking charm on the components, allowing them
to slide easily in as planned. As soon as Xander had it in place, she canceled the charm
and they watched.

Core is in place, doesnt look like the expansion cracked the blank. Xander said
aloud. Sealing it now. Shields, please.

Wednesday and Willow both cast protego charms, letting Xander duck behind them as
he cast the final charm on the wand to seal it shut and kill the suppression runes theyd
used to keep the materials from reacting until it was done. Xander and Willow both
winced, remembering what happened the last time they tried this, but Wednesday just
looked on in interest.

The wand shuddered slightly where it lay on the old car, then rattled a bit as it seemed
to glow and bulge, and then it finally settled down and moved no more.

Do you think it worked? Willow asked, eyes wide.

I think Im scared to find out. Xander admitted, To be honest, I sort of expected it to
blow up.

Then why did you do it? Wednesday demanded.

Well, Wills wanted to. Xander shrugged, After the first time, I figured wed blow up
two or three more, call it a failed experiment, and stick with safer stuff.

Xander! Willow slapped his shoulder.

What? Xander shrugged, How was I supposed to know your nutty idea might
work??

It is NOT nutty!

I agree. Wednesday added.

Yeah, so thats two votes saying its nutty, one vote saying its not. Xander muttered
under his breath.

Two votes? Willow demanded, huffing as Wednesday raised a questioning eyebrow at
the statement as well.

Wills, if an Addams thinks its a good idea, you KNOW its not only nutty, but
probably explosive as well.

Ill communicate that to my father.

Xander snorted, Hell proudly agree with me.

Wednesday glared sourly at him, but had no counter to that statement. Xander was
almost certainly correct. She sighed, What now?

I guess we try it. Xander grimaced.

Whats wrong? Willow asked.

Xander looked at his hand, I dont want to be known as Lefty Harris, if you really
MUST know.

****

Sirius frowned in puzzlement as he watched the children talk back and forth. They
seemed serious about something, theyd been using protego shields there for a moment,
but he couldnt see what they were looking at.

Weird kids.

Of course, if it was anything like the Marauders they probably had something explosive
there to play with. If that was the case, Sirius kind of envied the boy.

The Marauders never found girls who liked playing with explosives.

Well, not until they got out of Hogwarts, but most of those girls were really kind of
scary. And that was just to look at.

****

Narcissa sighed, frustrated as she got herself blocked in another dead end.

Muggles were obsessed with squares. Everything was square or rectangle, and the
layout was like some crossword puzzle in the Prophet. Her spell only gave her a straight
line of travel to where she wanted to go, and the muggles had gone and put fences up
*everywhere*.

She should have brought a broom.

 She glowered, double checking her directions before
looking around for witnesses.

With no obvious ones in sight she disillusioned herself, and started casting spacial
shifting charms in front of her. The Muggle fences became very cooperative of a sudden,
leaping aside to let her pass as she began to walk in a direct line toward her goal.

****

Xander gripped the pitch black wand tentatively, letting out a slow breath. Ok, guys,
stand back ok?

Xander... Willow spoke up, sounding nervous, You dont have to do this...

He smiled at her, Hey, two of the brainiest girls I know say its a good idea. Thats
good enough for me.

I thought my vote was for nutty. Wednesday responded dryly.

Nutty doesnt mean bad, or stupid, Xander grinned. I never said Addamses were
either of those. Insane? yeah. Stupid? No. Ok, lets see how this thing works.

He picked a rock in the distance and focused on it, flicking the carbon wand carefully,
Wingardium Leviosa.

The rock wavered, then slowly climbed into the air under Xanders direction. He
nodded slowly, then eased it back down. Not as good as my Olivander Wand, but
better than the previous carbon rod based wands. About as good as our Graphite and
Unicorn tail hair, or almost anyway. Its an improvement.

Willow nodded, jotting down notes.

We didnt expect much with Charms, Wednesday spoke up, this is beyond
expectations, I believe.

Xander nodded, Agreed. Ok, moving on to curses.

He picked a car across the way from him and shifted into a fighting stance as the wand
snapped out, Stupify!

The red colored blast crossed the space in an instant and crashed into the wreck,
blowing out what little glass was left in it. Xander blinked and relaxed, Whoa. Thats
better than I get with my wand. What do you think, Wednesday? Twenty percent?

Perhaps more. A stunner isnt intended to do much against steel.

Xander nodded, Right. Reductor then?

You know it?

Just learned it, as part of my GOTH package. Xander admitted.

Goth? Wednesday raised an eyebrow.

GOne To Hell, He grinned, Thomas doesnt want me using it much, but its there if
its needed. Its more multipurpose than most of my curses.

Wednesday nodded, holding out his Olivander wand. This one first.

Xander nodded and lay the Carbon wand down on a nearbye car hood and accepted his
Willow one in its place. He shifted back to aim at the same target, and again relaxed
into the shooting stance hed learned from Thomas Chayton. Reductor curse,
Olivander Willow and Dragon Heartstring. Reducto!

The energy pulse lanced out at the target, the theory of the spell passing through
Xanders mind as he focused on the target. Thomas had been quite clear on that,
insisting on teaching him the concept behind each spell before Xander was permitted to
practice with them.

The Reductor was actually a modification of the Reducio Charm, its more nasty intent
and effect earning it a place in the Curse category. During development of the Reducio
it was discovered that many materials didnt react well to being shrunk, especially if
certain safeguards werent put in place. The Reductor eliminated those safeguards
entirely, so when the spell attempted to squeeze every individual atom of the target into
a smaller space the spell only held for an instant before letting them all snap back.

The atoms jumping back into place snapped chemical bonds, releasing power in similar
proportion to explosive charges depending on the energy the caster threw into the spell.
Not unlike what happened when you applied fast and hard energy to a superball, you
got a bounce in proportion to what you put into it.

In the case of a reductor target, the damage tended to depend heavily on the material.
Rock took harder blows, tending to shatter easier than, for example, flesh. The human
body was elastic and didnt tend to explode as readily, though with enough power it
would do just that. Mostly, though, reductors tended to cause severe bruising and
internal injuries to Wizards.

To cars, however, like the one Xander had just struck, the effects were a little more
spectacular.

The door exploded, rupturing the frame around it, and shaking the old hulk as the front
tire blew out and it settled down. Xander and the girls waited for the dust to settle, but
they were all pretty impressed.

Whoa. Willow blinked, swallowing.

Yeah, first time I hit a car with that. Mostly I just shoot dirt. Xander admitted.

Impressive. Shall we try the new wand?

Xander nodded, changing wands, Yeah. Lets get this done before the noise brings
people. Wills, Wednesday, start packing up.

The two girls dumped their stuff into the packs they brought as Xander took a break
and shifted his aim to the back door of the old sedan.

Reducto!

The spell holed the door cleanly when it struck, and for an instant that seemed like all it
did. Then the backseat of the car exploded, rupturing the roof and blowing out through
the floor, lifting the old car off the ground. Xanders wand hand dropped with his jaw
as the car turned over in mid air and crashed back to Earth.

Holy Shit.

****

Bloody Hell! Sirius cursed, throwing himself to the ground as the debris flew by over
his head.

The kids were making WANDS!

And damned good ones, from what he just saw. The first reductor curse was a little on
the weak side, the former Auror cursebreaker figured. Hed had to blow through plenty
of hard cover before, and knew that the door on a muggle car wasnt all that tough. It
should have done a bit more than it had.

The second, though, scared the hell out of him. Sirius had only seen that kind of force
matched in a few spell casters in his day, and exceeded by only two. Dumbledore and
Voldemort could do better, he knew for a fact, but that spell was easily on Master Auror
level. Mad Eye, James, maybe a half a dozen others back in the day could match it.

Sirius rolled over, breathing hard, and yelped in shock as he fell off his perch and
slammed into the next car down.

Ow!

****

Wednesday twisted, her wand flashing into her hand as the other two walked ahead of
her to the fence. Xander felt her move and looked back, eyes narrowing as he too went
for his wand.

What is it? He asked, looking where she was aiming.

Someone is over there.

Weve got to get out of here. Willow urged, tugging at his arm.

Yeah, shes right. Come on, Xander said, edging toward the fence.

Wednesday nodded and followed, moving sideways to keep an eye out for the source of
the sound. They made it to the fence and pushed through, moving at a fast walk while
looking over their shoulder.

Ok, calmly. Look normal.

We just blew up a car! Willow hissed, How normal is that?

Youve never been to an Addams party, Wednesday replied cooly.

Look normal for a non Addams, please. Xander said through clenched teeth. I
would rather we dont get arrested.

Arrested? Willow paled, Oh. Oh! No. No, thats not good.

I think we all agree on that, Wills. Come on, breath, stay cool.

But Im the opposite of cool! Im so totally uncool, and were going to get caught, and
Ill get a record, and not get into a good college, and...

The slap of flesh meeting flesh startled Xander into turning, and he stopped dead with
the two girls in plain surprise when he saw Willow nursing a rapidly reddening cheek,
staring at Wednesday in shock.

Get a hold of yourself. The dark girl said coldly. You were beginning to
hyperventilate, and if you pass out Xander will be forced to carry you.

Willow nodded in stunned silence, Right. Sorry.

Breath.

While those two were working things out, Xander kept an eye around them, but didnt
see anyone coming after them. He took a breath himself, I think were good.

Willow was looking better, and they started moving again, this time a little slower. As
they moved past the front of the junk yard Xander noticed a sign he hadnt seen before,
tucked up in the window of the main office.

For Sale.

Guys, I dont think theres anyone working here now. Look. Xander nodded to the
sign. Looks like they went out of business.

Someone was inside.

Could be anyone, Jess and I werent the only ones to sneak in there. Xander said,
Come on, lets head home.

They walked away, but Xanders eyes kept creeping back to the sign in the window.

For Sale.

I think I need to talk to Dad, and Sam. Maybe Robert too... Xander said thoughtfully
as they walked.

****

Sirius ears were ringing.

His back was hurting, and hed also bruised his leg, but his ears were really bugging
him. He shook his head, trying to clear it, and followed after the kids finally. He didnt
think he had the focus to cast a reducio on the fence, so he snuck out the way they came
in.

Damn. Either that kid was packing some serious power, or that was one hell of wand.

Possibly a combination of both, he supposed.

Still, it was impressive as hell for a bunch of teenagers to *make* wands, let alone make
good ones. Sirius uncrossed his eyes and made his way back in the direction of the
Harris home, pausing only to scourgify the dust and dirt off his new clothes.

Blast it to hell, He muttered, eyeing a tear in his pants. I just bought these. Never a
good sign when you have to reparo your pants the same day you bought them.

****

Ok, we have a curse wand thats pretty darned impressive.

You can say that again, Xander smiled at Willow, who had recovered her enthusiasm
as they moved.

Now how to make a charm wand? She muttered, frowning thoughtfully.

Given our current selection of cores, that is a... tricky issue. Wednesday frowned.
Unicorn tail hair wont react well with anything we have.

And Phoenix feather is almost impossible to get, Xander sighed, But Ill ask around,
see what I can find.

In the meantime, perhaps if we try something other than Unicorn tail hair?
Wednesday suggested.

Hmmm... Xander nodded, thinking.

Like what? Willow blinked.

Xander smirked, reached out, and plucked a hair from Willows head.

Ow!

How about Hair of Redheaded Genius? He smirked.

She scowled at him, Very funny, smart guy. Do you think itll work?

Xander shrugged, Safer than what weve been doing. Who knows?

Agreed, Wednesday said as they arrived at Xanders place, Its likely also time to
begin trying as many core types as we can, and begin classifying them according to their
strengths.

Xander nodded, opening the door, Right.

Oh! We can make a database! Willow blurted, I can set it up and...

She paused, causing Xander to blink and turn as he looked into his kitchen.

Hello, Alex, His Mom said, smiling, You have a visitor.

****
Back to index
****

Narcissa looked up as the three children paraded into the kitchen, delicately sipping at
the cup of tea Mrs Harris had prepared for her. She carefully smothered the grimace
that followed, tasting the paper of the tea bag with each sip. She recognized Alexander,
who was surreptitiously moving to block the redhead from her sight, idly wondering if
he was doing it purposely.

When his hand twitched slightly as it slid into his pocket, she knew he was. It was mildly
impressive, but she was a little hurt just the same that he considered her a possible
threat to whoever the girl was.

Good afternoon, Alexander. Permit me to introduce myself, Narcissa said, smiling
comfortably, Im Narcissa Malfoy.

He relaxed slightly when she said that, but didnt move away from the redhead. He just
nodded, then turned away from Narcissa slightly.

Wills, you should head on home. Ill call you later, K?

The redhead, Wills Narcissa supposed, nodded hesitantly and backed away. 

O... ok, Xan. Ill see you.

Alexander smiled at her, and showed her out. What struck Narcissa was that the other
girl, a dark haired and... dark aura child, kept her eyes on Narcissa the whole time,
her arms crossed and a serious expression on her face.

When Alexander came back, the dark girl uncrossed her arms, and Narcissas eyes
widened to note the haft of a wand showing just barely below where her fingers had
been resting. < Paranoid children. What has the world come too? >

Hello, Mrs Malfoy, Alexander said, smiling politely when he returned, I must say
that Im surprised that you came all the way from England, is this about the invitation
to the World Cup?

Partially, Narcissa returned the smile, I see that your family has passed on the
message.

Yes, Jessica spoke up, pouring a cup for tea for herself, her son, and his guest. Alex,
Wednesday, please have a seat.

The four sat around the kitchen table, and an uncomfortable silence settled on them,
leaving it to Narcissa to finally break.

I was wondering, Alexander, have you spoken to my cousin since England?

Xander paused, thinking on it for a moment, then shrugged, Sorry. No.

I see. He moved to Los Angeles a few days ago, Narcissa said, The authorities
refused to say more than that until they could speak with him.

Actually, to even get that much required a fair bit of bribing. It didnt take a genius to
work out where Sirius would go next once he settled into LA, however. He only had one
reason to move to the west coast, almost as far from England as one could imagine
being. Many people might think it was because he felt a fear of the british ministry, but
Narcissa knew better.

Sirius had been born with a crippling lack of reasonable fear. If he hadnt betrayed the
Potters then nothing would stop the man from going back, sooner or later, to help his
Godson. If he had betrayed them, then nothing would stop him from returning to the
side of the Dark Lord or his followers. Sirius was simply that sort of person.

You believe hes coming here.

Narcissa focused on the dark child, Wednesday, mildly surprised that the girl had
figured it out with such confidence so as to state it, not question it. She nodded, It
seems likely.

What does this man want with my Son?

I told him to drop by, if the government let him loose. Alexander shrugged, Figured
Id get a message to Harry for him, if he wanted.

Narcissa nodded, unsurprised. My cousin, man child that he is, was devoted to the
Potters. The idea that he betrayed them never sat well with me, but all accounts agreed
on it until just recently.

Why are you looking for him? Alexander asked.

You may not be aware, but as part of his negotiations with the American Ministry,
Sirius has been declared The Lord Black in Exile. He is, officially, the head of the Black
Family now and as such has responsibilities. Narcissa replied, I intend to remind him
of such.

The Blacks? Jessica Harris frowned thoughtfully, masking the expression with a sip
of tea. Most Ancient and Noble family, Toujours Pur.

Correct. Narcissa said, eyeing the woman across from her with new eyes. Im
impressed.

I took my education with the Families, Jessica replied, eyes leveling on Narcissa. The
Blacks are well known, of late, as a Dark family.

Narcissa snorted, We are a pureblood family that takes pride in our traditions. Thats
sufficient for the so called light families to label us as such.

Hmmm. Jessica hummed, taking another sip. As I recall the Blacks were once well
known as dabblers in Necromancy, Curse Wards, and... now what was it? Oh yes,
wasnt the Torture curse created by a Black?

Evantius Black was a family outcast. Narcissa countered calmly, again surprised by
the woman across from her. Youre remarkably informed, Mrs Harris.

Jessica Lavelle Harris.

That shook Narcissa, her eyes widening as she shot glances between mother and son.
Shed known about the Harris connection, and was duly impressed with it to be honest.
The Harris family was an old Irish pureblood line that once wielded significant power
in both Muggle and Magical worlds. Not as high up in the Nobility as the Blacks, they
were nevertheless a power to contend with before the family had finally died out during
the Great War.

The Lavelles, however, were another story entirely.

As old as the Harris line, the Lavelles were never linked to British nobility but their
links to lower born lines were numerous and deeply entwined. Narcissas mind raced as
she tried to bring up anything she could remember about the family, but most of it was
buried deep in the passage of time. Lost, most likely, to almost everyone.

One thing she could remember, however, was that the Lavelles were not to be trifled
with. The family knew how to hold a grudge, and always repaid a debt whether it were
one of money or one of blood. They were infamous for it, even if it took generations. It
was, in point of fact, their family motto.

Totus Debitum Pensus.

Most who heard it thought it was an honorable ideal to hold a family too, the idea of
paying debts. Narcissa knew, however, that the reference wasnt to monetary accounts.
Lavelles were known to annihilate family lines in pursuit of the settling of a debt.

Or, in the original Romany, Sor Monchimo Bog. It was less of a motto there, and more
of a threat or promise.

I see. Narcissa managed to keep her tone steady as she took another sip of her tea.

Alexander was growing more and more interesting with everything she learned about
him.

Xander, for his part, kept quiet as he tried to work out what was going on between the
two women. Hed seen enough verbal spars in the Slytherin dorms to recognize one
when it was playing out in front of him, but he was missing key information needed to
understand this one and it was bugging the hell out of him.

Why does the House of Malfoy have interest in Alexander?

The quiet voice surprised all of them, and the three others turned to the quiet girl who
was sipping her tea cooly as she looked over the cup at Narcissa.

Narcissa took his opportunity to shift away from the revelation of the involvement of the
Lavelle family and cooly returned the stare she was receiving from the child. What
concern is it of yours, child?

As a friend of the Family Addams, Alexander is of great concern to me.

Narcissa froze in place, hot tea scalding her throat as she forgot to swallow. Iron
discipline prevented her from choking, but she managed to remain outwardly calm.

< Sweet Merlin. > She thought, her mind racing inwardly. If the Lavelles were to be
cautious about, the Addams Family was a nightmare. Possibly the ultimate Dark
aligned family, they were known to avoid any dealings with society at large as a general
rule, preferring to socialize almost entirely within the clan.

Those who chose to enter the clan generally vanished from the world with very little
trace, as did those who chose to antagonize them.

The Family Addams was possibly the most wealthy clan in the world, though the precise
numbers were simply not known. They didnt rely on banks to hold the bulk of their
wealth, by all accounts, and yet their bank accounts were known to be sufficient to
destroy small countries when an Addams was properly motivated.

This boy was tied into two of the most infamous family lines known to still exist.
Narcissa carefully revised her thoughts, and began to run over her vague plans to
ensure that they didnt do anything that might be considered... unfriendly.

Angering either family was unwise, angering both was something not even the most
foolish would knowingly do.

And, of all things she considered herself, foolish was not one of them.

Narcissa was saved from further world shattering moments by a knock at the door.

****

Sirius slapped the side of his head as he walked, trying to get the ringing out.

Sometimes having the enhanced senses that came with his Animagus form really
sucked. Oh, he didnt have the full package in human form, but one of the things most
Animagus didnt speak of often was the fact that their animal form had powerful
influence over their human. Many wizards carefully avoided the transformation for that
reason specifically, afraid of the loss of reason they associated with beasts.

An Animagus, however, wouldnt trade their form to save their life. It was integral to
who they were, and the feeling of completeness that came with it was something that
couldnt be explained to someone who hadnt experienced it.

That said, for a Dog Animagus, loud explosions really sucked. Especially when they
came by surprise, and in close proximity.

He grumbled a bit as he walked, mostly to try and cover up the low whine he could hear
at the back of his head. That was going to drive him insane if it kept up.

He arrived back on the street the kid lived on and was making his way toward the house
when he ran into a girl coming from that direction, looking over her shoulder. The
impact was minor, but in his unbalanced state it sent Sirius to the ground in a painful
lump.

Oh, sorry! The redhead apologized, Im really, really, sorry. I wasnt looking where
I was going, are you ok?

Sirius looked up at her, recognizing her as one of the trio hed followed and let out a
sharp bark of laughter.

Figures that one of them would be around to finish the job.

As he laughed the girl took a step back, eyes widening as she eyed him nervously now.

Sorry, sorry, He gasped out, recognizing that he was scaring her a bit. Im fine. Just
having a weird day.

O... oh. She said as he got up. Ok. I am really sorry.

Dont worry about it, I wasnt looking where I was going either. He said, smiling,
Im fine.

Ok... Uh... I have to go. She said, ducking her head as she moved around him and
headed away.

He watched her go for a moment, then shook his head and headed up to the house his
address for the kid listed and knocked.

When the door was opened Sirius smiled, Hello, Im looking for a Xander Harris?

Sirius!

Sirius blinked. I know that voice from somewhere.

Sirius Black, you imbecile! Do you have any idea how much trouble youve caused
me!?

Cissa?

*****

There where days in a persons life when nothing seemed to make sense.

The sort of day where you arrive in a new town, follow some kids to a junk yard, and
almost get blown up when theyre testing out the new magic wand they made. The sort
of day that continues on to where you run into your cousin, a woman who once
tormented you to insanity as children and then became the wife of a man who tried to
kill you and your best friends on multiple occasions.

Oddly enough Sirius Black was having that kind of day.

Narcissa had all but violently yanked him into the house, leaving him reaching for his
wand before her rant penetrated and he realized that she was just yelling at him and
not cursing him. Not literally at any rate.

I spent MONTHS living out of Rosmertas spare room you inconsiderate clod! What
were you THINKING, going back to Hogwarts with all those Dementors around!? She
ranted, shoving him into a large chair.

I-, He tried to speak up to defend himself.

Ill tell you what you were thinking, She snapped, You werent thinking anything at
all!

He blinked, But-.

Belatedly Sirius noted that the Harris kid was snickering at him from behind Narcissa.
Somehow hed been set up, damn it.

Are you even listening to me!? Narcissa demanded, noting Sirius lack of attention.

No...

Sirius cringed back as his cousin gave him a look that could have peeled the walls of
Hogwarts down. She bared her teeth slightly, finally drawing her wand as she slowly
advanced on him.

Sirius Orion Black, do you have any idea how close you came to the Dementors
Kiss??

Umm...

About a portkey away, Xander said from the door to the kitchen, smirking widely.

Exactly! Narcissa snarled, Why on Earth would you risk yourself that way!?

I had to get Pettigrew! Sirius blurted in his defense.

That turned out spectacularly well, now didnt it? Narcissa countered. Good Lord,
Sirius. You could have contacted someone, anyone practically.

Like anyone was going to believe me!

Believe you? No. Dumbledore most likely would have at least checked if you told him
where Pettigrew was, however. And you surely had enough old friends that a letter to
any one of them would have at a minimum had them doing a cursory investigation.
She growled, For Merlins sake, Sirius, even I would have done that much.

You married Lucius!

And youre the Head of House Black! She snapped back, waving her wand so
energetically that sparks were flying from it. Merlin, Circe, and Morgana! Do you
have some kind of death wish!?

All I want is Pettigrew. Sirius growled out.

Narcissa stared at him for a long time, And what of your responsibilities, Sirius?
Youre head of House Black...

To the Abyss with House Black!

The smack of flesh on flesh echoed through the room and Sirius jerked back in shock as
Narcissa shook her stinging hand slightly. Say that again, and I use my wand.

Sirius rubbed the side of his face, glaring at her for a moment, Cissa, I and the Family
broke faith a long time ago.

The family you broke faith with are all dead, Sirius. Narcissa replied cooly. Your
mother, your brother, you father. Theyre gone. House Black is You. You are House
Black.

Well then, I cant damn them to hell I suppose, since weve already been there.

What about your Godson then, Narcissa shifted tact, Damn him to hell as well?

Harry has nothing to do with this.

How about Andromeda, and your niece Nymphadora? Narcissa challenged, Are
they worthy of hell too?

Damn it, Cissa! They have their own lives now. Romy got out.

Romy was thrown out. Cissa corrected, You think she wanted to leave the Black
name? She spent her entire life training to take over care of the bloodline. Muggleborn
lover or not, she should be the Keeper of the Line and you know it!

What the hell do you want from me, Damn it!?

I want you to grow the hell up. She snapped angrily.

A silence descended on the room and the two arguers became aware of their audience,
who had been standing back and watching the back and forth with avid interest.

Urmm... Sirius blinked, throwing a weak smile at the others, Good afternoon.

Jessica Lavelle Harris raised a single eyebrow, then rolled her eyes, Welcome to my
home. Would you care for any refreshments, perhaps? Or a lozenge to sooth your
throats?

Narcissa had the good grace to blush at that, My apologies. Im afraid I let my
concerns over family override my good sense and manners.

Jessica inclined her head slightly to the blond, Accepted. However, let us keep the roar
down from this point on. I understand that you have issue of The Line to deal with, and
those can be quite emotional, but screaming is more likely to damage your position than
help.

Narcissa nodded, conscious of her position in someone elses home. Even if Jessica was a
squib, and the house was... disturbingly muggle, it was not her home, nor was it under
the flag of Black or Malfoy. So a certain decorum was demanded.

Ill make some more tea, Jessica said after a moment, In the meantime, please, make
yourselves comfortable.

Narcissa sighed, taking a seat across from her cousin, and spared a brief glare for the
shaggy headed man. Honestly, Sirius, youre The Lord Black now, Exile
notwithstanding. You could have purchased more fitting clothes.

Robes are frowned on for males in muggle society, Cissa. Sirius smirked.

Do I look like my husband, or one of those ignorant fools he dotes on? She countered.
I meant that you could have at least fitted yourself out with a dignified suit. Male
fashions are quite stable in the Muggle world, Sirius, at least the dignified ones.

Now that you mention it, you do look a little like Lucius, Sirius smirked, I think hes
a little bit prettier though.

Xander snorted, while Narcissa split a glare between the two of them.

And you have obviously spent too much time in prison, to say that, She countered
calmly.

This time Xander laughed openly, and got a glare from Sirius in response.

Sirius sighed, shaking his head, Why are you so adamantly hunting me down, Cissa?

Because you are the Head of House Black, Sirius. And, my marriage aside, I am a
daughter of Black. She answered, I do not want to see the Line end, Cousin.

And yet I cant bring myself to care.

She glared at him again, lips thin as she let out a sharp breath. Damn it, Sirius. There
is honor in the family name, you know.

Precious little.

Then what of the Line? Do you really intend to let your gift die with you? She
challenged. The Black Sense exists only in you now. You are the last True Pureblood
registered in all of Britain.

Xander blinked, eyes wide. Uh, excuse me... Hows that?

The two glanced over at him, and Narcissa was the first to answer. There are degrees
of Purebloods, Alexander. The highest level, The True Purebloods, are not based so
much on their ancestral line but their Blood. To be a True blood, you must show a
bloodline trait that is known to be inherited through the blood. Something you pass to
your children, and they to theirs.

I cant be the last, Cissa. Sirius objected, The other old lines all hand a few...

All dead.

Simmons?

Dead.

Carmichael?

Dead.

Sirius blinked, shaking his head, Merlin. But what about...

Theyre all dead, Sirius, Narcissa replied sadly. The remnants of the family lines are
ragged bastard children, most of whom dont even know their history, or how to test for
it... let alone how to train their blood...

She took a deep breath, Cousin... Sirius. I dont want my family line to die. The
generations of careful work, centuries of breeding, all gone? Its not right, Sirius. Its
not right, and you know it.

Sirius sighed softly, sitting back. Im not a Blood Purist, Cissa. I dont care about all
that.

And right now I dont care about it either. Im not talking about purity. Im talking
about survival. She countered, You want a muggle born? Thats fine. Hell, even a
Muggle would be better than nothing. As it stands we have to start all over, I just want
to preserve as much as is humanely possible. The wars were not kind to us, Sirius. All
across Europe its the same story, There cant be more than a handful of True Bloods
left. Most probably dont even know who, or what, they really are.

She grimaced, Would I prefer you married a Pureblood? Yes. It would shave several
generations of work off the Maintenance of the Line. Do I truly care? No. Either way,
I... and you, will be long dead before even a portion of the damage has been repaired.

I didnt know things were that bad. He sighed.

Thats because you didnt pay attention, Narcissa sighed, Grindlewald put an end to
most of us, whatever else he perpetrated. The Family lines were a ragged mess by the
end of the war, why do you think I was married off to Lucius? Bell to Lestrange? For all
our power and position, we were broke, Sirius. Your grandfather, paranoid old bastard
that he was, spent the fortune on warding and traps. Lucius and Lestrange were low
born, pureblood yes but merchants... but they had the Dark Lords ear, and were rising
in both stature and wealth.

Sirius shifted uncomfortably, not really wanting to hear about his cousins marriages.

I heard you bought your Godson a new broom, A firebolt I believe? Narcissa sneered
slightly, Where do you think that money came from, Sirius? It came from the bribe
money Lucius and Rodolphus paid to buy us from the family.

I... I didnt know.

Of course you didnt. You were too childish to pay attention to your responsibilities.
Narcissa returned sharply. Hence we come to what I want from you. Grow up, Sirius.
Youre The Lord Black, now damn it. For once in your life, do your duty.

Xander exchanged a look with Wednesday and cringed a little.

Harsh.

He didnt know the whole story, though, so he tried not to pass judgment on either side.
The idea of selling the familys daughters for money was pretty sick, though. It did
make something click in his mind, though, explaining some things that hadnt made any
sense to him before. Hed often wondered why Lucius Malfoy would support the Dark
Lord, since as far as he could tell, Purebloods were on top already. It seemed pretty
stupid to revolt against a government you controlled, afterall.

But if Malfoy was buying a bride from House Black to boost his status, then he wasnt
always in control.

Xander filed the thought away for the moment, but it did answer a lot of questions hed
been formulating.

****
Back to index
****

Jessica returned to the room with the tray of tea, noting that the yelling and physical
violence had died down. Have you settled things?

Hardly, Narcissa said with a wry smile, However weve at least made a degree of
progress, I believe. My dear cousin here has learned that perhaps his long held opinions
arent as clean and pure as he believed.

Sirius scowled at her as he helped Jessica with the tray, taking it from her and setting it
down on the coffee table. Purity is overrated.

Narcissa shot him a glare at the underhanded shot, but didnt rise to the bait. Instead
she accepted another cup of tea and settled back, So, Cousin, are you going to grow up
and take responsibility?

Theres not a lot I can do, Cissa, Sirius countered, Or did you miss the in Exile
part of my title.

Then appoint a regent, you simpleton.

You I suppose? Sirius growled.

Do I need to turn the hose on the two of you? Jessica cut in, glaring at them. Keep it
civil. Ive seen what happens when an argument between wizards escalates, and were
hoping to sell this house soon. A gaping hole in the wall will drop the value.

My Apologies, Narcissa said, sighing.

Sorry. Sirius mumbled.

And, for your edification, no. It doesnt have to be me. If you wish me to, Narcissa
sighed and ignored the snort from her cousin, I would be glad to, however you have
other options. You could reinstate Andromeda into the family, in fact I would ask that
you do that no matter what else.

If she wants to, Sirius said, Ill make the arrangements.

Narcissa nodded, Another possibility is your Godson.

You mean Harry, right? Xander spoke up, taking an interest again.

Indeed. As The Boy Who Lived, young Mr Potter already has significant political
power. That would be useful in the Head of House. Narcissa commented.

Oh No, Im not sucking Harry into this mess! Hes only.... what? Fourteen? Sirius
objected.

Thirteen, fool. Narcissa rolled her eyes, Hell be fourteen in July.

Too young.

Oh for goodness sakes, Sirius, Narcissa muttered, Heads of households have often
been younger than that. Unless the boy is a perfect imbecile, hell be able to manage.
Especially with good advisors, such as you, myself, and Andromeda.

Well no ones perfect, but Harry does have his moments, Xander smirked.

The adults scowled at him but he only grinned unrepentantly.

Seriously, Harrys kinda weird. Xander went on, thoughtfully. Im not so sure his
home life is all that great. Actually, Im pretty damned sure it sucks. Just dont know
how bad.

Excuse me? Narcissa stiffened, looking at him intently.

Harry doesnt act normal. Xander shrugged, And a couple times Ive seen his Uncle
come to pick him up when we get back from school... Fat guy, real ass.

Xander!

Unfortunately, its an apt description. Sirius sighed.

Youre surely not telling me that the Boy Who Lived is in an abusive household?
Narcissa demanded.

Dont know if it got that far or not, Sirius admitted, But Harry was...

He sighed, grimacing, and decided just to say it, Almost pathetically happy when I told
him he could come live with me. And since he thought I was trying to kill him less than
an hour earlier...

Xander grimaced as well, shaking his head. Yeah. Harrys weird, like I said. At school
hes almost invisible until something bad happens... well, except on the Quidditch
Pitch.

Sirius smiled, genuinely happy as he remembered watching his Godson play.

The Boy Who Lived is almost invisible? Narcissa was having a hard time imagining
it, especially with Draco having told her about how Potter walked around the school like
he owned it.

Yeah, most situations he just kind of curls up on himself and practically hides in a
shadow. Xander shrugged.

That does sound bad, Jessica interjected.

Indeed. Narcissa scowled. Part of her suggestion that Sirius empower his Godson as
Regent was the reports of the boys cockiness and arrogance from Draco and
Severus. A leader of a house had to be able to stand up for the family, and while neither
of those two were describing a good leader, she wasnt such a fool as to believe that
either was impartial. However, if what Alexander was saying was true, the Potter boy
was a far riskier proposition than shed believed.

When something goes wrong, though, Harrys the guy you want on your side. Xander
spoke up.

Indeed. Wednesday said, entering the conversation finally.

What do you mean?

I mean, in a crisis, hes the guy whos leading the way. Xander shrugged. Its like
hes a different person... Its like hes out on the Pitch. And Harry on the Pitch, you can
count on.

Perhaps he wasnt a total loss, then, Narcissa supposed. Still, it made her think twice
about that suggestion.

Would anyone really listen to Harry, though? Sirius asked, glancing around. I mean
as Head of House.

Narcissa stared at him, stunned for a moment, then remembered that Sirius HAD spent
the entirety of Harrys fame life in prison. She took a moment to compose herself,
Yes, Sirius. They would. As the Boy Who Lived, Harry probably wields at least as
much influence as any of the other major players in Ministry Politics. Those would be
The Minister, Albus, and Lucius in case you were wondering. Arguably he wields more
than Lucius, since most of my husbands influence is actually the Ministers.

Damn. Sirius sat back, thinking. Hell take over the Potter House when hes sixteen
too, wont he?

Unless the Potter title is awarded, yes.

Title? Xander blinked.

The Potters hold a Hereditary Knighthood, Sirius said off handedly, Its conditional,
though. The family has been knights and aurors for so long that King...

Edward The Elder, Narcissa provided, noticing him flounder.

Right, Edward, Sirius nodded, Awarded them with a Hereditary Knighthood back
around 900 AD. It goes into effect when a Potter performs a service to the Realm.

Like vanquish a Dark Lord, perhaps? Wednesday put in dryly.

Sirius eyes widened and he looked over at Narcissa, who shook her head.

No, Im afraid that Albus and Lucius quashed that vote less than a month after it
happened, She said.

Somehow, Im not surprised. Sirius muttered.

How about killing a sixty foot snake that was threatening a school full of kids?
Xander asked.

That would qualify, Narcissa said, glancing at him. Are you saying that those
outlandish rumors were true?

Depends on which one, but Harry did ice that snake with a sword. Xander shrugged.
I was there.

And I. Wednesday nodded in confirmation. Ron Weasley as well.

Narcissa looked over at them for a moment, then considered, There hasnt been a
Mage Knight since Potters grandfather.

Sirius nodded, James never quite qualified, not clearly anyway. As an Auror he mostly
did small jobs until the war got hot, and during it... well, there were a couple times, but
by then he was too busy to worry about it. He would have petitioned for it after...

Sirius smiled sadly, then shook off the feeling as best he could.

As Sir Potter of Potter, he would have significant weight to his words. He would be a
fitting regent, Sirius. Narcissa said calmly.

Sirius wasnt an enamored with the idea of throwing his Godson into the mess that was
Ministry and Family politics, however.

It would also grant him a greater degree of power over his life, Narcissa suggested,
which from the sounds of things, the boy may need.

There was that. Sirius sighed, remembering what hed seen when he snuck around
Privit Drive. The fat muggles there were bad enough just in general, but hed seen
Harrys Uncle lift a hand to Harry. Harry had gotten away, but even that reaction told
the tale of someone used to the situation. He LIFTED a HAND to Harry.

Unforgivable.

Ok, say I consider this... Sirius frowned, How do we make it happen?

I could approach young Potter at home...

Oh hell no. Sirius cut his Cousin off, No offense, Cissy, but you married Lucius
MALFOY. Im not telling you where Harry lives.

Im going over there this summer, Xander raised his hand, shrugging.

True, Ive invited him to the World Cup. Narcissa said calmly, not showing any
offense at Sirius comment.

Sirius grimaced, And hes a Slytherin, whos going to be staying with the Malfoys...

Ok, Jessica cut in, First, Im not happy with the idea of my son getting involved
here, and Second... You insult Alexander again and Ill throw you out of this house so
hard you bounce. Given that youre a Wizard, Ill bet I could make it happen literally.

Sirius gulped at her sudden intense glare, and nodded. No insult intended, Maam.
Just being cautious, theres also the problem of Legimancy, for example...

Mind reading? Xander shrugged, Working on that.

The adults turned to stare at him.

Youre learning Occlumency? Narcissa asked, slightly disbeliving.

Yeah, its part of my dueling training. Xander admitted, Been at it since I got home.
I cant block anyone, but I can sure as hell tell if someone is taking a walk through my
head.

Sirius and Narcissa exchanged glances, both thinking the same thought.

In less than two weeks??

They shook it off.

Anyway, cant be that hard to get Harrys address anyway, Xander shrugged.

Ha! Dumbledore must have put him under so many wards youd never find it if you
didnt already know where to look. Sirius chuckled.

Xander stopped and thought for a moment, frowning as he dug through various
conversations hed had with or about Harry. After a moment he nodded and picked up
the phone, dialing 411.

Hello, Information? Could you connect me with information for Surrey, England?
Thanks. There was a pause, then Xander asked the person on the other side for the
listing of one Vernon Dursely. He hung up the phone, less than five minutes after calling
out. Harry Potter lives at Number...

Four, Privit Drive. Narcissa finished calmly.

There was a long pause as Sirius stared, open mouthed at them both.

How the HELL did you know that!? He demanded of his cousin first, openly glaring.

She merely rolled her eyes, Honestly, Sirius. He performed an act of underage magic
the summer past. Which meant that an owl was sent out. Given Harrys fame, and the
situation with your escape, the Minister was informed... which means...

That Lucius Malfoy knows where Harry lives. Sirius groaned. He looked weakly up
at Xander, How did you find him?

Telephone directory. Xander shrugged, Just had to remember that Harry lived in
Surrey, and who his uncle was. Its all public information.

Oh Lord. There had better be some damned impressive defensive wards, Sirius
growled.

There are, Narcissa said, grimacing slightly. Lucius investigated them shortly after
the seal was broke on Potters file to send him the Owl Warning.

Im sure he did. Sirius growled.

He couldnt even get in to the family, Narcissa shrugged, Even without Potter there.
In fact, when he returned, Lucius had to recheck the address to remember where hed
gone.

Sirius whistled slightly, Ok. At least Albus isnt a total idiot. Theres something
powerful at play there.

Intent wards, perhaps. Wednesday suggested.

Finicky, Sirius frowned. But maybe.

As an Auror Curse and Wardbreaker Sirius had seen his share of wards, particularly
old family Dark Wards that protected Death Eater homes. Intent wards were among the
most difficult to weave, since even a slight mistake could potentially leave large gaping
holes in your protection. Properly done, mind, they were among the most potent of
wards while remaining remarkably unobtrusive on a familys standard of living.

The heaviest wards were almost as bad as the Fidelius for messing with your lifestyle,
Sirius knew. You could put up Muggle Repelling wards, for example, but if you wanted
any contact with the Muggle world you couldnt have it from home. There were similar
wards that worked against Wizards, but that was akin to cutting yourself off from the
magical world.

Unplottable? Good luck inviting someone over. Places like Hogwarts were all but
impossible to direct someone to, they had to arrive via prearranged meeting places, or
already know exactly where they were going.

That was why Intent based Wards were among the most sought after, and expensive, of
warding solutions. You could key them into hostility and they would only snap to effect
someone coming to harm you or your family. In theory. In practice they could be so
strict as to go off during a heated argument, and throw your best friend out into the
snow, or so loose as to permit someone who is merely intent on beating the crap out of
you and doesnt actually have homicidal intent.

In fact, several murders that Sirius and James had investigated had turned out to be
crimes of passion in which the wards didnt register any intent to harm because the
killer had, in all honesty, acted in a fit of spontaneous rage.

Still, if they were well balanced, Intent Based Wards were the best compromise between
security and liberty. That said, if the wards at Privet were good enough to turn Malfoy
around when Harry wasnt even present, why had Vernon been able to lift a hand to the
boy?

Sirius didnt like where his thoughts were leading, not in the slightest.

Or, Wednesday went on thoughtfully, There could be Blood Wards.

Sirius stared openly at her, shocked by the suggestion. Blood Wards, on a Muggle
Home? He shuddered, Even Albus wouldnt... Oh hell, he would, wouldnt he?

Tied into Lilly? Narcissa mused thoughtfully, difficult.

Not if she did a sacrificial ritual to protect Harry, Sirius pointed out.

Narcissas eyes widened, That may well explain a few things.

Im missing something here, Xander pointed out, confused.

Sirius shook his head, Were just guessing, really. But if Lilly sacrificed herself for
Harry, using Old Magick, the power released would be...

Substantial, Narcissa finished, And ongoing as long as Lillys blood remains. It
would explain why Albus left him with her family, if theyre as nasty as you seem to
think.

Sirius nodded reluctantly.

He didnt like to admit it, but properly anchored blood wards were just short of
indestructable. It rather depended on a few factors he couldnt check, either,
particularly the wording and conditions set by Lilly. While less of a problem than with
Intent Wards, Blood Wards also relied heavily on preset conditions. They did tend to
adapt better, and react well to situations that would cause all but the best intent wards
to collapse into worthlessness.

That said, they exempted family entirely. Which explained a few things to a degree
that Sirius found disturbing.

So we could see Harry then? Xander asked, still confused. I mean, if we dont want
to hurt him?

Sirius nodded, distracted. Yes. Either Intent or Blood Wards will let you in if you
dont have any intent to harm.

Well, like I said then, Im going over that way this summer. Xander offered.

That has yet to be decided, Alexander. For the past three years youve been caught in
one insane situation after another, Jessica growled, I wont see my son killed because
he was too stupid to stay out of a war thats none of his concern.

I can assure you of Alexanders safety, Narcissa said softly, At least from Death
Eaters.

Jessica snorted, but Siris cut her off with a wave of his hand.

Id bet she can make that promise, at least in terms of the group. You cant predict
how individuals will act, of course. He said dryly. Her Husband is probably the guy in
charge of them, with the Dark Lord gone.

Jessica glanced over at Narcissa, who shrugged and nodded *almost* imperceptibly. It
could be taken as an admission of guilt, she supposed, but even under veritaserum
Jessica knew shed have a hard time testifying that Narcissa had made any such
admission.

She sighed, looking at Alex. I suppose you want to do this, dont you?

Sounds cool. Xander grinned, earning himself a dark scowl. He rolled his eyes,
Come on, Mom. Its not like Im planning on joining Harry on any crazy stuff. Just
deliver some messages, and watch a sports match.

She sighed, Ill speak with your father. If nothing else, itll make the Families happy I
suppose.

Xander nodded, Cool. So, I can talk to Harry if you guys want.

Sirius shook his head, Why not? Not like everyone who wants to kill Harry dont
already know where he lives, right?

Probably not all, Xander smirked, Harry seems to piss some folk off...

Narcissa snorted.

Sirius sighed, rolling his eyes, Whatever. I still dont know about pulling Harry into
this mess, however.

Dont. Xander said, You pull him in, and youll piss him off. Ask him. Lay it out,
give him the choice.

Indeed. Harry Potter has not reacted well to people pushing him where they want in
the past, Wednesday said. Do not make that mistake if you wish to work with him.

Sirius nodded slowly, then sighed, Alright. Alright. You win, Cissa.

I would hope, Cousin, that the Family Black has won. Narcissa said with calm
contentment. She had accomplished the first phase of what needed to be done. Certainly
it was almost a minor issue compared to getting her Cousin to find a wife and produce
an heir, but it would do for now.

If the deep, dark political conspiracy talk is over, Jessica spoke up dryly, Would you
two like to stay for supper?

Narcissa and Sirius glanced at each other, and flushed slightly at the biting tone, but
nodded together.

Wednesday?

Ill be flooing home.

Jessica nodded, unsurprised. Ill set the extra places.

****

Sirius found a moment before supper to pull Xander aside, surprising the teen.

I didnt want to bring it up in front of everyone, Sirius said, a bit of a smirk on his
face, But I was watching you and your friends earlier.

Gee, why wouldnt you bring that in front of my mom? Xander replied dryly.

Hey, not like that. Sirius winced, I mean at the Junkyard.

That was you??

You saw me? Sirius was surprised.

Xander glared slightly, You know, following me around? Not a great way to earn my
trust, dude.

Sorry. I wanted to ask about the wand, though.

Xander shrugged, Not a lot to say about it yet. Its a work in progress.

That last blast was at Auror level strength, at least.

Yeah? Xander smiled a bit, Cool.

He frowned a little after, Still, its still just a work in progress like I said. Its not real
good for charms, and transfiguration is only average. Its an improvement over our
other attempts, but nothing great... yet anyway.

Youve made more? Sirius asked, impressed.

Xander nodded, Yeah. My uncle helped get me a time to write the wand crafters exam
this summer. Hope to get some more progress made before I head back over to
England.

You make it much better and youll be giving Olivander a run for his money. Sirius
grinned.

Yeah well... well see I guess, Xander said, embarrassed a bit.

Look, if Harry accepts the Regency, I want you to tell him to get something out my
vault at Gringotts. Sirius said, changing the subject.

K. Xander nodded, What?

A pair of mirrors, Sirius answered, Theyre for talking over distance. He can owl
one to me and...

Why dont I just make you a Spell Phone? Xander smirked.

A what?

Come on, Ill show you. Xander nodded to the basement door.

Sirius blinked, but followed him down, and was impressed by the array of magical
equipment laying around the tables. When Xander showed him the phone he recognized
the work pretty quick. You did this?

Yeah, ruined a bunch of home runes. That spell is such a pain.

Its NEWT level, Sirius muttered, looking over the devices. You know, the mirrors
are easier to use, right? Just say the word its charmed to answer to, and it connects
you.

Yeah, I read about those. These work a little different, though, Xander admitted,
Dont need to charm these every time you add a new phone. Just make sure that the
new phone uses a different rune address and itll link automatically when you match
them. Im giving one to my friend Wills, Hermione, Harry... need two for myself. One
for you, if you want. Theyll all be able to contact each other, and any others we add
later. See?

Sirius did, and he was a little shocked. You dont have to recharm them to add people
in?

Xander shook his head, Nope. Its all in the protean, man.

Sirius Black eyed the young man for a long moment, then shook his head. Kid. Youre
scaring me.

****
Back to index
****

The dinner was a tense affair, once Tony got home, but they got through it without
incident and Narcissa took her leave shortly after. Sirius informed them that hed be
hanging around the town a bit for a while and offered to help Xander with some of his
work.

Xander could tell that Tony wasnt particularly impressed with the offer and didnt
much like the idea of the British Wizard hanging around, but Xander accepted the offer
anyway. He needed a hand with the protean, otherwise he knew that hed ruin dozens of
runes simply to make the few spell phones he needed.

Besides, he wanted to get some more information on the Blacks and Potters, as well as a
few other families.

It would have to wait, however, since he had the next couple days scheduled for more
torture sessions with Chayton.

****

Dont stop moving. Chayton ordered, sending stinging hexes wordlessly at Xander as
he forced the boy onward.

Xander was puffing, unable to cast a spell now for lack of air and ability to speak.

Youll never be able to hold up your end of a fight like that, kid! Chayton called,
nailing Xander in the side with a pair of hard stingers. Cant breathe, cant speak,
cant cast wordlessly. What can you do!?

Xander hit the ground hard, sliding to a stop and started coughing as he panted.
Chayton walked over and crouched by a boulder over him, shaking his head.

Not good enough, Alex. The former Pride member said. Youve got to be able to cast
at all times, so either you learn some wordless spells, or you get your ass in shape.

The former Auror smirked, You know what? Lets do both, k?

Xander moaned on the ground, curling up into a ball and wishing hed stayed in bed.

****

Occlumency training, however, was moving ahead of Chaytons plans and that was
confusing him. In every other way the Harris boy was about where he should be in
terms of magic and skill, this is he was pitiful. Average power for his age, at least for
those who received an invitation to one of the top schools. Knowledge and skills were
spotty, he knew some advanced spells beyond his year, but was missing out on some of
the basics.

In short, with dedication, Chayton figured that the boy could probably apply for, and
have a shot at, a spot on the Pride... in ten to fifteen years.

His Occlumency, however, was well in advance of where it should be.

He certainly couldnt hold out even a marginally competent Leglimens yet, but that day
was coming quickly. Far more quickly than it should, and neither he nor Robert could
explain why.

****

During a rare break from training, Xander caught up with Sam while the former Seal
was visiting Robert.

Hey Sam, I need to talk with you.

Whats up kid?

You know my parents are planning on moving, right? Xander asked.

Sam nodded, Sure. Tony mentioned it. About time, really.

Well, Ive been thinking. With my magic projects and stuff, I need a place to work
thats away from people and all. You hear that the junkyard outside of town is for
sale? Xander asked.

Sam nodded, grimacing. Owner and his family were killed a few weeks ago, yeah.

Xander grimaced, Damn, I didnt know. You were friends, werent you?

Yeah.

Sorry.

Nothing you could do, kid. So, what? You want to run a junkyard now? Sam asked,
half joking.

Not really, Xander admitted, But can you think of a better place to maybe blow up
an experiment?

Really far out in the desert comes to mind, The Seal replied dryly. But its not a bad
second choice. Its going to be expensive to buy and then just leave sitting around.

Xander thought about it, then shrugged, Well... know any squibs who need jobs then?
I mean, I can buy it as an investment, right?

Sam thought about it for a moment, thinking about the site. The Junkyard had a full
garage, with a hydraulic lift. It was where he had rebuilt his old chevy, actually. Other
than a single old computer used for book work the place was all old school in terms of
tech, so magic wouldnt bring it crashing to the ground.

Maybe. Lets talk to Robert about it, he knows more folk than I do.

Xander nodded and the two headed in to talk to the old man.

Robert, as it turned out, knew more than a couple people who might fit the bill and was
more than willing to give their names to Xander. Unsurprisingly they were former
military, a couple guys from front line outfits and a couple whod done work in the
motor pool. Less of the good was the fact that they all had criminal records, but Robert
assured Xander and Sam that they knew their business, were aware of magic, and
picked up their records mostly from bar brawls and the like.

Not good for getting a job in the real world, but in Sunnydale that wasnt necessarily a
bad thing.

Armed with that information, Xander took Sam home that night and started the task of
selling the idea to his dad.

****

I dont know, Alex, Tony hesitated. Its a lot of money, and youre still only
fourteen.

Let Jess run the business, Tony, Sam suggested, You know she has the education for
it, whether its on the books or not.

Tony grimaced, but conceded the point. Sam had intentionally jabbed a sore spot with
that one, since like many Squibs Jessica had been educated by the family, but not
provided with much in the way of paperwork to back it up in the non magical world.
Hed been the same, and had to take a menial job and work his way up to where he was.

Which wasnt very much higher than he started, to be honest. To be even more honest,
Tony knew that he would be higher if he hadnt started the habit of drinking as much as
he did. Jessicas education with the families was a lot better than his, the Lavelles
tended to provide more than the Harris did in that respect, and Jess had been a smart
cookie from day one. She could run a business, or learn how in a hurry.

It would keep you from blowing out the neighbors windows, Tony grunted, smirking
at Xander.

That was only the one time!

Sam mumbled something about once being enough, but didnt say more when Xander
scowled at him.

Alright, talk to your mother. Tony said, Shell help you setup a plan. You are NOT
going to do this like some little idiot. You want to run it as an investment, get your
mother to show you how.

Xander grimaced, I just got myself even more work, didnt I?

Sam laughed loudly.

Oh shut up, Sam, Tony grinned, And yes, you did. But not much, since youre not
going to be here much.

Xander just groaned.

****

He had indeed loaded himself down with more work, Xander found out quickly.
Between training with Chayton and learning now with his mother, Xanders own
projects had to be set aside. He was lucky to get an hour or two in the evenings to spend
with Willow or Jessie, and just wanted to spend most of it lazing around and maybe
watching TV or a movie.

Luckily, with Sirius offering to help, Willow could follow his notes on building Spell
Phones. The wand work was mostly easy stuff now, just requiring meticulous notes
more than anything else, Something Willow was a lot better at than he.

All of which, to Xander, meant that he wasnt getting to do any of the fun stuff
anymore. Oh, training had its moments, but as the days went by it was more and more
drudgery and less of the brilliant fun it began as.

Ok, brilliant fun was pushing it, especially when applied to Occlumency.

That had started as a monumental pain, literally, and was the one thing that had gotten
easier over the past couple weeks. Of course easier didnt mean it was any more
enjoyable. Occlumency was like every night of homework hed ever had to do in normal
school, compounded and compressed into a single session of boredom.

The headaches had passed, though, so it wasnt killing him anymore.

****

Hes advancing in Occlumency too quickly. Chayton told Robert a month into the
training.

So? The old man shrugged, Thats a good thing, is it not?

No. Its not. Thomas muttered, The boys mind is opening faster than his defenses
are mounting. Hes going to be wide open to damn near anything that wants in at this
rate.

Robert frowned, thinking on that. What causes this?

Nothing Im aware of. Ive never seen it before. Chayton replied. Untrained, the boy
would be a walking bullseye for all sorts of mental manipulation. Partially trained, hes
even more open.

And fully trained?

Chayton shook his head, I dont know. We could be doing more harm than good now. I
just dont see any other direction than forward, though.

Robert nodded slowly, So... if were hurting the boy, what can we do?

Find out why. Chayton said earnestly. Somethings wrong here.

Ill contact the families. They may know something. Robert sighed, disliking the
necessity of being forced to deal with the Heads of Families, but accepting it.

Chayton nodded, Alright.

Robert nodded as Chayton left and ruminated on the situation. He really didnt like
dealing with the families, especially the Harris Head. However, hed put the boy in the
middle of this, so it was time to see what hed done and how to fix it.

He got up, old bones creaking, and walked over to the fire.

Salem Sallys! He called, tossing floo powder into the blaze.

The green flames erupted out, swallowing him whole, and in a moment the room was
empty save for the warm glow of the flickering fire.

****

Salem Sallys was an old favorite for the upper crust of American Pureblood society. Of
course the Sallys wasnt the actual name. The real name changed every few decades or
so, but to people like Robert it was now, and always would be, Salem Sallys.

Robert.

Hello Sarah. Robert smiled as he leaned on his cane.

What can we do for you today?

I need a room.

And a girl?

No, but I do need a runner.

For you, Robert. The woman said, smiling softly before she turned away. Please wait
here.

Robert just nodded and took a seat. Sallys was, in Roberts terms, an old fashioned
comfort house. The sort of place that married men of high standing could find a few
hours of time away from whatever problems theyve managed to accumulate in their oh
so important lives.

Sallys was known for having the most beautiful hostesses and, if you leaned that way,
the best looking hosts. Sallys was comfortable, lavishly appointed, and very VERY
discrete.

Sallys was also entirely run and staffed by squibs. Invisible people, people of no value
to men and women the likes of who Robert was here to meet.

Roberts people.

****

Matriarch Lavelle sniffed in irritation as she crossed over the threshold of the brothel.
Setting foot in such a place wasnt an embarrassment or anything of that nature, but it
still insulted her sensibilities to a degree.

Madam. The man who met her was young, perhaps twenty. Handsome, of course, not
that it meant much in a world of Polyjuice and plastic surgery. She ignored him and
looked past him to the stairs.

Show me my room.

Of course, Madam. This way.

She was led up to a lavish sitting room, part of a suite she presumed, and paused to
glare mildly at the man waiting for her.

This is not the sort of place I prefer to meet people, Robert.

Funny, its exactly the sort of place I like to meet people.

What is this about?

The Kid, Jessicas son.

Alexander, yes. What of him?

I called in a favor, got him some training. Robert said.

I fail to see how this is worth my coming here.

In Occlumency.

Robert was watching close and he almost missed the subtle tension that appeared in the
woman, she was good at covering up her emotions. Unsurprising, he supposed. You
know something.

Why are you coming to me?

Robert sighed, Damn it, Old Woman, you know damn well. I can see it in your eyes.

The Lavelle Matriarch stiffened slightly, but otherwise ignored the old woman crack.
She sighed slowly, then settled a little. You began training the boy in Occlumency...
several years earlier than is normal, I might add.

The boy has been getting into trouble, Robert said, You know, in that place you
and Marcus keep pushing him to go back to?

Yes, Im aware of young Alexanders adventures. Lady Lavelle replied. Giving him
aptitude with the mental arts isnt the sort of solution I would have expected from you.

Yeah well, Im full of surprises.

Let me guess, She said icily. Hes progressing quickly, after a month hes already
able to sense intrusions and his mind is opening faster than his defenses are building.
Am I close?

Youre slow off the mark. He hit that point two weeks ago.

What!? She snapped sharply, her gaze spearing him with its intensity. You should
have come to me sooner.

What the hell is going on?

This is a family matter, Robert.

Alex is my family, remember?

It is an issue of the Line, Robert. Lady Lavelle rose to her feet. It will be handled.

Like hell! Robert got up, Whats going on!?

Robert could only seethe as the Lady Lavelle ignored him and left the room. He looked
around for a moment, trying to determine his options, but came up dry. Chasing after
her would net him nothing at best, possibly less than that if she took offense. He hadnt
seen them, but the Matriarch of the Lavelle line wouldnt have come without her
bodyguards.

He sat back down and considered for a moment.

Hopefully she would keep her word and handle the situation, as her words were his only
clue.

It was an issue of the Line.

That was a buzzword phrase if ever hed heard one. To a pureblood, one of the ones
who were serious about their traditions, it was like raising the colors for a military man.
He wasnt getting anything more out of her on the subject, of that Robert was
unfortunately certain.

The door cracked open and a young woman peered in.

Mr Lee, will you be staying the night?

Robert glanced up at the ceiling and smiled slightly, Yes, thank you Michelle.

Ill have your regular room prepared.

****

Better. Chayton allowed as Xander collapsed to the ground in a quivering pile. Soon
you should be able to hold your own against a girl scout troop.

Xander shot him a dark look, which only cause the big native american to smile.

I wouldnt worry, if you reach the point where you can take an American girl scout
troop, those amateur terrorists in England will be a piece of cake.

Xander snorted through the pain and wheezing, shaking his head. What do you know
about them, seriously?

The Death Eaters? Chayton shrugged, Theyre terrorists. All accounts agree on that.
That tells me almost everything I need to know right there.

I dont get it. Xander looked up, confused.

Terrorists choose their path to fight for only a few reasons, and they all boil down to
one common one. They cant win in a straight up confrontation. Chayton said, taking a
seat on a nearby boulder. So to figure out how dangerous they really are, you look to
the people they cant beat in a real fight. In this case, English Aurors.

Xander couldnt help it, he snorted again. I dont know how they were twenty years
ago, but the ones Ive seen arent all that great.

Mostly they werent then either, Chayton chuckled. You have to understand, peace
keepers arent warriors. Warriors make BAD peace keepers, and vice versa. Most folk
think that if youre trained to fire a curse youre automatically a cop, a soldier, a hit
wizard... all of the above wrapped into one. Thats not how it works. Cops are trained to
calm the situation down, get people talking, end things peacefully. Soldiers, theyre
trained to kill people and break things.

What about The Pride?

Chayton looked over, serious for a moment, then shrugged. Were a bit of a mix. We
hunt down criminals that arent going easy, we get called in when the locals cant
handle a situation. Do we try to keep things civil? Yeah. But thats not how most of our
cases work out.

Xander nodded, taking deep and even breaths as his heart slowly began to stop
pounding in his ear.

So, back to the original question, if the group in question cant take a bunch of flat foot
cops in a straight up fight, then theyre pretty piss poor on the warrior scale. Chayton
said with a shrug, Especially when you consider that the cops they were originally
fighting were among the lowest paid and most understaffed in Europe. To not be able to
take them in straight up fights, when youre using unforgivables and theyre not
allowed to... you have to be pretty weak.

What about Chief Mold in his Shorts, the Dark Lord?

Thats another matter. Chayton sighed, and something to remember when dealing
with irregular groups like that. They may be weak in general, but that doesnt mean
theyre ALL that way. We call them irregulars for a reason.

Yeah. You know, the more I look at the wizarding world the more some things confuse
me, Xander admitted. How does someone like Moldy over there get away with it?

Power. Chayton answered without hesitation.

Cant be all, I mean... can it?

What can I say, sometimes thats all it takes. Chayton shrugged.

Come on, Xander complained, Theres no way one guy can just stand up like that
and take on the whole world, is there?

No way a non magical can, Chayton shrugged, but Magic is a strange and terrible
thing.

Man, thats just messed up. Xander said, sighing.

Sam Colt wasnt a Wizard. Chayton chuckled.

What?

Something Robert used to tell me, said it made sense, but I figure it must be a non
magical thing. Chayton replied, He said that there was an old expression. God
created man...

But Sam Colt made them equal. Xander finished, nodding.

You know it then?

I think most americans know it, Xander chuckled, then frowned seriously. Sam Colt
wasnt a wizard.

Mean more to you than it does to me?

Maybe. Xander said thoughtfully. I never thought about it that way. Were not
equal, are we?

By what definition of the term? Chayton shrugged.

Huh?

Non magicals use equal as a term to define their moral right to life. In that sense I like
to think that we all, magical and non magical, human and non human, are equal. But
realistically? The big American Indian shrugged. You were born white, into two
important family lines here in the Americans. I was born to the Tribes. You have some
advantages, I have others. Equal there we are not. Both of us were born well into the
top twenty percent of all Wizards in the Americas for magical power. Were
demonstrably superior to eighty percent of our Wizard brethren. Theres no equality
there, and thats not even counting low magic folk and non magicals.

Xander nodded soberly.

People want there to be some magical world, Chayton smiled ironically, where
everything is perfect and everyone gets what they deserve. In pursuit of that fantasy,
they cheat, they steal, and they kill. And those are the good folk. The bad ones do all
that just cause they want to.

The former law enforcement wizard sighed, shrugging helplessly.

But the world aint built that way, and its not possible to ever reach it. We live in a
world where a saint can be killed by a bolt of lighting, and a sinner saved by a breath of
wind. Its not about equality, its about living the best we can, each of us as individuals.

Xander nodded, wondering if the big guy was right.

It was kind of depressing, really, in some ways. Was the world really that screwed up?

Come on, back to work kid. Weve got another two hours to go.

Xander moaned and pushed himself back up.

*****
Back to index
*****

Jessica Harris brooded quietly as she took a seat in the darkened living room of her
home of thirty years. Shed received a floo call from the Lady Lavelle just a couple
hours earlier, telling her to expect someone from the family with regards to her sons
training.

Like many low magicals born into the families, Jessica hadnt grown up knowing she
couldnt cast. In fact, late development was a common occurrence and many families
merely assumed that their children would develop, if not into Salem candidates, then at
least into fully empowered members of the Magical World.

For her it had all fallen apart when she was twelve, the final magical tests had shown
that her core was at its mature peak and was no longer growing in strength. There had,
of course, been indicators before that, there always were, but her parents had kept them
from her so as not to worry her.

It was a mixed blessing, she supposed. Her heart and soul had been all but destroyed
when it all finally came down, but she had been well educated prior to that point in the
family ways. She knew things that many pure bloods were never taught about the Lines,
and could manage a household or a business with the competence expected of a Lavelle.

It also meant she had some idea of what the coming meeting was about, and she was
worried. Shed never expected that Alex might develop an instance of the family magic,
it was so rare. For it to be strong enough to require intervention, that was even worse.
She and Anthony must have been far more compatible than she had believed possible,
and that in itself boded for a mixed future.

The floo flared to life on schedle, the green flames washing out as a robed figure stepped
out and into the room.

Jessica Lavelle. The pale man said, nodding politely.

Signor Davis. She replied in kind, gesturing to a chair.

I will stand. He said, You understand why Im here?

To a degree. I wasnt informed on the seriousness of the situation.

Mostly because we are not certain of it ourselves, Jessica. Davis told her, This is the
first chance weve had to check it personally.

Jessica nodded, Yet they send you.

Yes. They send me. Davis said softly.

My son is in his room, he came back from training and took a nap. Hes been pushing
himself too hard lately. Jessica said, He has too many things on his plate for a
fourteen year old boy.

Thats as it may be, but this will have to take precedence.

Yes, I know. She said, Ill wake him.

Davis nodded. Ill wait and come up in five minutes. Precisely.

****

Xander shifted when the knock came on his door, Im up. Im up.

Not yet, but hurry please. Theres someone here to see you.

Mom? He blinked, rolling over. K. Who? Willow?

No. Someone from the Family.

Xander blinked awake, pushing himself up in bed as he automatically reached for his
wand. Since he first learned about magic hed slowly begun to fall in line with certain
common attributes of wizards. One of those was, you never met another wizard or witch
without your wand. It just wasnt done.

He scourgified himself, shivering with the feeling, then yanked on a pair of jeans and
jammed his Olivander wand into the belt as he threw on a old Hawaiian shirt.

Granted, it was also wizarding custom to meet in appropriate wizarding attire, but
Xander figured that this was his home, not theirs.

He nodded to his Mom, Ill be right down.

That wont be necessary.

The new voice caused Xander to twist, hand dropping to his belt as he spotted the pale
figure appear behind his Mom. Hed barely cleared leather when a preemptive spell slid
under his moms arm and struck him in the chest.

Jessica Lavelle twisted, face red, What the hell do you think youre doing!? You said
five minutes!

The boy must be tested off his guard. Davis said, calmly shunting her to one side as he
approached the paralyzed boy. He idly noted the wand, half pointed in his general
direction, Not bad, child. But you would never have got me with that, not unless you
were willing to shoot through your mother.

Xanders eyes were the only thing that could move as he stood there, glaring openly at
the stranger.

Davis carefully avoided the boys eyes as he set his small bag down on the night table by
the bed. Now, Im sure you have many questions, and they will be answered soon
enough. For the moment, just know that I am Davis. I was sent here by the Lady
Lavelle. You and your family are in no immediate danger, so please stop trying to
overcome my Petrificus, youll only wear yourself out.

Xander could only roll his eyes and watch as the man laid out a couple vials on the
stand, then turned back to him with wand drawn.

And now... let us begin. Davis said, snapping his wand out at Xander. Legilimens!

****

Sirius Orion Black sat outside on the roof of the cheap motel he was renting a room in,
eyeing the sun as it began its descent into the ocean. It was a different world from
home, he thought. Hed grown up in London, never venturing outside Grimmauld Place
for fear of the muggles. Until he went to Hogwarts his experience with other people
was almost entirely limited to family, and as hed loudly and publically noted since then
his family was nuts.

His mother had been losing what remained of her marbles for as long as he could
remember, his dad while not as bad, was just as eccentric as Wizards were expected to
be. His entire world had been the four walls of Grimmauld until the day he made his
way to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, and met James Potter.

From that day to the night he was thrown in Azkaban, hed lived every day like he was
making up for his first eleven years. Hed seen Paris and Madrid, Rome and Jacarta,
even kidnapped his best friend once, with a little help from Remus and Peter, and
shanghaied the soon to be groom on a seven day world tour that began in Monaco and
ended in Vegas.

Sirius smiled slightly.

Lilly had NOT been pleased.

James hadnt been too happy either, at least not when the photos of the event turned up
in their honeymoon suite.

Lord had James made them pay for THAT.

All those times, and where was he now? Exiled from home, unable to look after Harry
the way hed sword he would. Life and fate were fickle things, sometimes.

M... Mr Black...

Sirius looked down, barely hearing the soft voice, and was surprised to see the young
redheaded girl Xander had introduced him to standing on the ground below him. Yes,
Willow?

He hadnt had much contact with her, but knew that the girl had a brilliant mind. She
was, in fact, very much like Lilly when they first saw her. Nervous, scared out of her
mind, completely out of her depth... yet totally unwilling to admit any of it. Alright, this
girl was almost fourteen, by then Lilly was nothing like any of that, but Sirius could still
see her and reminisce.

What can I do for you? Sirius asked when she didnt respond on her own.

W... well, I was just thinking, I mean h-hoping, The girl said, blushing as she spoke.

< Lord I hope she isnt about to confess a crush on old padfoot here, > Sirius thought,
secretly a little pleased that he still had it.

Yes? He prodded.

Could you... could you show me how you cast the Protean so easily? She got out in a
rush.

Sirius felt his little bit of guilty pride pop like a balloon and grinned self consciously, I
think we can arrange something. Do you have any more of those spell phones ready?

She nodded.

Alright, Sirius hopped off the roof, eliciting a shriek from her before he cast a light
Leviosa on himself to soften the landing. Lets go.

****

The intrusion into his mind was like a sword slashing where Chaytons had been like a
needly piercing. Xander threw up everything he had at it, but it all was cut down in an
instant. He felt the other mind against his, his entire being thrown into holding it back,
all to no avail. Time had no meaning, the white hot pain searing across his mind.

He clenched his teeth, his jaw cracking and exploding with even more pain, but there
was nothing he could do to hold the mind back.

Not a thing in the universe.

Xander finally lost it and screamed.

That was the last thing he remembered until more pain lanced through his skull, this
time from the light hitting his eyes as he woke up. He looked around slowly, realizing he
was no longer petrified and was, in fact, laying back on his bed while the pale man stood
over him and flashed a light in his eyes.

Hes fine, Jessica. The man, Davis, said. Pupil response is as expected. He did indeed
inherit a full measure of the Lavelle Line. I expect youll be contacted by the Lady
Lavelle again soon.

Xander heard his mother murmur something in the background, but couldnt make it
out.

Hes awake, still confused. Its understandable. The pale man said, turning back to
Xander. I know you can hear me, boy. Dont try to move too much now, you wont like
what itll do to your head. Ive left potions to help with the pain and the confusion. Your
mother will explain it all when youre ready to understand complex concepts once more,
it should be a few minutes.

Xander stared at him, blinked, then crossed his eyes, and stared some more.

I understand that you have a busy schedule. Its about to get busier. Davis said
simply. I will be taking over your Occlumency lessons from the Auror. We have much
to do, and very little time to do it in if you are to make your scheduled meetings with the
Malfoy family.

With those words the man stood up and turned away from Xander, walking out of the
room. He paused only by Xanders mother to say a few short words that Xander
couldnt catch, then was gone.

Jessica came in and sat on the side of the bed, Im sorry. I didnt know he was going to
do that, Ive never seen a line test before. I just knew a little about them.

Don... understan... Xander mumbled.

Jessica nodded, uncorking a vial, Here... drink this.

Xander did as he was told, gulping the foul tasting concoction down without really
tasting it. The pain in his head dulled almost instantly, and he sighed and sank back in a
more relaxed state.

Davis is a family retainer, you might say. Jessica said. He administers Line Tests for
Lavelles who are believed to have shown evidence of the blood.

Xander frowned, What blood?

The mind arts, Alex. The Lavelles have long been masters of the mind arts. She said,
Occlumency and Legilimency were developed by a Lavelle, centuries ago. Along with
others, some known... some... not. Youve developed a Mind Talent early, most dont
until their twenties when theyre fully grown in body, mind, and magic.

She smiled softly, Im afraid its going to mean more work.

Xander groaned, rolling over, and pulled his pillow over his head.

****

Jessica Harris answered the door and was only a little surprised to see Willow there,
along with Sirius Black. Hello Willow.

Is Xander around? The redhead asked, I asked Sirius if he could teach me the spell
for the phones, and I was hoping we could...

Come in, Jessica smiled, cutting off the babble before it got started.

She stepped aside, letting the two into the house, and considered the young redhead girl
for a moment as she walked past. Jessica had always liked Willow, of course. Few
parents of budding ADHD poster children wouldnt. Willow had a calming effect on her
son, and a lifting one on her sons grades. Well, up until Xander had gotten his
invitation to Salem, of course.

Even with the separation, Jessica still gave Willow some of the credit for Alexs
improved grades. While his interest in the material was likely the primary reason, she
suspected that without the study habits Willow had burned into him from almost the
first grade he would be struggling just that much harder.

Right now, she also knew that Xander was not in the best of moods. Hed just been
attacked in his own home, and even if he did believe her when she said she knew
nothing about it, she had still invited the attacker into the house. No matter what
rationale, he had to be feeling just a little betrayed.

Maybe he could use someone to talk to that wasnt her, right now.

Xanders up in his room, Jessica said finally, nodding to the stairs. Im sure Mr
Black can get things ready downstairs while you visit for a few minutes.

Willow glanced at Sirius, who just shrugged and nodded.

Thank you, Mrs Harris! Willow said, bolting for the stairs.

Sirius hesitated a moment, until the girl was gone. What happened?

Family business, Mr Black. Jessica said softly. Dont worry about it.

Sirius paused, then nodded again, Well Ill go get things ready for Willows lesson on
the protean then.

Jessica nodded and let him go, turning away to see to the dishes in the kitchen.

****

Xander had pulled his old guitar out of the closet, not really thinking anything as he did
so, just looking for something to keep his mind occupied.

Hed been attacked in his own bedroom.

His fingers tightened the keys, tuning it by ear the way hed been taught when he was
eight. It wouldnt be in tune with anything but itself that way, but it would do. When
he finished Xander settled back on the bed, sitting against the headboard, and just
started to pluck out a beat.

The guy may have been working for family, but what if he hadnt been?

He was still there, still plucking the same beat when Willow knocked.

Xander? You decent?

Normally that would have brought a smile to his face, and a joke to his lips, but Xander
didnt even look up from the guitar. In here, Wills.

Willow slowly poked her head in, then blinked when she saw what he was doing and let
herself in the rest of the way. I remember that. You havent played that since you
were...

Nine. Xander said, fingers still hesitantly plucking at the strings. Yeah, I know.

Willow had been about to say that he hadnt played the guitar since hed tried in that
school talent show and been heckled mercilessly for it by Cordelia and her group of
friends, but his answer was better. She sat down on the side of the bed for a moment,
just listening, but couldnt place the tune.

What are you playing?

You cant recognize it? He asked, a hint of a smile on his face.

Willow shook her head.

Im disappointed in you, Wills.

Willow flushed a little, Maybe its not my ears, but your playing...

Her hand clapped over her mouth, though a little too late to stop that from coming out.
Oh, Xan... Im sorry, I didnt mean...

Its ok... He said, still smiling softly at her. Its not a song, Wills. Just listen.

She did for another little while, the beat speeding up as his fingers began to remember
their way around the strings. Finally she shook her head in frustration, I dont get it.

Think Arithmancy, Wills. Xander said, closing his eyes.

Willow blinked, mind shifting tracks. What did Arithmancy have to do with music??
She listened more intently, now knowing that it had something to do with magic, a
subject that Willow had to admit (with a certain reluctance and chagrin) that Xander
knew better than her.

The beat was hypnotic, even mostly except for little hits in the general sound. Little
highs and lows that seemed out of place, but felt right all the same. Now that he had
connected it to magic for her, it did feel familiar, something she had studied. As she
listened, Willows mind slowly seemed to connect with the sound and suddenly her eyes
snapped open.

Its the Protean!

Bravo, five points to the house of genius redheads, Xander said with soft smirk, then
frowned a little puzzled. Now would that Gryffinclaw or Ravendor?

Huh? Willow screwed up her face in confusion. Those werent houses from his school,
shed read about it after all. He just mashed two names together for no reason.

You had to be there, Wills. You had to be there.

Willow shook her head, Why are you playing the protean on your guitar? Can you cast
it that way?

I dont know. He told her, hand coming down on the strings to still the sound. I just
needed something to clear my mind, thats all.

Is everything alright? She asked, concerned now.

Yeah, He said after a moment, I just found out some family stuff that Im having a
hard time with.

Bad stuff? Willow cringed.

No. Just bad delivery. He shrugged, then sighed, I also picked up more work this
summer.

More!? Willow stopped just short of wailing or whining, in her opinion, but her
thoughts on the matter were clear. She didnt want to lose what little time she had with
her best friend entirely.

Yeah. More.

Xander, you cant keep doing this. You have to have some fun too...

He grinned at her, My Word, is that Willow I hear? Telling me not to study?

Thats not what I said!! She glared at him as he chuckled at her.

This is important stuff, Wills. I cant skip it. He said, turning serious for a moment.

Oh, Xander. We never see each other anymore.

Itll get better. He said.

She looked up at him, You promise?

Yeah, I promise. He put the guitar aside and leaned over, giving her a hug.

****

So?

The boy is a full adept. Davis reported, face a mask that showed nothing of what he
was thinking.

Youre joking. Lady Lavelle hissed in shock.

No joke, my Lady. He shook his head, I dont believe the Line has seen his type in
two centuries.

Franklin. She whispered, And his entire youth wasted.

Davis shrugged, There was no way to predict that an adept would be born to two low
magicals, maam.

That hardly helps. Very well, training?

Ill focus on getting his shields up to where they should be for a normal magical child
of his age. I cant do more than that if you want to keep the open line with the Malfoy
family.

I understand. Do what you can. She said, waving him away.

After Davis left, Lady Lavelles mind whirled in shock. A full adept of the mind arts
was not something that came around every day, however he was already fourteen. For
an adept to reach their full potential, they had to be trained early. It was almost never
done because, even in the Lavelle line, adepts were sparse to the point of nonexistence,
and early training in Occlumency was pointless for most, at its worst even harmful.

She walked over to the ancient tapestry of the Lavelle line and traced the names down
to where Jessicas mother ended with no names following it. She considered it for a long
moment before drawing her wand and adding the name Jessica Lavelle back to the
tapestry, married to Anthony Harris.

One child.

Alexander Lavelle.

This bode thinking on.

****

Xander sighed as he settled back into his room. Hed spent some time in the basement
with Willow and Sirius, getting some pointers on the Protean alongside her best friend,
but his heart and mind just werent into it at the moment.

His guitar was setting on a chair across from his bed, but he left it be for the moment.

He didnt know what to do from this point, and that was bugging him. It wasnt like he
always had a plan or anything, but he did usually have some sort of idea. Whether it
was making wands, enchanting phones, or just goofing off with his friends he had an
idea.

Now the only thing he could see in his immediate future was following orders.

Come here. Do this. Learn that.

Magic wasnt so much fun anymore.

He threw himself back, bouncing a little on the bed as he did, and groaned. How had he
gotten himself into this??

All he wanted to do when he came home this summer was spend some time with Willow
and Jessie, maybe learn a little dueling and fighting on his own and with Sam, tinker
with his wands and whatever other projects he felt like, and just generally goof off.

Now he was learning the mind arts, being taught to fight like someone was trying to kill
HIM, learning all kinds of crazy stuff all because hed been stupid enough to get himself
on the sideline of the life of Harry James Potter.

Crap! He muttered, shaking his head.

At least Harry had to be dealing with worse that this, after all he was the guy people
actually WERE trying to kill.

Xander sighed and rolled over, trying to get some sleep.

It was going to be a long, hard, day when dawn came.

****
Back to index
****

He had been so right on that guess that Xander almost wanted to cry.

Occlumency lessons with Davis actually started out fairly easy, as the man was actually
an easier taskmaster than Chayton had been, but they were long and interminably
boring. All he had Xander do was build basic defenses, over and over again, then hed
knock holes in them with a legilimency assault and theyd start over yet again.

After that it was back to training with Chayton, getting run into the ground by the
magical equivalent of a former special forces operative was a lot less fun than it sounded
in theory, Xander had long since realized.

Still, Chayton showed him all the basics of dueling, tricks used by higher level Auror
units to off set the sometimes steep differential in power between them and their
opponents. It had sounded odd to Chayton that the Pride would be in that sort of
situation so often, but Chayton had an answer for that as he did for most questions
Xander came up with.

****

Members of the Proud arent always the most magically potent, kid. Chayton had
replied, Truth is, really powerful wizards and witches more often show up on the
business end of a Pride wand than the casting side.

Chayton shrugged, Dont get me wrong. Were all in probably the top 90 percentile,
but the Proud gets most of its recruits between 90 and say, 95. The leaders of a Dark
Band like your terrorist group in England tend to be in the 95th to 99th percentile. They
have to be to control a group of thugs that just want to go out and do whatever acts of
savagery they want.

