Carriovile, Chapter one.
Rose, the Doctor, and Jack burst out of the TARDIS doors, and stood in the courtyard of the Powell Estates.
"Are you sure Jack? She's not as bad as the Doctor makes her out to be," Rose asked.
"Nah, I'm fine. I don't think your mom would like the idea of you travelling with a very handsome man… and the Doctor." Jack said with a grin. The Doctor made a face, and straightened his jumper.
"Alright," he said with a huge smile. "Let's get this over with." Rose elbowed him in the stomach, and they set off to Jackie's flat, laughing. Jack smiled, shaking his head, and left in the opposite direction. He was sure that Jackie wouldn't have had any problems with him, but he wanted to be alone for a bit. You didn't get a lot of alone time in the TARDIS. He wandered down the streets at random. He had time to kill, since Rose liked to take time when she came home to see her mum. Though, he mused, it was the Doctor that told me that, and he hates anything that seems too 'domestic'. He may have been exaggerating the amount of time. Maybe.
His thoughts were interrupted when he saw a very attractive lad, about fourteen, walking in his direction. Jack thought that the boy would be even better looking of he didn't look so nervous and anxious.
"Hey kid!" he called out, crossing the street to approach the boy. "Are you okay?" The kid eyed him cautiously, and Jack took the opportunity to look at him in more detail. He was short and skinny, with black hair that seemed to have a life of its own, and brilliant green eyes. If only he was about five, six years older Jack thought sorrowfully. No matter what anyone else thought, he had his standards.
The boy still looked at Jack with suspicion.
"At least tell me your name," Jack said with a smile, wondering why this youth hadn't succumbed to his charm.
"My name is Albus Potter," the boy said. "And what troubles me isn't anything you can help with." Jack shrugged.
"We'll never know unless you tell me." He eyed Albus for a moment. "How about we go for some coffee, or tea?" Albus agreed, and they made their way to a small tea shop down the street. Jack paid for both of their drinks, and they sat down at a table away from the others patrons of the shop.
"So, what's troubling you?" Jack asked after several minutes of silence. Albus struggled internally, but then took a deep breath.
"Something is stealing magic," he said softly.
"Magic?" Jack repeated, smiling slightly. "You're kidding, right?" He looked at Albus' expression, and winced. "Not joking, okay. What's doing the stealing?"
"If I knew that, then I would be able to stop it. You seem to be taking this rather well."
"I travel with a man who's nine hundred years old, in a tiny blue box that isn't very tiny at all. NOTHING can surprise me for long." Albus smiled slightly, the first smile that Jack had seen on his face.
"Can you help me?"
"I don't know. I need you to tell me everything that you know, first." Albus took a huge gulp of his drink.
"First, you need to know that I'm a wizard. So's my brother and sister and parents. We can do magic, using wands and incantations, and we can brew potions. And nothing has ever been able to steal our powers. Until now. Witches and wizards in London are beginning to lose their magic. First we just thought that it was their wands that weren't working, but they can't cast even the simplest of spells with any wand. And that's impossible. It's like all of their potential for magic has been lost. And no one has any idea what is causing this."
"This has never happened before?" Jack asked to be clear. Albus shook his head.
"Not in our recorded history, and we've been recording history for a long time."
"I don't know that I can help," Jack said slowly, "but I think I know someone who can."
"Can you take me to him?"
"Yes."
Jack finished off the rest of his drink, and the two of them left the tea shop. They hurried across the street, and Jack began to slow down as they approached the TARDIS. He needed to get the Doctor to help, but he didn't want to take Rose from her mother. He had heard about Jackie Tyler, and she scared him. She had slapped the Doctor, and Jack couldn't imagine anyone having the guts to do that. What he needed was to see the Doctor alone, but without Rose. Shouldn't be too hard, he thought. The Doctor must be trying to find any excuse to escape that flat by now. He pulled out his mobile and dialled the Doctor's number.
Within two minutes the Doctor was standing with them, being filled in on the situation. Apparently he had told Rose that he had left the kettle on in the TARDIS, and needed to turn it off. Jack was right. He WAS desperate.
"I'm sorry," Albus said when Jack was done updating the Doctor, "but who are you?"
"I'm the Doctor," was the response.
"Doctor who?"
"Just the Doctor," the Doctor said with a grin. Then his face became serious. "What Jack has been describing sounds like an alien. I can't tell anything else without seeing it so…" his grin returned, "let's go hunting!"
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