Wizards vs. Witches
A Hocus Pocus/Wizards of Waverly Place Crossover
by: Jason S. Black
DISCLAIMER: The author does not own any of the characters/places depicted within, blah, blah, blah, purely coincidental.
"Double, double, toil and trouble. Fire burn and cauldron bubble." The red stick of wood spat sparks as Alex Russo waved it over something boiling in a pot. "Did they really think this was supposed to work?" She chuckled to herself as she scanned a piece of paper. She glanced toward the stairs when someone came in, and her older brother's nose crinkled when he walked into the kitchen.
"What are you doing? More specifically, what are you burning?" Justin's brow knit as he grabbed a bottle of soda from the fridge.
"I'm trying out this recipe from a play."
"What play?"
"Oh, I dunno, something where you can't say the name; anyway, there are these three witches and they make some wicked stew. I thought I'd try it." She waved her wand over the pot a few more times.
"You're a wizard, not a witch; besides, witches don't even exist."
Alex chuckled again. "You're a wizard, but you don't believe in witches? Why is that so hard to believe in?"
"Because, Alex, witches…they…yeah." Justin took a sip of his soda.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Really? Okay, Justin, whatever."
Gritting his teeth, he raised his wand. "Dress to impress, clean up that mess." The tip glowed and the mixture inside the pot vanished, along with the pot.
"Hey! I was working on that and we're out of ketchup!"
"Wha…?" He immediately rolled his eyes and went back to his soda. Just then, Jerry, Theresa and Max walked into the room, laden with plastic bags.
"Happy Halloween!" Theresa set her bags on the kitchen counter.
"Please, Mom, we all know it's Halloween." Alex chuckled at her own wit.
"So what do you kids have planned for today?" Jerry set his bags alongside his wife's.
"I'm going trick or treating." Max beamed.
"Honey, don't you think you're a little old for trick or treating?" Theresa put a hand on her son's shoulder.
"Nah. I just get a lot more weird looks now." Max shrugged.
"I think we should do something cool for Halloween. Why do we have to stay here?" Alex took a seat on the couch.
"You know that you guys help us in the Sub Station every Halloween. We're throwing a costume contest and giving out candy." Jerry took a seat next to Alex.
"A costume contest?" A voice floated up the staircase from the Sub Station and Harper walked into the room, wearing a dress decorated with pineapples, coconuts, and palm trees.
"Oh, no, we're not letting you enter. You wear costumes every day." Alex chuckled at her mother's comment.
"Fine. I guess I'll just have to settle for trick or treating." Harper stood by the couch with her arms crossed.
"Harper, if you trick or treat on Waverly Place, nobody's going to give you candy. They'll just think you're dressed up like always." Alex roared with laughter, as did everyone else.
"You know, I do regret that every Halloween," Harper mused.
"I've got it!" Alex raised her finger to the ceiling. "Let's flash somewhere interesting for Halloween."
"Honey, your mom and I can't go. We have to watch the restaurant; you know that." Jerry let out a sigh.
"Well then…how about letting us kids go?" Alex raised an eyebrow.
"Wait, wait, wait. How do you know that I don't have plans on Halloween?" Justin crossed his arms.
"Do you?" Alex looked at him, eyebrow still raised.
He cast his eyes downward. "No."
"Okay then. Mom? Dad? Please? It would be so cool to go somewhere…well, cool for Halloween. And, and, Max, Justin, and I are all capable of flashing right back here if there's a problem. Please?"
Jerry and Theresa looked at each other and let out a collective sigh. "We need to know where you're going before we can say yes."
Max raised his hand. "I say Transylvania."
Alex raised her eyebrow again. "Why?"
"I dunno. My teacher in history class said something about it. I just thought the name was cool."
"Ooookay…anyone else have any suggestions?" Alex looked around the room. "Okay then. We'll decide this like normal, rational people." She pulled her wand out of her boot and flicked it around. "One, two…give me a globe." With a flash, a globe appeared on the living room table and Alex got out of her seat. "Wherever my finger stops, that's where we're going. Unless it's somewhere lame. Then I'll spin again. Okay? And I only say this because nobody else had any suggestions whatsoever." She looked at her brothers and Harper before turning back to the globe. "Here goes…" With a flick of her wrist, the globe started spinning.
-X-
The wind blew leaves down a deserted road and up a deserted path to a decrepit old house, through its boards and inside, stirring dust and cobwebs. Among the curiosities that decorated the room, one in particular stood out: a glass case containing an odd-looking book. On its seal, an eye slowly opened and glowed briefly before closing again.
-X-
With a flourish, Alex stopped the globe with her finger and opened her eyes, squinting at where her finger landed.
"Looks like it stopped on…Salem, Massachusetts? Now why would we go there?" Alex's brow knit.
"Let's take a look." Justin pulled out his wand, waved it, and made his laptop appear on the kitchen counter, where he typed before pulling up a webpage. "Apparently in the 1600s, there was something called the 'Salem Witch Trials' where they burned people accused of practicing witchcraft. Wait, they used to burn people for doing magic?" Justin's expression was akin to someone who just saw the killing floor at a slaughterhouse.
"Oh, yeah, but people don't do that anymore." Harper smiled at Justin.
"Well, it says here on the Salem Historical Association's website that there were three witches in particular, the Sanderson Sisters, that got hanged because they kidnapped children and killed them." The aghast look returned to Justin's face.
"Does it say anything about any other witches that kidnapped children and killed them?" Alex sat down and started to file her nails.
"No, but—" He continued to read. "It says here that Halloween is a pretty big deal. They have a big party at the town hall and…'trick or treating galore.'"
"I'm in." Max raised his hand.
"I'm in too. People in a different state wouldn't deny me candy or entry into a costume competition." Harper smiled sweetly at Jerry and Theresa, who looked elsewhere.
"Justin?" Alex looked over at her brother.
Justin rolled his eyes. "I guess someone has to be the responsible one and be there when Alex makes a mess with her magic like always. I'm in."
After glaring at Justin, Alex jumped out of her seat and bounced up and down. "Yay! We're going to Salem for Halloween!"
"Yay!" Harper jumped up and down and clapped. "I've got to go get my costume!"
"Harper? We can just zap it onto you." Now it was Alex's turn to roll her eyes.
"Zap away!" Harper walked over to her best friend and didn't flinch when Alex pulled out her wand.
"Without a costume she should not be seen, so get Harper ready for Halloween." Magic flew from her wand and engulfed Harper. When it faded, the redhead was wearing an elegant blue gown complete with an up-do and tiara. Everyone else's mouths dropped to the floor.
"Harper, wow! What are you supposed to be?" Theresa walked over to Harper and examined her dress.
Harper's face shone with a smile. "I'm a prom queen. I figured, hey, why not go as something I've never been?"
"Hey, I think we all need to get ready." Justin finally joined everyone in the living room with his wand. "Without a costume we should not be seen, so get us ready for Halloween." In a matter of seconds, all of the Russo kids were in full costume: Justin was Captain Jim Bob Sherwood, Alex was a flapper girl from the 1920's, and Max was wearing a black plastic trash bag.
"Max? What are you supposed to be?" Justin gave his brother a look.
"I'm a bag of garbage. Duh." Max smoothed out his costume.
"Okay. Are you guys ready to go?" Everyone nodded at Justin's question. "Okay then. Get us there and get us there fast, take we four to Salem, Mass." Harper, Justin, Max, and Alex all flashed out of the apartment and were on their way to Salem.