That doesnt sound like theyre that much more powerful. Xander frowned,
doubtfully.

The problem is that theres no top end to magic levels, Chayton responded, so Im
not saying that Im 90% as powerful as you can GET. Its a bell curve, with non
magicals at one end and magicals at the other. Someone in the 99th percentile could be
dozens of times stronger than someone in the 90th.

Xander cringed, Oh.

Yeah, Chayton said flatly, And by most accounts your Voldemort fellow over there
is probably among the few Wizards who might credibly claim to be a level above even
those. Britain, right now, holds a lot of people because of Albus Dumbledore, for
example...

Xander blinked, My headmaster?

Likely one of the most powerful Wizards on the planet. In fact, at this point in time,
theres no one out there disputing his position as number one, except Dumbledore
himself. Chayton shrugged. If theres anyone out there with more sheer power, the
guys probably a hermit who doesnt like dealing with people. Or, its someone whos
warded off some personal kingdom to rule over and doesnt give a damn for the rest of
the world.

Youre kidding.

It happens, kid. Every now and then we have to break wards over some town
somewhere and clear out some yahoo whos moved in and taken over. Chayton
shrugged, And those are the ones we find. If someone with enough power were to us,
say a Fidelius variation... would we even know to look?

Xanders jaw dropped open and he shook his head. Magic was really SCARY as he
started delving deeper into it.

Keeps the Obliviators real busy when something like that happens, Chayton
shrugged. Even so, a few always slip the nets.

What happens then?

Nothing much. Conspiracy theories, tales of vampires and magic, that kind of stuff
gets ignored by the non magicals. If an obliviator gets ahold of it fast enough the source
gets to go back to his old life without any big issue. If not, well he generally winds up in
an institution somewhere.

That sucks.

Chayton nodded, Yeah. It does. Like I said, though, the Obliviators try and find them
and get them back to where they should be. Once in a while we get a runner who goes
deep. They can make themselves a pain in our collective ass.

Oh yeah?

Yeah. Theres always a couple of them in the wind, trying to warn the world about us.
Usually they dont know what we are, which only makes them sound crazier. Theres
a couple out there now were trying to hunt down, Chayton shrugged, Guy by the
name of Cade Foster, and another guy named Jarod. No last name, just Jarod. Both of
them are sneaky shits, let me tell you. Well get them sooner or later, though, but it
takes years sometimes. One guy named Kimble, a few decades ago, took us four years to
track down and get his life back together. Honestly, if theyd stop running it would
work out better for them.

Xander just shook his head, I didnt realize people were finding out so often.

Yeah, cant keep a secret this big. What we do is mostly keep it so that sensible
people dont believe the truth when they hear it. Chayton chuckled, Easier that way.
Now come on, enough of a break, lets go back over the basics.

****

The Basics for Chayton were a series of spells and exercises intended to provide
maximum effect for minimum cost. This usually meant a combination of magical power
and Newtonian used to best effect.

As Xander learned quickly, most shields in common use were best suited to specific
types of attacks. The first shield most people learned, the protego, was actually only
mediocre against spells. It could, however, stop a fusillade of bullets without even
slightly wearing out the wizard who was crouched behind it. More powerful shields had
different specialties, culminating in the Imprimis Shield, which was pretty much a solid
all round defense against anything up to the so called Unforgivables.

The trick for a full LEO was to know the spells coming at him and respond in the blink
of an eye with the correct shield to stop the attack, while still only using a minimum of
power to do so. It was a trick that was beyond the abilities of almost all recruits, and
even many veterans.

So the Proud had instituted a training regimen that used what they called hybrid
defenses, very low power yet extremely high effectiveness spells that worked in probably
ninety percent of encounters. Magic being what it was, there was nothing that worked
in EVERY situation.

Xander found these tricks easy to learn, but Chayton wasnt happy with him learning
them. He had to BE them. They had to come to his front mind as his first reaction, even
second nature wasnt enough for the big native american.

And so Xander worked.

****

How is he doing?

Davis considered for a moment before answering, Adequately, I expect. Dont look for
miracles, My Lady. However, his basic defenses should be back to where they belong for
a normal child his age quite soon.

Any sign of... other abilities?

Possibly. Its too early to tell, however. Davis shrugged, As open as he was, Im
shocked his mind is as clean as it is. The home wards around the Harris place are barely
adequate to the task.

Theyre planning on moving soon, well see that their new place is better defended.

Get them off this infernal portal. Davis said, a little incredulously.

Theyre well hidden here, and the danger is minimal to Wizards. Lady Lavelle
shrugged, The Ministrys man in Sunnydale keeps things well in order.

Davis sighed, but nodded. Wilkins was an obsessive man, but that was a trait that
served the bureaucrat well. When the Ministry heard that a town was forming right on
top of the damned hellmouth, of all places, theyd dispatched Wilkins to oversee things.
So far hed kept everything nice and orderly, with a minimum of trouble for the
ministry.

Chances were the old Wizard would be able to keep the Harris alive and well without
any hassle.

Davis shuddered a bit, though. Honestly, what kind of man stays on a duty station like
the Hellmouth for near on a hundred and fifty years?

Very well, My Lady.

****

June had given way to July, and the date for Xanders return to england was
approaching fast. Xander, in turn, was getting more and more frazzled as the work kept
piling on. Theyd bought the old junk yard, found a couple squibs to run it, and another
couple to drive the wreckers. Xander had never seen his mom so happy as when she was
tearing through the books and working on the business side of things.

Kinda creepy really.

They set up the front office as a magic free zone, with computer, tv, and stuff. But the
old metal buildings to the back were Xanders project areas, and nothing with a
microchip need apply for entrance. They moved their wand, spell phone, and other
research stuff back there and immediately Willow and Sirius practically moved in.
Once they got a floo hookup in place, Wednesday joined them, which resulted in a
combination of personalities that scared Xander more then vampires.

Still, he checked in with them as much as he could, and mostly just wished he could do
some of the work himself. Just to relax, if nothing else. Wand theory was moving along
a bit, but only in that they were getting more and more basic information on core
components.

Willows hair worked, for example, as did Xanders and Wednesdays. Willow hair
wands tended to be a bit better for charms, Xander hair for transfiguration, and
Wednesday hair (in a shocker that shocked no one) held an edge in curses.

What did surprise them a bit was that when Xander had a chance to try out the new
wands, he bonded fairly well with both the Willow and Wednesday wands, while they in
turn seemed to prefer the Xander one. That led into a flurry of conjecture on emotional
bonds and such, that mostly went over Xanders head, though he did get the gist of it.

All that and more went into the database Willow was working up on the front office
computer, and Xander was fairly certain it would all be useful eventually. After all,
Willow was one of the smartest girls he knew, and she swore by the idea of a database.

He wondered, though, if there were a magical version available so she wouldnt have to
run back and forth with hand written notes all the time. He made a note in his journal
to check into it, maybe get some books on the computer stuff too, so he could see what
exactly the thing was doing.

More work.

If he were just a little more tired, Xander would have cried.

****

By the time the day came to go back to Britain, Xander did cry a bit, just in relief.
Spending half the summer away from Willow and Jessie was going to suck, but hell he
wasnt spending any time with them HERE as things were.

At least in England with the Malfoys hed only have to worry about keeping up his
conditioning.

He double checked his gear, looking through the trunk to make sure he had the extra
wands, spell phones, materials, notes, and everything he needed for a school year at
Hogwarts. He expected to be running around London on his own a bit as well, so hed
changed a few hundred bucks over to pounds to get him by until he got to a bank.

There was a letter from Sirius to Harry in the mix, of course, as well as his newly
minted Wand Crafter permit. Xander smiled when he saw that, it felt good to have it
even if the test had been stupidly easy. He was happy as well that hed gotten Robert to
secure a place for Willow at the exam as well. Shed scored higher than him, of course,
which surprised no one. What no one else but he and Willow knew, however, is that a
lot of the things she got right and he didnt were stuff she remembered from the books
they had, but they both had proven wrong or incomplete in the course of their own
experimentation.

Legally they didnt mean a lot, except that it was a shortcut to being permitted to carry
a backup wand in any member nation of the ICW. While, technically, he was only
allowed the one wand that any Wizard was permitted, he could carry samples for sale.
And there was no provision for how those samples were to be transported.

So he had a few of their blanks, core components, and notes of course. In addition,
Xander carried his Olivander wand, and the carbon dual core curse wand as his back
up. He figured that if he needed a backup, more than likely it was going to be in a fight,
so he packed heavy as Chayton would say.

The portkey arrived as he was finishing up, so Xander gave Willow and his Mom a hug
and kiss, shook hands with his dad, and promised Sirius to deliver the note and
proposition to Harry as soon as he could.

Summer in England would be busy, but thankfully it didnt look to be as bad as
summer in Sunnydale.

Xander said bye one more time, touched the portkey, and was yanked away.

****

Narcissa Malfoy sighed as she watched her son curse at the families remaining house elf.
Sammy was a good deal older than Dobby and belonged to Narcissa, not her husband,
which was likely why the little thing was still alive she supposed.

That will be all, Sammy. Narcissa said sternly as she made herself known.

Yes Mistress. The house elf muttered quickly, popping away with a grateful glance at
her.

Honestly Draco, what did the poor thing do this time?

That worthless *elf* got my lunch order wrong. Draco scowled.

Since your father gave Dobby his freedom, I permit you to give orders to Sammy.
However, she is MY elf, Draco. Narcissa leveled an icy glare at her son, Punishments
are mine to determine.

Yes mother.

Narcissa narrowed her eyes at the sarcasm in her sons tone, And might I remind you
that you are not yet out from under my control either. I determine punishments for you
as well.

It was just an elf, mother! Draco protested.

Narcissa sighed, You have no idea what your position in society truly means, do you?
Its my fault, I suppose. I should have known better than to entrust that your father
would teach you what even he himself learned. Since he taught it to himself, I suppose
he expects the same of you. He forgets that he wasnt born into the same station of life
as you, I suppose.

Draco scowled. He didnt like it when his mother reminded him that his father, her
husband, had been born a mere merchants son.

Do you ever see me casually flinging terms like mudblood around, child? Narcissa
demanded sharply.

Draco winced, But mother, you act like theyre worthless all the time.

Of course I do. Its expected among our peers. However being crass about it makes you
look bad, and reflects on us all. Just because many of our peers, Narcissa sneered
slightly at the idea of considering Goyle and Crabbe in HER peer group, Are so low
as to do so, does not mean you must be. Are you the elite of pureblood society, or are
you a low born merchants son?

Draco scowled, but looked down at the floor. The elite.

Narcissa sighed, Draco, darling, these things are not there to make you feel the fool.
We maintain our position through guile, intelligence, and breeding. Fail in any of those,
and we are overrun.

Yes mother.

Narcissa gathered her robes and took a seat across from him, Now. Young Master
Harris will be along today. You remember what I said, of course.

This time Draco really scowled. He supposed it would be worse having scarhead over,
but having Xander staying over until school was in was bad enough. He nodded, though,
remembering his mothers words on the subject, and his fathers agreement.

Narcissa eyed her son, hoping he wasnt going to completely screw this up. She did NOT
want a blood feud with the Lavelle and Harris lines, even as badly damaged as they
both were. With their allies, Narcissa was relatively certain that the Malfoys would
come out on top, but the attrition could be horrific.

And that was if the Addams Clan chose to stay out of it.

Oh she had torn into Draco for not letting her in on THAT little tidbit of knowledge,
and to Lucius as well though later, and in private. That both of them had known that an
Addams scion had come to Hogwarts and even THOUGHT to mention it.

Narcissa closed her eyes and counted quickly to ten in latin.

After a moment she calmed enough to continue, And now, about your behavior in
Hogwarts.

Mother, Father insists on that. Draco replied.

Yes, Draco, Im aware. And Im not telling you to change outwardly, however it would
behoove you to begin mending fences *within* the Slytherin dorms. You are aware that
the faction you lead in Slytherin is now a minority?

Impossible! Draco blurted.

Hardly. Narcissa sighed, shaking her head. Seriously, she had believed that she had
taught him better than this. Social manipulation was her bread and butter. I spoke
with the Greengrass heir last week, and I trust her observations on the matter. She
estimates that you currently have solid control over less than a fifth the students in
Slytherin, and tenuous control over another fifth perhaps. That means that three fifths
have pulled away from you, Draco.

Greengrass. That stupid bint wouldnt know real control if it bit her on the...

Draco! Narcissas voice cracked like a whip, silencing the boy. She took a breath and
elected NOT to inform him of who Daphne Greengrass considered in nominal control of
the remaining three fifths, barring a few true neutrals. That would certainly not go over
well, and could lead to conflicts with their guest. Be that as it may, can you honestly
say that you control all of Slytherin?

All the purebloods who matter. Draco boasted.

Oh Draco, Narcissa shook her head, her voice sorrowful. Please tell me you dont
truly believe that?

Of course I do, why shouldnt I? The families in my hand are the purebloods in
control of our world. Why would I need anyone else?

I dont know. Narcissa replied, ignoring her sons look of triumph, And neither do
you. And thats the point. At the very LEAST those other people are resources to be
tapped. I know few, if any, of the non purebloods in your house at the moment, so let us
take your Miss Granger as an alternate example.

Narcissa delicately ignored the whispered oath of mudblood from her sons mouth.

Miss Granger, though muggle born, is by all reports one of the smartest witches seen
in decades. Can you honestly say that she will never accomplish anything one such as
yourself might find... useful?

Draco scowled, If she lives.

Indeed. However, the point remains. And if she can accomplish something useful to
you, tell me... what might a muggleborn slytherin accomplish? Narcissa demanded,
trying for the hundredth time or more to get it through her sons skull. There are
duties and responsibilities that come with your station, Draco!

Duties!? To that filth?

No. To yourself and your family and your WORLD. She lashed out, voice crackling
with anger. I agree, Draco, that their well being is not your direct concern. However, if
improving their well being can lead to benefits for you or your family, then you do
yourself a disservice when you harm them. Can you not understand this?

Draco closed his eyes, I dont like them, mother. Theyre beneath me... us.

I never said they werent. However even the animals that carry our post are useful and
should be treated as such. Narcissa shrugged.

You know that father wants me to act as I do.

And your father likely has a reason. Follow his instructions, but watch for
opportunities to build your own network of allies at the same time, Draco.

Draco sighed and nodded, I will.

Narcissa nodded in thanks, hoping that he got it. She knew that her son himself didnt
really know what he really believed anymore. The act Lucius demanded wasnt alien to
him by a long shot, but it wasnt entirely his true self either. At least it hadnt always
been. Now? Now, she wasnt certain anymore.

She sighed, glancing at the clock, and realized that if she didnt hurry she would be late
to meet Alexander. Once again a simple discussion with her son over a house elf, of all
things, had exploded into a lecture.

Its almost time, do you wish to join me to meet Alexander?

Draco sneered in responce, causing Narcissa to sigh as she left. Very well.

In the next room, Narcissa paused, closing the door behind herself, then looked around.
Sammy?

Yes Mistress? The house elf popped into place almost instantly.

Are you alright?

The elf pulled at her ears and nodded vigorously.

Good. In the future, leave if Draco or my Husband threaten you with a wand.
Narcissa sighed. It was stupid, really. She shouldnt HAVE to give such a command.
What kind of fool tried to damage their own property? Honestly.

Yes Mistress.

There will be one more for supper, please set accordingly.

Ill see it done, I promises Mistress.

Good. You may go.

The elf popped away, leaving Narcissa to get ready to leave herself.

****

Xander jogged in place, feeling like a total idiot, as the portkey set him down at the
MRZ of the American Embassy in London. He could have picked up a key to one of
several spots, but the Embassy staff had wanted to catch him for a brief chat before he
was let loose in London, so to speak.

Ah, Mr Harris. Pleasure to see you again.

Miss Simmons, Xander nodded, Good to see you.

Jennifer Simmons smiled thinly at the young man who was checking himself to see if
hed lost anything in transit. Hed given her a hell of a lot of paperwork to deal with the
last time shed met him, but given the circumstances she didnt begrudge him that. A
few of the low magical marines were looking forward to his arrival, actually, and asked
her to give him their regards.

Low magicals werent terribly well received in Magical London, so they were pretty
happy with both being able to pummel Sirius Black a bit, and drive the Minister around
the bend by keeping him from killing Black. The fact that Alexanders whereabouts had
been in question for a while had even brought up some distinctly proprietary feelings in
the Marines. They sort of considered him under their protection, now that they knew a
bit about him and all. He wasnt a faceless wizard, now he was a good American boy
trying to do the right thing.

Marines were suckers for that sort of thing.

For now, however, she wanted a bit of a talk with Alexander herself.

Enjoy your portkey? She asked, smiling slightly.

He gave her a bit of a dirty look, rubbing the side of his head. Ill let you know when
my head stops spinning. God these things are killers.

Long distance ones are the worst, Jennifer agreed as she guided him out of the MRZ.
The distance is compounded by the arc of the key.

Bwuh? Xander blinked, confused.

Has no one explained how Portkeys work yet? She asked, amused.

Nope. Xander shook his head.

Unlike Apparition, Portkeys are a method of moving...

What, Apparition? Thats for moving, isnt it?

No. When you apparate you... She paused, considering how to describe it, You stop
being where you are, and begin being where youre going. You never actually move
through the intervening space. For this reason anti apparition wards only affect the
area they cover. You could, for example, apparate from one side of hogwarts to the
other with no ill effect. Do you follow?

I guess so. We can apparate through hogwarts, but not into it?

In a manner of speaking. Strictly speaking, of course, you dont apparate through the
wards, because you dont *move* in apparition. Portkeys actually move, however.

So what happens if you tried to portkey from one side of hogwarts to a spot on the
other?

Jennifer grimaced, You dont want to know, most likely. If you dont charm the key
correctly, and with enough power to arc *over* the wards, then youll contact them.
Upon contact, youll... bounce.

Xander noted the look in her face when she said that, and grimaced, Thats not good, I
assume?

No. She shook her head. If you connect head on, perfectly with the ward, itll simply
bounce you back the remaining distance charmed into the key. This is bad enough,
mind you, because you could potentially appear encased in the soil... though its
unlikely, due to safety measures in the spell. If you glance off at an angle, however, you
could find yourself reappearing hundreds of feet or more in the air. A long distance
portkey could send you thousands of feet, or hundreds of miles, or even more in any
direction. And the limits on the safety charms only give you a margin of error of a few
tens of feet. Appear hundreds of feet below ground, and they cant help you.

Ouch.

Indeed. Internal Ministries and the ICW heavily patrol all major portkey routes, and
anyone who places wards along those lines are liable for heavy fines, prison time, or
occasionally summary execution. She said, people who have enough power and skill
can create portkeys that have a high enough travel arc to move over most wards,
however. Most ministry Key Makers are highly trained for this very reason, and its
why port keys are restricted and require a ministry permit to make. Illegal portkeys are
extremely frowned upon, though theyre only massively illegal in most nations if you
sell or give them to someone else.


She smirked, Any way, over long distances the arc of the key has to at least match the
curve of the Earth, or the key tunnels through water and dirt, using up more power. A
higher arc makes it safer for the people being transported, but also makes it longer and
rougher.

Ill say. Xander rubbed the back of his head. So thats why its so rough coming
here.

She nodded in agreement, but he frowned as a thought struck him.

Ive taken shorter range keys in the states, and those were almost as bad.

More wards and unchecked routes, She shrugged, They arc those keys even higher
than the trans oceanic ones.

Ah. Xander shook his head. Man. Brooms bind up my robes, portkeys make me
dizzy to the point of yakking, and floo travel is just plain hazardous... I think Ill stick
with walking as much as possible.

Many wizards do, those born to non magicals use normal methods for short and mid
range transport, or simply apparate. Jennifer shrugged.

That suck too?

She chuckled, Ironically, many describe it as being sucked through a straw, so yes I
suppose it does.

Goody. Xander replied dryly.

Apparition isnt bad, She told him, still smiling. For medium range travel, its the
best Ive ever used. Long range takes too much power, though, and short range... well, I
like walking.

Xander nodded as they arrived at her office, and she showed him in.

Now, while we wait for Mrs Malfoy to pick you up, lets talk a little bit about things Id
rather you didnt do while in England this time... you know, She smiled sweetly,
things like start an international incident?

Xander gulped.

****
Back to index
****

Narcissa Malfoy paused outside the American Embassy in London, glancing around a
little distastefully and, though she would never admit it, just a little fearfully. Why the
American Ministry of Magic would us such a Muggle place as their embassy she didnt
know, but it was frankly making her skin crawl being there.

She lifted her head up slightly, ignoring the peons staring at her, and moved into the
building. She immediately headed to the hidden door that protected the Magical Section
of the building, trusting the wards to keep people from noting her passage any further,
and swept inside. Once in there she relaxed, noting the comforting sight of robes and
wands in evidence.

Can I help you Maam?

Narcissa glanced at the burly figure who had stepped in front of her, his face almost
blank. Im here to pick up Alexander Harris.

Yes Maam. Identification Please.

She scowled, but produced her wand. The man stiffened slightly, but nodded and
accepted it from her then moved toward a desk at the back of the room. Follow me,
Maam.

She did as she was bade, and they came to a stop at the desk.

Magical here to pick up Harris.

Thank you, Corporal. The man behind the desk said, accepting the wand and sending
the man back to his post with a nod. He then turned to Narcissa, Name?

Narcissa Malfoy.

The wizard behind the desk produced his own wand, quickly casting a quick charm
over hers, and then nodded before handing it back. Welcome to the American
Embassy, Mrs Malfoy. Ill have Alexander sent for.

Thank you. Narcissa accepted her wand and slid it back into her robes, acutely aware
that from the moment her hand touched the wand to the moment she withdrew it from
her robes, empty, she was being watched by no less than five men in the same uniform
as the first.

The wait was, for Narcissa, tense but thankfully short as she only kept from looking
about self-consciously with iron like control. Within a couple minutes, however, the
young man shed met in the Americas appeared in the room and smiled in her direction.

Mrs Malfoy.

Alexander. She inclined her head slightly, Shall we go?

He nodded and, under the steady gaze of the men in the room, the two of them left.
Once outside, Narcissa felt a bizarre sensation of mixed relief and apprehension at
being out from under the gaze of the uniformed men, yet once again in Muggle London.
She finally let out a slight sigh as some of the tension left her.

Something wrong?

She turned to see Alexander looking up at her curiously, maybe even a little concerned.
She shook herself lightly, Nothing of import, Alexander. I just dont like being about in
muggle London. I feel like Im being stared at.

You are.

What?

He shrugged, Its how your dressed. Youre a little out of place.

Ill have you know that this is the finest fashion for a woman of my stature. She told
him a little haughtily.

For about two hundred years ago, sure. Xander told her, Today? You look like
youre going to a costume party. A really *really* expensive costume party, but that just
makes people more curious.

She stared at him, perplexed, as they made their way to a warded area in order to
summon the Knight Bus. Seriously?

He nodded.

Narcissa frowned slightly, she had known of course that her knowledge of the muggle
world was incomplete, but if his statement held true in general than even what she
believed she knew was, at the very least, badly dated. It didnt matter all that much, in
general, since she spent next to no time even passing through the muggle world, but it
did irritate her nonetheless.

What is the height of fashion among the elite of muggles then?

Xander looked at her, eyes wide, Youre asking me? Im a jeans and Tee kinda guy,
Mrs Malfoy... oh, hang on...

He went over to a roadside stand and glanced over the mans wares briefly, before
dropping some change and taking a paper. When he returned he handed it to her and
she noted it was the muggle version of the Daily Prophet. On the front was a woman in a
jacket and trousers, though she had to admit that they were obviously tailored and of
high quality.

This is what women wear in the Muggle world? She asked, skeptical. Still, as she
looked around, she noted that it was in fitting with the general look of those around her,
though massively better in quality than she was seeing.

Xander shrugged as they continued walking. Thats the Princess of Wales, shes got
probably a small army of people making sure shes dressed to the nines. It also depends
on what look your going for, and where youre trying to fit in.

It was weird, Xander reflected, to be giving fashion advice to a woman. Still, some of the
stuff he took for granted had sailed right on by Narcissas port of call without pausing.

For walking out and around like this, you want something more casual or a little less
standout anyway I guess. He said. Shes probably dressed for some charity ball or
something, not to mention all the photographers that chase her around all over the
place. Theres no dress code or anything, you can wear whatever you want, but if you
dress like you are then people are going to stare and wonder where youre going that
youll fit in like that.

Narcissa glanced down at her dress robes thoughtfully as they crossed the ward line in
the small alleyway that provided a secure stop for the Knight Bus. She supposed he had
a point, she had never been stopped for being dressed oddly in the Muggle World, so
she had just assumed that they were staring for some other reason.

Many of her friends, few though they were, had felt the same things when they had to
cross through the Muggle World, and it never failed to make them nervous. It was
always in the back of their minds that maybe the muggles had seen through them and
knew they were witches.

****

The Knight Bus dropped them off a short distance from Malfoy Manor, leaving them to
walk the rest of the way up. Narcissa would have preferred dual apprating herself and
Alexander directly there, but it was inadvisable to do so with someone she didnt know
unless it was an emergency. Occasionally magics could flare between people, and in the
process of an apparition that could be nastily annoying.

So they walked at a leisurely pace until they arrived at the Manor, where Narcissa
keyed Alexander into the wards as a guest and showed him inside. There was no one
present, she assumed that Draco was hiding in his room, likely pretending not to sulk
while doing just that, and Lucius was out to some Ministry event or another, either
having to do with the upcoming Quidditch Cup or the Tri Wizard Tourney at Hogwarts
in the coming year.

On that note, Narcissa eyed Alexander carefully for a moment and considered their
previous conversation with a shade of irony.

What? He asked, suddenly nervous as she smiled just slightly at him.

Just considering what to do about your disastrous dress sense.

My what?

Well have to get you fitted for Dress Robes, Alexander. I believe we have an
appointment for Draco soon, Ill arrange for your to be fit at the same time. Narcissa
declared, Now, come along, Ill show you to the guest room.

Whoa, whoa, I dont need dress robes... Xander objected as he followed along behind
her. I told you, Im a jeans and tee kinda guy.

This year you need Dress Robes. She said firmly. Theyre a requirement, itll all be
in your hogwarts letter.

Xander blinked, Really?

She nodded.

That meant there was a reason for it, but why? Xander was perplexed, no one at
Hogwarts had dressed up fancy before, had they? Had he just missed it somehow? Even
at Christmas people were mostly in their school robes.

Why? He asked finally as Narcissa stopped by a door and pushed it open.

The guest room, She nodded inside, then went on, There will be a series of special
events at school this year. Including one or more that will require formal wear.

Oh. Xander blinked, noting that she hadnt really told him anything. The room was
nice, though, a little too fancy for him but that wasnt a big deal. Whats it all about?

Technically, you arent supposed to know that until school begins, Narcissa said after
a moment, However we warned Draco last week...

And that didnt surprise him in the least.

Hogwarts will be hosting the Tri Wizard Tourney this coming year, its a rather large
event and something of a big deal, internationally. Narcissa said after a moments
thought. So with the tournament, there will also be a formal ball, several public events,
and so forth. So you will require proper dress robes.

Oh. Xander nodded, setting his trunk down by the foot of the bed. Alright. So well
go into Diagon for the robes then?

Hardly. Narcissa sniffed. Diagon Alley and Madam Malkins was good enough for
common wear, and Hogwarts Robes, but not for formal wear. Ill have you fit in with
our tailor in Paris. Itll be next week, likely.

Paris!? Xander squeaked.

Mother, is that y... Draco appeared, then paused as he noted Xander. Oh, its you.

Draco. Narcissa snapped sharply. Manners.

Xander held his amusement as Draco reddened slightly, but closed his eyes and sighed.

My apologies, Harris. That was rude of me.

Dont worry about it.

Dracos eyes snapped open, and he looked at his mother expectantly. You see,
mother!?

Narcissa sighed, pinching her nose slightly. Draco, I dont believe he knows the proper
forms. And Alexander, that was terribly rude of you.

What? Draco blinked.

Huh? Xander shook his head.

A formal apology requires and formal response, Alexander. Narcissa said patiently.
The informal is acceptable between close friends or in certain situations where the
offense, and apology, were both minor and in passing. However, when offered a formal
apology you are required to accept it in the spirit it was given.

Oh whoa. Xander blinked, This is that aristocrat stuff, isnt it? Im a Cali kid, I
dont know anything about this stuff.

Yes, I believe we can see that. She replied, a smile playing at her lips. Still, I wont
have you insulting any guests I may entertain while you are here, so you will be taking
some lessons in comportment, and you will do your best to learn them. Mistakes may be
forgiven, however a refusal to at least try will not.

Xander gulped, Yes Maam.

****

Lessons would have to wait, however, as there was much to do and a limited amount of
time to accomplish it in. Narcissa had lain the groundwork for Xanders arrival by
going straight to the people who had the power to invest Harry with his family heritage.
What had surprised Xander was the who shed went to, though he supposed he
shouldnt have been so shocked.

Wait, the Royal family? But I thought the Ministry... Xander said when Narcissa had
told him, after Draco had left them alone.

Its a Knighthood, Alexander. The ministry has no power to either grant or remove
such. She informed him. By its very nature, such a title comes from the Queen.

Yeah, but you said that your husband and Albus, a weird teamup Id like to add,
Xander said, shaking his head, prevented Harry was being awarded it before.

They prevented the ministry from presenting the case to the Royals. Narcissa
corrected primly. They also effectively sealed all evidence of what happened that night,
which keeps us from using that event. The Steward is willing to hear your testimony, if
youll grant it under oath.

Xander blinked, but nodded. Ok.

First, however, we have things to do.

Such as?

Better clothes, suitable for muggle use, Narcissa said with a sigh. I dont suppose you
can pick out something that wont embarrass us all?

Xander grimaced, How high class are we talking, here? I mean, really.

The highest.

Well... thats actually easier. Xander shrugged.

Is it?

Yeah, I couldnt tell you anything about styles, but when it comes to class for men... its
all the same, just throw money at it. Xander shrugged. We get a phone book and I
can find a tailor in five minutes. Who are we meeting with, really, though?

The high steward over the Magical Realm. Narcissa replied, Honestly a loftier title
than the position actually warrants. At the moment its a certain Baron Werths, a squib
who rather enjoys what few times he gets to exercise his position.

Ok, a Baron. Xander blinked, Lord I wish I... hey, you know what? I do.

You do what?

Have Hermione. Xander grinned, Thats first on our list. Meet with Hermione
Granger.

The muggleborn in your year? Dracos had some things to say about her.

Ill bet. Xander smirked, Anyway, if she doesnt know what I need and where to get
it, shell know how to find out.

Narcissa inclined her head slightly, Very well. How do we locate her?

That stumped Xander for a moment, until he blinked, Owl her?

Narcissa felt like slapping herself in the face for not thinking of the blatantly obvious,
however shed spent so much time considering the significant wards around Potter that
they were rather locked in her mind. She nodded and immediately fetched a quill and
paper for Xander.

****

One day, and several excruciating, and humiliating, hours of comportment lessons later,
Xander found himself wandering through a rather well to do suburb of London, trying
to locate number twelve.

It was easier said than done, though, so he sighed and pulled out his Spell Phone. One
little trick hed just barely managed to work out was going to come in handy here,
Xander decided as he entered in the runic numbers that matched up with Hermiones
telephone number. Thankfully hed thought to ask for it, along with her address when
he wrote to her.

Half a world away, another phone mystically tied to his, lit up in the quiet side office of
an old junkyard. This phone was duct taped to an old rotary dial phone, and rested
beside a haphazard monstrosity of Lego Technix that suddenly leapt to life as the spell
phone whirred merrily to match the one in Xanders hand.

The lego contraption began to twist and move, alternately turning the old dial on the
rotary phone and letting go until the whole number had been placed. Then it waited for
the telephone company to make the connection.

Back in Lodon, and mindful of the fact that he was going to have an interesting phone
bill, Xander waited for someone to pick up the phone.

Hello?

Hermione, its Xander.

Xander! Are you still coming here today?

If I can find the place, yeah.

Oh, where are you now?

Xander looked around, telling her the name of the street he was one, and got a quick
response.

Thats not far, Ill be right there.

So he closed the phone and waited a few minutes until a familiar figure came rushing
around a corner.

Xander!

He grinned and gave her a hug in return as she hugged him, then she led him back
down the way she had come. I live down this street here.

Cool. I was getting all turned around.

First time in the area, so I wouldnt be surprised. Hermione said with a smile as she
led him into her home.

So, this is one of the infamous hogwarts students Ive heard so much about, A woman
greeted them as they walked in.

Oh Mum. Hermione rolled her eyes.

You only talk about four people, Hermione. Honestly, I wonder sometimes if thats all
there are in that school of yours.

Only four that matter, maybe, Xander said with a grin.

A little full of yourself, arent you young man? She replied in kind.

Well, you know, I AM a Slytherin.

Xander! Cut that out, and Mum, dont encourage him. Hermione rolled her eyes. Do
you want anything to drink?

Xander shook his head, No. Im looking for some advice though.

Oh? Hermione blinked.

Oh, now Im curious, what does a Wizard need advice on? Her mother leaned
forward.

Clothes actually. Xander admitted.

Hermione blinked, then her mother pealed in laughter.

And you come to MY Daughter!? Oh you poor, foolish boy.

Mother!

Xander just grinned at the byplay, Well Maam, its my experience that if Hermione
doesnt know the answer... come hell or high water she will soon.

Xander!

Hermiones mother continued laughing, and Xander kept grinning, much to the
annoyance of one Hermione Jean Granger. She growled, stamped her foot, and then
finally sighed and gave up when her actions merely caused the laughter to redouble.

Oh, my, I needed that. Mrs Granger dabbed at her eyes. And now you must call me
Emma, young man.

Xander, mindful of his recent agonizing lessons in comportment, inclined his head
slightly. Charmed, Emma. Im Alexander, or Xander to my friends.

Emma Granger raised an eyebrow at that, but merely smiled slightly. What exactly
brings you here about clothing, if I may ask?

I have a meeting with a Baron, soon, and I need fitting clothing for the event. Xander
replied. Wizard dress robes would be acceptable, but in this case non magical formal
wear would probably be better.

I see, Emma said, somewhat surprised. And the price range youre looking at?

I hesitate to say unlimited, Xander said, But I need high quality, and speed, so I
expect it to cost.

Emma nodded thoughtfully, Unfortunately a proper Savile Row suit would be wasted
on someone who has yet to reach their full growth. Not to mention that a rush job would
be astronomical. Still, if this is a regular thing, you may want to make an appointment
there for sometime in the future, perhaps when you finish school. For this, I think
Hermiones fathers tailor will do. I can make some calls.

Thank you, Xander said with a smile.

She merely nodded and reached for the phone, reminding Xander of something. He was
pulling out a spell phone when a man walked in.

Whos this then?

Daddy, this is my friend Xander from school. Hermione said, a little primly and
cooly, letting Xander know that she was still a little miffed with him over the laughing
thing.

Really? Havent seen anyone from that school since that McGonagal woman was here
before your first year, Her father said with a wry smile, but a dry tone. Was starting
to think maybe it didnt exist.

Hermione rolled her eyes, giving Xander the impression that shed heard that statement
before. He stood up, nodding to the man, and extended his hand.

Alexander Harris, Sir. Please, call me Xander.

The man took his hand, nodding approvingly as they shook. Dan Granger. Nice to
meet you, lad.

Likewise, Sir.

Xander turned back to Hermione then, and offered her the Spell Phone hed brought
along. This is for you, by the way, before I forget.

If thats a ring box, lad, we need to talk. Dan said with a smirk.

Daddy! Stop it, youre embarrassing me. Hermione objected.

Its my job, now, isnt it?

Hermione let out another much put upon sigh, then examined the phone curiously.
What is it, Xander?

I call it a Spell Phone, Xander said with a smirk.

Oh you didnt. Hermione moaned while her father chuckled.

What does everyone say that? Xander laughed, shaking his head, Anyone its what
the name implies. Sort of a cell phone for magic, I figured youd want one to talk to
Harry and whoever.

Harry?? Hermione lit up, He has one? Whats his number? How does this work?

Xander rocked back on his heels, its a runic dialing system, so I set Harrys number
to his first two initials and his last name in Norse Runes but...

She flashed a hand up in his face, held out in a clear order to be silent, as she flipped the
phone open and began moving the runic dials around. When she was done she put the
phone up to her ear, comfortable as all non magicals would be with the general shape of
the device.

Hermione... Xander said slowly.

Hush, its ringing. She cut him off.

A sound was indeed coming from Xanders pocket, causing a snicker to erupt from her
father.

Hermione... Xander tried again.

Be quiet, Xander, I need to talk to Harry. She said, turning away from him.

Xander sighed, pulling the phone hed earmarked for Harry from his pocket and
flipping it open. He put it up to her face, Hermione...

Harry! Are you alright? You sound different... how did you know I was calling
anyway...?

Hermione, I didnt give Harry his phone yet.

Hermione froze in place as her father and mother started snickering again, and drooped
slightly as she closed her eyes and covered her face.

Oh Bugger.

Hermione Jean Granger!! Language!

****
Back to index
****

Once the furor of laughter and flushing humiliation on Hermiones part had died out,
she turned her focus back to the little device Xander had gifted to her.

This really is a brilliant piece of spell work, She said after having examined it, I
didnt see any notes you had on anything like this?

I made most of them just before and after school this year, Xander shrugged.

You went from concept to this in less than a month??

Its mostly just ripped off from the phone company, you know. I didnt have to design
anything, hell I even took the looks from Kirks communicator. Xander laughed.

Bloody brilliant, I wondered why it looked familiar. Daniel muttered, chuckling.

Its just the protean charm linked into some runic identifiers. Ironically, its a lot
simpler to charm that way than the linked mirrors some magicals use. Xander said,
picking at the plate of snacks Emma Granger had produced.

Mirrors? Emma asked, interested.

Kinda like the whole Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall bit. Xander explained, But you
can talk to someone who has a matching mirror. Those all work on voice commands,
and the spell work is kinda intense from what I can tell.

Even so, this is excellent work. You have one, and Wednesday I assume?

Xander nodded, Im A.L.Harris, and Wednesday can be dialed at W.F.Addams. Yours
is H.J.Granger, but we can change them if you have a combination you prefer.

Fantastic. I do want to see your notes. Hermione said pointedly. She then paused and
glanced at her parents, thinking for a moment, Xander... do you... do you have an
extra for my parents?

The two adults looked at each other, surprised, then turned back to Xander as well.

Not at the moment, Xander said, noting the disappointment on each of their faces,
But really, Hermione, just leave yours here with them for the year. You know mine or
Harrys will be there for the asking.

Her eyes widened, and she nodded, of course, youre right. Thank you.

Xander just smiled and waved it off, suddenly mindful of the fact that he could only do
that because she was a friend, otherwise it would be rude. That resulted in him slapping
the side of his head, and groaning in dismay at how insidiously Mrs Malfoys lessons
had sunk into his head.

Xander? Hermione had leaned back slightly, Whats wrong?

Just trying to slap these stupid comportment lessons out of my head. Xander
admitted, You wouldnt happen to know the memory charm would you?

Xander! Thats very dangerous.

Im joking, Hermione. Xander told her, rolling his head, If you wiped my mind, Mrs
Malfoy would just make me learn it all over again. Im NOT going through that more
than I have to.

Malfoy? Hermione suddenly looked guarded, What do they have to do with
anything?

Im staying there while school his out this summer, Xander admitted. Among other
things its a little bit of family networking. Shes also got me working on a project for
her and Harrys Godfather.

Now Hermione was just totally lost. Everything Harry had said about Sirius was
practically glowing, but now he was working with the Malfoys? Something was starting
to stink.

Xander, however, could practically read her thoughts just by watching her face twitch
and smiled. Relax. This has nothing to do with the Malfoys, really. Its about the
Blacks.

Pardon, Dan broke in, Who are these people, and why is my daughter looking about
ready to break into a rant?

Daddy! I am not!!

He merely raised his eyebrows and sat back, giving her a pointed look.

The Blacks and Malfoys are two Wizarding families, purebloods. Xander explained,
cutting into Hermiones building head of steam. The Malfoys are... the expression my
mother used was Neuveau Riche. New Money. The Blacks, well, theyre... not. Im not
entirely sure of the history, but around twenty to twenty five years ago, the up and
coming head of the Malfoy clan managed to secure marriage with one of the Black
Sisters. It was an arranged marriage, a lot like buying a car is an arranged relationship.
Malfoy paid a small fortune to then Baron Black, and received the hand of Narcissa
Black in return, she was eleven at the time. Now, the marriage didnt happen until she
finished school, but that was the deal.

Hermione was practically quivering in place, face turning red in outrage at the sheer
idea, but her parents nodded in understanding.

Gave him respectability, then? Dan asked.

Xander nodded, Right. Hes used it well, too. It, along with a lot of his money, kept him
out of prison when the war ended, and hes probably the third most powerful man in
the Wizarding World at the moment.

That figures. Dan muttered, Alright, so why is Hermione so het up over this?

Lucius Malfoy is also probably the most likely person, at the moment, to either kill
Harry Potter, or order him killed. Xander admitted candidly. And, given the
opportunity, hed do the same to Hermione.

Hermiones eyes widened in terror, not at Xanders implications, but at how her
parents might react to it.

Why? Emma muttered, leaning closer, her face horrified.

I expect it has to do with that pureblood thing, Daniel said with a sigh.

Xander nodded, Thats the excuse anyway. The more I look into it, though... and I
have actually looked into it, and talked about it with some people who are more familiar
with it than I am, it really didnt have much to do with blood.

What? Hermione frowned, suddenly more curious about that statement than
frightened of her parents reaction.

Most of the Death Eaters, thats the terrorist from the war, Xander said, nodding to
the two adults, Came from up and coming families like the Malfoys, or old line families
that had been nearly destroyed by Grindlewald in World War Two. The solidly
entrenched purebloods didnt support the uprising for one, obvious reason. They were
already in charge.

Hermione blinked.

Think about it, Hermione. How many laws out there are blatantly in favor or
purebloods in one way or another? Xander asked, shrugging, Hell, how many non
magical borns are their in high office? Ill tell you, none. Old Mold in his Shorts little
uprising was *against* the pureblood government. You werent there in second year
when we dealt with his shade, but Riddle said that he wasnt interest in pureblood
superiority, only in power.

But why pretend to be a pureblood then?

He built his army right under the governments nose, with a lot of the people in power
looking the other way or actively helping him. Xander shrugged. You should check
out some of the history texts they banned here in England, it really paints the war from
a different perspective. Anyway, by the time they understood that he wasnt just
targeting non magicals, well... it was pretty much too late. Moldy was winning the war,
right up until he came face to face with Lilly Evans.

You mean face to face with Harry. Hermione corrected.

Xander shrugged. This was the one area that he and his teachers didnt agree on.
Xander couldnt understand why everyone was so damned sure that Harry had kicked
old moldys ass. Narcissa, Sirius, even Robert, they all seemed to believe the hype of the
Boy Who Lived. It didnt make any sense.

Maybe, He shrugged, My money is still on Lilly Evans, though. She was a fully
trained witch, by most accounts a member of the Department of Mysteries, and an
expert on ancient magics. Who almost destroyed the Dark Lord? Her, or a one year old
toddler?

Sounds sensible to me, Daniel Granger put in, impressed with the young man in front
of him. You studied this war?

Xander nodded, Also both sides of World War Two, and the American Civil War. One
of my teachers is, well... he was present in both.

Dan stared at him, eyes wide, You know someone who was alive in the American Civil
War.

Alive and in command of one of the Armies of the South. Xander replied with half a
smile. Hes almost two hundred years old now, talking with him about the things hes
seen beats our history class any day of the year.

Ill say... wait, BOTH sides of World War Two? Daniel asked, leaning forward.

Well, on the Wizarding side of the war it wasnt really world war two. You see, World
War One never ended. Xander explained, Grindlewald just retreated to regroup his
forces. Allied Magicals couldnt get through his defenses, so they tried to box him in.
Didnt work.

Never does. Dan rolled his eyes.

Anyway, Grindlewald was one of those bad guys who actually lived up to his hype by
all accounts, Xander said, in the lull between wars in the non magical world, he
started reaching out to the groups that eventually became the fascists, nudging them
along with some money here, a little compulsion charm there, whatever it took. When
he was ready to make his move again, he timed it to match up with Hitlers push into
Poland. What isnt in the non magical books is that the Nazi rush into Poland
annihilated a magical community of over eight thousand. In the process, Grindlewalds
agents snuck in and stole two of the magical worlds most powerful protective magics,
the last crop of Fire Flowers, and the Magical Belt of Poland.

Hermiones gasp let everyone know that she understood the meaning of the loss.

But the fireflowers were so protected... I thought they just finally died out.

Maybe, but not then and there, Xander said, Robert, one of my teachers, thinks that
they and the belt still exist somewhere in one of Grindlewalds old fortifications.
Anyway, those where just a bonus. The real goal was made clear afterwards, when huge
portions of the magical armies allied to poland shifted to respond to the attack.
Grindlewalds forces used the distraction to break out of Romania and take magical
control of Germany. As the Armies started to filter back into their old posts,
Grindlewald had them picked off and slaughtered one by one and in small groups. That
was the official start of the Second War, from a magical perspective.

Daniel Granger leaned a little closer, fascinated. Military history had always been on of
his guilty little pleasures, with the second world war being one of the most interesting
because of how wide spread its effects were. Hearing it from another perspective, with
more information on things happening behind the curtain, was incredibly interesting. It
helped as well that the young man speaking obviously loved the subject himself.

Anyway, were getting off track here to be honest, Xander said as he checked his
watch, And Ive got another meeting I have to make. So Ill cut it short by saying that
my original point is that the Dork Lord guy who waged the last war here in England
was actually in an uprising against the *pureblood* held government. To be honest, he
likely could have gone the other way, and picked non magical borns as the group to
champion. He probably didnt because of the advantage he got while building his
army, though. Old money from dying families who were looking for any way back to
glory, new blood from the newly rich families who were chafing under the control of the
Wizengamot, and finally a free pass from the only people who really had any chance of
stopping him. The Wizengamot knew what he was doing, almost from the start, but
didnt care because he was targeting non magicals. And basically, thats the same group
of people who are still in charge today.

Bleedin wonderful, then isnt it? Daniel muttered.

Xander shrugged with half a smile, And since Lucius Malfoy is one of those people,
and one of the terrorists who fought in the war... allegedly anyway, you can see why
Hermione is concerned. Ill say this, though, Herms...

Hermione glared at him when he shortened her name.

Narcissa isnt anything like her husband, and in school, her best friends were Alice
Prewitt, a puff who married Frank Longbottom... Xander paused, smiling at
Hermiones jump as she recognized the name, And Lilly Evans. You know who she
married, right?

Hermione blinked, shocked into silence as she leaned back.

And you know me, Xander went on, So please, trust me, Im not joining with Lucius
on anything. Hell, I didnt even show your letter to Mrs Malfoy.

Hermione swallowed, but nodded. Alright, Ill trust you, but be careful.

Xander chuckled, Im not the one who keeps getting into adventures. Tell that to
Harry when you chat next.

She scowled at him, Dementors. Basilisk. Troll.

Hey! You really want to start comparing life threatening situations here in front of
your parents?

Hermione blanched white as her parents glared pointedly at her.

Thought not. Xander smirked, Anyway, I have to go. Mr and Mrs Granger, it has
been a pleasure. Thank you for inviting me into your home. Please, if theres anything
you need feel free to contact me, and Ill be waiting for news concerning the tailor, yes?

Of course, Emma said, smiling at the sudden shift to formality in the young man. Ill
have Hermione call you on your... spell phone.

Perfect. Until the next time, then.

****

The Knight Bus was far from an ideal method of travel, in Xanders opinion. The driver
was a lunatic, the bus had beds, and nothing was bolted down. This particular
combination led to a number of the craziest things Xander had ever seen on a moving
vehicle in his life during the short ride between Hermiones neighborhood and Little
Whinging, Surrey.

The bus was played up as emergency transport for the stranded wizard, but in reality
it was a bus like any other. It had its normal routes and its scheduled pickups and
drop offs, as well as regular bus stops where it was preferred that Wizards would meet
it. Like anything wizards had a hand in, however, it went beyond all that as well. A
wave of a wand, combined with a little fear or desperation, and the Bus would zero in
on you like a smart bomb and pick you up anywhere you might be.

Useful to say the least.

For now, though, Xander was going from official points of embarkment and drop off
only, since it was easier on the bus charms, not to mention the poor non magicals who
inevitably had to be obliviated if and when those charms blinked, as they often did.

Frankly, he could have done without the ride.

His steps meandered, almost drunkenly across the sidewalk as he made his way up
Privit Drive, coming to a stop at Number Four. It was a suburb home, the same cut as
every other in site, and the same as dozens of others hed passed to get there. The lawn
was immaculate, and the garden outside impressive, but in general it was perfectly
normal.

Boring.

Xander was already missing his junkyard, to be honest.

That thought in mind, and a grin on his face, he made his way up the driveway and
walked to the front door. A quick ring of the bell brought a rumbling from inside as
someone shouted, Ill get it!

Xander blinked in surprise as he heard thunderously loud footsteps and actually saw
the walls quiver slightly as the steps got closer.

< Damn, does Hagrid live here or something? > Xander thought, amazed by the
growing volume.

The door was wrenched open and an obese man looked out, then down at Xander.

Well? The man rumbled, Who are you?

Alexander Harris, Sir. Vernon Dursely, correct?

Thats right boy, what is it now? Im a busy man.

Im here to see Harry Potter.

Mr Dursely shifted from indifferent to nearly vibrating in place as he glared down at
Xander. Theres no Potter here!

The door slammed in Xanders face, causing him to fall back a step in surprise.

Whoa. He muttered, looking around.

Had he gotten the wrong place? He didnt think so. Besides, it was Vernon Dursely.
Maybe he had the wrong Dursley, though? No, Xander shook his head, Narcissas
information confirmed the address and came from an entirely separate source.

Xander stepped back and looked up at the house. This had to be the right place, didnt
it?

That was when a whisper from above caught his attention.

Psst. Xander, is that you?

Harry? Xander looked up, craning his neck. Are you alright?

Yeah. Just locked in my room.

What for?

Nothing, just finished my chores for the day.

< Oh Boy. > Xander sighed. Things were apparently worse than hed thought, and
maybe worse than Sirius had feared. Alright, Ill be right up.

Xander? What? No!

Xander ignored him and hammered on the door until he once more heard the sound of
the land whale approaching.

The door flung open as the red faced man glared out, I bloody well told you, theres no
Harry Potter here.

Xander glared back, clearing his jacket like a wild west gunfighter, and exposing the
two wands tucked into his belt.

Mr Dursely, He said through clenched teeth, Im here to speak with Sir Potter on
behalf of his Godfather, The Lord Baron Black. Now, you have two options. You can
smile politely so all your neighbors can see, and invite me in... Or I can clear your bulk
from my road and invite myself.

Dursely reddened even more, making Xander think that the man wasnt long for the
world with blood pressure like that. Dont try to threaten me, boy. Youre from that
school of your kinds, and I know you cant use magic during the hols.

Xander smiled thinly, purposely adopting a really bad texas twang to his voice as he
spoke. Well now, ya see we have a problem. First thang is, Im a American. So you see,
I dont much expect your ministry to be able to monitor me. Second thang, well Im an
American. We shoot first and worry about the consequences later, aint that right?

He closed his hands over both wands, smiling nastily at the fat man until Dursely went
pale and fell back a step.

Please... come in. Vernon choked out. Ill get the boy for you.

Why thank you, Xander said, tipping his head slightly, Thats mighty kind.

He stepped inside while Vernon blundered up the stairs, not bothering to close the door.
Xander slid it shut softly and looked around the inside of the home. It was pristine and
smelled vaguely of antiseptic, everything in its place and nothing worn or even used as
far as he could tell. It looked like it was waiting for people to move in, not like a home
that had been lived in for decades.

Xander? Harry spoke from the top of the stairs. Why are you here?

Xander smiled, which turned into a bit of a smirk as he drew himself up right, conscious
of the eyes of Vernon Dursely as well as a woman and fat boy from the far end of the
hall.

Sir Potter, I bring you a message from your Godfather, the Lord Black in Exile.

Xander took a certain unholy pleasure in the audible moment of shock that rolled over
the occupants of the house, and barely refrained from giggling at the sight of Harrys
face alone.

****

Sunnydale

Jessica Lavelle Harris stood frozen in shock for a moment when she saw who was at the
door.

L... Lady Lavelle. She swallowed, backing away to admit the old woman. Welcome
to my home once more.

Jessica. The Lady nodded her head slightly as she stepped in. It is good to see you
again.

What brings you by now? Alexander has returned to England...

I know, Im here to speak with you on other matters, Jessica. The Lady Lavelle said
as she accepted a seat in the living room.

Of course. Jessica ducked her head, Ill prepare refreshments...

No need. Please, sit. We have things to discuss.

Jessica sat down with trepidation, trying to figure out why the reigning matriarch of her
Line was sitting in her living room.

Relax, Jessica, its nothing bad. Lady Lavelle smiled reassuringly.

Jessica swallowed, but nodded.

Tell me, have you considered having any more children?

Jessica blinked, then stared owlishly. What?

Im curious, have you and Tony thought about having a larger family?

< She called Tony by his name! > Jessica thought, shocked. The Lavelle branch didnt
have much care for the Harris family, not even their wizards, let alone low magicals.

I... I cant say that we have, not seriously. Jessica stammered out, Cost of living
being what it is, and... to be honest, we didnt do well with Alex when he was younger.
Weve made mistakes...

All new parents do, jessica.

Not like this. Jessica smiled sadly, shaking her head. We did wrong by Alex. Its a
miracle that hes as well adjusted as he is.

Then maybe this is a chance to do things right?

Why are you asking this? Jessicas mind was starting to catch up to the situation, the
shock passing, and she knew that something was up. Why now? I would have thought,
maybe when Alex was discovered to be magical if at all...

We waited to see how he would turn out, The Lady Lavelle said with candid honesty.
We are impressed.

Jessica blushed a little, happy that her son had measured up to the standards of the
family. More than measured up, to be clear. Otherwise they wouldnt care. Her mind
clicked and she settled back, sighing in understanding.

Davis. She said, nodding. I see.

Perhaps you do. Will you consider it?

Jessica thought for a moment, then nodded, Ill speak with my husband. The family
will support us this time?

Lady Lavelle nodded.

Alright, Ill talk with Tony. Well let you know.

****
Back to index
****

What are you on about, anyway? Harry hissed, pulling Xander into the kitchen, away
from his family.

Xander just grinned unrepentantly, Come on, the looks on their faces was awesome.

Harry glared at him, then closed his eyes and finally smiled a bit. It was wasnt it?

Xander nodded, grinning widely.

What did Sirius have to say? Harry sighed.

Actually, thats the funny thing...

Xander... Harry growled.

Xander grinned unrepentantly, Believe it or not, the message is pretty much what I
told you guys. Cept youre not a Sir yet.

What??

You dont know much about the Potters, do you? Xander asked, mostly rhetorically.

Harry looked down for a moment, then shook his head. I know I look like my dad,
with my Mums eyes... Mum was brilliant, or so people say, and Dad was a natural
flyer. More than that?

Harry just shrugged.

Yeah, we figured that. Look, the Potter family has a Hereditary Knighthood, Xander
said, Its conditional, basically kicks in when you do a service to the realm.

Harry grimaced, Voldemort.

Well, yeah, but not the one youre thinking about. The Wizengamot locked up all the
evidence on what happened to you as a baby, so thats right out. Xander said, But you
know, killing a huge honkin snake to save the life of a citizen of the realm, not to
mention protecting the school, that qualifies.

Harry blinked, Really? But, I mean, you were there too.

My family didnt earn a hereditary knighthood, Xander said with a lopsided grin, So
I guess Id have to earn mine the hard way. Anyway, thats part of it. More to the point,
Sirius wants to ask you if youre willing to take on the duties of the Regent of House
Black.

What?

You heard me, man.

I meant what duties, git. Harry snapped.

Well, there I cant help you too much, but some of it would be political, some of it
would be family related. Xander shrugged, Stuff like readmitting Sirius cousin,
Andromeda to the family.

Why would I have to do that? Harry frowned, confused, I didnt know you could
kick someone out of the family. Would have expected the dursleys to have done that to
me by now.

Xander rolled his eyes, She married a Wizard born to non magical parents. Sirius
mum was a real bitch, apparently, and his dad was whipped. So Sirius wants you to ask
her if shed like to be readmitted, and then do so if she wants in.

I can do that I guess, Harry frowned, But I dont know nothing about running a
family.

Well, youll have Andromeda, Sirius, and Mrs Malfoy to help.

What!? Why would I accept help from a Malfoy? Harry practically snarled, Draco
and Lucius...

Are pricks, yes Im aware. Dracos mother, though, is Narcissa Black. Xander said
clearly, Shes a pureblood, and proud of it, but shes not stupid about it either. Besides,
youll need advice from someone who thinks like that.

I cant trust a Malfoy, Xander.

Harry, this is politics. You cant trust anyone, Xander grinned, Doesnt mean you
cant listen to them, though.

Cant Sirius just tell me what do to?

Xander shrugged, Legally, Sirius cant have contact with anyone in England. Oh yeah,
that reminds me... here.

Xander fished a spell phone out of his pocket and tossed it to Harry, who caught it and
goggled at it for a moment.

Whats this?

Spell Phone. Sirius number is S.O.Black. Xander said with a smirk. He still couldnt
believe Sirius hadnt gotten the gag when he assigned the number to his phone.

Harry opened the flip part of the phone eagerly and then stopped and stared, These
arent letters.

No, theyre runes. Xander said.

I cant read this.

Xander rolled his eyes, Oh yeah, Man, this is what taking Care and Divination gets
you. Here...

He twisted the dials to the right combination, then handed it back to Harry. Thats the
combination to Sirius phone. Just hit the center rune to connect.

Harry did so quickly, then hesitantly lifted the phone to his ear. S... Sirius?

Xander stepped away, giving Harry some privacy to talk to his Godfather.

****

Xander was leaning on the door frame that led to the kitchen, giving Harry his time
alone when a thin woman approached him.

Were you serious about what you said? She demanded.

About what? The Sir stuff? Xander asked with a shrug. When she nodded, he went
on, Mostly. Hes not a Knight yet, but the Potter family holds a hereditary slot I guess.
Harry qualifies. His Godfather is Lord Black, though, and this little meeting is semi
official.

About what?

The Black family is in need of a Regent, at least until Lord Black can get his legal
status cleared up in Britain. Xander replied. Harry has enough swing to make things
happen, and hes a Black through his grandmother I think, so if he accepts hes the best
choice.

Will he be moving out?

Xander looked at the woman, wondering at the slight tone of tension in her voice. I
dont know. I guess thatll be up to him, as far as I know anyway. What does it matter?
Its not like hes here more than a couple months a year anyway.

She seemed to want to say more, but then just left. Xander watched her leave, but
finally shrugged it off. None of his concern.

Xander?

Hey man, you talk to the mutt? Xander asked as Harry came out of the kitchen.

Harry rolled his eyes, Yeah. I did. Im in.

Cool. Xander said, pulling out his own phone. He spun the dials around with his
thumb, then punched the middle rune and waited for it to connect. Herms? Yeah,
could you ask your mother to make that an appointment for two? Yeah, Im bringing a
friend. Its a surprise, thats who. What do you mean, you dont like surprises?
Everyone likes surprises. Yeah, yeah. Just call me when you have a time. Thanks.

Harry watched, amused, when Xander flipped the phone shut. Herms?

Xander shrugged, grinning, Lord she hates that name.

Im shocked you get away with it. Harry chuckled, Whats her number on this thing
anyway?

HJ Granger, Xander said, In Ancient Norse.

Harry grimaced, Were you TRYING to make these insanely hard to use?

I dont know, were *you* trying to actually learn anything when you took
*Divination*?? Xander countered, rolling his eyes. Hed heard about those classes, hell
the entire school knew about Harrys Divination classes. I mean, other than the date of
your death and all.

Ugh. Harry groaned, Dont remind me. I hate that class.

Xander shook his head, I cant figure out what you were thinking. Ok, seeing the
future? Cool in concept, but seriously... if you could teach people to do it, would you?

Huh? Harry blinked.

I wouldnt. Xander admitted candidly. Id just quietly buy my lotto tickets and play
the markets. Last thing Id want is a bunch of teenagers screwing up my income cause
they knew how to tell the future too.

What are you talking about? Harry looked totally lost.

Xander grinned, shaking his head, Harry... anyone who tells you that they can teach
you to read the future, is scamming you. No one is stupid enough to give up a secret
THAT good. Care sounds sort of exciting, though. I think I would have thought about it
if Id known Hagrid would be teaching. Seriously, that guy needs a wake up call when it
comes to the concept of dangerous to little KIDS, but his classes sure sound like theyd
be fun to watch.

Harry shook his head. He really wanted to defend his friend, but even he had to worry
about Hagrid sometimes. Not to mention about what Hagrid might do without thinking
something through.

He sighed, putting that aside for a bit, What do we do now?

Xander shrugged, Dunno. We need new suits, but thatll have to wait until we get a call
back from Herms. Her mom is setting it up. Tell me you dont wear those on purpose,
cause man... even my Hawaiian shirts arent that ugly.

Harry looked down at the cast offs hed inherited from Dudley and sighed, These were
Dudleys.

The guy needs a diet. Xander said simply, shaking his head.

Hes on one. Harry grinned before glancing around guiltily. And is NOT a happy
camper.

Alright, you have money?

Harry shook his head, Just a few galleons.

Ok, Ill spot you some English cash, Ive got a few hundred dollars worth. Well get
you some decent casual wear. Xander said after a moment, holding up a hand as Harry
started to object. Dont worry about it, Ill get it back from Sirius. Or, you know, from
you when you have access to the vaults and all.

Are you sure? Harry wasnt quite as concerned as Ron was over who had money and
all that, but he didnt like the idea of freeloading off anyone. His family had long
accused him of just that, and it was a bit of a raw nerve.

Xander just nodded, Yeah. You need some clothes, man. Youre not just Harry Potter,
you know. Youre about to be Sir Potter...

Sir Harry.


You use the first name for Knighthoods, Harry explained.

Really? Xander grimaced.

Yeah, why?

Ech. Xander shook his head, Sir Harry sounds stupid, glad its you man.

Oy! Harry objected.

Xander just ignored him and went on, Oh, and we need to buy a blank book. A journal
or something like that.

What for?

Youve got the Marauders Map, right? Xander asked.

Harry nodded hesitantly, not really wanting to give away one of his more prized secrets.

Well, I think its time you got your own copy of the Coven Grimoire.

****

The closest mall to Privit Drive wasnt much, all things considered, but it suited for
what Xander and Harry needed. After theyd gotten Harry a selection of Tee Shirts,
Jeans, new shoes and the like, they unceremoniously tossed his hand me downs in a
dumpster and checked out the closest thing the place had to a stationary store.

A suitable journal was not to be found in the place, leaving Xander to sigh.

Well, a trip to Diagon will probably turn up something. He said as Harry looked over
the pens and writing tools in the place. You see something you like?

Huh? Harry looked up, surprised.

Xander rolled his eyes, Come on. Weve got some things to finish before were done for
the day.

Harry nodded and the two left the mall.

Xander... Harry trailed off, sounding uncertain.

Yeah? Xander looked back, noticing Harry looking away sharply as he did. What?

Did... Did my mum really write that book you told me about?

She helped. Xander said, Along with Draco and Nevilles mothers.

Harry grimaced, Thats just too weird. Why would my mum have anything to do with
Dracos mum?

Why would your Dad have anything to do with Sirius? Xander countered with a
shrug, They were both Blacks back then. Dracos a tool, but I think that mostly comes
from his dad.

I guess. Harry muttered, unconvinced.

You dont need to take my word for it, and hell I dont know that I would trust Mrs
Malfoy if I were you anyway, Xander replied, Best I can see is that shes really only
concerned with the Black family, she doesnt care too much about you.

Too much?

Well, she was your Moms friend, so theres probably something. Xander said
thoughtfully as they walked, But the fact that your grandmother was Dorea Black is
probably more important to her in a lot of ways.

So... Im related to Sirius? Harry asked, sounding hopeful, By blood I mean?

I guess. Also to Mrs Malfoy and Draco, Xander smirked.

Harry grimaced, then groaned.

Xander chuckled, then went on, That would also make you related to Andromeda and
her daughter, and theres another Black sister in Azkaban I think.

Harry nodded, Ive heard a little about her. Bellatrix I think.

Not sure beyond that, though. Just guessing, but the way purebloods are, youre
probably related pretty much to every one of them in some way or another. Xander
said with a smirk, then paused and grimaced.

What? Whats wrong?

I just realized that my Mom and Dad are both from pureblood lines too. Lord, Im
probably the product of kissing cousins myself. Xander admitted with a sigh. Ill have
to check and see how badly messed up the American lines are, just out of curiosity if
nothing else.

You didnt know? Harry blinked.

What? About my family? Xander shrugged, uncaring. Nope. Never really cared, to
be honest.

Why not? Harry was baffled, he couldnt understand why anyone wouldnt care. I
wish I knew more about my family.

Yours are dead, Xander said, then winced, Sorry, but I mean... mine are living and
dont care enough to check up on me. Why would I care about them? Why dont you
know more about your family, anyway, man?

I know a bit. Harry said defensively. I mean, Ive seen some photos that Hagrid got
me and stuff. Dad was a great flyer, and really good at transfiguration. Mum was a
genius at charms, I think...

Harry trailed off a bit, looking sad, No one seems to want to tell me about them.

Probably tough to talk about dead friends to their son, Xander said after a moment,
I guess Im surprised that they didnt tell you more than that when you asked,
though.

Harry was silent for a bit, Yeah. Hagrid told me a bit about them, but thats it.

Who all did you ask?

Hagrid, and I guess Professor McGonagal and Headmaster Dumbledore. Harry said.

You guess? Xander stopped walking, turning to look at Harry incredulously. How
do you guess you asked them?

We talked a bit about them, I mean. I asked what they were like... I think. Harry
looked confused.

Harry, man... Xander hesitated, Mate. Youve got to do more than guess.

Huh?

I told you, people arent going to just come up and start talking to you about your
dead parents. Xander said, shaking his head, hell most of them probably think you
know everything. Half the school believes youre a stuck up prima donna, whos too
good to hang around anyone, so youre not exactly approachable even without the
whole dead parents thing.

What? But Im NOT! Harry protested.

Xander held up his hands, Man, you dont need to tell me. Youre Hermiones friend,
shes not a horrible judge of people... Lockheart aside...

Harry couldnt help but grin a little at that mention, but Xander just went on.

Besides, weve bled on the same dirt as one of my great uncles would say, Xander
said, but most of the kids in school see you as the Boy Who Lived, remember? And you
only hang out with Weasley and Hermione, so your not exactly the open, friendly sort.

Ron and Hermione were the only ones who really tried to be my friends. Harry said
softly.

Thats not true. Xander said, looking up. Lots of kids tried, Hell *Draco* tried, if
even half of what he said about your first meeting was true. Those two were just the
only ones stubborn enough to keep coming back even when you were ignoring them.

I dont ignore people!

No, no I guess you dont. Xander said, a few more puzzle pieces dropping into place.
But you dont act like a normal kid either.

Oh great. I guess I cant do anything normal then. Harry growled.

Probably not. Xander said with a smile that brought another growl from Harry.
You really want to be, though?

Yes!

Xander flinched back from the sharp rebuke, then shrugged. Alright man, dont blow
a gasket. Me I wouldnt go back to normal for all the gold in Fort Knox.

What? Harry asked, confused.

Im a Wizard, Harry. I *love* magic. Xander said earnestly, its awesome. Ive
never studied, or worked so hard in my life and I wouldnt trade it for anything. I can
make things fly with a word and a wave, how could I give that up??

I didnt mean I wanted to give up magic, Harry muttered, I just dont want all this
Boy Who Lived crap.

Whats wrong with fame? Xander asked, shrugging. Dont get me wrong, I wouldnt
trade my parents for it... not even back when they were screaming at each other. But its
not like its all bad.

Whats good about it? Harry asked bitterly.

Gotta be something, Xander smirked, Lots of people where I come from do anything
for it.

Theyre mental then.

Whatever you say then, Xander shrugged, but the point I was making is that people
see how you act, and they think your stuck up.

I am not! Harry snapped again, glaring at Xander.

Didnt say you were, but thats how people see you. Xander replied. Look at it from
their point, Harry. Youre famous, probably rich most of them figure, and you only
really talk to a couple people. Oh, and the Quidditch team, but they dont count. What
do you expect, anyway? That people will instantly see you for you? Why should they?
They have a perfectly good fantasy that pretty much explains it all, dont they?

Harry scowled at him, Great. So now Im a stuck up git, just like Draco.

Xander laughed, Oh I dont think anyone thinks your as bad as Draco.

Harry rolled his eyes, So what do I do?

I dunno. Xander shrugged.

Harry stared at him, surprised.

What? Im fourteen, man. I dont know crap about being popular, Xander replied,
my entire life is about Magic, my family, and exactly two more friends than you hang
out with. Asking me for advice on making friends and influencing people is like asking
your pal Ron for lessons in table manners.

Harry choked, remembering Ron stuffing food into his mouth that it was going to
vanish on him.

Seriously, man, we can see him chewing his food from the Slytherin tables, Xander
said, Whats up with that anyway? My money says that the Twins kept stealing his
food when he was younger and this is his way of making sure he gets to eat.

Harry laughed.

He felt guilty about it, Ron was his best friend, but the truth is... he could easily see the
twins doing just that, and it did explain a lot to be honest.

You are going to have to do something about it, though. Xander said after they both
stopped chuckling.

What? About Rons eating?

No, Xander said, then paused, Well maybe. I mean youll have to start acting
different if you want to be the Regent for House Black.

Huh? Why?

Cause youre the guy in charge. The family needs you to be the guy people can talk to,
come to for help. I mean, what good are you if you only talk to Ron and Hermione?
Xander asked. Turning on that Boy Who Lived charm wouldnt hurt either.

Im not doing that.

Then you fail, dude. Xander said just as his spell phone went off.

Harry stared at him, uncertain what to say as Xander answered it.

Hey. Herms? Ok, were good? Cool. Yeah, well be there. Thanks, and thank your
mother for me. Xander said into the device. He hung it up and nodded to harry,
Weve got our appointment, couple hours, unless youre changing your mind?

Harry looked down, then shook his head.

No, I said Im in. Im in.

Cool. Lets go see a girl about a suit.

****
Back to index
****

Hermione Granger was not what one would call a simple girl by any stretch of the
imagination, nor was she normal. Normal was something she was almost entirely
unfamiliar with, though, except for that narrow band of normality that she defined as
such.

Born with a eidetic memory, shed learned to read by the age of four. Granted, her first
novel wasnt consumed on her own until she was six, but it was still impressive.
Throughout her mid to late childhood, as she defined it, she had few friends other than
her impressive collection of books on every subject she could imagine.

They took her to places she had only dreamed existed, until she turned eleven.

That was when the concept of normal, even by her standards, ceased to exist. Magic
was real. There was a whole separate world out there where Magic ruled over logic. The
most bizarre things happened, sometimes for no apparent reason, and sometimes with
effect even preceding cause! It was gloriously insane, and though she hated it... she also
loved it.

It was perhaps odd, then, for her to realize that nothing shed seen in the magic world
had shocked her half so much as when Xander arrived for his fitting, and his mystery
guest was Harry Potter.

H... Harry? Hermione blinked, stunned.

Hey Hermione, Harry waved a little, smiling weakly. Hows your summer been?

Harry! What are you doing here? She blurted, shocked. I thought you were with
your Aunt and Uncle.

Harry nodded, I was until Xander showed up.

She turned on Xander, eyes narrowing, How do you know where Harry lives?

Xander rolled his eyes, Geez Herms, how hard is it to call information and ask where
to find Vernon Dursley?

Hermione paused, the blushed. It was THAT easy?

Besides, its not like the Minister didnt sell Harrys address to Malfoy for a campaign
donation already anyway. Xander shrugged, looking like he hadnt just dropped a
tactical nuke on his two friends.

WHAT!? They both exploded.

Yeah, thought that would get your attention. Xander said, moving his finger around
in his ear. Mrs Malfoy told me and Sirius a couple weeks ago, its one reason why
Sirius agreed to this little scheme.

And what little scheme would that be? Hermione demanded, hands on her hips as she
glared at them both.

The scheme we need to get suits fitted for, if you dont mind? Xander smirked.

Right this way, Sirs. An older man said, smoothly interposing himself between
Hermione and the two boys. You may continue your conversation during the fitting if
you like.

Oh, I like alright. Hermione fumed.

Xander just smirked at her as Harry shied away from them both. Xander spared him a
glance, You know, for all the Boy Who Lived hero type stuff that youre famous for,
you sure are a wimp sometimes.

Give me Voldemort over Hermione in that mood any day. I can CURSE Voldemort.
Harry shot back, I wont even be able to get a word in edgewise against her.

True. Xander conceded, enjoying the red flush Hermione was currently experiencing.

Idly he wondered if it might be possible to ever get Wednesday that worked up, then he
shook off the thought. Suicidal he wasnt.

Oohhh... You.... You two... Hermione was near bursting as she looked between them,
like she wanted to hit them, curse them, or worse but couldnt decide who to start with.

Well be right here, you know, if you manage to remember how to speak english or
anything. Xander said with a smirk as he stood where the tailor motioned him.

Across the room, Dan turned to Emma and whispered, You think hes going to survive
the fitting?

Who? Xander or Harry? She asked, shrugging.

Harry looks smart enough to duck out of the line of fire. That Xander boy doesnt look
smart enough to tie his shoes at the moment.

Oh hush.

She had to admit, however, that he had a point. At the moment Xander was standing
uncomfortably as the tailor was running the tape around his body, occasionally yelping
as quietly as possible when the tape passed by somewhere personal.

****

Harry took a moment to admire his reflection in the mirror, the new suit being the first
muggle clothes hed ever owned that fit.

Now if only they could find a decent hair tailor, he thought as he tried in vain to get his
hair to set down flat.

Oh Harry, Hermione smiled, walking up to him. You look great.

Thanks. He said, scowling at his reflection. Damn it. Stay down already.

She laughed at him, You keep trying. Im sure youll get it eventually.

Harry nodded, determinedly patting down his hair and not noting that she didnt say
what exactly he would get.

Xander stepped out, running his fingers through his own hair as he did, So, how do I
look?

Very dashing, Hermione assured him. Try not to ruin the effect by talking, alright?

Oh har har. He said dryly.

Now would someone please tell me what, exactly, is going on here? She demanded,
glaring at the duo. What scheme are you two involved in?

Nothing much really, Xander said with a smirk, Just arranging a Knighthood for
Harry so he can take over as Regent Black and begin influencing the Wizarding
government through the Wizened gamut.

Hermiones jaw dropped as she processed that.

Merlin, Xander, I think you broke her. Harry muttered.

Yeah, Xander nodded as he leaned in closer to examine her expression. Pity, you
know. Youd think shed be tougher after a few years of dealing with me and
Wednesday.

Hermione shook herself, gathering some composure, and glared at them both.

Alright, you... She pointed at Harry, Start talking.

Dont ask me, this is mostly Sirius idea. Harry admitted. And the Wizengamot stuff
is new to me.

Hermione turned to glare at Xander, who shrugged.

Did I forget to mention that?

Yes! You did! They both growled.

Sorry. The Black Family has a seat on the Wizened Gamut thing, Xander said
casually, Plus probably a gazillion fingers dug into influencing the other votes. Course,
right now, Lucius Malfoy is pulling most of those strings.

What??

What? Xander rolled his eyes, You think he arranged a marriage to Narcissa Black
just for the name alone? Im sure I dont know a fraction of whats really going on, but
having met the woman and talked with her, I can tell you this much... She lives and
breaths politics like we breath air.

No bloody wonder why our world is such a mess, Harry grumbled. Just hand the
keys to the castle over to the enemy, why dont you?

Im pretty sure thats what they did. Xander nodded.

Oh Merlin. Hermione sighed. And you really think that Harry can change any of
this? Harry, youre not quite fourteen yet. Have you talked to the Headmaster?

What business is it of his? Xander asked as he took a seat.

Hes the headmaster. She told him, exasperated.

Xander looked around, confused, Are we in school now?

Hermione growled, throwing her hands up, Hes the chief warlock of the Wizengamot
then!

Yeah, so itll be his business when Harry shows up to be sworn in, or whatever it is
that they do. Xander mused, Do you suppose its like one of those fraternity
initiations? You know, a bunch of old geezers paddling the new guy?

Hermione groaned and hid her face in her hand while Harry looked at Xander in a
mixture of shock and worry.

I bet the headmaster swings a mean paddle.

This is not some stupid college movie, Xander!

I dont know, have you seen how the headmaster acts? Xander went on, if the rest
are anything like him it could be ANYTHING at all.

He has a point, Hermione, Harry said, now smiling a bit, But seriously, Xander, I
doubt its anything like that.

You better hope not. Xander smirked.

Why?

Cause if it is, Im sneaking into line with the rest.

Hermione groaned again, shaking her head.

****

I dont know if this is a good idea, Hermione said with misgivings later as they talked.

If Harry waited for good ideas, hed never do anything.

Both Harry and Hermione shot Xander dirty looks for that, but he just laughed them
off.

Look, Hermione, its not like its rushing into a fight to, you know, kill a sixty foot
snake or anything. Xander finally countered, Hes just accepting his family legacy.
You need to relax.

I just wish youd tell someone, Hermione said grumpily. Honestly, you need advice
from an adult.

I spoke to Sirius. Harry objected.

An adult who hasnt spent the last thirteen years mostly in a prison cell.

Actually, Im honestly having trouble with calling Sirius an adult, Xander said,
holding up one hand.

That one earned him another pair of dirty looks, which he again cheerfully ignored.

Youre NOT helping. Harry accused him.

Was I supposed to be? Xander looked genuinely confused.

Yes! Harry yelled.

No! Hermione growled.

Gah! Xander stepped back from them, You two need to relax. Look, Hermione, this
is about Harry ok? He doesnt have to do anything he doesnt want to, and I really
dont think that hes in any danger while meeting with the representative of the Queen.

The Queen? Harry squeaked.

Well duh, Xander rolled his eyes, conveniently ignoring that hed asked the exact
same question not a day earlier. Where did you think Knighthoods came from? The
Easter Bunny?

A silence descended as Harry blushed and Hermione goggled at the idea of Harry
possibly meeting the Queen, or even just a direct representative. Xander just checked
his watch.

Whoops. Time to get you back home, Harry. Ill let you know when were ready to
meet the Baron dude. He said, Keep your spell phone on you.

****

Xander loved magic. Here he was, fourteen years old, and he was basically loose in the
entire nation of Great Britain. Back home hed be permitted to run around the
neighborhood, maybe, possibly the town. But LA? Not a chance, he couldnt get there
even though it was only a couple hours down the coast.

With the Knight Bus, he could get anywhere in the nation in an insanely short period of
time. Xander wondered why hed never heard of anything like it in the states, there had
to be something he supposed.

The bus dropped him off at the stop closest to Malfoy Manor and Xander walked the
fairly long way back as hed been shown by Mrs Malfoy. There wasnt even a path to
the manor, built as it had been by magic and not non magical construction. The sky was
dim when he arrived and made himself known at the wards long enough for the house
elf, Sammy, to let him in.

Thanks, He told her, nodding as he walked up to the manor.

No needs for thanks, Master Xandy. The elf said, ducking her head and looking
embarrassed. Sammy is just doing her job.

Before he could respond the bizarre little creature had popped away, leaving Xander to
reflect on that fact that he had yet to meet a magical sentient that was sane in any
fundamental way. Wizards were off their rockers, Goblins were nuts, and House elves
were seriously twisted.

It was enough to make him wonder if magic had a really bad affect on a persons ability
to think straight.

< Eh. Its worth it,> He thought with a grin as he walked into the manor.

Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy were in the sitting room when walked in, the Mrs was
reading while the Master of the house was working at an ornate hand carved desk.
Lucius spared Xander a bit of a sneer, but quickly wiped it away as he rose to his feet.

Mr Harris. He said cooly.

Mr Malfoy. Its good to meet you under better circumstances. Xander said politely.

Lucius eyes flickered slightly, but he nodded in return. And you, Mr Harris. I do
trust, however, that you wont be associating with any more convicted murderers while
youre staying here.

Lucius! Narcissa snapped.

The irony of that statement was far from lost on Xander, but even he knew that
pointing it out wasnt the smartest thing he could do at the moment. He just kept the
smile plastered on his face, I wasnt aware that Sirius Black had been granted a trial,
let alone been convicted in one.

Irrelevant. The courts made their decision, Blacks presence was hardly needed.
Lucius said with a dismissive gesture.

