Chapter One: Magic-Side Evaluations
Author note: This story is the thirty-seventh in the Magical Flashpoint series. It follows "Will to Act".
Although all original characters belong to me, I do not own Flashpoint, Harry Potter, Narnia, or Merlin.
Commander Holleran surveyed his top team, resisting the urge to ask if they were sure they wanted to stay in the Auror Division – or if they'd collectively taken a few too many hits to the head to think straight. As far as Holleran was concerned, the Head Unspeakable's promise – that the Canadian Division of Mysteries would not harm or detain Sergeant Parker's young charges – should have settled the matter. After all, why should his top team continue to work magic-side when the wizarding world had made their opinion of non-magicals – and anyone else who was different from them – quite clear?
And yet, inexplicably and seemingly in defiance of all reason, Team One had just voted to keep their Auror badges – and all the attendant hassles and headaches that came with them. The tall commander wearily rubbed his face, wondering if he could get away with ordering them to give up the blasted badges. He knew he wouldn't though; his men had sacrificed too much proving themselves on the magical side of the fence for him to take their Auror badges away from them now.
"All right," he sighed, not bothering to hide his opinion from Team One. "I'll contact Commander Locksley and arrange for your classified evals."
"Thank you, sir," Sergeant Parker replied.
Holleran gave his Sergeant a long look, letting the negotiator see just how unhappy he was at the moment. "Don't thank me, Sergeant," was all he said before walking out of the briefing room and back to his office.
"I take it they've made their decision?" Madame Locksley inquired, an undertone of expectancy in her voice.
Alone in his office, Commander Holleran decided to lay a few things out for his fellow commander; what Team One didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Not to mention he didn't appreciate Locksley's smug 'I knew they would stay' attitude.
"They have, but I believe I have a thing or two to say first," Holleran ground out, letting his displeasure ring out loud and clear. "A question first though: how often have you and Constable Braddock interacted – on a personal level – since your discovery that he's your nephew?"
The hesitation was answer enough. "I don't believe that's any of your…"
"Yes, it is," Holleran cut her off. "You're quick to take advantage of my people's talents when it suits you, Commander Locksley, but you're none too quick to give anything back." Brown eyes narrowed under his glasses. "You knew perfectly well how much stress Sergeant Parker was already under, but you didn't even give him or his charges so much as a day's grace once you found out the Calvins were 'Wild Mages', whatever that's supposed to mean."
"The law is the law, Commander Holleran," Locksley bit back.
"Yes," Holleran drawled, his sarcasm clear. "Giving my Sergeant and his family an extra day or two to recover is such a violation of your world's laws." The lanky black commander let that hang a moment, then leaned forward, as if the woman on the other end of the phone was actually in his office.
"And while we're on the topic, shall we discuss why one of my constables was arrested by a foreign Auror in my station? Why he was dragged off to Britain for what amounted to a show trial? Sergeant Parker informed me afterwards that Constable Wordsworth could have ended up in your Azkaban prison for the rest of his life. And all for the 'crime' of being born without magic." Holleran left a few details out; he had no idea if Locksley knew them, but he no longer trusted the woman at all, never mind with anything that could be used against his constable.
"I had nothing to do with that debacle," Locksley protested.
"Nothing to do with it?" Holleran questioned. "You certainly didn't; your Auror Onasi was far more willing to help Constable Wordsworth than you were." He smiled grimly at the silence from the witch.
"When I agreed to permit Team One to continue working with your division, it was with the understanding that, aside from the fact that my people do not have magic, they would be treated as fellow Aurors, with all the benefits that entails. Tell me, Commander Locksley, if even half of what's been done to my top team had been done to any other Auror Squad, would you have permitted it?"
Her response sounded as if it had been dragged up from the depths. "No," Madame Locksley whispered, "I would not have." She cleared her throat. "If my nephew had had magic, I would have welcomed him back into my family, I would have been proud to introduce him to my husband and daughter."
"Continue," Holleran growled when she hesitated. He was going to make her face the reality that his team had not been treated as equals, that they'd been held to higher standards than any of her other Aurors. That she herself had shunned a member of her own family simply because he didn't have magic.
Reluctance coated every word. "If your Sergeant had been magical, I still would have held that press conference about his charges being Wild Mages, but you are correct; it would not have been that day."
"And Wordsworth?"
Her laugh was harsh, bitter. "It would not have been an issue, Commander Holleran. As you say, he was put on trial precisely because he does not have magic."
"Then you see my reservations." They were far more than reservations; now that he'd said his piece, he was wondering why he'd even entertained the notion of allowing his top team to continue working for a woman who treated them more as tools than as fellow human beings.
"You don't want them to keep working magic-side, do you?"
"No, I don't," Holleran confirmed. "Particularly not now with Dr. Toth scrutinizing every one of their hot calls." He drew a deep breath. "To be perfectly blunt, ma'am, my team passed their tech-side evaluations and remain cleared for duty, but they can only take so much stress. If they aren't near their limits now, they will be soon, particularly since every time they're on your side of the fence, they have to fight for every scrap of respect they get. And not just once, either, do they? No, my team has to be twice as good as your other Aurors, just so you people will think they're just as good.
"I won't see my best officers broken by the impossible expectations of the wizarding world, Commander. I won't sign off on letting them take your magic-side evaluations until you can prove to me that my team will get the respect they've earned."
