AN: Hello and welcome to TRaTCoLW! This is an AU, but wherever possible I've been canon compliant. My definition of "canon" is the printed works of J.K. Rowling ONLY (Seven plus three books). All other sources, including the HP wiki, the Lexicon and especially Pottermore are helpful resources but do not override the books.
Warnings for people who need them: THIS STORY HAS LGBTQ CHARACTERS! If you don't like it, please go elsewhere. For those of you hoping for lemons, you will be disappointed. There are no lemons. I will happily recommend any number of Gay and Lesbian YA fiction for people who want to read something headier.
Last and not least: This story contains both Original Characters and references to my original fiction. I've NO INTENTION OF PUTTING THE BACKSTORY ONLINE. If you trip over either an original character or a reference to an older adventure, fear not, it will either be explained or irrelevant.
Tommy loved having Lizzy over. She was much better at minding him than Grandmother. Grandmother tended to make Tommy play the piano, or recite something in Welsh.
When Tommy was little, Lizzy let him look at her comic books and models. She had lots of animal models because her father was a veterinarian. She'd shown him how to lure a hedgehog to be petted, how to hold an angry dog without getting bit and how to soothe a hurt lamb.
Even being a teenager hadn't stopped her from letting him join in with one of her adventures. She'd brought him to see The Crimes of Stephen Hawke. By now Tommy knew that when Lizzy minded him, something exciting was bound to happen.
"Halloo, Tommyknocker," she said the moment she'd breezed into the kitchen. It was raining hard and steady and mum had gone to Grandmother's to make sure the roof wasn't leaking. Papa was in his surgery and wouldn't be back soon.
"Halloo, Liz," Tommy said. He'd just about finished his homework and mum had left tea for Liz and biscuits for them both. Liz took two biscuits at once and ate them together.
"Building a model of Hadrian's Wall?" she said, looking over his shoulder.
Tommy was writing about Welsh history, but of course no one would let him forget Hadrian's Wall. He'd tried to dig a replica of the famous barrier in the back garden and upset his mother's rose beds and vegetable patch to do it. He had a picture of an earthen dyke propped up, along with a book about Ancient Wales.
"I'm not either. You know I was little when I did that," Tommy said. Liz was allowed to tease him, but he could push back once in a while.
"When you've done that, your mum says I can put on a wireless show. You still get New York?" Liz said. With no one around, she lounged back in her chair and stuck her feet up on the table.
"Sure we do, if you let me have a look at the wireless first," Tommy said. He'd always been able to pick up more stations after fiddling with the wireless. They'd once spent an evening listening to a dance program from Buenos Aires. Papa and mum hadn't stop dancing until midnight.
"Well that settles it. There's a program I've been dying to hear, dance lessons, and then you'll have your Children's Hour. Your mum might have to stay over your Gran's. You know how to get supper on?" Liz said. She didn't move from lounging.
"I can help," Tommy said, to prove he was above listening to the Children's Hour. He'd been allowed to help mum and Mrs. Evans with cooking, but not to light the stove.
"You're getting spoiled, Tommyknocker. Thinking about getting a flat in Cardiff, and I'll be cooking my own suppers. Who's going to feed you when you move out?" Liz said.
She had a steady job in Cardiff, a secretary in a doctor's office. They wouldn't take her on full time, Tommy knew, because it was Depression. But they might if she moved. She'd at least be closer to him and be able to visit every weekend then.
"If you moved," Tommy said, leaving aside his description of ancient Welsh settlements, "you could come up every Sunday for tea."
Lizzy laughed and finally put her feet down. She refilled the kettle and the plate of biscuits and that was the last of their tea.
"Every Sunday? And if I had a young man?"
"You'd have to bring him too," Tommy said, shrugging.
He finished his homework as the kettle boiled. Lizzy had out one of the cookbooks mum never used, looking for recipes Tommy could help with.
"Think if I make a shepherd's pie? We'd have to use mutton instead of lamb, but there is some meat in your icebox," Lizzy said.