That surprised Xander, and his face showed it. A man doesnt have a right to a trial in
the Wizarding World?

Lucius snorted, Why would he?

Xander turned sharply to look at Narcissa, but her face confirmed Lucius statement.
Xander blinked a couple times, then rocked back on his proverbial heals.

Whoa.

What is it, Alexander?

Xander shook his head, Sorry. Just a little stunned is all. Any American citizen has the
right to a trial, as does any British citizen. In the non magical world, at least. Id
assumed that it was the same. I think I need to ask a few questions about what my rights
as a Magical are.

Lucius sneer was back in full force. Muggleborn.

Xander turned back to him, smile gone. No Sir. My parents were the product of two
pureblood lines, The Harris and Lavelle branch families that moved to the Americas
over two hundred years ago. I was, however, raised in non magical fashion until I
turned eleven.

Every word from his mouth was the complete truth, and an impressive fabrication
designed to direct anyone who heard it to certain assumptions. Lucius obediently
followed along the posted path just as Xander hoped.

Barbarians. The man said finally, sighing as he took the seat behind his desk again.
Exposing children to such things.

Perhaps, This time Xander was gritting his teeth, though it comes in handy by
times.

How so?

Non magical pharmaceutical companies pay me an obscene amount of money for a
potions patent I developed just before my second year. Xander said candidly.
Working is something Ill never have to worry about.

Lucius considered, then tilted his head slightly in acknowledgment. Politics were
politics, but money was money.

Seeing that the confrontation, sorry... conversation, was over Narcissa smoothly
directed Xander over to a chair across from her.

So, Alex, did you finish what you needed to? She asked, not looking back at her
husband who was now ignoring them as he went over some papers.

Xander nodded, Yes. Were ready.

Her eyes widened at his use of the word we and she cast him a questioning glance, to
which he just nodded. Narcissa nodded in return and settled back comfortably to read
her book. Hed gotten more done than shed expected, which meant he had been able to
arrange a fitting on very short notice while still contacting the Potter boy.

Impressive. Shed have to pay a little more attention to this Hermione Granger, if the
girl had been able to help him get that done with such speed.

A glance back across at Xander showed that he had broken open his own book and was
idly jotting notes as he worked.

Narcissa wondered briefly where Draco was, then realized that she likely didnt want to
know and just sighed before turning her attention back to her book.

****

The next couple days went by in a blur for Xander.

Thankfully Lucius had elected to ignore him, as had Draco for the moment. Neither
Malfoy were in the manor with any consistency as Lucius spent his time in London,
apparently advising the Minister, and Draco was off with friends. Xander presumed
that mean Goyle and Crabbe, or perhaps Parkinson as those were the only people he
knew off hand who actively sought Dracos company.

For himself, Xander found that he had to contact Hermione several more times to
arrange the details of their movement through the non magical world. Getting Harry to
the meeting, for example, wasnt going to be as simple as popping by his place and
flooing, apparating, or portkeying to their destination. The protections involved didnt
allow for that, so theyd have to do things the old fashioned way.

That is to say, the modern upscale way.

Xander arrived at Hermiones two days after his fitting, dressed in his carefully pressed
suit. Hermione had insisted on going with them, which surprised Xander and Harry not
in the least, so he had made the arrangements to start their little trip at her place.

The limo arrived on time, just as Hermione came down the stairs in a carefully chosen
dress that startled Xander to see. The normally mousy girl had gone all out for Harrys
day, apparently, and looked truly beautiful in her pale green dress, with her hair
immaculately styled.

Oh my. Dan Granger said, shocked to the core by his daughters appearance. You
look fantastic, honey.

Thank you, Daddy. She blushed, ducking her head a bit.

Xander almost panicked, mind racing as he tried to think of what he was supposed to
say in this situation. He had no clue. It wasnt a date, there were rules for that (as Mrs
Malfoy insisted on hammering into him), but the work shed done certainly warranted
some kind of comment.

Apparently his moment of panic didnt go unnoticed, however, as Emma moved up
beside him and patted him on the back.

Breath, Xander. She whispered, amused.

Xander took a breath, then shook the feeling off. You look beautiful, Hermione.

Thank you, Xander.

Well, shall we? Xander asked, nodding to the door.

Yes, lets.

The trip from the Grangers to Privit Drive was a couple hours, leaving Xander and
Hermione a great deal of time to sit uncomfortably as each mostly thought their own
thoughts and tried to avoid doing anything that might mess up their appearance.

Before arriving at Privit Drive, however, Xander had the driver stop by one of the
designated stops for the Knight Bus and got out as Narcissa Malfoy appeared, decked
out similarly to Hermione in an, admittedly more old fashioned, off white gown. He held
the door as she stepped in, then sat down himself and the trio were off to pick up their
fourth.

So this is how Muggles travel, Narcissa said idly, looking around. Shed seen cars only
from the outside before, it was surprisingly roomy inside, she found.

Rich ones. Xander smiled, Who arent going very far.

Narcissa nodded, then turned her attention to Hermione. This must be Miss Granger.
You are far prettier than my son led me to believe.

Hermione didnt know how to take that. Was it a compliment or not?

Thank you, She said finally, before muttering, I think.

Narcissa smiled slightly, I expected nothing less, my dear. My son has many fine
qualities, however for the most part even I have to admit that they are difficult to find
under his more abrasive ones.

Hermione just nodded, again not knowing what to say.

The Limo arrived outside Number Four Privit Drive just a few moments later, and
Xander waited for the driver to get out and open the door for them this time. The trio
stepped out, and the sight of the identical houses all in a row brought a sniff of distaste
from Narcissa.

Absolutely no privacy. She muttered, shaking her head.

The presence of the limo had brought attention from various people all along the drive,
and she could see them appearing from the woodwork as they tried to get a closer look
without appearing like they were trying to get a closer look. It was all very common.
Narcissa lifted her head and followed as Xander led them up to the door and rang the
bell.

There was a long silence from inside, then the door opened to show one Harry James
Potter, wearing a torn suit and looking more than slightly enraged. Xander flinched as
the sensation of ants crawling up his spine began to form and increase.

Mr Potter, please calm down. Narcissa said firmly, though she was shocked by the
sheer volume of power emanating from the boy. We do not need a visit from the
Ministry Obliviators at the moment.

Harry nodded grimly and took deep breaths. The oppressive presence began to die out
as they stepped into the house and saw the Dursleys cowering in the corner of the
room.

What happened? Xander asked after a long moment.

My... *family* decided I shouldnt be dressed this well. Harry hissed.

Indeed. Narcissa eyed the three muggles, but mindfully didnt draw her wand. She
had no desire to trip whatever wards were placed on the house, boy, or family. If they
were blood wards, than the boys sheer raw power would make them even more
formidable. As much as I would like to, we can do nothing about them at the moment.
Nothing directly, at any rate. Come along, Mr Potter. You have an appointment with
Her Majestys representative.

But my suit... Harry sighed, looking down at the torn fabric.

Are you not a Wizard, Mr Potter? She asked, smiling thinly. Am I not a witch. Well
deal with it when were away from here. Come now.

Harry nodded, and the four of them left Privit Drive, and a gaggle of onlookers, behind
them.

****
End Notes:
If anyone is interested, I'm now using Twitter and will be posting updates for stories
among other things over that service. I can be found on the site as, what else?,
Tenhawk.

http://twitter.com/Tenhawk
Back to index
****

Harry sat uncomfortably beside Hermione, silently looking across at the two people
whod gotten him involved in this, whatever it was.

Xander Harris was a bit of an enigma to him. He knew that Hermione liked the
Slytherin, much to Rons irritation, and the guy seemed decent enough, but there was
plenty weird about him just the same. He hung out with that girl who freaked everyone
out, which in itself made Xander stand out a bit in Harrys mind. On the flip side,
though, he stood by his friends. When Hermione had been petrified, Xander had been
right there with He and Ron when they went down after it.

It hadnt been about the fame, or saving Ginny. It had simply been that Hermione was
his friend. Harry had to have some respect for someone who thought like that.

Narcissa Malfoy, though, was a total dark horse. What was her game? She had to have
one, Harry knew, even Xander admitted that. Harry just wasnt sure he understood it.
All of this for a family that was mostly gone?

If it was her pureblood beliefs that drove her, as Xander had suggested, how could
Harry trust her? Why would he? Blood purists had led the war that killed his parents
after all.

None of it made any sense to him, and that was driving Harry more than a little crazy.

He was shaken from his thoughts when the woman he was watching draw her wand
while looking at him.

That should be far enough from the wards, Narcissa said, eyebrow raising when
Potter yanked his wand free from his belt and pointed it at her. Unless you dont want
your suit fixed?

Oh. Harry blushed, lowering his wand. Sorry.

Think nothing of it, Narcissa said, waving her wand delicately. With as many
enemies as you have I can hardly blame you, particularly giving my family name.

What spell is that? Hermione blinked, eyeing Narcissa closely. Thats not a reparo.

No, I wont be using one either, Narcissa said, Thats more of a when all else fails
sort of spell. Useful, but crude. What Im doing now is isolating you and Mr Potter from
the Ministry Trace. It would hardly do to have them coming down on us, would it?

I didnt know you could do that, Hermione admitted.

Narcissa laughed derisively. As if the likes my husband would permit the use of any
sort of magics that could permanently track any wizard or witch in the country. Within
weeks of the invention of the Trace there were countermeasures being bartered around
the community. There we go. Were clear.

She then turned her attention to Harrys suit, delicately fixing the damage one piece at a
time, using transfiguration magic instead of charms so that the repairs would be
permanent. As she worked, Narcissa went on, The Trace isnt especially accurate
anyway, its really only able to sense specific magics within the range of the person its
been cast on. Most of those are ignored as they generally match accidental magic too
closely. Its useless in a magical home, since it cant tell the childs magic from an adult
near them.

What? Hermiones eyes widened, her face echoing outrage. Thats discrimination!

Oh? Narcissa raised an eyebrow, You do realize that the laws pertaining to
underage magic use are part of the Secrecy Statutes, dont you?

Well, yes, but so what?

How does Draco using magic in or around our home threaten the statutes in the
slightest? Narcissa asked dryly as she finished Harrys suit. The statutes exist to
protect us from exposure, not to protect you or those around you from carelessness.

But... thats hardly fair. Hermione frowned, almost pouting.

That is life, my dear. Narcissa said, leaning back as she slid her wand back under the
folds of her dress.

Xander listened, only slightly interested. The rules in the states were a little different,
and in Sunnydale even more so. Use of magic in magical areas was permissible for all
wand owning ages, so someone living or visiting a magical compound, town, or reserve
could use magic to their hearts content. In non magical areas the use of magic was
more heavily enforced, especially on minors.

For himself, however, the rules were different. Magical tracking in Sunnydale was
almost nonexistent. The interference from the Hellmouth made it impossible to
accurately track all but the largest and most blatant of magical use. Additionally,
Sunnydale was considered a dangerous location, and as such the rules for wand use in
public were extremely slack in matters of self defense.

When you added in the strange mind numbing effect of the Hellmouth similar, Xander
had been told, to a Notice Me Not Charm, the ministry had decided to exempt the area
entirely from the majority of regulations concerning magic use. Only the most blatant
and public of spell use would be acted upon unless, of course, the spell use was for illegal
purposes.

Still, he could understand both sides of the argument between Hermione and Mrs
Malfoy. It was hardly fair to non magical born, to be sure, but then again they were the
ones who were most likely to violate the statutes, either by accident or by carelessness.
While the actual intent might be malicious, the fact was that non magical born witches
and wizards were simply in high risk positions and needed to be watched more closely
to preserve the statutes.

Hermione sniffed, irritated, but couldnt think of an appropriate response that wouldnt
sound churlish. To her eye it was the height of discrimination, and yet even she had a
hard time arguing that there would be no risk in one of her neighbors happening to
walk by the family room window while she was casting a leviosa or accio. She sighed
finally, and settled back.

How long are we isolated from detection?

A sly smile played along Narcissas lips, For the rest of the summer. The Trace will be
reapplied when you arrive back at Hogwarts.

Really? Harry asked, eyes wide.

Do be discrete, if you please. Narcissa asked, and if you do get caught, remember, I
had nothing to do with it.

Harry and Hermione nodded in unison as the Limo turned and they all looked out to
see a large imposing building approaching.

The Tower? Xander asked, surprised.

Narcissa nodded curtly. Meetings with the Steward of the Magical Realm are normally
done here.

Huh. Xander said in reply as the car slid to a stop. Magical entrance?

That earned him a glance of surprise from Narcissa and the other two as well.

Indeed.

Xander nodded, then moved to get out as the driver held the door open for them. He
casually led the group away from the main entrance to the side entrance he and the
Addamses had used for Christmas a couple years earlier. Inside they were met by a
man in a non magical suit who greeted them formally, and guided them to the offices of
the Steward.

The Steward was a short man, a little on the pudgy side, who looked more than a little
surprised when he saw them.

Ah... A Mrs Malfoy and company? He asked, uncertain.

Indeed. Narcissa inclined her head.

Very good, He said, smiling slowly but still a little perplexed, May I compliment you
on your muggle costumes? Quite fitting.

Thank you, however I suppose its to be expected. These three are muggle raised.
Narcissa demurred slightly.

Ah, yes, that explains it I suppose. The man smiled more genuinely. I had wondered.
Youre magical raised, then Maam?

Narcissa nodded.

Your dress is quite exquisite, The Steward said with a warm smile, Only slightly
outdated by muggle standards, but that actually makes it look even higher class. Only
the richest can afford quality of that level and choose to spend it on the elegance of the
past.

That brought a confused frown to Narcissas face as she tried to determine if she had
been complimented, or slyly jabbed. She let it pass quickly, however, schooling her
features to a neutral smile.

Yes, well, The Steward turned to the younger ones of the group. Now, this is about
the title of Mage Knight, I believe?

It is indeed. Young Mister Potter is the last of his direct line, Narcissa replied, And
we believe he qualifies for his family title.

We shall see. The Steward said, turning a page. After reading for a short time, almost
eliciting a snort from Narcissa over the obvious act, he raised an eyebrow. A Basilisk,
quite a large one too. Impressive, lad. Do you affirm that you did indeed slay the beast,
then?

Harry jerked a little, then nodded. Uh, yes sir. I had help though. Xander was there,
and so was my best mate Ron, and Xanders friend, Wednesday.

Youd have to be a bit thick to take on something like that alone, lad. The Steward
chuckled slightly. I wont hold having brains to get help against you.

Harry flushed, remembering that he hadnt exactly asked Xander or Weednesday to
join him. Not to mention that the help he and Ron had gone for hadnt exactly been the
most useful sort.

Now, do we have a witness?

Xander nodded, I was there. Alexander Lavelle Harris.

The Steward nodded, scribbling a note. And you affirm, under oath, that the
statements made here are true?

That brought Xander up short just as he started to answer in the affirmative. He leaned
forward, Can I see that first?

Of course.

Xander accepted the sheet, skimming it quickly, then nodded. Yeah, this is all true I
think. Harry, did you land a spell on that thing?

Harry shook his head, No. You did with that bone splitter on its tooth, but I was busy
with the Hat until I got the sword.

Xander nodded, Yeah. This is right.

Very good. The Steward made a couple more notes. I believe it was your
Grandfather, Mr Potter, who was the last Mage Knight of the Realm. Been quite some
years that the post was unfilled.

If you please, Sir, Harry held up a hand tentatively. But I dont understand exactly.
What is a Mage Knight? I mean, I can figure some of it, but I dont...

Dont know your family history, lad? The man peered closely at him.

I was raised by muggle relatives, Sir. I havent been told anything about my family.

Hrrmph. The Steward sat back, face creased as he frowned. Most unusual. To
answer your question, Mr Potter, The Mage Knight is a position of responsibility within
Her Majestys Realm. Officially, the position is as Her Majestys final arbiter on
magical affairs.

Hermione squeaked, blinking furiously.

That earned her a smile from the man, However in truth there is little actual power in
the position. The Magical world exists very much separate from the Realm in most
things, and the only power left to the Royals are a few traditional elements backed by
ancient covenants. This is one of those.

So it doesnt mean anything? Xander asked. He hadnt really understood it all,
anyway, and was just as curious.

In the muggle world it has some meaning, The Steward replied. As a recognized
Knight of the Realm, though a very, very, obscure one, the Mage Knight has certain
rights, responsibilities, and privileges to his name. In the Magical realm, I believe that
the legal rights established by Edward the Elder remain, however most of them have
been superceded by magical law.

So its just a name? Hermione asked.

Theres power in names, child. The man smiled slightly, Certain magical covenants
were established along with the position. As a Seneschal of the Magical Realm, the
Mage Knight has certain rights and duties that cross realms, so to speak.

Among other things, He continued, The right to bear arms. This means little in the
Magical realm, as I understand it, except that in your case, Mr Potter, this also assumes
that you have the right to USE your weapons. I believe that a Wizard considers their
wand a weapon, among other things?

Harrys eyes lit up.

He could use magic and the ministry couldnt stop him.

Now, The Steward went on, There are certain factors to consider before I
recommend that this be pushed forward.

Like what? Harry asked, shutting down a little.

There are duties to the crown involved, responsibilities that can not be shirked. The
Steward said firmly, staring evenly at Harry, Understand this, Mr Potter. This is not a
game. This is an honor that few people in this nation are afforded.

What sort of duties, Sir? Harry asked, suddenly contemplative.

The Mage Knight is responsible to the Queen for certain matters, Mr Potter. Narcissa
said quietly. Its long been something of a... combined shame and honor of the Potter
family in the Wizarding World.

Shame? Harry looked confused.

The Steward glared at Narcissa for a moment, then looked back to Harry. It is an
honor, Mr Potter.

Among muggles, it may be that clear cut. Narcissa said with a hint of a smile.
However among Wizards its a mixed blessing. The position is one of influence,
because it was negotiated under statutes devised by Merlin himself. That earns it a
certain level of respect as well, however it is closely tied to the Muggle Government.

So the purebloods think the Knights are traitors, Hermione filled in.

Some, yes. The extremists like my husband, Narcissa replied. Most of us see the title
as much the same as that or Baron, or Lord, however. Those too were granted through
the Crown, though with more autonomy as they are higher in rank.

So Id have to do what the Queen says if I accept? Harry asked, wondering if he was
supposed to accept it or turn it down.

Not precisely, The Steward said, Though the Crown may, in fact, call on you in a
time of emergency. Unless a state of emergency has been declared, however, your time
remains your own. Unless, of course, you should choose to also enlist in some other
branch of her Majestys government.

Huh? Harry blinked.

He means that if you join the army or something youd have to follow their rules as
well as the Knighthood rules, Harry. Hermione explained.

Oh. Well, that makes sense doesnt it? Harry asked quizzically.

Not everyone might agree. The Steward said with a smile. Now, that is actually part
of your muggle responsibilities. As the Queens Arbiter in the Magical World, you are
in fact responsible for judgment over those who appeal to the Queen for Justice.

Which hasnt happened in over five centuries. Narcissa said dryly.

Granted.

Also, it behooves you to remember that as Regent of House Black, those duties will fall
upon youre shoulders as well.

Mr Potter will be Lord Black?

No, merely the Regent, unless my idiot cousin fails to continue the bloodline, Narcissa
answered, lips curling slightly as she thought of Sirius. If he knows whats good for
him hell find a good woman or five and get started. Otherwise, Im going back to
America and well be having words.

Xander and Harry exchanged puzzled glances at Mrs Malfoys or five comment, but
kept their silence.

I see. Well, as Regent Black... Lord Black in all but name, The Steward said seriously,
You will have other duties to the Crown, officially.

Narcissa snorted, drying the ire of the man, Duties that are hardly binding, and
havent been done in centuries or longer.

Yet they remain on the books nonetheless. The man growled, piercing her with a
glare that didnt phase the blond in the slightest.

Laws that cannot be enforced are no laws at all. Narcissa countered calmly.

Some people hold honor over power, Mrs Malfoy. He snapped, deliberately dropping
the title of Lady.

Honor is an affectation of the powerful, Mr Prewitt. Narcissa replied in kind.
Anyone who tells you otherwise, is trying to keep you in your place, and make you do
all the work for them.

The two glared at one another for a long moment, until Harry broke it up.

Uh... I dont understand. Do I sign this, or not? He asked plaintively.

Narcissa sighed, While there are some small duties that the muggle crown can call on,
the position does indeed command an elevated level of respect through most of the
Wizarding World. Also, it has some magically bound rights and points of influence that
all Clan Heads have to follow. So, my advice is yes... accept the position. It will be useful
with most of the people you need to deal with.

Most? Harry frowned, What about the rest?

Well, Mr Potter, Narcissa said coldly, I fully expect that youll have to kill them.

What?? Harry yelped, horrified.

That group has already decided that youre their enemy, after all.

Harry, Hermione nudged him gently, She means that the ones who wont have some
respect for the position are probably Death Eaters or deep on their side already.

Oh. Harry blinked, still looking a little pale. I dont really want to kill anyone.

I expect that neither did your father, when he was your age. Narcissa sighed, Time,
and people, have a way of eliminating many of our choices.

Shes right about that, lad. Steward Prewitt said with a sigh.

Harry looked to Hermione for advice, just the glance being all it took to communicate
the question he was asking.

I dont know, Harry. Hermione said, biting her lip. I dont know nearly enough
about the magical world to say what effects it would have.

What about the Muggle world? Harry asked softly.

Its an honor, She said, You have a chance to serve the crown. I... I dont know what
else I can say.

Harry nodded, then glanced at Xander.

Dont look at me, man. Im just the go between on this. Xander said with a shrug.
The whole Knight thing sounds cool to me, but you know I learned from Gomez
Addams a couple years ago that it really is best to check the fine print. What did Sirius
say about it when you talked?

Harry sighed, He said that my Dad was probably going to apply for it when the war
was over, and my Granddad held the position. He thought it was probably a good idea.

Well, thats three people giving you more or less the same advice. Xander said,
Youve got the information too, so make a decision.

Harry nodded, mulling it over for a long moment, then he nodded to the Steward.

Ok. I want to go ahead.

Very Good. Well set a date then.

What? A date for what?

To meet with the Queen, Mr Potter. Your oath of service must be given to the Crown.

Harry gulped.

****

The Queen? The Queen? Harry was panicking after theyd left the meeting. I cant
see the Queen! Im only thirteen!

I fail to see what that has to do with anything, Narcissa said, rolling her eyes as they
walked back to the limo.

OhmygodHarry, Hermione rambled, Youre going to meet the Queen, thats
incredible.

Its insane is what it is!

Xander didnt chime in with his thoughts as the four of them piled into the limo for the
drive back to Surrey, he didnt really need to. He didnt have any real clue of just how
important that sort of meeting was, though at a guess he was equating it to meeting the
President or something. All things considered, he was glad it wasnt him. He wouldnt
know what to say to someone like that.

Well, not without risking being shot anyway.

****

The run back to Surrey was uneventful, but at Harrys place things were changed up
just slightly as all four of them climbed out of the limo and walked up to the house.

Ready, Mr Potter? Narcissa asked softly.

Harry swallowed, but nodded resolutely.

Alohohamora. She said flicking her wand discreetly at the door as she walked, not
breaking stride as it popped open in time for her to walk through.

The others followed suit, Narcissa pocketing her wand even as Harry drew his.

Get OUT! Vernon reddened, I will not stand for freaks in this house!!

Then sit for it, Uncle. Harry said, hitting his uncle with a petrification curse that froze
him in mid motion to climb out of his lazyboy chair.

The chair cracked badly when the obese mans weight fell back into it, and Petunia
gasped in shock.

You... She started, but was cut off.

Yes, Aunt Petunia. I can use magic. Harry said determinedly. He didnt like playing
the bully, didnt enjoy the terror in his uncles eyes at the moment, but knew that this
had to be done.

He couldnt move out, at least not yet. There was no secure place prepared, for one, not
even any idea of a place they could begin securing. And Mrs Malfoy had spoken to him
quite frankly on the power of the wards at Privet Drive.

They were such that she didnt want to use magic against his family, was actually afraid
to. Shed likewise warned Hermione and Xander to keep their wands in their pockets,
as any harmful intent would likely trigger the wards in a potentially nasty way.

Harry, of course, was exempt from them. As were his family.

In that, lay the problem. He was unprotected from his Aunt and her frying pan, his
cousin and his gang, and most of all his Uncle and everything that the bigger man could
do.

It stops now, Uncle Vernon. Harry said, forcing his voice to be calm. I can use
magic, and no one can stop me from doing so. Do you see any owls arriving?

Vernons eyes flickered wildly.

Right now, Im the only Wizard who can do this here. Harry said candidly. My
friends cant cast anything against you...

That calculating look showed in Vernons eyes, just as Mrs Malfoy said it would, and
Harry curled his lips in contempt.

Dont even think about it, Uncle. If you kill me, or even cause me serious harm, the
wards protecting you from them will fall. Im the source of the magic keeping the
freaks from coming here in droves.

And should you kill or harm the Regent of my family House, Narcissa said coldly, It
will be your last act on this Earth, I assure you MOST sincerely. Right now, those wards
are the only thing keeping me from causing you pain such as only legends speak of. And
do remember, while Sirius was framed for the crimes he was imprisoned for... most of
the Black family were guilty as sin. And insignificant pests like you are among out
favorite playtoys.

After all, She said airily. No one misses someone like you when you vanish into thin
air... like magic, one might say. Am I clear?

The fear filled nods gave her her answer.

Very well. It is time to leave. Well see you soon, Mr Potter.

Keep in touch, Harry. Xander waved, letting his jacket swing open as he turned,
flashing his wand to the non magicals as he winked in their direction. And get that suit
pressed, I figure the Queen will expect you to look your best, right?

****
End Notes:
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****

Draco Malfoy glared as his mother arrived home, Alexander Harris in tow. They were
both dressed in muggle attire, and his lips curled slightly at that.

Where have you been, dressed like that?

His mother turned slowly to look at him, one eyebrow raising as she sneered back at
him, Do you truly dare presume to demand information from me?

Draco swallowed involuntarily at her cold tone, falling back a step from her. I... No,
Mother. I apologize.

She stared for a long moment, then nodded curtly before walking away.

Draco shook his head in silence for a moment, unable to get his thoughts together. It
wasnt often his mother turned her presence on him, but he never wanted to feel it again
when it happened.

Your mom is a scary lady.

You have no idea. Draco answered the statement before his mind fully engaged, then
he glared at Xander. Where were you anyway?

Out. Xander shrugged. Not my place to tell you, it was her business.

What do you have to do with my mothers business? Draco curled his lip up, eyeing
the american like he was a piece of dung on the floor.

Xanderd been pinned with worse, and just shrugged it off. Think about, man. Why
would she invite me here, really? Its not to setup a play date between you and me.

Draco snorted, shaking his head as he cracked an unwilling smirk. Youre a twisted
fool, Harris.

So Ive been told.

Draco sighed, looking at his fellow slytherin, Good God, man. Have you no dignity?
What are you wearing?

What? Xander glanced down, This is what rich and powerful non magicals wear on
business, man.

Youre joking.

Nope. I have a cheap one at home, I used when I had to do some banking last summer,
but it didnt fit anymore. This one cost... Xander frowned, trying to work out the
exchange rate. Probably around a hundred and fifty galleons I guess.

Dracos eyes widened. It wasnt the most expensive outfit hed heard of, in fact he
owned a few that topped it, but they were all far fancier in design and material. For
that? Thats ludicrous.

No, twenty thousand galleons for my trunk is ludicrous, Xander snorted. This is just
pricy. You should get one, you know, theyre dead useful for when you have to go into
london.

Me? Dress like a common muggle?

Nothing common about this suit, man. Xander smirked, letting his jacket fall open as
he slid his hand into his pants pocket. Anyway, Im beat. Its been a long friggin day.
Whens this Quidditch cup thing anyway?

Three weeks. Draco answered, smirking at the thought but his eyes noting the wands
jammed into Harris belt, The Bulgarians are going to wipe the pitch with the Irish.
Krum cant be beat.

Yeah? Cool. Xander shrugged, as he walked past Draco and headed back to his room,
Dont know the teams. You think itll be a decent game, though?

Draco considered it, then allowed, Sure. The Irish have a better team this year, so itll
probably be tighter than it should be.

Sounds like fun. Xander stretched his neck.

Hey. Draco stopped him, a hand on Xanders shoulder. You do know you cant
carry two wands like that, right? Its not legal.

It is for me. Xander said, Wand Crafter, level one. ICW Cert.

This time Dracos eyes widened more and he turned to look at Xander, You cant be
serious.

Why not? Xander shrugged, Its easy.

Wand making is a family secret! Draco hissed.

Wand Crafting isnt. Xander shrugged, The basics are easy to learn. The real trick
is being any good at it.

Draco was silent for a moment, hand dropping as Xander continued on past. Just as
Xander reached the door to his room, Draco spoke up again.

Are you?

What? Xander paused, looking back.

Any good at it?

Passing fair. Xander said after a moments contemplation. Im no threat to
Olivander, but my wands have a couple edges.

Then he was gone, the door to his room closing, leaving Draco alone to consider the
other boy.

*****

When Lucius arrived home it was late in the evening, he set his cane down by his desk
and settled in to his favorite chair to relax a bit. His meetings of the day with his
Minister had gone well. The greedy fool was only to eager to accept any properly
coached idea that included a generous donation on the back end, and while it would cut
into his monthly budget, Lucius suspected that hed make it back within two more
months and be solidly in the black for the deal at the start of a third.

The new legislation would make it more difficult for muggleborns to own vital
businesses within the magical world. That would cut out some of the competition hed
been encountering of late, letting him raise the prices for magical ink and parchment.

That would put the Prophet within his palm by the end of the year.

Lucius smiled, knowing that the beating the old fool had taken in the press the previous
year would leave him open to attack. With the Prophet dancing to his command, Albus
Dumbledore and his Golden Boy would be in for very hard times soon enough.

Hed also managed to get the Werewolf laws tightened some more, thanks to Lupin
raging around the grounds of Hogwarts. Soon even those few of that filthy cadre that
had employment would have a difficult time keeping it. That should provide cheap, yet
skilled labor to handle the expected upturn in his businesses.

All in all, it was a good few weeks work.

Now, if only hed managed to get Black killed as well.

The blond mans lips tightened around his teeth as the thoughts of Blacks escape
caused his stomach to churn again. Hed been so close. How the man had survived so
many years in Azkaban, Lucius didnt know, but his death would have put Draco
directly into the Black title. The Black money was inconsequential though, thanks to
himself and Lestrange, far from insignificant. The Title, however, would have locked his
control over the Black proxies at the Wizengamot.

Now that fool was running loose in the states and, if Lucius sources were correct, had
made significant changes to the disposition of the family. Just what changes, he didnt
know. The Goblins were keeping that tight to the chests, not even large offers of bribes
being able to open their blasted claws.

Oh well, He sighed, reaching for a decanter of fire whiskey and pouring himself a
couple fingers of the amber liquid. Two out of three isnt bad.

Two out of three what isnt bad, husband?

Lucius glanced up, long years of practice keeping him from looking surprised by his
wifes unexpected arrival. Nothing, dear. Just thinking about some political
maneuvering Ive been working on.

Ah. Narcissa nodded, stepping over and pouring herself a drink to match his. A
similar day to mine.

Oh? Lucius asked with a curious smile. Something to do with our guest I presume?

She nodded, taking a sip of the searing liquid. Yes. An agreement with his family lines
will be beneficial.

Lucius nodded, not pressing. He knew that his wife was obsessed with the Black Line,
and didnt want to get into that again. She was staying clear of Sirius, so it didnt
concern him. Soon the Black line would be ended, one way or another, and then she
could focus on the Malfoy name.

He just needed to learn what, precisely, Black had done about the disposition of the
Black assets and title. Then he could counter it, and kill Black.

Well, have him killed, of course.

No need for him to go running about the barbaric wilderness of the Americas, there
would be plenty willing to do that on his behalf, after all.

Whatever you think, my dear. He said aloud, toasting her with his glass.

Hes an interesting boy, She said, He carries a pair of wands, you know.

Oh? Lucius raised an eyebrow, thinking he saw an easy way to score some points and
earn a debt. Did he get caught? I suppose I can speak with the Minister.

No need. Hes certified by the ICW as a Crafter. Level one, of course, She shrugged,
idly waving her glass, Yet still.

Huh. Lucius said thoughtfully, leaning back.

He knew several people who had wrote that exam, and had been informed that it wasnt
terribly easy. One had to have good knowledge of magical creatures, the properties of
wood, and the interaction of all types of magic with a focus. He had never bothered to
write it himself, he didnt need to make use of that thinly disguised loophole the ICW
had shoved through. In britain crafters were rare, the skill buried by the ministry
mostly due to that ICW decision.

For a few decades it had been illegal in Britain, Bulgaria, France, most of Europe really,
to carry two wands. The ostensible reason was that one wand was easier for Aurors to
deal with when it came to investigating a crime. The real reason was that the Ministry
had resources available at the time to track wand usage, and wanted to know who was
casting what spells at all times.

The Americas chafed at the restrictions when visiting civilized society, however, and
managed to ally with a few other nations on the ICW to push through a few loopholes
that would be enforced internationally. The European ministries probably would have
fought harder, but only a couple decades later effective countermeasures to the Ministry
detection scheme had become public and the point was moot.

Still, the Ministry preferred if Wizards had one wand, the one registered as theirs. It
made things simpler, after all, if you could be confident that youd snapped the right
one in case of crimes against the state.

It made it easy since Olivander owned the only legally licensed Wand Shop in Britain
and, as far as mudbloods were concerned, the only one at all.

Still, Lucius had to admit that it was mildly impressive, so he said as much to his wife.

Impressive. When did he write that?

This summer. She said, Apparently he and his friends have been making wands for
a year or so.

Theres more to him than the brash imbecile, then. Lucius said contemplatively.

Indeed, I believe there is.

Well, good luck in your familial endeavors, my dear.

Narcissa smiled, And to you in your political ones.

****

Albus Percival Wulfric Dumbledore frowned slightly to himself as he worked through
the paperwork that had been piling up in his office. In addition to his normal reams of
parchment, detailing the day to day running of the school, and the yearly headache of
finding a new Defense Professor, he now had to deal with constant nonsense associated
with the tri wizard tournament that was to be held at Hogwarts.

It was a necessary evil, in his mind, bringing back the ancient competition. Voldemort
was on the move again, and relations between the nation members of the ICW had
fractured even farther than they had been in the darkest days of the last war. From
their height, just after Grindlewalds death, relations had plummeted to all time lows in
recent years.

It was a situation that couldnt be permitted to continue, not with Toms power sure to
rise once more. Unfortunately, Fudge seemed bound and determined to destroy
everything he could build. The latest legislation in the Wizengamot was just one more
example, pushing muggleborn businesses out of the Wizarding World and sometimes
entirely out of the country, and making the lives of Werewolves even harder to endure,
these were not things calculated to make Britain popular in nations such as France that
had actively protected its non human magical population against the likes of
Grindlewald despite huge risks and equally huge losses of lives and property.

Even the massively pro pureblood, and still dark leaning, nations like Bulgaria had little
but contempt for the anti-werewolf laws of Great Britain. In fact, Lycans controlled
large portions of Eastern Europe, and even had strong presences in many western
European cities such as Paris and Rome.

Politically they had little power, but great influence, and while Lycan packs were often
involved in Organized Crime in those nations, they still maintained a level of decorum
with the Wizarding public that kept their political ships from being sunk so easily.

The old man sighed, feeling his age. Reports from Remus Lupin had begun coming back
to him of what were called underground railroads, for some reason. Networks of people
who were sneaking Werewolves out of the country in open defiance of the Ministrys
refusal of passage.

He had made a mistake, Albus admitted to himself, when he did not oppose Fudges
election campaign. At the time the man seemed no worse than any other candidate, in
fact a great deal better than many. He was corrupt, true, but Albus had long since
learned that Corruption was the way of Government. He decided for himself some time
ago that so long as they did their jobs, he would ignore the kickbacks and bribes.

Cornelius was no longer doing his job, however. Sometime in the past few years, Lucius
Malfoy had moved from minor opposition to the real power behind the throne, and with
the beating hed taken in the press over the Chamber of Secrets, Albus now found that
Cornelius no longer listened to him.

So, in an effort to limit the damage the man was causing, he had not opposed the Tri
Wizard Tournament as he normally might have. It was a dangerous contest, after all,
even with all the concessions he had managed to wring from the others involved.

Dragons, Merfolk, and lets not even think of what would be waiting the contestants in
the final trial. Even without the possibility of accidents, it was potentially lethal. And
Albus knew well that one could never, ever, discount accidents.

He sighed, but signed off on the final details before pushing the parchment into the
done pile.

The next was a note from Mrs Figg, and Albus turned his full attention on it.

< Lets see, > He thought as he read it. < A Limo picked up Harry and returned him a
few hours later? Whats a limo? >

He got up and walked over to the floo, grabbing some powder and tossing it in. Arthur
Weasleys Office!

The fire flashed green, and a moment later he saw Arthurs face appear in the flames.

Yes, Headmaster?

Arthur, I just received a note from Arabella about Harry...

Is he alright? Arthur immediately asked, concerned.

Fine, fine. She just said that he had been picked up by a limo. Im not familiar with the
term, are you?

Limo... limo... Arthur frowned, thinking. I do believe thats a kind of muggle motor
cart.

Ah yes, well that explains it. I suppose Harry must have had some appointment or
another with the muggles. Dumbledore said thoughtfully.

Sounds like it. Are we still picking him up next week?

Dumbledore nodded, Yes.

Should we ask him about it then?

No, Harry isnt aware of Mrs Figg and its safer if fewer people know.

Alright then. Is there anything else, Headmaster?

No, thats all, thank you.

The fire flared again, then died down to its normal cheery reddish orange as Albus
turned back to the rest of his paperwork.

****

Sunnydale

Jessica Lavelle nodded politely to Matriarch Lavelle as she sat down across the coffee
table from the woman.

I presume that you have decided?

We have. Jessica said, And were willing to go with the familys wishes on this
matter.

Excellent.

We do have some stipulations, however. Jessica said firmly.

The older woman smiled, I expected you might.

First, the family has requested this, so the family will support any child born of this
agreement. Jessica said quite firmly. Whether the child has magic or not.

Agreed. The family will reserve the right to negate the agreement at any time, up until
an agreed on child has been conceived, however.

Jessica nodded, Agreed. We wont be a baby factory for the family, though. We get
final say on if we desire another child.

Of course.

We raise the children, theyre ours. Jessica was quite firm. She regretted many of her
slips with Alexander, and wanted to try and redeem herself in her own eyes.

Provided theyre not mistreated, Lady Lavelle held up a hand, Im not suggesting
anything, Jessica, just being careful.

Jessica sighed, but nodded, Yes, of course. Who decides what constitutes
mistreatment?

Third party? Non magical social services perhaps?

Acceptable, well have to agree on an arbiter, in case of disputes.

Of course. Thats standard, Jessica. Lady Lavelle said, a little affronted that Jessica
would think she didnt know that.

Then I think we have an agreement in principal.

On my word.

I think well have it writing, Lady. Jessica smiled tightly, Not that I doubt your
word, but even you wont live forever.

Of course.

The Lady Lavelle understood her great, great, grand nieces reticence. The family
hadnt treated er as well as it might have, nor had her husbands. Such things were
tragic, in their way, but tended to happen no matter how much one might wish
otherwise. As the Matriarch of the Family Line, her responsibilities were more to the
future than the present.

Young Alexander showed a great deal of promise, not only with magic in general, but as
an adept of the mental arts. Granted, it was unlikely that he would ever reach the peaks
of the art that his potential allowed, he had started too late for that, but his genes were
invaluable to the family if nothing else.

She had been keeping it quiet for the moment, but rumors were already starting to
spread about his potential. An Adept of the Lavelle branch would be highly in demand
as a husband and father, even if he were an otherwise worthless individual. Since, by all
reports, Alexander was far from worthless... The Lady Lavelle found his potential
future, in the short term, to be rather amusing indeed.

Which brought her to the second point of her visit to Sunnydale this time around.

Well, with the agreement in principal settled, why dont we move on to more pleasant
things? She smiled, taking a sip of the coffee served up between them.

Certainly, my Lady. Jessica nodded.

I understand that the Lord Black is living in this area, The Lavelle Matriarch probed,
less than subtly. With anyone else she might be more circumspect, but Jessica had
trained with her when she was younger, more than almost anyone she would see
through the subtleties.

Jessica smirked slightly as she sipped at her coffee, Yes. Sirius is currently living in the
area. Im not sure for how long, though.

Oh?

I expect hell return to England at the first sign of trouble with his Godson.

Ah.

That was worrisome. Her research indicated that Black was the only remaining holder
of another highly sought after blood trait. The notorious Black Sense. If he were to run
back to England, given the current state of affairs within their ministry, it was entirely
possible that hed be killed out of hand.

That would be a tragic waste.

His cousin, Narcissa Black Malfoy will try and prevent this, Jessica said softly,
someone who wanted to save him from himself might look to her as an ally.

Indeed? The Lady Lavelle mused to herself. I see. And the man himself?

Is not interested in saving his own life, merely that of his Godson.

The older woman hummed thoughtfully, I see.

Young Mr Potter, than. Another attractive male within this little web Alexander had
found himself in. She would have to look into whether the Potter family had any
interesting blood traits, but even without them it hardly mattered.

Politically, Mr Potter was worth his weight in Platinum.

His name was infamous in almost every magical nation on the planet, and according to
the best sources she could scrape together, he was of more than average magical
strength, though the numbers were distinctly confused. His near antisocial tendencies
made it difficult to get a hard read.

With coaching he could be a political power house, regardless of magical potency.

Her grand nephew, however many times removed, seemed to have a rather impressive
bit of luck on his side. He seemed to find himself right at the fulcrum of several crossing
events, poised to strongly affect the outcome of what was, if she was reading things
correctly, history in the making.

Topics shifted to idle conversation as the Lady Lavelles mind considered how she might
position the Lavelle clans to best benefit from this strange conjunction of events.

****
End Notes:
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novel as a Christmas gift for those who donated to the Site.
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****

Harry James Potter didnt look at his family, who quite studiously didnt look at him,
as he headed out into the yard to finish his chores. The interior chores had all been
completed by magic, partly because Harry didnt want to do them by hand, but mostly
as the latest example that he could do a great deal to them if they tried to screw with
him again.

The list of things to do outside, though, hed do by hand. He enjoyed gardening anyway,
and took a measure of pride in the fact that Petunia won so many awards for her work
on the lawn and garden. Doing that by magic would feel like cheating.

As he weeded, dug, pulled, and trimmed, Harry thought about the recent changes in his
life. Xander had brought on more positive change in his experience than anything or
anyone short of Hagrid himself when the half giant had come and rescued him just over
three years previously. Harry talked to Hermione and Sirius every night now, getting
more details from the latter, and making plans with the former.

Unfortunately, the thing he really needed information on, even Sirius only had partial
knowledge of. The Mage Knight, a position of power and responsibility under the
Queen, was something of a mystery. He had the overall idea of what it meant, but Harry
was old enough and had been screwed over enough, to recognize that the devil was in
the details.

Surprisingly, Hermione had found information on the Mage Knight in the muggle
libraries. The position was official, known to exist, and within the non magical world
she had been able to give him a list of all his duties and responsibilities. It was on the
flip side of the coin that they run into trouble.

Where did one look up information in the Magical world when one didnt have access to
Hogwarts library, after all?

Sirius had suggested that Harry get to gringotts, but to do that would require a trip into
london, and through Diagon. Once there he could get into his vaults, not just the trust
vault (Sirius had told him that his parents had more than one, much to his shock), and
probably gain access to his family books.

Harrys hand clenched around a particularly tough weed, blood flowing from where its
spines perforated his skin, and he yanked at it angrily. Why hadnt anyone TOLD him
about those?? Hed have given anything, ANYTHING, to be able to connect with his
family in that way.

He sighed, throwing the weed into the pile, and clenched his hand reflexively. Hagrid
probably didnt know, or just thought he knew despite all evidence to the contrary.
Harry loved his friend dearly, but knew that Hagrid was a simple soul. Why hadnt
Dumbledore said something?

But then, that wasnt really fair either, Harry supposed. It was hardly Dumbledores
job to look after him, afterall. It was all just one more joke played on Harry James
Potter by the world. One more in a long line.

So, he had to get to Diagon, and into Gringotts.

Now, the remaining question was, how?

****

Xander settled back, sitting on the grass at the peak of a hill that overlooked Malfoy
Manor. One thing he couldnt hold against the Malfoys was there choice of a place to
live. The view was intense, overlooking a large lake with rolling hills beyond. He let his
muscles relax as he enjoyed the view, grateful of the time to relax.

It was like he finally got some vacation time, and only had to come back to England to
get it. Oh, he was still doing his morning routine, which was fairly intense he supposed.
Compared to what he had been up to for the first month of his time, home, however it
was just a maintaining routing to keep him from sliding back any.

Hed need to get some practice in for wandwork, but at the moment it wasnt going to
be easy to do. Without a partner to spar against the benefits would be minimal. He
could work on his draw time, and aim, but dueling was a living activity. It changed with
every breath, with every heartbeat.

It hadnt been until he met Chayton that Xander appreciated just how very different a
culture hed entered. Before that, his time with his Uncle had been more about fun and
what was cool. Learning to hold a knife, how to block a blow, these were fun things that
hed never use. Chayton hammered that right out of him in a hurry.

The Magical World was an armed society, one in which the Code Duello still existed in
most places. Most non magical born didnt learn that fully until they were outside of
school, navigating a culture they were only peripherally familiar with. Learning to fight
wasnt something American children did, as a rule, in the non magical world.

The Magical world, however, lived by an older code.

Chayton had likened it to the American Wild West, and the Europeans he compared to
the early Victorian age. Magical children in both societies were trained to duel from
fairly early ages, at least ones of certain social standing.

Certainly Draco had been, Xander knew. Wednesday also seemed to know more about
fighting than most people he could imagine. He wasnt sure about the other children he
knew, except to say that Hermione certainly hadnt been, and oddly enough Harry
didnt seem to have any training either. He didnt think Ron Weasley did either, but
honestly Xander didnt know the boy well enough. Ron was also from a very poor
family, so probably fell under the class distinction that marked who was trained by
default and who wasnt.

In rare moments of distinction, of clarity of thought, Xander had to admit that it all felt
dangerously like a game to him.

Spells were clean, easy, and could be reversed for the most part.

That was a way of thought that Chayton had tried to hammer out of him, but had only
succeeded in opening them up just a crack to thoughts of a more serious nature. Enough
that Xander knew on one level that his trainer had been right, but not enough to really
change how Xander felt about it deep down.

Chayton had, of course, ferreted that little bit of information out of his skull in record
time.

Xander had been surprised when the older man just grunted and said that was to be
expected before moving on. When hed pressed him on it, Chayton had told him that
only when and if hed blooded himself on a real battlefield would he be rid of childish
thoughts.

That kind of chilled him, Xander could admit, and it kept sneaking back in and chilling
him again during odd times like this as he looked down at Malfoy Manor and the lake
beyond.

It took the soft chime of his Spell Phone to break the cycle of thought and shake him
from his reverie. Xander rolled over and pulled the phone from his pocket, flipping it
open in what he called kirk mode.

Yo. He said into the device, You got Xander.

Xander, its Harry.

Harrys voice sounded clearly through the device despite the fact that Xander wasnt
holding it to his ear.

Hey man, Xander responded, Whats up?

I think I need to get to Diagon Alley, but Im not sure how from here. Harry
confessed after a moments hesitation.

You ever use the knight bus? Xander asked.

I kind of thought that was for emergencies.

Well, it is if you dont use one of the approved stops. Xander filled in what Mrs
Malfoy had told him. When you flag them down randomly they have to use all sorts of
charms and stuff to stay hidden. Go to one of the bus stops and you can get a ride from
there.

Wheres the closest one, do you know?

Yeah its... Xander paused, thinking about it, You know what... Ill come down and
meet you, Ive got nothing to do anyway.

O... ok, thanks.

No problem, Xander said, smirking suddenly. Harris out.

Huh? Harry had time to say just before Xander flipped the Spell Phone shut.

Xander laughed all the way back down to the manor. He really got too much of a kick
out of his jokes, even in his own opinion.

****

Harry hadnt been waiting for more than a half hour when Xander came walking up
Privet Drive, dressed in jeans and a light denim sport jacket that Harry expected
concealed his wands.

Hey man, Xander said as he stopped by the roses Harry was just making some minor
trimming adjustments to. You ready?

Yeah, Harry said, putting his tools into a bag, Just making some improvements
while I waited. Ill drop this inside and be with you in a second.

Cool. Xander said, then waited for Harry to get back.

It only took a few seconds, and Harry jogged back from the house, joining Xander as
they started to walk back the way Xander had come.

The rents still giving you trouble? Xander asked as they moved.

Huh?

Rents, family, parents, whatever.

The Dursleys are NOT my parents. Harry growled.

Relax, man. Xander held up his hands, Its just slang. Whatever they are, are they
still giving you trouble?

Not like before, now its mostly the silent treatment, Harry said after a moment of
grudging silence. Which I can happily live with.

Cool. Xander nodded, so what are we going to Diagon for anyway?

I want to see if my parents left anything in their vaults. Harry admitted, or maybe if
theres something about my family, and this whole Mage Knight business.

Xander nodded, it made sense. Hed be curious as hell too, to be honest. You think
they did?

Sirius thinks its possible, but hes not sure. Harry said, A lot of the family stuff
could be in Potter Keep.

Keep? Like, as in Castle?

Harry nodded, Yeah. Though, I guess its literally a castle. Some old fortress used in
one war or another. Sirius said that my Mum hated the place, drafty she claimed. I
guess Sirius and my Dad thought she was barmy, but they didnt fight it too hard. Well,
Dad didnt anyway.

Xander chuckled, Yeah, like youd fight Hermione if she had herself set on
something.

Harry flushed, I... Me and Hermione... we arent...

Im not saying you are, Xander chuckled, But if you couldnt face her down, what
chance would your dad have with your Mom?

I guess. Harry said, suddenly a little glum. I cant help but wonder if maybe theyd
still be here if they had stayed in the Keep, though. I mean, its a fortress, right?

Xander shrugged, I dont know, but a fortress is designed to keep out an army, Harry.
Not one man.

Yeah, I guess.

They had arrived at the bus stop, and Xander led Harry into the warded section and
pressed his wand into a runic symbol to summon the bus.

Itll be along on its next pass through Surrey. He said by way of explanation.

Harry nodded, impressed. They should have pamphlets or something to explain this to
kids who werent raised in the Magical World.

I assumed they did. Xander shrugged.

I wasnt given any. Harry replied, I wonder if Hermione was?

Wouldnt she have told you?

Harry rolled his eyes, Not if she thought I already knew. I dont know if you noticed,
but Hermione rarely goes on about stuff everyone knows.

She does like proving just how much she can read, doesnt she? Xander asked with a
grin.

To everyone in earshot. Harry grinned back.

Over, and over, and over again. Xander laughed.

The two looked at each other, burst out laughing, and were almost bowled over in shock
when the Knight Bus arrived with a bang.

As they got themselves composed again, Harry and Xander looked at each other for a
brief moment, then grinned and climbed into the bus.

She must never hear us talk like that. Harry said.

Do I look suicidal to you?

*****

Diagon Alley was just as Harry remembered it, and he basked in the feeling of being
back even as he kept himself hidden behind Xander, so as to avoid any boy who lived
mobbings.

I always feel cramped coming through here, Xander said as they walked, glancing
around.

Huh? Why? This is awesome. Harry grinned, Its Diagon Alley.

Most places in europe feel cramped to me, so far anyway, Xander confessed. Streets
are bloody narrow, you know?

Harry shrugged, he guessed they were narrow compared to Privet Drive, but hed seen
it just as narrow around london once or twice.

Hogwarts is more open, but Hogsmead is almost as bad. And you dont want to get me
started on Witchs Alley in Toledo. Xander complained as they moved toward
Gringotts. Back home, Three Angels is like a national park compared to these places. I
mean that literally, I think they actually have a small national park inside Three
Angels.

Three Angels? Harry asked, curious about any other magical places.

Its the Magical District in Los Angeles, Xander explained, They warded off a few
city blocks, then used expansion charms on the whole place. I guess its actually several
times larger than LA inside, but I havent been able to really explore it yet.

Wicked.

Yeah, what Ive seen of it is pretty cool. Xander smirked, Wills, my best bud back
home, she was SO put out to find that they had a Starbucks there.

Harry blinked furiously, A muggle coffee shop, right? In a Wizarding area?

Money is money, Harry. Xander shrugged, Hell Im rich cause my uncle knew how
to market a potion I made through non magical channels. Theres really a lot of
crossover, if you know where to look.

I didnt know that. I thought they were completely separate, Harry admitted,
surprised.

It looks like that here, Xander admitted in return, So I can see why you think that
way. But we live so close together that its impossible to be perfectly separated.
Especially with non magical born witches and wizards coming in, and low magicals
going out.

Why?

Well, besides the whole culture thing, theres an exchange rate between magical and
non magical currency. Xander said, remembering one of his discussions with Gomez.
If the money can move back and forth, the people follow.

Oh.

I dont really understand it all, but my trainer back home was telling me about it a bit
cause he was considered for recruitment to the Secret Service a while back.

Your trainer was a spy?

Not that kind of secret service, Xander corrected, The United States Secret Service
has a magical branch.

Oh, the guys who protect your President, right? Harry had seen some movies in his
day, mostly at school, but sometimes peeking over Dudleys shoulder.

Yeah, but they dont just do that. Xander said, Theyre the money guys. They track
counterfeiters, and the Magical division are in charge of keeping wizards from
destroying our economies.

But... how?

Xander looked over at Harry, wide eyed. Even hed figured this one out without
prompting. Harry, dude... Mate... think about it. How easily could you rob a non
magical bank? Transfigure garbage into hundred dollar bills? Hell, did you know that
Nicholas Flamel is a wanted man in the Americas?

Harry blinked, Really? I thought he was a good guy.

He and the Secret Service guys had a difference of opinion over whether his making
Gold from Lead was a threat to the American Economy. Xander said dryly. They
take that crap real serious back home, I guess. My trainer, Chayton, he turned them
down because he doesnt like how they do things...

The duo was walking into gringotts by that point, but Harry was more interested in
what Xander was saying. Why?

They dont give quarter when dealing with magical fraud against non magical money,
Xander said, Chayton told me that, once, they destroyed an entire block of a city to
send a message to this Organized Crime Syndicate that was transfiguring perfect
hundred dollar bills. There were a lot of people in there that didnt know anything
about magic or the magical laws involved, and probably more than a few who didnt
have anything to do with the crime.

Thats horrible. Harry said in shock.

Xander nodded, Yeah. But the other side of the argument is that one wizard, left
unchecked, could tank an entire countrys economy, destroy millions of lives... without
hardly trying. And if that happens, the Magical economy will follow in a heartbeat.
Thats why Chayton told me, you dont fuck with the Money Guys.

Harry had paled a little thinking about it, but couldnt really grasp that any situation
could be that serious as to warrant that kind of response. Still seems wrong.

Im not arguing, Xander shrugged, But I guess every country has a group like that.
Here in Britain, I was told it was a group called The Unspeakables.

Wow. Harry shook his head, Thats just... wow.

Yeah. Xander said, then nodded ahead of them, Well were here. Youre up, mate.

Harry nodded, walking up to the counter.

Key. The Goblin growled.

Im sorry, Sir, I dont have it. Is there anyway to show who I am without it?

The Goblin snorted, gesturing to one side. Wait there, Ill send for an account identity
team.

Thank you, Sir.

The Goblin sneered at him and promptly ignored him as Harry and Xander shifted to
one side.

You may want to lose the Sirs, Please, and thank yous. Xander suggested.

I dont want to be impolite.

Respect is earned. Xander said, remembering what Gomez had told him a while back.
Goblins have no respect for you, or anyone else, until you earn it. Look around, does it
look like they respect politeness?

Harry had to admit that maybe Xander had a point. He had yet to see, or imagine, a
polite Goblin. All of the ones he was seeing were sneering, insulting, and generally
taking any opportunity they could to make the humans around them look, feel, or
somehow BE foolish.

Still, it didnt feel right to be sneering back. He didnt even do that to Malfoy.

But I dont want to act like Malfoy or someone, Harry said finally, I mean I really
dont want to.

Xander shrugged, maybe Harry was right. He didnt know much about the Goblins
himself, just what Gomez had told him, but the Addams Patriarch certainly hadnt
softened any of his words when dealing with them.

Up to you, I guess. Xander said finally.

Harry nodded, trying to figure out what he should do.

He was still thinking about it when the two Goblin team approached them from one of
the cooridors that led to the back of the Bank.

You the one who wants an identity check? The older looking one asked gruffly.

Thats correct, Harry replied, nodding as politely as he could while trying not to
sound like a suck up. It was the best compromise he could think of that might suit both
requirements he seemed to have been saddled with.

This way.

Can my friend come to? Harry asked, nodding to Xander.

Your account, your affairs.

Xander glanced at Harry who nodded, and the two of them followed the two Goblins
into the back. They were led into a room with a large ornate desk, upon which rested a
single feather quill and one sheet of parchment.

Identity checks require blood. The Goblin said gruffly, You dont like it, get out and
go get your key.

Xander and Harry glanced at each other, but Xander only shrugged in response to the
question in Harrys eyes.

Harry took a breath and nodded, Alright.

Sign your name on the line, then.

Harry frowned, puzzled, but nodded and picked up the quill. When he touched the nib
to parchment a feeling of metal digging into his skin surprised him into jerking his hand
up.

Ow! he blurted.

Never used a blood quill before, boy? The Goblin asked, his tone a little less harsh.
Theres no getting around it. Just grit your teeth and sign your name, doesnt feel
much worse than scratching yourself with a knife tip.

Harry looked at him, incredulous for a moment, but could detect no subterfuge in the
Goblins features. That may not mean much, he supposed, since they were so foreign as
to be difficult to read at all, but he just nodded and did as he was told.

A few sweeps of the quill later, Harry was nursing a bloody scratch on his hand and the
Goblin was filing the identity parchement in a large collapsible folder he had produced
from somewhere.

A moment later a glow from the folder made him nod.

All seems in order. Do you want your old key destroyed?

What? No! Harry blurted.

Oh? Where is it then?

Umm... Harry had to think, I guess Headmaster Dumbledor has it, or Molly
Weasley. He asked me to give it to her so she could do my shopping.

Harry smiled a little weakly, Im not supposed to run around Diagon Alley alone.

Likely wise advice, Mr Potter. Even so, it is a good idea to always have your key. I can
provide a duplicate, if you wish, but it will be charged to your account.

Harry was about to nod, but Xander broke in first.

How much? Xander asked, remembering the fee the goblins had tried to charge him
his first visit to a Goblin bank.

The old goblin smiled thinly, The fee is mandated by Gringotts agreement with the
Ministry, and is currently at two galleons.

Xander personally thought that sounded a little steep, but it wasnt obscene either. He
just shrugged when Harry looked at him.

Yes please, Id like a copy. Harry said quietly.

Very well. That will be just a few minutes. Is there anything else we can do for you?

I need to see my vaults, Harry said.

Ill have an escort arranged as soon as you have your key.

Thank you, I think thats everything.

Very good, Mr Potter. I hope your business with Gringotts will be profitable.

For us both, Harry said with a slight smile.

The Goblin looked at him in surprise for a moment, then nodded curtly and left.

****
Back to index
****

The trip down to the vaults took shockingly little time and left Xander whooping in
excitement from the ride.

Man! Disney has nothing on that! He grinned, slapping Harrys shoulder as they
jumped off the cart. Awesome.

I know, I love this place. Harry admitted with a grin, I could visit every day if it
werent for being stuck at the Dursleys.

Xander nodded, Tell me about it. Hoo man, that was cool.

The Goblin who had been their guide watched them bemusedly for a moment before
interjecting, Your family vault is here. Please remember, you may not take any money
from this vault. Family artifacts, such as books, pictures, and the like are acceptable
however.

Thank you, Griphook. Harry said, stepping closer to the vault. Same as last time?

The Goblin nodded, Yes, indeed.

Harry nodded and reached out to the vault, feeling the tingle he now knew to be magic
touching him in turn. With his key in hand the vault magic recognized him and the
doors obligingly snapped as the locks popped, and then swung slowly open on huge
wrought iron hinges. Harry swallowed as the size of the new vault was revealed.

Its huge.

Merely a mid sized vault, Mr Potter. Griphook offered from behind him, Suitable to
your family needs, but there are larger ones.

Amazing. Harry said with a awed smile.

He slowly stepped in, looking around, then happened to glance back. Do you want to
come in, Xander?

Only if its ok with you, man. Xander said, looking around from where he stood.
This is a big thing for you.

Yeah, it is. Harry nodded, But please, come on in. Im glad Ive got... a friend here.

Xander nodded and stepped in. To be honest he wasnt sure when he had started
thinking of Harry as a friend, instead of as Hermiones friend, but it had begun
sometime between their time in the Chamber of Secrets and this moment. Like Robert
had told him, bleeding on the same ground as someone, it had a way of forging bonds.

Inside the vault was packed to the proverbial rafters with everything and anything
Xander could imagine. He looked around quizzically, What is all this?

According to the ledger, Griphook offered from where he was standing by the door,
The last deposit here was made by Albus Dumbledore shortly after Mr Potters
parents were killed. I would imagine that these are the items that remained in their
home after the attack.

Harry paused by a box of plush toys, including a familiar golden ball with two floppy
wings. He laughed, tossing it up in the air, Born to be a seeker.

If you say so, mate. Xander chuckled, shaking his head as he checked out some of the
stuff. There wasnt much of interest to him, but then of course it wasnt his family. The
Potter coat of arms was on some of it, and also on a large plaque on the wall.

In Munis, Decus. He said, reading the first line. In Duty... Glory? Honor?

Whats that? Harry asked, looking over.

Potter Coat of Arms, Xander said, Three lines in Latin. In Munis, Decus. In Decus,
Vitae. In Vitae, Gaudi.

My latin is pretty rough, Harry said, embarrassed. Kinda stupid, huh? What with
all the spells we have to learn.

Most spells are latin-ish sounding, Xander shrugged, but if you want to read the old
books in here, youd better learn.

Do you know what it means?

Xander frowned, puzzling it out, In Duty, Honor. In Honor, Life. And in Life, Joy.

Harry looked puzzled, Sounds nice, I think.

Daphne told me that Potters were a service family, Xander said.

Were servants? Harry looked somewhat caught between disappointment and
curiosity. Hed spent his life as the indentured servant of the Dursleys, more of the
same wasnt what he wanted in a family legacy.

In a manner of speaking, Xander said, A Service family is a family with a tradition
of service.

Xander smirked at the dark look Harry shot him, Sorry. I mean a family of cops, or
soldiers, or in your case Knights and Aurors.

Oh. Harry blinked. That didnt sound so bad. Then he blinked as Xanders words
caught up to him, Daphne told you about my family? Greengrass??

Yeah, she knows a lot about you inbred... ahem, sorry, pureblood folk. Xander
grinned.

Watch it, you. Even I know enough about America to make redneck jokes, Harry
smirked back.

Xander laughed, but nodded, Fair enough. Anyway, yeah, it looks like she was right. A
motto like that is the sort of thing you see in families that take service seriously.

Harry nodded, thinking about how his family would have acquired a motto like that as
he looked at the coat of arms. It was an image of silver armor flanked by flowing red,
with a golden hippocampus astride it. An unusual combination, he thought, but then
what did he know, really? His fingers brushed it as he memorized the design, trying to
connect to it and to his lost family.

Got some books over here, Xander said, Looks pretty new, though. Nothing about
the Mage Knight business.

Harry shook himself and looked over, Ok, thanks.

He was moving to check out a large wardrobe when Xander let out a loud whistle.

What? He asked, turning around.

Looks like we dont have to get you a blank journal, dude. Xander said, holding up a
leather bound book. One original edition of the Coven Grimoire, right here.

Harry moved over quickly, taking the book with a reverence. My mum wrote this?

She helped. Xander said softly. She left an imprint in it too, I mean... its not like
actually talking to her or anything, but...

Harry nodded, swallowing hard. I understand.

He clutched the book to him as they searched the rest of the vault as quickly as they
could, but came up empty on any books much older than fifty years ago. Certainly there
was nothing present on the Mage Knight.

Harry sighed, I guess we should go.

Xander nodded, Alright.

The two headed out, walking past Griphook who silently watched them before he closed
and sealed the vault. The ride up was slower, the two teens silent as they considered
their respective pasts and futures. Harry clutched the grimoire to his chest the whole
way.

****

Some quick shopping was furtively done in the Alley, then Xander rode the bus with
Harry to the Surrey Stop where Harry got off, then Xander continued on until it
reached Garth Calyn in Wales, where the Malfoy Manor was located.

Narcissa was alone in the house when he got back, and she just looked up curiously
when he sat down. Did things go well?

Yeah. Xander nodded.

And they had, he decided. It had been an emotional day, even for him as a bystander,
but he thought that things had gone pretty well.

Good. Narcissa replied, Well be going to Paris in the morning.

Xander nodded, remembering that. Dress robes, right?

Correct.

Will Mr Malfoy be joining us? Xander asked. He didnt exactly dislike the man, but
his presence made him uncomfortable.

No. Clothes shopping for others is beneath my husband, Narcissa smiled slightly,
For himself, well thats another story.

Xander rolled his eyes, thinking of the fancy robes Lucius Malfoy preferred. If the guy
didnt have a wife and son, Xander figured he could make so many jokes about it.

He glanced up, a thought striking him, You know. Harrys going to need dress robes
too.

Of course, I expect that Dumbledore will... She paused, looking at him askance, Are
you serious?

No, hes in Sunnydale, Xander smirked.

Narcissa rolled her eyes and shot him a dark look, Do NOT begin with those infernal
jokes. We had to beat them out of Sirius, dont make me do the same to you.

Xander grimaced, No serious jokes, got it.

Now, you can not be seriously considering inviting Harry Potter to leave the country
with my Son. Narcissa shook her head, Im hardly interested in losing a son, or being
thrown in Azkaban for the death of the Boy Who Lived.

Theyre not that bad, Xander laughed, But youre probably right. It was just an
idea.

Narcissa nodded, then sighed, And not a bad one I suppose. Mr Potter will require
decent robes as Regent Black, not whatever they pull off the rack for him. Do you
believe he would trust me?

Xander hesitated. Would Harry trust her? He didnt know, and all he could do was
shrug and say as much.

We can ask, though. He added after a moment.

Narcissa nodded, considering.

Very well, contact him if you would. She instructed. If he is interested, we leave
early. It will be a long day.

Alright. Xander said, getting out his Spell Phone.

****

We have not seen this title in a very long time.

No, your Majesty. The last recorded Mage Knight was Charlus Potter, he was
Knighted by your Grandfather...

Yes, we do recall. The older woman said softly, remembering when her father had
introduced her to the man he called the realms Mage Knight.

Uh... Yes, Maam. The archivist was confused, since the man in question had been
knighted before she was born, but let it go.

That will be all, thank you John.

Yes Maam. He bowed his head and carefully turned to leave.

The Queen ignored him after acknowledging his exit, her eyes distant as she thought
about things that had long been beyond her purview.

Well, young Mr Potter, She said as she looked at the file photo that showed a
particularly scrawny child digging in flower beds outside a common little suburban
home. Are you your familys son then?

We shall see.

****

Harry sat in his small room, ignoring the sounds of the TV from below him. Xanders
recent call and invitation was, well he wasnt sure what it was. Leave the country with
Draco??

Harry liked Xander, and sort of trusted him, but that was really pushing it. Still,
Xander had made it clear that it was entirely optional and really didnt have any
bearing on anything else, it was just a chance to get some robes from a good tailor.

Kinda weird, Harry thought. Wasnt Madam Malkins good enough?

Hed told Xander he needed a little while to think about it. Now he was just staring at
two objects on his makeshift writing desk.

One was Xanders spell phone, a stupidly (yet unfortunately catchy) named device
that worked like muggle cell phones apparently. Of course you needed to be a Runes
master to use one of the stupid things. It had taken Harry dozens of tries to get the dials
right when he wanted to call Hermione or Sirius, frankly it was getting to be
embarrasing. He was just glad no one was around to watch him fumble with the stupid
thing.

Maybe he could get Xander to put in some kind of speed dial?

Harry frowned curiously, then pulled out one of his charms books. It took a few minutes
of flipping through it, but he found what he was looking for. A memory charm would
help, he thought, especially if he could figure out how to link it to something.

He found what he was looking for and hesitated a moment before taking out his wand.
Time to put Mrs Malfoys word to the test, he supposed. He flicked his wand carefully
according to the notes on the charm, adding his own twist to the incantation.

Memorius Hermione. he said softly.

The Spell Phone glowed for a moment, then everything went back to normal. Harry
picked it up and checked it all out carefully, then shrugged. One way to know, he
decided as he scrambled the dials randomly.

Hermione. He said into the open phone, smiling in glee as the dials spun wildly
around and stopped on Hermiones combination. He tagged the center button and
waited.

After a moment a familiar voice came through the speakers, Yes?

Hey Hermione, its just me. I was playing with the Spell phone and wanted to make
sure I hadnt broken it. Harry said, feeling pretty happy with himself.

What? Harry James Potter! Hermione growled, Dont you dare break Xanders
gift!

I didnt, I just wanted to see if I could get a memory spell to work on it. Harry
defended himself, It does. Now I have a speed dial to your number.

Really? Hermione instantly shifted to curious, Which spell?

Memorius. Harry said, I had to combine it with a command word charm, though.
The only problem is I dont think we can put more than one of these on at a time, so its
not really useful.

Dont worry about that, Hermione said, Just write down what youre doing, so that
we can try and improve it later. Honestly, Harry, how do you think Xander made these
in the first place? He didnt come up with them in one shot, you know.

Ok, ok, Harry chuckled, Anyway I have to go. I want to read the Grimoire a bit
before bed.

Grim... Xander gave you his book!?

No, this one was Mums copy. We found it in my parents vault at Gringotts.

Oh Harry... Ok, well have a good night. Hermione said after a pause. Call me if you
need to talk.

Thanks. Harry said, feeling a bit at a loss for how to say goodby, then he remembered
Xander and finished with, Potter out.

Hermiones shriek of outrage startled him so badly he dropped the phone where it
snapped shut and cut off the sound. Harry stared at it, wide eyed and fearful.

What was that about?? He blinked, then jumped again as the phone buzzed quietly.
He reached for it, then thought twice. Whatever it was he was going to get yelled at if he
answered it. After some thought Harry nudged it under his book bag with one foot and
did his best to ignore the buzzing.

****

The Grimoire of the Coven was a more advanced piece of magic than its creators truly
understood. Made, as it had been, but three brilliant but young witches, and altered by
the work of a talented and powerful young wizard, its magic had always been a little
unpredictable even to the four who took part in its creation.

For someone like Harry, who had no knowledge of the book and its creation, it was a
marvel to behold. He didnt, however, realize that what he was seeing as just a bit out of
the ordinary. To him, it was just magic.

When he entered his name in the book the pages went blank, startling him for a
moment.

Did I break it? Harry asked himself, panicking. This book was his only link to his
mother, other than dear aunt petunia, and the thought of losing it sent a cold chill
through his heart. He stared at the blank pages for long moments until they started to
show text again.

Harry?

Harry stared, not knowing what he should do. Was it really talking to him?

Harry, is that really you?

He lifted his quill, his hand shaking as it touched the nib to parchment.

W- who are you? Is this Mrs Malfoy?

There was a long pause, then the text began to flow again in an elegant cursive.

No, Harry. This is your mother. I am... I was, Lilly Evans Potter.

Harry stared at the book for a long moment, frozen in shock. He shook his head. It
couldnt be, the last book hed seen like this was...

Harry? Are you still there?

Harry started, finally moving, and threw the book across the room as he kicked back
from the chair and fell to the floor.

Boy! Cut out that noise!! His Uncle thundered from down the hall.

Harry ignored him, but didnt make any more noise as he huddled in the corner of the
room and stared at the book across from him. Tom Riddles diary had talked just like
that, was it something commonly used in the Magical World? Hed been under the
impression that Riddles diary was dark magic.

Did his Mum do the same?

Harry didnt know what to think. He only knew one thing for sure, and that was that he
had to find out. And there was only one way to do that.

His hands were shaking when he picked up the spell phone and he almost couldnt
remember the pattern for Xanders phone, but he finally got it entered and hit the talk
button.

Xander? He said into the device when the voice came back. Im in. Ill be ready to go
in the morning.

****

Across the world from where Harry was wrestling with worries over his family and
newly minted friends, Sirius Black was wrestling with a problem of a different sort.

Stupid wrench! He muttered, barking his knuckles as the offending tool slipped
again. Ow!

Youre using a standard wrench on an metric nut, Black. Here, Simon Brentsmith
said, tossing another wrench over to him.

Simon was one of the four men hired by Mrs Harris to run the Junkyard Alexander had
bought. Sirius caught the wrench and nodded his thanks, then turned back to the
shovelhead engine he was working on.

He wished he had his old triumph, or at least a similar model to work on but hed been
told that finding parts for something like that would be tough in California, not to
mention expensive. Hed settled for an old Harley frame that had been rusting in the
junkyard, set it good as new with a quick reparation charm and some careful
transfiguration.

Rust to steel was pretty easy, and simple enough to make permanent as well, so in a few
minutes he had a showroom perfect frame to start with. When the four squibs working
there had seen how quickly and easily that had been done, theyd spent little time
offering him anything he wanted in the yard if he could fix up some old parts for them
on the side.

He didnt need the deal, really, but it gave him something to do while waiting for news
from England and Harry, and also a reason to hang around Sunnydale.

Who would have thought hed have taken a liking to a place like the Hellmouth?

Alexanders friend, Willow, reminded him a lot of Lilly back in their early years. All
about the rules and the books, scared to death of the world but too damned stubborn to
admit it even to herself. Sirius hated to admit it, but hed taken a liking to the girl, and
one some level it felt more natural to deal with her than people his own age.

Partly, he suspected, that was due to having basically lost so many years to Azkaban
and its Dementors. Of course, there was also the fact that the was Padfoot, the
Marauder. Growing up was never in his playbook.

So he fixed old parts for the junkyard, helping them widen their profit margins, and
occasionally taught a young witch about magic while working on a bike to replace his
triumph.

I wonder what happened to that old lovely, anyway? He wondered as he worked. He
hoped Hagrid had taken care of it, but realistically he supposed it was more likely a
rusted out pile of bolts by now.

The Harley he was working on would be a reasonable replacement, though. Charming
an old combustion engine to work on magic was simple enough. The Cylinders were
designed to contain and harness an explosion, which was simple enough to replicate
with some runes and charms. One rune for fire in each of the cylinders, powered by an
area absorption charm. It would take a while to charge up in most places, but here the
magic was almost as pervasive as Hogwarts.

After that it was just a matter of deciding how to make the flight systems work, since
just about everything else followed logically from the muggle design.

Flight, of course, was a different story. Sirius had two basic options for that. First, he
could go with the supercharged broomstick charms he had used originally when making
his old Triumph. They were a little sluggish compared to racing brooms, but responded
practically to the thoughts and desires of the rider. Marvelous bits of magical design,
Sirius had always thought.

The second option was one he and James had toyed with in their later years, just before
Harry had been born. It was a matter of charming the tires on the bike to conjure
their own road surface underneath themselves as they drove. The advantage here was
that the bike could be made the accelerate much faster than either its muggle
counterpart or even the fastest broomstick, and the top end was really quite high.

Maneuverability, however, would suffer as the driver would have to physically
manhandle the vehicle around in order to get it going where he wanted it to. Not as
useful for city driving, but the ability to hit several hundred miles an hour in the open
sky was tempting.

He was going to leave it until last, however, as he still had some work to do before it was
ready to take any sort of charms.

****

While Sirius worked, he was unaware that he had acquired a couple watchers in the
distance.

The Lord Black, reduced to being a Greasemonkey.

Dont be a child, Amelia. He does that because he chooses to, he enjoys it, The Lady
Lavelle said sternly. And that attitude will get you nothing.

I am not particularly fond of the Familys desire in this matter, Aunt. The attractive
blond said, sniffing disdainfully at the air of the old junkyard.

Do you wish to turn it down? I can locate another...

No. Amelia said, closing her eyes, No, I will do it. I just am not fond of this. Why
cant he act like a proper man of his station.

Other than the thirteen years in wizarding prison, you mean?

Yes. Other than that.

The Lady Lavelle shook her head slightly, wondering again if this was the right choice.
She probably should have pushed a little harder for a more reasonable selection to be
presented, but Amelia was one of the more promising of the Lavelle daughters yet
single and in the appropriate age.

Just remember, if you fail, do not mention the family. The Matriarch ordered sternly.
Else I will make you regret it.

Fail? Amelia sniffed, amused. Hes a man, isnt he? I hardly think that will be
likely.

The Lady Lavelle just sighed as her niece moved away, obviously setting her plans in
her mind already.

****
Back to index
****

Why are we here, Mother? Draco asked, whined in Xanders opinion, for the ninth
time since they left Malfoy Manor. We could have portkeyed from home.

I am aware of how a port key works, Draco. Narcissa said, her voice chilly. We are
meeting someone.

The trio stepped out of Diagon Alley, into the filthy street that covered its entrance
from the non magical side of things. Draco sneered in disgust at the filth under his feet.

Dirty muggles. This side of the alley is always so filthy.

Xander rolled his eyes, Thats because non magicals cant see through the wards
protecting the alley.

What? Dracos head jerked up.

Hes right, Draco. Narcissa said, sighing. The ministry blocked this section of the
street with anti-muggle wards. They cant see anything here, so their cleaning people
skip by.

Well why doesnt the ministry clean it, then?

Probably because they think its not their job and the non magicals should do it.
Xander snorted.

That doesnt make any sense. Draco muttered.

Like anything magical makes sense. Xander muttered back.

What?

Nothing.

Narcissa ignored the byplay, privately thinking that the Ministry likely had a different
reason than the simple ineptitude Alexander believed. Why clean this street when real
wizards rarely used it? It was for Muggle Borns, after all. By its association, the street
was as dirty as those who used it.

As an added bonus, young purebloods like Draco, who knew nothing of the muggle
world, had this as their first impression of it.

Idly, she wondered if it was as deliberate as she imagined and, if so, who first came up
with the idea? It was a spectacular bit of subtle propaganda that served the dual
purpose of alienating muggle parents who came here with their children and walked
away with this grime soaked street as fully half their memory of the Magical world.

Why would any come back?

It would have taken a truly brilliant mind to plan it all out, if it were intentional.
Narcissa was pondering whether to check the Journals of House Black to see if there
was any reference to it within them when a skinny figure in muggle clothing
approached.

Hello.

Hey Harry.

Potter. What are you doing here, scarhead?

Draco. Narcissas voice could have cut steel, and all three of the young boys flinched
away from her as she unconsciously leached a little of her magic into her tone. I will
not tolerate that level of common gutter talk in public.

Draco blanched even whiter than normal, trying to find a way out of this without
looking weak in front of Potter, but finally just grimaced. Sorry, Mother.

Apologize to Mr Potter.

What!? Mum!

Now.

Dracos face screwed up in anger and humiliation as he looked anywhere but at his
mother or Potter, until finally he let out an angry sigh. I extend my most sincere
apologies, Mr Potter.

Harry, for his part, looked caught between satisfied smugness and shock at that turn of
events. He was therefore unprepared when Narcissa turned on him.

Well, Mr Potter? She demanded icily.

Uh... what? He blinked.

Narcissa let out a long, suffering, sigh. Raised by those muggles, I suppose I can not
expect you to know anything of value. However, when you are offered an apology from
a peer of equitable rank, you should either accept it in the form it was given... or be
prepared to engage in a duel of honor.

Xander had to smother a snort at the look on both faces when she dropped that bomb,
and sidled up to Harry so he could whisper quick instructions.

Uh... I accept your apology, Mr Malfoy. Harry stammered out, and meant no
discourtesy in my hesitation.

Acceptable. Narcissa pronounced, eyeing Xander before looking back at Harry,
However, by rights you should have addressed Draco by first name. You are Mr
Potter, the eldest male of your house. Lucius is Mr Malfoy, his Son is Draco.

Sorry.

No need, Mr Potter. Your response was merely more respectful than was required,
though you should be careful, She said, In some circumstances that could be
interpreted as a threat against Lucius, or the implication that Dracos father is not fit to
lead his house.

Narcissa then stabbed Harry with an intense stare, And I assure you that, whatever
problems exist between you and my husband, he is MOST capable of leading his
house.

Harry gulped hard and nodded.

Very well, are you prepared? She asked, her tone and manner shifting like the wind.

Uh. Yes maam.

Good. Everyone step closer, its time to go.

Wait! Draco just blurted, suddenly realizing that running into Harry wasnt some
bizarre accident. Hes coming with us??