"In the eyes of some of my Aurors, they haven't earned any respect, Commander Holleran," Madame Locksley countered.
Holleran's eyes narrowed again. "And why is that?"
"It is partially my own fault, I admit," came the startling answer. "Every Auror in my division, with the exception of one man and two units, has attended the Auror Academy."
Thoughtfully, Holleran rubbed his chin, drawing the logical conclusion. "Team One, Team Three, and Detective Lane."
"Precisely."
"I can't justify taking my top team off-duty for months," Holleran informed Locksley, though his voice was less hostile than it had been.
"Perhaps a week?" Locksley inquired. "It's unlikely to satisfy the hardliners in my division, but most of my Aurors do respect that fact that your team essentially works two jobs, both in law enforcement. They would understand why your team cannot attend the Academy for the full three years; perhaps we can also arrange another training week in the future."
Yes, Holleran mused, that could work out quite well. "Periodic training," he rumbled, warming to the idea.
"Just so," Locksley agreed. She hesitated. "They may…not receive the warmest welcome at the Academy, though."
Holleran paused, reading between the lines with ease. However… "Madame Locksley, I am not completely senseless to the fact that my team is breaking new ground with each hot call they take in your world. Resistance to new ideas is inevitable. And a week of training may be just the thing to give my team a badly needed break from recent events."
"I am willing to accept their week of training as fulfilling the requirements of their magic-side evaluation," Madame Locksley offered, sweetening the pot.
The commander considered, drumming his fingers on his desk. "Then, I am willing to sign off on Team One requalifying in the wizarding world…for now."
Greg poked his head into Commander Holleran's office, surprised that his commander had managed to make the arrangements so quickly. His stomach twisted, just a bit; he'd hoped his team would have a least another day's reprieve from the chaos that had become part and parcel of their daily lives.
"Come in, Sergeant," Holleran invited, though he didn't rise from his desk. He waited until Greg was sitting down before saying anything more. "I've spoken to Commander Locksley and we've decided on a slightly different route than straight requalification."
"Sir?"
Intent brown eyes met Greg's. "I'm taking your team off-duty for a week, starting next Monday. You'll spend the week at the Auror Academy, learning alongside this year's graduating class. At the end of the week, your team will be run through either a test or an obstacle course; which has yet to be determined; and you'll all requalify for another year."
Confusion shone. "Sir, I thought the Academy was strictly for wizards."
Holleran nodded, understanding Greg's unspoken question. "It still is, Sergeant." He looked down at his desk, then back up as his subordinate. "I'll be honest, Sergeant Parker; I'm not happy with your team's magic-side hot calls. And this has nothing to do with the fact that you and your team were forced to hide those calls from me and everything to do with the fact that your team is under enough stress, enough pressure, as it is."
Greg swallowed. "You expressed that to Commander Locksley." It was not a question.
"Yes, Sergeant, I did," Holleran confirmed. "Commander Locksley offered the Academy as a compromise; with any luck, your team will finally get some of the respect you've earned. If nothing else, your team gets a legitimate week off; blow off as much steam as you can, Sergeant."
"And Dr. Toth?" Parker inquired carefully.
"If he asks, I'll tell him that your classified duties called for a week of training to keep your skills up to snuff," Commander Holleran informed his subordinate.
"Yes, sir," Greg acknowledged. "Anything else?"
A rueful nod. "Madame Locksley suggested that your team should plan to stay on the Academy's grounds for the entire week. I told her that would be up to you, Sergeant."
Greg tilted his head. "I should probably check with Ed and Wordy before answering that."
"Fair enough, Sergeant," Holleran agreed. "Let me know before the end of the day."
"Copy that, Commander."
Though Parker kept Commander Holleran's reservations to himself, he laid the rest of their magic-side requirements out for his team, along with a few observations of his own. "The Academy is going to be all wizards, team, and none of them are going to know us – or what we can do. The tech-borns might, but the rest?"
"Not a chance," Sam drawled, earning a nod from his boss. "And they're all going to treat us like idiots, even the teachers."
"Won't be the first time," Lou pointed out. "You said most of the trainees we'll be working with are ones graduating this year, Boss?"
"That's right, Lou."
Spike whistled, following his friend's line of thought. "Guys, we can prove to rookie Aurors that we know what we're doing."
"In a week?" Jules questioned skeptically.
"Better than nothing," Wordy countered. "I think Spike's right." The brunet considered, then added, "We've got a chance to get some actual Auror training, too, not just a couple crash courses in magic and wizarding law."
Ed leaned back in his chair, listening to his teammates, but saying nothing; when Greg arched a brow at him, he shrugged. "It's one week, Boss; what's the worst that can happen?"
Spike and Lou gave their team leader looks of comic disbelief. "Now something has to go wrong," Spike moaned theatrically.
"Never tempt the great god Murphy," Lou agreed, equally dismayed.
Their teammates snorted laughter and Greg took over. "So, are we staying on campus or commuting? This one's up to you guys; I can go either way." He paused. "Hands up for campus." Every hand in the room went up. "Okay, I'll inform Commander Holleran. Workout room unless we get a call out."
As he headed out of the briefing room, Parker decided to add a slight requirement to their room assignments…one that he hoped would keep his constables on the straight and narrow for the week.