"Isn't there in yours?" Tommy said, clearing away his books and satchel. That was when he noticed the extra bag Lizzy'd brought. "What's in that?"
"Pa doesn't like eating animals. Ma doesn't either, not when Pa makes a fuss," Lizzy said absent-mindedly. She looked over her shoulder and noticed Tommy pointing at the extra bag. "Oh. That. It's nothing. I'll show you later, after The Shadow."
"Is it a present?" Tommy said, moving closer at once. Lizzy laughed and pulled him back.
"It's nothing you can't wait for, Tommyknocker!"
The shepherd's pie took ages, and while it cooked Lizzy tried to teach Tommy to dance. Tommy was a head shorter than Lizzy and had to watch his feet. Someone knocked on their back door while Lizzy took the pie out of the oven.
"Tommy you get it, let me manage this," Liz said.
Tommy wasn't allowed to answer the back door at night. Sometimes tramps came around the back door to beg. Mum usually sent them away with food or socks she'd knitted, but she didn't want Tommy to see that.
It wasn't a tramp, but Lottie Owens from across the lane. Lottie cleaned houses for old people, including Grandmother.
"Tommy? Is Dr. Davies home yet? I've just come from the great house. Your mother's staying on with the Lady. The roof is leaking and she wants to make sure your grandmother can sleep safely," Lottie said. Under her mackintosh Tommy saw her maid's starched collar. Mum must have sent her right away to check on Tommy. Mum never trusted him at all!
"Thanks Lottie. Say hi to Owen," he said.
"Right-oh," she said.
Lottie turned up her collar and nodded before ducking back into the lane at the bottom of the garden. The Owenses lived across the way and Owen used to come round to play conkers and go scrumping. Now, he had to work too, and Tommy only saw Owen after church.
Tommy returned to the kitchen skipping. Liz had brought something interesting and his parents weren't home to tell them off for staying up late.
"Your mum is staying the night with your gran?" Liz said. She was elbows deep in the dishes. Tommy took the towel and started drying.
"She is! Which means you're going to show me the surprise now! Aren't you?"
Liz splashed him as she replied,
"Go on! You get some candles and I'll set it up. This requires atmosphere!"
Tommy scrounged up the candle stubs he'd saved for emergencies. When he returned to the kitchen, Liz had set up what looked like a board game. There were two rows printed with the alphabet, a row of numbers and the words "yes", "no" and "goodbye".
Liz placed a little heart-shaped card down while Tommy took his seat.
"Light the candles, kiddo!"
Tommy stared at the card. He'd heard of these. Papa had forbidden him to play with one.
"It's a ouija board. I've heard of them. You can speak with ghosts," Tommy said. He had experience with ghosts, and not the fun kind. His hands shook as he lit the candles. Liz put out the lights and sat down opposite him. Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
"One of the girls I work with lent it to me. She said she's used it to speak with her granny! I've seen her at it and everything."
Tommy couldn't stay seated.
"We could speak to Napoleon and Caesar!"
"Marie Antoinette and Cleopatra!"
"Ooo, what are you going to ask them?" Tommy said. He stared at the planchette so hard he was sure it had moved. Just an inch.
"We should write down all our questions," Liz said. She stood up, but Tommy continued to stare. The planchette almost vibrated with his wishing.
"You have done this before, haven't you?" Tommy said. She hadn't met that ghost. Liz paused from fishing around in a drawer for a paper and pencil.
"Tommyknocker, you aren't afraid are you?"
Tommy managed to tear his eyes away from the planchette at last.
"Are you?"
Liz sat down again without looking at him.
"My friend said this is powerful. We need to be careful. We wouldn't want anything unnatural to happen."
Tommy read it in her face. Liz was thinking of Fitzgerald, his murder. Mum never let Tommy speak of it after they'd come home. She said Fitzgerald and his sordid affairs weren't their business.
"We could get holy water. Papa keeps some in his room. I've seen it," Tommy said. Liz came with him. When they sat down at last, the planchette pointed to the word "yes".
"Did you…" Liz said. Tommy took her hand. She squeezed it back.