Yes. Mr Potter is in need of dress robes for the coming year, She said, looking down
her nose at her son, eyes daring him to challenge her. As such, we are going to extend a
hand to him in aid. Do you have issue with my decision?

Dracos face clearly said YES, but his mouth mumbled, no.

Good. Step closer and take a hold of this, Narcissa said, holding out a long thin stick.
When each had grasped it she uttered the activation word, and the portkey swept them
away.

****

The Rue De Magie in Paris was perhaps simply named, but its splendor made Diagon
Alley look like some back country road in hicksville by comparison. Xander was
shocked by the startling architecture and presence the narrow street offered. Three
Angels in LA was immense, like a living world of its own, but the character of this
place challenged anything hed seen.

Wow. Harry whispered, swallowing.

Draco put on a bored look and gave Harry a haughty glance, So easily impressed,
Potter?

I dont know about Harry, but I am. Xander admitted.

The buildings seemed taller than they should be, with graceful gothic designs that were
gilded in what seemed to be gold. The light of the morning sun sparkled off the glass
and gold as throngs of people moved about their daily lives.

Careful. Narcissa grasped them all and pulled them aside as a group of people
marched past, barely giving them a glance.

Who was that? Harry asked, sneaking a glance behind.

Lycans. Draco sneered. Disgusting...

Draco. Narcissa cut him off.

Yeah, man. Xander said, a little pale. If I remember my history right, Paris is their
city. Dont pick a fight, please.

Lycans? Harry whispered, Like Professor Lupin?

Not quite, but close, yes. Narcissa said as she ushered them along. Remus is of a
somewhat different class, you might say. He hasnt completed a full transformation to
Lycan. Some never do.

Lycans are considered primals more than werewolves, Xander said, remembering his
studies. They held Paris and a few outlying areas against Grindlewald back in the
forties, drove his Vampires out. Wizards never got control of the city back, really.

Very good, Mr Harris. This way now, Narcissa said as they moved through the
crowd. In reality, there are as many lycanthropes as there are human cultures, so
were not sure if the species is even the same as Remus is, Mr Potter.

Oh.

Many magical creatures are of a similar vein, She went on as they walked, There are
many different species of Vampire, for example. At least one for every human culture
Im aware of, though not all are of human form. Scholars have spent lifetimes
speculating on how and why such things are. Ah, here we are.

They stopped outside of a, relatively, unassuming shop and Narcissa ushered them
inside. Once the door closed, she looked up and smiled at the man awaiting them inside.

Bernard, cest ci bon du tu voir. She said.

The man bowed slightly from the hip and smiled back, Welcome to my humble shop,
Vanity. It is a pleasure, as always.

Narcissa rolled her eyes slightly at the nickname, but said nothing about it. The
pleasure is mine, Bernard. Where else would I possibly get such clothes as you
provide?

Nowhere in the world that I am aware, Madam. He returned, then settled on a genial
yet serious face. So, dress robes for the young masters then?

Yes, Bernard. You know my son, Draco of course. Narcissa said, nodding to Draco.

Welcome once more, young Dragon.

Draco smiled slightly, his eyes just barely keeping from rolling as his mothers had.
Hello, Bernard.

This is Alexander Harris, from the Americas. Narcissa continued, And Mr Harry
James Potter.

Bernard paused in mid motion, eyes flicking to Harry, then he carefully returned to
setting out his tools. Indeed. It is an honor, to meet you both.

Thank you sir. Harry said, sounding nervous.

Hey. Xander just smiled crookedly and leaned on the counter.

Hmm... Basic black, I believe, for all of them? Bernard said, sizing them up carefully.
Silver trim for the young dragon, is he still enamored with that Slytherin fellow?

Draco flushed, but Narcissa just smiled and nodded.

Yes.

Well, perhaps a midnight green then, instead. The tailor suggested, So dark as to be
black, except in the right light.

That sounds perfect.

As for Mr Potter... The tailor considered, Silver spun acromantula silk, dyed deepest
black. It will glimmer like stars on a clear night in low light, but appear black as the
void in daylight or normal room lighting.

Excellent. Perhaps something golden, as well? Mr Potter is a Gryffindor.

Of course. Gold trim, 24 carat?

Perfect. She replied, Mr Potter will also require full head of house charms.

Bernards eyebrows jumped up, Indeed? It will be done. Now, for Alexander?

Narcissa and the Tailor turned their eye to Xander, who shifted nervously.

He is a Hogwarts student?

Yes, Slytherin.

Bernard leaned in to Narcissa, whispering a question, to which she shook her head
slightly. He nodded and leaned back, looking again to Xander.

Very well. Silver spun acromantula silk, as with Mr Potter, but with sterling silver
trim. he said, clasping his hands. Come then, its time to get your measurements.

****

Sirius Black wondered what his godson was doing as he settled into the corner booth of
the dark bar, a mug of Guinness in front of him. It had been a long time since hed been
able to relax with a good beer, and after a sip of the brew in front of him he supposed it
would be some time more before he had that luxury. Still, the chilled beer was better
than hed had in about 14 years, so it would do.

The work on his new bike was going well, hed elected to go with the old classic charms
for flight. Those would take him several weeks to finish and charge, but he wanted the
maneuvering ability rather than raw speed. The rest of the bikes charms would take
the better part of an additional month to complete, since many of them were fairly
complex to cast.

From notice me not charms to spacial effect charms, the bike would take several dozen
forms and variations of common spells in order to properly operate without calling all
sorts of attention to it. Hed even have to add wizard specific charms, which were
insanely complicated to cast, simply because in nations like Britain the bike was going to
be massively illegal or so hed been informed.

Back in his day the muggle artifact laws hadnt been nearly as strict. Mostly they just
applied to muggled *owned* items, specifically to keep idiots from charming some poor
muggles car or teapot or whatever for a gag. Today, hed been informed that the laws
had been expanded to cover pretty much anything in common use in the muggle world.

All in all it was bloody well insane, in Sirius opinion. He was no expert on Muggles,
hed be the first to admit that, but he did know that muggles had massive
manufacturing capability, which Wizards did not. The laws even recognized that fact,
Sirius knew. Simple wizarding trunks were muggle manufactured and charmed later,
and were somehow exempt from the laws.

The way things were leaning, Sirius thought they were going to destroy the society they
were supposed to be protecting. Without access to muggle artifacts theyd have to rely
on wizards to manufacture every little thing they needed, or wanted, for their daily
lives. That drove the prices up until lower income families couldnt afford the basic
comforts that all but the very poorest of muggles took for granted.

The Lord Black in Exile brooded quietly in his beer as his thoughts turned back to
home, a home that seemed to be tearing itself apart.

****

Amelia watched silently as the object of her attention descended into a darker mood
than when he entered, and decided not to approach just then. She did wonder what he
was thinking about, however.

Given what she knew about him, she supposed it had to be about his home and family.
He was in exile, mostly cut off from the power and influence.

She silently finished her drink and left the dank bar, electing to make her approach
another time.

****

The whirling of the portkey dropped the three children and their adult minder in the
alley outside the Leaky Cauldron. The daylight was fading quickly, and Narcissa turned
to Harry when they had all recovered.

Are you alright to get home from here?

He nodded, Yes, thank you. Now that I know how to use the knight bus I can get
around alright.

She nodded, Your final robes will be ready in a few days, theyll be owled to you then.

Harry nodded again, then half smiled, Itll be interesting to get mail from someone
other than my friends.

Narcissa blinked, Excuse me?

Ive never got any mail from anyone else before.

Xander and Draco exchanged confused looks before they broke in.

Wait, you never get any mail? Draco blinked.

Just from my friends, and my Hogwarts letter of course. Harry said, then scowled,
And from the ministry last year.

Harry, man. Xander shook his head, Youre famous. My best friend back in Cali
knows your story, and youre telling me you *never* get mail from boy who lived
fans??

Harry grimaced, but shook his head.

Owl wards? Draco asked his mother.

Redirects, obviously. She nodded, otherwise the news would have broken that he
was out of contact. This complicates things slightly.

You think my mail has been tampered with?

Yeah, Id say so. Xander said dryly. Im pretty sure Wills sent you a card last year
for your birthday.

But whats happened to it then?

Has to be redirect wards, Narcissa replied, Which means that it was sent somewhere
else. Possibly to be destroyed, probably stored. I would guess that the Headmaster
would know where, since only he could have manipulated the blood wards you live
under.

Great. Harry looked put out. Now I need to find out about that. What do I do about
the robes?

Ill contact Bernard and have him send them to me, Narcissa offered until she saw
Harrys face twitch. Or perhaps you wouldnt be comfortable with that?

No offense, maam. Harry said hurriedly. But...

None taken, She assured him. I can understand, given your previous experiences
with my husband and son.

Draco snorted, I dont know about father, but Im sure I couldnt resist adding
something to them if I had the chance.

Harry and Xander looked at Draco in surprise, then Xander broke out laughing.

You know, Id probably charm them with some pranks myself. He admitted.

Harry grimaced a bit, then snorted and grinned, Yeah I think Id like another option.

Owl them to Hermione, Xander suggested, still grinning. Shed curse anyone who
tried to prank you.

Harry nodded, grinning. That will do, thanks.

Very well, Ill relay the instructions. Narcissa promised. Now, you should get along
home. There are busy days ahead.

Harry nodded, but didnt move. I... I have some questions about my Mums book,
maam.

Narcissa glanced over at Xander, who nodded.

He found it in his parents vault.

I see. Is it important, Mr Potter? Narcissa asked, acutely aware of the intense
curiosity showing on her sons face.

I... I think so, yes. Harry admitted hesitantly. Its just, my Mum... she recognized
me.

That froze Narcissa in place. That just shouldnt be possible, but it was something shed
noticed herself when watching Lilly and Sirius argue his innocence over the last year.

I cant explain it, Mr Potter. She admitted, but I too have noticed strange effects
with the book.

Its just that, two years ago...

Xander immediately recognize where Harry was going, Mold in his shorts book. Yeah,
I had the same thought that year.

Pardon me? Narcissas eyebrow rose, even as Draco paled.

Tom Riddle, Xander explained, You know, that Dark Lord dude. Whats his name
again?

Voldemort. Harry said dryly.

Both Draco and Narcissa flinched at the name.

You shouldnt say his name so easily, Mr Potter, Narcissa said softly.

Why? Its just a name, right? Being afraid of it just gives him more power.

Narcissa sighed, Yes that is true today. It wasnt always the case, however. At the
height of his power, the Dark Lord had managed to recreate one of the most powerful of
spells Ive ever seen. Today the ministry calls it Taboo. It affects one word, and only one
word within its range. Anyone who says that word basically invites properly charmed
individuals to their location, no matter how protected. When someone said his name
back then, it was often their final word.

Oh. Harry blinked, But... why didnt anyone just say so? It explains a lot about the
Wizarding world that made no sense to me before.

Few people know of it, to be honest, Mr Potter. The Ministry kept it secret and moved
the rune stones to the department of mysteries. The spell is still active, though I dont
know if they use the same word now.

Why leave it active? Xander blinked.

So that no one could cast it again. Only one word can be used over its area of effect,
Narcissa repeated herself, So that spell can not be cast again within all of Great
Britain.

Huh. Harry said thoughtfully. It explained a lot about the people hed met in the
Wizarding world. They werent cowardly or afraid of a name, they were actively
avoiding very real death. Still, that was another issue, this was about the book. Ok.
Thats good to know, maam. But about the book...

The Grimoire uses no dark magics, Narcissa said, frowning. The imprints left are
based on the protean charm, very similar to what was used in magical portraits. I too
have seen strange effects in my copy, however, so I understand your concerns.

Harry looked down, realizing that the expert on the book didnt have the answers he
needed.

If it means anything, Harry, Xander said, The book scared me too, this past year. I
was thinking the same thing you are, but you know Ive been using it for years and I
havent had any urges to run around siccing huge honking snakes on innocent kids.

Harry glanced over at Xander and smiled hesitantly at the statement. He nodded in
thanks, Alright. I guess Ill have to see what they have to say.

Xander shrugged, while Narcissa frowned thoughtfully.

I promise you, Mr Potter, that we used nothing dark or dangerous when we made that
book. That said, it is not behaving as it should. I dont know why it is acting the way it
is. She said, So do take care, however I dont believe it to be dangerous.

Harry nodded again. Thank you, maam.

He turned to Xander and Draco, Ill see you later then, Xan. And goodbye, Draco.

Draco nodded in return as Xander grinned, Catch you soon, mate.

Right. Harry grinned as he turned and walked out of the alley.

Narcissa watched him leave for a moment, then nodded to the two boys with her. Very
well then. Lets go home.

Draco nodded thoughtfully, thinking on what hed heard and trying to piece it all
together. He didnt know what his mothers connection to Potter, or Potters mother
was, but it seemed like something he should figure out.

****
Back to index
****

Xander sat up on the hill over the Manor, his guitar in his arms. He tuned it slowly,
thinking about what hed seen over the past few days. Hed never identified himself as a
thinker or studier, they werent part of his self image, but since hed learned about
magic his old way of thinking was completely out the window.

How could he do any different, though?

Magic was everything hed ever dreamed about as a kid. As a Wizard he was the closest
thing to everything he ever wanted to be that he could possibly be. A Superhero. A Jedi.
Everything hed ever idolized while wasting his youth in the theaters and in front of the
tube.

Everyone who knew him was surprised by how he had focused on his school work, how
far ahead he worked. His mother and father were quietly stunned, though they thought
they were hiding it from him. Willow slipped once in a while too. She was happy he was
studying, of course, but now and then she slipped and admitted how shocked she was by
his knowledge.

Xander knew that she was a little worried, his Wills had always been insecure and he
knew she was worried that she was falling behind him. He was glad that Sirius was
willing to tutor her, cause Willow deserved better than to be left behind because her dad
was too closed minded to realize that she had more potential than anyone had even
begun to realize about her.

For him, though, what else could he do but throw himself into magic like hed found
Nirvana?

Xander started to pluck at the guitar, the tune flowing out was a light and airy sound
that brought a smile to his face as he started to gain confidence in his finger motions. It
had been a long time since he practiced, and hed never been all that good to begin with,
but while he didnt know music he did know the chords.

Thats an interesting tune.

Xander paused, jolting a little as he noticed Narcissa approach from behind him. Hey.
You gave me a start there.

She shrugged, but didnt apologize as she glanced at his guitar. I dont believe Ive
seen an instrument quite like that.

This? Its just a guitar. Xander frowned, puzzled.

Id gathered that much, but its far larger than most Ive seen.

Just a normal two hundred dollar acoustic guitar, Xander admitted. Never seen a
magical one.

Narcissa nodded, I think they use compression charms to make them smaller.

Probably, Xander said, glancing down at the instrument in his hand. You know, I
bet you could make a great sounding guitar with wizarding space charms inside to give
you a fuller sound.

Likely what they do. Narcissa said as she looked out over the manor from where she
was standing. What tune were you playing?

No tune, not really. Xander said.

Seemed like one to me.

It was a Wingardium charm. He admitted after a moment.

Narcissa looked at him sharply, Excuse me?

The Arthimantic breakdown of a Wingardium, Xander said, Most spells seem to be
in a three meter beat, it applies itself to being played.

Really? I hadnt known that. Does the magic of the spell break through?

I dont think so, Xander admitted after a moments thought, But I hadnt thought
about it either. I guess it doesnt matter, though. Who needs to cast a spell through a
guitar?

Might come in useful for compulsion charms, Narcissa mused, charming a crowd,
for example.

Xander looked at her in surprise, You are one sneaky lady.

I was a Slytherin, Alexander. She replied with a smile.

He had to give her that, and gave some serious thought to what she was suggesting.
Other than the moral implications he could see at least one realistic issue with the
concept.

The guitar makes a poor focus, He said after a moment, I think... I think youd have
to have a lot of power to make it work. Enough that it would be kind of useless.

Pity.

Of course, theres also the possibility of talent. Xander said a moment later.

Oh?

Someone whos magical strengths lie somehow in music or creativity, Xander guessed
aloud, Actually, that might explain why some of the best musicians can affect crowds
so powerfully.

Interesting idea. Narcissa smiled. It had been years since shed had conversations like
this, just over fifteen years to be precise.

Yeah. Xander said, letting his guitar hang from its strap as he got up and fished out
a notebook and ballpoint pen. He quickly jotted down a note before putting the pad
away.

Narcissa just looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

Just making a note to check the beat of some popular songs, Xander said, to see if
they match the arithmantic formula of any charms.

Muggleborns. Narcissa smiled, then corrected herself, Or, in your case, Muggle
raised.

Whats that got to do with anything?

Lilly was much like you are. Narcissa said, waving her hand airily, Oh, she was
more intelligent... dont take that badly, Lilly was remarkable in that way...

Xander smiled crookedly, I know the type.

Yes, you do dont you? Narcissa asked rhetorically. You have a better imagination
than she did, however, and a work ethic easily on par with hers... and you are intelligent
enough to borrow the genius of others. Those attributes will serve you well.

Xander nodded thoughtfully.

At any rate, I came up here to tell you that the ceremony has been scheduled.
Narcissa said, Given the seriousness of the situation, were going tomorrow.

Xander blinked, That fast?

It seems that people on the Muggle side are interested in young Mr Potter.

Xander nodded slowly, Well. Thats par for the course when were talking about
Harry.

Narcissa spared him a slight smiled, Perhaps. Let him know, if you please?

Xander nodded, pulling out his spell phone. Got it.

Thank you. She said, turning away. She paused for a moment, And Alexander?

Yeah? He stopped dialing out the runes and looked up at her.

Keep practicing, your play shows promise.

****

Harry stared at the Grimoire where it sat, closed on his makeshift writing desk. Hed
been writing in it so much, so fast, that his hand was cramped and hed destroyed all the
spare nibs he had for his quills.

His mother.

Whatever piece of her was in that book, it was a numbing experience to be able to speak
with her in any form. Hed always felt more connected to his father, really. James was
the one that everyone had stories about, well everyone who would talk to him about it
anyway. He looked like this father, barring his eyes. Basically, everything Harry had
was somehow linked to his Potter ancestry and he knew nothing of his Evans side.

To be honest, he hadnt cared to explore it. It reminded him too much of his Aunt.

The piece of his mother in the book knew her family, though, in ways Harry could only
envy. It was what she knew beyond that, however, that puzzled and even frightened
him.

How could she know about things that happened after she left school?

Oh, her recall of those things wasnt perfect. Not like she could recite events from her
school days or before. But sometimes shed be talking and something new would slip
through, seemingly surprising even the echo in the book. Like she was remembering
things shed forgotten, or things she never realized she knew.

It was creepy, sometimes. Like when he was talking to her about her own childhood,
and she got distracted part way through, reminiscing about taking care of him after
hed been born. When he crossed her on it, however, the echo seemed as startled and
surprised as he was.

Magic sometimes just gave him the creeps.

He was still gnawing on it in his mind when his spell phone whistled softly from where it
was resting on his desk. Harry casually flipped it open, Yeah? Hello?

Hey dude. Xanders voice came through. Were on for tomorrow. You got your
armor shined up?

Harry rolled his eyes, hard to shine a suit, Xan.

Hermione might find a way.

Harry mumbled something in response to that.

What was that?

Shes not talking to me right now.

What? Why? Xander asked, confused.

I dont know, alright. All I said was Potter Out before hanging this thing up.

Xander snorted, then broke out laughing.

What are you laughing at?

Sorry, sorry... Xanders snickers came back clearly over the spell phone. I can see
why she might be a little miffed, but not talking to you is a little extreme.

Well... Harry grimaced, I might have not answered her call afterwards.

What? Why?

Cause the way she was screaming when I hung up I KNEW she was just calling to yell
at me!

Xander had evidently had enough since for several long minutes all Harry could hear
coming through the spell phone was laughter.

Im so glad youre enjoying my misery. He said when the sounds finally quieted
down.

Oh hell yeah, this is hilarious. Xander replied, voice obviously strained from
laughing. Would have been less painful to just let her yell at you in the first place,
mate.

Im starting to realize that, thanks so much.

Hey, at least its just Hermione. Shes not likely to do more than hex you. Xander
said, still snickering.

Hex me? Isnt that enough!?

Hey, I hang around Wednesday Addams. Xander said, She has ways of... hurting
people.

Right... Harry said slowly, his voice obviously doubting what Xander was saying.

Youll learn if you ever spend time around Wednesday. Xander pronounced
ominously, In the meantime, get ready. Tomorrows another big day.

Harry sighed, but nodded. Got it.

Alright. See you then, Xander said, pausing for a moment before coming back.
Harris Out.

The connection went dead as Harry stared at the phone for a long moment, caught
between confusion and annoyance.

****

The Limo pulled up in front of the house on Privet drive, as it had a few days earlier,
but with one difference this time. Two flags fluttered on the hood, flying the royal
emblem were what caught the eyes of the looky loos in the community this time. Inside
Narcissa, Hermione, and Xander waited as the driver got out and walked around to
open the door.

Narcissa stepped lightly out as the door of the house opened and Harry stepped out.

Mr Potter. The Driver said, bowing his head as Harry approached.

Uh, yes. Thats me.

Yes Sir.

Are you ready, Mr Potter? Narcissa asked seriously.

Harry nodded, Yeah I think so.

Good. Then let us be going. She said, stepping aside to let him in.

Harry nodded, climbing in before Narcissa followed and the driver closed the door
behind them. Inside he saw Hermione and Xander and smiled nervously as Hermione
crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at him.

Uh, Hi Hermione. He said weakly.

Harry. She replied curtly.

I, uh, didnt think youd come.

Hermione sighed, ducking her head, Just because Im angry with you doesnt mean
Im not going to show up when you need help.

Harry was quiet for a long moment, then nodded, Thanks.

Hermione just nodded in return.

Oh for crying out loud, Xander rolled his eyes, Herms, you do realize that Harry has
never even seen a single episode of Star Trek, right?

What?? Hermione looked up, shocked.

Yeah, kinda blew my mind when I realized it myself. Xander said, shaking his head,
He was just copying me when he said Potter out.

Xander half smirked, Honestly, though I hate to admit it, I think its funnier when he
does it. Im going to need a new signing off line, cant let myself be out shined like that.

Hermione wasnt really listening to him as Xander prattled on, and he knew it. He was
just talking for the sake of filling the silence while Hermione put things together in her
head.

Hes never watched any TV, has he? She asked slowly, a horrified look on her face.

That would be my guess, Xander shrugged, How about it, mate?

Harry shrugged, Ive seen some, mostly through the crack in the cupboard door and
over Dudleys shoulder while he watched stuff in his room. Lately he watches a lot of...

Harry looked sharply at Hermione and started to blush.

A lot of wha.... Ohhhh... Hermione blinked, then flushed as well.

Oh Dude, Xander grimaced, Ive seen your cousin and thats an image of him I
really didnt need.

What on earth are you all speaking of?

Uh... well, you see, my cousin likes to watch... umm... Harry stammered, then took a
deap breath, Adult entertainment.

Narcissa raised an eyebrow, He is your age, isnt he? Shouldnt he be giving up
childrens things.

Not that kind of adult. Xander sighed, just wincing as he tried to think of how to
explain it. There HAS to be an equivalent in the Wizarding World, but I dont know
what its called. Harrys saying that his cousin watches a lot of... sex, alright? Porno
tapes.

Narcissa frowned quizzically, not because she didnt understand the term, but had
never really equated sexual entertainment in the way they were speaking. Certainly it
existed in the Wizarding world, but generally speaking it involved live shows of some
sort. There was print media as well, with some moving pictures, but the language they
were using didnt seem quite fitting with either of those.

He hires people to put on a display for him? She finally asked, I hadnt realized that
the Dursleys were quite so wealthy.

Xander, Hermione, and Harrys eyes widened like a shot and they stared at Narcissa in
shock.

No, Im guessing from your expressions thats not it. Narcissa said, now genuinely
curious.

Ah, well it is sort of. Xander said after an awkward silence. Non magicals record...
uh... plays. Sort of like Wizarding pictures, but a lot longer and with sound.

How long?

Xander shrugged, As long as they want.

And they use it for this... Adult entertainment? Narcissa asked disdainfully.

Well, no, Xander said, glad to be able to shift back on topic, They use it for
everything. Which is my original point. Harrys missed out on, well... basically a
hundred years of pop culture, almost. No Star Trek, No Star Wars...

Actually, I sort of saw some of that one. Harry said, frowning, But Dudley shut it off
less than halfway through and binned the tape. He thought it was boring.

WHAT!? Xander exploded, That lard assed piece of...

Xander! Hermione snapped, cutting him off.

Sorry. Xander winced.

Yes, well, despite his over enthusiasm, I have to agree with the sentiment. Hermione
muttered, shooting glares at Xander. Harry, youre cousin is an imbecile.

Not arguing here.

That said, Hermione sighed, I suppose I cant blame Harry for making that horrid
Captain Kirk joke either. It was obviously Xanders fault for corrupting his mind.

Right. Harry agreed, a bit too fast in Xanders opinion. It was his fault.

Hey, Im not the guy who told him to ignore your call afterward. Xander spoke up.

That is true, Hermione glared at Harry again.

Harry looked stricken, glaring at Xander, Whatd you do that for!?

You were pretty quick to feed me to the wolves, dude. Xander snapped. If I need to
climb over you to get out of the pen, so be it.

But...

Hermione rolled her eyes, That sterling example of friendship aside, I suppose I can
forgive you both this one time. Xander was merely being Xander, acting the fool... and
Harry was merely being Harry, being the naive, gullible, and unfortunately ignorant
person that he is.

HEY! The two cried out together.

Hermione just smirked at then, her features obviously challenging them to challenge
her. The two boys sighed for a bit, then both settled back down. Xander figured he was
already in deep enough, all because he had decided to give Harry a hand, and Harry
was just happy to be forgiven... such as it was.

Narcissa, for her part, thought the whole thing was hilarious from her point of view, but
she was a little more interested in this muggle technique for capturing images. She had
heard of Motion Pictures before, of course, mostly in off hand comments dropped by
Lilly and other Muggleborns. The thing was, she had always equated them to something
more akin to magical photography, which had a spell limited time period of only a few
seconds.

Unlimited length pictures, with full sound, was impressive. The closest thing in the
Magical world was the use of a Pensieve, though the overall effect sounded different.

She would have to see one of these motion pictures, she decided.

The car slowed to a stop as that thought entered her mind, and the four were distracted
as the car pulled up to the Tower of London, again heading directly for the Magical
Entrance.

****

Hold up a moment, Mr Potter. Narcissa said as they walked into the tower. When
Harry paused she drew her wand, Just going to clean up the wrinkles, your suit
obviously wasnt prepared correctly.

As she waved the wand, pressing the suit on his frame, Harry sighed.

Sorry, I dont have a closet, just my school trunk.

Narcissa nodded, I should have expected as much. Dont worry about it, I will tell you
the same thing I told Mr Harris... Failure is not something to be feared, failing to do
your best, however, is. You obviously folded it and kept it clean as best you could under
the circumstances. Do as well in the future, while always endeavoring to improve, and
you will never have cause to regret.

Uh... right. Thank you, Harry said as she finished up and he checked himself out as
best he could.

She was right, it looked a lot better than it did. He nodded gratefully to her, and they
were moving again, though the magical entrance of the Tower.

****

They were led to a room that Xander hadnt seen in his earlier visits, a huge chamber of
a room that had to be smaller than it appeared, though Xander supposed that if they
had used magic anything was possible.

It was a gathering place, room for hundreds or more, and the stone floor was bisected
cleanly by a brilliant red carpet that led from where they stood, all the way to a throne.

Oh wow. Xander mumbled quietly.

Hermiones jaw was open a little, her eyes wide, as she stared down the long length of
carpet and recognized the person sitting on the throne in the distance. She peeped once,
then went deathly silent.

Harry, for his part, just looked a little lost as they began the long, yet slow, walk along
the carpet.

About halfway up they were joined by a ghostly figure that rose up from the floor,
taking the time to examine them carefully.

Oh, Xander, good to see you again. Anne said, This is quite the occasion. A new
Mage Knight. Its been the better part of eighty years or more since the last was
Knighted.

They didnt pause in their step, and the ghost of the former queen floated along with
them.

Did you watch that one too? Xander asked softly, eyes flicking between Anne and the
current monarch, looking for annoyance in the one yet living.

When he didnt see a flicker, he relaxed marginally and focused a bit more on the spirit
at his side.

Oh yes, among the very rare instances of entertainment around here. She said,
Other than sneaking out to the closest theaters.

Xander barely muffled a snort of amusement, You can do that?

The spirit started to nod, but that caused her head to wobble and almost come loose.
She recovered quickly, holding it in place as she too shot a look at the Queen on the
throne they were approaching. It wouldnt do to look foolish in front of the monarch,
even for a spirit.

Oh yes, She said after a moment, her voice dropping. Wouldnt miss the shows,
either the live ones or the filmed ones. They make the afterlife so much more pleasant.

Narcissa just had time to sourly reflect on the fact that a spirit was better versed in
common muggle facts that she was when they came to a stop.

A man stepped forward, standing stiffly at attention, and the four unconsciously
matched his stance as best they could.

Presenting Her Majesty, The Queen.

****
Back to index
****

For Harry and Hermione, the position they found themselves in was one beyond their
dreams. The woman in front of them was, for them, their monarch. Perhaps not as
powerful an image as she once may have been, but to their minds the difference was
practically nonexistent.

For Narcissa, despite her own place of birth, the woman was little more than a tale of
fancy. There was a time, in the long distant past, when the Wizarding World answered
to a King but those days were gone. Even so, there were few in her peer group that held
as powerful a presence under their control as this woman did.

Xander, for a third point of view, came from a country that held monarchy as a quaint
throwback to a barbaric era. Whether that were true or not had little impact on how he
had been brought up, and so Xander didnt feel the same presence as the others. Neither
the near mystical one that swept over Harry and Hermione, nor the power of
personality that Narcissa so easily detected. For him, the woman in the chair was a
familiar presence. She was powerful, he knew that by gut as well as by brain, and knew
how to wield her power. Hed felt much the same in the presence of Lady Lavelle, and
tended to react the same.

The Queen, in the meantime, had been sizing up her guests. The young Mr Potter had
the look of his family, she could tell. She had seen his father once, years ago, at a formal
ball and his grandfather too had that same look about him. The others were something
more of a mystery, well two of them were at any rate.

Hermione Jane Granger was an extremely bright and intelligent young girl who had
vanished from public records a few years earlier. Prior to that she had been noted by
her professors as one of the most intelligent people they had ever taught. The mystery of
her disappearance from all scholastic records was now solved.

Narcissa Malfoy was a non entity. Obviously Wizard born and, if the Queen was any
judge of people, Wizarding Nobility at that. Her total lack of records in the muggle
world indicated a pureblood, though the Queen was not familiar with the Malfoy name.

Unusual.

The final member of the foursome was, perhaps oddly, of more interest to her than the
rest. Mostly because of the spectral shade of Anne Boleyn floating by his side,
whispering in his ear. She would give good money to know what the ghost was
whispering, and how that peculiar relationship started.

Still, Alexander Harris was another unknown to them. He was apparently an American,
but with nothing more than the name there were thousands of possible matches just in
his age group. They managed to eliminate most of them, but that still left dozens who
had never had an ID picture placed in any major network. And that assumed that he
existed at all in the muggle databases, were he a pureblood it was entirely possible he
did not.

The fact that two complete unknowns were to be in the royal presence had driven
security to near madness, in her opinion. Finally she had been forced to put her foot
down and force action on their part. It wasnt as if they could realistically prevent
assassination by a Wizard anyway. The Magicals had too many bizarre methods of
killing that were entirely invisible to normal security. They wouldnt need something
this complex in order to open the opportunity.

So she took a breath, and then the Queen opened her mouth and spoke.

Welcome to the Tower, young Mr Potter. She said, eyes firmly fixing on the nervous
young man who was just now starting to fidget again.

T... thank you, your majesty. Harry said, fumbling through a bow.

We have been reliably informed that you have accomplished a rather impressive act of
heroism. She said, one eyebrow arcing slightly. Slaying a serpent with a sword...
Truly worthy of the bards.

I... I mean, it wasnt all that much really.

Her eyes widened, A sixty foot basilisk? Creatures of that nature do not curl up and
die at the behest of children, men, nor even queens.

Harry, blushing wildly, shrugged a little helplessly but found himself unable to speak.

Traditionally it is considered necessary to bring a token of the battle, however give
your age...

Narcissa grunted slightly and jammed Xander in the ribs with her elbow, causing him
to yelp and cut off the Queen, much to the ire of the men flanking them. The Queen,
however, merely looked to them curiously. Xander fumbled a little, but drew out a
polished wooden box from under his coat. Narcissa had told him about this tradition,
and hed volunteered some of the basilisk theyd harvested. Hell, it was as much
Harrys as his and Wednesdays anyway. Arguably more, he supposed, but then Harry
hadnt wanted it.

He went down to one knee, like hed been coached, and bowed his head as he presented
the box. A man appeared from one side and accepted it, carefully examining it, then
opened it before turning to the queen.

The Queen was silent as she looked into the box and saw the curved blade resting
within, bone white and gleaming unnaturally.

Basilisk Fang blade, your Majesty. Narcissa said softly, inclining her head slightly.
Be wary of handling it, the poison of the fang will still be lethal for centuries to come.
It will penetrate any magical shield known, though it will chip and break against metal
armor as does any tooth.

The Queen nodded slowly, A true prize, much more than a token as I recall.

Maam, Xander said, his throat dry as he got back to his feet, hed devoured the
sections of history books the Malfoys had on the subject. Historically, the blade was
valuable for fighting men and assassins, so the fangs were hoarded by Knights who
killed the snakes. Thats why the tokens were usually smaller teeth or bone. Today, I
think we can agree, soldiers prefer different weapons. The handle is enchanted to
prevent the wielder from cutting themselves, so you dont need to worry about the
poison if you hold it yourself. Never pick it up by the blade, however.

She nodded, closing the box and passing it back to one of her armsmen.

We thank you for the token, Mr Potter.

But I didn... Ugh! Harry started, looking lost and confused.

Hermione and Xander both jabbed him with their elbows, to the Queens amusement
and to his breathless pain. As Harry was trying to get his breath back, the Queen smiled
and rose from her chair, reaching one hand out to the side.

Another attendant appeared, a sword resting on a pillow in his arms. She grasped the
blade in both hands and held it up vertically in front of her face.

Harry James Potter of the Magical House of Potter, do you swear on your life and
magic that the deeds you have attested to are your own and no one elses?

Hermione gasped.

Harry managed to straighten up, face confused. I had help, Maam.

We are aware of that, but did you do what you claimed?

I did.

Then swear it.

I swear, He said, lips parched and mouth like cotton as he spoke, on my life and
magic that I slew the Basilisk that was threatening Hogwarts.

A soft flash of light pulsed forth, and the Queen smiled almost sadly.

So much danger for one so young. I had hoped we were beyond those days. She said,
visibly getting herself back under full control. Kneel, Harry James.

Harry almost fell to his knees as she approached and deftly lay the sword down on his
right shoulder, then lifted it and lay it down on his left.

Now rise, Sir Harry, Mage Knight of the Realm and Head of the Ancient House of
Potter.

Harry nodded jerkily, getting back to his feet.

The Queen handed off the sword to the attendant once more and looked down at the
scrawny teen before her. It was a wonder hed lived through a stiff breeze, she thought,
let alone a sixty foot magical serpent.

With a gesture she motioned off the attendants and guards, but didnt move from where
she stood.

You may wonder why We had you swear that you had, indeed, performed your service
to the realm... and yet didnt ask for an oath of fealty, or really any oath of service one
might normally associate with your new position.

Harry, who hadnt had a single coherent thought since she spoke to him the first time,
barely managed to simultaneously nod and keep himself from drooling in his stunned
stupor.

The Potter legacy is unusual. She said, It is the only hereditary Knighthood
remaining in the magical World. All other family lines have long since been
extinguished. Given the separation between the worlds, you now exist in a strange
position, Sir Harry.

I... I dont understand, Maam.

The Queen smiled slightly, We are not surprised. You now exist in both worlds. This
seems obvious, We suppose, but in reality very few people do. In fact, you may be one of
only a half dozen people in all of Great Britain that officially exist in both worlds. While
many muggle born, as you call them, move back and forth between worlds they usually
move their official existence entirely into the Magical Realm for various legal and
financial reasons.

Harry nodded, though while he understood the words he had no concept as to what they
really meant.

The Queen, however, seemed to realize that.

As The Mage Knight you will receive invitations to certain events throughout the
year, She explained, You will exist, insofar as our Government is concerned. Should
you need to travel through normal routes, We believe you will find that MI5 and MI6
will expedite the needed paperwork. You will also need to fill out for taxes, though since
most of your estate is maintained in the Wizarding realm, those should be quite low.

In effect, She finished, You will be a Citizen of Great Britain in a way that few
magicals ever are.

I... I didnt know about any of that, Harry confessed.

We suspect you will find both good and bad things about it, The Queen said with a
wry smile, which then became serious. Given your dual existence, Our power to
command you is limited. The power of the Royalty within the Magical realm is that of
the proverbial paper tiger. By strict interpretation of the law, We are the final power of
the Magical Realm and the Ministry there governs by our leave and at our pleasure. In
reality, power on paper is worthless without some form of Martial Might to back it up.
Our world long ago gave up the position of Royal Wizard, and that was the final step in
abdicating control of the Magical Realm.

I... dont really understand, then. Harry admitted, more than a little shame faced.
What do I do?

Not all Our power is gone, Sir Harry. Some was enforced by Magic. The Queen said
cooly. No Wizard has yet determined how to break that branch of our strength, nor do
We expect any to do so. As a Knight of the Realm you are, magically, considered an
adult. That makes you Head of your House, since your parents are deceased. You also
gain the Royal Proxy, which you may use at our pleasure within your Wizengamot.
Should you do so, We expect to be briefed on each vote and its consequences or you will
find Our pleasure short lived.

Harry nodded jerkily.

While not a peer of the realm, you are the head of a Knightly Order, and that gains
you some legal advantages that are enforced by ancient magics. She went on.
Primarily the right to bear arms and raise an armed force. Be careful of the second
part of that, Sir Harry, most Knights who lost their spurs, so to speak, did so because
they had delusions of grandeur.

I- I will. He stammered out.

Good. There are a few other trifles, as I recall, but the details escape me at the
moment. We shall make the libraries available to you and those you designate if you
care to research them.

Harry caught a glimpse of Hermione practically dancing from foot to foot and quickly
nodded, Thank you, maam.

She nodded once, then turned slightly as something caught her eye.

Well, as I am being informed, there is another scheduled meeting today. She said,
sighing before drawing herself up straight. We must be leaving. Fair you well, Sir
Harry James of Potter.

Harry swallowed hard, but hid it by bowing from the waist. Good bye, Your Majesty.

Hermione fumbled slightly through a curtsy as she mumbled something the same as
Harry, while Narcissa and Xander just bowed slightly as she left.

Oh God. Harry croaked when they were safely alone. I think Im going to die.

****

It had been an interesting week, Xander considered as he plucked idly on the strings of
the guitar, drawing a soft song that had the qualities of a lullaby from the old and
somewhat battered instrument.

He was sitting in his room at Malfoy Manor, just processing his recollections as best he
could, running everything through his occlumency regime. Chayton had suggested that
he meditate when he wanted to organize his thoughts, something a Occlumens had to do
every few days or so, but Xander found it all worked better for him if his hands were
busy.

Helping Harry out was an interesting experience, he decided. Not something he would
normally have done for someone he barely knew, but since Xander felt he owed Mrs
Malfoy and maybe even Sirius a little for the help hed received through the Grimoire,
hed gone a little further than he might otherwise.

Well, maybe not.

Harry and Ron had gone down into that pit with he and Wednesday, even if they each
had their own reasons. While down there, theyd had to trust each other. Maybe hed
have helped Harry out based on that alone.

Hell, maybe hed have helped out just to get the chance to meet the Queen and watch an
honest to goodness Knighting ceremony right out of the tales of King Arthur.

Xander smiled, mentally cataloging that memory as important before filing it away in
his long term storage.

Mental maps, the way Chayton had taught him, were an interesting affair. The mind
was separated into short and long term storage. The short term section was relatively
small, could really only hold a few hours of experience at best and degraded remarkably
fast. On the flip side, it was thousands of times faster to access compared to long term
storage and didnt require and memory tags to properly recover. You could review
your entire short term memory in an instant, and often did.

Long term was different. There was no obvious limit to how much it could store, though
Xander had been told that some people seemed to run out of space and have to replace
some memories with others. Wizards werent sure if it was actually a physical limit that
caused this, or some kind of mental block. Well, in a manner of speaking.

Willow had compared it to computer memory, much to his amusement. RAM and Hard
Drive space. Frankly, though he didnt have the heart to tell her as much, Xander
understood Chaytons explanation better.

She had brought up one interesting thing, however, that triggered a minor research
storm on his part and a possible long term project. Non magical science had determined
that long term memories could be stored in chemical bonds, while short term was
maintained in the electrical firing of the synapses. It made sense, to him at least, so he
and Willow had made notes to look into it. Maybe something could be made of the
project, he didnt know.

Whats that one?

Xander jolted a little, his head snapping around to see Narcissa Malfoy leaning on the
door frame. He frowned, confused by her question.

The song.

Xander glanced down at his guitar, then back up, Dormus charm.

Fitting. Narcissa said, fascinated by the application of magic to music. Do they all
match like that?

Xander cocked his head, considering the question. The Dormus sounded like a lullaby,
and the Leviosa had a light, airy feeling to it. He nodded slowly, So far. At least the
obvious ones do.

Obvious ones?

I plucked out the Protean back home, He said, Didnt sound like anything really.
Just a three meter beat with a little variation.

Narcissa nodded, I suppose its coincidence.

Maybe. Maybe its more than that. Xander shook his head, I guess well never
know.

Perhaps one day youll write a book on it. Narcissa smiled.

Maybe. Xander shrugged, Ive started one already, actually.

A book? On music and magic? She was surprised.

No, Xander shrugged, unlooping the guitar from his neck and laying it back on the
bed. He reached over and got one of his notebooks from where he trunk was at the foot
and tossed it lightly to her.

Narcissa Malfoy glanced at the title, her eyebrows raising slightly.

The books cover was written in neat calligraphy, and read simply The True Art of the
Technomancer. She snorted slightly.

Xander grinned, I know, its a little pretentious, but its fun.

Charming muggle contraptions is barely magic, Alexander. She said lightly as she
handed the book back.

He shook his head, Thats not what the books about.

Ive heard of this so called technomancy before, its a silly branch of childs games,
just trying to make muggle toys work.

No, thats... Xander paused, thinking about it, A branch of technomancy, Mrs
Malfoy. I think its a very small branch. Did you know that non magicals had invented a
new material lighter than silk, but stronger than steel?

Narcissa blinked. The last shed heard and any NEW materials being invented it had
been alchemists behind it.

Theyve invented thousands of new materials in the last few decades, Xander went on,
And most of them seem to have interesting properties when mixed with magic.
Carbon, for example, makes for pretty decent wands.

Her eyes flicked to the plain black wands hed laid out on the night stand by his bed.
She had assumed it was some sort of polish, or a dark wood.

They didnt invent carbon, of course. Pure carbon is the same thing that coal is made
of, or diamonds. Xander said, They just invented new ways to put the carbon
together. Non magicals create entirely new materials every other day now, so my friends
and I have been toying with how we can use these materials magically. Thats what the
book is about.

Narcissa eyed the book where Xander had laid it down, new interest forming. I see.
Perhaps its not an entirely wasted avenue of research. At least we dont have a budding
Arthur Weasley in the house.

Xander looked at her, confused for a moment, but she just laughed lightly and waved
his questioning look off.

Good night, Alexander.

Good Night, Mrs Malfoy.

****

For Harry, back at privet drive, things were in something of a mental turmoil.
Thankfully, his relatives were pretty well terrified of him once more and they were
leaving him in peace. He wasnt sure what scared them more, the fact that he could use
magic freely now or the fact that a car with the Royal emblem had picked him up and
dropped him off.

Hed heard Petunia playing it off to the neighbors as something terribly hush hush,
and she really couldnt speak about her familys connection to the royals. It amused
and irritated him, but honestly as long as she was playing her little social games, she
wasnt bothering him.

Vernon was another matter, unfortunately. For now it was holding, the fat man was too
scared to do anything, but Harry wasnt sure it would hold for long. Dudley, he knew
for a fact was too stupid to realize that things had changed.

And all of THAT left him with a dilemma.

He was an adult in the eyes of magic now, though he hadnt claimed any of his rights as
of yet, other than using a little magic now and again. Since that was masked by Mrs
Malfoys counterspell on his wand, Harry didnt suppose it really counted. Still, the
point was that he could move out if he chose.

Was that a smart move, however?

If Mrs Malfoy was right, the wards here at privet drive were second only to *possibly*
the full wards at Gringotts or Hogwarts. In fact, for normal everyday considerations,
the wards at privet drive were demonstrably superior to either place, at least as far as
he was concerned. Oh, hed certainly be safer locked in a vault at Gringotts, but who
wanted to live like that? Also, Hogwarts, with all the wards fully activated was probably
safer but, again, a fortress did not make for much of a home.

Neither did privet drive, of course, but since neither locking himself in a vault or
turning Hogwarts into a magical fortress was going to happen, privet drive was the
safest place on the planet for him to stay.

And did that little revelation leave a bad taste in his mouth.

Harry looked up at the calender on the wall, with the days crossed off one by one. He
had a little less than a week before he was due to go to the Weasleys. Harry decided that
he could safely shelve the decision effectively until the next summer. He could endure a
few more days, especially since he was now able to practice magic once more.

He didnt know what he would do next year, though at the moment he was leaning
toward enduring more time with the Durselys. Between the ability to do magic, and the
instruction hed received from Xander on how to take the Knight Bus, Harry figured he
could take a little aggravation in exchange for the safety provided by blood wards.

Of course, that did bring up another point. He had to confirm that there were, indeed,
blood wards on the house. Mrs Malfoy seemed fairly confident of that fact, or at least
concerned enough not to want to test them, but she had admitted that they may simply
be extremely effective intent based wards.

Those were the sorts of things he could hire someone to erect anywhere, assuming he
had the money. His account ledger was impressive sounding, at least to him, but Harry
didnt know what the prices of such things were.

Hed have to find out, he supposed. There really was so much to do.

****

Narcissa entered the sitting room adjacent to the Master bedroom to find Lucius
waiting for her.

Yes? She asked, cocking an eyebrow, did you want something?

I just had an interesting conversation with Draco.

Narcissa suppressed a sigh. Shed expected this, of course, and hadnt bothered to tell
Draco to keep quiet, since she had known that he wasnt likely to listen.

And? Was all she asked as she stepped in front of the mirror and unbuttoned her
robes.

What on earth could have possessed you to take the Potter brat to Paris with you?
Lucius demanded, particularly without informing me?

Narcissa snorted softly. There was the real crux, she suspected. What would you have
done, husband? Forbid it?

Lucius whitened, From what Draco tells me, Potter dresses like a pauper most of the
time. Where did the gold come from to pay for all this?

From the Black accounts.

What?? Lucius leaned forward, eyes wide.

Sirius is the boys Godfather, Lucius. She reminded her husband lightly as she let her
robes fall to the floor and stepped out of them.

She really was a little put out that the sight of her in the silk undergarments meant less
to her husband than the subject of Potter and her Cousin, uey not really surprised.
When he started to growl again she cut him off, Honestly Lucius, what is this really
about? Youre not still angry with the boy over losing Dobby are you?

That little... brat has no respect for our traditions! Lucius ground out.

Of course he doesnt. He doesnt know them.

He... wait, what?

Narcissa rolled her eyes, Lucius, do use your mind. I know its there. You yourself said
that Potter lives in a muggle neighborhood.

Obviously a heavily warded house...

Against wizards, yes. However its a muggle home. She said, I visited him. To be
honest, I think that if you and your friends were to pay a visit to the boys so called
family, he might secretly be grateful. Disgusting creatures. He was brought up entirely
ignorant of magic, Lucius. Even his mail is apparently under redirect wards.

Lucius eyes widened and he slumped back in his chair. Thats...

Obscene. Narcissa finished, slipping into her night gown. Harry Potter will never be
the perfect pureblood you would wish for, however he isnt the revolutionary nightmare
you and Draco portray him as either. He is a young, ignorant, and terribly confused
child. I suspect that someone has been carefully introducing him to our world in just the
right way to make him choose a side. Something that you and Draco have rather neatly
played into, I might add.

Dumbledore. Lucius growled, eyes flaring.

Who else? Narcissa laughed lightly. The man might be a great many things, but hes
no fool when it comes to political maneuvering.

****

Harry was never quite so glad to get out of Privet drive, though for once he had to
admit that it wasnt the Dursleys fault exactly. After the horrendous mess Mr Weasley
and the Twins made trying to floo into an electric fireplace, something Harry had never
even considered POSSIBLE before then, and the following insanity the twins always
seemed to leave in their wake, Harry didnt want to tempt fate by staying within reach
of Vernon for a while.

He was setup quickly in The Burrow, sharing a room with Ron as was normal, and the
growing excitement of the upcoming world cup had begun to blot out his worries
concerning everything else that had gone on in his life. That was what he loved about
the Burrow, this was the only place Harry had every felt like a normal kid in his entire
life.

Hey mate, Ron interrupted his thoughts, Rough summer, I guess, huh?

Harry opened his eyes and looked over at his best mate, I dont know. It could have
been worse.

Well, youre away from those muggles now, at least. Ron grinned, And the World
Cup is in just a few days!

Harry grinned. It was the eighth time since hed arrived that Ron started on about the
Cup, but he didnt mind. If the Burrow was the one place he felt like a kid, the
Quidditch pitch was the only place he felt like hed earned the admiration people sent
his way. To see others, professionals, play was almost as awesome as getting out on a
broom himself.

Its going to be brilliant. Ron said.

Harry agreed whole heartedly, Absolutely.

****

< The bars in this dump of a town are cess pits, > Amelia sighed as she moved in on her
target.

The Lord Black, exile or not, was at least relatively easy on the eyes. She could have
drawn worse lots from the family than the strong suggestion that she may want to take
an interest in him. His choice in hobbies was distasteful to her, but then most males
tended to play around in muck that she wouldnt touch with a ten foot pole.

Luckily they rarely wanted her, or any woman, playing in their toybox so it wasnt
much of an issue.

Tonight, The Lord Black seemed in a decent mood, so she put a sway to her hips and an
airheaded smile on her face and stalked her way over to where Black was sitting.

Hey there, Ive seen you in here a bit. She said by way of introduction.

He looked up at her, a smile blossoming on his face. Im new in town, but Ive been
dropping by for a while.

Well, buy me a drink then, stranger? She asked, cocking her head and hips just
enough to be noticed.

Sure, Sirius smiled, Have a seat.

****

The World Cup of Quidditch turned out to be quite the event when Xander showed up
with the Malfoys early in the day. People were just beginning to arrive and already the
camp ground was flooding with the most bizarrely dressed Wizards Xander had ever
seen in his life, barring Headmaster Dumbledor.

I thought the instructions were to go muggle Xander blinked, looking around, more
than a little bemused.

Lucius sniffed slightly, As if I would ever...

Actually Sir, you look great compared to some of these people. What IS that guy
wearing?? Xander cringed as a man walked by in a ballroom gown.

Robes, I presume, Lucius eyed the man briefly, Thats Archibald Anders, and I
suppose its a robe.

No, thats a dress. Women wear them.

Lucius turned his attention back and peered closer, Looks like a robe to me, though
why youd ever want one so... frilly Im not sure.

Its an old dress, Xander said, just barely keeping from laughing. Like, seventies or
early eighties prom style. Wait, look when he turns back around, check the cut of the
chest.

When Anders turned back around Lucius realized that the cut was indeed a little...
full... in the chest. He shook his head, Anders never was a sensible sort.

So we look fine? Narcissa asked, curious.

Xander checked out the Malfoys again and nodded, Yeah. Oh, you dont look average
for sure. But any non magical who looked at you would only note that youre probably
wealthy enough to be eccentric. Him, theyd consider totally nuts. If you were trying to
blend in, youd have to dress down a little, but theres no way any non magical would
think there was anything seriously weird about you. Just a little weird.

Lucius stiffened, glaring at the boy, who just grinned back.

Dont take it as an insult, Sir. Non Magicals often pride themselves in being a little
weird. Sometimes its the only way people have to fell... different from the crowd.
Xander said pensively, remembering his beloved Hawaiian shirts. You all look good
enough that any attention you get will be admiring instead of the bad sort.

Lucius wasnt certain how to take that, but decided that it wasnt a bad thing at least.
Not that anyone would be critical of him, he WAS a Malfoy afterall. But it was good to
know that even without trying he and his family fit in and would be recognized as a cut
above.

He nodded in the direction of the amphitheater, That way. We should say hello to the
Minister before everyone starts flooding in.

Oh joy. Xander muttered, earning soft snicker from Narcissa and a disapproving
glare from Lucius.

Yes, you might consider apologizing for that mess, Lucius suggested.

Uh, no. Xander said firmly. I stand by that.

Whether you stand by it or not is hardly relevant. Its done with, now if you have any
brains at all you should begin repairing your bridges. The man said sternly, his tone
lecturing. Just as he finished he realized that he was giving advice to a young man he
really didnt like and just barely kept from groaning at the realization. Do as you will.

Xander nodded absently, looking around the scene as they walked. This is freaking
amazing.

Lucius nodded as well, eyeing the large structure as they approached. Seats a hundred
thousand. Built in just two months, of course they spent the previous eight months
laying all the charm wards to keep the area hidden from Muggles.

Xander whistled, That has to be some complicated warding.

Not just wards, Narcissa said, Huge charm arrays as well, and those dont last long
so they have to be reapplied often.

Its an immense tasking, Lucius admitted, Its taken 500 ministry wizards to manage
it.

Cool. Xander whispered as they arrived at the camp ground and came to a stop at the
Ministry tent.

Oh! Lucius, so good to see you, A flustered Minister Fudge said as he noticed them,
And your family too, Narcissa, Draco, wonderful to see you a...

Cornelius Fudge trailed off as he recognized Xander, a sour look coming over his face,
You.

Ah Minister, Narcissa smoothly cut in, smiling, You know Alexander of course?
Hes staying with us over the summer.

Is he? Fudge asked, forcing a sickly smile to his face. How... nice.

Xander took a breath. He would not apologize for what he did, but even he recognized
the need to hold up an olive branch. Minister, Im terribly sorry for having caused you
any trouble back at Hogwarts.

Yes well, boys should stay out of official business. Fudge muttered, eyes darting
between Lucius and Xander.

Indeed they should, however since his actions did rescue my head of house, Narcissa
cut in again, I cant say that Im terribly sorry for them. We do apologize for the
inconvenience to you, however.

Inconvenience? Incon... Fudge began to turn a really impressive color of red, but was
sidetracked when Lucius caught his eye and shook his head slightly. He slowly got his
breath back and swallowed, looking like hed just forced down a pill intended for
horses. Yes, well. Whats done is done. Lets move on, shall we? Shame to waste such a
lovely day on political nonsense.

Of course, Minister. Narcissa smiled beatifically.

Lucius gently took the Minister by arm and led him away, chatting closely, leaving them
as they were. Narcissa took a breath, rolled her eyes, and shuddered just a little.

There goes a greasy little worm, She muttered before taking Xander and her son
under her arms and turning them around. Well lets get settled at our camp then, then
you two can explore.

Yes mother. Draco said as they began walking.

****

The Malfoy tent looked like something out of the Arabian Desert more than any
camping tent Xander had ever seen. It rose up two *stories* above the tents pitched
around them, and Xander recognized the distinct buzz of active wards as they
approached.

Along the way he noted some familiar names near other, not quite so opulent tents.
Parkinson was right next to the Malfoy tent, as were the Crabbe and Goyle tents.
Nearby, Xander recognized the Greengrass name as well as several others from his
house at Hogwarts.

Most of them were still empty, the grounds still only just beginning to fill up.

Here we are. Narcissa said, pushing the canvas aside as she stepped into the tent,
followed by Xander and Draco.

Holy Shit. Xander sputtered as the marble lined interior was revealed, complete with
running fountain.

Alexander! Language! Narcissa snapped, shutting him up.

Sorry, but... I mean... Holy Sh-ow! Xander yelped as he caught a palm across the
back of his head.

I will not send you back to your mother cursing like some lowborn guttersnipe.
Narcissa growled.

Alright, alright. Xander muttered, rubbing his head. But, heck... this is a TENT?

Narcissa glanced around, Its smaller than home, but it will do for the night. Why
dont you see if Pansy and her family have arrived yet, Draco?

Draco nodded and left quickly, just as pleased to be away from Xander.

Xander, for his part, could only stared in stunned fashion as Narcissa inspected the
surroundings.

Yes, it should do. She said finally.

How do you cram all that in here anyway? Xander muttered, shaking his head.

Spacial expansion charms, of course. Narcissa shrugged. Theyre not difficult.

Xander frowned, I thought they were. I mean, my trunk cost a fortune.

Yes, however you use a multi compartment trunk, with the space expanding FAR
beyond the optimal equations. Narcissa explained. This was quite a large tent to begin
with, you see, so the space that was possible to create in here was commensurately
larger. Expanding a trunk to, say, ten times its normal size is easy. Doing that four
times over and fitting each space into the same trunk? Thats substantially more
difficult.

Xander just looked around in awe, Man I need to start looking up these charms.

Chapter thirty three in the Grimoire. Narcissa said absently. But do it later, you
should get out and explore. This is not an event to be missed, Alexander.

*****
Back to index
*****

Xander had to agree with Mrs Malfoy on that point, it was most certainly not an event
to be missed. As he moved around the grounds, it became quite clear that his initial
belief that people had not really begun arriving yet was both right and wrong.

Wrong because there were thousands of people already there, most of them just waking
in their own tents and making their way out to meet the day, and right because the
thousands already there were just a drop in the bucket compared to the volume that
was clearly pouring in. As he moved around he noted, with some trepidation, the
obviously non magical caretaker of the grounds being obliviated no less than twice in
just a few minutes because some careless twit of a wizard wouldnt shut up about
bludgers and snitches.

That had always felt wrong to him, from the first time he saw someone obliviated.
Especially since it was something that was so damned easy to avoid. Why setup on a non
magical campground anyway? How much harder could it possibly have been to use a
field outside of Hogsmeade? It wasnt like wizarding tents needed plumbing hookups or
anything.

Xander sighed and pushed it out of his mind, given that there just wasnt anything he
could do about it.

As he looked around the rest of the field he passed several groups he recognized from
name if nothing else. Salem had sent two groups, at least, to the Worlds Cup. The
Salem Witches Institute had a large tent, surrounded by several... well aged witches,
which suggested to Xander that whatever the institute was, it wasnt a school. The
Academy also had a tent, and Xander stopped by there when he recognized Professor
Hardy chaperoning the group.

Professor. He greeted the older man, grinning.

Hardy did a bit of a doubletake, then returned the smile. Alex! Good to see you, I
didnt think youd be here, what with the way things ended last year and all.

Well, friends in high places I guess, Xander grinned some more, Im summering
with the Malfoy family, by request of Mrs Malfoy. She was born a Black, you see.

Hardy nodded, Ah yes. And the portkey did whisk Sirius Black from under the
Ministers nose. So, everythings been smoothed out?

Xander nodded, Yeah. Im back in Hogwarts this year.

Hardy couldnt quite mask the disappointed and slightly disapproving look that crossed
his face, but he didnt let it filter through to his words. Well thats good then.

Good was the last thing he personally considered it. He had seen some of the work
Harris did on his own, and the relatively decent marks the boy got, and strongly felt like
the boy could do far better if he werent forced to contend with extra courses on top of
the relatively useless ones he had to attend at Hogwarts.

While the British school was widely acknowledged as one of the finest schools of its
type in the world, Hardy was well aware that it was riding on the shoulders of past
giants. In the modern world, however, things were a little different. Even today, of
course, the charms and transfiguration courses were among the finest on the planet.
Only a few apprenticeships were more respected.

Defense, Potions, and history however were on the total opposite end of the board.
Hardy would prefer to see what the boy could do with better support across the board.

Professor?

The two turned to see a young boy approach.

Yes, Jackson?

Were ready now.

Alright, Ill be right there. Hardy said before turning back to Xander, Sorry, Ive
got some things to finish.

No problem, I have some more exploring to do.

Alright, Ill see you later. Hardy smiled.

Cya. Xander flipped a wave, then headed off.

He moved off, continuing his exploration. He hadnt gotten very far before his spell
phone whistled softly, and he casually flipped it open. Yo. Xander here.

Xander, Hermiones voice came through the device, We just arrived at the world
cup, are you here?

Yeah, Im just wandering around the grounds, He said, Near the Salem tents.

Oh! We just passed that.

Xander looked around, Dont see you. Which tent?

Salem Witches Institute.

Oh, kay Im near the Academy tent. Ill be with you guys in a second.

Ok, well wait. hermione said.

Xander smirked, Cool. Harris out.

Xander heard Hermiones irritated shriek even after the phone clicked off, and happily
headed off in that direction. He found her with Harry and the Weasleys just a little
distance away.

Hey guys.

Oh look, Twin One spoke up on seeing Xander.

Our favorite test subject,

Has arrived.

Xander sighed and rolled his eyes, Jeez, Harry, Hermione... Ill never understand why
you hang out with those two.

Whos this then? A genial looking man asked, smiling at Xander.

This is Xander, Sir. Youve seen him before, I think?

I think he was a little distracted at the time, Harry. Xander said, extending his hand,
We met at the end of second year.

Arthurs face blanked for a moment and he nodded sharply, Yes. I remember. Youve
changed a bit lad. I guess I owe you some thanks again for what you did.

Didnt do it for your daughter, Sir. Not really. Xander said with a half smile, That
snake just had to go.

Imagine that, Twin Two said.

A Slytherin whos against snakes. Twin One finished.

Xander rolled his eyes, Yeah, and well see how you guys react to a lion mauling one of
your pals.

They glanced at each other, He has a point.

I hate it when he does that.

Boys, cut that out. Molly Weasley finally cut in, then turned to smile at Xander.
Whatever your reasons, you went with Harry to save our daughter. We owe you a
debt. Thank you.

Well, lets move on to our tent then, Arthur said, edging them along. Why dont you
join us, Xander?

Thank you, Sir. Xander nodded, walking along.

The Weasley tent was far more humble than the Malfoy, but Xander was still shocked
by the interior. He really had to look up the information on the expansion charms when
he got a chance, what he was seeing was far and above what hed expected from seeing
his trunk in action. Probably because he was now seeing it on a larger scale, and all at
once instead of hidden by clever organization charms. There was a lot of potential for
real fun in this, he believed.

So, Xander, are you looking forward to the Cup? Harry asked as they settled in, ice
drinks having been passed around.

Xander shrugged, Eh. Itll be cool, I guess.

Ron and pretty much the whole Weasley family stared at him, horrified at his lack of
enthusiasm.

How can you say that? Its going to be AWESOME! Ron exploded, or maybe just
burbled somehow, This is the most brilliant summer EVER!

Xander could see most of the rest agreeing, but could only shrug, Ive never really
been into sports, so thats probably why Im not more exited. When I see a Quidditch
game in action, Ill be honest, my brain is more interested in how the heck those brooms
fly.

Hermione was the only one who agreed with him, I know! And the charms on the
Bludgers are just bizarre.

Xander laughed, Yeah. Ive often wondered if you could tie their seeking charms into
something specific.

Like what? One of the twins asked, curious.

I dont know, Xander shrugged, seems like old Mold in his Shorts Dark Mark
would be funny as hell though.

Half the people in the room choked on their drinks.

M-M-Mold in his shorts? Molly Weasley gasped out in between coughs.

I can never remember his name, Xander admitted, The Dark lord dude, Tom
Riddle. Since hes still running, or floating, around I guess his followers are still around
too. He branded them all with the protean, which is a tricky spell. I think you could link
a bludger into it though. Would be funny as hell to watch.

The twins were cackling their heads off, drawing worried looks from their parents,
while some of the others were looking at him in a vague form of horror.

Hmm, it would be rather difficult to break into the Protean network, though, wouldnt
it? Hermione asked.

I dont think Id try, Xander admitted, Id use one of the Vodoun variations of the
Protean, they arent as perfect in how they work, but they have a lot more room for
tinkering.

Wait, back up, Twin one gasped out, sitting up.

Twin two whipped out a notebook, Vodoun?

Hermione rolled her eyes, African magic. Its ancient and tribal, far older than our
form.

Xander nodded, Today its modern evolution is usually more well known as Voodoo.

Xander, you know quite well that Voodoo is a horrible mangling of the original
rituals, Hermione chastised him.

Well yeah, but the Voodoo Doll uses the exact variation of the charm youd need to
work with, I think. Xander countered.

Hermione hurrumphed, folding her arms in front of her, but didnt counter him.

Voodoo? Isnt that pretty dark magic? Harry asked.

That question earned Xander some suspicious looks, the hardest of which came from
Ron. He considered it for a bit, then shrugged, Well the Voodoo doll itself is. The most
powerful versions of it are blood based, I think. Though some only use sweat or hair, so
Im not sure where it really sits. The modified charm itself, though, isnt dark. I mean,
its not light or anything, but are their any light spells?

Actually, yes. A tall redhead interjected, Though not many are widely used. The
most common in Britain, which is still pretty bloody rare, is the Patronus Charm. Its
almost entirely composed of joy molded magic, which is usually pretty light.

Usually, Bill? Hermione asked, interested.

There are ancient examples of a Dark Patronus, Bill admitted, frowning, But no
writings on how they were cast.

Thank merlin. Molly said, shivering.

Xander frowned, thinking about it. Well... What if someone like Moldy cast it?

People whove done that much evil cant usually cast a patronus, Arthur said,
musingly. Acts like that tend to make drawing up the positive emotions difficult.

What if... he really loved every second of what he did? Xander suggested. I mean,
that would still be joy, right? Pretty twisted, but from his side it would still be joy.

Bill hummed a bit, Interesting suggestion. Youd have to be dealing with a mind thats
totally evil, though.

Sounds like Death Eaters to me, Ron said.

No, Ron, you dont understand... Bill shook his head, The person would have to be
PURE evil. Any thoughts even remotely like what we would consider sanity would
cloud the effect.

Right. Death Eaters.

Hermione, Bill, and Xander groaned.

Anyway, Molly cut in, As fascinating as this conversation is, could we move on to
lighter subjects? All this talk of evil and death eaters is hardly appropriate.

Right, sorry Mum. Bill said, smiling affably. Another time maybe?

Sure. Xander shrugged, more than willing to change the subject.

Xander had, during the conversation, noted the style of dress of the Weasleys and found
himself staring at Arthur rather closely in the lull.

Uh, is something wrong? The friendly man asked, smiling a little bemusedly.

No, Xander shook his head, Just thinking about the way people are dressed today.

Arthur frowned, looking down at himself, Is this wrong?

No, no, Xander said, Just not a great fit for you. Youre dressed pretty well
compared to most.

Do you know much about Muggle customs then? Molly asked, appearing with a tray
of snacks from the tents kitchen.

Non magical raised, Maam. Xander said with a smile.

In Slytherin? Ron blurted, They let muggleborns in Slytherin?

Honestly Ron! Hermione huffed, Dont you ever pay attention, of course they do!

Im not a muggleborn, however, just non magical raised. Xander corrected, leaning
back. To be honest, Im missing it right now. Im going to be two years behind my TV
and movies by the time I get back.

Hermione nodded in agreement, I know what you mean. Only a couple weeks just isnt
enough to catch up.

Tee Vee? Arthur asked, looking like he was getting more and more excited, Does
that use plugs?

Xander blinked, Uh... well, mostly, yeah. You can get some that use batteries I guess...

He, while focused on Arthur, had totally missed half the rest of the people trying to
warn him of the impending conversational doom.

Really? I collect plugs and batteries! Arthur said enthusiastically.

Uh... Xander stared, But... why??

Dad has a whole shed of muggle stuff, Ron said while stuffing his face with snacks.
None of it works, though. They dont build stuff to last, do they?

Ron! Arthur berated him, I told you, muggle technology doesnt work around
magic.

Well, thats not true exactly. Xander corrected, Mostly its microchips that dont
work around magic. So anything without chips can be modified to run on magical
spells, if you understand both the tech and the magic well enough. Sirius was talking
about putting together a magical motorcycle before I left Cali. I guess that, for the main
part of the powerplant you just need some minor explosive charms in the engine
cylinder. So most older tech works pretty well around magic.

So how come none of Dads junk works? Ron asked.

Just guessing, but Id say that theres probably no power running to any of it. Xander
said, One piece of non magical tech that doesnt work well besides chips is actually
batteries. I read about it while looking up technomancy, something about ward fields
drains power from batteries in minutes.

Oh! Oh! I read about that too! Hermione jumped in, Some people think that wards
suck the potential energy out of the battery to help power themselves.

Xander nodded, Right. Whatever reason, its pointless to bring batteries into a magical
area. Unless, you know, you want to add some juice to the ward lines.

Bill chewed idly on a piece of grass hed plucked from outside, Is there any evidence
that would work?

Hermione frowned, but shook her head, I havent seen any studies on it.

They did some in the states, Xander said, But they were pretty badly handled.

Really? Hermione blinked.

Yeah, they used off the shelf batteries instead of industrial stuff. Your average duracell
just doesnt pack enough juice to be noticeable. Xander said, Youd want some heavy
duty stuff to test that, and probably a lot of it.

Still, youre saying that it might be possible to enforce wards with the juice in these
batteries? Bill asked, genuinely interested.

Thats the standing theory, Xander shrugged, Like I said, if anyone has actually
tested it, theyve either kept the results secret or fouled up the tests like I said. Still, to
be honest I dont think it would be worth much.

Why not? It sounds useful to me. Bill frowned.

Hermione nodded, Me too!

Well, batteries drain fast. In just a few minutes, Xander said, So I dont think it
would last long, right? And how do you keep the batteries from going dead before you
need them?

Oh. Yeah, youre right. Hermione frowned.

He is? Ron, Bill, and Ginny blinked, all of them looking confused.

Yeah, I think he is. Hermione sighed, Even if it works it would only be a short term
boost, that would happen right at the point you took the battery into the wards. I
suppose you could store them outside the wards and draw them in if you were
attacked...

Yeah, and those would be the first thing someone hit once that secret got out, Xander
chuckled.

What he didnt add was the sudden thought that struck him concerning the subject. All
the stuff hed read had pointed to much the same thing concerning electricity, though
for a more well known and understood reason. Lightning wards were one of the most
common home warding schemes in use because they were easy to setup and they
provided a lot of protection to a home... in addition to directing power to the ward
stones for other wards. Xander suddenly had to wonder what if you were to direct a live
current from a power line into a lightning ward. If it worked the same as against
lightning, it would power wards similarly.

Of course, as soon as he thought it, Xander realized that there was no way in hell
someone else hadnt already done this. There were no reports of it, however, which
meant that it either failed entirely or... Xander whistled softly.

Xander? What is it? Are you ok? Hermione nudged him.

Xander shook himself, Yeah. Just a stray thought. Something to put in the notebook
later.

Hermione nodded, Oh.

Notebook? Bill asked, bemused.

Xander keeps notes on any interesting spells or ideas he has, Hermione informed
them primly, Many of us do. That way we dont forget to check them out later on.

Bill nodded, Makes sense. I knew a few people who did that too. I was always too busy
with other things, myself.

Helps keep everything straight, Xander admitted, I have too much crap going on to
try and remember stuff. Ever since I got my letter from Salem my life has been speeding
up with every year. First year wasnt too bad, only school work and stuff. By second
year I had my own projects and stuff to add to that, and this year well suddenly Ive got
dueling training, occlumency training, my projects, school work... its getting insane.

Youre taking dueling training? Harry looked surprised.

We do live in a dueling society, Harry. Xander said with a wry grin, Something I
didnt know until I got my teacher.

We do? Harry looked around, confused, as did Hermione.

Its mostly only of concern to higher levels of society, Arthur admitted, Honor duels
mostly involve titled families.

Like, oh, say Potter? Xander asked dryly.

Several of the Weasleys flinched at that, and looked to Harry with surprise and worry
on their face. Harry, for his part, just looked a little ill.

Its really that common? He asked.

Nah. Xander shook his head, Not for the most part. But its a very real possibility.
Kids like Draco start dueling training when they get their wand at the latest. Id guess
Draco started well before that. Youre lucky youre a natural wand hand, Harry, or
Draco would slaughter you.

How come we never got dueling training, mum? Ron demanded.

Ron, Arthur sighed, No Weasley has been involved in an Honor Duel in centuries.
Certainly no Weasley child needs that kind of training.

Harry should have it, though, Dad. Bill said thoughtfully. I never thought of it
before, but when hes of age therell be a real risk of challenges.

Xanders eyes widened slightly and his head snapped around to look at Harry, one
thought running through his mind. Simultaneously, Hermione gasped and covered her
mouth to try and hide the shock.

Both of them realized that the other was thinking the exact same thing.

When hes of age.

Harry must have realized it as well, because his face went ashen and he slumped a little
as he remembered one of the little side effects of the little ceremony was being
considered by magic to be an adult.

Harry felt his stomach drop, and he looked to Hermione in a near panic.

Its alright, Harry dear, Molly said, noting his sudden discomfort. You dont need to
worry about that for a while. No one can challenge minors.

Harry smiled, looking sick.

Besides, Bill smiled, You cant issue challenges at Hogwarts anyway. Its in the
bylaws and enforced by the wards.

That made him feel a little bit better. Really?

Really. Bill nodded, The founders felt that honor duels had no place in a school so
they took steps to prevent it.

Ok, Xander was breathing a little better now too as his mind raced to put it together.
Why the hell hadnt they been informed about this anyway? Was Narcissa playing a
game intended to get Harry out of the way? If so, wouldnt Sirius have seen it coming?
Still, Harry was pretty heavily protected at home in addition to Hogwarts, so that meant
he was safe most of the time.

He looked over at Hermione, whos eyes were setting as she glared back at him. Xander
shrugged helplessly, which thankfully caused her to soften slightly.

His eyes widened, asking her silently, Research?

Research, was the definite reply.

Alright. New priority tasking, Xander thought to himself. Ok, they could do this. In
fact, hed get a jump on things.

Im going to get some air, He said, standing up. Its been great to meet you all.

Oh, fantastic to meet you too. Please, drop by anytime. Arthur said, grasping
Xanders hand and pumping it powerfully.

After a series of goodbyes Xander stepped outside, already flipping his spell phone
open and thumbing the rune rings around. A few moments later he had it up as the call
went thought.

Hey Wills. he said quietly as he moved away from the Weasleys tent.

Xander! The Bubbly redheads voice came through. How is England?

Its fine, but I need a favor.

What is it? Willow asked, suddenly concerned.

Research. Code Duelo. Xander said seriously. And get Sirius in on this too. Harrys
an adult and I just found out he could be challenged to a duel.

Oh my. Willow gasped. Are you sure?

No. Thats why Im asking.

Oh, right. Ok, Im on it. What are you going to do?

Enjoy the game, Xander said wryly. Ive got no books here and I cant just leave
without basically insulting my hosts.

Ok, well Im all over this, but we may need to buy some more books. Willow said.

Youve got the money I left, right?

Yeah, but you know, its yours and I wanted to ask...

I left it so you could get books or whatever you needed, Wills. Xander said, You
dont need to ask. Thanks.

No problem. Now dont just call when its an emergency, Mister, She told him, mock
fiercely. Or well have words when you get back.

Sorry, Ill give you a call in a couple days. And hey, youve got a phone too. Xander
grinned in return.

Oh. Right. Well... youd better.

Cya Wills, Xander out. Xander said, chuckling to himself as he flipped the phone shut
again.

****
Back to index
****

Xander met up with the Malfoys again as the crowd began to get cranked for the
match, and they went as a group to the Ministers box. He had to admit that they were
pretty good seats, given the sheer size of the pitch and stands, and he said as much.

Of course. Draco said, smirking. Only the best sit here.

Speaking of. Xander couldnt help but smirk back as Mr and Mrs Weasley appeared,
with kids in tow.

Dracos jaw about landed in his lap as he watched the troupe settle in, and he almost
missed his fathers snide comment.

Good Lord, Weasley. What did you sell to get seats in this box? Lucius asked, just
loud enough to be heard, Surely your house couldnt have fetched this much.

Arthur Weasley turned fire red, as did Ron, but he restrained himself and his Son as
Fudge spoke up.

Lucius here made a rather sizeable donation to St Mungos, so he and his family... and
guest, are here by my invitation, Arthur.

How very... nice. Arthur smiled, obviously strained.

Fudge didnt seem to notice as he turned back to his other guests, including the
Bulgarian Minister for Magic. This is Harry Potter. HARRY POTTER...

The Bulgarian didnt seem to understand, merely looking confused.

Fudge kept raising his voice, assuming that volume would bridge the language gap
apparently, until finally breaking down, Great Merlin, Man. You have to know Harry
Potter. The Boy Who Lived??

That seemed to break through to the Bulgarian, who pointed at Harry and started
blabbering excitedly.

Xander thought it was all hilarious, but Harry didnt seem to think much of the
attention and tried to curl up into himself. Narcissa noted the reaction with a concerned
frown, but said nothing of it as the announcers came on and the opening ceremonies
began.

Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the Final of the Four Hundred and Twenty Second
Quidditch WORLD CUP!!

The cheering about deafened them where they stood as the crowd surged in response to
the words. When it had calmed moderately the announcer came back, introducing the
team Mascots.

A sound of singing was overshadowed by Arthur yelping out the word Veela, and a
sudden blast of lust and obsession roared through Xanders mind.

His reaction was instant, the same thing hed learned in Sunnydale, his eyes dropping
down to his feet as he threw up every shield he could manage, but all it did was mildly
blunt the edge of the effect. Beside him he could see Arthur Weasley grab Ron and
Harry as they moved to walk off the edge of the platform.

On the other side of him he could see Lucius iron clad grip holding Draco in place,
even as Draco stared down at the ground in much the same manner as he was.

Stop singing. Stop singing. Xander was chanting in his mind, the urge to dance off the
edge and fly down to join the Veela almost overpowering. The allure of Marietta
Addams only a vague shadow of this one. Just as he managed to order his arms to move
enough to block his ears, the song stopped and he was released.

Xander slumped down in his seat, tuning out the world around him as he tried to
rebuild his shattered occlumency defenses. The Veela had traipsed through his mind
like wrecking balls, leaving nothing intact in their wake, and it was all he could do to
breath at that moment. It wasnt until several minutes later that he felt himself nudged
and managed to turn enough to see Narcissa looking at him in concern.

Are you alright?

He nodded slowly, feeling sweat pouring down his face. Just. Not used to that.

Few men complain about being enthralled by a Veela, She said with a teasing smile.

Blew apart my occlumency shields. Xander grunted out. Im wide open again. Just...
need some time.

Narcissas eyes widened, but she just nodded and slipped back.

Blew apart his shields? She couldnt imagine how that could have happened. Even if his
shields were new they should have simply collapsed, not been destroyed which is what it
sounded like he was implying. She kept an eye on him as the game progressed, and was
both impressed and concerned when she recognized his pose as one of meditation.

That was advanced techniques, she knew, especially in a crowd like this. But why in
Merlins name was it necessary??

It was almost a half hour in before Xander opened his eyes again and relaxed, focusing
again on the match. By that point the Irish were well in the lead as the play roared
around him in a blur. The speed was at least twice that of a Hogwarts game, with every
player on Firebolts and all of them pushing the brooms as fast as they could.

Xander was mostly lost through what remained of the match, mostly focusing on
keeping the Veela mascots from pillaging through his meager defenses again right up
until the final spectacular dive which ended with the snitch in the hand of the
Bulgarian, Vicktor Krum, and the match ended 160 to 170 in Irelands favor.

He cheered with the rest, caught up in the moment, but was a little disappointed by
having missed so much. Behind him the Twins were hitting up an older man over a bet,
but Xander didnt pay much attention as the crowd slowly began to filter out.

Xander collapsed as soon as they made it back to the tent, happier than he should be
to fall into a bed that early in the day. His shields were rebuilt, but still flimsy, and the
internal damage was still raw and painful.

He didnt pay any attention to anything around him and simply closed his eyes.

****

When he opened them, hours later, it was to a ruckus coming from outside. He rolled
off the luxurious bed and rubbed his eyes. Thankfully he felt tons better to say the least,
and his head only had the mildest of aches. He pulled on his pants and boots, then fitted
his wands into his belt loops as he through on a light shirt.

As he stepped outside, the sound of screaming and panic coming from a short distance
away. He frowned, shaking his head.

This is why everyone calls me an idiot. He muttered, hand closing around the cool
carbon grip of his curse wand.

He drew it in his right hand and moved down the path toward the screams. It didnt
take long to find the source, where several men in masks were floating a terrified family
around, shooting curses at them randomly.