"Let's just put the holy water on it…" Tommy stopped as the planchette slid over to the word "no".
Liz pushed Tommy backwards.
"Tell me you aren't moving it, Tommyknocker."
"Why would I move it?"
They stared at the planchette. It moved to the letters now, spelling something. Liz read the words out as if in a trance.
"Hello, Thomas and Elizabeth."
Tommy grabbed at Liz and squeezed her hand until she stopped reading and squealed in pain.
"Tommy! It knows our names!"
Tommy threw the holy water at the planchette, knocking it off the table and soaking the board. The water steamed dry almost at once. There was a shape in that steam.
Tommy and Liz ran out of the kitchen, both of them yelling. It was a moment before Tommy realised the doorbell was ringing hard enough to shake dust loose.
"Hello? Hello! I say, dratted muggles must not be able to hear the door…" a man's voice came through the heavy oak front door. Liz pushed Tommy behind her again and said,
"Oi! I'm warning you, we're armed! Go burgle someone else!"
The man's voice stopped, along with the ringing. After a pause full of the drumming rain, the man said,
"Young lady, I'd be more worried if you didn't have limbs. I'm afraid to say this is an official visit. Let me in, be a good girl."
Tommy tugged the back of Liz's dress. Liz shivered and pushed him off.
"Tommy, does your pa keep any guns?"
She knew perfectly well that papa was a doctor, not a murderer.
"No. But I could get mum's golf clubs," he whispered. Liz nodded and pushed him towards the closet where mum kept her drivers.
"I'm only letting you in the entrance," Liz said, her hand on the lock. Once Tommy had a club, she turned the lock.
A little man pushed through the door, sopping wet from the rain and looking extremely cross. He was wearing a very old-fashioned cloak and a tricorn.
"Really, it isn't polite to keep government officials waiting on the stoop, and in this weather! Wales!" the man said. He poured water off his hat onto the mat. Liz's mouth had fallen open and Tommy almost let go the golf club, before clutching tight at it.
"You're from the government?" he said. The man replaced his tricorn and removed his cloak. Underneath he had on a tailcoat and culottes.
"I am indeed, young man. My name is Mr. Ogden. You are both residents of 8 Eastgate, Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales?" the little man said. He fixed on a pair of pince-nez and brought out a little roll of paper. Tommy met Liz's eye.
"Well, I am," Tommy said.
The little man cleared his throat as he unfurled the paper.
"This is a notice that tonight at approximately 8:15 pm, a charm was used in the presence of a muggle. That is to say, one of you was doing magic," the man said. He peered from Tommy to Liz.
Liz swallowed loudly and pointed into the kitchen.
"You're telling me that the government…the prime minister sent you to tell us we were messing about with the ouija board?" she said.
Tommy caught himself before he laughed. The little man rolled up the paper with a huff.
"My dear girl, this is no laughing matter. And besides, the minister for magic sent me, not the muggle prime minister. Although strictly speaking, the minister for magic didn't send me personally. I'm merely here acting in accordance with the decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery."
Tommy felt his mouth go slack. Liz said,
"You're joking or you're mad."
The little man sighed.
"I must say that you're both taking this rather better than I thought. Normally when people are reprimanded for breaching the Statute, I find myself dodging hexes."
"But neither of us can use magic," Tommy said. He found himself releasing the golf club.
"Hm. How old are you, young man?" the little man said.
Tommy started to reply, but Liz put herself between them again.
"You don't have any right to barge in and ask him questions. If you're really from the Ministry, you ought to already know," she said.
That got Tommy thinking. He took Liz's hand as she pulled him to her side. The little man readjusted his pince-nez and checked the roll of paper.
"Let's see. This is 8 Eastgate, Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Residence of Dr. Davies-Maldonado and his wife, Lady Edmondes Davies-Maldonado. One child, Thomas Aquino Moore Davies-Maldonado. Hm, that would be you, young man?" the man looked down at Tommy.
"It's just Tommy," he said. He swallowed too and came up with a ball of questions, thick as spittle. "So you're here because of the ouija board? And you know all that about us? Neither of us can do magic. It must have been the ouija board! Are you taking it away? Is it cursed?"