Xander had always hated bullies, his entire life. Something about them just lit a fire in
him, probably originating with how Willow and Jessie were treated when they all met.
When the wizards began to spin the youngest of their victims, a boy maybe five years
old, like a top and the crowd actually CHEERED, he lost his control.

Xander snapped his wand out straight with a sharp snap.

Stupify! Stupify! Stupify! Stupify!

The masked men spun around, casting shield charms quickly, but Xander hadnt been
aiming at them. The four stunners slapped into the tormented non magicals, shutting
them down like the proverbial off switch, and sending them into a blissful stupor.

With their toys shut down the group muttered angrily and turned on Xander even as
people ran up to his side.

Xander! Hermione gasped, Are you ok?

Im fine. He said, eyes not coming off the masked men.

Why did you curse the muggles? She huffed, her wand in hand as Ronald and Harry
ran up as well.

Take them out of the equation. Xander said, his off hand yanking the Olivander wand
from his belt as the masked men simply let their victims drop.

Mobilicorpus!! Her and Hermione shouted as one, catching the two who had been up
high enough to get hurt, flicking them all to the side.

Little children shouldnt play adult games! One of the masked men snarled, striding
in their direction.

You guys are SICK! Ron yelled, brandishing his wand threateningly, Totally sick!!

Where are the Aurors?? Harry asked, stepping into line with the others, his own
wand at the ready. Arent they supposed to be here?

Theyre probably trying to keep the Irish from rioting over their victory, Hermione
muttered.

Teach them a lesson, One of the masked men ordered, his voice familiar to the
children.

The others began to flick their wands, sending curses flying at the foursome. Xander
strode out of line, his curse wand slashing the air as he snarled out his first spell.

Diffindo!

Again, protego shields popped into place automatically among the masked men, about
half of them shielding the whole group. Xanders spell, again, wasnt aimed at them
however. It slashed into the ground in front of him, opening a long gash that went over
a foot deep.

Leviosa! he followed it up with a flick of his offhand, sheering a huge sheet of sod
from the ground and lifting it up like a wave in front of him to intercept the inbound
curses.

As they splattered harmlessly off the ground, the trio stepped up to join him where he
was now kneeling.

Bloody brilliant! Ron muttered, Whered you learn this?

Standard opening move for a Pride team, Xander said, glancing around. I can hold
this easily, but I cant fire back much.

Right. Harry nodded, We can do that. Right guys?

Too bloody right, Ron grinned.

Hermione looked scared, but she nodded determinedly and moved to where she could
get her wand around the sheet of soil. As Xander held the shield of earth in place with a
simple first year levitation charm, the others fired all manners of curses back. Mostly
they were nothing but annoying hexes and curses, stuff intended for use by school
children, but the occasional stunner, splitter, and other nasty spells had found their way
into the trios repertoire over the years and they now used them with gusto.

Fighting from cover gave the children a considerable advantage, as they were able to
hammer their opponents shields mercilessly and slide an occasional curse through when
one fell, so it wasnt too long before more than half the masked were suffering from
some spell induced ailment and all were angrier than Xander would prefer in armed
men trying to curse him.

Because of that it was only a matter of minutes before the first angry scream of
Crucio!! split the air. Xander never saw the spell, but it blew a huge chunk of dirt
over him, ripping open a hole the size of his head in the shield they were using.

Hermione gasped, Theyre using Unforgivables!!

Bloody hell!

Xander shook the dirt off, trying to hold the shield, knowing that the situation had just
gone from bad to run for your life. Chayton had given him the rundown on the
unforgivables, and none of it was good. He didnt stand much of a chance against any
of them, Xander knew, even if the masked men were only using them to clear away the
shield of dirt.

Alright, time to get out of here. He called, Hermione, Harry, Ron, start falling
back!

What about you!?

Ive got one more trick! He snapped, GO!

The trio scrambled away as Xander flicked his curse wand, chanting the leviosa
incantation. It wasnt best at charms, but with both wands functioning Xander threw
everything he hand into pushing the rolling wave forward ahead of him as he drove
toward the men.

He heard panicked calls of Crucio and Avada Kedavra scream out and flinched lower
as huge chunks were blown out of his shield, then cut the leviosa and slashed his curse
wand forward in a driving piercing stab.

Depulso!

The final spell in the first combo Chayton had taught him was the banishing charm, and
it blasted the entire shield wall forward, turning the dirt and stones into projectiles that
hammered into the men beyond. Xander had turned even as the spell ended, however,
and was running hell bent for the trees.

Behind him the men were digging out as he reached the edge, and he could hear them
screaming.

There he is! Crucio!!

Xander dove for the treeline, hitting the ground in a hard slide as the sky lit up above
him and screams roared out, this time screams of real terror. He could hear even the
masked men yelling, sounding scared.

One of them pointed at the sky and screamed, The Dark Mark! Run!

Then, one by one they popped out as Xander rolled over and stared up at the ugly skull
in the sky. He was pretty certain that it had just saved his ass.

Xander! Hermione and the others ran over to him, Are you ok?

Just peachy. He muttered, shaking his head. My mom and dad are gonna kill me. I
didnt even make it to school this time before I get in a fight, and they were trying to
KILL us!

****

Well that night sucked. Xander grumbled to himself as he let himself back into the
Malfoy tent.

Please do not tell me you were out in that, Narcissa sighed, looking at the mess he was
in.

Xander plucked a leaf out of his hair and shook some more dirt off. Uh... I wasnt out
in that?

The older woman shook her head, And from the look of you, I take it you got
involved.

Dumb bastards were torturing people. Xander grumbled, what kind of person does
that, anyway?

Narcissa sighed, but didnt answer.

Then they start shooting off unforgiveables at me, Xander went on, drawing her
attention strongly.

They WHAT? Narcissa looked him over quickly. Obviously he hadnt been hit by a
killing curse, and he didnt seem to be shaking. Did they miss?

Shield wall absorbed them, Xander shrugged.

She raised an eyebrow, The last time I checked, no shield could block an
unforgiveable.

Shield Wall. Xander corrected, Basically a huge slab of dirt held in place by a
Leviosa.

Ah. She said, nodding slowly. Physical objects could generally block even the
unforgiveables, though generally that was a very advanced conjuration, or the use of
handy objects in the immediate area. This sounded a little different, I dont believe
Ive heard of that spell.

Spell combo, Xander said, Diffindo to cut open the ground, Leviosa to lift the sod or
slab into position, then when youre ready to move again you use a Depulso to shower it
down in the enemy.

Narcissa had to admit, she was impressed. It was a well thought out defense that used
two very easy spells to accomplish the majority of its effect. Only the banishing charm
was moderately difficult, and that sounded optional to the defense, really. For a first
and second year curse/charm combination to be used to block unforgiveables was quite
neatly done.

That said, she wasnt happy that her charge had been out in that. She had purposely
kept Draco busy and away from the crowds for that very reason, but had mistakenly
assumed that Xander would sleep through it all.

Sometimes her husband and his friends really had no common sense, let alone any idea
of their limitations when drinking.

You shouldnt have gone out there, She said finally, shaking her head. However,
what is done is done. Were you hit by any curses?

Xander shook his head, then smirked, Nope. But those masked men are gonna need
some hexes reversed.

Narcissa raised an eyebrow again, You landed curses on them?

Xander shook his head, Nah. I just held the shield wall. Harry, Hermione, and Ronald
got em pretty good though.

Narcissa didnt know whether to be impressed, or to want to cry. Drunk or not, a group
of several blooded Death Eaters had just been spanked by four school children. She
would have to speak quite seriously with her husband about cutting out his drinking, at
least with his former comrades. It was obvious that against any significant force they
have been massacred, assuming Mr Harris was telling the truth.

She sighed, shaking her head. Get to bed, young man. The aurors have settled things
outside, so there should be no more issues.

Xander scowled, not being tired, but she cut him off.

Get some rest, or do you perhaps need a visit to a mediwitch to ensure your health?

Xander grumbled, but got up and headed to bed. She watched him go, then sighed again
and headed back to the back entrance of the tent. She crossed the field and entered into
the Mulciber tent, where she knew her husband was likely located.

She found him, as expected, with several of his former comrades. And, also as expected,
most were suffering from various degrees of spell damage.

Narcissa sighed, shaking her head.

I hope you got that lunacy out of your system, Husband. She said, her voice chilled as
she stressed the last word.

Not NOW. Lucius muttered, removing a hex from Mulciber.

Unforgiveables? Really? She ignored him, Were you so inebriated that you lost your
minds?

Shut up, bitch. Parkinson growled, glaring at her through eyes that could barely be
seen. The massive swelling he was under looked nasty.

So, did you get that from one of the fourteen year old boys, or the fourteen year old
girl who resisted you? She demanded acerbically.

Lucius, looking sober and worn out now, turned on her. Are you hear for a reason,
woman??

I thought you might like the know that the Aurors have arrived back from the Irish
camps, and are beginning a tent to tent search. She said, You may want to hurry up
and finish fixing those nasty hexes you suffered from the fourteen year olds you so
bravely engaged in mortal combat.

Mulciber glared at her, slurring drunkenly, The aurors will be what we tell them.

What my HUSBAND tells them you mean, you imbecile, Narcissa thought dryly. That
might have been true had you geniuses not begun firing unforgiveables before one of
you set off the Dark Mark. Theyll be out for blood now.

Tha wasnt us! Mulciber protested.

Oh, you didnt fire unforgiveables are schoolchildren?

I meant the Dark Mark. We didna do that.

Narcissa pinched her nose, So theres yet another genius running around out there?
Lovely. I do hope that, should they get caught, they dont know about you lot. Get back
to your tents as quickly as you can, and Husband? Sober up before you do. Ill keep
them busy as long as I can.

Lucius nodded tiredly, the events of the evening having done enough to burn off his
firewhisky buzz that he didnt really need a sobering potion. Narcissa turned away from
them and headed back to her own tent.

****

Sirius Black groaned a little at the pounding on the door of his flat, sorry, his
apartment. It had been one of those nights, and the last thing he needed was that noise
echoing through his skull.

Coming, coming, please for the love of Merlin stop hammering down the door! He
managed to croak out as he pulled on his pants and stumbled to the door.

Willow? He muttered, confused as the redhead pushed past him. Whats up?

Oh lord. She scrunched up her nose, You stink, Sirius. And put on a shirt.

Sorry, wasnt expecting company this early.

Its almost noon.

Yeah. I know.

Willow closed her eyes, counting quickly to ten. She had learned early on that she was
really better off treating Sirius much like Jessie, or like Jessie had been when he was
eleven or so. Jessie had grown up a little since then.

I had a call from Xander. She said, About Harry.

That woke Sirius up, Is he alright?

Put a shirt on.

But...

Now, Mister.

Fine. Sirius pouted, slinking away.

Willow could hear him grumbling about her keeping information about Harry from
him, but ignored it. Her eyes flitted around the room, finally noting a brassier hanging
over a chair. She winced and decided not to ask as Sirius came back, tucking a shirt in.

There? Happy?

Ecstatic.

Now what about Harry??

As Sir Harry hes an adult, right? She asked.

Sirius nodded, Of course. So, what about him??

As an adult he can be challenged to a duel, right?

Sirius shrugged, Sure I guess. Was he??

Not yet, but there is some concern.

Why? Sirius looked genuinely confused. No one is going to challenge a kid to a duel
without really good reason.

Willow stared for a moment, her jaw dropping. Sirius! Boy Who Lived, remember?
Hes got more enemies than I would wandering around the streets of Iran!

Uh...

Jewish girl here?

Ok...

Willow groaned, never mind. We need to know how worried he should be?

Sirius shrugged, Well. You cant just challenge someone to a duel to the death for no
reason. So even with enemies, Harry isnt going to be challenged lightly. Hed have to
do something, or have a blood feud going with some house...

Does he?

As Sir Harry of Potter? No. Sirius shrugged, As regent Black? Maybe, but I doubt
any of the Black enemies would want to kill Harry Potter. He should be able to handle
any minor duels he may become involved in, Id expect his dueling training is at least
that good.

Willow stared again, Uh... He hasnt had any training.

What!? Sirius looked aghast, But James was practically a master at his age!

Harry here, Not James. Willow said. Sirius, I know this isnt my buisiness, b... but
you talk about him like he was your old friend. H-Hes your Godson. Theyre not the
same person.

Sirius looked like hed been struck dumb for a moment, then slowly sighed.

Maybe youre right. Ok, I need to call Harry.

Wait a few more hours, Willow suggested, Time difference.

Sirius nodded.

In the meantime I have to go, Willow got up, And you should see to your guest.

Huh?

Sirius followed the nod of her head to where the woman from the night before was
leaning in the doorway and paled quickly.

Damndamndamndamn. He thought desperately. What was her name again??

****
Back to index
****

After the explosive events of the World Cup, Magical Britain mostly quieted down on
the surface at least. For Xander, he got the privilege of watching a parade of Aurors
show up to talk with Lucius, mostly leaving with a belt pouch they hadnt arrived with.
The chink sound of gold in a leather pouch was distinctive, and even sounded clearly
through magical enhancements.

Connecting the dots wasnt the hardest thing to work out, even for Xander who had no
experience in such matters at all. He ignored it for the most part, however, since there
wasnt anything he could do about it.

For Harry, back with the Weasleys, things went far quieter than for Xander. All he
could do was listen to the rumors for the most part, and fly brooms with Ron.

Mostly at least.

He did take advantage of the Knight Bus tutorial hed received from Xander to visit
Diagon a couple times when the Weasleys thought he was out for a walk. Hed needed
to visit Gringotts in order to take full control of his account.

Taking control of the Potter account was a bit of an eye opener. Hed known that he
was pretty well off, but it was apparent that his trust vault was just a piece of the pie.
Most of his assets were in property, but he found that he had roughly five million
pounds worth of liquid assets, and twice that in investments. The investments were a bit
of a worry, however, since some of them had dovetailed in the last few years, untended
by his family, losing over twenty million pounds in the years since his parents had died.

Harry had wanted to take up the Goblins on their offer to tend the account, but
remembered Xanders advice to never make a deal with the Goblins unless he was
confident he knew what he was doing. So he decided to leave the investments as they
were, figuring that things werent going to get much worse in the next few months.

His portfolio was a magically expanded book the likes of which hed never seen before,
and Harry was resigned to a lot of reading before he could make much of them.

Sirius had contacted him, and Harry learned that the threat of duels wasnt as bad as
hed been envisioning, but he had to do some work anyway. Sirius had recommended
talking to professor Flitwick at school, and also just plainly practicing with his friends
as long as they had supervision.

That meant starting some sort of dueling club, Harry supposed. The first time hed seen
that it hadnt turned out spectacularly well. Hed have to think about it, maybe
Hermione would have an answer to the problem. For the moment, though, he was
almost entirely isolated from the Wizarding World, so it shouldnt be a problem for the
foreseeable future. Duels couldnt be issued at Hogwarts, not to the death anyway, and
the rest of the year he was a recluse.

So he had time.

He just needed to make the most of it.

****

The day of the Hogwarts Express was on them almost before they knew it, the summer
gone by and school almost ready to start again. On that day Xander and Harry ran into
each other again for the first time since that night in the camp ground.

They just nodded to one another as Hermione greeted Xander with a hug, and Molly
Weasley fussed over her whole family, Harry included. Xander heard her telling them
not to open their special packages until they got to Hogwarts, saying it was a secret, but
he wasnt paying attention.

Instead he was smiling as he noted a dark shadow passing through the crowd like a hot
night through butter. People turned and moved away from its source without thinking,
and Xander envied her for that ability.

Wednesday. he said, wiping the smile from his face.

Alexander. She responded, hefting a familiar furry shape in his direction, I believe
that this belongs with you.

Hey Fenrir. Xander accepted the hefty pup. Fenrir had grown over the years, but as
It had predicted the growth rate seemed tied to Xanders own, with the pup being
roughly the size it would be at four years old in human terms. From what he gathered,
Xander expected Fenrir to be at its full growth at some point when Xander reached his
mid twenties.

Of course, as hed already seen, Fenrir had a magical form that was immensely
powerful and quite large.

How was it with the mean old Addams? Xander asked, eyes laughing as he glanced
up at Wednesday, who merely raised an eyebrow. Did you get to eat any postmen?

The dog yipped at him, causing Xander to laugh.

Please. Wednesday rolled her eyes, The postman never comes close enough to be
eaten. Not after the last three, anyway.

Xander chuckled, though he was far from convinced that she was joking. Thanks for
taking care of him.

It was no trouble. She said simply, Did you have a good time at the match?

Xander smirked slightly, imagining the reaction from Harry or Ron at the World Cup
being reduced to a mere match. Aside from the bitch of a headache from the Veela
blasting my shields, it was pretty cool. What happened after was interesting though.

Oh?

Xander nodded and told her about it as they moved along the tracks to the door of the
train. Wednesday was almost sad at missing the fun, he rather thought. He was
somewhat sad shed missed it to, in all truth. Hed love to have seen what she pulled out
of her familial bag of tricks to torment the masked twits with.

The boarded quickly, finding themselves a compartment, and settled in for the ride.

So, Wednesday said as she fed Odin something Xander rather didnt want to get too
close a look at, The Hogwarts letter this year was slightly odd.

The dress robes?

Wednesday tilted her head, A gown, actually. For me, anyway.

Xander nodded, Yule ball.

Indeed? Why?

Something called the Tri Wizard Tournament. Xander shrugged, Lucius let Draco
in on it, Mrs Malfoy told me. Going to be a big deal this year, I guess.

Ah. I suppose it may be interesting.

****

In another car, Ron was complaining. What do you suppose that was all about?

Harry shrugged, though he was pretty sure he had a good idea.

Ron didnt really pay attention to him anyway, instead tearing open the package his
mum had told him not to open until Hogwarts.

Blimey! He muttered. Look at this!

Harry looked over and winced as some of the ugliest robes hed every seen in his life
were hanging from Rons hand.

Mums flipped her lid. When am I going to wear this?

Honestly, Ron, Hermione rolled her eyes, It was written in the letter, clear as day.
Were required to have formal wear this year.

What?? WHY!?

Im sure I dont know.

Ron whimpered a little, looking at the frilly purple robes. I cant wear this!

Harry sympathized with his friend. They were hideous robes.

Open yours, Ron said, nodding to Harry.

Harry shrugged, knowing that he wouldnt be wearing them either way, and did as he
was bade.

Those arent too bad, Ron said, They look kinda good. How come I got... oh.

Ron slumped, looking depressed.

Harry figured out what Ron was thinking and made a decision. I should have told your
mum not to get me any.

Why not? Ron asked.

Alright have some. Harry said, glancing at Hermione. Right?

Hermione nodded, Yes, they were delivered to me, I have them in my trunk.

You want these? Harry asked, offering the ones Mrs Weasley had bought him. Im
not going to wear them.

Ron looked at them longingly, but visibly held himself back before sighing. Better not.
Mum got me these, and yours wont fit me anyhow.

So get them resized. Harry shrugged, Parvarti and Lavender know the spells, right
Hermione?

Theyre pretty good at it, actually.

There. Harry tossed the package over. Those are yours, Im never gonna wear
them.

Youre sure? Ron asked, his voice tinging with a slight hint of hope.

Harry smiled, I had a bit of unfair warning, Ron. I knew wed need these, so I got a set
tailored.

Who told you?

Xander. Harry shrugged, He found out from Malfoy. Id have told you, but I
thought your Dad would have mentioned it. Besides, things got kinda hyped up when I
got to the Burrow.

Ron looked glumly at the robes, Youre sure you dont need em?

Absolutely. I swear, Ron, if you dont wear em I may as well give them to the Creevys
or something. Harry said, exaggerating. There was no way in hell he was giving
anything to Colin or Dennis. Theyd probably frame it and put it on display or
something.

Honestly, Ron. Just say thank you. Hermione said with a smile and roll of her eyes,
And save us all from the horror of you prancing around Hogwarts in that purple...
thing.

Harry couldnt help it, he snickered, which set off Hermione. In turn that set him off,
and before long they were laughing loudly as Ron looked on, hurt. Well, he tried to look
hurt. One look at the purple monstrosity convinced him that it was actually pretty
funny and he joined in.

Alright, alright. Thanks, Harry. I WILL pay you back. Ron promised, but thanks.

Harry waved it off, Ron. Youve been my friend through all kinds of insanity, and I
think its a fair bet that more of the same is coming. You have my back, and I have
yours. I dont really need to keep track of anything more than that. If you want to, well
thats your choice. But for me? You earned those robes and more when you cast your
first Wingardium Leviosa.

Ron didnt look convinced, but was willing to let it drop as the train sped on its way to
Hogwarts.

****

Harry and the others looked up when the door to the compartment opened, half
expecting Draco to be making his biannual threats on the express. Harry was surprised
to see that it was Ginny with her friend in tow, though he was having a difficult time
remembering the friends name.

Luna. That was it.

Hey, Ginny said, Do you mind if we sit here? Things are a little too exciting out
there.

Not at all, Harry shrugged, glancing at the other two, But what do you mean,
exciting?

Draco is running around as usual, and some of the Ravenclaws are tormenting Luna.
Ginny shrugged as she dropped into a seat.

Why?

Luna shrugged in response, I think its a Tremlwart infestations.

Harry stared, but honestly couldnt come up with a response to that and so he just
nodded slowly before turning back to his book.

What are you reading? Ginny asked him.

Huh? Oh, its just a property ledger. He answered. I got it from the Goblins, just a
list of Potter properties. Theres a surprising amount of them.

Wow. I guess you could sell them for a lot, then, huh? Ginny said.

Nah. Most are entailed, apparently. The family owns them, but theyre locked up in
one way or another. Harry said, not really caring much.

Really? Hermione blinked, Thats strange, isnt it? How do you mean?

Well, theres this one property in London thats under permanent lease to the
government. Harry said, Theres another in France that is entailed for the use of a
monastic order for so long as they choose to remain. Theyve been there for five
hundred years, so Im guessing theyre not going to move to more modern locations
anytime soon. And theres this one in Tasmania thats a little confusing. I guess its a
chunk of the country that was warded out before colonial settlers moved in, so while I
own it its not on any land registries or anything.

Tasmania, really? Luna perked up, looking over.

Harry nodded, Yeah. Potter Plantation. Big chunk of land, over a thousand square
miles, including several islands. I guess its a magical preserve, but the place looks kinda
run down.

You have pictures? Luna slid over, may I?

Sure. Harry showed her the pictures, magical images of the plantation home. See all
the holes in the walls?

Oh those were caused by the tasmanian devils. Your wards must be failing. Luna said
quickly.

Hermione squawked.

Harry looked over, Hermione? Are you ok?

Im... fine. She said, taking a breath and glaring at Luna. Luna Lovegood, you know
as well as I do that the tasmanian devil is hardly going to go around blowing holes in
walls. Its just a small animal thats nearly extinct.

Luna shook her head, smiling tolerantly. Hermione, the Tasmanian Devil is a magical
creature that can spin like a dervish and chew through almost anything. Everyone
knows that.

Hermione looked at Ginny and Ron, who just looked totally confused, then blew her
top. Youre talking about a CARTOON!

Whats a cartoon? Luna asked, looking befuddled.

****

Did you hear that? Xander asked, looking up.

What? Wednesday glanced around.

Sounded like Hermione screaming.

And how, pray tell, are you so familiar with the sound of her screaming? Wednesday
asked, one eyebrow raised.

Xander smirked, new hobby.

She stared at him evenly for a moment, Explain.

What? A guy cant have a hobby? Xander asked, grinning.

Wednesday just stared at him until he began to shift in his seat and finally gave up out
of self preservation.

Alright, yeesh. I just figured out that Hermione doesnt relax near enough, Xander
said with a weak chuckle, Do a few little things and she lets it all build until she blows
her top. Its fun trying to figure out exactly when shes gonna go off.

And just what did you do this time to get her to blow her top? Wednesday asked
with a slight shake of her head.

Nothing actually. Xander said, a little confused. That one wasnt one of mine.

I see. Wednesday said, rising as she noted a shift in the feel of the train. Well there is
no time to investigate now, were arriving.

****

The train deposited them all at the Hogsmeade station and they were all soon bundled
off into their carriages, or boats for the first years, and trundled along into the school.
For Xander it was what had become a yearly tradition, but for Harry it was a home
coming.

He looked at the castle walls as they loomed ahead and felt comfortable for the first time
since hed left in the fall, a feeling that even the warmth of the Burrow couldnt quite
replicate. The were soon all packed into their seats in the great hall, and watched as the
hat was carried out and the firsties led in for the sorting.

Xander settled into his seat at the Slytherin table, eyes roving the assembled students
and professors, and he noted idly that there was an open slot at the teachers table. He
leaned in Daphnes direction, We missing a teach?

Her eyes flicked in the same direction, and the blond girl shrugged, It would seem that
the Headmaster has had difficulty finding a defense teacher again this year.

Xander nodded, having guessed as much himself. Imagine that, huh? One dies, one
terrorizes the countryside, and whatever happened to Lockhart anyway?

Xander suddenly felt a pang of guilt, he never had found out what happened the twit.

You didnt hear? Daphne hissed, sounding surprised. They found him wandering
the catacombs under the school, babbling about coming clean about his books. The dolt
confessed to the headmaster on sight, apparently hes been obliviating people and
stealing their stories for his books. The ministrys been spending a lot of man hours
tracking down all his victims since. He got five years in Azkaban.

Only five?

Obliviation isnt a huge crime, She shrugged, As long as youre good enough at it to
make it reversible. I guess he was good at one spell, after all. Hell be poor as a pauper
when he gets out, though. Lawyers have been lining up to sue him and his publisher
ever since.

Whoa. Xander said, anyway, I wonder whos gonna take over the catastrophe class
this year?

Daphne just smirked and said nothing as they turned back to the sorting.

Getting the firsties in line didnt take much longer, and before long (but after
Dumbledores requisite nonsensical words) they were digging into the opening feast
with gusto. About halfway through, however, there was a loud BOOM, followed by a
couple softer bangs, and the doors flew open.

The man who walked in, assuming it was a man because Xander was far from certain of
that, was one of the most horribly scarred pictures anyone in the hall had ever seen. He
was missing an eye and a leg, both replaced by prostetics, and he thumped determinedly
across the hall.

Th... Daphne stammered, whispering in near terror. Thats Mad Eye Moody.

What? Xander hissed back, eyes not coming off the man.

Hes a Master Auror. Blaise said, entering the conversation. Retired of course.
Killed more death eaters and, by extension, purebloods than anyone else in the last
war.

Now, Xander hadnt asked who. Hed asked what, he was fully aware of who Mad
Eye Moody was from his studies on the wars. The former Auror had started his career
in the Grindlewald War, earning a fearsome reputation akin to the likes of Audie
Murphy on the non magical side of the battles. Xander knew all about him, he was just
surprised the man was still alive. By all references, hed been left for dead in an ambush
just before the war ended, with no further references to his existence after Harryd
supposedly iced Moldy.

Which was why he answered Blaises statement with a correction, not even thinking
about his statement. Second most kills, most captures.

Excuse me? Blaise quietly glared at him.

One thing all the histories of the war agree on, Xander said, Moody ranks number
two for kills.

Who, pray tell, do they credit for number one?

The Dark Lord. Xander replied dryly. Last going off he was supposedly offing his
own people like a lunatic.

Propaganda. Blaise snorted.

Maybe, but even the pro pureblood stories hint at it, Xander shrugged. None of
them really have any idea why. But the list of names dead by his hand are confirmed by
post war interrogations.

The two purebloods glanced at each other, uneasily falling silent as they watched
Moody converse with Dumbledore and then, with growing horror, walked around the
table and took a seat.

I guess we have our catastrophe class professor, Xander said dryly.

Were doomed. Daphne moaned softly.

The feast ended quickly, a somber tone having fallen over the hall, and the Headmaster
rose up to give his announcements.

To begin with, He said gravely, though the tone was belied by the twinkle in his eye,
The forbidden forest remains just that, forbidden. Mr Filch wishes me to remind you
all that magic is not permitted in the halls, and as with every year the list of contraband
materials not allowed in Hogwarts may be found posted to his office door.

The old man smiled a little now, moving on.

Our new Professor for Defense against the Dark Arts is Alastor Moody, an old friend
of mine that I hope you will all welcome warmly...

Like hell thatll happen... Draco hissed, glaring at the scarred professor.

Most of the Slytherins murmured in agreement as polite applause echoed around the
hall, including scattered clapping from their table. They glared darkly at those who
dared, including Xander, who just rolled his eyes and hissed back at him.

What? The guys a legendary cop and soldier. I *want* to see what he can teach.

The minor drama at the Slytherin table was ignored as the Headmaster went on.

Sadly, it is my duty to inform you all that this year, Quidditch has been canceled.

WHAT!? That single word was torn from several throats which included, amusingly
to Xander, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.

They didnt seem to notice their union in their righteous cause, and went on to yell that
they couldnt cancel quidditch. The Headmaster, however, did notice if the amused
gleam in his eye was any indication and he actually took a moment to suppress a
chuckle before continuing.

As I was saying, He went on, almost but not quite laughing, This year, instead,
Hogwarts has the honor of playing host to the Tri Wizard Tournament.

Youre JOKING!! The Weasley Twins blurted out in shock.

Now the headmaster did laugh, I assure you that I am not. This ancient competition
has existed between Hogwarts, Bauxbatons, and Durmstrang for centuries, though we
had until recently refrained from holding one due to... an unfortunate series of deaths
that left the last such contest with no survivors.

The hall fell deathly quiet.

Which is why this year we will be using an age line that I will personally administer to
prevent anyone under the age of seventeen from entering.

Dumbledore smiled around at the school before continuing.

Now, before I send you off to your beds, I want to wish you the warmest of welcomes to
this new and exciting year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

****
Back to index
****

Hermione Granger was confused.

This wasnt as odd a situation as one might think, not that she would admit it to anyone.
She was often confused, and when that happened she spent time in the library until she
was no longer confused.

Hermione Granger spent a lot of time in the library.

This time, however, there was no savior to be found in the books. Everything she could
find on House Elves was just utterly abhorrent. Not only were the poor things nothing
more than slaves, there wasnt even any hint of them every being anything else or
desiring anything more.

It was disgusting on levels beyond anything shed ever seen.

It was in this state that she was joined by her normal study partners.

You appear vexed. Wednesday said as she took a seat.

She looks pissed. Xander countered, grinning easily as he flopped down into his own.

Hermione looked between them, eyes flaring, Have you two heard about house elves?

Wednesday cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing as Xander shrugged.

What? The little guys who handle the food and everything here in school?

You KNEW? Hermione hissed, her voice shifting to near murderous in intensity.

Xander straightened up, eyeing her more seriously. Knew what? Theyre cool little
guys. What about it?

Theyre slaves! She hissed, glaring at him, Were supporting a slave culture.

Huh. Xander said.

Huh? Thats all you have to say? Hermione shook her head, We have to do
something.

Weird. The little guys didnt seem unhappy.

Theyre slaves, Xander, Hermione said, of course theyre unhappy.

One does not necessarily follow the other, Wednesday retorted calmly. Most slaves
today are quite satisfied with their lot in life.

What slaves? Hermione looked puzzled. There are more slaves in the magical
world?

I meant non magical slaves in Britain and America.

Hermiones eyes widened, Non magical? Wednesday Addams, The United States and
Great Britain dont keep slaves.

I suppose that depends on your point of view, Wednesday shrugged, Hordes of
uneducated, largely ignorant, minimum wage workers who have no opportunities other
than another dead end job qualifies as slaves in my opinion.

They can choose to go to school!

Most arent taught how to learn, or are unable to learn for various reasons. And even
if they did, it would only gain them a mere improvement in their status to moderately
more valuable slaves. The Addams girl shrugged.

Some people do far better than that, Hermione defended her position.

And some Gladiators in ancient Rome grabbed the Brass Ring, whats your point?

Hermione gaped, uncertain how to respond.

Actually, I rather suspect that compared to housing and feeding a slave proper, paying
minimum wage is likely less expensive a proposition for most employers. Wednesday
continued thoughtfully.

I doubt it, Xander said, considering it with some amusement, Youre forgetting the
power of numbers. Caring for one slave would probably cost more, caring for a million
though?

True. I can see the McDonalds Slave Barracks now, Wednesday smiled slightly.

Gives a whole new meaning to Over one million served. Xander smirked.

Fine, Hermione cut in, Never mind that. Im not going to argue semantics with you.
The point is that Hogwarts is served by *slaves*!

Are they mistreated? Wednesday asked.

Are you saying that slavery is alright if were nice about it?

Hardly, Slavery is morally bankrupt. It violates the only truly important thing we
have. Wednesday said.

And that is?

Our right to free will. The dark girl said evenly.

So you agree, we have to do something about the house elves, Hermione said
triumphantly.

No, I ask again, are they unhappy?

What does that have to do with anything??

Xander spoke up softly, One can no more free a slave than one can enslave a free
man.

What? Hermione blinked, set back slightly.

Precisely, Wednesday smiled.

Its something my great uncle told me. Xander said, When we were talking about
the Civil War in the US. He told me that slavery really only lasted as long as the Slaves
were content with their position. They didnt have to be happy, just content.

Theres nothing to be contented about!

Xander shrugged, For me and you? No. There isnt. For slaves in early America, well,
they came from a Slave culture. They were sold to traders by their own people, or other
traders. It was expected, a part of their lives. Most were treated as semi valuable
property in the states, which was better than they got in Africa as a rule. So, they were
content. If youre in hell and someone offers to turn down the flames a few notches, it
seems like a good deal.

You cant really believe that slaves in the united states had a good deal!?

Xander glared sharply at her, No, I dont. But youre missing the point. If the house
elves are happy, theres nothing you can do short of trying to make them *unhappy*.

Dobby wasnt happy. Hermione blurted, grasping at straws.

Whos that?

He used to be the Malfoys house elf. Hermione said, He was mistreated badly, he
wanted to be free.

Well, theres your disaffected slaves. Xander said with a shrug, Dont worry about
Hogwarts until they ask you for help. Find the ones who are already free in their minds,
but still wearing chains.

Breaking chains is always easier than changing minds. Wednesday nodded slightly.

Hermione fell silent, still confused, but thinking more than reading now.

Xander took that as the end of the conversation and turned his focus back to his notes
and the books he pulled from the shelves. Hed been toying with the idea of the two way
mirror a bit, thinking that maybe he could add a small one to the spell phones and get
video conferences of sorts with it.

It sounded good, but the more he thought about it the less he liked the idea really. Oh,
he wasnt totally ruling it out, but he really couldnt think of any good reason to use
picture to picture communication compared to straight voice. Especially not on a devise
as compact as a spell phone.

Now on a larger screen, Xander smirked, he could get someone to hold it up to a TV or
something and then maybe he wouldnt be so far behind the decent shows and movies
now.

That thought pulled him up, and suddenly he started scribbling furiously on the paper.

Damn it! Why hadnt he thought of that EARLIER??

Xander?

He paused in his writing, and looked up to see that Hermione had come out of her fugue
and was looking at him curiously.

What is it?

I just remembered something I wanted to ask you, She said hesitantly.

What?

That night, in the campground, Hermione hesitated, looking a little embarrassed.
Did... Did I see you use two wands?

Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. Why?

Hermione gaped at him. Shed been so sure she had been wrong, that somehow he was
doing something else. But... but thats impossible!

Uh... No its not? Xander countered, confused.

You cant use two wands, Xander. Hermione lectured, Its well recorded that
matched wands conflict badly with other wands.

Oh, yeah, I know. Xander nodded, My graphite wand works for anyone, though,
about the same as it does for me. Its kind of a universal wand. Not as good as a
matched wand, really, but a lot less finicky. Learned that while training with Chayton,
come to think of it he looked pretty surprised too. Anyway, anyone can use one of my
carbon wands like I did. No big deal.

Hermione slumped in her seat.

No big deal.

He had just destroyed one of the rules of magic, and it was no big deal.

What was he going to do next? Apparate into hogwarts??

You were able to use both in a real fight? Wednesday asked mildly.

Xander shrugged, but nodded.

I am impressed. She conceded.

I cant aim for crap with my left hand, but I can shield a bit and use intent spells
decently. Xander said.

Wednesday nodded, understanding. Shields and Intent spells were largely unaffected by
the need to aim, since the former tended to simply protect a single spot relative to the
wielder or wand, and the latter was actually targeted by the desire and intent of the
caster. The spell literally was WILLED to hit, and usually did. For off hand use, they
were the ideal starting points.

You will be practicing your aim, of course? She said, ordering more than asking.

Xander nodded, Yeah. Have to, really. Chayton told me hed string me up if I didnt
improve over the winter.

Excellent. Wednesday replied, Rest assured, Alexander... Should he attempt to do
so,

Yeah? Xander glanced over, smiling curiously.

I will aid him.

Xander pulled back, gulping. Ah, right. K.

Threat delivered, Wednesday turned back to her own work.

Xander shifted uncomfortably, eyes flicking between his book and his companions, his
focus now shattered.

Hermione was again lost in a turmoil of thought, ranging from the rules of magic to the
plight of the Wizarding House Elf.

Wednesday, for her part, was once more delving into a book on an ancient ritual now
banned as hopelessly dark. Shed been able to locate it deep in the restricted section of
the library, where it had survived countless attempts to purge Hogwarts references of
all things questionable.

In her first year, Wednesday had discovered that Hogwarts protected its knowledge as
it did its students. Jealously and with extreme prejudice against those who would harm
either. It was not always successful, but the old school never failed to try.

It was then that she knew she had made the right decision in coming there, and since
then she had not been proven wrong.

****

For Harry James Potter, the return to Hogwarts normally signified something of a
rebirth. In his mind, the old Castle was more than just his home. It was the place hed
shed his old life, the fantasy of a childhood hed almost forgotten. In effect, it was
everything hed ever been afraid to wish for when living at the Dursleys.

This year, however, he had a few things weighing on his mind.

For one, well for more than one if he were to be honest, this whole Knight thing was a
totally mind twisting concept. It had made him realize, even more than he had before,
that he knew nothing of his family. Forget, just for a moment, his Mum and Dad. He
knew nothing of the Potters, or the Evans.

NOTHING!

He wasnt even sure how that was possible! Four years into his life in the Magical
world, and hed learned more about his magical heritage from an AMERICAN than
any of his parents friends had ever told him. On the muggle side of things, hed spent
his entire life in a house with his Aunt, and never heard her say more than a few words
about her own family.

Not even to Dudley.

Harry just didnt know what to think of it all. On the one hand, it did seem a little
farfetched that no one would speak of his family to him, but on the other hand seeing a
conspiracy in the events seemed even harder to believe.

In the end, he supposed that he had only himself to blame. While he had hungered for
information about his parents, he hadnt actively pursued it with anyone except for
Hagrid and the Headmaster. Hagrid, bless him, wasnt except the most reliable of
people as Harry well knew and occasionally took advantage of, and the Headmaster
Well, sometimes the less said there the better. This seemed to be the headmasters
motto, in Harrys opinion.

So, really, it was his fault and he had to own up to it. He had more information now, at
least, and was slowly digging through it all. Much of the data from Gringotts was dry
as the sahara, of course, but even it told a story.

His father had been well enough off to not need to work at anything he didnt enjoy,
some would say he didnt need to work at all in fact. Harry wasnt sure of that, a few
million pounds sounded like a lot, but when you had a family to think of into the next
generation and beyond, he didnt think that wasting money for no reason was the way
to go.

And, so too thought his parents, as far as he could tell. His father had been an Auror,
one of the youngest Master Aurors ever before his death. Of course, this was during a
time of war, so promotions were quick to be had. His Mother, she had been a researcher
it seemed. Harry wasnt sure, the details on her work were pretty much unavailable.

What it all spelled out, though, was just how ignorant he really was. It was, sadly, not
an unusual revelation for Harry. He still remembered the humiliation he felt when his
teacher realized that he couldnt read properly at age nine.

She couldnt have known why, but then even he didnt really understand why until hed
met Hermione. He was entirely self taught in many aspects of his education, not because
the teachers hadnt tried but because you could only learn so much in class. Most of
your real education as a child was from the time you spent living and playing with your
peers, watching TV, even reading borrowed books from the library. These were all
things that Harry had never had.

Hed worked damned hard since then to fill in that gap, and yet at age 10 it became
clear that his mathematics knowledge was similarly crippled. So he spent that year
using a smuggled pencil to scribble out the multiplication tables on the wall of his
cupboard over and over until he had them down and moved on to the next step.

Since coming to the magical realm Harry had determined that he wasnt drowning in
an ocean that his peers had already learned to swim in, and hed been satisfied with his
results. Certainly he was far from the worst in the school, normally his marks were
significantly higher than Rons after all and Ron wasnt failing or anything.

And now what does he find out? Xander has been inventing magical stuff for almost the
entire three years hed been here, despite not having marks any better than his own! If
it werent for the Marauders Map and the Coven Grimoire, Harry would have let it
pass though. His parents had more in common with an American than they did with
him.

It was another one of those moments that Harry had come to associate with the word
watershed, A point in his life where he knew that he had to make a change, or he
wouldnt be able to look himself in the mirror again. He fancied himself as one of the
best in his year in Defence Against the Dark Arts, the best in practical to be clear, and
only just behind Hermione in terms of knowledge. And yet hed been totally outclassed
by the performance of Xander at the fight in the campground, or at least thats how he
felt.

Harry sighed.

He was starting to sound like Ron now, and not in any of Rons good aspects either. He
pushed down that sort of thinking, knowing that it would do him no good to be jealous
of someone who had worked to achieve what they had. If he wanted to redeem himself
in his own eyes, he just had to get to work.

First, though, he needed to see if he could get a little help and so he pulled out the
Marauders Map and quickly located his quarry.

****

Xander thought that he really needed to look into enchanting books.

Finding his ideas in the chicken scratch of his notebooks was just getting to be insane.
Hed just realized that it was becoming disheartening, trying to find the stuff hed
thought were great ideas just a few months earlier.

He was still puzzling over that when Harry came quietly over to the table he shared
with Hermione and Wednesday.

Oh, Harry, Hermione smiled, Can I help you with anything?

uh, no Hermione, actually I wanted to speak with Xander. Harry said, looking a little
nervously.

Xander looked up, surprised, and even Wednesday looked up from her book with what
passed for surprise on her face.

Sure. Xander shrugged, Whats up mate?

Harry sighed, taking a seat, I need some help.

This is hardly news. Wednesday replied dryly.

Hermione shot her a dirty look while Xander smothered a snicker, but Harry looked
about ready to curl up and try and hide in his own shadow.

Whats wrong, Harry?

Harry sighed, obviously steeling himself. He really wasnt the sort who liked to ask for
help, it was one of the things he had in common with Ron, to be truthful.

Do you think you could practice with me sometime? Harry asked, looking across as
Xander. I mean, dueling and stuff.

Xander was a little surprised, but only a little. Harry had been hit with a lot of stuff in
the past few weeks, and he guessed that this was just the results of all of it now coming
to the surface. He shrugged, I guess. Wed have to find a place, though.

Harry frowned, but nodded. An old classroom? There are tons of them.

Yeah, maybe. Xander shrugged, thinking about his recent conversation with
Hermione, You know what, lets ask the Elves.

Huh?

The Hogwarts Elves, Xander clarified, Theyll know if theres a good place, theyve
been here forever I think.

Hardly forever, Xander. Hermione rolled her eyes.

Longer than all of us put together, which is close enough for me. Xander smirked
back.

Oh honestly.

Xander looked back at Harry, you know, Im no teacher, mate. Youre going to have
to work a lot harder than even I had to to get this stuff, cause youre going to be doing it
mostly on your own.

Harry nodded, Thats fine. Im willing to work.

Now that is a fact that surprises me. Wednesday made her second comment of the
conversation.

Wednesday, Xander smiled chidingly. You hardly know the guy.

How often have you seen him in the library, Alexander? She calmly countered. He is
a prodigy, this I will not dispute. However I have yet to see him work for anything he
has.

hey! Harry growled, I worked damn hard on my Patronus.

Wednesday eyed him for a long, tense moment. Then shrugged, Perhaps. In any case, I
wish you luck Alexander. I hope you dont need it.

With those words, Wednesday began to pack up her books. For now, however, I have
things to do. Ill see you tomorrow, Alex, Hermione. Good Day, Mr Potter.

The trio watched as Wednesday walked away, Hermione looking embarrassed by the
scene as Harry had flushed a little angrily.

Is she always like that? He asked in a quiet hiss.

Xander shrugged, Shes Wednesday.

That was all he said as he packed up his own books.

Are you leaving? Hermione asked, sounding worried.

Going down to the kitchens. He said, Lets see if we cant find an old dueling room
or something.

Harry nodded and got up quickly as Hermione looked torn between them and her
books.

Xander smiled, Dont worry about it. Well let you know what we find out.

She nodded, relieved. She really had a lot more to do, and didnt want to get behind in
her school work because of her side projects. She watched the two leave before turning
back to her research in House Elves.

****

The way to the kitchens was clear, though Xander checked it carefully against his map
as they went. Harry noted it and shook his head.

So its true, you made one of those last year.

Xander nodded, Yeah. Useful.

I know, Ive got my Dads. Harry admitted.

Xander smirked, Yeah. I know.

Harry chuckled a bit, You know, I know, huh? At the start of first year if youd told
me Id be sneaking around Hogwarts with a slytherin Id have thought you were
bonkers.

At the end of first year, I wouldnt have been sure you werent bonkers anyway.
Xander replied, then mused thoughtfully, You know, Im not sure youre not even
today. You sure do manage to get in some insane spots.

Thats not my fault! Harry hissed defensively.

Yeah yeah. Xander chuckled. here we are. The kitchens.

Harry rolled his eyes, but checked around for anyone watching as Xander unsealed the
door and they slid inside.

****
Back to index
Author's Notes:
I guess I need to add some notes here, concerning the last part or two.
Concerning Slavery and the story and history... Wise Up.
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Those who have decided to jump my shit over Xander's
comments need to wise the hell up. Xander is a 14 year old boy known for shoving his
foot in his mouth. Stop assuming that what he says in one chapter has jack all to do with
how the story will develop. At 14, if he didn't say something that pissed people off, I'd
be writing the story all wrong.
So, just to wrap up : One statement in a story this fricken huge hardly covers all I have
to say on the subject, especially not while I'm INTRODUCING it.
All that said, I do expect to further piss you guys off many, many, times in this story.
Especially those of you who adhere so closely to hollywood history.
****

The Room of Requirement.

Xander looked around, trying not to gap and failing miserably in the attempt. It wasnt
so bad, though, Harry was pretty much doing the same while his little Elf friend grinned
madly at them.

Dobby do good, Oh Great Harry Potter, Sir?

Harry was still gaping, like Xander, but he managed to nod. Yeah. Dobby did good.

I think Dobby did bloody brilliant, Xander said, slowly smiling, To borrow a phrase
from this side of the Atlantic.

The room had appeared as Xander envisioned when he paced in front of the wall
according to the elfs instructions. It had formed a regulation dueling environment,
paced out to fifty meters on the side with lines chalked out carefully on the ground.
Xander walked the course carefully for a moment, noting that it was even better than
the field hed trained at back in Cali, obviously lifted straight from the book hed read
on Pride training facilities.

This is some freaky room. He said, shaking his head. Scary.

Why? Harry asked, coming up beside him.

Man, I dont know about you, but Ive been getting creeped out by mind readers
lately. Xander said, sighing. Ive got no defenses to speak of, and I really hate the idea
of anyone dancing across my brain pan.

mind readers? Harry was confused.

Legelimens, Xander said, Its a magical technique used to read minds. Not common,
but not rare either.

Harry shuddered, grimacing. People just barge around in your head?

Probably happened to us already, Id bet. Xander said, sighing. You ever notice how
the Headmaster just kind of looks at you and seems to know everything?

He wouldnt! Harry blurted, shocked, Right?

Xander shrugged, Dont know. Cant prove it. But if anyone in this school can do it,
Hes top on the list.

What about the other professors? Harry asked, thinking furiously. Snape?

Xander raised an eyebrow, then shrugged again, Dont know. Anyway, were getting
off track here. The point was I get a little creeped out by mind readers now, even mind
reading rooms.

Dobby, who had been looking back and forth between them as they talked, spoke up.
Oh, Come and Go Room not read minds, Castle does.

And that is even creepier. Xander replied dryly, glancing down at the little elf.

What do you mean, Dobby? Harry asked gently.

Dobby pulled at his ears, debating what to say exactly, but finally went on. Castle is
old, very old. Older than Wizards know. Was here before founders, will be here after all
today are forgotten.

Before the founders? Harry blurted, How that possible? I thought they built it?

Dobby shook his head wildly, still tugging at his ears.

Huh. Cool. Xander said.

Harry looked over at him, rolling his eyes, Thats all you have to say about it?

Xander shrugged, Makes a twisted kinda sense, you know? Hogwarts is magical in
ways that even Three Angels doesnt match, and that place is powered by some massive
magical convergences. You can feel the raw power in California, dude, here its damn
near as powerful but more refined I guess.

A thrum of power swept through the room, stiffening both young wizards for a
moment.

Dobby nodded, Castle agrees, asks please not to be telling people. Dobby wouldnt
have told, but Castle likes Harry Potter Sir.

Dont worry Dobby, we wont tell anyone. Harry said, smiling at the small elf before
looking over to Xander, Right?

Xander shrugged again, Who would I tell, and more importantly, why? Would
probably get some historians excited, I guess, but other than that theres probably not a
dozen people on the planet whod care to be honest.

Harry scowled at him, Even I know its huge news, Xander.

Yeah, but what use is it? Xander grinned, Dumbles might be able to make
something of it, and maybe Mold in his Shorts. Past that? Name one person who would
care beyond historical curiosity.

Hermione. Wednesday. Harry listed two.

Xander flinched, Ouch. Youve got a point. Those two would flay me alive if they
found out I was holding out something like this. You sure we cant tell them?

A second, low toned thrum of power reverberated through the room and Dobby start
dancing around from foot to foot.

Alright, alright, I was just asking. Xander said defensively. Yeesh. Old fart of a
castles got no sense of humor.

And you seem to lack some rather basic notions of self preservation, Harry
countered, smirking.

Says the guy who hears Sixty Foot Basilisk and charges AT the damn thing. Xander
muttered.

I seem to remember someone else in the room being right there beside me.

At least I had the sense to take backup.

Hey! Ron was there! And, well, ok Ill give you Lockheart.

I dont want him. Xander smirked, Besides, You had Ron. Me? I had Wednesday.

Harry rolled his eyes, They were both second years, Xan. How big a difference could
there possibly be?

About the same as Snape compared to Lockheart, Im betting. Xander replied,
Though I could be doing Wens a disservice there.

Harry rolled his eyes, Yeah, sure. How about we get on with this, right?

Xander shrugged, but nodded. Alright. Lets see what weve got here.

He walked around the dueling facility the room had imagined up for them and was once
more impressed. It seemed to be an internationally sanctioned ground, from what he
could tell. To be honest, he couldnt be sure of that, but it seemed close enough. Chayton
wasnt much of a dueler, or at least he hadnt shown that side of himself if he was. As a
retired member of the Proud hed focused more on pure combat tactics, especially since
that sort of no holds barred model was easier to teach in a lot of ways, and Xander
hadnt needed dueling anyway.

Thisll do. He said, nodding as he reached the center of the field and plopped down
crosslegged. Lets have a chat about how were going to do this, Harry.

Arent we, you know, going to duel? Harry asked as he walked over and took a seat.

Soon enough. Xander nodded, but you know, if its dueling you want, youll need
someone who knows how.

Dont you? You said you were taking lessons

Sure, but I just started, Xander admitted, And you need a pro. Ask Dumbles, he
likes you.

Harry shook his head, frowning, I dont think hell teach me anything. He doesnt
answer questions, why would he show me spells?

Xander half nodded, Alright. Well, Theres Sirius if we can get you two in the same
place without bringing every Auror in the country down on our butts Or, well have
you thought about Flitwick?

Professor Flitwick?? Harry asked, surprised.

Yeah, even my teacher knows about him, Xander answered, big time dueler.
Champion even, won a few tournaments in his day.

That was a bit of an understatement, from what Xander actually knew. When talking
about his schooling, Xander had been surprised by Chaytons open shock at Flitwicks
name, and the Native Americans clear admiration for the half goblin charms master.

I dont know, Ive never talked to Professor Flitwick outside of classes

You wont know until you try. Xander said, But thats up to you.

Xander hopped up, drawing his wand. Lets try a few back and forths, no dangerous
spells, well keep it clean. Alright?

Harry nodded and eagerly pulled his wand as Xander walked to one side, motioning
him to the opposite.

Ready when you are, Xander said from one side, wand in hand and waiting.

Right. Harry nodded, taking a breath. A beat passed, then his wand snapped out,
Expelliarumus!

Xander sidestepped, scowling.

What the hell is that? He asked, wand and hand out to either side.

Disarming charm, Harry blinked.

I KNOW that. I mean why are you opening with it? Xander said, Unless you think
youre dueling a complete idiot you dont start with that Unless you DO think youre
dueling a complete idiot.

What? No, I just

Harry, thats a finishing move. You dont use it unless youre ready to end the fight,
Xander said, quoting Chayton. And Im not quite that bad a dueler.

Fine. What do you suggest? Harry asked, exasperated.

Xander smirked, wand snapping up, Stupify!

The red bolt crossed the grounds, startling Harry, who threw himself sideways to avoid
it. Hit hit the ground in a slide, rolling over to his side, and brought his wand up even as
another stunner flashed across the room.

Protego!

The stunner splashed against the shield, as Harry struggled to one knee, then a blue
flash slammed into his shield before he could react and tore it down. Harry gasped,
recognizing the bone splitter, and threw himself back the other direction as another
Stunner crossed the air where hed been.

He shoulder rolled his time, coming back to his feet, and brought up another Protego
shield in time to intercept the stunner coming his way. He recognized the pattern
Xander was hitting him with, and part of Harrys mind had to give the American credit.
The Stunners were there to force him to shield or move, while the bone splitters
followed up to take down his shield since Xander knew that Harry couldnt risk taking
a hit by one of those curses.

True to form a bone splitter shattered his shield a second later, leading Harry to move
again. This time, however, he dove forward and under the incoming stunner. He hit the
ground in a roll, and came up cursing.

Stupefy! Rictumsempra! Stupefy!

Now it was Xander who was defending and dodging, throwing up a shield only to have it
burst almost instantly when Harrys stunner splashed on them. Xander gritted his teeth
as he took the tickling charm, and then rolled back as the second stunner passed
overhead. He came back up to his feet, Protego shimmering into existence, just in time
to intercept another stunner.

Xander charged through his dying shield, wand dancing out the tempo of the stunning
curse as he charged into Harrys position.

Harry flinched, falling back a step, then had to throw himself to one side as the first of
the curses flashed by. His own wand danced, his lips casting ahead of his mind, and the
red glowing stunners began criss crossing the room.

Both boys somehow remained standing, more likely due to bad aim on their opponents
part than their own ability to dodge, but in seconds the battle was at point blank range
and the next barrage simply wasnt going to miss.

Harry got his spell off a split second faster, but Xanders was right behind, and in a
flash both boys were struck in the chest and blown back and away from each other.
Harry hit the ground skidding, light fading as Xanders spell surged through his
neurons, disrupting them temporarily. Xander, on the other hand, flew back across half
the room before landing in a heap, his own lights having been blown out before he
landed.

A lone house elf looked at the two boys and debated possible actions. Finally he snapped
his fingers and summoned three others.

Gets them drinks and pillows. Theys going to be hurting when they wakes up.

****

The next morning Xander found himself cradling his head as he dropped into his chair
at the first Defence Against the Dark Arts class of the year. Whatever failings Harry
had in his technique, which even Xander could see clearly enough, he more than made
up for in in reflex, speed, and power. Three duels, Xander won two by the skin of his
teeth after realizing that if he screwed around Harry would pulverize him.

By using every technique Chayton had shown him, basically cheating his ass off, Xander
had managed to score two wins after the first tie. Xander wasnt sure hed be able to
cheat nearly good enough to keep it up.

Harry was an easy guy to hate, Xander had to admit. No one should be that good at
dueling when theyve basically never done it before. Xander didnt count Harrys
mixups with Draco as actual fights since he was pretty sure Draco was holding back.
Not that Draco wasnt trying to win those fights, but Xander has a suspicion that he was
trying to do so without getting his ass thrown in Azkaban.

As Xander had seen last night, handicapping himself against Harry Freaking Potter was
NOT the way to win a fight. It brought to mind what Chayton had told him about the
Wizarding world, and more specifically the way Wizards were unofficially ranked.

Low Magics, or Squibs, were those who didnt have the magical prowess to complete, at
a minimum, their Practical OWLS. The range for Squibs was pretty wide, though, with
some unable to cast at all and some right on the knife edge of completing their OWLS.

Above them you had a graduating series of levels, with 90th percentile Wizards being in
the OWLS range, but unable to complete their NEWTS. NEWTS Wizards generally
were considered to begin around the Ninety Fifth percentile, which was the minimum
requirement to receive a letter to Hogwarts, Salem, or any of the other premier schools.

From Ninety Fifth to Ninety Ninth there wasnt much differentiating the group. Some
were just stronger Wizards than others. Xander knew that he himself was most likely
Ninety Sixth to Ninety Seventh percentile, with a little room to grow. That put him so
far above the majority of humanity in terms of power potential it was mind boggling,
but Harry blew through his shields with ease.

Which to Xanders mind brought him to the last distinct category Chayton talked
about.

The Ninety Ninth percentile.

Contrary to what it sounded like, it was based on a bell curve so you didnt get one
person in a hundred in that slot. It was more along the lines of one person in a billion or
so. Chayton had guessed that Dumbledore was either a very high ninety eight, or a
ninety nine himself. Mold in his shorts was also a solid ninety nine. And really that
illustrated the problem with Ninety Ninth percentile Wizards, to Chaytons view.

One of them could basically ignore any law or government they chose. Send a hundred
Aurors after them, and youd most likely get back a hundred bodies if you were lucky.
It wasnt about skill, though that was a factor of course, no it was all about pure
power which made Xander wonder if he wasnt seeing another Ninety Nine growing
into his power in Harry.

It would make sense, he supposed, given Harrys survival as a child. Especially if
everyone was right and it had actually been Harry and not his mother or father who
somehow pulled it off.

He shot a glance across the classroom at the inoffensive form of Harry Potter, trying to
imagine the boy as an unstoppable juggernaut with a wand. He snorted involuntarily,
attracting the ire of Alastor Moody.

Something funny about the Unforgivables, Boy?

Xander gulped as a few Gryffs snickered, then quickly shook his head. no sir.

Well, not that weve heard from the Slytherin Contingent, Moody rasped out, What
about the rest of you. Unforgiveables. Name One

He looked around the class, then jabbed a finger at Malfoy. You.

The Imperius. Malfoy smirked.

You would know that one, Moody replied wryly. I believe your father claimed
familiarity with it.

He whipped out his wand and pointed it at a spider on his desk. Imperio.

The class laughed as the spider did a little dance, but were silenced when Moody
scowled at them.

Next You, there, Longbottom.

Neville stuttered, barely managing to get the words out. T-the cru-cruciatus.

Yes, the torture curse. Moody said, instantly snapping his wand at the spider as he
called out the spell. Crucio!

This time there was no snickering as some of the students even shrieked and most
looked green as the spider writhed under the curse. The scene imprinted itself on
Xanders mind, making him cringe even as part of him couldnt help but wonder at it.



I guess that leaves one more. Isnt that right Potter? Moody asked, looking at the
Boy Who Lived.

Harry swallowed, but nodded, The killing curse, Sir.

Moody nodded, then his wand flashed out as he incanted the curse, and in a green wash
of light the spider moved no more.

Unforgivable. Moody said, Three spells, using any of them on a person earns you a
ticket to Azkaban. One way, no return. Everyone has their own thoughts on which is
worse, or which is more powerful, but by the law it doesnt matter. Use one, use them
all.

The class quietly accepted that, no one saying anything at all.

****

DADA, despite its peculiarities, was probably the high point of classes for Xander as he
made his way through his schedule.

Arithmancy and Runes had been paired down by this year, bringing all the fourth years
students to the same class so he sat between Wednesday and Hermione there. Potions
was much the same as every year, still with the Gryffs, but mostly ignored by everyone
up to and including the Professor. Charms and Transfigurations was mostly the same,
though with better attentions from the teachers.

Since he was mostly ahead of the classes in all of those, Xander was able to keep up the
work on his own projects. Not really surprising, he supposed, since his own projects
were precisely WHY he was ahead of the curve afterall.

He had a few ideas for improving his wands, but they were really nothing more than
random guesses on his part. If any of them worked even slightly hed count it as a huge
win. His TV idea was gold, though, Xander figured. If, that is, he could figure out how
to do it without blowing out a thousand dollar piece of electronics the first time he tried
it.

Ah well, he supposed he could afford it.

****

Classes showed no sign of letting up over the next week or so, in fact all of them getting
more and more intense. Xander found himself working more on homework than his
own stuff, but still kept the two balanced.

Everyone was buzzing about the announcement from Moody by the end of the week,
however, saying that they would be tested against the Imperious itself.

Even Xander was excited.

****

Ok, Imperious lessons sucked.

Xander was nursing the king of all headaches by the time the class had ended, probably
the only reason he wasnt more embarrassed by being made to dance around the class
like an idiot while under the curse. He slumped into his normal seat in the library and
looked over at Wednesday, who was already there.

You look like hell. She said, eyes coming up to study him.

Better than I feel then. Xander grunted out.

She raised an eyebrow.

Imperious lessons in DADA. Xander said tiredly.

Wednesdays eyes widened minutely, Really?

Xander nodded, My Occulmency shields are never gonna get built if they keep getting
torn up like this.

Headache?

He nodded, Yeah.

Poor baby. She said dryly, then returned to her book.

Xander muffled a moan as his head spiked again, < Addamses. >

****

Harry had a lot of things on his mind, between the past week and the DADA class he
was practically buzzing with energy and thoughts as he made his way back to the
Gryffindor dorm. Dueling with Xander had been great, hed never really had a real
duel before.

Even against Quirrel, when the man had been possessed, it had really just come down to
grappling until his mothers magic kicked in. A real exchange of spells wasnt part of
the game, it seemed. That first night hed lost twice to Xander, but the fights had left
him feeling pumped up and ready for more. Since then they caught a few more times in
the Room, and Harry felt hed acquitted himself well.

In class this morning, hed been tested by an unforgiveable and had been able to resist!

Harry wasnt sure if he should be happy about it, but somehow he felt like he could take
on the world all the same. Even the pain in his scar seemed like a faded memory in the
daylight, leaving him relieved.

The school year was looking to be better than before, in his opinion. For one thing, there
was a decent DADA professor, only the second such in four years. For a second, he had
someone who was willing to help him learn outside of class. Well, someone who would
help him learn WITHOUT trying to kill him with books.

God knew he loved Hermione, but honestly she scared him more often than not.

Ok, the lack of Quidditch blew, but maybe the Tri Wizard Tourney would be fun to
watch. At least he wouldnt be the target this time, so he could relax if nothing else.

Everyone was excited now, since the other schools were due to arrive soon, and Harry
found himself as infected by the enthusiasm as everyone else.

****
Back to index
****

What ARE you drinking?

The sneering voice shook Xander out of his reverie, turning him to the left to see Draco
glaring down at the table in front of him. Xander followed his gaze and shrugged.

Coke. Why?

Draco glared at the black liquid that was bubbling in front of Xander, It looks like
something Longbottom might brew up in class.

Xander looked at it for a moment, then had to smother a laugh. He really didnt think it
was that bad, but he had to admit that the soft drink didnt look normal for the
wizarding world. It had taken him hours of cajoling to get the Elves to locate a supply
they could bring into the school.

its a non magical drink, Xander said, The most popular in the world, I think.

Draco sneered, Which means what?

Well, it means billions of people drink this stuff every day, for one. Xander shrugged,
taking a drink. Sue me, Im sick of pumpkin juice.

So you drink this muggle swill? Draco grabbed the glass out of Xanders hand,
sniffing at it disdainfully.

Come on, man, give me my drink back. Xander grabbed for it, but Draco pulled back
out of his reach.

Youre a slytherin, Harris. Show some dignity, for Merlins sake.

Dont knock it until you try it. Xander replied, rolling his eyes.

Draco quickly set the drink down, As if I would ever taint myself with muggle poison.

Xander picked it back up, shrugging, According to my mom, youre not far off on that.
Still, if you havent got the guts for it

Draco had the drink out of his hands before Xander could blink, making him wonder
for a moment if the blond had somehow magicked it from him.

Ill show you whos gutless! Draco muttered, putting the goblet up to his mouth and
inhaling the drink.

No! Draco dont drink it that fast! Xander blurted, far too late.

Dracos victorious smirk vanished in a painful grimace as the soda back up on him,
foaming through his lungs and nasal passages. He held it for a moment, then snorted
painfully back into the goblet as cream colored foam erupted from his nose.

Arrrgh! Draco gasped painfully, clutching at his throat, Youve poisoned me! You
bastard, you poisoned me!

Xander disdainfully pushed the goblet away, Im not the guy who just filled someones
drink with snot.

Mr Harris! Snape growled, What have you done to Mr Malfoy!?

Apparently I let him steal my bloody drink. Xander muttered, Hell live. Could I get
another coke please?

Snape blinked, eyeing the new Goblet that appeared in front of Harris. This is what
Draco drank?

Xander nodded, taking a drink as Draco kept gagging and gasping beside him. Its a
drink, youre not supposed to inhale it.

Dracos melodramatic actions had attracted the attention of pretty much the entire
great hall, including the Headmaster by this point.

What seems to be the problem, Professor Snape? The old man asked, eyes dancing in
amusement as he eyed Dracos convulsions.

Mr Harris seems to have corrupted the house elves, Headmaster. Snape said sourly,
and this muggle concoction appears to have disabled Mr Malfoy.

I believe that Mr Malfoy will be fine, Professor. Dumbledore said, smiling at Dracos
antics. May I?

Xander blinked, then nodded and handed the goblet to the old man. Sure, knock
yourself out.

I havent done that since that time in the sixties, Dumbledore smiled as he took a deep
drink. Ah. Theyve changed the flavor since I sampled it from Mr Pembertons soda
fountain. Alas, Mr Harris, Im afraid we dont permit drinks of this nature in
Hogwarts.

Xander blinked, Huh?

Kola nuts and Coca leaves are sources of caffeine and other substances we dont allow
in Hogwarts.

Coca leaves? Xander blinked, looking down at the drink, I dont think theyve put
those in Coke for a hundred years.

Ah. Well, yes I suppose that does place my age a little more specifically than I would
like. Dumbledore smiled beatifically. However, we dont permit caffeine here either,
and I presume that is still an ingredient?

Xander pouted, looking down at the drink, Aw, but the caffeine free version sucks.

Be that as it may, Im going to have to inform the elves not to supply you with
anymore.

Xander glared sourly at Draco, Thanks for nothing you drama queen.

A new Goblet of pumpkin juice appeared in front of him as the Headmaster and
Professor turned to head back to the head table, leaving Xander to sigh in annoyance.
He glared at Draco, then again at the Headmasters retreating back.

< Oh, this calls for payback. > Xander thought in annoyance, < Messing with my junk
food buggers. >

****

The other schools were due to arrive the next day, and the buzz around the school
continued to grow as the time grew nearer. Xander found himself caught up in the
excitement, and he noticed that even Wednesday seemed a little eager to see the new
students. Of course, that just meant that she was slightly less flat and dry when
discussing the coming tournament.

His sparring with Harry had progressed well beyond his skills, much to his annoyance,
so he was looking forward to something that might distract Harry a little as well. The
blasted guy was blowing through his shields without trying, and while Xanders
physical conditioning was far better, Harry moved like a scalded cat.

If he could keep Harry from knocking him out in the first few minutes, Xander could
wear him out, but it was a real trial. Basically all Xander could do was run Harry
around the dueling ring until Harry collapsed in a sweating, wheezing, pile. By this
point Xander was only in moderately better shape himself, and could barely mount the
energy for a stunner. Even so, this tactic did net him a roughly even win record for the
moment at least.

The problem was that Harry seemed to absorb tactics and spells like a sponge, turning
moves that Xander spent weeks learning back on him after one or two times just seeing
them. Xander didnt know much about fighting, despite everything, but he could
recognize a tactical genius when he saw one.

Luckily, Harry was pants at strategy. He didnt catch on to Xanders wear him down
strategy for almost two weeks, and showed no sign of working out a counter besides
hitting harder and faster at the start of a fight, which simply wore him out all the
quicker.

Luckily, Xanders other projects were moving along with more satisfaction for him
personally than his sparring was. The TV idea was pretty much worked out on paper,
and now merely needed to be put together for real. He couldnt do that until the next
summer break, however, much to his annoyance. He really wished hed been able to
work that out a couple months earlier.

Hed been working on a new shield spell in the meantime, however, based on his
experiences from the World Cup and some stuff from one of the military sourcebooks
hed purchased for gaming with Jessie. The arithmancy on that one was incredibly
convoluted, much to his annoyance, but with Hermiones help he was starting to feel
like maybe they might be able to pull it off.

So far he hadnt been able to cast the damn thing, however, so Xander guessed that
there was still a fault in the formula.

All this, and Halloween was still to come. It was shaping up to be a very busy year.

****

The entire school was gathered outside, waiting for the arrival of the visiting schools
when someone pointed up into the air and screeched.

Xander looked up at some dots in the sky, eyes widening as they approached.

Whoa. Cool.

The ornate chariot flew gracefully into the grounds, pulled by a long line of flying
horses.

Pegasii? Xander blinked, remembering his dungeons and dragons books.

Abraxan. Wednesday corrected, Note the size.

Xander had to give her the point, hed never heard of Pegasii the size of elephants
before. Nice.

Indeed. Wednesday nodded.

The carriage made its landing, and what seemed like the entire school of beauxbatons
poured out, and were greeted by the professors in turn. That procession had barely
gotten underway, however, when another scream rang out and the attention turned to
the lake.

Xander raised his eyebrows as he noted the disturbance in the water, large poles
appearing from the lake and rising quickly to become masts with full sail rigging as a
sailing vessel broached the surface like a submarine on full emergency surfacing.

Neat, He said blandly, having long gotten used to the weird and bizarre scenes that
came with living at Hogwarts.

The Dutchman, Wednesday said from his side, Legends say that its named after the
vessel that ferries dead sailors across the veil to the other side.

All I can say is that its a damned good thing that subs dont have windows, Xander
grinned, That thing would give navy sailors nightmares that the Russians couldnt
hope to match.

Wednesday rolled her eyes, sighing deeply.

****

Both schools had come to put on a show, something that should have been clear by their
arrival alone, Xander supposed. When the door to the great hall burst open and the
girls of Beuxbatons strode in he realized that the show wasnt over by a long shot, and
what was worse, there was apparently a Veela encore.

He slammed his occlumency shields into place at the first hint of allure, and was
relieved when the allure didnt increase past a light mental caress. He pegged the source
quickly, a tall blond striding in the center of the first group with a haughty look on her
face. She was drawing the focus of every male in the room, but nothing more than that,
and he was incredibly grateful as he was entirely too aware of how much she could be
blasting into the room.

With his shields up her allure was less painful than the incessant drumming of the
Durmstrang procession, though he had to admit that the acrobatics were impressive.

More interesting to Xander, and unless he missed his guess to Wednesday as well, was
the appearance of Professor Hardy at the back of the final procession. The man nodded
to them both from where he moved to stand, then calmly looked out over the rest of the
hall.

As things calmed down, Albus Dumbledore looked around and rose to his feet.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and most particularly guests, said
Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. I have great pleasure in
welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both
comfortable and enjoyable.

Xander heard a muffled snort of derision from the direction of the Ravenclaw tables
and glanced over to see one of the French girls wrapping herself tighter in a thick shawl.
He sympathized with the girl, being a Cali boy himself, but also noted that she wasnt
making many friends from the looks of the glares leveled at her from the girls around
her and over at the Gryff table.

The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast, said Dumbledore. I
now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!

The feast appeared, and the students began to mingle as they ate, most of the
Durmstrang students gravitating to the Slytherin tables even as the Beauxbatons group
tended to focus themselves around the Claws. Xander found himself crowded a bit as
several snooty types shoved in between himself and Draco, talking in mixed language to
the Malfoy scion who answered back in Bulgarian much to Xanders surprise.

Xanders own language skills were mostly limited to English, Latin, and a few obscure
examples of magical languages that had come up in his studies. Bulgarian,
unfortunately, wasnt among them and so he just shoved over a bit more and kept
eating. His mind was more on getting back at Dumbledore and Malfoy for the loss of his
soda than anything else, anyway.

He had an idea along those lines, but it was going to be tough to get them ready for the
next day, cause he wanted as big an audience as he could get and that would be at the
Halloween feast just before the champions were announced.

He finished up quickly and made his way out of the hall, he had a lot of work to do.

Xander was surprised when he was met partway by Wednesday, who was looking
moderately disgruntled to his eyes. Of course, that just meant that she looked blank
faced as usual to most people. She fell into step at his side, and he didnt pause as she
matched his pace, the duo sweeping from the hall in silence.

****

Wednesday was surprised when Xander didnt speak as they left the hall, she had seen
the recognition in his eyes when he saw her state of mind and expected him to question
it. It wasnt a particularly big deal, of course, she just had a limited tolerance for
giggling fools which, unfortunately, was something the French girls had in plenty
amongst them.

She unconsciously plotted a path to the library, assuming that was where Xander would
be going as well since that was where they spent almost all the time they were together,
but was surprised again when he slid a hand along the small of her back and guided her
in another direction. This time she was impressed at least as much as she was curious,
Xander normally couldnt decide to turn left or right without spewing reams of
mindless drivel.

She held her own tongue as well, her curiousity warring with itself as part of her wanted
to know where they were going, and another part wanted to see what Xander was up to
and how he would handle whatever it was.

She remained silent.

They came to an empty stretch of corridor, and he motioned her to wait for him as he
began to pace back and forth, muttering under his breath. Wednesday might have
thought that hes lost his mind, except that she had never been entirely convinced that
he had one to begin with. Before she could speak up, however, she was shocked to see a
door appear from nowhere.

Xander grinned and took her hand, pulling her through it and into what looked like the
most complete research laboratory shed ever seen.

Like it? Xander grinned.

Impressive.

Its the Room of Requirement, Xander told her, The elves told us about it when
Harry and I went looking for a place to spar. I guess its enchanted to become whatever
you need.

I see, She said, moving slowly between the glass covered steel tables, And why do
you need this, precisely?

I need a little help with a prank.

Wednesday raised an eyebrow, A prank?

He nodded.

Youre asking ME to help with a prank?

Xander again nodded.

She stared at him for a long moment, noting finally that Xander was getting nervous.
Perfect. That was precisely as it should be.

Fine. Who are we pranking?

Well, Im hoping to catch Draco with it, Xander admitted, But my main target is
Mein Furher Dumbledore.

Wednesday winced ever so slightly, then pinched the bridge of her nose as she exhaled
in annoyance. Is this over the Coke incident?

No one gets between me and my junk food! Xander proclaimed, Today its Coke,
Tomorrow it could be Twinkies!

Wednesday sighed, Its like youre a shorter, less handsome, version of Uncle Fester.

Oy! Xander objected. Isnt that a little uncalled for?

Perhaps, you are still growing after all.

Xander groaned. Sometimes Wednesday could be really mean.

The Addams scion, for her part, sighed and looked around. What exactly are you
planning? Second year notwithstanding, I have a difficult time imagining what sort of
spell you could get past the Headmasters gaze.

Xander forced a smirk, though he was still smarting a little from her earlier comment,
Not going to get any spell past him, not going to even try.

Then what?

Xander grinned, Im going to show him exactly the respect he deserves.

Oh dear.

****

It was after curfew when Xander stumbled back into the Slytherin dorms, his own
version of the Marauders map helping him sneak in without being spotted. He was only
mildly surprised to find that the room was filled with Slytherin and Durmstrang
celebrants, all of them talking about the coming tournament. They all fell quiet for a
moment when he entered, but when they realized that he wasnt a teacher the noise
swiftly returned.

Where have you been, Harris? Draco demanded, one of the few who kept their
attention on him.

Working. Xander said, smirking slightly. He really couldnt help it, though the nerves
in his stomach were doing their best to wipe the look from his face.

At this time of night? On what?

Transfiguration.

Draco rolled his eyes, Pull the other one, Harris. McGonagal hasnt assigned any extra
work yet this term.

Never said it was for class. Xander smirked again, though he mentally berated
himself for gloating before the prank was even pulled. He supposed it was time to
redirect Malfoy anyway, Whats with all the people anyway?

Durmstrangs students simply wanted to associate themselves with the right kind of
people, Malfoy puffed himself up.

Howd you get in then? Xander quipped, this time smirking cause he had wanted to
put then drama queen in his place ever since the choking incident.

Im warning you, Harris! Draco growled out, not noticing that he had attracted the
attention of much of the common room.

I always feel guilty after our discussions, Draco. Xander said, shaking his head as he
made his way past. A battle of wits with you always makes me feel like such a bully.

Draco frowned, confused by the statement. By the time the snickers and titters from the
crowd penetrated his skull, however, Xander was gone from the room.

****

The next morning found most of the school turned out in the Great Hall, watching the
cup where it burned brightly behind the age line Dumbledore had cast, most watching
as a brave and foolhardy few threw their lot to the flames in the hope of glory and
galleons.

Xander, for his part, was just as nervous as if he were actually entering the tournament.
He and Wednesday had spent much of the night transfiguring the things he needed for
his prank, but now he was second guessing himself. What he had planned wasnt exactly
subtle, but Xander wasnt such a fool that he believed most of the Witches and Wizards
present would figure out the full depth of it. He just hoped that enough did to make it
really sing.

He paused by the Gryff table on his way by, joining them as they watched the twins take
a potion and attempt to bypass the age line.

Do they really think thats going to work? He asked Harry.

Harry shrugged, The twins are pretty brilliant.

Oh honestly, Harry. You cant actually believe Hermione was cut off when the
twins were thrown clear of the circle, There? See?

Harry laughed with everyone else, including the twins, when they stood up sporting long
white beards. Hey, they wanted to try.

Sense isnt a word in their dictionary. Xander smirked.

Too right. Ron snorted. He wasnt really comfortable with the Slytherin standing at
the table, but even he couldnt say anything against this one.

Im just thankful that Im too young, Harry grinned, Otherwise you know my name
would be in there somehow. This year I get to sit back and watch someone else be the
hero.

Xander barked out a laugh, drawing the attention of many around him. You do know
that you just jinxed yourself, right Harry?

Harry grimaced, looking worried.

Oh leave him alone, Xander. Harry, dont listen to him, Hermione said, shaking her
head. He has an execrable sense of humor.

Id object to that, if I knew what it meant.

Hermione shot him a glare as several students chuckled.

Anyway, Xander winked at her, waving to the table in general. Time for breakfast.

She huffed at him, but Xander was soon lost in the crowd and Hermione sat down and
shook her head. Hes such a child.

Unknown to her Xander had back tracked as Wednesday calmly cast a few mild
confundus charms and some weak compulsions in his wake. Several students noted
Xanders passing in their minds, even as he turned and walked the other direction. At
the Slytherin tables, several would swear he sat down to eat breakfast with them.

In actuality he stepped outside the Great Hall and ducked into a nearby broom closet
where he found the transfigured items he had stashed there earlier in the morning.

****

When the doors to the hall opened, no one took much notice, the two large slabs of wood
and metal smoothly swung on their greased and enhanted hinges to reveal the figure
behind and Xander stepped into the hall with a confident stride that he simply did not
feel. His heart in his throat, and his stomach curled in on itself, he knew that even if he
did everything perfectly he could crash and burn here based entirely on the reactions of
others.

It was a horrifying thought, and even as he paused inside the door to look first left at the
Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables and then right at Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, he berated
himself for not realizing that very fact earlier.

It was too late, however, and he was committed. He reminded himself that he knew his
targets, and was confident in their reactions and so he brought up his armor shod hands
as his breath roared in his ears.

< Trust Wednesday. > He thought as he waited a moment, feeling the terror slide away
and the persona he was wearing tighten around him.

Then he parted his hands, smirking slightly as he saw Wednesdays wand twitch with
perfect timing. Like moses parting the red sea, the Gryffindor table slid sideways into
the Puffs even as the Slytherins slid into the Claws, eliciting yells of shock from the
stundents who were sudenly crushed into each other.

< Bless you, Wens, > Xander thought, taking another roaring breath as his heart settled.
< My game now. >

The center of the hall was now clear of obstruction, with a width of over a dozen feet
and only Xander standing within it. He began to stride toward the head table with a
confidence he was only just beginning to fake.

The professors, of course, noted him immediately, but said nothing as they drew their
wands in a defensive measure.

Xanders pulse quickened again, but hi remained focused on Dumbledore. < Come on,
old man. Do what I know youre going to do. Play the peacemaker. Play IT. >

When Dumbledore brought up his hand, stalling the curses that Xander knew his own
head of house was contemplating, Xander let out a breath of relief. It roared a little
louder, and finally brought him to the attention of the students.

Three first years shrieked when they spotted him, two from Hufflepuff and one from
Gryffindor. He smirked under the helm he wore. < Easy to tell theyre muggle born. >

Others turned to look and the muggleborn students reacted with instant recognition,
some startled, some bemused, and a few smiling openly as they realized it was a gag. It
HAD to be a gag. The purebloods, however, were all confused until the whispers from
the muggleborns began to circulate, and then they began to react with mixed horror
and utter confusion.

Now THAT is a Dark Lord, One Ravenclaw said, whistling with an amused tone.

The call was quickly picked up, and the whispered words Dark Lord and Sith eched
down the hall as Lord Vader began the long walk to the head table.

Xander ignored it all, his focus was on two people. The first was the Headmaster,
though from the returned twinkle in the old mans eyes, Xander suspected that he had
seen the movies and knew that this was all a show at this point.

< Perfect. This would lose a lot of its fun if he didnt get the joke. > Xander thought
with a malicious grin.

The second person he focused on was Draco Malfoy, however, and here Xander knew
he was going to have to play the role to the hilt and rely on Draco to shove his foot in his
mouth. He hated having to rely on Draco for anything, but if he had to do it that was the
thing to count on, Xander reflected.

His cadence ceased as Xander reached the front of the teachers table, where Snape was
glaring at him as McGonagal and the others looked with confusion between him and the
headmaster.

Well, well, Dumbledore spoke up first, What brings the Dark Lord Vader himself to
Hogwarts this fine Halloween?

Not quite the perfect setup, but as good as Xander had hoped and far far better than
hed feared. His breath roared through the helm, charmed as it was to make his
breathing loud and forced and also to alter the timbre of his voice. He dropped to one
knee, cape flowing behind him as he planted his fists to the floor and bowed his head
deeply.

I come to ask thy bidding, my Master.

Shocked silence on the hall, and Xander risked a glance up, his eyes hidden behind the
transfigured helm. It was all he could do not to roll over cackling in delight. The old
mans face looked shocked, like hed just tasted something particularly sour as his eyes
bulged momentarily.

WHAT!?

Xander closed his eyes for a moment and grinned under the mask. < Thank you Lord,
for making Draco Malfoy such a fool. >

You MUST be joking! This is ludicrous! No self respecting Dark Lord bows to HIM!

Xander rose smoothly to his feet, all in a single fluid motion, and turned on the young
man. His cape flowed out behind him, charmed with some singularly useless but
admittedly cool fashion charms hed gotten from Sirius Blacks additions to the
Grimoire.

You should not speak of that which you know nothing, BOY. Xander said in his most
condescending tone. Ironically, he noted, hed learned it from Draco. This was the
critical juncture, he knew, and Xander locked eyes with Draco who was already
quivering with rage.

You dont even have a wand, Draco smirked nastily, Some Dark Lord youre
supposed to be.

Do not be so proud of this magical terror you hide behind, Xander replied back, his
inner geek jumping up and down in pure unadulterated glee even as he kept his eyes
locked with Malfoys. < Any second now. Just one more push > It pales in
significance before the POWER of the Force.

Draco, seeing an unarmed man in front of him, was finally pushed too far and went for
his wand with an impressively fast draw. Fast enough that Xander knew he would have
no chance of getting his own out first.

Luckily, he wasnt planning on it.

< NOW! > He thought desperately as Dracos intent flashed in his eyes, imprinting itself
on Xanders foremind through the passive legilimency hed begun to tap.

Protego. Xander whispered as he spread his hand wide, the word not being eched
past the past due to the filtering charms he and Wednesday had placed on it.

Stupefy! Stupefy! Draco snapped, his wand moving like lightning.

The small plate sized protego shield snapped into place between them as Xander
channeled his power through the tiny hold out wand hed strapped to his wrist. He
could see Dracos intent and moved his hand to intercept the spell, deflecting the
stunners off into the walls of the hall. Draco, and most everyone else, stared in stunned
shock as Xander flipped his hand over, canceled the protgo, and whispered another
spell.

Accio Wand.

The Accio charm was quite tough, but it was also of the same family as the Depulso
charm, which Xander had spent the early weeks of the summer learning. Making it
harder, however, was the fact that he was using his tiny hold out wands, which really
didnt focus very well over anything but point blank ranges.

Had Dracos grip been even moderately firm, it wouldnt have worked. Against a
stunned and utterly bewildered fourth year, however, the spell functioned perfectly and
the wand was ripped from the blond boys hand and flew quite cleanly into Xanders.

< This is SO FREAKING AWESOME! > Xander thought as he forced himself to
remain still.

The next move was his, the shock and awe of his seemingly easy use of wandless magic
having stunned the wizards around him. He took a chance, knowing that if Dumbledore
had seen the movies he would have to react, but if he hadnt, Xander suspected he was
about to look really stupid.

He took one step toward Draco, drawing himself up to his full height (which was
enhanced by the extra thick heals in his transfigured boots) and menacingly brought up
his left hand in a claw grip as if he were squeezing down on something soft.

NO! Dumbledore roared, coming to his feet in a rare moment of panic for the old
man.

Xander paused, showing no fear of the gnarled wand that had appeared in the old
mans hand. Thank God for the armor, Xander through, because he was almost literally
quaking in his boots at the sudden rush of power Dumbledore had exuded.

As you wish Xander said, relaxing back. My Master.

Albus Dumbledore found himself in an unusual position. He KNEW this was a prank,
but even so he couldnt stop himself from reacting when the figure moved to strangle
Draco from a distance. He suspected it was a bluff, but now it looked like he believed
the man to be a threat. Albus had to admit, it was a masterful bit of acting, though he
was truly fascinated by the apparent use of wandless magic. How had the prankster
pulled that off?

In any case, he had to expose this now before it went any further. There were too many
people present who simply didnt know anything about Muggle entertainment, and the
last thing he wanted was rumors that he was commanding Dark Lords to reach the ears
of the press.

Thats quite enough, young man. He said, his eyes twinkling again as he took a
calculated gamble. He expected that the person was male, and most likely a student,
obviously muggleborn or with close ties to the muggle world at least. Unfortunately, the
helm prevented him from seeing the eyes of the prankster, and so he couldnt divine
anything via that method. A very impressive prank, but youre scaring the children.

The Dark Lord turned and looked behind him, and noted that quite a few students
were indeed shaking in fear, eyes wide with horror. Xander briefly wondered if maybe
hed gone a tad too far.

< Oh Well, > He thought, suddenly smirking. < They aint seen nothing yet. >

Indeed. He said aloud, turning his back to the teachers table. Perhaps they are right
to fear me.

Enough of that. Dumbledore ordered sternly.

Very well, Xander smirked, getting in his last jibe. My Master.

He didnt have to turn around to know that Dumbledore had that same sour look on his
face again. Xander smirked uncontrollably, his cheeks threating to split.

Then I suppose I must bid the school He said in a slow and threating voice, A
very Happy Halloween.

The students looked perplexed for a moment, then as one seemed to say Huh!? as
Xander drew both his wands in a lightning fast movement and raised them into the air.

NOX!!

The floating candles blinked out in fast succession, Xanders spell combined with
Wednesdays backup casting, and plunged the hall into darkness. Xander twisted,
planting a hand on the Slytherin table as he mentally canceled the transfiguration on his
armor, returning it to its natural Green and Silver fabric in a flowing instant.

Ignis! Dumbledore roared, bringing all the lights back.

The people in the Hall looked around in skittish confusion.

The Dark Lord of the Sith was gone.

Seal the room! Hes in here somewhere! Severus Snape snarled, rising to his feet.

Beside Draco, Xander took a sip of a goblet of pumpkin juice. Now THAT was a
Muggles idea of a Dark Lord. Hey! Headmaster! Cool Halloween show!

Albus glanced at the Slytherin table and blinked. He nodded slowly, then returned the
boys infectious smile. Indeed.

Louder, he addressed the hall, I hope everyone enjoyed the little display. This was a
marvelous depiction of a character from a Muggle entertainment entitled Star Wars, a
Muggle idea of a Dark Lord if you will. It also shows another entrancing muggle
custom, the Halloween Masquerade. I hope that everyone has learned a little more
about our muggle brethren.

With a wave of his wand, Albus returned the tables to their places and unlocked the
large doors that had swung shut at Snapes command.

Headmaster, youre letting him get away Severus hissed softly.

Nonsense, my boy. Albus smiled, though it was a little forced. I dont believe that
our Lord Vader is going to be skipping out on classes.

Snape blinked, behildered and leaned in closer. Surely you dont believe that it was a
student? Headmaster, he used wandless magic

That was most impressive, wasnt it? Albus smiled, this time more genuinely. You
are wrong, however. It was wanded, the feel of the two are quite distinct. I must admit,
however, that I have no idea where or how he was hiding the wand.

Snape stared incredulously for a moment, Youre actually IMPRESSED with this??

And you arent? Albus returned, equally incredulous, though with more amusement
in his tone. It was masterfully played, Severus. Ah, alas youve never seen Star Wars,
have you? You should go sometime, they still replay it on occasion in muggle theatres.

Severus Snape snorted, I bet it was Potter. This grandious posturing is just like him.

Severus, Severus, Albus chided, You really must get over this foible of yours. It will
lead you to a bad end.

The Potions Master grumped as he dropped back into his seat.

Now that the entertainment is ended, Albus said, louder for the hall to hear, Let us
return to the main event of the day, shall we? We only have twelve more hours to accept
names for the Tri Wizard Tournament.

Slowly, the population of the hall settled back to normal.

*****
Back to index
Author's Notes:
Normally I don't do author's notes, I don't like them as a rule you see. Mostly they
distract from the story and make the author look like an idiot... or worse, make it look
like the author thinks his readers are idiots. Wait... is that worse?
eh, nevermind. :)
I do want to address the issue of caffeine in hogwarts, namely the complaints made.
Some have questioned how it can be banned when British drink tea like normal people
breathe air... or something to that effect.
Well, in the books I don't recall tea ever being served to students in the Great Hall.
Occasionally a teacher offered a cup in private, and of course there was Divination
class... but not in regular meals. Similarly candy was unofficially regulated by it's
availability being, mostly, limited to hogsmeade weekends.
It's entirely possible that such things are simply banned from being TOO available. At
least it is here, anyway.
****

For one Wednesday Addams, watching Xander pull off his prank was a confusing series
of moments. She wasnt used to that, her view of life tended to be quite flat and few
things held any true surprises for her. So when she saw Xander for the first time,
standing in the doorway in full Vader regalia, she felt a flash of something she didnt
recognize.

He looked truly menacing for an instant, until she remembered that it was all just a
childish prank over a beverage of all things. She played her part, as agreed, more out of
curiosity and a desire to quell the bordom than anything else. Banishing the tables was
tricky, not so much because the spell was difficult for her but because it had to be done
fast enough to appear simultaneous on both sides.

After that she was a mere spectator until the end, so Wednesday settled in to watch and
see if Xander would be able to pull it off or if he was about to earn detentions until
graduation.

She was surprised when the first years screamed. Certainly, he looked imposing, but he
wasnt that frightening. Was he? She frowned, but shook the thought off. When he knelt
to Dumbledore, she smirked.

< The respect he deserved, indeed. > She was amused. It was one of the few ways
Xander could effectively take a jab at the powerful old wizard, and he had so far pulled
it off masterfully. The look on the headmasters face confirmed that he knew exactly
what was being implied, and obviously didnt appreciate being compared to the
Emperor.

When Malfoy opened his mouth, Wednesday felt a thrill run through her at Xanders
response. The cold contempt in the altered voice was magnificent, and she was shocked
that he could even manage it. Xander was such a goof, his love of magic
notwithstanding, shed never heard him like that before. Even in an act, Wednesday
found it twisted up her stomach just enough to make her really anticipate what was
about to happen.

Her jaw hung loose, like most of the halls, when Xander casually deflected the stunners
with his hand. Even knowing that the wands where there, she was impressed. She made
a note to acquire a pair for herself, and learn whatever method Xander had used to
anticipate the target points.

And when he casually moved to strangle the blond brat with a force choke that she was
CERTAIN he couldnt do, only to be convinced by the headmaster to reconsider,
well for the first time Wednesday wondered if she had done Xander a disservice in
her thoughts.

A flush of emotion filled her, but she ruthlessly surpressed it without bothering to even
note what it was. Perhaps she had been unkind to him in her thoughts, he was proving
to have more internal fortitude than she had expected.

She would consider it, she thought as she helped him blow out the lights and make good
his escape. From the beginning, Wednesday had known that Xander was someone
special. Now, though, she was beginning to wonder if she had mistaken what kind of
special he was.

****

Xander was immediately accosted when he left the Hall, a bushy headed and rather
irate bookworm yanking him to one side.

Ow! Hey!

Alexander Lavelle Harris! Just what did you think you were doing!? Hermione
demanded, her tone brooking no argument.

What are you talking about? Xander tried faking innocence.

Dont try that with me! She hissed, How many other students, heck how many other
PEOPLE, can cast with two wands like you did with the nox spell?

Xander winced.

Damn, he should have remembered that.

Do you realize you absolutely terrified some of the first years?? She hissed, looking
around, I have a good mind to tell the headmaster it was you.

Xander leveled an even look at her, but didnt say anything. After a long moment
Hermione backed down.

Fine. I wont, and you know I wont, but that was still uncalled for. She hissed.

Hermione, it was a prank. No one was hurt, and its Halloween for gods sake! A little
scare is good for the soul. Xander grinned. Did you see the headmasters face when I
called him Master? Ha!

Honestly, She huffed, crossing her arms, Implying that the headmaster is as bad as
the emperor. What possessed you?

Hey, he banned my cola! First Cola, then what? Twinkies?? A line has to be drawn,
Xander said, rather pompously.

Hermione groaned, palming her face, You did NOT organize all of that over a soft
drink.

Xander shrugged modestly, smirking.

Merlin, Xander. I shudder to think what you could do if you put that self righteous
energy to work on something productive. She sighed, shaking her head. How on earth
did you manage to deflect Malfoys stunners anyway?

He grinned, tipping his head slightly. Ill tell you later. Lets move before we draw a
crowd, a Gryff chewing out a Slytherin is a spectator sport around here.

Hermione looked around quickly, face flushing slightly, but was glad to see that they
hadnt yet picked up any observers. Fine. Later.

Xander smirked, flipped her a sloppy salute, and headed away.

Hermione watched him go, shaking her head. Thank Merlin that boy wasnt sorted
into Gryffindor. He and the twins would be impossible to deal with.

****

Speaking of the twins, the dastardly duo were cursing up a storm when Hermione made
it back to the Common room.

Language! She shrieked when a particularly nasty non magical epithet filtered out.

Sorry

Hermione.

Hermione glared at the not remotely contrite twins, What on earth is possessing you
two to swear like muggle sailors in front of the first years!?

The twins glanced at each other, looking guiltily between themselves and Hermione.

Right scary this one is, One uttered.

Bit like Mum, really. The other finished.

Hermione reddened, her wand coming out.

We!

Surrender!

She ignored them, brandishing her wand at the duo. Just because youre older than I
am doesnt mean I wont teach you a few painful lessons. Right?

They nodded, speaking as one. Right.

Now, She said again, lowering her wand, Whats this all about?

Whats this all about, she asks?

We missed the prank of the year!

Well if you two nitwits hadnt messed with Dumbledores age line youd have been
there for the visit from Hermione couldnt help but snicker, Lord Vader.

Two first years squeaked in fear.

Oh honestly! Hermione turned on them, Hes a muggle entertainment character,
like a storybook character. Hes not real.

The two stared at her, obviously disbelieving, then bolted for their rooms. Hermione
sighed, pinching her nose. The Wizarding world is completely and totally insane.

Who was it? One twin asked eagerly.

Who is the maestro we have to top? The other demanded, Did the professors figure
it out?

As if I would tell you even if I knew, Hermione stated flately, shaking her head. The
last thing this school needs is you two teaming up with someone like that.

Someone like what? Harry asked as he and Ron came into the common room.

The most marvelous Dark Lord Vader, The twins parroted together.

Hermione couldnt help it, she started giggling.

The whole castle is on about that, Ron muttered, Bloody insane, if you ask me.

but WHO was it!? The twins roared as one.

James Earl Jones, Hermione answered.

The twins looked at each other, Do we know him?

Ravenclaw, perhaps?

We can ask Cho Chang.

Whos this James Jones fellow, Hermione? Harry asked, confused. I thought it was
pretty clear that Vader was

Harry! Hermione cut him off, glaring.

Harry!

Friend!

Fellow Gryffindor!

Teammate!

The two twins crowded around Harry, who was now looking very uncomfortable.

Who is it clear that this

Vader chap was?

Uh Harry gulped, recognizing the bad position hed put himself in. No one?

Oh, bad show, Harry.

Yes, indeed. Now well have to

Convince you. The duo said together.

Back off! Hermione growled, her wand out again.

Youre all bloody mental. Ron announced from safely on the other side of the room.
He didnt want to be anywhere near the twins when they were in this sort of mood.
Besides, he was a Dark Lord, right? Must have been a Slytherin.

The twins laughed.

Ronnie, there are no snakes that good.

The second twin paused, Except maybe one, brother mine.

Oh yes, how did I miss that?

Well I always was the smart brother.

True, true The other sighed, Ive always had to settle for being the handsome
one.

Well, shall we investigate our suspicious, brother?

We shall, brother.

Hermione grimaced as the twins linked arms and goose stepped out of the common
room. She then turned and glared at both Harry and Ron.

You you Arrrgh! She threw her hands up in the air, then pointed at Harry.
Your spell phone. Now.

Harry swallowed, but nodded and pulled the device from his pocket.

Hermione took it and thumbed in the runic number for ALHarris. Its Hermione. Bad
news, Ron and Harry gave the twins enough clues to guess that you may be behind the
Vader incident. Watch your back. Alright, I will. Good luck.

Blimey, Hermione, whats that thing? Ron blinked, staring at the device he had yet to
see.

Harry was a little more nervous, eyeing Hermione closely. Uh Hermione, what did
you tell him youd do?

She drew her wand, He asked me to hex you both. Im thinking that maybe you
deserve it.

Ron and Harry exchanged glances, then bolted for the boys stairs as Hermione fired
jinxes after them. When they were gone she shook her head.

Boys.

****

Luckily for Xander, and unluckily for the twins, only one of them had a Marauders
map and this time it wasnt the twins. Knowing where they were hiding in wait for him
made it easy enough to use alternate routes around to school, and so he was able to
avoid their presence for the rest of the day until the interschool feast that night.

Amid the Halloween decorations and the crowding of the three schools, Xander took his
seat and carefully positioned himself to be hind Crabbe and a hulking Durmstrang boy,
and thus nearly entirely out of sight.

The feast came and went and soon the moment the schools had been waiting for was
come. The Goblet of Fire was rolled out, and with Dumbledore and the Ministry
presiding over the ceremonies, the names were drawn.

Fleur Delecour, of Beauxbatons was first and Xander recognized her as the source of
the Veela charm from the day before. She was thankfully reining it in now, however,
and he applauded with the rest as the walked to the back room where the Champions
would be briefed.

Victor Krum was next, Durmstrangs students initiating a chant of Krum, Krum,
Krum to a low beat of their fists on the table. He followed the veela.

Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff took the Hogwarts slot, to the roaring approval of
Hufflpuff and the enthusiastic applause of the other houses. He too was soon ushered
out of sight.

Then Dumbledore began to give a closing speech, only to be interrupted when the cup
flared again and another slip of paper came out. The headmaster, shocked and shaking
a little, picked it up and read off the name.

Harry Potter.

There was a long, shocked silence.

And then

BWA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

The entire gathering turned to look at the Slytherin table where one of the green robed
students of Hogwarts was cackling to kill himself as he hammered his fist on the table.

*****

The great hall was silent, except of course for the insane cackling from the Slytherin
table, all eyes turning in disbelief to the source of said cackling. There was a long
moment before anyone else said anything, then one voice rang out in response.

Oh SHUT UP, Harris!

The eyes in the hall shifted to the Gryffindor table, where Harry James Potter was
covering his head in his arms and banging his forehead into the table.

I *TOLD* you, Potter! I fricken TOLD you! Xander cackled, still hammering his fist
into the table as he laughed.

Mr Harris! Albus Dumbledore spoke up, bringing the laughter to a halt.

Percy Weasly stepped forward, Mr Harris, is it? Are you saying you warned Mr Potter
about putting his name into the Goblet?

Xander totally stopped laughing then, looking at Percy like he was staring at a
particularly bizarre form of life.

Excuse me? Xander asked, puzzled.

You said you warned him, Mr Harris. Did Mr Potter inform you of his plan to put his
name in the goblet? Percy demanded.

Xander blinked, You actually think Potter would put his name in that thing? Damn. I
know you Gryffs dont have much rep for being bright, but youre the stupidest one
Ive seen yet and given your brother Ron, thats an accomplishment.

Oy! Rons voice called out from the other side of the hall as Percy shook in anger.
What the hell, Harris!?

Oh shut up, youre the only guy here who has cursed himself more than his opponents
in a fight, Xander laughed, drawing snide snickers from the Slytherin table and a few
others.

Youre disrespect for this gathering is noted, Mr Harris, Percy bulled forward, Now
what did you mean when you said you warned Mr Potter?

Xander rolled his eyes, Harry told me this morning that he was happy that for once he
wouldnt be the center attraction in this circus, he said he was looking forward to
watching someone else be the hero for once. I told him right then that hed just jinxed
himself, and guess what Hermione? I was right, you were wrong! HA!

Hermione glared at him from across the hall.

Percy was about to snap something when Dumbledore stepped in, placing a hand on his
shoulder.

Mr Harris, thank you for your thoughts on the matter. However, we have a problem to
consider.

Headmaster, I didnt do it! Harry said, coming forward. Sir, I dont really have to
compete do I?

Albus looked helplessly back at Bagman and Crouch.

It is a magically binding contract. Crouch said, frowning.

I see. Albus said slowly. He slowly turned to Harry, Ill be looking into this Harry,
be assured, however for the moment you should join the other champions.

Sir?

Through this way, my boy, Ludo Bagman said, taking Harry by the shoulder and
leading him away.

They walked away as the headmaster and the rest of the hall watched on.

****

For Harry it was a nightmare that just kept going on and on.

The room in which he met the other champions felt clausterphobic, like the whole
world was closing around on him. How did this keep happening to him anyway?

He should have known better, even Xander had known after all. Hed called it just that
morning, knowing that somehow everything seemed to center around Harry. Every
year had been like this, so why would this one be any different?

The other champions had reacted as one might expect, he supposed. That is to say, they
acted with hostility. Even Cedric was fairly put out by his presence, though Harry had
to admit that it wasnt to the same degree as the other two. He supposed that he
couldnt really blame them, as much as he hated his fame he had recently been forced to
acknowledge it more than he normally would.

Xander had told him something a few weeks earlier that refused to fade from his
thoughts, as much as Harry tried to forget it.

He had said that Harry would have to use the Boy-Who-Lived fame to work in the favor
of his family responsibilities, and when Harry had refused point blank Xander had
simple said Then you fail.

Since then hed spent more than a few sleepless nights thinking about that as he tossed
and turned.

With Harry James Potter in the TriWizard, well even as ignorant of public opinion as
he was, Harry expected that the others would have a hard time getting much attention.
Well, save perhaps Krum. Harry wasnt sure how that would play out, the Quidditch
superstar might trump Harrys own fame, or people might manufacture a rivalry to
entertain themselves with.

Harry frowned slightly at that thought as he sat back in the corner of the room and
listened to Crouch drone on about the tasks ahead.

****

Wednesday approached the disaster site that was her normal table in the library with
some trepidation, though she didnt let it filter out to her visible persona. She, instead,
merely stopped and stared at Hermione until the other girl noted her and straighted up,
startled.

Oh! Hermione gasped, then clapped a hand over her mouth. You scared me.

I am an Addams. Wednesday said with a slight twitch of a smile as she took a seat
and glanced over the reams of paper sprawled across the table. Law research?

Magical contracts. Hermione hissed softly. They said that Harry had to compete,
that its a magically binding contract. But how can that be? I refuse to believe that he
entered himself.

I would not state the same, refusal to believe is a statement of faith, not fact
Wednesday said thoughtfully, However I highly doubt that Potter would enter his own
name.

Hermione looked confused for a moment, before her mind decoded the statement and
realized that it was a backhanded agreement. Right. Well, Theres nothing much
here.

I wouldnt expect otherwise. Wednesday said, glancing at the papers, Those are all
modern legal contract regulations. The Cup is an ancient artifact, it was created under
the laws of Magic, not the laws of man.

So it can force people into things against their will??

Wednesday hesitated almost imperceptibly, That Goblet was created during a time
when few people were considered their own man, so to speak. Legally, should your
liege place your name in, you would be bound by it.

Harry isnt sworn to anyone, Hermione hissed.

He is a student of Hogwarts, Wednesday corrected, And a citizen of Great Britain.

Hermione blinked, then her eyes grew wider. Oh Merlin That means any teacher
or representative of the Ministry?

Wednesday nodded, That is my guess, yes.

Hermione stared at the papers in shock, Well I suppose that rules out the students at
least.

As well as the foreign visitors. So, Wednesday continued thoughtfully, That leaves
the Hogwarts professors and the ministry delegation.

I doubt the headmaster would do it, he looked as shocked as anyone. Hermione
frowned, also I dont think any of the teachers would either. Theyve been here long
enough, if they wanted to hurt Harry they could have done it before.

Professor Snape. Wednesday said, half smirking.

Hermione waved that aside, He hates Harry, but doesnt want him dead. Hes risked a
lot to save him before.

Wednesday shrugged, Alastor Moody.

He seems a little extreme, I will admit, but what does he have to gain?

The motivations of murderers are infinitely complex, and infinitely creative.
Wednesday smiled thoughtfully, history teaches us this.

Fine, Moody maybe. What about the Ministry delegation?

Crouch, Weasly, and Bagman. Wednesday said, thoughtfully. I dont know Crouch
or Bagman, Weasly is an imbecile, however Ive never seen him be malicious.

Me either. Hermione admitted, then flushed when she realized that she had just
tacitly called Percy an imbecile. Still, thats three names to research.

There is also another possibility, Hermione. Wednesday said softly.

Harry did NOT enter his own name. Hermione hissed.

Wednesday raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly. I meant the Imperious, or another
similar curse.

Oh Merlin. Hermione groaned, you dont think the cup would recognize that?

I do not know. However, if someone can be forced to enter a name while under
compulsion

Theres no end to the suspect pool, Hermione groaned.

Precisely.

Hermione paused, looking at Wednesday with slightly suspicious confusion, How do
you know so much about this?

Wednesday shrugged, The Addams Clan has collective learning methods, Hermione
and our libraries extend back to before the written word, as you know it.

Hermione blinked, jaw hanging open slightly, but managed to keep from totally
blanking out. But even so, how could you possibly know about THIS? Its not
something that comes up every day

You may be surprised, the dark girl said in her customary coolness, The Goblet of
Fire is not the only artifact of its type. Once, they were quite common.

Hermione swallowed, rarely did Wednesday turn her coldness fully on to her friends.

O Once? Hermione asked softly.

What?

You said that once they were common? Not any more.

Wednesday smiled, cold and dark, unlike even the snarkiest smile Hermione had ever
seen in her before.

There have been many organized attempts to destroy them in the past.

Oh. Hermion said softly. Why is this one still around then?

Because even we Addams arent perfect.

****
Back to index
****

Ronald Billius Weasley was having a bad day.

His best mate somehow snuck his name into the Goblet without telling him, a snake Ron
had thought might be sort of ok called him stupid, and damn it no one argued! Not even
himself. Ron growled as he pushed pass the portrait, into the common room, and looked
around.

The Gryffs present seemed to be waiting for something.

What are you lot all doing here? He muttered, glaring at the crowd that seemed to be
filling every square foot of space available. Hed have to push through half a dozen
people just to get to the stairs.

What do you think, Ronnie? Fred or was it George? Said.

Were hear to greet our champion, George, or maybe fred, continued in a swoon.

Ron grimaced as one twin caught the other, earning chuckles and giggles from the rest.
Harrys gonna go spar if you lot all jump him, you know that right?

Soft murmurs began after he said than, and finally Katie Bell spoke up. Hes right,
and you all know it. Alright, everyone, back away from the door a bit and lets clear
some room.

Ron watched the motions for a bit, then just sighed and pushed his way through to the
stairs where he headed up to his room.

When Harry walked in later he was, predictably, overwhelmed by the sudden press of
people that rushed in on him despite the best efforts of the Twins, Angelina, and Katie.
A few congratulations were quickly followed by inqueries that rapidly became demands
to know how he had gotten his name through the protections.

Are you all mental!? Harry blew, pushing people back from the sheer force of his
exclamation. Put my name in? I didnt!

Some of the more polite scoffed quietly, but not all were that restrained.

Right, Potter. Cormac McLagen said loud enough to echo, Do we look stupid to you?
Youre just in this for the glory like every year.

Harry shot him a deadly look, but managed to fight down the urge to yell some more.
Believe what you want. I dont want any more to do with this stupid tournament than I
want to do with you.

With that he pushed his way up the stairs, heading for his own room.

When he got there, Ron was laid out on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

hey Mate. Harry said tiredly, slumping on his bed.

hey. Ron said.

Harry was silent as he tried to process the events of the day, too stunned by everthing to
really let it settle. How was he supposed to get through something like the Tri Wizard?
Hell, the only special spell he had in his corner was the Patronus and it wasnt like that
was likely to be much use.

He was surprised when Ron spoke up again, startling him out of his worry.

Howd you do it?

What? Harry blinked, not understanding.

put your name in. Ron said, Even the twins couldnt get past the age line.

I didnt.

Of course. Ron said quietly, then was quiet for a while. You could have told me, you
know.

Told you what? Harry shook his head, still completely lost.

How you got past the line.

I didnt! Harry shouted, Bloody Hell, Ron! Do you think Im completely daft or
something? What possible reason would I have to put my name in to this insanity!?

The glory and the prize

Prize!? Glory!? Damn it, Ron! Harry blasted, glaring over at his friend. What do I
need with either!?

Ron snorted, Yeah, good point. Must be nice being rich and famous.

Stuff it, Ron. Harry growled, kicking out of his bed.

Where are you going?

Away from you and the rest of the lot in this tower.

****

Xander was once again in the Room of Requirement, having set it in the research lab
form that he had taken a liking too. In fact, he was already planning on recreating it
when he got back home. This time, however, he was sitting at a drafting board as he
sketched out a concept he was working with while trying to devise the arithmantic
formula to make it happen.

He was so caught up in his work that he missed the door opening and someone coming
in until Harrys voice echoed behind him.

Cripes, Xan, what is that?

Xander twisted, his Olivander wand dropping into his hand on reflex before he
recognized Harry. He stopped, then let out a breath, Jesus, Harry. Dont DO that!

Sorry, Harry said sincerely. He hated it when people snuck up on him too, I didnt
mean to.

Xander shook his head, feeling his heartbeat calm down. Its alright, I shouldnt have
been so absorbed anyway.

What is it? Harry asked, cringing as he looked at the math Xander was working on.
Thats the longest string of numbers Ive ever seen.

Xander laughed, shaking his head, Just working on a bit of spell creation. Its only a
concept right now, which is why the formula looks so messy.

Youre making your own spells? Harry asked, jaw dropping. Brilliant.

Not hardly, Xander sighed, Its a damn mess. Ive got an idea, but turning it into a
real spell is really complicated. First you have to describe the spell, arithmantically.

Thats where you get the insanely long string of numbers, I suppose.

Thats only for one part of the spell, Ive got three insanely long strings of numbers to
put together.

Bloody hell.

Pretty much, Xander said, pushing away from the drafting board, anyway, what
brings you down here?

I needed to get out of Gryffindor tower, Harry confessed. Half them are
congratulating me on sneaking my name in, the other half are angry I didnt tell them
how to do it.

Xander shrugged, Youre surprised? Theyre just thinking about what they would
have done, thats all. They dont know you, mate, the school doesnt know you. Youve
spent three years hiding.

Oi! I have not! Harry objected.

Name one time, other than Quidditch, that youve stepped up and let anyone know
you without someone trying to kill you first, Xander smirked.

Harry scowled at him, Shove off.

Truth hurts, dont it? Xander said. Look, Im not the one to talk to about this junk
anyway. Have you tried calling Sirius? Or maybe using your copy of the Grimoire? Mrs
Malfoy can help you with that whole act like a stuckup lord thing.

Harry glared at Xander as the other boy grinned back, then finally sighed and shook his
head. No I havent. Ill talk to them tonight, if I can.

Good. So what are you going to do?

About what?

About the tournament, twit. Xander chuckled.

Harry sighed, much annoyed but at the same time unable to be really angry, Try to
keep my head attached and my blood all inside where its supposed to be.

Sounds like an excellent start, any ideas how you plan on accomplishing it?

Harry rolled his eyes, Can you help me with my dueling some more?

Xander nodded, Sure, no prob, mate.

thanks.

*****

Xander felt like a mound of bruises when he got up, his dueling with Harry rapidly
becoming a chore right up there with calling Chayton derogatory names before a lesson.

< Really shouldnt have brought that bludgeoning curse to the field, > Xander sighed as
he forced himself to stretch out his sore and bruised muscles.

Unlike the reductor, a modification of the reducio charm, the Impingo was a
modification of the banishing charm. Instead of applying force evenly, like the Depulso,
the Impingo snap released the spells energy into a single point. The result was an
effective shield breaker, and felt roughtly like getting worked over by Mike Tyson when
cast on you by someone with Harrys power.

Or, as Sam would tell him constantly after Chayton beat him into the ground, good
training.

Fuck Sam.

Xander slowly pulled himself into his robes, moving with a stiffness he hadnt felt since
early in the summer, and got his books together for classes before heading out to the
common room. Somedays he really had to wonder at the directions his life had taken.

Harris.

Xander groaned, mostly NOT from the pain in his muscles. What is it, Draco?

Here. Draco smirked, handing him something.

Xander looked down at the button curiously, Whats this?

My little gift to Potter. Draco said, still smirking insanely as far as Xander was
concerned.

Xander read the button, noting that it said Support Cedric Diggory, Hogwarts REAL
Champion, and shrugged. So? Harry would probably wear this.

Dracos smirk widened, Check again.

Xander blinked and looked down, noting with surprise that the text was changing until
it morphed into an inspiring Potter Stinks. Xander sighed, Brilliant, Draco. Come up
with that bit yourself?

As a matter of fact I did.

Xander shook his head and shoved the badge back at Draco, Thanks, but no.

You cant say no!

Xander slumped, then looked back at Draco. Dude. Im half asleep, I feel like I called
Mike Tyson a sissy to his face, and I just want to get some food before class. You want
to explain why I cant say no, please? And keep it simple.

Youre a slytherin, we have to show a united face to the enemy!

Harrys not my enemy, number one. Two, its because Im a Slytherin that I wont
touch that button, and three who elected you president anyway?

What are you talking about? Potters a Gryffindor! This is the perfect time to put him
in his place, Draco insisted, He had to cheat Dumbledores age line to get in!

So? Half the school cheered the Twins for trying just that, and the rest cheered the
other five idiots who made the attempt. Xander countered, What youre saying is that
Potter is more skilled than all of them, and because of THAT we should piss him off??
Survival isnt a trait your family selected for, is it?

Dont talk about my family, Harris!

Xander sighed, shaking his head, Besides. I know, and Im pretty sure you know, that
Harry didnt put his name in. Youre not that stupid.

So what? Draco sneered, Its an opportunity. We take it.

And just how long do you think itll stay a secret that someone is trying to kill Potter
this year, Draco? When it comes out, and it WILL come out, Im not going to look like
an idiot for wearing one of those damn things. Xander grumbled, pushing past Draco.
You need to start thinking long term, Draco.

Come back here, Harris!! Draco yelled as Xander left the common room.

Behind them, neither boy noticed many Slytherins look at the badges in the hands and
quietly drop the offending items into the trash as they too went on their way.

****

Narcissa Malfoy frowned thoughtfully as she read the latest notations in the Grimoire.
They were some of the first bits added by young Mr Potter, and she was deliberating
how to respond to them.

It was obvious that the boy was, once more, at the center of events. Honestly, she was
beginning to believe that someone had cursed the boy, or maybe even the family. His
father hadnt been much better, and neither had his paternal grandfather come to think
of it. Thrust into the international limelight, however, was another level entirely and as
the Regent Black this was a serious issue.

Of course, it did provide certain opportunities, she decided.

First, he wasnt publically acknowledged as Regent as of yet, so he could always be
disavowed if things went entirely pear shaped. Though shed have to be careful how she
sold THAT idea to Sirius, Narcissa knew. That said, if he came out respectably, the
power of the family would be enhanced quite nicely.

The trick was going to be gaining control of the situation before

Cissa.

The sound of her cousins voice startled her for a moment, but Narcissa quickly plucked
up the small mirror she kept near the Grimoire and looked into it. Sirious.

Have you heard? I assume you have. The Lord Black in Exile demanded as he glared
up out of the mirror.

Of course I have, She drawled, her tone dry. I was just contemplating how to
respond.

Im coming home.

Dont be an idiot. She snapped, glaring at the mirror. What can you do?

I can be there for Harry!

As what? His pet dog? She sneered, Theres nothing you can do. The goblet has him
locked into competing, which I will admit is a rather disconcerting situation.

Disconcerting!?

Yes. The tournament itself is beyond our control, however. We shall have to trust that
Dumbledore hasnt completely lost what mind he had and can still protect the boy to
some degree. Narcissa sighed, The tasks themselves are outside our control entirely.
He must compete.

Damn it, Cissa! What the hell are you talking about? We cant let this happen

His magic and his life are bound to this, fool. She snapped icily. If he doesnt, the
best case result is that the boy lives as a squib.

better that than dead, Sirius snapped in reply, though his voice didnt have as much
confidence as earlier.

Perhaps, but I suspect that unless he does something incredibly stupid, death is a
highly unlikely outcome. Theyre not looking for that kind of publicity from this, She
countered. What we have to do is get control of the situation outside the tournament.

What are you talking about?

The Press, Sirius. The boy is a nave innocent, She replied, Its charming really, but
the press will eat him alive. Ive already learned that Rita Skeeter has been assigned by
the Prophet.

Skeeter? Sirius frowned, then paled, That GOSSIP? Shes a reporter now? Oh
lord.

Yes, Narcissa said dryly. The international press will likely be out for blood as well,
if only because the boy is British. Though his fame will give him some cushion there,
unless he does something scandalous, at which point theyll cheerfully eat him alive.

Oh this just gets better and better, Sirius groaned. Why am I not coming over there
again?

because you getting arrested and sentenced to the kiss, while certainly distracting, will
hardly do him any good.

Fine, fine. What do you suggest? Sirius asked finally, honestly at a loss in this
situation.

Im still contemplating options. She sighed, This isnt a situation I have intimate
knowledge of. Ideally, he needs some sort of handler or secretary to keep Skeeter in line.
Im almost tempted to pull some strings and get Lockheart out of Azkaban, however
despite how well that fool handled the press I doubt he has much love for Potter at the
moment.

I suppose just paying them off is out of the question?

Narcissa laughed lightly at her cousin, Oh my, how the gryffindors mane has
darkened. No, if it were strictly local, that might be an option, but this event is too large.
Our young Regent needs a Press Secretary.

Fine. Sirius sighed. Who?

****

Harry had had better days.

A few Gryffindors, most of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, though oddly enough only a
small portion of Slytherin were sporting those damned buttons. It felt like second year
all over again, only this time he was the cheat instead of the heir of slytherin. Seeing
Potter Stinks over and over again was really annoying, and he found himself on the
verge of losing his temper more than once through the day.

Hermione was with him, at least, while Ron was well, Ron mostly. The redhead was
more than a little put out that Harry hadnt told him how to get past the age line, but at
least he wasnt wearing one of those damned buttons and Harry had even walked in on
him growling at a Puff over them. So, while they werent good at the moment, Harry
figured they would be.

It was just so STUPID, though.

No one seemed to give a damn that there were FOUR people in the bloody TRI wizard
tournament! If hed just put his name in, wouldnt there only be three champions?
Youd think that would be proof enough for them, but of course it was never that
simple.

Harry really had had better days.

Mr Potter.

He half turned to see Professor McGonagal approaching him. Yes Maam?

You have a visitor, please go to the headmasters office. I believe that the Headmaster
particularly enjoys Whoppers this evening.

Uh Yes Maam. Harry said, hurrying away.

He got to the headmasters office a few minutes later, having been slowed down when
the stairs decided he should be on the fourth floor for some bizarre reason. After giving
the password, Harry hurried up the stairs and entered to find the Headmaster behind
his desk, chatting with a woman Harry didnt know.

Ah, Harry. Welcome. Theres someone here to see you, Albus said with a smile.

The woman turned around, rising to her feet.

Mr Potter, my name is Andromeda Tonks. My cousin Sirius asked me to meet with
you.

****
Back to index
****

Albus Percival Wulfric Dumbledore was perplexed.

It was an unusual feeling for the man, one that he didnt much care for. The young man
currently under his protection was now in a meeting with someone he didnt have a
great deal of influence over, and the damnable thing about it was that he didnt know
how he felt about that.

That was truly maddening.

In most situations Dumbledore at the very least had a clear idea of whether the situation
was something he approved of, or disapproved of, as the case may be. He didnt always
have the ability to change the situation, but knowing if it was good or bad let him make
appropriate decisions. In this case, however, he was flying blind.

Andromeda Tonks was a fine member of society, he knew for a fact. Her beliefs were a
patchwork of the traditional and the radical, much the same as his own public stance.
Privately, Albus knew that he was likely more conservative than Andromeda, by virtue
of his age if nothing else. That said, she was certainly a representative of Sirius Black
and for that alone he could, no actually he was legally obligated to refuse her.

That said, Albus had never been one too concerned with legalities. In theory the rule of
law was all that held society together, in practice well, it was another thing entirely in
his experience. When it served the greater good, he would put aside the law as needed.

What perplexed him, in this case, was that he was in the unusual position of not
knowing what the womans presence served.

Certainly, Harry had urgent need of services that he as Headmaster could not safely
offer. Albus knew that he didnt have the time to intercede on the young mans behalf
when it came to the press, let along the time it would take to instruct Harry on dealing
with the more vile habits they exhibited. Indeed, that was a skill that he himself had
never really honed to the level he showed in other areas.

For the most part, to be honest, Albus could admit that he had little skill with the press.
Most of his ability in that area stemmed largely from his political power and
reputations, something young Harry couldnt truly wield at this point in his life.

The flip side of the issue was that Albus had no true influence over Andromeda. Oh, she
wasnt an enemy to be sure, but she was like all the Black family. Fiercely independent,
and willing to put everything on the line when she decided on the position she was
prepared to defend.

Sirius had done so when he accepted the role of decoy for the Potters, and his brother
Regulus had by all accounts earned the wrath of the Dark Lord himself for some reason
that remained uncertain. What Dumbledore did know of Regulus fate was that he had
broke from the Dark Lord quite loudly in his final days, though that was a fact known
only to very few.

That very quality made the Blacks a dangerous quantity. Bellatrix sided with the Dark
Lord with a fierceness that became legendary within her own lifetime, her fervor being
mistaken for insanity to most. Perhaps it was, Albus supposed, fanatiscism certainly
held many of the qualities of insanity. The point, however, was that when a Black took a
stand it often took soul shattering events to change their path.

And therein lay the crux of his current dilemma.

What side was Andromeda taking? And how would it affect Harry and, more
importantly, the future plans Albus was attempting to bring to fruition?

The Headmaster sighed, shaking his head. All this and he had yet to have his meeting
with Severus. He could feel a headache coming on.

****

Harry watched the woman closely as she cast several privacy charms.

Andromeda Black was older than her sister, but the difference was hardly significant.
Her hair was a dirty sort of blond that had different hues in different places, much
darker than Narcissas, and she herself had a stern sort of look about her that reminded
Harry was professor McGonagal.

There, She said as she finished, That will keep out the riff raff at least, though the
Headmaster no doubt is getting a word for word transcription.

What? Harry gaped.

You didnt know? She asked, a little surprised. What, with Sirius and your familys
notes from school Id have expected you to know that the classrooms and common areas
are all monitored by fairly extensive wards. As best as anyones been able to tell he
doesnt spy on private areas, but you arent likely to slip much past him in the public
areas well, not if he is looking anyway.

Oh? He has to be looking?

More or less, there isnt much in the way of warding or charms that records
information from wards, Adromeday answered as she took a seat across from Harry.
And it would be practically impossible to wade through all the information a ward
system gathered anyway, unless you broke it up into smaller pieces, which is something
the Founders did NOT do. So, even if you did record all the information, youd have to
filter through the lump sum of the entire ward which, for a castle this size, is a lot of
information.

I see. Harry said, nodding. He wasnt sure he saw it all, but it did make sense to him.

Now, on to business?

Harry nodded.

I was contacted by my Sister, who is in contact with our Cousin, the Lord Black in
Exile. Andromeda said calmly. They are under the impression that you are in need of
some help.

Harry groaned, rolling his eyes, Since when am I not?

Her lips twitched upward slightly, Yes well, in this case they are referring to the
current situation. Specifically, public relations as it were.

public relations? This isnt about magic training? Harry sighed, not expecting it to
be, but he could hope.

Not really my area, Harry. She smiled softly. Im many things, some of them quite
nasty, but Ive never been either an Auror or a combatant of any kind. No, theyre
concerned about how this tournament will affect your image.

I dont care about none of that! Harry blurted, coming to his feet. I just want to be
left alone!

Hardly the attitude of a Regent, or a Knight. She responded acerbically. This
tournament holds risks, and potential rewards. Since youre locked into it, I suggest we
make the most of things, shall we?

A thousand galleons and a trophy are hardly worth this mess. Harry grumbled.

I should hope not. She told him flatly. Youre a Potter, and you represent the House
of Black. Those pittances are for common folk to see and aspire to, for such as us the
rewards are far more valuable.

Like?

I suppose it is too much to ask, but pretend you were a Slytherin for a moment, She
sighed, What potential do you see?

Harry frowned, not liking the request. He didnt exactly believe that all slytherins were
evil or anything, but he didnt like the mindset that even good slytherins seemed to
hold dear. He sighed, and thought about it.

I suppose that the spotlight could be turned to advantage.

Thats one. Another?

Harry frowned, Well Im excused from a lot of classes, and my school year is going to
be much lighter I guess.

Too small, Mr Potter. She chastised him, think beyond your year.

You mean to the other champions? Theyre in other years, I guess, Harry went on,
puzzled and not noticing the slight shake of her head. Cedric seems like a good bloke,
but I dont know anything about Fluer. Victor is pretty important, I guess knowing him
could be useful

Andromeda blinked, wondering for a moment how hed taken her instructions entirely
incorrectly, and yet arrived at the salient point anyway.

Well, your thinking is markedly obtuse, however you did reach part of the point I was
making, She said finally. Yes, Victor Krum may well be an important contact.
Especially if you choose to pursue a career in Quidditch or Politics when you graduate.
Miss Delacour and Mr Doggory both have fathers who have strong ties to their
respective governments, as another example. Additionally, you will have the chance to
interact with the Minister for Magic of Great Britain, France, and Bulgaria. For any
normal student, this would be a great chance to petition for a way to fast track their
career. Do you understand?

Harry nodded.

Now, for yourself, on the other hand the stakes are much much more interesting.

Harry frowned, But how?

As the Boy Who Lived, you already have a certain pull in this circles. As a Champion
of the Tri Wizard you will have the chance to increase that pull significantly, on several
orders of magnitude beyond what any of the others have. She told him, folding her
hands in her lap. Played properly, you could wield great influence in not one, but
potentially three magical governments.

Harry stared at her in shock.

And THAT is a prize a Potter or the representative of the Blacks, should consider well
worth their time.

****

In the Headmasters Office, Albus was sitting with Severus Snape for their scheduled
meeting. His attention was only partially on the head of Slytherin, however, as he was
also listening in to Harrys meeting with Andromeda.

< Blast. > He curled his lips sourly, < Did she have to tell him about the wards?? >

Headmaster?

What? Oh, I do apologize, Severus. Im slightly distracted today.

I could return later, if you prefer.

Albus shook his head, calmly popping a lemon drop into his mouth. No, no. This is
important as well. I noticed earlier today that very few of your house were wearing
those interesting buttons.

Ah yes, Severus smiled thinly. Potter stinks. A little more childish than I would
prefer, but amusing.

yes, yes, Severus. Dumbledore said with a smile, Im well aware of your thoughts on
the Potter family. However, I was surprised by the lack of buttons in your house.

As was I. Snape admitted. I made some inqueries and found that Draco made the
unfortunate error of offering a badge to Mr Harris.

indeed? Albus blinked, And how would that have such an effect?

As much as I despise saying this about my Godson, Harris fills the mold of the
Slytherin ideal far better in some ways. Hes not remotely a perfect model, the boy is too
utterly obtuse to his influence for that, but he does wield a great deal of influence in my
house. Snape admitted. When he rejected the button, most of the house followed his
example.

I see. Dumbledore said, debating the situation.

It wasnt clear cut by any means. Certainly, any influence in Harrys favor was going to
hold positive elements. On the other hand, Slytherin moving in unpredictable directions
would make it difficult to prepare future plans, and perhaps more ominously, a
Slytherin rarely accumulated power without using it to their benefit.

Until the end of the previous year, he hadnt given any further thought to Mr Harris,
despite his help with the Chamber of Secrets in his second year. That was perhaps
proving to be a mistake, Dumbledore supposed. While he hadnt paid attention, the
young boy had clearly begun to wield influence beyond that of the Pureblood faction
that traditionally held sway.

In fact, if what he had seen, and what Severus said was true it was even possible that
Mr Harris was wielding power beyond that of Tom Riddle during his school days.

And that was a truly frightening thought.

****

One thing about the whole triwizard stuff, Xander had to admit, it had taken a lot of the
pressure off the school year so far. Only potions and transfigurations were unaffected,
which really meant that only Transfigurations was a problem since Potions was
basically self study anyway. Professor Snapes teaching method meant that there wasnt
really much to do beyond brew and write up a few feet of parchment on the potion in
question.

It made the class predictable and more than a little dull, but also easy at least for a
slytherin.

The rest of the teachers were star struck and more than a little distracted, which meant
that classes were easy and homework was light.

That meant that he had time to do his own stuff.

His new spell was a dead end, unfortunately. The Arithmancy involved was
interminably long, and had eaten up fully half of one of his notebooks already, without
any sign of being complete. Error checking was a nightmare and a half, and he was
really sick of math.

So he had moved on to spatial compression charms, chapter thirty three of the
Grimoire.

For the moment he was planning the job, since he didnt want to accidentally invert
space inside whatever he was expanding. That could be messy from what he was
reading. That left him sitting at his normal table in the library, with an explosion of
books and papers radiating out from him in all directions, when Wednesday and
Hermione arrived.

Merlin Xander, Hermione breathed, What happened?

huh? He looked up, confused.

I believe that she is referring to the ubiquitous pile of papers, books, and notes?
Wednesday clarified, supposedly, as she sat down.

Buh? Xander blinked, more confused.

They girls ignored his plight as Hermione pulled his arithmancy notebook over to
herself and glanced through it. She frowned, then began to read closer. Is this are
you?

The bushy haired girl looked up, eyes focusing on Xander as she waited for an aswer.

Guh?

There was a long silence, before Wednesday finally sighed.

I believe he is asking what youre asking.

Oh. Uh, Hermione blushed, This looks like Spell Crafting notes.

Oh, yeah. Xander nodded, Just something Im tinkering with.

Its incredibly Hermione blinked, flipping through page after page of equations,
Convoluted.

Tell me about it. I wrote it and I cant bloody well understand it. Xander snorted, It
started out as such a simple concept too.

What is the concept? Hermione asked, frowning, This looks like a Protego spell?

You can recognize that just bythe numbers? Xander asked, incredulously.

She blushed, Im thinking about going into spell creation after Hogwarts, so I was
doing some research.

Impressive. Wednesday said quietly, glancing at the daunting series of numbers.

Shyeah. Xander said in agreement. Cool stuff, Herms.

Hermione ducked her head, hiding her blush by focusing on the numbers. She idly
plucked out her quill and made some corrections as she read. You reversed some of the
numbers, Xander.

Hang on, I know I did it intentionally, He held out his hand to stop her.

You did? But why? This will change the shape of the shield Youre going to lose
coverage.

Yeah, I know. I was reading about tank design at the end of World War Two when I
designed it. Xander explained, I want to test an angled shield.

Oh. Hermione looked it over again, then scratched out her corrections. Sorry. Do
you really think that angling the field will make that much of a difference?

Xander shrugged, not sure, but thats only half the design, check out page eight.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and flipped through the pages, reading quickly. After a
moment she frowned, puzzled, Xander these are conjuration equations.

Right, I know.

But Xander, this is going to be a really hard spell to cast. She said.

Xander nodded glumly. Yeah, I know.

Compressing this to a workable equation is going to be a challenge, Wednesday said
from where she was looking over Hermiones arm. Well have to reduce the equations
before you can try coupling them to an incantation.

We? Xander asked, blinking.

Of course.

Cool. He smiled.

Things were looking up.

****

This entire year was becoming entirely too complicated for Albus tastes, which even he
had to admit meant things were insanely complicated. The Tri Wizard was supposed to
be a, relatively simple, tournament. Simple for his abilities, that is.

Now, however, he had young Harry somehow entered into a binding contract to
compete, which was entirely outside his planning. That said, enemy action always was.
Hed been expecting a move soon, but had hoped that he would be able to counter it
appropriately. Instead, he found himself in the uneviable position of not only being
unable to counter anything, but in fact he didnt even understand the nature of the movi
itself.

Why enter Harry in the tournament?

If the plot was to kill the poor boy there were far easier methods.

Albus sighed, shaking his head slowly. He didnt know far too many things about the
current situation.

For example, he didnt know or at least he didnt understand the involvement of
Andromeda Tonks. Not entirely, at least. Certainly, it was clear that Sirius was
concerned about his Godson, and given what he knew about the man Albus was inclined
to allow the indirect contact. Andromedas insistence that Harry represented House
Black, however, was a disturbing revelation.

He was certain that she meant it as a mere abstract, given that Sirius was considered the
Lord Black and Harry was his Godson, though few people in Britain realized it. Should
Sirius think to make it official, well that was a worrisome possibility. Thankfully, Sirius
was far to distanced from his family name to think of that.

Albus did curse Fudge to a degree, if only because with Sirus out of Britain he was
effectively out of control. Albus could call on his position in the ICW to reign the man
in, but that was a dangerous tool to use, for using it too much made its power evident to
all.

And now, of all things, he had this new worry within Slytherin to deal with.

On the surface it seemed a minor thing, indeed in fact it was a minor item to be honest.
The problem was that it was a minor pebble in a sandle that Albus himself had chosen
to wear quite some time ago and it was now raising a rather annoying blister on his
proverbial foot.

Slytherin was a house that needed careful handling, its deep connections with the
powerful pureblood faction of the Wizarding World made it a potential crisis point that
simply HAD to be watched. Unpredictable actions within the house made for a great
deal of potential trouble.

The Harris boy was throwing a great deal of calculations to the wind, much to Albus
chagrin, by simply doing what he apparently felt was right instead of what was easy.
According to Severus, the boy appeared entirely ignorant of his influence within the
house, which was almost unbelievable to Albus.

He was then left with two possibilities, first Severus was right and the boy was some
foolish child who didnt know what he was accomplishing or, and this was something
that frightened him greatly, the boy knew what he was doing and had fooled the likes of
Severus Snape, a man long acquainted with the underhanded trappings of power
hungry individuals.

Both were difficult to believe, but the second was entirely too fearsome a prospect to
ignore.

With a sigh of a man who had too much already on his shoulders Albus resolved to
watch Harris more closely.

****

Andromeda Tonks smiled to herself as she left the school.

The boy wasnt a complete idiot, though he was almost entirely ignorant. From what
Cissy told her, and she was able to gather on her own, that was far from his fault. Being
raised by those muggles would have left the best person woefully unprepared for the life
of a pureblood regent, but from what she could tell he wasnt a hopeless cause.

There was a functioning mind in there, no matter how much the boy tried to hide it, so
she was encouraged.

With Sirius free of that horrible prison and, more importantly, innocent of the charges
hed been accused the family had a head again. The boy was a clumsy choice for a
regent, but he had time. Three years, to be precise. Three years to become proficient at
a game most people learned from the moment they could sit at their parents knee.

Andromeda Tonks nee Black smiled to herself.

She did so love a challenge.

****
Back to index
****

When Harry was pulled out of potions class for the wand weighing ceremony he was
understandably nervous, following Collin to where things had been setup he felt entirely
out of his depth and was dreading every step that brought him closer to dealing with
events he didnt understand. On arrival, however, he immediately noted Andromeda
Tonks standing in the corner of the room, and she nodded to him.

The weight he felt lift from him then was incalculable. Someone was there for him.

An adult even.

It was really the first time in his life, barring maybe Hagrids intervention on his
eleventh birthday, that he could remember an adult really stepping in on his side of
matters. More importantly, she didnt just happen to be there. She had told him she
would be there, and she actually followed through.

In his experience, no one did that. At least, no adults. Hermione did, of course, and he
tried to. Ron had, though lately Ron wasnt exactly on his side anymore. Xander did as
well, and he brought Wednesday. But an adult?

Harry suddenly relaxed, despite the wash of attention flooding over him and forced a
smile. He wasnt alone in this, at least not entirely.

From her vantage point, Andromeda watched the young man as he was mobbed by the
press and ministry, some Aurors actually holding back the lads fans as he was guided
to the wand weighing platform. Hed looked a wreck as he walked in, and she hadnt
needed to even touch on her modest skill in legilemency to read his thoughts then.

The change hed experienced when hed noticed her, however, was nothing short of
shocking. It was almost pathetic, the sheer sense of relief hed felt, that had actually
washed through the boy and into the room. Hades below! His sudden relief and
relaxation had actually impacted the audience!

Andromeda focused on the crowd for a moment, noting that they had suddenly hushed
and were murmuring happily. He had! Harrys little burst of emotion had quieted the
entire room, and it had been unintentional at that.

< Thats not a Potter trait > She thought as she moved closer to keep an eye on her
charge. < Empathic projection? Something else? Possibly just accidental magic, but lord
if thats the case the boy must be as powerful as Merlin himself. >

She shelved those thoughts in her Occlumency inspired mental library, keeping them on
an easily accessible shelf, and sharpened her focus on the boy himself. He was now
approaching Olivander to have his wand weighed, and she could see Skeeter moving in
for the kill.

Mr Potter, a moment please! Id like an interview with the Champions why dont we
go somewhere quieter Rita was saying as Andromeda appeared behind her,
attracting Harrys attention.

She subtly shook her head.

Uh, no I dont think so Miss, uh?

Skeeter, Rita Skeeter young man. The woman in question said, an acid green quill
appearing in her hand. Just a few questions then.

The quill in question jumped to action, animated by its own internal magic, as Rita
began to speak. Andromeda, familiar enough with the infernal device, lazily let her
wand snap out as she intoned a Finite.

Rita hissed, turning on her, What do you think youre doing!? Thats private
property!

And I speak for the Regent Black. Andromeda countered coldly. Watch where
youre playing Rita, lest you find yourself in the path of your betters and shall we say,
get stepped on?

Rita paled slightly, taking half a step back.

B Black? Theres no Lord Black

Oh, but there is. Gringotts international and the ICW have confirmed Sirious Black as
the Lord Black. His status in Britain is that of an Exiled Lord. I believe that youll find
that all Black accounts are fully active once more, and a Regent has been appointed.

Preposterous! Black is a convicted

Andromeda cut her off, a shark like smile sending shivers down Ritas smile. You
cant be convicted if youre not given a trial, Rita.

Rita swallowed, her mouth dry. No trial?

Really, Skeeter, Andromeda said coldly, You shouldnt be so closed to whats going
on outside of Britain. That story made the rounds *weeks* ago.

Ritas mind was whirring, if what she was being told was true the impact potential was
enormous. The ministry hadnt given Black a trial? Granted, they werent legally
*required* to do so, Rita was fully aware of that aspect of Wizarding law, but it was
bad form to say the least. Especially when dealing with a Lord or Heir of a major house.

That wasnt to say that it wasnt done, it had happened before many times in history,
but all those times had certain elements in common. Generally they only happened with
the person in question was considered too dangerous to leave free, despite a lack of
proof. In fact, the last time it had happened to her knowledge was several hundred
years earlier and under the order of the muggle King.

The other thing those instances held in common was that it was extremely bad form to
ever let them escape. Generally when that happened, bad things were soon to happen to
the people responsible for the incarceration.

Following that logic, Rita found herself suddenly unwilling to attract too much attention
from Lord Black, exile notwithstanding.

I see She said slowly, drawing out a normal quill from her pouch. Well Ill look
into those allegations, Andromeda. In the meantime, I do have an interview to
conduct?

Andromeda smiled thinly, recognizing the capitulation and the request for permission.
of course, so long as Mr potter has no objections.

Harry blinked, stumped for a moment as the attention slipped back in his direction.
Making a note to ask Andromeda what exactly all that had been about, specifically, he
nodded. Of course.

Rita carefully gripped her quill, a little unfamiliar with using one the proper way by
this time, but determined not to test the patience of the Black representive. At least not
until she had a chance to confirm what had been said.

With that thought in mind she began asking questions.

****

After the ceremony and pomp, Harry took a moment to speak to Andromeda.

Really, what was that all about with the reporter?

Skeeter? Andromeda asked, sneering slightly, Shes a bottom feeder, but a popular
quill for the highest bidder. Generally that means Malfoy, in case you were wondering.

Oh. Harry had a sinking feeling.

Dont worry about it. She wont be getting any money from Lucius to smear you, not
with Cissy on your side, Andromeda permitted herself a smile. that, combined with
the threat of the Black holdings, will keep her honest at least.

Oh.

Honestly, Harry didnt really know what to think about that.

Now, Ill be around for all the public events, Andromeda promised Harry, or Ill
send someone who can stand in for me. But be careful around school and in Hogsmeade,
Harry. These types are gutter trash by nature, theyll be around whether you see them
or not.

They will? Now that was something Harry did know what to think about, and he
really didnt like it. Crap.

indeed. Andromeda smiled, Dont fret too much, child. Youll do fine.

Harrys expression didnt change, which just seemed to amuse Andromeda more than
anything else as the two walked away from the hall.

****

Press, huh? Xander asked, breathlessly, as he threw himself to one side to avoid a
stunner. Hed learned the hard way not to try and shield against Harrys stunners, the
damn things had to be armor piercing or something.

Harry nodded, flipping his hair back as he danced to once side to avoid the jinxes
Xander sent his way, Yeah. Mrs Tonks is scary when shes angry.

Xander laughed, rolling to his feet and coming up firing. You just described every girl
I know.

Harry twisted, not able to answer as he realized that hed been bracketed. He threw up
a shield, but it was hammered down in a second as Xanders last three stunners
slammed home. The red flash was the last thing he remembered until he was enervated.

Damn, He moaned, being helped to his feet. Everytime I think Ive got you, you pull
something like that.

Xander just grinned, Harry, what can I say? You inspire me to new levels of effort, Ill
do anything it takes to kick your ass.

How did I get so bloody lucky? Harry grumbled, shaking his head. Alright, show me
how you pulled that last sequence off.

Xander nodded and the two moved from the practical to the theoretical as they cooled
off from the practice. Xander wasnt kidding when he told Harry that he was inspired
to new levels of effort, though, he thought ruefully. In order to stay just one step ahead
of the boy he was forced to practice new moves practically daily, and he didnt know
how much longer he could keep it up.

You know anything about your first task in the tournament? he asked as they
worked.

Harry shook his head, No. All I know is that Im getting my arse kicked by someone
my age, so how bloody screwed am I against Krum and Diggory?

Xander chuckled, earning himself a dark look. Not worried about Fleur?

Harry shuddered, If you think Im barmy enough to take her on, youre dumber than
you look. Give me Krum or Diggory any day. That girl makes me think of a female
Malfoy, you know if Malfoy was competent.

I think thats a little harsh, Xander laughed, What did she ever do to you?

She called me a leetle boy, Harry replied sourly, earning him another crowing laugh
from Xander, much to his annoyance.

****

Dragons.

Harry had an urge welling up inside him, telling him to just curl and up and cry. It
would feel so damned good. Of course he wasnt going to do that, but damned if he
didnt want to sometimes.

Ron had come through, finally, the semi-git had delivered a message that had brought
Harry to Hagrid and the source of his current fear.

Freaking DRAGONS.

He was a kid for merlins sake! What did he know about dragons? It was insane!

Ok, curling up and crying was out, but the second urge was to howl at the moon or
something. That was a distinct possibility.

Harry just didnt know how he kept getting into these sorts of spots.

****

Dragons?

Hermione sounded, and in fact was, horrified. How could they let dragons loose on
students??

Harsh. Xander whistled softly. I dont know any spells that are going to help you
with this one, mate.

Harry nodded miserably. Moody says I should play to my strengths.

Xander snorted.

Whats so funny? Harry scowled.

Well, you only have two options, right? Youre strengths, or your opponents
weaknesses. Given that its freakin dragons, youre not going to find too many of the
latter. Xander snickered. So I guess youd better play to your strengths.

Harry rolled his eyes, Thanks for the words of wisdom.

Anyway, Hermione sighed, So what strengths do we play to?

We can safely rule out potion making, Xander smirked.

Not helping. Hermione scowled.

Xander just smirked again and shrugged, but otherwise stayed silent.

Harry, youre a great flyer, Hermione said, thinking hard.

Yeah, but Im not alowed to bring my broom.

You get to keep your wand, right? Summon it. Xander said, Your accio charm is
scary powerful, I should know you practically took a wall down with one the other day.

See? Hermione asked enthusiastically, You can summon your broom!

And outfly a dragon? Wednesday asked softly.

The others turned to look at her, but she merely shrugged slightly.

The air is their element, as much as the flame. She said, looking at Harry. Make no
mistake Harry... youre a natural flyer, but are you that confident?

Harry grimaced, thinking about it. With his wand and his broom maybe. Just maybe,
he didnt know.

He can pull it off. Xander said quietly. My money says he can anyway.

Wednesday raised an eyebrow, Really, and you know dragons so well?

No, not at all. Xander said, but I know Harrys skill and power.

Xander, I cant even beat you in a duel. Harry blinked.

Xander snorted, Harry I cheat.

The look of shock and betrayal on Harrys face was so profound that Wednesday
couldnt help but smile.

You wha? But how? Harry stammered out.

If I told you that Id have to figure out another way to cheat, dude.

Bu uh but

As amusing as this is, Wednesday broke in, I believe we may be straying from the
subject at hand. Ill concede that Alexander may be correct, however I would like to
point out that your flying ability and raw power are not your only strengths.

Theyre not? Harry asked, blinking, Wait what raw power?

The Addams scion sighed, a long suffering sigh. If we were at my home, I would strap
you to one of our play tables for stupidity of that level.

Xander winced, though the other two just looked confused.

Wednesday elected not to bother clarifying the comment, Harry, youre a
parselmouth.

Hermione gasped, eyes wide. You are??

Shh Harry hissed, Ron said that its a dark wizard thing, I dont need that kind of
attention.

Ron is an idiot. Wednesday said simply. Its a blood line trait, most notably from the
Slytherin bloodline in England, however its been known in several other families as
well.

Really? Like who?

Asclepius from Greece would be the most notable, his line used serpens and vipera
based magic as a healing tool. In Cambodia, the Shiwin Wei line used it for the potent
protection magic snakes can provide, as did the Egyptians. Serpent magic is very old,
one of the oldest branches of magic that exists, She said seriously, and as such it has a
deep well of power, from both the light and the dark. Serpents are by their nature,
neutral predators. Good and Evil are human inventions.

The three others stared at her, open mouthed.

What? Wednesday asked after a long pause, when it became clear that none of the
others were going to say anything.

Its just weve never heard you talk so much before. Xander replied honestly.

The glare she shot him made him rethink the whole honesty is the best policy thing,
and had Xander considering the benefits of bolting for the hall.

As I was saying, Wednesday said, turning away, parselmouth is hardly dark, its
merely considered to be so in England because your Dark Lords have a penchant for
the dramatic.

How would it help anyway? Harry asked, still confused.

Wednesday sighed again, closing her eyes. Why do I bother?

Im not sure I understand either, Hermione admitted, Dragons arent snakes,
wouldnt they have their own language?

Wednesday looked over at Xander, Are you as ignorant?

Xander shrugged, You obviously know a lot more than me, but arent dragons
referred to as great serpents in like, every mythology Ive every heard of?

Wednesday nodded, gracing him with a slight smile. Precisely. Physically, you are
correct, Hermione. They have no relation to snakes at all, and their language, such as
it is, is completely different as well.

Well then how does that help?

Magically, Wednesday ignored Harry, however, is another matter entirely.
Magically theyre almost identical to serpents, merely more so.

Harry still couldnt talk to them, though, I mean if the languages are different
vocally? Hermione looked terribly confused.

True, Wednesday conceded, However we do have several possibilities that remain
open, such as Legilimens.

Whoa. Xander whistled, Thats some serious magic, Wens.

She shot him a dark look, but Xander ignored it.

No, seriously, He said, leaning forward. Im an occlumens, but legilimens is tough.

If he can learn a Patronus, Im certain he can manage, She replied dryly.

Maybe. Xander shrugged.

You said options, Hermione said, looking up from the notes she was taking. What
are the others?

There are spells to alter the timber of parseltoungue to match a Dragons tonality,
Wednesday said, Though obviously they wont be located here.

That doesnt do me a lot of good, Harry sighed.

Where are they located, Wens? Xander asked with a smile.

She didnt bother glaring at him this time, merely shrugging. Im fairly certain that
the Addams library has references.

Harry looked at her, surprised. Youd do that for me?

No. She said simply, causing Harry to droop while looking angry at the same time. I
would, however, request those references for Hermione and Alexander since they
seem to have taken an interest in your otherwise pathetic self.

Ouch. Even Xander winced at that one. Harry looked like hed been gutshot, eyes wide
as he stared at Wednesday.

Wednesday! Hermione hissed, Thats rude.

Truth often is. She deadpanned, make no mistake, I have very little interest in
helping you Harry Potter. My friends, however, see more in you than I do. Perhaps
theyre right, and I am wrong. I doubt it, however I would be pleased if you proved
me wrong.

W why?

Wednesday raised an eyebrow, Why what?

Why would you be pleased if you were wrong?

She sighed again, shaking her head as she looked between Hermione and Xander.
Honestly, what DO you see in him?

Harry was starting to get angry now, more than hurt, but Wednesday simple stood up
and started gathering her books as she stared evenly at him.

It is simple, Mr Potter, She said, if I am proven wrong, then it shows that I showed
very good judgment in choosing my friends, because they obviously fill in areas that I
will have proven deficient in. If you prove to be worth their time, you prove their worth
as well as your own.

Harry blinked.

Wednesday finished gathering up her things and headed out of the library, commenting
softly over her shoulder. Ill send for the references. In the meantime, I suggest you
work on your summoning and the legiliments spell. A quiver with only one arrow is a
fragile tool to rely on.

After she was gone, Harry shivered.

You know, she freaks me out and really ticks me off all at the same time, He said.

Xander shrugged, smirking, She freaks me out and makes me real happy to be me all
at the same time.

Oh?

Yeah, Im pretty sure she wont kill me, so being me is a good thing to be. Xander
grinned. So, what do you want to do, mate?

Harry sighed, What she said, I guess. She has a point, better to have options.

Xander nodded, Alright. Weve got some work ahead of us. You in Herms?

Hermione nodded determinedly.

****

Xander stretched his neck out, working the kink from it as he looked over the revised
notes Hermione and Wednesday had given him on the spell he was trying to tinker into
existence. Theyd done miracles, to be honest, by reducing the equation hed scribbled
to something even he could understand.

He smiled wryly at the irony of that statement, but it was nonetheless true. Hed written
the previous equation in pieces, understanding the individual components well enough,
but the whole had been a tangled mess beyond his knowledge. The new equation was
only six inches of parchment long, about half a page single spaced, and while still
daunting Xander could recognize the elements of the spell hed designed within.

The equation was only half the problem of spell creation, however. The other half was
the sticky part. Arithmancy was a fairly well understood science, in so much as any
magic could be considered a science Xander supposed. It was possible to arithmantically
describe all spells, but the equation didnt actually cast the spell.

There also wasnt much connection between the two, mores the pity.

He had the equation to describe the spell now, what would follow, Xander suspected,
would be the difficult part.

Unlike the arthimantic component, there was no book on how to continue on from the
point he had reached. Several books referenced it, but like everything else in the
Magical world, the exact process was so secret that Xander doubted anyone knew the
method. He suspected that most spells were created by dumb luck masquerading as
knowledge, just by looking at the list of spells and their creators.

In the non magical world, inventors tended to specialize. Not always intentionally, but
there was always something they were better at than the rest. In the magical world,
apparently that didnt hold true. Dark Lords were credited with inventing healing
spells, tickling charms and all manner of nonsensical spellwork. Otherwise
inconsequential wizards and witches had developed some of the darkest curses in
history.

Only the unforgiveables themselves were credited to people Xander would have guessed
at. The Cruciatus had been created by an Outlaw Black, a man whod murdered his
way across England centuries earlier. Not so much a Dark Lord as a serial killer, from
what the texts said. The killing curse was credited to a genuine dark lord from two
centuries earlier, well mostly credited. There was some controversy over all of the so
called unforgiveables, with some people claiming that each were misunderstood.

It was a common cry in darker times, Xander had found in his reading. People on one
side of another excusing the unforgiveables under common cries. The killing curse was
for slaughtering animes humanely. Bullshit. The Cruciatus was a medical spell,
intended to help certain nerve ailments. Bullshit. The Imperio was merely to help
prevent suicides. BULLSHIT.

Xander couldnt believe the crap people put down on paper.

Who designs a spell capable of piercing every magical shield known to exist merely to
slaughter animals? No one. Absolutely not one single soul on the planet would put that
much work into a spell intended for use in a slaughter house where the victim could not
defend themselves. To say otherwise was to insult the spells victims, to call them cattle.
It disgusted him to read, even when the text was over a century old.

The spells incantation itself spoke the truth of the spell after all. Avada Kedavra. From
the ancient summarian, Abra Cadabra, meaning let this thing be destroyed. The
pseudo latin incantation translated, roughly, to Let this Soul be Destroyed. Its creator
had a dark sense of humor.

The other two were similar, Cruciatus was linked strongly with the word excruciating.
Hardly a medical term. Imperio, was linked to Imperial obviously, in the old term.
Xander supposed it might be more accurately termed the slave curse, Imperial being a
reference to dominance.

Xander didnt know if the spells were evil by nature or entirely neutral, but they had
not been developed innocently. Anyone who claimed otherwise was an imbecile, or a liar
with an agenda.

What interested Xander most about the unforgiveables, however, wasnt their nature. It
was that they were among the very few spells he had researched that appeared to have
been created *intentionally*.

That was a secret for which Xander would think long and hard about killing to obtain.

Unfortunately, or perhaps not, none of the creators of those three most infamous spells
survived their creation by more than six years. Which left him rather back where he
had started, much to his disgust.

****

While Xander was wrestling with the intagibles of spell creation, Harry was working
harder than he had since leaving the Dursleys that summer. He was no stranger to
sweat, but it was a new and different experience to be working for himself instead of for
someone else.

His dueling practice had gone by the side, left for the moment in favor of something that
might keep him alive against a dragon.

The summoning idea was a good one, Harry had determined for himself. He could
summon things from a long distance off with little trouble, thanks to Xander showing
him the spells counterpart, the banishing charm. Both worked much the same,
thankfully, and Harry had learned both quite well.

He and Hermione had hashed out a plan, involving the summoning of his broom. Harry
was going to take that a little bit further by stashing his firebolt in by the pitch the night
before the first task, since hed worked out that it took a while to call something from a
long distance. He would also place his invisibility cloak with it, in case he needed a bit of
help in the stealth department.

Anything else he could think of before the task would also be moved closer in advance.
What could they do, after all? Kick him out of the tournament for cheating?

Harry chuckled darkly as he settled in to read some more on Legilimency.

The projective counterpart of the defencive discipline, Occlumency, Legilimency was
known as a tricky and dangerous spell. It was borderline dark, Harry determined from
his reading, though intent seemed to matter as much as the spell itself. Using it on a
person without permission or a legal writ was considered Dark, and punishable under
Wizarding Law pretty much across the planet.

Punishments varied from fines to prison time, depending on the situation, but were
mostly of no relation to his current task. Dragons werent registered as Sentients, or
even Magical beings, by any member ministry of the ICW. They were, in effect,
livestock.

Harry wasnt sure he agreed with that, or disagreed. He didnt know enough about
them to say, quite honestly, but morally he wasnt bothered either way. He didnt intend
to use the spell to harm a dragon, just hopefully talk it out of killing him if Wednesday
was right about Parseltoungue letting him communicate.

Idly he wondered, if it was true and he could talk to dragons mind to mind, even if
not voice to voice then wouldnt that make them sentient? But, of course, were snakes
sentient? He could talk to those.

That was a weird thought. Were snakes sentient? They seemed to be when he spoke
with them, but otherwise they were by all accounts well, animals. They didnt plan,
they didnt seem to exhibit any sense of self or ability to learn unless he spoke to
them.

Harry rubbed his temple.

He was getting a wicked headache.

He pushed it away, focusing on the book. He had SO much work to do.

****

Hermione rubbed her eyes, yawning tiredly as she worked on her potions essay. Shed
spent most of the afternoon and evening working on things for Harry, and had almost
forgotten her homework in the process.

She couldnt keep her mind off of Harrys situation, though, and it was driving her
nuts.

How he could possibly keep getting himself in these situations, she had no idea. Oh, she
knew it wasnt any action on his part, it just seemed like Karma or Fate or something
really had it in for Harry. He just tried to be like every other student in the school, but
it was like he was doomed to be hauled into on insane series of events after another.

Hermione absolutely refused to refer to them as adventures. They were NOT
adventures. Adventures were fun, sometimes scary, and had a point to them besides
survival.

For a girl who grew up on Enid Blyton, Hermione was sorely disappointed with the
quality of adventures that appeared to be her lot in life since meeting Harry.

Why did Harry have to draw in the xenophobic rascist stereotypes, complete with
insane madman at the head of his own stormtrooper division? Sometimes it felt like she
was living in someones warped vision of World War Two, set against a fantasy world.

Honestly, she didnt know what she would do without Wednesday and Xander to keep
her sane.

Hermione winced.

Wednesday and Xander. Keeping someone, keeping HER, sane.

Oh sweet Merlin, shed already lost her marbles.

****

Wednesday smiled almost invisibly as she sat in the large sofa chair that sat in the
corner of the ravenclaw common room. Her book, a half finished treatise on dark rites
of the third century was propped open in her lap but she wasnt paying a great deal of
attention to it.

Instead she was watching the Ravenclaw clique led by Cho Chang as they huddled in
the far corner from her, occasionally staring at her with a mixture of fear and suspicion.

It amused her.

She let the fear build for a while before deciding to act, then simply closed her book
with a loud snapping sound.

Ladies. She said, looking up at them. She was, of course, using the term loosely, but
her mother had always said that you were always polite. Especially to those you had no
respect for. People you respected, you told the truth to. You showed your true face
occasionally. Politeness existed to keep your enemies from seeing any weak spots they
could exploit.

Ladies, She said again, enjoying the shiver the single word sent through them, May I
help you?

Cho visibly fortified herself, glaring at Wednesday. It was almost cute, Wednesday
thought briefly. Like a pet trying to stare down its master.

You booby trapped the rooms! Cho accused.

I did no such thing, Wednesday countered calmly. If I had, none of you would have
survived to glare at me.

B but

Wednesday rose to her feet, You have been warned, time and time again. Ive been
nice, Ive been subtle. Ive even been merciful, something I personally find distasteful.
Now I am being an Addams.

W what are you talking about?

If you steal something, if you keep something you find that isnt yours, if you even
happen to *accidentally* acquire something that belongs rightfully to another student
Well play a game. Wednesday smiled, this time visibly as she walked toward the
others. In fact, weve been playing for some time, though you were too silly and dim to
notice. Now, however, I have no time for indulgences. Nor will I abide a thief where I
sleep.

W were not thieves.

Oh, really? Wednesday lifted an eyebrow. I suppose that hairpin is yours?

Changs hand went to her hair, closing on the pin in question. I Im borrowing it.

Ah Wednesday breathed, then smiled again. Lets play a game. Its called Sharia
Rules.