The little man tucked the paper and his pince-nez away. He glanced at Liz before addressing Tommy.
"I'm afraid you really shouldn't be playing with such toys," he said. Liz bristled.
"It isn't a toy! I have to return it to my friend. You can't just take people's property, we didn't know it was magic. We didn't do anything wrong."
The little man sighed and gave them both a kindly smile.
"Sometimes magic can run away with us," he said.
"Sir, Mr. Ogden? If we didn't know we were doing magic, are we really in trouble?" Tommy said. Mr. Ogden's smile didn't change.
"I think, perhaps, if I might inspect the offending wee-ja board? A cup of tea wouldn't go amiss either," he said.
Liz looked down at Tommy. Tommy glanced over his shoulder into the kitchen before looking at her.
"It's your house, Tommy, but I'm supposed to be minding you. Your pa will be home soon," she whispered.
Tommy knew she'd protect him. He supposed, if papa would be home at any moment, he'd protect them both.
"It's alright, I suppose. My father will be home shortly, and I think you'll have to speak to him," Tommy said. Mr. Ogden gestured for them to lead him through to the kitchen.
Once they were there, Tommy found he couldn't look at the oujia board. Liz went for the teapot with one glare at Mr. Ogden, but she didn't look at the table either.
"Is this the offending item? Well, a simple charm will reveal whether this is enchanted," Mr. Ogden said. He drew out what could only be a magic wand.
Tommy watched the gleaming stick as Mr. Ogden waved it over the table.
"Specialis Revelio!" Mr. Ogden said.
"That isn't proper Latin," Liz said. Mr. Ogden ignored her, keen on the ouija board instead.
"Well, it isn't enchanted. This means that one of you, inadvertently I'm sure, used the charm. Now, young lady—"
"—Miss McGillicuddy," Liz said, cutting over him. Tommy watched Mr. Ogden's wand. If he cast a spell on her, Tommy would take the wand and snap it.
"—Very well. Miss McGillicuddy, I have a feeling this is just a simple accidental breakthrough. I'll have a word with your parents, Tommy, but I don't think there's any need for…" Mr. Ogden stopped. They all heard the footsteps pounding up the walk. Tommy realised they hadn't shut the front door properly.
"Tommy? Thomas! Liz! Gatito!"
Papa burst into the kitchen with his muddy shoes still on and his hat sopping water into his face. He stared at all three of them before pointing at Mr. Ogden.
"Sir, this is a private residence. I must ask you to leave."
Mr. Ogden stood up and offered papa a seat.
"Dr. Davies-Maldonado? I just want a quick word with you about your son and—"
"—Sir, if you do not leave at once I shall summon the police," papa said. He stared at Mr. Ogden as though Mr. Ogden was a mad criminal. Considering his strange clothing, Tommy knew papa might not be far off.
"Papa, he, um, came to tell us we were doing magic without a license," Tommy said.
Papa snorted and seized Tommy away from the table. Liz came to their side.
"Sir. Leave now."
Mr. Ogden hadn't put his wand away, but he hadn't pointed it at papa yet. However, Tommy watched the wand tip shaking in Mr. Odgen's hand.
"Dr. Davies-Maldonado, I'm afraid I cannot leave before explaining your duties under the Statute for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery as the parent of a—"
"—We do not believe in magic, sir," papa said. He put his arm around Liz and Tommy and pressed them close to him. His greatcoat had already soaked through Tommy's shirt.
Mr. Ogden nodded. He pointed the wand at the teapot and said, "Mobiliahenum."
The teapot sprouted tiny china legs and trotted to Mr. Ogden's waiting hand. Papa went slack under his greatcoat and Liz squealed.
"It moved!" she squeaked.
"My god," papa breathed.
"But we can't do that! We haven't got wands," Tommy said.
Mr. Ogden smiled at Tommy and papa and waved his wand. The china legs vanished.