I Ive never heard of that before Cho stammered out.

A gasp from another corner of the room attracted their attention to where Padma Patil
was looking sickly pale despite her dusky.

P Padma? Cho blinked, Youve heard of it?

Padma nodded fearfully. She wasnt part of the group that had attracted the Addams
ire, but she was deeply wary of the girl anyway. I its sacred Islamic law. Steal
something l lo.

Lose your hand. Wednesday smirked, a scimitar blade appearing from behind her
back as she advanced on Cho.

Cho shrieked, not even thinking of her wand, and bolted from the room. The other girls
fearfully fell apart as Wednesday marched slowly after her.

Ill return it! Ill give it back! Loony! I have your hairpin! Cho screamed as she ran.

****
Back to index
****

Xander was surprised when Wednesday came to him, just a few days before the First
Task and presented him with a book.

Whats this? he asked, looking at the cracked leather cover.

An Addams family tome on advanced Legilimency. She replied evenly, Youll find
the spells I spoke of for Harry within.

Xander swallowed, eyeing the book a little closer. It was thick, probably four inches of
stacked parchement bound into the leather. Given the age involved, it was almost
certainly hand written, and that mean valuable as all hell.

You could have just copied the spells Harry needed, Xander said softly.

I could. She nodded, However I believe that you may enjoy the book yourself. It has
been several generations since an Addams practiced either Occulmency or Legilimency,
and that book has not been opened in nearly as long.

Xander nodded slowly, but was puzzled. But why?

Why what?

Why havent any Addams used these skills? Theyre powerful Xander said, half
smiling, even if Im not, I can recognize that.

Wednesday sat down carefully in front of him, settling her hands in her lap as she
considered her answer. Its complex. For one thing, few beings on this planet are fool
enough to tread on the mental ground of an Addams

Xander snickered, I believe that.

She glowered at him, but without real bite. However, beyond that, there is an element
of laziness involved. Without the need for the more obvious benefits, few have been
interested in the years of work needed to achieve its full benefit. Particularly since we
Addams have integrated many of the skills within into our natural bloodline.

Xander frowned now, puzzled, What but how?

She smiled slightly, Check the authors name, cover page.

Xander opened the book and swallowed, suddenly having an idea of what she was
talking about.

Arts quod Castrensis of Sententia Venificus, Jetta Lavelle Addams, Anno Dominae 968

His latin had improved enough that he didnt even need to sound out the words
anymore, but Xanders lips trembled as he read those lines.

The Arts and Disciplines of Thought Magic, by Jetta Lavelle Addams, in the Year of
Our Lord 968.

Lavelle? Xander blinked, looking up eyes shocked.

Of your clan, Wednesday confirmed, I checked into it the first year we met, which is
how I knew about this book. The Lavelles were masters of Thought Magic, which
became known as Legilimency and Occlumency in later years. Black Addams, as she
was known, was one of the foremost masters of your clan until she married into my
clan. This was her lifes work, honestly Im not certain it was ever completed though,
true master works rarely are.

Xanders hands actually trembled as he held the book, eyes scanning the first few pages
intently before rising to look at Wednesday again.

There are those who would kill for that book, Alexander. She said seriously,
Beginning with many of the Lavelle Clan, and continuing on to practically every
practitioner of mind magic alive today, barring a precious few who cling to their
morals. I would advise that you NOT share the book with anyone, but study it yourself
and coach Harry on what he needs and only what he needs.

Xander nodded, still basically in shock. He was holding a book that all the money he
had made with his potions accident couldnt buy, not if he had a hundred times as
much and it had been handed to him freely.

He almost missed Wednesday as she left.

Wens. He croaked out, throat muscles not entirely within his control.

She paused, half looking back.

Thank you.

She nodded simply, then left the library. Xander stared for a while longer, then snapped
out of it and shut the book abruptly, as he looked around. He tucked it under his arm
and walked out as casually as he could, heading for the Room of Requirements.

****

Translating the book was a bit of a chore, especially since Jetta Black Addams may
have been a genius but the woman apparently couldnt organize her thoughts to save
her soul. The sections Wednesday thought Harry might be able to use were all over the
place, and werent really anything to do with Parseltoungue.

It had taken him a couple hours to realize that the magic in question was actually based
on Jettas experience with the Addams bloodline, and the bizarre form of polyglot the
family enjoyed. An Addams was born with the ability to understand any language, and
make them selves understood in any language, something that just blew Xanders mind
everytime he tried to work out how it might work.

Originally Hed supposed it was some form of Legilimency, but apparently it wasnt
according to the notes he was reading. One of the sacrifices the talent extracted was the
ability to actually *learn* languages. An Addams learned only one language in their life,
and spoke it unto the death. Which, from what Xander could make out, was perhaps a
fair trade but it did have consequences. Nuance was often lost to an Addams, and
sarcasm was right out the window. Often even in their own birth language, they relied
so strongly on their bloodline that entire volumes of communication was lost to them.

It explained some things, Xander supposed.

What Jetta Addams had determined was that the Addams Polyglot, like other forms of
magical tounges, encoded itself directly into the magical core of the individual. On a
magical level, it was identical to the natural magic of the targeted speaker. It was that
element that had attracted Wednesdays attention, though Xander realized that
Wednesday must have read the whole book as well, otherwise she could never have
made the connections she had.

The Legilimens spell overlaid thought onto a magical template, projecting it at the
target. The template, however, was limited to what the caster was capable of emoting,
so to speak. So, for most people, it was limited to the languages they could speak for
obvious reasons.

For an Addams, however, the legilimens took on the same impression as their natural
polyglot. It wasnt actually a terribly useful fact, not for an Addams at least, since it
didnt really enhance their own natural abilities significantly. All it meant was that they
could mind speak the same way the voice spoke, which wasnt actually as impressive as
it sounded.

For certain types of magical speech, however, the implications were somewhat more
impressive. And it was here that Xander finally understood how it could help Harry.
Snake speech was, magically, identical to all serpents, which included Draconic
Breeds.

Normally this did nothing, however, because the two animals used *entirely* different
physical speech processes. Dragons roared, snakes hissed. They simply couldnt possibly
understand one another. Beneath the crude physicality, however, the Xander
scowled, looking for a word to describe it and finally settled on syntax, the syntax was
identical.

So Harry could project his thoughts in a form a dragon could understand.

Right.

Xander closed to the book, checked his notes, and grabbed his Map. It was time to bring
Harry into the loop.

****

Wait. Im not sure I get it. I can think at a Dragon, and itll think back? Harry asked,
skeptically.

Xander didnt really blame him, but he grinned anyway as he nodded. Oh yeah. Be
careful, though, theres some dangers.

Hermione, who had insisted on joining them when Xander shanghaied Harry in the
hall, looked worried. Dangers?

Well, not physical ones or even serious mental ones I guess, Xander said, frowning,
its more like you have to understand, even Dragons arent much smarter than, say,
dolphins or so from what I can gather. Snakes are dumber than that by far

But, Ive talked to a snake it told me it wanted to go home to the jungle Harry
objected, It called me amigo!

Amigo?? Hermione blinked. really?

Harry nodded.

Xander looked a little perplexed, that is a little odd. Uh, did you read anything with
that word in it around that time?

Harry frowned, I dont remember maybe, I was in school after all.

Well, the thing is, from what I can tell your own mind is prone to fill in the details big
time. Xander said, So what the snake actually said was probably more like, home
good, friend. And you filled in the grammer and all in your head. Well, really the snake
projected emotions and desires that you translated into words in your head. Youll do
the same thing if you try and mindspeak a dragon, and that can get you in trouble.

How so? Harry frowned, wrapping his head around the fact that his mind apparently
thought that snakes should talk in cheerful foreign accents and call him Amigo.

Well, the biggest thing is that dragons are predators. I mean, real deal apex
predators Xander said, Like Great White Sharks, get it?

Harry shook his head.

harry, if you ask a Great White Shark the definition of Good it would probably
answer a full stomach. Xander said, and Evil would probably be an empty
stomach.

youre saying that Harry might misunderstand the dragons? Hermione asked
nervously.

More or less, yeah. Xander nodded, your Parseltoungue ability will translate their
thoughts directly and accurately, but you still have to make sense of it and youre
NOT a Dragon, right? Youve got an entirely different set of priorities. I hope you do
anyway.

Hermione and Harry igored the dry sarcasm of the last bit, but nodded in
understanding.

Hermione for one was hopping, But that makes so much sense! Honestly, Harry, I
never really understood how magical languages worked, but this explains everything!

Im glad it does for you Harry looked confused.

Oh, dont you see? It communicates concepts, thoughts, impressions Hermione
said, excited, but we all evaluate the world based on our experiences! A snake might
describe a hugely detailed picture, with most of the details being heat and smell, but you
wouldnt understand all that! You dont have the conceptual framework for it! So of
COURSE your mind would convert it all to something you understand

Hermione frowned suddenly, sitting down. Merlin, Harry the details you must lose.

Part of the cost, Xander shrugged, though, if Harry were to become a snake
animagus he could probably get a LOT better at Parseltongue.

Hermione nodded seriously, true. Do you suppose he could?

His dad was a stag animagus, so yeah hes got a shot. Xander shrugged.

Do you get to pick your form? Harry asked, very interested in the new direction the
conversation had taken.

No. Hermione answered.

Maybe. Xander said at the same time.

Hermione looked at him, incredulously. It says right in the transfiguration text that a
persons animal form is inherent and unchangeable.

Yeah, but it depends on the method of transformation, Xander countered. The
Egyptians used rituals for both cat and snake transformations, and from some of the
texts Ive read the Hindu magical tradition has several specific rituals to become
different forms.

Where did you read about those? Hermione frowned, confused.

The history of the second world war, magical fronts. Xander said. Grindlewald was
a master of lost Egyptian rituals, and a snake animagus. Its one of the reasons they still
havent found all his stolen properties and loot, the bastard hid them so well that
Gringotts has been sending almost all their curse breakers to Egypt for training in the
hopes of finding just a portion of what he stole and hid.

Really? Hermione frowned, That seems wasteful

Hermione, Xander shook his head, The dude was so good at it that the Goblins
STILL havent been able to locate Gringotts Berlin.

****

The day of the first task brought Xander to the stands with the rest of the school,
Wednesday at his side as they waited for the champions to take the field. He could feel
Wednesdays irritation at his side as the first of the dragons was brought forward.

Whats wrong? he asked, glancing at her in surprise.

While it was true that Wednesday was of a decidedly dark persona, she was rarely
irritated or angry. Normally her emotional sense was almost purely neutral, chilling in
its indifference. The few emotional queues Xander recognized from her were mostly
mischievious humor and the like, or mock anger and joy intended to intimidate.

Those are the Dragons clutch. She whispered, eyes not leaving the field.

Xander whistled slowly, eyeing the eggs on the ground with new eyes. Damn. Thats
taking some chances, isnt it?

Wednesday didnt bother to dignify the comment, her eyes on the sleeping beast as it
was deposited in the field by the handlers. She noted the golden egg being placed in the
nest, and raised her eyebrows.

I suppose we now know the task.

Xander nodded, Grab the egg. You think Harry can summon it?

Wednesday watched them cast spells over the golden object and shook her head, No.
That Accio isnt a common spell for his year to know, but fifth years learn it. It would
hardly be a challenge if they left that hole open.

Too bad.

Bagman stepped up as the field was readied and told them what they had already
figured out, that the challenge was the retrieve an egg from the mother dragon, and
shortly after he announced the first competitor.

Diggory came out, looking a little ashen to be sure, but at least he wasnt shaking as he
faced off against the Swedish Short Snout. They were treated to a rather impressive
display of transfiguration as he sent some rocks, changed to resemble dogs, in to baffle
the beast.

Xander winced as the dragon made short work of the dogs, chomping them down in one
bite each. Fenrir whined under his seat, the pup ducking its head and covering its eyes
with its paws.

Its ok, boy. They werent real dogs. Xander said softly, shaking his head. Still,
pretty gruesome stuff.

Wednesday was unmoved as she watched, the magical trickery permitted Diggory to
bolt across to the nest and retrieve the egg. He almost made it back before the dragon
finished off his dogs, but almost wasnt good enough. The crowd gasped in shock as the
plume of flame caught him along one side, sending Cedric sprawling to the ground and
barely over the line that marked the finish.

Wizards rushed in to put the flames out, even as a team of Dragon Handlers swarmed
the short snout. Xander winced as Wednesdays hand gripped his arm and the girl
squeezed as the dragon went down to the stunners and binding hexes.

Ow! Geeze, Wens

She didnt say anything, but did relax her grip.

Neither of them paid much attention to the scores as they watched the next nesting
dragon being brought forward. When the field was ready, the next champion was
announced and Fleur Delacour came to the field.

Xander threw up his occlumency shields when her name was accounced, but like at the
introduction feast her allure was a soft caress against his shields and he relaxed them
enough so he could pay attention.

There wasnt much to see, though. Fleur went to action casting a complicated, possibly
ritualized, sleeping enchantment that had the dragon snoring softly where it lay in no
time. She then simply waltzed over to the nest and plucked up the egg.

There was a bit of excitement as she was coming back, the dragon snorted in its sleep
and a puff of flame caught her robes on fire. The Veela calmly doused them with a
spray of water from her wand, however, and headed back across the line.

Nice spell work, was that a ritual enchantment? Xander asked softly, glancing over to
Wednesday.

The Addams scion nodded, Yes. Quite powerful, mostly forgotten now. As with almost
all rituals, its considered borderline dark in many countries, however its obscure
enough that I doubt those fools recognized what they saw.

Xander glanced to where the points were being awarded, and his eyes fell on
Dumbledore. Oh, I think at least one did.

Wednesday nodded her concession. Agreed, however I doubt hell make a fuss.

Granted.

The clean up was quick and practiced, and the next dragon came forth so that within
just a few minutes the next champion was announced and Victor Krum strode out.

Krum! Krum! Krum!

The droning call from the Durmstrang contingent drowned out the sonorous boosted
voice of Ludo Bagman for a time, but things were quickly underwar.

Krum was practically a studied antithesis of Delacour. Where she was soft and subtle,
he simple strode in with wand blazing. A Conjunctivitus curse blinded the dragon in the
early moments of the challenge, and he rushed in to the nest to fetch the golden egg.

Unfortunately, as he did, the sound of his movements announced his intent to the
dragon and the beast reared up and attacked blindly. Flames washed out parts of the
field, stopping at the ward wall before they could roast the spectators, and the Chinese
Fireball reared again and stumbled around blindly in its attempt to get at its target.

Xander bit his lip as Wednesdays nails dug into his arm, hissing in pain as he watched
the dragon smash through its own nest and pulverize easily half its eggs. He was
pulled to his feet as Wednesday snapped up, but pulled her back by the shoulder.

Easy! He hissed, Theres nothing to do. Look, the handlers are already moving to
save the rest of the nest

It was then that Xander saw something hed never imagined to see, not in all the time
hed known his friend. Tears were welling in Wednesday Addams eyes as she stared
down at the carnage below them. He started to say something, but was shocked again
when she leaned into him and clutched at his robes.

He hesitantly put an arm around her, hugging her closely, and turned his own eyes back
down to the fracas below.

The handlers were cleaning up the mess, and Xander could almost swear that some of
them were in nearly as bad a state as Wednesday was. They moved fast, scouring the
nest for anything they could save, and quickly transported the undamanged eggs out
with immense care.

The poor thing didnt deserve that.

Wednesdays voice was soft, more childlike that hed ever heard from her, and so all
Xander could do was squeeze a bit more and agree with her.

I know.

If Potter harms his dragon, Ill make him wish the dragon finished him off. She
promised darkly.

Xander chuckled.

Now THAT was the Wednesday he knew.

Getting Krums mess cleaned up took a bit longer than the others, but the delay was
minimal and soon Bagman announced the final task. Xander could feel the energy
change in the audience, it was clear that many of them had come to see Harry and that
everything else was just a sideshow.

When they brought out Harrys Dragon, Xander started to wonder if someone else
thought much the same. The Horntail was the largest, and apparently meanest, dragon
yet. Two teams of Handlers were controlling it, while another moved its nest.

Oh lord, Xander hissed, Someone is so trying to do Harry in.

Wednesday, now recovered a bit, nodded in agreement. no doubt. What do you think
hell do?

Xander shrugged, Dont know. He has options, his plan A was to use his broom and
invisibility cloak. Not sure if hell switch up plans now that he knows the task. I doubt
he will.

Why?

Look at that thing, Xander said, It aint in a talking mood.

Wednesday eyed the horntail carefully for a moment, then nodded. You are correct. I
wonder

Well, were about to find out. Here he comes.

Harry came out tentatively, eyeing the crowd first and the dragon shortly after. Xander
had to smirk, Harry looked far more afraid of the crowd.

Bagman announced the task, and Harry drew his wand as he readied himself. When the
time was started, he immediately summoned his firebolt and rolled clear as the Horntail
send a gout of flame his way.

Bagman was chattering incessantly, as was his wont, but no one was listening as all eyes
were glued to Harry Potter. His wand flicked out again, and Xander knew that his
invisibility cloak was on the way now as well, and then a shield charm flash into place as
Harry was swallowed by dragon fire.

The crowd gasped, but cheered a moment later when the flames went down and Harry
was alive and well within his shield. Harry bolted as the dragon started to breath again,
jumping into the air as a gout of flame roared at him again. This time, before it reached
him, a broomstick rocketed into the field and Harry grabbed it with his free hand,
mounting the broom in mid air. The racing broom blasted clear of the flames, and
Harry took to the air above the dragon.

Damn, he can fly. Xander grinned wildely.

Wednesday nodded in agreement beside him, eyes on the nest and the clutch of eggs
more than the growing drama between human and dragon.

****

The moment he felt the power of the broom yank him into the air, Harry finally relaxed.
He felt the flames licking at his wake, the heat washing over him, but none of that
mattered. He was in his element, planning literally on the fly as it were.

Harry grinned, jamming his wand into his belt as he looped the broom around the next
plume of flames, and extended his hand just as the silken folds of his cloak flew up to
meet him.

He rolled left, into the cloat, and let it cover him naturally as the wind pushed it over
him. The crowd below gasped in shock as he vanished from sight, but he didnt really
care about them. With the cloak in place he didnt have to worry as much about people
seeing what he was doing, and so he drew his wand again and swept in an easy orbit
around the dragons head as he flicked it calmly.

Legilimens. He hissed softly, eyes looking deep into the orbs of the Dragons own.

The Dragon reared in response, roaring into the sky as it felt his mental touch and
rebelled against it.

< Easy Great Mother. > He hissed mentally, 

The dragon settled down quickly, looking straight at him now. < Speaker. Why do you
torment me? >

< Im sorry, Great Mother. That is not my intention. > Harry apologized. 

< NEVER!! >

< Easy! Easy, Great mother. > Harry hissed urgently in his mind. < The egg I seek is
false, a plant not one of your own. See the gold colored one behind you. >

The Dragon looked at the clutch and, for the first time noticed that there was indeed a
foreign egg in the nest. She hissed in annoyance, plumes of smoke coming from her
nostrils.

< And if I give this to you? >

< Then the task is complete, I move on, and you are sent home. > Harry responded.

The dragon considered for a long moment, then seemed to nod with a sharp jerk of her
head. < You may have it. >

Harry hissed his thanks and dove down to the clutch, his hand reaching out from under
his cloak as he passed over the egg, and then he was off with it tucked in under his arm.

When he appeared from thin air on the point he started from, the crowd broke out in
stunned cheers. Harry, however, ignored them as he looked back at the great dragon
that was eyeing him steadily.

Harry brought his wand up in front of his face in salute, and nodded as the Dragon
lifted its head skyward and let out a roar that rattled the grandstands and a plume of
flame that went up over a hundred feet into the air.

Harry grinned, spinning on his heel and tossing his broom over one shoulder as he held
his cloak and the egg under the other arm.

One task down.

***
Back to index
***

Once the points were tallied, Harry was found to be in the lead with near perfect scores
across the board save for the headmaster of Durmstrang. That left the Gryffs puffed
up, and other than a few hard core types like Malfoy, the Potter Stinks pins were
basically non existent by the time Supper in the great hall came around.

The Ravenclaw contingent in particular had ditched them like they were scalded,
looking embarrassed whenever the pins were brought up. Some puffs still wore theirs,
doggedly loyal to their own despite Cedrics public stand against the offensive pins.
Ironically, of the three non Potter houses, Slytherin had the least embarrassment overall
now that the pins had been tossed out, as few in the house had bothered with them in
the first place.

Xander was mostly oblivious to that, however, as he was focused on the theory notes
hed made from Black Addams grimoire masterpiece. Her ideas concerning thought
magic were unlike anything hed read about Occlumency and Legilimency to date, and
he was fascinated by some of the implications.

The Dominance, Jetta had written, was the key to projective thought magic. This was a
state of mind that represented the most primal parts of the human mind, the part that
was barely cloaked by the veneer of civility. The part that would gleefully tear the
throat of an enemy out with its teeth.

Xander found Blacks choice of examples to be quite Addams like, and cringe worthy to
say the least. Her ideas, though, were almost revolutionary over a thousand years
AFTER she had written them.

Modern Occlumency and Legilimency were strict disciplines, tied to rote exercises that
aligned the mind into rigid responses and, internally, predictable reactions. That wasnt
to say that it was completely pre-designed or anything of the sort. Imagination and
unpredictability were fundamental parts of the Occlumens play book, but what Jetta
proposed was something far different. Something that reminded Xander of, well to be
frank, the Dark Side of the Force.

It was something to think on, but for the moment he wasnt going to personally delve
too deeply into it, for safetys sake as much as anything else.

Around him the school was moving on past the first task, and the headmaster had just
announced the upcoming Yule Ball, to the shock and wonder of basically no one that
mattered as far as Xander was concerned. It did bring up one thing hed been worried
about since he heard of the plans.

He had to get a date.

On the surface that wasnt such a tough thing, he supposed, but honestly there were
only three girls in his life hed consider asking at the moment. One was in Sunnydale, so
she was out. Between the other two Xander had to admit to a certain preference, and
perhaps more importantly he suspected that Harry may be interested in the other, so
that left him with one.

Now, granted, she was his first choice which was good. However, she was Wednesday
Addams, which could be very VERY bad.

That said, Xander wasnt entirely stupid. He knew that if Wednesday every got even a
hint that he wanted to ask her and DIDNT, hed pay for it. It might even destroy their
friendship, since one thing that Wednesday didnt tolerate was voluntary weakness of
any sort. Her irritation with Harry being a prime example, though Xander was a little
worried that she was taking that a bit too far.

Harry was a good enough sort, and he knew how to work when the chips were falling.
He was just a little lazy otherwise, Xander knew that he himself was pretty much the
same except for one thing. Magic was just SO DAMN COOL. That was the one thing
that he didnt get about Harry, honestly. How could he come in from the non magical
world and NOT being totally stoked about magic?

Xander just shrugged off the question, though he suspected that it had something to do
with Harrys Aunt and Uncle. It wasnt the time to answer, not now, he had more
important things to figure out.

Like how exactly does one ask an Addams out to a ball without getting their entrails
used as Christmas Tree decorations?

He suspected that the first part of the answer was Dont ask an Addams out to a ball
unless youre confident theyre going to say yes.

It was the second part he was thinking about.

That is, how do you make it memorable?

****

Padma Patil noted idly that the screaming in the Ravenclaw dorms would have been
unusual in almost any other year, and were unusual even this year for one reason only.

That reason was currently marching down the stairs in deliberate fashion, looking
annoyed at the sound.

What is going on? Wednesday Addams scowled, annoyed at all the shrieking.

Which was precisely the reason it was a little odd. Apparently Wednesday didnt have
anything to do with this particular event. Padma raised her eyebrows slightly as the
Addams girl looked at her, then nodded off in the direction of Cho and Marietta who
were squealing and scrubbing their hands desperately with whatever they could get
their hands on.

Get it off! Get it off! Marietta squealed in disgust.

Wednesday looked at their hands, but didnt see anything amiss. She glanced back
again at Padma, curious.

Padma shrugged, They cleaned it off a couple minutes ago, but I cant say I blame
them.

Wednesday now looked truly puzzled, not a normal state for her.

Check the entrance.

Wednesday nodded slightly, then walked over to the entrance that protected the dorms,
demanding silently at it open. Her eyes widened when she saw the other side and noted
the still beating human heart spiked to the door.

A smile played at her lips, she tried to contain it but couldnt. A silence descended on
the dorm as Wednesday Addams reached out and pulled the spike from the door, with
the heart still perforated and hanging from it as it beat steadily.

Abruptly she spun on her heal.

Wait! Padma was now burning with curiousity. Where are you going?

My room. Wednesday said, as if it were blatantly obvious. I have to look my best.

Huh!? Half the room stuttered out as Wednesday strode up the stairs.

The other Claws looked at each other in confusion.

What the hell was that about? Padma finally got out.

Only Luna Lovegood deigned to answer, and she just sighed.

Wednesday has a date to the Yule ball. Its really rather romantic.

Everyone stared at Luna incredulously, but no one dared say what they were thinking
as they all remembered Sharia Rules.

****

Xander gulped as Wednesday stalked up to him in the Great Hall, stopping in front of
his place at the Slytherin table. She stared at him for a long moment, just enough to
send chills up his spine, and sweat beads down it.

Finally she spoke.

How did you know?

Xander shrugged, kinda embarrassed all the same. Your Dad talks about his
conquests when your Mom isnt around. It sounded like something youd appreciate.

Wednesday nodded, leaning over and reaching across to pull him closer. Xander was
surprised when she game him a soft kiss on the cheek.

Yes, Ill go with you.

Xander let out a breath of relief. Thank God. I figured it was either yes, or you were
going to kill me, but with you its hard to tell.

Her eyes danced, with something that Xander could only imagine as malicious
amusement, Theres still time, maybe we can do both.

Xander chuckled nervously, Uh yeah, sure.

Wednesday nodded, then straightened up. I was a little disappointed that it was
transfigured, of course

Well, I dont think were at the point yet where I should be carving out peoples hearts
as a gift to you. Xander replied, his smirk back in evidence.

She sniffed as the Slytherins present all turned to gawk in shock at Xander. Yes, well
maybe later.

Did I at least freak out Chang and Edgecombe?

She raised an eyebrow, That was intentional?

Well, Xander said, You have been a little annoyed with those two lately, so I thought
Id put some psychological torture into the gift, you know to make up for the
transfiguration thing.

Wednesday stared for a long moment at Xander, starting to make him nervous again.
Finally she just nodded. Impressive. I will see you later.

Xander nodded, a slightly confused smile on his face as she withdrew.

****

If it werent an Addams we were speaking of, I swear Id have the boy in counseling
already, Flitwick said, shaking his head tiredly. Half the house is still shivering, and
the other half is just hoping this calms Addams down for a while.

Severus Snape snorted, rolling his eyes. While its a distinctly disturbing thing to do,
Ill grant, it was all for show, Filius. Harris and the Addams girl are just firing another
salvo in her little war with your Claws.

Minerva McGonagal shuddered, shaking her head. I hardly think it matters.
Disgusting behavior. Im going to have to have a word with Ms Granger about who she
associates with. Anyone as twisted in the head to do that, even if it was a prank, is
someone we need to be concerned about.

Harris isnt the type youre thinking, Snape shrugged calmly. The boy is
disgustingly straight forward and moral.

He nailed a human HEART to the castle walls. Pomona Sprout said in response.
Honestly, Severus, I cant see how even you can condone such things. Im just happy
that none of my Puffs have been associating with the boy.

None of them are smart enough to warrant his attention. Severus countered snarkily.

Why you!

The boy only seems to sit with the most intelligent, if obnoxious, females in the school.
Severus pointed out calmly. Or had you missed that fact? In Slytherin the only girl
outside his small clique he deigns to speak with is Greengrass. Addams from
Ravenclaw, and Granger from Gryffindor. Who in your house could keep up with their
*small talk*?

Mr Harris doesnt seem that intelligent himself. Pomona countered, huffing.

He isnt. Severus shrugged, They all far exceed his own intelligence, however Ive
observed that he has one quality that they all lack.

indeed? Albus spoke up for the first time in the meeting since the conversation had
shifted over to the subject of Alexander Harris and his recent romantic overtures.
What, pray tell, would that be?

The boy cant keep up with any of them in the theory, let alone all of them, Severus
admitted, However his practical scores are generally just behind your boy wonder,
Albus. And, given that Harris is actually taking classes that challenge him, his talents in
applied magic likely far exceed Potters.

I dont see what that has to do with anything. Sprout grumbled, still miffed at
Severus implication that none of her puffs were smart enough to sit in with the group
they were speaking of.

Put simply, whatever insanity they can come up with Harris can put into action.
Severus snorted, Or have you lot failed to notice his left hand?

Filius frowned, I have, but it doesnt make sense. Why carry a second wand? Its not
like he can use it.

On the contrary, weve all seen that he uses it quite effectively. Albus corrected his
Charms Master. Remember Lord Vader on Halloween?

That was Harris? The short professor squeaked, And the second wand worked? I
thought it was distraction

No, Filius, it was quite real. Albus Dumbledore replied, Ive puzzled over it
occasionally since, however Im quite certain that he cast through both wands.

But I didnt think that was possible, Minerva said slowly.

Nor I, Albus admitted. The boy, however, is an accredited Wand Crafter at the ICW
level. Legally we cant confiscate his wands, nor are we permitted to pursue any
professional secrets he may utilize in their making.

You didnt punish him for that disruption? Pomona asked.

What good would it do? Albus smiled genially, we cant actually prove it, and even if
we could, it was a harmless prank done in jest.

The other professors nodded, accepting that, but Albus caught the dark look from
Severus. The two of them knew the more poignant reason not to punish the boy for that
prank. It would credit him with having pulled off several feats of magic that students
were STILL attempting to decipher. Outing the boy over that would grant him more
influence, something Albus was not currently interested in doing.

His recent overtures to the Addams girl worried Albus, though not so much as one
might think. He was well aware of Addams proclivities, and knew that what might be a
sign of a demented mind in a normal person was merely an little spot of fun for an
Addams. Had it been the Addams girl who spiked the heart to the boys common room
door, in fact, Albus would have laughed it entirely off and not given it another thought.

The boy, however, wasnt an Addams and so would bear watching. The fact that it was
transfigured, as opposed to a cow heart or something of that nature was likely a sign
that the boy was merely playing into the Addams own game, however. If the boy and
the Addams girl continued to get closer, it would bring many of Albus concerns to rest.
If they broke, and Harris continued his seemingly dark ways, well that was another
matter.

Still, Addams or no, Albus had to admit to being made queasy by the whole scene.

< Whatever happened to candy? > He wondered belatedly, popping a lemon drop into
his mouth.

***

A human heart, honestly? Hermione asked as she sat across the table from Xander,
her books untouched.

Xander shrugged, glancing up from his own. Just be happy I transfigured it. I think
Wens would have gone for the real deal.

She would not! Hermione hissed.

Xander lifted an eyebrow, Really? You dont think Wens would have taken care of,
say, Quirril if hed gotten in her way the way he did for you guys?

Hermione flushed a little, looking away. Doesnt mean she would have cut his heart
out.

Waste not, want not.

Hermione and Xander both jumped as Wednesday spoke up, appearing from behind
them to claim her normal seat.

Dont DO that! Hermione hissed, trying to keep her voice low in the library. You
almost gave me a heart attack.

Well, I would hate to damage a perfectly functional gift. Wednesday deadpanned.

Hermione flinched, pulling away from her friend, eyes skittish.

Stop scaring her, Wens. Xander rolled his eyes. And Herms, cut it out. You know us
better than that.

I thought I did.

Wednesday eyed Hermione for a long moment, then looked over at Xander. Shes
boring me.

Shes a suburb brat, Wens. Xander said with half a smile. Cut her some slack.

So are you.

Im also too dumb to be afraid. Xander said with a grin.

Wednesday sent him a dark look, and he leaned away while holding his hands up. Hey,
just trying to lighten the mood. Herms doesnt spend holidays with your family Wens.
Seriously, cut her some slack.

Wednesday settled a bit, but still shot Xander a dark look that boded badly for him.
Xander had a sneaking thought that maybe he shouldnt be siding against Wednesday
with another girl just after he asked her out to a dance.

He sighed.

< Probably should have thought of that BEFORE I opened my yap. >

Hindsight wouldnt save him from Wednesday, Xander suspected.

Maybe we should change the subject, Hermione said, feeling uneasy herself. I dont
get it, I know that I dont really WANT to get it, but its between you guys.

Xander nodded, Thank you.

Wednesday considered for a moment, then tipped her head. Agreed.

Hermione looked nervously between them, So uh, you two at the ball, huh?

Apparently.

Wow.

Wednesday arced an eyebrow, Ill let you know if its wow after the ball.

Oy, Im sitting right here. Xander complained.

No one listened.

Harry ask you yet? Xander asked, rolling his eyes.

Hermione looked shocked, Harry? Why would he ask me?

Why wouldnt he?

Hes been crushing on Cho Chang, for one.

That figures. Wednesday rolled her eyes.

Youre kidding. Xander looked confused. Why her?

Hermione shrugged, Shes pretty, she plays Quidditch. What else?

Xander shrugged, I dunno. I just kinda figured

Wrong. Hermione said simply. Besides, Ive been asked by someone else.

****

The Yule Ball Fever, as it had been dubbed by one of the Weasley Twins, raged through
Hogwarts and only got hotter as the days went by. Xander, for his part, ignored it. Hed
already asked his date out and had a yes, and while he wasnt stupid enough to take
Wednesday for granted, he was at least in a semi comfortable state of not having to
worry about getting a date.

Learning to dance, that was something else.

Luckily there were some basic lessons available, if one was willing to look and ask.
Xander was, just barely, but he quickly managed to get the awkward shuffle step of
slow dancing down. Enough not to embarrass himself too badly he hoped.

The rest of his time was spent mostly on his own projects. The school had dropped a lot
of the workload off, mostly in a head tip to the ongoing tournament, and what there was
Xander was already ahead on thanks to Hermione and Wednesday.

So he spent large chunks of his day in the Room of Requirements, tinkering his spell
project, practicing dueling or sword play (He was terrified of meeting Gomez again
without having practiced. The man would SLAUGHTER him with a smile.).

Hed been pleased, and shocked to be honest, to find that Harry had modified the Spell
Phone hed given him. The autodialer Harry had added was a bit limited originally, but
with Hermiones help Harry had improved it to something Xander was contemplating
incorporating into the device on a base level. It was great, but as it stood it required a
fairly compentent spell caster to add names and numbers to the phone. That was a bit
of a pain, in Xanders opinion, and limited its value to anyone but full Wizards and
Witches.

Since he had a lot of family and friends that werent exactly in that category, that was
simply no good at all.

Still, that was a summer project, Xander had decided.

Immediately he was working on spacial charms from the grimoire. The reality warping
spells that permitted the creation of such fanatasic contraptions as his
multicompartment trunk and all sorts of insane aspects of wizarding life.

Jessie and his pals would refer Xander to Bags of Holding, Portable Holes, and those
sorts of things from pop culture as ideas, and indeed he had spent some time reading up
on any of those materials before he started working. Hed purchased a few slabs of
wood in Hogsmeade their last visit, and with the help of the Room Xander had been
able to work them into a very nice dark mohagony door frame and door.

The next bit came straight from the grimoire, and was a combination of etching and
mathematics that was intended to make the outcome he wanted possible. Basically all
sides of the frame, and its solid back, were carefully encribed with runes to absorbe the
magic he was going to cast, anchoring the effect with an indefinite effect.

He couldnt call it permanent, since that was effectively impossible. All spells ran out
sooner or later, depending on how they charged their base runes, where the objects
were kept, and how talented the caster was. In theory it was possible to keep enchanted
items powered for an indefinite period, in practice most lasted only a few years even
after careful etching was completed.

That had taken him weeks, mostly cause he was working with Harry so much, but since
the First Task had ended and the Ball was announced Harry had started to flake out a
bit. Xander thought he was getting cocky over being in first place, at least until he
realized that Harry was basically freaking out about the Ball.

Whatever. In Xanders mind that just gave him some time to work on his projects,
including this one.

With all the ground work completed, Xander admired his work for a minute before
breaking out his wand. This was going to be tough, Xander suspected. Not so much in
terms of skill, the spellwork was fairly simple in practice. However Xander wasnt sure
about his endurance, since all the work had to be done in one shot. He couldnt take a
break or all the prep work would be ruined.

He took a breath, Olivander wand in hand, and with a smirk tapped it twice on the
wooden desk by his side before he began waving it in earnest.

First up were the expansion charms, aimed at the frame, basically just pushing the back
of the door out about six feet. Nothing difficult about it, really. It would be possible to
teach first years how to do that much if parents were generally afraid of what they
would do to their homes unsupervised.

He charged the runes then, getting a few seconds breather as the glow faded.

Next came the sizing charms, aimed at the whole of the door. He carefully reduced it to
about the size of a briefcase, locked that position in the runic design, then inserted an
automatic trigger to return it to normal size.

By this point, only perhaps ten minutes into his work, Xander was feeling a little
lightheaded as he looked over the results of his toil. So far he had a fairly nice looking
resizable door that opened up into a six foot deep closet. The inside looked kinda weird
too, he noted as he stepped in a checked the walls.

The woodgrain was obviously stretched out, looking like a badly zoomed photo on
Willows PC. Well, ok, not so much Xander decided. Willows PC showed a lot of dots,
this was just like someone took silly putty and stretched it out.

Oh well, he decided. Hed worry about looks later, a nice coat of pain would take any
weirdness out if it was still there when he was done with it.

With that in mind, Xander pulled out his wand and got back to work. From inside the
closet Xander pushed the walls out in each direction, until he reached the endge of
what he could manage. When he was done, Xander wiped his brow and his eyes
carefully, and noted that the room was now about twelve feet wide by maybe fifteen
deep. He nodded, smiling weakly and nodded.

Did it. He mumbled out just before he collapsed.

****

Xander was awakened to shaking and someone yelling at him.

Xander! Xander, are you alright? Come on, mate! Wake up!

He opened his eyes slowly, and grimaced as a blurry image of Harry Potter shook him.
Lemme alone. Five more minutes.

Xander, youre in the Room of Requirements! Do I need to get the professors?

Xander swung, backhanding a surprised Harry Potter and sending him sprawling to the
ground.

Ow! Bloody hell! What was that for?

Xander rolled to a sitting position, Get the professors my arse. Weve got a good thing
here, mate. You tell people about this room and well never get any time in it.

You git! You hit me for that? You could have just said No, Harry, dont get the
Professors! Harry snarled as he rubbed the side of his face.

No, Harry, dont get the proffesors. Xander parroted.

Git. Harry mumbled, shaking his head. He looked around the room inside a room
they were in, and frowned. Whyd you have the Room create this place?

I didnt. Xander rubbed his temples. God I have a headache.

Want to go to the infirmary?

Naw. Xander shook his head, digging into his pockets. Expected this.

He produced a travel pack of extra strength tylonol and exited the room, grabbing a
bottle of water from the desk.

Headache potions are faster.

Not significantly. Xander said, shaking his head as he swallowed four pills and all the
water. Not for this.

What happened?

Magical exhaustion. Xander replied, I thought I had more reserves than that. Im
dehydrated, mostly, thats the cause of the headache. Water and rest is the only cure.

Wow, howd you know that?

Your mom told me. Xander half grinned, Its in the warning notes of the grimoire.

Oh, Harry nodded. Hed gone over those, and vaguely remembered something like
that. He hadnt tried anything so taxing yet, though. Whatd you do?

Xander nodded to the door that was sitting in the center of the room, and idly kicked it
shut. It stayed in place, now just a door that led apparently to nowhere. Spacial
expansion charms. Next time I get you do them, youd probably think it was taxing as a
damned leviosa.

Harry frowned, but didnt say anything as Xander stumbled a bit on his way over to the
door.

now, did I get it all right? Xander asked himself as he reached up and grabbed the
top of the door frame and pulled.

Harry jerked in surprise as the door slowly shrank down on itself, until it was about the
size of a briefcase. Xander then picked it up and tucked it under his arm, Man Im
wiped. What time is it, Mate?

Couple hours before curfew. Harry shrugged, I was going to get a little dueling
practice in.

Xander nodded, Finally get a date, did you?

Harry flushed red, Yeah. Parvarti is going with me.

Cool. Shes one of the twins, right? The non redheaded variety? Xander smirked.

Harry rolled his eyes, Yeah. She in Gryffindor, her syster is in Ravenclaw. Padma is
going with Ron.

Xander couldnt help it. He snorted.

What?

A Ravenclaw is going out with Ron Weasley? Did she lose a bet? Xander asked,
grinning.

Hey! Thats my mate youre talking about!

I didnt know you two kissed a made up. Xander returned, shrugging. I stand by my
point. Still, I dont know the guy much so who knows, maybe Im totally off base. Still,
youve got to admit, hes not the guy youd expect to interest the brainy girls.

What do you mean?

Xander rolled his eyes, Who talked you into taking the easy classes?

Ron but

Yeah, Ive had to listen to Hermione bitch about everything you and Ron have done
for going on four years now. Xander said as he waved over his shoulder at Harry on
his way out the door. Im gonna go sleep for, like fifty years or so. See you tomorrow,
dude.

Harry scowled as his American friend left the room, annoyed at the boys comments.
Sure they were mostly true, but it was impolite or something to say, right?

He pushed that thought aside, and asked the room for a dueling platform with targets.
As it responded, Harry just pushed everything out of his mind. He knew hed been
slacking off lately, worries about the social side of matters getting to him, and he had a
lot to catch up on.

****

Xanders luck for the day was holding par to course as, when he got back to the
Slytherin dorm there was a party going on. He thanked whatever Gods there were that
the tylonol was kicking in, as Wizarding music cranked way past sane levels was SO not
what he wanted to deal with.

It seemed Draco had managed to get the crme of the crop from Durmstrang and
Beauxbatons together for a little pre-yule party. Xander wished hed stayed in the
Room. He sighed, pushing his way through the crowded common room, trying to make
his way to his dorm. He was almost there when his arm was hooked and he was pulled
to the side.

Daph, Im beat. He said, noting the blond that had latched onto his arm.

Oh shush, its a party, Xander. Im doing you a favor, She said, smiling widely. Have
you met Miss Delacour yet?

At the mention of the name Xander blinked and threw up his occlumency shields again,
then noted tiredly that they were already up. He smiled at the blond, Miss Delacour, a
pleasure.

And you, Monsieur?

Harris, this is Alexander Harris, from America. Daphne said, Hes been doing some
work with the Malfoy and Black families while in Britain.

how interesting.

Xander stared at Daphne, How do you know that?

I speak with Narcissa Malfoy, of course. She said, And she asked me to make certain
you were introduced around.

Oh lord, save me from politics and parties. Xander grumbled, drawing a laugh from
Fleur.

I know how you feel.

Ill bet, Xander said with a tired smile, And for the record, most of my work has
been helping the *Potter* family settle some paperwork, the Black and Malfoy
connections are incidental.

I was not aware that there was such a connection, Fleur admitted, puzzled. I had
been told that Monsieur Potter and Monsieur Malfoy were enemies.

That might be a tad harsh, but accurate. Xander admitted, But Lord Black is
Harrys Godfather, and Narcissay Malfoy was born a Black.

Ah. I begin to see, yes.

At anyrate, its nothing big. I was just in the country, and Sirius asked for a favor.

Sirius Black, yes I read of that case. Rather shocking, in this day and age. Fleur said,
shaking her head. To be sent to such a place without trial

Daphne nodded, Thats causing quite a stir in the Wizengamot, actually.

I thought they didnt have to have a trial?

Oh, they dont. Thats not the problem, actually. Daphne admitted, No, its the fact
that he was sent to Azkaban. Simple courtesy says that you dont send someone to a
prison like that without a trial, especially not a head of house. No, theyre arguing that
he should have been locked in the Tower if someone wanted him out of the way.

Of London, you mean? Xander asked, bemused, I didnt think they used that
anymore.

Well, obviously not if theyre sending people to Azkaban without trial. Daphne rolled
her eyes, Arent you paying attention?

Apparently not. Xander rubbed his temple.

Good lord, Harris, what have you been doing? You look trashed.

Oh joy. Xander sighed, shaking his head before answering, Ive been doing some
enchanting, if you must know, Draco.

Draco smirked as he swaggered over, I think youre aiming a little high if youre trying
to enchant these two, theyre already the most enchanting things in the room.

Merci, Monsieux Malfoy. Fleur nodded, extending her hand.

Draco accepted it and clicked his heels as he bowed lightly over it, Madam. You light
up the room, unlike a certain grungy American I could mention.

Terribly Sorry, Draco, I must have missed my notice for the party. I was working this
afternoon, Xander said, a little tweaked by Dracos comment, and a bit envious of the
show of manners. He knew all that, but Draco was so much better at it, even when
Xander could remember to use them.

On what? Fleur asked, smiling slightly.

Just some special compression charms, Xander said, rubbing the back of his head.

I thought you said enchanting? Daphne asked, confused.

Well, yeah, I had to make them last longer than a few minutes. Xander answered.
Hence, you know, the enchantments.

Full enchantment? Fleur asked, now impressed. Thats a little ahead of your year.

Was harder to power the runes than write them. Xander said, Thats why Im so out
of it.

Fleur nodded, Yes, I imagine so. You were making a trunk then?

No, already have one of them. Xander said, I made a door.

The three blonds stared at him.

you made a *what*? Draco asked in consternation.

Xander sighed, hefting the object in his arms. A door.

Draco frowned, looking sideways at it. Its kinda small.

Xander groaned, I am too tired for this shit.

The two girls snickered softly, much to Dracos irritation.

What?

he told you he was working on spacial compression charms. Daphne said, shaking her
head.

The question is, Fleur asked lightly, A door to what?

Privacy. Xander answered with a shrug.

A valuable portal, then. Fleur responded.

Around here? Yeah. Xander said, glancing at Draco, who was glaring back at him.

Fleur giggled slightly, slapping a hand over her mouth in annoyance. She hated it when
she giggled.

Draco! Blaise Zabini called out as he approached, You need to hear this.

Draco turned to look at the tall dark skinned boy, What is it?

Krum here was telling us he has a date to the ball. Blaise said, nodding back over his
shoulder.

So? Draco rolled his eyes, Hes Victor Krum. Of course he has a date.

He told us who. Blaise said.

I do not see the problem, Krum said, joining the conversation. I merely said that I
asked Hermy own ninny to the ball.

Draco and Xander both started choking, albeit for different reasons.

The *mudblood*!? Draco choked out, only to get an elbow in the stomach as Xander
managed to stop laughing long enough to retaliate. Ow! Damn it, Harris!

Do not call her that. Krum growled, towering over both of them.

Xander shoved Dracos head down, knocking the blond to the floor. Sorry about him,
hes a bit of a dork. What did you say her name was again?

Her my own ninny. Krum said slowly, scowling.

Xander crumbled down beside Draco, laughing to kill himself. Oh god, make it stop!

Why is the stupid boy laughing?

Neither Daphne, nor Fleur were willing to answer, though they both were smiling
themselves.

Sorry, sorry, Xander said from where he was getting up, pushing Draco back down to
the floor to push himself up. My bad. Im tired, a little giddy. Yeah, thats all. I I
just Her my own ninny? Oh God.

Why is stupid boy laughing at me again!?

Ow! Get off you lump! Draco growled from where Xander was now sitting on him.
Goyle! Crabbe! Get this idiot off me!

Xander looked around, concerned about the two mountains coming at him. He
snickered again when he spotted them.

Crabbe! Goyle! Where the bloody hell are you!? Draco yelled from the ground.

Xander knocked on Dracos head, Did you get someone to smuggle in firewhiskey?

Ow! Cut that out! And yes, what of it!?

Look over there.

Draco looked in the direction Xander was pointing and groaned, slumping in place.
Crabbe and Goyle were slumbering against a wall in the corner, a jug of firewhiskey
between them.

Im going to make you pay for this, Harris. Draco grumbled from underneath
Xander.

Call my friend a mudblood again and Ill see if you have any useful wand components
packed in that scrawny body, Dracy. Xander said, thumping Draco once more before
getting up.

He glanced at Krum, And the same goes for you if you hurt her.

Krum looked back at him, Is stupid boy done laughing yet?

Yes, and stupid boy has moved on to threatening. Xander countered, then paused.
Wait. Can I have a do over on that?

Daphne and Fleur were softly snickering off to the side, causing a petulant Xander to
pout. I didnt mean it like that, damn it.

Krum, thankfully, seemed to have missed the joke. You think to threaten me? You
are stupid, boy.

I think we already established that. Draco grumbled as he got to his feet, dusting
himself off.

Xander sighed, setting his door down by one of the couches that adorned the common
room. He then dropped down into the seat and looked tiredly up at Krum as he put his
booted feet up on the table. The snakeskin motorcycle style boots caught some attention
almost immediately.

Let me put it a way you can understand, Jockstrap. Xander said, The last *thing*
that hurt Herms, Im wearing its skin on my feet. You? You look good for a pair of
gloves. Nuff said?

Krum looked at Xanders feet in confusion, A snake hurt Hermy Own Ninny?

Xander started laughing again, then glowered, Cut that out! This is serious!

Thats not snakeskin. Blaise said softly. Merlin, Harris. Those were just rumors

Zat is Basilisk skin. Fleur said, stunned, But I have never seen a piece so large. To
make boots like zis, takes many skins? Non?

Xander chuckled, non. One skin, and plenty left where that came from. So, listen here
Jockstrap, be nice to my friend or well have words. Got me?

Krum looked confused, Who is jockstrap?

****
Back to index
****

The remainder of the term was almost anticlimactic in feeling, Xander felt. It came and
went with surprising speed, leaving them preparing for the end of term leaving in short
order. Xander had already packed his trunk, once again planning to spend his holidays
with the Addams at their invitation. He hoped that the Yule ball went fairly well and
didnt start things off on a sour note.

He shrank his door and laid it out on his trunk, a quick sticking charm keeping them
together. The elves would deliver it to the Express in the morning. All hed left out was
his Dress Robes, and the things hed need for the night.

That all done he took a seat and let out a long breath. It felt like forever since hed left
Sunnydale in the summer, one event after another piling up on him and everyone really,
until it was almost a blur. He smiled, hand flopping out, and palmed his Spell Phone.
Time to talk to Wills, shed kill him if he didnt call a couple times a month at least.

Dial Wills. He said softly, tipping his hat, imaginary though it was, to Harrys little
addition to the device as the runic wheels spun into place. In a moment it chimed softly,
and then he heard a familiar voice come through.

Xander?

hey Wills, hows it going?

Good, I got straight As! She said, obviously giddy.

No shock there. Xander smiled, easily picturing his friend hopping in place as she
talked. I did alright myself. Mostly Es with an O or two.

Youre doing so much better, and Im SO jealous youre at Hogwarts. She said,
sounding both peeved and pleased at once. Xander loved how she could manage that.

I cant help it, Wills. I try and try to slack off, but magic is too cool.

Dont you DARE even joke about that Mister. Resolve face over here. Willow
growled, You do your best or Ill come over there and so help you

Xander laughed softly, Thanks Wills.

So She said, after a long moment of quiet. Yule ball tonight, huh?

Xander nodded, then almost slapped himself since he knew that she couldnt see the
movement. yeah.

Looking forward to it?

yeah. Xander nodded, Scared though.

Of Wednesday? Willows smirk was so huge Xander could *hear* it.

of course, do I look stupid to you?

never to me, Xan. Willow answered softly. Youll be ok. Treat her right, she
deserves your best just like you do.

Yeah, will do. Hey, hows Jessie?

Jessie had become a bit of a sore point for the separated duo, the teenage boy had
grown into a well, teenage boy. Willow didnt see him much anymore, as he spent
most of his time in the company of Meers, Wells, and Levinson. Xander was annoyed
with him for ditching Willow, but also felt bad cause there was a huge part of his life
that he couldnt share with his oldest guy pal.

Really, it was confusing and a mess, and he just didnt know what to do about it or how
to fix things.

Willow, for her part, seemed in much the same boat only she resented Jessie for being
there but not BEING there.

He passed his classes, still spends all his time role playing and computer gaming. She
answered finally.

K. And you? Besides class, I mean?

Been working on computers more than magic, Willow answered candidly. I love
magic when youre around, but its not the same alone. Besides, my Dad bought me a
great computer to encourage my studies.

Hey, whatever you want to do. Xander said, The mutt still hanging around?

Willow giggled, Sirius is in LA more now, but he still drops by the junkyard a couple
times a month at least. I think hes been spending time at Gringotts.

Makes sense. Anyway, Ive got to go. Time to get ready for the ball and all that rot, you
know?

Happy holidays, Xander. Have fun. Thats an order, Mister.

Yes Maam. Xander grinned, Harris out.

Thats not funny anymore! Willow called out as he closed the phone, chuckling.

Says you. Xander said to no one, pocketing his spell phone with a grin on his face.

He needed that.

****

Harry was panicking.

He knew he was, knew he shouldnt, but he couldnt help it. He and Ron were in the
Common Room in their dress robes, waiting on the girls to come down.

What am I doing here? He asked, shaking his head. What do I know about
dancing?

More than me, Mate. Ron said, looking a little peaked himself. Youll be fine, calm
down.

Harry took a breath, nodding as he turned around and promptly attempted to
swallow his tongue.

Hermione came down the stairs first, her blue dress and carefully done hair shocking
him into almost falling backwards onto his ass, but being saved by Ron who held him
up.

ouff! Merlin, Potter, how can you be that heavy when youre that sma Ron trailed
off, staring at Hermione, who was looking nervously at them. He shook his head, then
dropped Harry on his arse. Merlin, Mione. You look great.

Thank you, Ron. Hermione said, nodding slightly.

Yeah. What he said, Harry growled, picking himself up off the ground.

And thank you Harry. Hermione said, but glared at him and jerked her head toward
Parvarti.

Harry, thankfully, caught on. Youre beautiful tonight, Parv.

Thank you, Harry. Parvati smiled, taking his arm. Shall we?

I guess so.

Ron fell into step beside Hermione as they left to meet up with their own dates, and
glanced sideways at her. Youre really going on all out for this.

For what? My date? She asked, confused.

Right. We both know you dont have a date, Hermione, you dont have to keep
pretending.

Hermione stared at him, stunned into speechlessness more than anything.

You can admit it, its nothing to be ashamed of.

Hermiones jaw wavered, opening and closing, until she finally turned on her heal and
stalked away from him.

Ron watched her go. Poor girl, shes probably going to cry her eyes out now.

Harry and Parvati were staring at him, What the hell was that, Ron?

Cmon, Harry, you know she doesnt have a date. Shed have told us who it was
otherwise.

I wouldnt have. Parvarti growled, And for your information, Hermione was asked
ages ago.

What? By who!?

None of your business. She said simply, turning back on her own heal and heading for
the hall with Harry in tow.

Rob chased after them, Seriously? By why wouldnt she tell us who?

Merlin, I wonder. Parvarti snapped, glaring at Ron and then Harry.

Harry noticed it, but just shook his head. Im not saying anything.

Smarter than Weasley, then, at least. Parv said, Not that that is saying much.

She turned around, jabbing a finger into Rons chest. If you blather on like that with
my sister, I swear Ronald, well show you that the Weasley family doesnt have a
monopoly on terror twins.

Whatd I say? Ron asked, again chasing after them as they headed for the hall.

****

Xander felt his stomach twist up as Wednesday approached him where he was standing
outside the hall. He nodded to her as she came to a stop by his side, and she nodded
back.

You look He said, eyeing her tightly cut dress, and smiled, Like you.

Wednesday raised an eyebrow, A good thing, I hope?

I woulndt have spiked a heart to your common room door if I didnt like how you
look. Xander replied, bowing slightly from the waist. Then he paused and tilted his
head, Actually I might have, since I also like the way you think and the way you talk
even if you do scare the bejeebus out of me.

That earned him a slight smile, I find myself rather not unpleased with the way you
talk and think. Youre still no Uncle Fester in the looks department, though.

be still my beating heart. Xander said dryly, then smirked, his nerves entirely gone.
Shall we?

We shall. She answered, sliding her arm through the crook of his own, and the two
marched into the hall where a crowd was forming to await the first dance of the
Champions.

****

The crowd shifted a bit, the intensity growing as the suspence built. They wanted to
start the first dance theyd had a Hogwarts, but they also wanted very much to see the
Champions and their dates. Xander eyed the crowd, noting the familiar faces, and the
ones that were missing. He already knew who all the champions were bringing, so there
were no surprises of course.

He found Ron in the crowd, standing near the two horridly dressed twins, and was
bemused by the earnest glare the other boy was sending through the room. Whatever
Ron was looking for, Xander supposed he must have found though, because he relaxed
after a bit a looked a little smug.

Weird.

Xander ignored him, turning his attention back to Wednesday. The Addams scion was
dressed in a black gown that was practically painted on, a strapless design that Xander
was honestly shocked she could move in. It was very much in keeping with what he had
come to expect of her and her family.

Gorgeous, expensive, horrifically impractical and yet somehow worked anyway.
Beside her, he was rather dull in his silk robes with sterling silver trim, but he could
handle being dull. Being bright had a bad side effect of trouble around Hogwarts.

He fetched Wednesday a drink, and had just returned when Albus Dumbledore stepped
into the limelight again and pronounced the ball open with the introduction of the
champions.

The lights dimmed, spotlights pinning the couples as they came into the hall and the
crowd sucked in a breath.

Fleur was stunning, as expected. Roger Davies looked as dull beside her as Xander felt
beside Wednesday. Credric and Cho looked perfect as they entered. Xander had to
blink, but the scene didnt change. Victor came next, and Xander couldnt help but suck
in a breath of shock. He swallowed hard, glancing sideways at Wednesday and cringed.

indeed. Wednesday said, amused. She looks beautiful.

Yeah. Xander agreed. But so do you. And she doesnt terrify me.

You say the nicest things.

Xander turned to look at Wednesday, who looked back steadily at him. They entirely
missed Harrys entry into the hall.

****

The students watched as the champions started their dance, and Xander had to wince in
sympathy as it quickly became obvious that Harry hadnt even gotten to his level of
shuffle competence with dancing. He and Padma just looked awkward as they shifted
around the floor through the first dance.

As the dance ended, Xander joined in the polite applause as the Champions finished up.
The next piece of music started after a short pause and the rest of the school filtered out
onto the floor, and Xander gingerly grasped Wednseday as they began to shuffle along
with the rest of the school.

Wednesday was both somewhat pleased, however also rather disappointed in her date
by the end of the first dance. On the plus side, he hadnt stepped on her toes, which was
better, she supposed, than many of the girls around her experienced if one were to judge
by the muffled yelps and apologies, and yet

What?

She looked up at him, face schooled to show no emotion or hint of her thoughts,
nothing.

Xander smiled crookedly, Try that on someone who cant read you. Whats wrong?

Her eyes searched his face, and she quickly realized that he wasnt kidding. He was
actually reading her. Her parents were the only ones who did that, even Pugsley wasnt
adept at reading her when she didnt want to be read.

Alright, she decided, if he wanted to act like an Addams well, she would treat him as
one.

Im dissatisfied with your dancing.

A flash of hurt echoed in his eyes, which almost made her regret her choice of words.
Almost.

Xander winced, Sorry. I guess I need lessons.

Father will be put out. Wednesday said flatly.

Xanders eyebrows went up. What did Gomez have to do with this? Was she actually
going to set her dad on him? That would be, like, REALLY bad. But That didnt
seem like something Wednesday would do.

H he will?

Ok, Gomez scared him.

Youve obviously been neglecting your lessons. She said simply.

I have?

Now Xander was just confused.

The music ended and they fell apart, Xander feeling a little lost and more than a little
dejected. Wednesday, however, simply drew out her wand and snapped it in the
direction of the band. The lead singer jumped like hed been goosed, his yelp startling
everyone into stopping what they were doing and look over at him as his hands began to
move on his guitar.

Footwork, Wednesday told Xander seriously, Is everthing.

Xanders eyes widened as she stepped into him, the opening chords of the tango playing.

En Guard. She told him simply, pressing hard into his chest.

Xander shifted his feet automatically, as if he were entering a fencing duel, and the two
looked into each others eyes as they waited for the moment to move. Wednesday was
waiting for the chord, Xander was waiting for the first move of his opponent, still not
entirely certain what she was thinking.

The chord came as the rest of the band confusedly caught up to their lead guitarists
change of pace and Wednesday moved, eyes boring into Xander as she said one move.

Attack.

Xander moved forward as Wednesday backed away, their feet interlocking as they
moved. He almost stumbled as she turned, leading him into the spin, but kept from
messing up.

Defend. She said, stepping into him as he automatically fell back.

Three steps back, Wednesday smirked, Parry.

Xander twisted, spinning her around as people fell away from them and the floor
cleared.

Attack. Xander would stride into Wednesday, his feet following the pattern hed
learned from Gomez.

Defend. Xander fell back as Wednesday became the aggressor, pushing him back with a
dark and feral stalking motion.

Parry. The couple spun around the floor, twirling around the now empty floor, neither
realizing that they were being watched by almost everyone in the hall.

The pattern went on, the two dancers spinning across the floor, the only two people in
their world until the song came closer to the end. They came out of a parry, and
Wednesday attacked three paces until Xander parried and they twirled again. Then she
smiled up at Xander, eyes dancing darkly.

Now, the coupe.

Xanders eyes widened, but he followed her instruction and lunged forward, his body
bending over hers as she leaned backwards and let him come to a stop over her as the
music came to a stop.

She looked up at him, amused by the look of stunned shock on his face.

Wow. Xander mumbled, looking down at her.

Acceptable. She said simply.

Ahem.

The duo looked up to see Albus Dumbledore, smiling at them, Marvelous show,
however I think we should let the others back on the floor.

Do you mind? Xander shook his head, Were having a moment here.

Dumbledore looked so surprised by the rejoinder that several people broke out
laughing at him as Xander and Wednesday straightened up and strode off in the
direction opposite the headmaster. Xander couldnt help but smirk as he passed the
Weasley twins.

Top that.

The twins glared at him for a moment, then looked thoughtfully back at their dates.

Dont even think it, you two. Angelina glared, Youre both useless on the dance
floor.

Too right, Katie agreed, shaking her head. Find two more girls to make fools of.

Do you think we could? Fred asked his brother.

Err, I think we shouldnt.

Why is that, brother of mine?

Because Angelina and Katie are looking rather irritated with you for asking.

Oh dear.

****

Xander and Wednesday took a break out from the next dance, walking back toward the
tables.

Hey Wens

Yes?

thanks.

She didnt answer, but Xander wasnt really expecting one from the taciturn Addams
scion. He just smiled and grabbed a drink for each of them from the table on the way
by, then rejoined her.

Thank you. She nodded, accepting the drink.

He took a seat beside her, You do know that wont work for any other types of dances,
right?

You would be surprised how well I can make you dance using a blade.

yeah, lets not test that ok? Ill get lessons. Xander laughed.

Youre assuming Ill give you another chance. She countered calmly.

Or I just dont want to disappoint the next homicidal maniac I ask out. Xander
replied in riposte. I hear its hazardous to your health.

No, telling your current homicidal maniac that youre already thinking of the next one
is hazardous to your health.

Are you saying youre mine? Xander asked with a grin.

Wednesday froze, then slowly looked away, but not before Xander thought that he
caught just a hint color in her cheeks. If it had been willow, shed be burning red, he
was sure but hed take a victory where he could.

****

The dance moved on, with Xander and Wednesday taking to the floor again a few more
times before Xander noted that Wednesdays relatively content mood suddenly
evaporate.

Im probably going to regret this, but whats wrong now? Xander asked as they
slowly moved around the floor.

Look in the corner, over youre shoulder. She said, turning them around until
Xander could see Harry and Ron sitting in the corner, scowling at the floor while their
dates sat beside them, looking depressed.

Ow. Xander winced, Whats with them?

I do not know, She shrugged.

Why do you care? Xander asked, his focus back on her. You dont care much for
Harry.

No, I dont. Padma, however, is one of the few tolerable members of my house.

Xander nodded, Alright. Ive got a win, win, for you.

Wednesday raised an eyebrow in question.

Shes Rons date, Ill ask her for a dance, you ask Ron. Xander grinned. Then just
be gentle with him.

Wednesday again raised her brow.

You know, the way you treat door to door salesmen.

That may just work.

***

Padma Patil was surprised when the Slytherin approached her. She knew him, of
course. He was in her year and had attracted the attention of the entire school a few
times in the past years, though for now it was that incredible dance that stuck in her
mind. Wednesday Addams was beside him, and that alone basically put any thought of
attraction to the young Slytherin out of her mind.

She wasnt going to annoy the Addams.

So when he smiled at her and came a stop, bowing slightly from the waist, Padma Patil
almost had a heart attack.

May I have this dance?

Padma couldnt help it, her eyes darted fearfully toward Wednesday, but the other girl
wasnt looking at her. Instead she was standing in front of Ron Weasley, of all people,
and from the looks of it the red head was scared out of his wits.

< Who would have guessed it? > Padma thought, a little unkindly, < Ron weasley has
wits to be scared out of, and hes smart enough to recognize a threat to his life when its
in front of him. >

Her eyes widened as Wednesday dragged Ron out onto the floor, the redheads face
frozen in agony as Wednesday dug her fingers under his arm and into the nerves of his
pectoral muscles.

Ahem.

Padma turned back, startled by the voice so close to her. Harris was smiling at her as he
held his hand out, and this time she tentatively took it and was drawn out onto the floor.

Whats going on?

Wednesday likes you. Harris told her. So were going to make it so you have a good
night, if it has to be done over Rons dead body, well thats a price that Wens and I are
willing to pay.

Padma giggled nervously. I didnt think she even knew I existed.

They were slowly dancing around the floor now, and Padma was enjoying her first real
dance of the night.

She isnt the most expressive of people, but she notices everything. Harris told her as
he held her, She told me you were tolerable. High praise indeed, I only got an
acceptable after our dance earlier.

I She looked at him, incredulous. Shed seen better dances, to be sure, but not from
people her own age. At least not outside of a show, I Thank you.

No worries. He said, looking over her shoulder. I think Wens cracked him already.

As they turned around Padma could see a pale and shaking Ron Weasley walking
unsteadily in their direction. He came up to them and took a shuddering breath, Uh
right, May I cut in?

Padma was a little disappointed when Xander nodded and stepped back, allowing
Weasley to step in. He didnt head toward Wednesday, however.

Where are you going? Padma asked, unable to hold her curiosity.

Now I have to have a chat with Harry. He said over his shoulder, smiling. he needs
to wise up.

And if he doesnt?

Then I ask Parvati for a dance, and Harry knows that if I do that Wens will have all
that extra time on her hand. He grinned. Harry wont want that to happen.

Too bloody right. Ron shuddered.

Ciao. Xander waved over his shoulder, heading for where Harry and Parvarti were
sitting, Harrys eyes fully on Xanders approach.

Alright, Potter, we need to have a chat. Xander said as he approached.

Harry scowled, but nodded, and got up. Fine.

Im terribly sorry for borrowing your date, Xander bowed to Parvarti, Ill return
him in one piece as quickly as possible.

The mumbled response from the second of the Patil twins didnt exactly make it sound
like she cared. Xander just shook his head as he dragged Harry off.

Ok, Man, youre keeping me away from my date and thats not cool, got it? Xander
said as soon as they were away.

I didnt ask you to come over.

no, but Mrs Malfoy will skin me alive if I allow you to embarrass yourself, and her
family, here tonight. Xander countered with a growl, So you either listen to me now,
or I dance with Pravarti while you get the same thing Weasley got. Pick one.

Harry swallowed, but sighed. Fine.

Why the hell are you ruining Parvartis evening?

That wasnt what Harry had expected, actually. Hed been steeled for the whole
shaming the family speech, and was blind sided by Xanders question.

What?

Did she do something to you that you want to humiliate her? Xander asked, I mean,
bring her here as a Champions date, then ditch her publically? Cause thats pretty
shitty, mate.

No! I mean, I just wanted to Harry stammered out.

Yeah, we all know what you wanted. The school knows it by now, Xander rolled his
eyes, And personally I think youre an idiot. If you wanted a smart hotty you had one
closer than Cho Chang. That said, you asked Parvarti. She said yes, and gave you your
opening dance now the rest of the evening is HERS.

Harry looked at his feet, once confronted with it he had to admit he was being a git.
Shes going to hate me.

And youll deserve it, but before that you owe her a night of dancing and maybe some
decent conversation. So moon over Chang tomorrow, tonight belongs to Patil. Fair
deal?

Harry nodded.

Good, Xander smiled, clapping Harry on the shoulder. I wasnt really looking
forward to siccing Wednesday on you. She doesnt like you for some reason.

Tell me something I dont bloody know.

Youd better hurry up and apologize for being a git, or else I WILL sic Hermione on
you in the morning. Xander said with a smile.

Harry groaned. Hed rather deal with Wednesday.

****
Back to index
****

Hermione was over the moon. She hadnt really expected much from her date, to be
honest. Victor was nice enough, of course,but he sounded rather simple given his
problems with the language. Shed learned quickly, though, that he was more intelligent
than he sounded.

< Of course, > She thought with a wry smile, < He really would have to be. >

She was going to have to kill Xander, she supposed. It really was the only way. Nothing
short of death would keep him from calling her Her My Own Ninny.

Things had been a little rough for a while, though the first dance had been amazing, and
she had been stunned by Xander and Wednesdays follow up a few minutes later.
Mildly annoyed as well, if she were to be brutally honest, since they had stolen the
spotlight from the champions and, well, her.

That was nothing, though, not compared to watching Ron and Harry trying to single
er, well, double handedly bring down everyone in the hall. Between Harrys glum faced
moon eyes at Cho Chang and Ron just plain glaring at her all night, well Hermione was
just grateful that Wednesday and Xander had elected to step in.

Otherwise she would have had to, and that would have ruined Victors evening as well
as her own.

After that, though, the evening was simply amazing.

She had no other words for it. Victor was the consummate gentleman, and had waited
on her hand and foot through the entire affair. He knew how to dance, though not as
well as Xander surprisingly.

Honestly. Where did the boy learn to do THAT anyway?

Hermione had been forced to push that question aside so many times by the end of the
night that she was honestly sick to death of her slytherin friend, and for once it wasnt
even his fault really.

Ron and Harry had been more attentative to their dates as the evening went on as well,
dancing fairly often and, while Ron still shot glares at her and Victor, Hermione had
been surprised to see Harry focus almost entirely on Parvarti for the rest of the evening
without fail.

 She thought.

After the ball she had gone for a walk with Victor on the grounds, and hed proven a
surprisingly good conversationalist once she got through his limited command of the
English language.

< Really need to learn Bulgarian, > Hermione thought idly. It would be good for her,
honestly. Another language was no weight to carry, after all.

She still couldnlt believe how very much had happened all in one night, even by the
next morning.

It had been a fantasy ball beyond her wildest dreams.

****

Harry groaned as he awoke that morning. It had been a long night, and he really wasnt
proud of most of it. Still, Parv had forgiven him so maybe he hadnt messed up too
badly. She seemed happier than Padma was before they went to bet, though now that
Harry thought of it he probably shouldnt base his skill with girls on his best mate.

Ron was a great guy, but smooth he wasnt, Harry thought as he sat up and glanced
over to where Ron was still sleeping.

The redhead snorted, rolled over, and went back to snoring as Harry got up and fetched
his robes. He had a lot to think about, he decided. Hed screwed up bad the night
before, and as much as Harry hated to admit it, he would have done even worse if
Xander hadnt knocked some sense into him.

No matter what his problems were, he didnt have any right to bring pain to Parv over
it.

Hed been doing that, he realized. Messing up, that is.

He grabbed his wand from the nightstand, and headed out.

He had some things to work out, some decisions to make even.

****

Xander glanced across at Wednesday as the Express approached London.

The night before had been pretty fun, amazing even. Wednesday had surprised him
over and over, almost entirely pleasant surprising even, which in itself was a rather
shocking development for Wednesday.

He smiled, remembering the look on Rons face when she had a talk with him. Bloody
hilarious.

What? Wednesday asked, not looking at him or even opening her eyes.

Just remembering last night.

It was pleasant. She admitted. You danced well.

No, I was thinking about you scaring the crap out of Ron, actually.

She opened her eyes, half turning to look at him, her expression rather dry, Oh?

What can I say? You were amazing. Xander grinned.

Hardly. Wednesday rolled her eyes, Scaring his like is not much challenge. You
should have let me try my hand with Potter. He might have proven a challenge.

The last thing the ball needed was Irrisistable Force Addams slamming headlong into
Immovable Object Potter, Xander countered, You want to scare the heck out of him,
why dont you join our dueling practices?

Wednesday shrugged, Perhaps. I expect to be busy in the new year, however.

Oh? With what?

She looked away, Family business.

****

The platform at Nine and Three Quarters was crowded, as usual, but for one small
group who watched as the old steam engine chuffed to a stop. This small group was
alone in an island of space between them and everyone else on the whole platform.

They didnt appear to notice anything untoward, however, and merely smiled patiently
as the children poured off the train.

Wednesday! The woman called out when she saw the dark haired girl step off.

Alexander! The man grinned crookedly, waving his cigar in the air in greeting when
he saw the girls companion.

Mother. Father. Wednesday said as she and Xander arrived in front of the small
group.

So good to see you again, Gomez greeted his daughter with a hearty hug, then
clapped Xander on the back before returning his cigar to his teeth.

How was school?

Educational. Wednesday nodded to her mother.

Her parents exchanged glances for a moment, serious inquisition flashing in even the
jovial expression of Gomez Addams, but it was gone in a second.

Good, good. And this Yule Ball you wrote about? He asked, eyes glinting darkly for
just a moment.

The ball was enjoyable. She said, thinking for a moment.

Gomez eyebrows went up, and he exchanged another glance with his wife before they
both relaxed. Whatever it was that was bothering their daughter didnt seem related to
Alexander, and so it wasnt a concern they needed to address immediately.

Excellent. So, Alexander my boy, have you kept up with your fencing?

Xander and Wednesday were the ones exchanging glances this time, amused looks in
their eyes. Yes Sir.

Ah, wonderful! I look forward to testing your steel. Gomez grinned maniacally, eyes
glinting.

Oh joy. Xander muttered flately.

Come now, Morticia said in her calm manner, We have a ship to catch.

A ship? Xander raised his eyebrows, Where to?

France, this year. Gomez replied, We thought it fitting, what with the tournament at
your school and all.

Yes, we have a lovely chateux rented, Morticia said, Its not nearly so wonderfully
dank as the castle in Romnia, but its well suitable I assure you.

Xander just nodded, wondering for a bit why they werent taking a portkey or the car,
but finally just shrugged it off as an Addams quirk more than anything else.

He had to admit, he was rather looking forward to the holidays with them. They were
such a massive change from his normal routing that it was almost as good as a rest.

****

A Chateux.

Right.

Xander was too used to the Addamses to say anything, but only they would consider a
ramshackle old fort off the north coast of France, IN WINTER, to be an suitable
holiday home. He couldnt help but crook a grin as they sailed into the old port, Well,
thank God you taught me those warming charms, Wens.

Wednesday eyeballed him without turning to look in his direction, but he detected a
hint of a smile on her face as she stepped up onto the rails of the ship and casually
hopped off onto the old stone dock. Xander shrugged and hopped over himself, landing
beside her.

Its wonderful, Tish, Gomez said, almost scarying Xander into jumping back on the
ship as he appeared right beside the two teens without warning.

< How the hell does he DO that!? > Xander thought, glaring for a brief moment.

Of course, mon cher, Morticia said, Cousin Itt recommended it.

Tish! Thats French! Gomez said, grabbing her arm and kissing his way up toward
her shoulder.

Why am I not surprised it was the walking shag carpet who recommended this place?
Xander asked, laughing softly.

Wednesday spared him a dark look, but glanced back at her parents to see Gomez had
made it up to her mothers neck and was starting to work his way down.

Gomez, darling, youll scar the children. Morticia said, pushing him away.

Gomez looked put out, then sighed, Ah yes Youre right, of course. I suppose they
havent earned that yet.

Xander did a double take, glad he wasnt drinking for fear of a spit take, and then just
stared as the couple walked past. Yeah, ok, theyre wierding me out again.

Of course. Wednesday smiled, Theyre Addamses.

Xander sighed, shaking his head as he hefted his trunk and followed along, trying to not
notice that Gomez hands were roaming quite far afield as he helped guide Morticia
up the stairs.

****

The area they Addamses had laid claim to was surprisingly homey, Xander decided as
he setup his room. There was a fireplace in each of the bedrooms, and the view was
spectacular, so he wasnt as worried about the cold and draft as he had been. He set his
trunk at the foot of the bed, resized his portable door and set it against the outside wall,
and laid out the books hed be working through over the holidays.

In addition to his normal mix of magical endeavors, Xander was working his ways
through the Shadowrun sourcebooks and a set of magazines that described various
technical advances since World War 2 in fairly simple terms. The one on Tanks had
inspired his current spell crafting endeavor, but now he was reading up on Stealth
technology and modern flight. His note book was in serious threat of being filled up, just
with ideas for how to use old spells in potentially new ways, not to mention the new
materials he wanted to test for magical properties.

What he was reading about Carbon, however, had Xander wondering if maybe he had
barely scratched the surface of what he could make that wonderful material do. In fact,
one of the properties some researchers had found had him awake nights.

It was Willow that brought it to his attention, cause Xander knew that there was ZERO
chance hed have ever dug that deep into scientific journals to discover it. But
apparently some researchers had found that nanoscale carbon elements could, when
properly aligned, create a near superconducting circuit at room temperature. It had
taken some explaining for Willow to convince him of why this would be useful, but it
had gelled with something Xander had noticed while dueling with Harry.

When Harry went all out, normally just before pasting Xander to the floor despite
Xanders cheating, his wand would actually warm up. Xander had found out one of the
times he won, trapping Harry and using the disarming spell on him. When hed picked
up Harrys wand, it was actually hot to the touch.

If magic was following the same rules as most energy seemed to, then the wand was
wasting some of Harrys magic by converting it to heat. A superconducting sheath
would eliminate that waste, which from what Xander had read of in electrical work,
would add between fifteen and twenty percent to the power a caster could bring to the
field.

Of course, before he could even think of testing that, Xander had to figure out how to
assemble a nano-molecularly aligned carbon wand.

Yeah.

He had some work to do.

Luckily it was magic, and not science, cause there was no way Xander would have the
patience to do that kind of thing without cheating. Magic was really his kind of thing,
since it was all about ideas and practical hands on application. He was all about those
things.

Well, ok, he stole his ideas. But hands on he kicked ass. And really, who didnt steal
ideas nowadays anyway?

Xander scowled a bit, but finally just sighed.

On the shoulders of Giants, He said, I can see so much from here, but sometimes I
wonder if any of it is really mine to play games with

Philosophical in your old age, lad.

Xander started, looking around to see Gomez smiling from where he was leaning on the
stone door frame that led out to the hall. He forced a smile, Sorry Sir. Sometimes I
just wish I could come up with my own ideas.

A good goal, I suppose. Your own ideas about what?

I dont know, magic I guess. Xander admitted. I made a fortune on a potions
accident, while trying to figure out a prank. I never did figure it out, you know. I steal
ideas and materials from non magicals all the time, and I get some cool results, but is
any of it really mine?

Gomez shrugged, Interesting question, lad. Is anything really anyones?

****

Wednesday merely looked up as her mother entered the room, not saying anything.
Neither did Morticia at first, instead opting to silently take a seat at the foot of the bed
and wait with her hands crossed on her lap. For a long moment both ordered their
thoughts for the conversation ahead, each having ideas of where it was going, though
both still holding questions as well.

Ive reviewed your access to the library over the last fix months, Morticia said
thoughtfully, It makes for interesting suggestions on your current state of mind.

Wednesday would have flushed red if she were anyone else, as it was her cheeks did
take on a tinge of pink. She didnt think her parents had ever looked over her reading
selection in the past, at least not since she was six.

Its been an interesting year, mother.

Morticias eyebrows went up, Indeed. You gave away Jetta Addams journal.

That brought Wednesdays head around sharply, He both deserved and required that,
mother.

Perhaps. Your father and I were worried that maybe you may fancy the boy, and
were making emotional decisions.

THAT was as sharp as a slap in the face to Wednesday, and she jerked back as if she
had received as much. After a moment she eyed her mother coldly, My thoughts on
Alexander are my own, and have nothing to do with this.

Yes, we saw that at the train station. Morticia nodded. Which brought us to your
other reading materials. Dark territory.

Wednesday sighed, scowling at her mother now that she understood the conversation
better. Her parents knew, at least had an idea, of what was really going on but her
mother had just used the opportunity to bring something out that she wasnt prepared
to speak of yet.

How annoying to be out maneuvered. Even if it is by ones parents.

One of the old targets is in use at Hogwarts. She said finally.

Ah. Morticia nodded slowly. And you intend...?

To see it destroyed. Wednesday answered simply.

Morticia nodded, Which one?

The Goblet of Fire.

****

I wont lie to you, lad, its not an easy question to answer. Gomez said as he
considered Alexanders issue. But worrying that youre a thief of any sort is a little
beyond the pale.

I wish I was so sure. Xander said, smiling slightly.

At worst, lad, youre a little uncreative. Gomez chuckled, But I think youre
worrying about nothing. Everyone takes their inspiration from the world around them.
Its normal, my boy.

I just want to come up with something thats MINE, you know what I mean?

Nothing more natural, Alex my boy. Gomez said, Wanting to make a mark on the
world is something we all want. Well, most want.

Most? Xander asked, half smiling.

Addamses have a different way of looking at the world, though even we like to make a
mark. We just dont usually care about the world. Gomez said seriously, his
trademark grin not in evidence. We make our mark on the Clan.

Xander nodded slowly, though Gomez didnt really think he understood the difference.

At anyrate, lad, lets stop moping and have a little fun, shall we?

Xander winced. This is going to hurt, isnt it?

Only if youre slow on your feet, my boy.

****

Christmas with the Addams was an interesting experience, as always, and this time
around was no exception. Xander slept like the dead the first night, his afternoon
having been spent running like hell from a sword wielding Addams. Gomez wasnt
impressed with his footwork, but complimented him on his endurance.

Xander wasnt really sure how to take that.

Today Xander was spending time in france proper, so to speak. The family had
arranged transport, in this case a reusable port key for the duration. He was happy that
theyd thought ahead, cause the entire hols out on a fort in the middle of the Straight
wasnt his idea of a merry Christmas.

Xander was heading toward the entrance to La Rue du Magie, meandering and
enjoying the sights. Wednesday hadnt been interested in shopping, and the rest of the
Addams seemed just as antisocial so he decided to head out on his own. He was about
halfway down a narrow street a few streets north of La Rue when a group of a dozen or
so people swarmed out of a narrow alley and nearly run him over.

He half had his wand drawn as he spun around, but they ignored him as they ran
passed, laughing and joking in French as they raced across the street and, to Xanders
shock, swarmed up and over anything and everything in their way, including walls.

Holy shades of spiderman! He blurted with a chuckle, tilting his head to the right as
the group jumped, crawled, swung, and actually ran up and over the buildings.

Mixed metaphor, young man.

Xander almost jumped out of his own skin, jumping around to glare at the speaker.
Dont DO that!

The man smiled, Sorry. I wasnt trying to sneak up on you, you were merely distracted
by the runners.

Where I come from, running is done on flat surfaces. Xander countered, eyes still
drawn to where the last of them was vanishing over the rooftop across from him.

A limited philosophy. What brings you to France? The man asked.

Hols. Xander answered.

Peculiar. Your accent is mixed, your word choice is all over the map. Where are you
from?

Cali boy. Xander answered, School in Scotland.

Ah, interesting combination. The man answered, extending his hand. Im David.

Xander. Xander replied, shaking the hand and nodding over his shoulder, You with
that bunch of lunatics?

David smiled, nodding. Were a club, you could say. Le Art du Movement. The Art of
Motion.

Funny, I didnt see any paintbrushes. Xander drawled slowly.

You might be surprised, I suspect a few of them have cans of paint on them, not that
theyll tell me. David chuckled. Sorry for them almost running you down, though.

Xander just shrugged it off and the man loped easily off after them, Hey!

What? David asked, glancing back.

How do you get into this club anyway?

David smiled, You know Concorde Square, near Champs Elysees?

I can find it.

Well meet there most afternoons.

Xander nodded, Thanks.

Hope you know a little francais, young man. David chuckled before turning and
loping off at a decent speed, straight into a concrete wall that he scaled easily. Xander
then watched as he jumped across to a corner of a building, and scaled the wall in
seconds, and then was done.

Damn. Just like the comic books. Xander grinned, shaking his head as he turned once
more toward La Rue du Magie. This whole world just keeps getting cooler every year.

****

La Rue was as spectacular as Xander remembered, and he took his time. He had a
fairly long shopping list, mostly gifts for the various people he hung with. Most of his
list were easy enough, of course. It was the Addams that, not surprisingly, that
continued to drive him to near madness.

Just how DO you shop for people who already have everything they want?

You didnt, not if you were smart. Since Xander didnt consider himself to be smart, he
just kept on browsing.

Luckily for him, the magical world was still full of wonders even years after being
introduced to it. Even the minor nick nacks of the magical world held him spell bound.
Mad Eye Moody carried some with him at all times, setting them up in class before the
students arrived, and packing them up again after everyone had left.

The Foe Glass was a common trinket sold in all magical marketplaces, and Xander
glanced over several in just as many shops as he browsed. Most were cheap, he could
easily spot the flaws in the material choice. Cheaper metals wouldnt hold a runic
charge particularly wrong, causing the devices to wear out in weeks or months at the
outside.

Hed love to get his hand on the runic schematics that devised the spell effect, though.
Xander had a few ideas, but was honestly perplexed by how it could do what most
claimed. He only got as far as a relatively short range intent ward based device, which
was pretty cool in and of itself to be honest.

He bought a couple cheap ones to pull apart.

Brooms, of course, were fascinating even though Xander didnt fly much. It wasnt that
he didnt enjoy flying, to be honest, but he didnt have time overall. He got in a fair
amount of flying while at Hogwarts, mostly on weekends, but never pushed his first
Christmas gift from the Addams to its limit and couldnt really justify the sheer cost of
a better model.

He did, however, find a book on broomstick charms.

He bought three copies of that one.

In all truth, there were just too many doodads and gizmos in the magical world to even
begin describing, and Xander wanted them ALL. He also wanted to know how the
damn things worked.

There was a clock that told you if you were late for something. How the hell did it
KNOW??

He saw magical weapons, charmed with curses or perfect balance, or just simply a
razors edge that never needed to be honed. Other shops sold clothing with all manner of
charms laid on them, from color and shapeshifting to actual defensive counter curses
for the paranoid shopper. Common expanded trunks were set out front, single
compartment devices similar to his own portable door. Cheap, usually non magical
designs, with expanded spatial charms laid inside. The frighteningly more expensive
custom jobs were never advertised, Xander noted quietly as he passed. If you had to
ask, you couldnt afford one.

He stocked up on all manner of gizmos and doodads, mostly for his own fun but also as
gifts to people who he figured would appreciate them. Willow would probably like one
of the automatic makeup compacts hed found.

That thing annoyed him to no end, much to the amusement of the sales lady. Xander
had picked up the gold colored compact, noting that it was actually polished brass, and
made the mistake of looking in it. When he closed it afterwards, he was somewhat
dismayed to find that it had transferred what he could only determine prostitute
chique make up to his face while he was looking into it.

After a LOT of fumbling, and some help from a giggling sales lady, Xander managed to
get the crap off his face and also received a quick lesson in its use. Thankfully it had
other settings, and he bought a few for the girls in his life, though not until the sales lady
promised that each one came with an instruction manual.

The last thing he needed was one of the girls in HIS life looking into one of his gifts and
coming out looking like a Hollywood idea of a prostitute.

Theyd kill him.

If he were lucky.

If he werent, and it was oh say Wednesday who wound up in such a mess?

Xander shuddered. There wasnt enough groveling in existence to stave off the pain.

He was about halfway down his tour of La Rue when he spotted a familiar face in the
crowd and smiled at the blond as she approached.

Fleur. Happy holidays, He said with a slight bow from the waist. I didnt know you
came back to France.

Oui, Alexandre is it? The French Veela smiled, expression slightly puzzled.

Xander nodded.

And you are in Paris, why? For the holidays?

yes, I spend my holidays with the Addams Clan, Xander answered, It tends to be a
new place each year.

Fleurs eyes widened. Addams? Truly?

Xander grinned, Yes. Have to love their reputation.

She smiled in return, It is not so bad for a Veela. I know of their reputation among
Wizards, but the Addams have protected many Veela in the past.

Xander nodded, I cant say Im surprised. They seem to like taking in strays, so to
speak.

She glared at him, but he cut her off before she could say anything else.

And I say that as one of the strays, Xander said with a smile. Theyve done a lot for
me, without being asked.

Oui. She said slowly, nodding. I would not, how you say? Phrase it like that, but I
understand your meaning.

Xander nodded, Sorry. I didnt mean anything by it, really.

Non, I was too touchy. She waved him off, Being a Veela isnt not the easiest thing,
but there are many worse things. How are your holidays going?

Well, we just started, but pretty good. Been shopping, Christmas stuff mostly, Xander
said, scouting for ideas, things like that.

ideas?

New projects to try, he shrugged, I always have a couple on the go, and I just
finished one so I need something new.

What did you finish?

Simple expansion scheme, but on a doorway instead of a trunk. Xander said, I didnt
like the idea of needing a ladder to get into the room compartment of my trunk. Now
itll just be storage.

"Ah yes, I recall now. Impressive. You are, what? Fifth year?

Fourth.

Very impressive. She smiled, then looked around. Alors, I must go. It was pleasant
to see you again, Alexandre.

And you, Fleur. Xander smiled, ending their conversation with the same bow he
began it with.

She smiled back, then headed off while Xander took a moment to touch up his
occulmency shields. Even just her presence was a little unnerving, he found. Like she
became his best friend while she was present, despite his shields.

< Interesting ability, that. > He thought as he moved on.

He had more shopping to do, of course.

****

Back to index
****

En Guard!

Xander barely got his blade up to parry the stabbing attack Gomez sent at his heart,
twisting around as the cold steel slid past him and turning the motion into a slash that
came in on the older mans left side.

Gomez jumped straight up, bending his legs, and the blade slashed underneath him
before he planted his heels down solidly on a nearby desk. Excellent my boy! So, how
was your shopping trip?

Xander grunted, reversing his motion and thrusting his blade up at his opponents
crotch. He was unsurprised when Gomez back flipped off the desk, landing in the chair
behind it. Not bad, you should have come. Paris is nice in winter.

Not my style, lad. Gomez shrugged, calmly parrying Xanders follow up slashes
without getting up.

Saw something interesting on the way. Xander went on, twisting away from a casual
slash sent back his way before he completed the turn and drove his rapier blade in a
thrust for Gomez heart.

Oh? Gomez asked as he slid down in the set, angling his head to one side as the blade
stuck into the leather chair. He kept sliding under the chair, then kicked up with
surprising strength and sent the desk flying into Xanders face.

The impact of the heavy desk threw him back, and Xander rolled with it rather than try
and fight the momentum. He barely cleared the area before the hardwood desk
slammed down into the spot hed been.

Yeah, he gritted out, throwing his blade up into a hard block, wincing as the slender
rapier flexed deeply. You ever hear of something called the Art of Movement?

Gomez shook his head, stumbling back in surprise as Xander lashed out with a kick to
his shin. The Addams Patriarch barely twisted in time to avoid the blade strike coming
at him and pinned Xanders sword with his own, both straining against the other as the
two looked each other in the eyes from inches away.

Dirty pool, lad. Gomez said, rubbing his shin before he grinned. I like it.

Ah Crap. Xander had time to mutter before Gomez reversed his pressure and shoved,
sending Xander flying back across the room. He hit the ground in a roll, then sprinted
with Gomez hot on his heels, planting his feet on the furniture as Gomez gleefully
hacked behind him.

He pivoted, parrying a slash as the chair under him balanced on two legs, Gomez
slashing at him unmercifully. Xander let the chair plant on four legs again, then jumped
back into a flip that carried him over Gomez strike. When he planted his feet back on
the floor, however, the Addams was waiting for him and with three lightning flicks of
his blade, Xander was disarmed with cold steel to his throat.

So what is this Art of movement, then? Gomez asked lightly as they came to a halt.

Xander grinned, shaking his head. Thought I had you for a second there, Sir. And they
do this, actually. Just without swords.

Defeats the point, doesnt it? Gomez grinned, walking over to the overturned desk.
And youre a couple decades from getting me, lad. Dont forget it.

Xander shook his head, but dropped into the chair hed used as a launch platform, So
you say. And they seem to enjoy just running over things you know, benches, fences,
buildings

Really? That does sound like fun. Gomez grinned, rescuing his cigar box from under
the desk. He drew one out, offering it to Xander. Cigar lad?

No thanks, dont you know those things will kill you? Xander asked with a grin.

Nonsense. Gomez snorted, Best thing for you, lad.

I think that the American Cancer Society might argue that with you. Xander
smirked.

Gomez rolled his eyes, lighting the cigar calmly. Oh them. Young fools, that bunch.
Oh, dont get me wrong lad You chain smoke, youre asking for health problems.
Course, you shovel food into your maw twenty four hours a day and you wont be much
better off. Trust me lad, a cigar once in a while is good for you.

Never really thought about it. Xander shrugged.

Couple tips, though, Gomez went on, never smoke American tobacco unless its
naturally grown. Cigarretes are for punks. And always have a glass of brandy at hand,
it compliments the flavor of the smoke.

Xander blinked, and was about to comment that Gomez didnt have a glass of brandy
just then when Thing appeared with a decanter and poured one for him. Gomez smiled,
smugly, and dipped the tip of the cigar in the drink before taking another puff.

Xander chuckled, Im not ready for that vice just yet, thank you though.

As you will, lad. Gomez shrugged, dropping into the chair Xander had stabbed
earlier and relaxing back with cigar in one hand, brandy in the other. I dont think itll
be as interesting a holiday for you this time, lad.

Xander sighed, noting the serious shift in Gomez voice. Wednesdays pretty focused,
isnt she?

Gomez smiled slightly, a gleam in his eye and he looked over to Xander. Good lad.
Noticed that, did you? Its naught to do with you, shes dealing with some ancient
history you might say.

Xander nodded, If its a problem, I can go back to Hogwarts for the hols

Nonsense. Gomez said sharply, At least not unless you want to. Youre fifteen now,
lad, and I think you can be trusted to find things to amuse yourself. I just wanted to
make certain that you understood, she isnt ignoring you because you did anything
wrong.

Xander nodded slowly, What is she worried about?

I think thats best for her to bring up, Alexander. Gomez said, Just be patient, will
you lad?

Xander nodded with a wry grin, No worries, sir, Im not running screaming yet.

Well, well have to see about that, Gomez grinned, Cant have people thinking we
Addams have lost our touch, you know.

****

Harry Potter dropped painfully into the soft couch of the Gryffindor common room, his
groan drawing a concerned glance from Hermione.

Are you ok?

He nodded, Yeah. Just sore, Ive been training and all that.

She nodded, Have you worked out the egg thing yet?

Harry glanced around, then reluctantly nodded. Yeah. I got some help, but its figured
out.

What is it then? Hermione had to admit, she was curious.

Harry leaned forward and recited the poem the egg had sung, causing Hermione to
stare with wide eyes.

You know what it means, then?

yeah, theyre going to take something valuable from me and I have to get it back.
Harry said, Im guessing from underwater, so the lake probably.

probably, Hermione confirmed. You have a plan?

Ive been looking around for some way to breath under water, Harry said, but
honestly its going to be mostly off the cuff, theyre not really going out of their way to
give me much information, you know?

Hermione scowled, but had to admit that he had a point. She sighed, then forced a grin,
Well, you should be right at home at least. You seem to prefer thinking on the fly.

Harry rolled his eyes, leaning back on the couch, Id be right at home if I could just
stay here and read a book that day.

Well, at least youre still working. Hermione sighed. If you need any help, just ask
and yes, Ill start looking up water related spells for you.

thanks Hermione, Harry said gratefully. Id be lost without you, you know that
right?

She smirked at him, Harry, half the time youre lost WITH me. I do what I can, but
Im only human.

Oi, Id be insulted Harry griped, then sighed, if it werent, you know, true.

****

Wednesday looked up from her books, nodding silently to Xander as he walked in. He
paused briefly, then shrugged and stepped in.

So whats up?

She sighed, straightening up and closing her book. I am researching family history.

You mind if I ask why?

Yes.

Xander nodded slowly, flinching slightly. Alright, how about if I ask why you mind
then?

Alexander, Wednesday said slowly, Some things are not for others.

Im others? He asked softly as he sat down across from her.

Wednesday just gazed evenly at him until he nodded slowly and sighed.

Yeah. Alright. Xander said, Youll let me know if I can help?

She nodded, and Xander got to his feet and walked out.

She hesitated for a moment, then turned back to her work. A moment later her mother
appeared behind her.

That was harsh.

This is a family concern, mother.

And Alexander isnt family, Morticia said simply.

Wednesday shrugged slightly.

I believe that you may be underestimating him, daughter. Morticia said simply as she
turned and slid out of the room.

Wednesday frowned slightly, then shook her head and went back to work.

****

Paris in winter was a tad dreary, and chilly as hell by Xanders personal standards, but
better than Scotland at least. He last a couple more days on the rock with the
Addamses, then bolted for the city of lights.

He wasnt pleased about Wednesdays shift in attitude since the ball, honestlyhe didnt
know what the hell was wrong with her. Fine, family business, but crap did she have to
spend all her time on it? So now he was wandering around the City of Lights at
Christmas, alone.

He was either doing something really wrong, or something really right. Xander honestly
wasnt sure which.

Concorde Square was a large space to say the least, but it wasnt terribly hard to locate
the large group of teens and young adults that were literally running up, over, under,
and in some cases through ever obstacle in sight. Well, it wasnt hard to find them when
they were there, of course. He had missed them the first time, and had taken another
run through Le Rue just to browse. When he returned a couple hours later, Xander saw
that the group was there along with David.

Good afternoon, he had been greeted with a smile. Good to see you again.

Hey. Xander nodded, eyes on the people who were practicing around the area.

Taking an interest I see, David smiled, So do you know any French?

Some, not much. Xander admitted honestly.

His language skills tended more to Latin and Spanish at the moment, though Xander
had been forced to pick up a few bits and bobs of other languages since he began
attending Hogwarts. Not that school had much to do with it, but his extracurricular
research demanded a certain lingual flexibility.

Well, youre welcome here, David said with a shrug, However we dont have a lot of
English speakers at the moment, and no americans at all. Youre going to school in
Scotland?

Xander nodded.

Well, british is close enough. David smiled, nodding to one of the group. Croft!
Come here for a moment.

A teenage girl broke from the group and jogged lightly over, wiping sweat quickly from
her face before it could chill her as she slowed down. What is it, David?

Would you mind taking a guest in hand? He asked, This one is interested, but
doesnt speak much French.

She nodded slowly, eyeing Xander. If youre sure.

I know you just started, Lara, but youre progressing quickly. He assured her, Itll
help you along as well.

She nodded, Very well.

This is

Xander. Xander spoke up, stepping forward with the little half bow hed picked up
from Narcissa.

Laras eyes widened slightly, then narrowed as she reevaluated him. Unusual accent.

Cali boy, Xander grinned, born and bred, but I school in Scotland.

Ah. Private school? She asked.

Very.

Ill leave you two to it, then. David said before taking his leave.

Do you work out?

Constantly, Xander grinned, Have an Uncle who was in the Navy, he started in on
me a few years ago so I keep fit just to keep from being crippled when he gets ahold of
me again.

Navy? A Sailor?

Seal. Xander admitted with a shrug.

Ah. Lara said, eyes widening again. Well lets warm up, and Ill check you through
some of the basic motions.

Sounds like fun.

****

The Art of Motion, or Parcour as it was being called, was both exhilarating and
terrifying. Xander was totally stunned that non magical people had actually come up
with a sport that made Quidditch seem SANE by comparison.

With Lara's help Xander managed to learn the basics over the run of a week or so, and
thanks to his physical training he was able to keep up with her as she pushed herself to
extreme's that would have made Harry balk on his broom. Xander wasn't quite as crazy
and while he kept up with her, if there was a sane way to move and an insane way, it
was a given that he would take the former while Lara took the latter.

The concept was simple enough, though the theory and the practical were world's apart.
The idea was to maintain momentum as much as possible while moving through
obstacles, using that stored energy only as needed to get through to the next leg of
movement.

Simple vaults and jumps were common, of course, but the landing was carefully taught
even for the most basic of movements. Xander learned to keep on the balls of his feet,
absorbing impact through his ankles before his heels could impact and drive force up
through his legs. After that it all became about balance,
knowing when to flex at the knees and when to bend forward into a roll to absorb
energy.

As he trained along side them, Xander saw some truly amazing leaps and feats,
including casual jumps from heights in excess of twenty to twenty five feet. He was
simply blown away by how easy they made it look, especially Lara who never seemed to
miss a chance to practice her art.

He'd been worried that he was holding her back, such was her zeal for the training in
fact, but she had brushed that worry off when he suggested that he could get along
without her help.

"You'll learn, Xan," She said with an easy smile that belied the ferocity with which she
pushed herself, "that sometimes we learn best through teaching. Also, when you're good
enough, you'll be expected to show others how to do all of this. That's part of the ideals
David and his friends are trying to show us,
it's not just about running. It's about being better, better physically, and better
mentally."

So he didn't suggest that again, and instead buckled down to try and work as hard as
she did while he was there. He couldn't, of course, but he tried. A big part of it was the
mindset, however, and that was slowing Xander down even more than the physical
aspect.

It was hard to see a building and mentally size up all the ways you could climb it,
picking out the fastest and most effective method and implementing it in just a few
seconds at most. Still, though he couldn't do it, Xander was constantly blown away by
those who could.

Some of the runners he was training with were deeply into flash moves, really just
strutting and showing off, but Xander held his admiration for those who focused on
speed and efficiency. The moves were often just as INSANE, but always had a purpose,
and Xander couldn't help but hope to match their skill someday.

It wouldn't be happening anytime SOON, of course, but he was going to keep practicing
on his own. By Christmas, Xander had decided that he was going to replace most of his
fitness workout with Parkour running. Other than a little weight work, parkour had his
entire workout covered and it could be done all at
once in less time while working up another skillset that Xander really REALLY thought
was too damned cool.

Of course, by Christmas, Xander found that he wasn't as enthusiastic about anything as
he normally would be. A couple days before he had been so thrown off, that even Lara
who barely knew him, had called him on it.

****

"Alright, Xan, what's going on? You're going to get hurt if you keep going this way."
Lara had confronted him, hands on her hips as he picked himself up off the ground
from a flubbed Cat Vault that left him sprawled across the Paris cement.

He sighed, flopping over to his back on the cold ground, not noticing the temperature
thanks to a discreet warming charm he'd used before arriving.

"Girl troubles." He admitted finally.

"Oh?" Lara smirked down at him, perched on a concrete barrier in a deep crouch that
brought her knees up to her brests as she rested on the balls of her feet. "You didn't
mention a girlfriend."

"Not sure she is one." Xander said, "We had one real date, but we've been good friends
for years now."

"And when was this date?"

"A little over a week ago."

"Ouch." Lara winced, "Suck that bad?"

"Hell no." Xander grinned, "We killed the dance floor, left everyone else gaping in
shock. No, it was a great date I'm pretty sure of that."

"So what's the problem?"

"Wednesday is scary focused sometimes," Xander said after a hesitation. "And right
now, she's so not focused on me or anything to do with me. Wouldn't be so bad, I guess,
but I'm staying with her and her folks for the hols."

Lara winced again, "Uncomfortable I take it?"

"Not so much, her folks are weird but great all the same. They see it too, but know that
it's not me. I just feel like we should be doing something more, you know?" Xander
asked with a helpless shrug as he lay on the ground.

"Well, I don't know you all that well, or her at all, so I could be all wrong but it seems
to me that if she wants space you should probably let her have some." Lara said with a
shrug, "and if you can't, well maybe it's not the relationship you need right now."

Xander scowled, but then sighed, "Yeah. Probably right."

"Come on, get up, you've got more work to do."

****

It was the first year that Christmas with the Addams seemed almost as tense as back
home, and Xander hated that in ways he couldnt understand. He was starting to
question everything he did, and had done.

He probably should have skipped the ball entirely, he decided. Maybe asked Hermione
instead, but try as he might he couldnt find anything wrong with that night. It was
frustrating as hell, and he just didnt know what to do about it.

All of that meant that he spent less and less time with the Addams over the holidays,
begging off to literally run through Paris or hang around La Rue. This wasnt
something that went unnoticed by her hosts, but Gomez and Morticia were at a loss for
possibly the first time when it came to their daughter. She had always been unique, of
course, that was a proud Addams trait.

Her maturity had mirrored her mothers almost from the moment she could walk,
which left the elder couple entirely unprepared for her actions now.

Shes growing up, Gomez darling. Tish sighed with an elegant shrug, That isnt
always a pretty thing.

True, but I was hoping more for the blood dropping knives and drooling fangs kind of
horror, Gomez replied with a shake of his head. Our little Wednesday turning into an
American Teenager is far more horrifying than I ever imagined.

Morticia shuddered, Thankfully I do not believe she has gone quite that far yet. Still,
she may be permanently damaging her relationship with Alexander.

That would be a shame, Gomez frowned, The boy has potential.

Ah, mon couer, Im sure things will turn out for the best. Morticia sighed.

Gomez froze and shuddered, Tish! Thats French!

****

Wednesday Addams was, at that moment, buried deep in a bookthat detailed many of
the old targets and what had brought them to the attention of the Clan in the first place.
Most, actually, had done nothing to the Clan either directly or otherwise. They merely
shared certain traits with an item from long before, an item that had been used to
enslave hundreds of thousands, including an entire family line of the Clan.

There were certain forms of magic that the Clan simply did NOT tolerate.

Unfortunately, beyond the obvious, these artifacts were well defended. The Goblet was
one of the Ancient symbols of the British Monarchy, often mistake in legend for the
Holy Grail. Such items were always protected with magical warding that bordered on
fanatical. Circumventing such defenses was likely well beyond her current capability,
but Wednesday knew that when the tournament was finished the Goblet would be
returned to wherever it had been hidden for all these centuries and the opportunity
would be lost.

There MUST be a way.

Gaining access to the Cup while it was still at Hogwarts would be relatively easy,
however bypassing the warded defenses that were intended to prevent a foreign power
from doing precisely what Wednesday wanted to do or, of course, steal it for themselves
was a far different story.

It was infuriating, she quickly found, and worse than that it was one area where her
immediate family had little skill with which to provide aid. Her parents, while
formidable in their own right, were not experts on magical warding. Uncle Festers
answer was one she could already hear him saying. Explosives, Wednesday, lots and lots
of explosives.

While that approach may work, however, it wasnt guaranteed and Wednesday
suspected that the level of force required to overpower the wards would likely bring
down a large chunk of the school onto children who had done nothing to warrant that
level of destruction.

Granmama was a potions mistress, not a warding expert, and Itt had spent most of his
time dabbling in non magical intelligence work. If the device was protected by the latest
technological systems he would be perfect, but ancient wards were something that had
long since fallen out of favor in the Family.

It was so frustrating.

****

Christmas day came and went, and Xander found himself again roving through Paris
with a band of what most people would probably call delinquents. He did enjoy it,
however, though even as the end of the holidays came into sight he knew that he had a
LONG way to go before he was proficient in the majority of the basic moves used in
Parkour.

What was most important, however, was that it was great exercise and a lot of fun. He
also had to confess to already be thinking about what he could do at Hogwarts with
Parkour and the moving staircases.

He was especially thankful for Laras patience with him, because despite what she said
he felt like he was holding her back in their runs. She just blew past him without trying,
and it kinda made him feel like dueling Harry only here he couldnt figure out how to
cheat.

< How exactly do you palm an ace when your opponent is gravity anyway? > Xander
thought with a grin as he thief vaulted over a stone wall and landed running on the
other side, eyes on Lara as the slightly older girl led the pack.

That proved to be a mistake, since today Lara was wearing much less clothing than
normal and his focus on her backside proved his undoing when he ran into another
wall, and proceeded to hook his toes in the middle of his attempt at a cat vault, which
pitched him face first into the ground in a painful sprawl that left those coming behind
him laughing as they checked to make sure he hadnt broken anything.

Je suis correcte. He groaned, rolling over and waving them off. Merci.

The grinning faces retreated as Xander got back to his feet and pushed the image of
Laras backside from his mind before he started running again.

****

Harry sighed as he grabbed a towel and dried the sweat from his face. His workouts
were going well, and life in Hogwarts was decent, but the tri wizard stuff was worrying
him.

< What is my most prized possession? > He wondered, nerves about the upcoming task
riding high. He didnt know what to think about the mermish song, but he knew that he
didnt like the sound of it. In the normal world no one would just steal something and
not give it back for this sort of thing, but in the normal world he couldnt be forced to
compete in the first place now could he?

He didnt own much, in fact he owned so little that taking something of his was almost a
joke. A joke until he thought about Hedwig, or his Moms Coven journal, his dads
map his family cloak. He owned so few things that almost everything he did have held
mahor significance to him and Harry didnt want to lose any of them.

He tossed the towel aside and walked over to the pedastel the room had provided,
flipping the book inside open to the Bubble head charm and running through the
motions again. He had got together with Hermione, Neville, and oddly enough Dobby to
maximize his chances on any sort of water task.

Dobby had stolen some gillyweed, from Snape Harry could only presume though he
wasnt asking, on Nevilles suggestion while Harry and Hermione researched water
based magic. There were very few offensive spells that worked underwater, Harry now
knew, so he hoped there wouldnt be too much fighting involved in whatever it was.

That wasnt to say that there were none, a few of the more common dueling spells
functioned after a fashion, but they tended to react oddly. You didnt use electrical
based attacks, for one thing, particularly in salt water. A bit obvious, Harry supposed,
but the headsup in the texts was appreciated all the same.

Similarly ice and cold based spells were dangerous, while fire based spells were mostly
ineffective. That actually affected more spells than he had realized before he started
researching things. Many more spells tapped the fire element than he would have
believed, since the entire element was weak under water not just straight up flames.

Fiendfyre was an exception, he had also learned, though Harry had no intention of
using that particular darkspell. He wasnt sure how or why, but it was noted to burn
quite explosively when cast under water. Ironically it was noted that Fiendfyre was
actually HARDER to control under water than in open air.

Magic was weird.

Still, he had a decent selection of spells that should serve him while he was underwater.

Now if only he could figure out how to SWIM.

****

Sirius Black was bored.

This was not a state of mind conducive to the well being of those around him, as a
general rule, however at the moment he was too bored to bother with pranks and that
kinda scared him.

Hed finished the work on the motorbike a while back, kept in touch with Cissy, Andy,
and Harry, even kept up an on again off again relationship with Amelia, though he was
occasionally insulted that the silly bint thought he was quite so dense as she apparently
did.

Birth control spells, undetectable ones, were something every scion of the Black Family
learned at an early age. Trapping people into marriages was something that happened
to other families, not to the Blacks.

Still, she was a minx in the sack and it was funny as hell to watch as she kept trying to
figure out why she wasnt preganant yet. He did have to wonder, idly, what her game
was. He doubted Cissy would have sent her, that wasnt his cousins style. More likely
Narcissa would have presented him with a list of potential matches and a schedule to fill
in the blanks with however many names he happened to choose.

No, this was something else. A minor family, maybe, Sirius supposed or perhaps a
muggleborn looking to marry up. It didnt really matter, he wasnt going to bend over
for any upstart who thought they could trick a child out of him.

Still, that left him where he was. Bored.

He hoped for the summer to come quicker, though he wasnt sure how he would be able
to manage a visit with Harry. He had to somehow, though.

< Cissy got him out of the country once, > He thought, though he had chills on just how
easily that had been accomplished. Honestly, that boy trusted people too easily. To
actually leave the COUNTRY in the company of two Malfoys and an American
Slytherin?

It was like all the worst qualities of Lily, and her eternal open honesty and trust, and
James with all his reckless bravado wrapped into one.

Sirius sighed, shaking his head as he wondered what he was going to do with his
Godson.

Bored, Bored, Bored.

****

The Holidays swept by, even with the tensions at the Chateau the Addamses had been
experiencing, and shortly it was time for them to end their vacation and return wence
they came. Xander bade a pretty fond farewell to his running group, even scoring a hug
and a peck on the cheek from Lara, while the Addams cleared out the old fort in
efficient fashion.

And, thus, on the last day before school started up again, Xander and Wednesday found
themselves seated back on the Express and heading north to Scotland.

****
Back to index
****

Harry was only mildly surprised to find the Room occupied when he let himself in that
night for training. He watched as Xander went through his own training regimen,
noting that he had added some pretty extreme motions to it all.

Ouch, He muttered, shaking his head when one of those same motions turned into a
sprawl that left Xander skidding across the floor. That had to hurt.

Xander groaned from the ground, rolling over to his back. You have no idea.

Harry walked over and looked down, Do I even want to know what you were doing
there?

probably not.

Harry extended and hand and Xander accepted, so he pulled him to his feet. Xander
brushed himself off and retrieved his wand from where hed dropped it before turning
back. You have a good holiday man?

Harry shrugged, Wasnt horrible. Got some work done, had some fun.

Cool. Got something for you, Xander said, glancing around until he found what he
was looking. He fetched a book from the corner of the room, Guessed youd be by
tonight.

Harry snorted, You mean youve been spying on me with your map, right?

Xander shrugged, tossing the book across the room to Harry. Same diff.

Harry caught it easily, rolling his eyes. Right. A book? You get me and Mione mixed
up?

Check it out.

Harry did, and his eyebrows went up. broomstick charms? You can make your own?

Someone has to make the things, right? Figured you might like to tinker. Xander
shrugged.

Thanks. Harry nodded slowly, I appreciate it.

No problem, Xander told him, nodding to where Harrys wand was holstered. Up
for a spar?

Harry grinned, You bet.

They both pulled their wands, grinning wide.

****

The day of the second task came shortly after school started to swing back into, a grey
skied morning that chilled Xander to the bone as he shuffled out with everyone else to
the new stands setup by the lake.

Whose stupid idea is this anyway? He grumbled, casting a warming charm on himself
as he took a seat beside Wednesday.

I assume the same fools who organized the first challenge. Wednesday replied.

Xander did an exaggerated double take, Wait, are you talking to me again?

She glared at him out of the corner of her eyes.

Ooh, a glare too. He sighed happily, Its almost like were friends again.

She glared more openly at him, but he didnt look away. Finally, for the first time since
he met her, Wednesday was the one who backed off first. She looked away, focusing
back on the lake, and pointedly didnt look back at him.

Were still friends, Alexander.

You ignored me all Christmas, Wens. Xander said quietly, You wont tell me why,
which I can respect, really. But I think youve taken the whole thing too far.

It is important to me, Alexander. She said, staring straight ahead. I dont expect you
to understand.

He laughed humorlessly, I get important, Wens. You know what I find important?
Willow. Herms. You.

She was silent as they watched the Champions gather by the edge of the lake, getting the
last minute low down from the organizers.

Finally she spoke up, Youre important too, Alexander. I just

Consider this a priority. He offered up.

She nodded slowly.

I get that. Look, Im not asking you to give up whatever it is, Im not asking you to
pick between me and whatever is it. Just dont cut me out, He softly pleaded, You and
Herms are the only two people keeping me from going nuts out here.

She smiled slightly, looking back at him for the first time. I wish I could say we had
done a better job.

Xander looked at her, then laughed.

Alright, He said finally, Friends?

She nodded, Friends.

And youll ask me for help if you need it? He pressed, looking at her pointedly.

Wednesday sighed, then nodded. Very well.

Excellent. Back in the library this afternoon?

Of course.

Cool.

They sat in silence again, listening as the rules for the challenge were announced, and
then watched as the champions were set off into the lake. Xander stared after the last
one had gone in, waited several minutes, and then blinked.

Are you freaking kidding me? He muttered. Is this it??

He and the rest of the crowd stared at the ripples in the water as more and more time
went by.

Oh this is just idiotic. Xander complained again after ten minutes, Are we actually
sitting here and staring at an empty lake?

Apparently so.

Worst. Spectator Sport. Ever. Xander muttered in annoyance.

The rest of the afternoon was exactly the same, leaving Xander to shift and fidget in
place as he got more and more bored.

When the first person finally broke the surface again Xander almost jumped out of his
seat, leaning forward to see. He blinked in surprise and sat back with a frown when it
turned out to be Fleur, without her hostage.

Wonder what the story is there? He asked rhetorically.

She does look somewhat bedraggled. Wednesday added.

Xander nodded, then they both settled back to wait.

After another interminably long wait they saw Cedric appear, with Cho Chang in tow,
and then Victor followed quickly. Xanders eyes widened in shock when he helped
Hermione out of the water.

What the fuck was she doing down there? He cursed, leaning forward.

He was her escort to the Ball. Wednesday answered.

One date and shes his most valuable treasure? Xander muttered, If he works that
fast Im getting me a pair of gloves this time.

Wednesday slapped his shoulder, Grow up. She hardly needs you acting like some
brain dead oaf shadowing her every step.

Hey, Im just saying, doesnt this seem a little fast for you?

Wednesday shrugged, Apparently they simply chose their dates as hostages.

Xander nodded, then leaned forward again as there was more motion at the lake. A
blond girl surfaced, followed by Harry and Ron.

Xander blinked. Uh Is Harry cheating on Parvati with the blond girl? She seems a
little young.

Fleur ran over, grabbing the girl in a hug.

Xander looked at Wednesday, who looked back.

Gee You think Harry is hiding something from us? Xander asked with a halfway
grin. Some deep dark secret, maybe? You know, stashed WAY in the back of his
closet?

She rolled her eyes in response, standing up. Now that this farce is complete, I have
some work to do.

Xander nodded, Yeah I guess. Ive got some things to do as well.

Leave Hermione alone.

no problem.

Leave Victor alone as well. She growled, I have no time to deal with the drama
youd stir up.

Im not gonna bother Victor either, unless he steps out of line.

Do I want to know?

Are you kidding? Xander smirked, I have GOT to mess with Harry. Its practically
a duty.

Wednesday glanced at him, then shrugged, Whatever.

****

Leave me alone! I am not a pouf! Harry snapped.

Hey, just cause you and Ron have a special relationship is nothing to be ashamed of.
Xander smirked.

Stop saying that!

What am I supposed to think? Even Fleur had a girl to rescue, Xander smirked.

Shes her sister!

That does seem a little close, even for purebloods, Xander admitted, then shrugged,
Hey but who am I to judge? So she likes blonds, you like redheads nothing wrong
with that.

Harry drew his wand, waving it threateningly, Im warning you, cut that crap out!

It does explain why youre so good with the swish and flick motion in charms
Xander went on thoughtfully.

Oh thats it! Tarantegella! Harry snapped, slashing his wand out at Xander.

Xander hit the floor, rolling and laughing as he drew his own wand and snapped back a
stunner in response. Harry dodged to the left, casting a chain of stunners in response.

Xander had to scramble, getting to his feet and barely staying one step ahead of the
blasts as he ran across the room. He planted his foot on the wall, and cat walked along
the surface before crossing the corner and kicking off.

It would have been cool as hell if he hadnt slipped in the process and went down in a
sprawl that had him seeing stars just before a stunner put him out.

A few minutes later he woke up to Harry standing over him, glaring down at him. You
better be done.

Xander groaned, sitting up. Depends. You didnt, you know, molest me while I was
out, right?

Harry slugged him.

****

Xander rubbed his jaw as he sat down against the wall, tossing a bottle of water to
Harry as he sat down beside him.

Nice right cross. Xander chuckled.

Youre a git, you know that, right?

Harry, if you think Im bad just think of what Malfoy will do if this occurs to him.

Harry groaned, Oh bloody hell. Youre not going to set him on me are you?

Not me, man. Xander smirked, but if I were him I couldnt help but play this one
up.

The Boy Who Lived sighed, slumping against the wall. Every damn year things get
worse and worse. Id have been better off with the Dursleys.

Thats saying something I guess. Xander winced, Look, you know this tri wiz crap is
going to get worse, right?

Harry nodded, Yeah. Iknow, but what can I do about it?

For starters, take this. Xander said, handing over his carbon black wand.

Harry stared at it, confused, Your wand? Why?

My left hand. Xander said with a smile. Its made from parts of the Basilisk, pretty
crappy for charms and stuff, but it kicks all kinds of ass with curses.

Harry accepted it hesitantly, But its yours? I mean, it didnt choose me

You dont pay attention to much do you? Xander asked wryly. Relax, this is one of
mine, not Olivanders. He makes better wands, but mine have some advantages. They
dont conflict with your chosen wand, so you can use both at the same time. Youre
already fighting me to a dead heat with one hand, even with me reading your mind

Youre what!?

I told you Ive been cheating my arse off, dude. Xander laughed. You dont have
much in the way of shields, so you broadcast every move when youre in the zone. Just a
tip, Occlumency dude. You dont want to tangle with someone who can do what I do in
a real fight.

Harry looked down at the wand in his hand, then shook his head. How do you do all
this?

What?

You make wands, read minds, hell you made your own Marauders map! How do you
do all that?? Harry asked, exasperated.

Xander sat quietly for a long moment, then finally shrugged, How do you NOT?

What?

Harry, Your mom helped write the Grimoire. Your dad, he helped design and craft the
map AND became an animagus by fourth year. Hell, Lord Mold in his Shorts crafted
that damned diary of his sometime before sixth year best we can tell. Xander said,
waving his hand idly. Hell, the twins have invented more crap than all those people put
together, some of it pretty brill. Me? I barely rank by those standards, mate. I know
youre smarter than me, Ive seen your grades in the classes you actually try in.

Hey! I try!

You signed up for Divination, dude. Xander rolled his eyes, Hows that working for
you?

Harry looked down.

yeah. Case and rest, mate. Xander shrugged, My point is that Damn it, Harry, its
Magic! Its not like youre being asked to do Algebra, dude! This stuff is like my every
childhood dream come true! You ask me how I can do all this, I ask you how can you
NOT?

Harry was silent for a long time, shaking his head. He finally mumbled something
Xander couldnt quite hear, prompting him to look over questioningly.

What was that?

I said how am I supposed to do anything? Harry complained, his voice bitter. Im
stuck with the Dursleys most of the summer, and every year some bloody arsehole tries
to kill me!

Harry pushed himself up, eyes blazing as he paced the room. You know what, Id
LOVE to spend my summers doing whatever it is you do, but I dont get to do that! My
life sucks so hard it blows, alright?

Xander held up his hands in defense, Hey, you asked man. But be honest, Harry, thats
not the whole story either.

I dont know what youre yacking about.

Harry, you barely try at ANYTHING. You get top marks in Defense and
Transfiguration, right? But Hermione bitches all the time about how she has to fight
you and Ron to get you to do your homework. Xander said, Hell, youre somehow
passing Potions, which is a miracle worthy of a bloody saint yet again, Hermione says
you barely do your homework. The rest of us? We brew all the bloody time, either for
fun or for work, but we brew.

What are you getting at? Harry growled.

Im saying that youre bloody smart, Harry. Maybe Hermione smart, maybe not, but
youre up there. Xander growled in return, If you werent, youd be flunking out of
damn near every class. So what Im getting at goes back to the original question You
ask how I can do all this, and I ask how can you NOT?

I already answered that. Harry growled defensively.

No, not completely. You have some things messing with you for sure, Xander said,
But you could still do more if you even bothered to half try. You think Im pulling off
great stuff or something, but Harry, you dont even bother to try for yourself. Hell,
unless someone literally has a wand to your head you dont bother to exert yourself for
anything.

Harry was silent, turning away from him.

I dont know why, I dont really care to be honest. Xander shrugged, Were mates,
but not close enough for me to worry about why you do what you do. Im just going to
point it out to you, what you do about it is your business, Harry.

You think your so damn smart. Have everything figured out, dont you?

Me? Im a dunce. Xander shrugged, I just happen to be creative, and enjoy hanging
out with girls who are WAY smarter than I am. But you know what? I know a thing or
two about slacking off. Until I came here, I never took anything seriously. My best bud,
his name is Jessie he and I were dedicated underachievers together, and our best gal
pal Willow, she was our budding genius who kept us from being total losers. My
Hermione, you could say. Maybe my Ron too.

Xander got us, wincing as he felt the bruises hed earned sparring with Harry flare
slightly. Then I came to Hogwarts and everything changed for me.

Well bully for you.

Yeah, it is. Xander smiled, Im liking my life right now. Things are going my way,
first time ever. But you know what? That didnt start to happen until the first thing
went right in my life and that was MAGIC, Harry.

Xander paused, then shook his head, No. You know what, Willow was the first thing
that went right in my life. Best bud, period. But it was magic that made me want to push
myself FOR myself. I guess I just cant understand how come you dont love magic the
same way its its inconceivable to me.

I DO love magic, its just Harry shook his head, Damn it, I dont know.

Xander sighed, I suggest you work that out, but you know in the meantime, you have
bigger problems, right?

Harry nodded, Yeah. The Tri Wiz.

Xander snorted, Not that joke. Whoever put you IN the tri wiz. Look, Harry, lets be
real ok? In the tournament youre probably safer than ever. Its designed by people
who dont really want you dead whoever put your name in, though? I dont think we
can say the same.

Harry slumped, Yeah. I know.

Alright then, we have some work to do. Xander nodded to the second wand in
Harrys hand, Since you actually killed the snake that gave that puppy its core, its
yours. Best wand I made yet, for curses anyway. Use it as a Main Gauche, your
Olivander wand is your main tool but this one gives you a sneaky little edge to slide
into someones ribs when theyre not expecting it.

I dont want to kill anyone!

Yeah, well, dude other people cant say the same about you. Xander replied, So I
guess the question is you feel like going quietly into the cold dark night?

Harry sighed, then shook his head.

Alright. Lets go back to basics left handed wand motions, Xander suggested, I
find its better if you dont even TRY charms or transfigurations, too complicated
unless youre lucky enough to be ambidestrous?

no.

Alright, curses then. Lucky for both of us, those mostly use straight slashing motions.
Xander said, Now it took me a few weeks to get it down, but I suspect youll be faster.

Harry nodded, hefting the unfamiliar wand in his left hand with uncertain motions. It
felt different from his wand, lighter but with less flexibility. He lined up on the target
range they used in the Room and snapped a curse out.

His aim was atrocious, but Harry almost jumped out of his skin when the stinging hex
practically incinerated the target.

Bloody Hell!

yeah, I blew up a car my first time. Xander said, Literally. Blew it up. Then over.
Then back down again. I think Sirius pissed his pants.

Harry snorted, looking over at him, You cant be serious.

No, Im not. Do I look like someone whod piss their pants?

Harry tried for a moment to respond to that, but gave up quickly. There were some
things he just didnt want to delve into, and this was certainly one of them.

Alright, lets do that again. Work on your aim, ok?

Right. Harry nodded, setting his jaw.

If nothing else, Xanders wand would give him an advantage over someone who was
expecting him to, you know, obey the known rules of the wizarding world and all.

Xander was right about another thing too.

He had been slacking since he got to Hogwarts. Technically hed known that for a long
time, but Xander had just put something into perspective for him.

At the Dursleys, Harry had worked like a slave. There was no doubt there, but hed
been working for someone elses edification. Hed never done anything for himself, or
even for his friends, without a wand to his head.

He hadnt thought about why until just then either.

His whole life had been someone telling him what to do, what not to do. Punishing him
for breaking nonexistent rules. When that stopped, Harry realized that hed become
more than a little lost in the hedonistic pleasure of just not doing ANYTHING if he
could help it. He wasnt afraid of hard work, but hed never really realized consciously
that most people were rewarded for hard work.

To him it was just something he had to do while someone else slacked off their
responsibilities.

Xander, though, Xander was showing him the flip side of that. He was working hard,
but Harry could SEE how he was being rewarded for it. Both in money and
accomplishment.

All his life, Harry just wanted to not be noticed.

Not be noticed by Dudley, by Vernon, by Petunia. Not be noticed by his teachers, for
fear that theyd tell his family. He hadnt had any of the dreams growing up that
Xander talked about, the super hero fantasies he only knew about superheros because
Dudley left his comics scattered all over the house.

It had taken him almost four years to realize it, but Harry finally did realize something
important.

He wasnt living under their thumb any longer.

He could work for himself. For his friends.

And maybe one day, just maybe, he could work for his family.

Maybe that was more important than not being noticed.

****
Back to index
****

Padma Patil watched from one corner of the Ravenclaw common room as Wednesday
Addams went about her reading. The Addams scion was alone, as was her wont, and
seemed deeply involved in the book she was reading. Padma bit her lip nervously, shed
been trying to work up the nerve to approach Wednesday since they had returned from
holidays.

At the Yule ball, Addams and Harris had intervened for her and her sister, saving them
from a humiliating night. Parv had shrugged it off, but she was like that. Padma found
herself taking the favor a bit more seriously, especially since Harris had told her that
Wednesday actually seemed to like her at least a bit.

She honestly hadnt believed that Wednesday LIKED anyone, except maybe Harris and
Granger. For a lot of reasons she wanted to see if it were true. Her father would
consider disowning her if she let a chance to establish friendly contact with a clan as
powerful as the Addams, for one, but more importantly she was curious, and really did
owe the girl one.

She took a sharp breath and got up, walking stiffly across the room to where Addams
was seated. Wednesday didnt look up as she arrived, merely flipped a page as she
continued to read.

So, you finally found some of your sisters courage and decided to come over.

Padma swallowed hard, but nodded. I I wanted to thank you for what you did at the
Yule ball.

No, you came over because you wanted to speak with me. Wednesday said, finally
looking up. The thing I am not certain of, is what you wished to speak with me about.

Padma slumped a little, Nothing exactly. I just wanted to be on the inside.

Inside of what?

Padma blinked, You know.

I do not. Wednesday countered calmly. Enlighten me.

You and Harris, Granger, a few others I want to join your group.

Wednesday blinked.

****

Are you researching Flat Footed Bell Ringers?

Xander blinked, looking up at the blond peering over at him. Uh no?

Pity. You must be working out an Arithmancy formula for a new spell, then. Luna
said as she sat down.

Uh yeah. He mumbled, mind still trying to catch up to her first comment.

What kind of spell is it? She asked brightly, smiling at him.

He was somewhat entranced by the blond, Xander had to admit. She wasnt precisely
pretty, nor cute, but her expressions combined with the distinctive build of her face
was Xander shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

Excuse me?

The spell, what type is it? She asked, glancing at the pages upside down. Oh! Very
elegant equations. You do nice work.

I did the rough stuff, Wednesday and Hermione polished it. Xander corrected mildly,
And its a shield spell.

Hmmmm. She hummed, off tune as she continued to read the numbers upside
down. Very complex for a shielding spell. Are those conjuration equations?

Ok, Im impressed. Xander admitted, passing her the papers, And yes they are.
What else do you see?

Aside from the conjuration equations? I see the core of the Protego spell, She said,
But thats not a surprise. My mother developed that one to replace the slower Protegia
incantation.

Youre mothers a crafter?

She was. Once. Luna said, a hint of emotion coloring her voice. Shes dead now.

Oh. Im sorry.

Why? Did you kill her? Luna asked, looking at him with eyes whos dreamy shadows
were belied by the speed and sharpness of her question.

I? Wha no!

Then you have nothing to apologize for. Luna smiled.

Uh. Right.

Luna looked back down to the equations and frowned as she focused deeply. There is
an elemental signature in here, I do not recognize it.

Titanium. Xander answered, his tone curious. Its a very hard metal.

She nodded, I can read that in the numbers. Brittle, however.

Thats what makes it perfect.

I dont understand. Luna blinked, It will shatter under a significant impact. How is
that good for a shield?

That would be telling, Xander took the papers back, smiling. I am impressed. I have
a hard time reading those elements, and I placed them there.

Luna pouted, I can usually tell everything about a spell from reading its equation.
This one is much harder to read.

Thats not by design, its because you dont understand the elements in combination.
Xander admitted candidly. Still, youve done better than I would have believed.

She shrugged, still pouting, Thanks I suppose.

Xander smiled, Now I just have to figure out why I cant cast it.

Luna blinked, Oh, thats because youre too close. You think you know what you
designed, but you dont.

Xander stared for a long moment, Huh?

****

The concept was fascinating.

It was also ludicrous, in her opinion, but fascinating nonetheless. Wednesday eyed the
dusky skinned girl who was nervously sitting across from her with some amusement.

You actually believe that Alexander, myself, Hermione, and who? Potter? She
smirked, Are some sort of elite cabal within Hogwarts.

I know you are. Padma returned with only a hint of her nerves entering her voice.
Though I wouldnt say Potter was a part of it exactly. Certainly not entirely on the
inside, from what I can tell.

Wednesday cocked an eyebrow at the girl, Convince me.

Padma took a breath, First year, nothing much happened. You, Harris, and Granger
networked somewhat. Mostly Granger and Harris. Grangers actions were obvious, she
aligned with Potter and that put her well into the upper tiers of Gryffindor. Harris was
harder to track, partly because Slytherin is so closed up, partly because his actions are
more subtle. I do know that by the start of second year, Harris commanded a degree of
loyalty in his house second only to Malfoy.

Wednesday maintained a calm expression, giving no hint of the surprise she felt. While
she was aware that Xander had exerted some degree of control within his house, she
wasnt aware that it was quite so pronounced. She was also relatively certain that it was
largely unintended, though that wasnt specifically relevant at this time.

Second year, Padma ticked off her fingers, Harris continued to extend his influence
in Slytherin while Granger supported Harrys position in Gryffindor. When the attacks
extended to Hermione, you and Alexander teamed up with Harry and Ronald to handle
the problem.

Wednesday shrugged, Interesting conculsions.

Padma shot her a glance that held entirely more attitude than Wednesday expected
from the other girl. Despite the absurdity of her conclusions, Wednesday was becoming
amused by the story.

Fine. Third year. Padma muttered, ticking off another finger. Once again, between
slowly extending influence and responding to the immediate crisis, your little group
attained a level of quiet infamy thats actually mind boggling for those of us who can
glimpse the extent of it.

Youve told me what Hermione and Alexander bring to this cabal, Wednesday said
with an amused air, However you havent mentioned myself.

Padma frowned, That because you were the hardest one to figure out. Aside from
scaring the hell out of your fellow Ravenclaws, you didnt seem to be doing anything.
Not until this year.

Wednesday raised a single eyebrow, not genuinely curious. Oh? Do tell.

With one move, you unseated Cho Changs power clique and established that fear is
power. Padma replied, when Harris followed it up with the heart spiked to the door
just before Cho and Marietta opened it from the inside, you proved that you actually
control Ravenclaw.

Wednesday sat back, for the moment forgetting about her own work, and slowly
examined the teen across from her. She couldnt fault Padmas conclusions, nor the
path she took to reach them. It was hardly apparent, from the outside, that each action
taken had been one of enlightened self interest and not some far reaching plan.

The analysis of the effect was, indeed, flawless, Wednesday concluded after a moments
thought. By largely unintentional actions, she and her two friends had established
control over better than fifty percent of the school.

Of course, the analysis of the intentions behind the actions was flawed of course. They
had no intentions of exercising such control except as needed to preserve a certain
margin of decorum. After all, why would any of them actually CARE what some school
children did? Especially since two thirds of the supposed Cabal were unlikely to remain
in Europe past seventh year?

There is one flaw in your analysis, Miss Patil. Wednesday said finally.

Oh? Padma looked confused, and more than a little apprehensive.

Indeed. Youve made a fatal assumption, Wednesday continued, Youve assumed
that Myself, Alexander, and Hermione actually have USE for the children in this school.
Speaking for myself, I do not.

Padma flinched, but why then?

Alexander is a genuinely good and caring person, Wednesday shrugged, And despite
this flaw, hes proven extremely successful in his life within the magical world.
Hermione, of all of us, is the only one who fits your analysis, though she would furiously
deny any part of some all reaching Cabal as you describe it. Her personal sense of
justice would consider it distasteful, at the very least.

Padma blinked, trying to understand what Wednesday was saying.

However I do compliment you on your analysis of the effect, if not the intent.
Wednesday said after some thought. You have brought a serious issue to my attention,
one that I had not considered.

I have?

indeed. Wednesday confirmed, If you can piece together this little conspiracy theory,
supporting it as you have with the limited information available to a student then
others have almost certain done so as well.

Wednesday was silent a long moment, considering the implications of that statement.

in fact, given that you are entirely correct about the EFFECT of our actions, if not the
intent behind them, I will have to give serious thought to how others are likely to
precieve and react to us in the future. For this, I do thank you.

Padma frowned, her attention focused inwardly for a long time. Long enough that
Wednesday returned to her book while she waited for the teen to assemble her thoughts.
A few minutes turned into a half hour, then was reaching for three quarters of an hour
before Padma spoke again.

I still want in, if youll have me.

Wednesday looked up, surprised though she didnt show it. I believe I informed you
that there was nothing to be in.

No, you said that there was no INTENT to create your cabal. However, you have it.
Padma corrected, Why leave it to waste?

Indeed. Wednesday pursed her lips, considering that statement, then sat back and
steepled her fingers.

And if you were to be permitted to join what do you bring to the table? She asked
with a thin smile.

Padma swallowed, Access to magics not taught at Hogwarts, or even in Europe any
longer. I have my family grimoires, and aside from certain spells reserved specifically
for family members, I am willing to share in exchange for equal consideration.

Wednesday dipped her head, An impressive offer, Miss Patil. I will communicate
your request to Alexander and Hermione.

Thank you, Miss Addams, for your time and patience.

****

Luna had left Xander in somewhat of a daze, he had to admit. When she left the library,
he tried to keep working for a while, but finally gave it up and decided that it was time
for a bit of a work out instead.

Sometimes, hed found, the only way to settle his mind was to exhaust his body. He
didnt feel like meeting up with Harry just then, however, so the Room was out. He
could see that Harry was there just by checking the map, instead he decided to have a
little fun.

Normally moving from the ground floor of Hogwarts to the top, and back again, was a
significant task to say the least. It also too upwards of a half hour, if the moving
staircases were feeling particularly kind.

Xander started from the Library, which was situated on the ground floor, and sprinted
up the first set of stairs before it could react to his presence. He cleared it in a few
seconds, barely planting a foot on the first floor balcony it led to before he raced up the
second.

The stairs shifted under him before he made it up halfway, causing Xander to smirk. He
planted a foot on the rail and vaulted clear off the stairway, hooking the second floor
balcony with his fingers. He swung under the platform, purposely pusging his muscles
into the motion, then used the back swing to lever himself up to the platform.

He took a moment there, grinning like a madman, and caught his breath. Then he was
off again, bolting up toward the third floor.

This time the stairwell didnt move, and Xander had a bizarre sensation that he had
managed to SHOCK Hogwarts herself into inaction. The very idea drove him on as he
rounded the bend and raced up the fourth stairwell. Again, there was no motion as he
reached the top of this particular set of stairs and came to a halt near the hall that
would lead to the Astronomy tower.

Four floors would be enough, he decided. He only needed to set a slow burn to his
muscles, not massive exhaustion. He stood there for a moment, eyes surveying the
distances. Just over 50 feet to the ground floor, since this particular stairwell didnt lead
to the dungeons. Enough of a fall to put him in the hospital wing for a while, possibly
kill him despite the supernatural toughness that came with a full magical core.

Probably not, though. If he fell, hed most likely be found with shattered bones in his
legs. Xanders knowledge of such injuries was limited, and he wouldnt mind keeping it
that way, but worst case for that would be having any irreparable bones vanished so
that they could be regrown with Skele-grow.

Not a pleasant thought, but not enough to scare him into inaction either.

Just do it. He whispered, suddenly going from stop to full sprint without warning.

Xander cat vaulted the first rail, out into space above the fifty foor drop, bringing his
feet forward as he began to drop, just in time to land on the balls of his feet and roll into
a third floor hall.

Again, Xander felt that same shudder of shock run through him and he wondered if
maybe the Castle WAS paying attention to his actions.

He ran back toward the balcony, and was surprised to see that the staircase was moving
to intercept him this time, positioning itself so it would be beneath him when he jumped.
Xander smirked, skidding for a moment, then cross vaulted over the rail and just
dropped.

He freefell for only a few seconds, caught the edge of the balcony below, and swung
from the second floor to a free drop the last dozen feet to the first, rolling to the middle
of the stairwell and coming to his feet.

Xander grinned up, Youll have to do better than that, next time. Good workout.

With that parting shot, he turned and jogged easily toward the Slytherin dungeons.

****

Harry was tired from the workout he had inflicted on himself when he finally left the
Room of Requirements for the night. He had to admit, Xanders left hand wand was
impressive, though only for combat. Aggressive combat, specifically. It wasnt much for
creativity, not even in fighting, however.

The wand was powerful for violent, ugly curses but held a lot less juice for anything
else. Not really something he wanted to carry, if Harry were to be honest with himself,
however as long as he was being honest he supposed he had to admit that it could very
well be what he needed.

Keeping Xanders few warnings in mind, he hid the wand away when he got to his
room. Unlike Xander, Harry wasnt licensed to carry a pair of wands and there were
more than a few people whod like to get him in trouble, he had no doubt. So as soon as
he got back to his room, Harry stashed it in his trunk, wrapped in his invisibility cloak,
and he locked everything up.

After that it was homework time, and he found Hermione and Ron in the common room
pouring over the days assignments.

Well, Hermione was of course. Ron was half heartedly pecking at the parchment, as if
hoping that his quill would do the work for him.

Hey guys.

Youre late, Harry. Hermione frowned at him.

yeah, mate. You left me alone with HER Ron rolled his eyes.

Just what is THAT supposed to mean?

Uh Ron swallowed, knowing full well that he was already on thin ice with
Hermione for reasons he wasnt entirely clear on. nothing, just that well I
mean

he means that youre a bit scary when you Study, Hermione. Harry smiled easily,
dropping into a seat.

yeah, that.

She huffed, Well I wouldnt be if you two would just do your work on time.

Ron started to get his back up, but Harry nodded in agreement. Youre right.

I am?

She IS?

Harry nodded, sighing as he opened his potions book. Yeah. She is, and you are.

They both eyed him warily, as if trying to judge whether he was under the influence
of well, something. Possibly polyjuice, judging from Hermiones expression. Harry
suppressed the urge to flinch. Had he really been that bad?

Look, he sighed, I just have to face facts. Someone is trying to do me in, right?

Ron scowled, but nodded. Too right. Whats that got to do with homework?

Honestly! Hermione huffed again, If he doesnt work on his education, hell hardly
be able to protect himself will he?

Thats part of it, Harry agreed, But its more than that. I just kind of realized how
badly slacking off has been messing with my entire life. I cant afford it right now, I
honestly never could.

Ron was looking less and less happy with the conversation, but surprisingly kept quiet
about it.

Ive been lazy nothing wrong with that, really, Harry said with an eye toward Ron,
except that being lazy when someone is trying to kill you is really stupid. I kinda want
to live to take my NEWTS.

Oh Harry Hermiones huff vanished instantly as she slumped. Youre not going to
die.

Of course not Mate. Ron said instantly, looking offended by the implication.

Which implication, Harry wasnt certain.

I agree with you, Harry. Ron said after a moments thought. Though Im not sure
where Potions homework has anything to do with it at all.

Harry laughed, mostly at the sheer level of indignation Hermione managed to summon
up in response to that. He managed to cut off her tirade, however.

Probably nothing, Ron, He said honestly, Nothing direct anyway. Its just its a
pattern that I was just forced to see in my life. If Im going to break the pattern, Ive got
to break it everywhere. Potions is just one part.

Ron sighed, and once again Harry could almost see him go into the tank. He waved
Hermione to silence and went back to his potions work, letting Ron work things out on
his own. Truth was, that was the only way Ron tended to learn. He had to make his own
mistakes and think things through from there, which was where Harry thought
Hermione kept going wrong.

Some people didnt learn from books, some didnt learn from people. Harry suspected
that Ron was one of those, and Ron simply needed to learn some things for himself from
the ground up. It was slower than other ways, but it had its own advantages as well.

When Ron finally came back up, Harry could see that he was a lot more relaxed.

Youre probably right, mate. Ron said then, Never thought about it, but I can see
how it could be true.

Hermione shot Ron a dark looked at the word could, but Harry just smiled slightly.
There was the difference in Hermione and Rons core personality, unless he missed his
guess. Hermione accepted facts easily, Ron grudgingly accepted possibilities.

Harry decided that he wanted to exist somewhere in the middle of the two.

****

In his room, Xander stripped off his robes and took a quick shower before coming back
out and heading into his doorway. Inside the habitually locked door, Xander had
decorated the modest office space with a borrowed school desk. Hed pilfered that,
and the chair, from one of the unused classrooms along with a small shelving unit for
his more common books.

Most of his portable library was kept in his trunk, which he unfortunately couldnt take
into the doorway due to the size differences within each item.

The trunk stored much more space than his door, so while the door could fit into the
trunk, the trunk would catastrophically dismantle the doorway if he tried to stuff it
inside. One of the rules of expanded space was that, while you could place an expanded
special item within another similar item, they would take up the same amount of space
as their expanded volume.

It was a mind boggling set of calculations, but what it boiled down to was that Xander
would have to step out to get his books.

He was working on an idea to solve that, but not just then.

No, tonight Xander decided to just polish off his plans for TV in his room.

It wasnt a complicated job, actually, and hed already managed to talk to Willow about
it a few times over the holidays. She was working on that end with Sirius, who had
volunteered in exchange for getting one of his own.

The idea revolved around a large fifty inch mirror mounted on the back wall of the
room and, of course, Xanders favorite spell, The Protean.

At home, Xander knew that Willow had bought a large projection television and
connected it to premium cable. In the same room, mounted just the right distance away
to frame the TV perfectly, was an identical mirror to the one Xander was etching runes
on just then.

Willow and Sirius would be perfectly echoing the Protean Runes Xander was working
on, creating a magical link between the two. Assuming they werent done already, Sirius
was better at runes than he was, Xander had learned. Though the former prisoner had
taken a few weeks to brush off the rust.

When he was done, Xander carefully charged the runic lattice and activated the mirror.

It remained black.

Hmmm Xander picked up his Spell Phone and thumbed in the dial for Willow,
Willow?

Yes Xander? Her voice came back instantly.

Did you finish the mirror?

Oh yes, is yours done?

Yeah, but its black

One second I have to turn on the TV.

Xander groaned, palming his face as the mirror snapped to life, the image brightening
until he was watching Home Improvement over his magic mirror.

Heh. More power. Xander grunted, grinning widely.

Xander Lavelle Harris! Dont you DARE use him as a role model!

****
Back to index
****

After classes the next day Xander found himself summoned, literally summoned, to the
library by Wednesday. He went, both out of a certain measure of fear of what shed do
if he didnt and curiosity. Shed never particularly cared if anyone showed up before, so
he really did want to know what this was all about.

Hermione was already present at their habitual table in the corner when he showed up
and took a seat, they both turned to look at Wednesday.

So whats this about?

Wednesday gazed on them evenly for a long moment before she spoke, Were you
aware that we had created a cabal for control of the students here at Hogwarts.

Xander blinked as Hermiones jaw dropped.

What??

Weird, I think Id remember doing that. Xander tapped his jaw idly.

Indeed. I as well. Wednesday confirmed, However apparently not, as I was
informed last night.

Oh yeah? Who informed you? Xander asked, grinning but curious.

Miss Patil. Wednesday replied, And her evidence, while circumstantial, is
persuasive.

Well if I dont remember doing it, and YOU dont remember doing it Xander
mused, slowly turning to look at Hermione. Then he pointed at her sharply, Admit it!
Youre a Dark Lady in training.

What? No! She hissed in reply, I dont know what shes talking about!

Sure. Pretending to be our friend just so you can take over the school. Xander
sniffed, Gryffindors you just cant trust em. I always knew your house was hiding
some dark secret. I mean, at least we Slytherins come right out and tell you we want to
rule the world.

Wednesday rolled her eyes, Right. Now, if you two would please cut that out for a
moment.

Hermione glared at Xander, but her response died in her throat as she turned back to
Wednesday. Fine.

Xander shrugged, Sure. Go for it.

She pointed out that Hermione, by befriending Potter, established herself in
Gryffindor early on. With him taking your advice, Hermione, you DO have a certain
degree of influence in your house.

Well of course, but that doesnt mean

While Xander as been undermining Dracos position in Slytherin

hey, he makes it EASY. Xander said in his defense, then frowned, Why am I
defending myself here?

Im certain I dont know. Wednesday replied dryly, However, as a result, you have
a certain following in your own house. Plus a degree of respect in the others, though it is
muted because you rarely take the lead as it were.

Hermione frowned, Ok, I guess Im seeing that. What about you? I presume that
Padma had something to say about Ravenclaw?

Indeed. She pointed out that with my cessation of neutrality this year, I have
inadvertently unseated the reigning clique within Ravenclaw. Wednesday said with a
mild frown, I find myself not displeased with the result.

Xander stared at her strangly, causing Wednesday to pause and stare back.

What?

Did you know I dont think Ive ever heard you talk this much?

Did you know I am fully aware of the portkey coordinates for your bedroom?

Shutting up now.

Intelligent decision. She said, turning her focus back to the two of them. Miss Patil
approached me with a request to join our cabal.

What!? Hermione shrieked.

Quiet! The librarian growled in their direction.

What?? Hermione leaned on, hissing. Well she she cant.

Why not? Wednesday asked, one eyebrow raising.

We dont have a cabal, thats why not!

On the contrary, we obviously do. The question isnt whether we have it, it is whether
we adjust our actions from unintentionally developing it, to INTENTIONALLY
developing it.

Xander shrugged, Im in.

But but Hermione blinked, We cant. Right?

Why not? Hogwarts tradition, really. Xander replied. The Mauraders, The Coven,
hell the Founders themselves Moldys Death Eaters were born as a group in
Hogwarts, Id bet.

That last one is hardly encouraging.

I fail to see why not. They were remarkably successful. Wednesday countered.

Hermione gaped at her, jaw kind of moving but no sounds coming out, until Xander
chuckled and came to her rescue.

I dont think Wednesday is approving of their ideology, Herms. He said, Shes just
saying that they did become pretty influential. If Harry hadnt gotten his big forhead in
the middle of things, they would probably be running things in the open now. As it is,
theyre still running a lot of things from the shadows.

Thats not a good thing! Hermione hissed.

Perhaps, but we arent speaking of following their philosophy. Wednesday
countered, Im speaking of using the influence weve gathered to help ourselves, and
those within our group, advance our own plans and agendas. I rather suspect that
pureblood ideology wont be on our lists.

Hermione tried to find an objection, she really did, but she couldnt seem to find
anything wrong with what they were saying. Not exactly, anyway. But but its wrong
to form groups to try and manipulate people

Says the founder of SPEW. Wednesday rolled her eyes.

Thats completely different.

Indeed, were not suggesting that we try and force anyone to adapt to our opinions.
Wednesday said, Were merely proposing a mutual aid association.

Hermione sulked, I guess thats alright then.

Indeed. Miss Patil has offered to share some of her familys magical books with us in
exchange for similar consideration.

I dont really have anything like that Hermione said haltingly.

Xander snorted. Right. Youve got at least partial credit on almost everything Ive
done over the years, including the new shield spell you and Wens helped me on.

Indeed. Plus, I suspect that if you were to ask Mr Potter, you could turn up a tome or
two that none of us have seen or could easily access. Wednesday replied.

Hermione looked horrified, Im not going to use Harry that way.

Good. So in turn, if you learn something that could help him with his problems,
Wednesday rolled her eyes, Lord knows he has enough, then it would be a fair trade.
No?

I I suppose. Hermione was still pouting. It sounded right, but Cabals were evil,
werent they?

So, are we in agreement, then? Wednesday asked.

Xander shrugged, Padmas cool.

I yes, I guess.

Excellent. Ill inform her later. Wednesday said with satisfaction.

Cool. Xander grinned, So, you wanna start planning to take over the world?

Xander! Hermione hissed, appalled with his sense of humor.

Wednesday rolled her eyes, Hardly. The last thing I want is to be responsible for this
pack of sheep.

Wednesday!

Xander grinned wide, shaking his head. Hermione was just too easy sometimes.

****

Harry frowned to himself as he skimmed through the Prophet, noting that the Tri
Wizard tourney was still getting more than its fair share of headlines, as was he much
to his annoyance. It wasnt too bad, though. Hed been prepared for a lot worse, but
apparently Andromeda had been serious when she told him that she would handle the
press.

He hadnt been misquoted too bad, and after the first article from Skeeter making him
look like a spoiled brat, he hadnt read anything else from her at all. There was tons of
speculation on his personal life, and Harry had noted that Skeeter was writing about
him a lot in Teen Witch, but thankfully it stopped at speculation and didnt actually
name any names.

Not that it had to, Harry supposed. Parv was clearly described, as was Hermione.
People outside of Hogwarts may not recognize them, but he was quite certain that
everyone at school saw it for what it was.

He set aside the paper, picking up the rest of the package he had received from
Andromeda via Owl Post.

He groaned when he saw that most of it was paperwork.

Why do I have to fill out tax reports for 1982? He asked himself, staring in horror at
the documents. I need Hermione.

He paused, looking at the papers again for a long moment. I need an accountant.

When had his life gotten so bloody complicated anyway?

He looked askance at the paperwork again, then shook his head and put it aside. There
was no bloody chance in hell that he was going to try and do that himself.

This taking responsibility stuff blows.

****

Xander grunted in annoyance as he again failed to cast his new spell. He really didnt
understand what was going wrong, as far as he could tell everything checked out and
the damn thing SHOULD work.

Except, you know, it didnt.

Spell Crafting wasnt a straight forward step by step thing, unfortunately. Hed known
that going into the project, but had gotten probably a little too cocky about his
successes, Xander supposed. The idea had seemed sound, but he was starting to think
that maybe hed just overreached himself, or maybe he just wasnt on the track to a
workable spell.

He hated the idea of admitted that, though, cause it would basically mean flushing a
ton of work.

He was still grumbling over it when Harry surprised him, entering the room of
requirement for his normal practice sessions.

Hey, Xan, whats up?

Xander almost jumped out of his skin.

Jesus, Harry! Dont DO that! Xander growled out as he settled a bit and turned to
look at the other boy. I swear, Im going to put a bell on you!

Harry blinked under his think glasses, Pardon me?

Youre way too quiet for your own, or my own, good. Xander growled.

Right. Harry said slowly, And youre all twisted up over what exactly?

Xander sighed, shaking his head, Just a spell Im trying to cast.

Oh? Harry perked up, that sounded more interesting than his current tax issues.
Anything cool?

Sure, if it worked. Xander said dryly. I cant get a fizzle though.

Harry blinked, Oh? Must be tough, I mean the Patronus is really hard and I got a
BIT of a reaction when I first tried that one.

Xander shrugged, It shouldnt be THAT tough, its a but of a mixup though, so I may
have crossed some equations and nullified something important.

That doesnt sound good.

Tell me about it. Xander snorted, shaking his head. Its probably going to mean
tossing out the Arithmancy equations and starting over, cause I cant find any error.

What does the spell do?

Nothing. Xander laughed, his tone a little bitter. It should be a shield spell, but it
does nothing.

Cool. Well, I mean what it should do and all. Can I try? Harry asked, Im pretty
good at defence, despite the teachers trying to kill me every year.

Xander grinned, but eyed Harry specutively. Harry wasnt blowing smoke, he knew.
The boy was a powerhouse, and had an instinctive capability with fighting spells that
was frightening. He considered it for a moment, then shrugged, Sure. Here, the wand
motion is a bit tough, its a three point gesture with a spiral flick to the center of the
points

Harry watched intently, nodding as his hand involuntarily twitched to match what
Xander was showing him. And the incantation?

Protego Facetus. Xander replied, Roughly it translates to Faceted Protection
about as much as any spell actually translates anyway.

Huh? Harry asked, confused, his hand still twitching.

I just mean that Wizards make a lot of shit up. Xander grinned, Then pretend its
always been real.

Harry just nodded, still confused, but more interested in the spell. Ok so we just
sweep the wand in three points, then swirl flick

Harry did so, sweeping out the triangle in three equal motions, then flicked the wand
to the center as he called out, Protego Facetus!

Xander was surprised when there was a glimmer of power from Harrys attempt, and
took a step back as he eyed the fizzling spell. Do that again.

Harry frowned, but nodded and repeated his actions.

Xander moved closer this time, making mental notes as the spell fizzled again. Youve
got a lot farther than I have Ok, part of this spell is based on conjuration techniques,
so I want you to try focusing on forming a very hard shell across the Protego

Alright Harry frowned, focusing hard. Conjuration wasnt his forte, and they
hadnt really started on any serious forms of the discipline.

Xander seemed to read his uncertainty, Its just plain elemental conjuration, dont
worry about the form. Just imagine it covering the shield.

Harry nodded, focusing on the spell again.

Protego Facetus!

Another shimmer erupted from his wand, this time coalescing into a misshapen silver
mass in front of him. Harry blinked, staring at it in confusion as the mass followed his
wand around. What is it?

Xander chuckled, The ugliest chunk of elemental titanium in Scotland, Id guess.

Harry shot him a hark look, Is it supposed to look like this?

Not hardly. Xander laughed again, But youre doing heads and shoulders better
than me

He paused, considering, Torso, arms, waist, legs and feet too actually.

Harry rolled his eyes as Xander tapped on the mass with his knuckles, listening to it
echo slightly. Is it supposed to float like that?

Xander nodded idly, examining the results of the spell. Yeah. Its tied to the shield
spell. Ok, let it drop.

Harry did, and was mildly surprised to see the titanium mass clunk to the floor.

Xander stood over it, frowning, Thats not supposed to happen.

What?

Its conjured titanium, Harry it should have vanished when you dropped the spell.

Oh. Why didnt it?

how the hell should I know?? Xander nudged the material with his toe, then shot
Harry and distrustful glare. You arent breaking the laws of magic are you?

Hey! Its your bloody spell, Xan!

Uh huh. Xander muttered, still eyeing Harry skeptically. Ok, try it again but focus
on the triangle motion of your wand, and push it out into a pyramid shape in your made
as you cast.

Harry raised an eyebrow, that actually made sense to him, made him understand the
wand motions better, so he nodded. Ok

Protego Facetus! He called out, slashing his wand through the tri point motion, then
stabbing through the center with the swirl flick.

The spell exploded from his wand this time, forming into a three point pyramid that
pointed cleanly out from the tip of his wand and hovered there, twitching in response to
Harrys wand motions as if waiting for a command.

ok, hold that for a bit Xander said, drawing his own wand again and stepping in
front of Harry.

here now, wait a second Harry suddenly felt more than a little nervous, what with
the untested shield between him and the guy he knew to favor bone splitter curses.

Stupefy! Xander snapped his wand out, not bothering to wait.

The red blast crossed the distance easily, splashing off the dull silver pyramid, and
glanced off without effect.

Bugger. Harry whispered, blinking. I dont feel any drop in the shield.

That shocked him. His shields were pretty effective, if he did say so himself, but Harry
knew that Xander could drop one of his Protego shields with three or four stunners, and
he always noticed the drop.

Xander, however, just nodded. The spell didnt penetrate the titanium, Harry. The
Protego wasnt even touched. Its a two layer design. Hold your wand out to the side,
will you? I dont wand to catch you with this one if the spell fails.

Harry grimaced, but held the wand WAY out to the side, pointing it at Harry. The
shield followed it easily, the pyramid shape eerily floating there and kinda creeping him
out honestly.

Xander nodded, then took aim at the far side away from Harry and snapped his wand
in a curse slash.

Reducto!

Harry flinched as the spell crossed between them, but it hadnt been aimed at him.
When it contacted the shield it exploded, shattering the titanium shell along that angle
of the pyramid. Harry was surprised when the power of the curse slid off the shield,
along with the shards of metal, and scattered across the room off to the side.

When it settled, Harry breathed out a long sigh as Xander stepped forward, nodding.

Right. Hows the shield, Harry?

Still still pretty much full power. Harry admitted, surprised.

Good. Good. So far its to spec, Xander said, at once happy, elated, and very very
frustrated. Now I just have to figure out why I cant cast it. Still, not too shabby. The
titanium shell should be able to handle most curses without problem, the reductor
notwithstanding.

Not too shabby? Harry blinked in disbelief, I think its bloody brilliant!

Xander rolled his eyes, Its a largely untested spell, Harry. Dont get carried away.
Besides, its not much use if youre the only guy who can cast it.

Useful to me. Harry grinned, before faltering a bit. I mean, if you dont mind
me

Go ahead, Xander waved him off, Just remember its experimental, ok? It should
be better than a Protego and all, but who knows?

Harry nodded, Ill remember.

Xander sighed, glaring at his own wand thereafter, annoyed.

Now if I could only get the damn thing working for me. Xander sighed.

Harry grinned, embarrassed slightly, and let the spell drop again. Xander glared at
him as the remains of the titanium shield clanked to the ground and gently rocked
where it lay.

Damn it Harry! Thats not supposed to stick around like that!

Its not my fault! Its your damn spell!

My ass. Xander muttered, Im good, but Im not good enough to violate the laws of
magic and thermodynamics with a mishmash spell like that.

Xander shook his head, nudging the remains of the two shells with curiosity. I wonder
if titanium has any magical properties I can use?

****
Back to index
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their
respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No
money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
This story archived at http://www.tenhawkpresents.com/viewstory.php?sid=35

Alexander Harris and The Shadow Council

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