"Dr. Davies-Maldonado, as you can see, I am a wizard. I believe I'm right in thinking that your son has some magical ability as well. Being muggles, you and your wife couldn't have known ahead of time. The Ministry of Magic will send representatives to discuss Tommy's magical training soon, I should think. In the mean time, we ask you to—"
"—Sir. Tommy cannot do magic," papa said. He sounded flat and tired, but his arm was steady at Tommy's back.
"Please, call me Bob. Dr. Davies-Maldonado, ahem, Tommy is what we call muggle-born. It means that, though you and Lady Davies-Maldonado cannot do magic, Tommy has the ability. It's quite important that he receive training. There could be accidents otherwise. Tonight, for example, I was sent to intervene when Tommy and Miss McGillicuddy were engaged in unlicensed charming of a muggle artifact."
Papa squeezed Tommy and knelt to look at him.
"Gatito, does this make sense to you?"
Papa used his normal, quiet voice, but Tommy's heart sank into his toes.
"Not really, papa. Liz and I were going to play with the ouija board and talk to Napoleon. We didn't mean to do magic."
Papa sighed. His voice didn't get any louder, but Tommy wanted to cry.
"Gatito, you know you're not supposed to play with things like that. I'm very disappointed in you, Gatito. You're to go straight to bed, with no wireless and no supper. I'm going to straighten everything out with this man."
"Uncle Aneirin, can I stay with Tommy tonight?" Liz said. Tommy couldn't look at her because his eyes smarted with tears. Papa spoke in the same quiet voice to her.
"We'll air out the guest room for you, Lizzy. And you should have known better to bring that thing to our house. I think, in future, we'll have to find someone else to mind Tommy. You two get into enough mischief."
"Yes, Uncle Aneirin." Liz actually hung her head. They went upstairs in silence. Tommy paused on the landing as Liz took his hand.
"I'm dying to hear what they're talking about. Tommy!" Liz's face lit up, "Tommyknocker you can do magic!"
"But I really can't," Tommy said. "I wasn't doing anything when we played ouija."
"Think, Tommy, think! Didn't you do anything unusual? Maybe it's all in your head," Liz said. She actually shook him, as if that would shake a memory loose.
"No! I just thought about the planchette moving by itself, I didn't say any words or…you know…cast any spells. You were there. You saw it. You know I didn't do anything!"
Liz shrugged.
"You must have without knowing. Listen, Tommy. If your papa will let you, they're going to train you to do real magic. And you saw what that Ogden could do. You could make the whole house grow legs if you wanted."
Tommy shuddered.
"No! I don't know any magic," he said.
Liz left him in his room, but Tommy didn't put on the light. He couldn't be magical. He'd know if he had magic powers!
There wasn't anything he could do that Liz or Owen couldn't do, except that he could catch snakes without trying and they couldn't. Tommy slid down to lean against the door.
He heard the front door close, and the stairs creak as Papa came up to say goodnight. Tommy still didn't move, not until Papa opened the door.
"Gatito? Why are you in the dark? On the floor?"
"I'm sorry, papa," Tommy said, hearing a definite snivel in his words. Papa sat down beside him in the doorway. He'd removed his wet coat, but underneath his shirt felt damp.
"Hijito, you'll catch your death of cold here on the floor."
"I'm sorry," Tommy sniffed hard to stop the sniveling. "I'll go to bed, I promise."
"Gatito, there will be someone around in the morning to talk to us, as a family. Hijito, you must promise to be very careful about magic until then. We'll all understand more in the morning," papa said.
Tommy was too surprised that he wasn't being punished to care that papa had gently lifted him and carried him to bed.
"So…I can do magic? Like…making the teapot grow legs?" Tommy said. Papa stroked the hair off Tommy's forehead and put Tommy's pajamas at his feet.
"You'd better not ruin your mother's china by giving them little feet. She'd be most upset," papa said. Tommy heard the smile behind his words.
"Yes papa. And, papa. I'll be good."
"Buenas noces, mijito gatito," papa said. He kissed the top of Tommy's forehead and closed the door fast against the strangeness and cold. Tommy didn't remember dreaming.