Chapter One:
Worlds and worlds away from Earth, at least two or three, a Headmistress poured over paperwork on her wide wooden desk, and sighed. Roxy, the last Earth-born fairy, was not doing well at Alfea, and she didn't understand why. While on Earth in Gardenia she had succeeded in transforming to her first fairy form, but would or could not fly. She used her powers in a very basic way, and more by instinct than by plan. Headmistress Faragonda had hoped that having Roxy at Alfea, where they could attempt to guard and protect her from the Dark Wizards, would help her improve, but she was showing the same lack of progress here, and by all that was magical, Faragonda could not figure out why! It was some consolation that the Winx girls had achieved Believix forms and powers, but the problem with Roxy was fast diverting her total attention. She sighed again, and turned to something new.
She had received some interesting reports from the Head Pixie of the pixie village, and those responsible for the care of the "Tree of Life." The withered branch that represented Earth within the Magical Dimension was apparently not as 'dead' as everyone had long believed. Beneath what had appeared as dead bark was a live limb, if not a perfectly healthy one. When this had happened was anyone's guess, as before Bloom appeared, there hadn't been much to show from Earth since the Dark Times, and the extinction of magic there. Faragonda remembered back when she had been a student-fairy; they had all been warned that Earth was a dangerous place for fairies, and was to be avoided. Now she knew about the Wizards of the Black Circle, but there was also Bloom, and now Roxy, who had grown-up on Earth, and were among the most special fairies that Alfea had seen in at least a generation. Earth once again had strong magical potential, but how this had come to be remained a mystery. There were rumours, of course, of wizards and witches on Earth, but not the same kind as she knew. There had always been stories about magical creatures living on Earth, stories that had made it back to the Magical Dimensions, but no one here seemed to know why or how this could be, not even the Pixies, who had eyes and ears everywhere. She needed to change tactics, and go for the more direct approach.
"Griselda!" she called into the air, and within a few minutes her colleague joined her in her office.
"Yes Headmistress?" Griselda asked.
"I would like you to summon the Winx, and Roxy, to see me please," she requested.
Griselda paused for a minute, thinking. Then; "The Winx are teaching their class" Griselda replied, not sure if she ever would call what the Winx were doing as teaching, "and Roxy has their class now as well," she finished.
"Very good then. Please ask them to see me when class is finished," Faragonda replied, and picked up something less difficult to deal with for a while.
"So that's all for today, girls, but I want each of you to practice what we worked on today; feel the winx inside you, and do whatever feels natural," Bloom instructed the younger girls as they picked up notebooks and bags.
"Yes, ma'me," they answered as they were off.
Stella sighed as she picked up things left lying around the room the six Winx girls shared; "It still totally weirds me out when the kids call me that" she admitted to the others.
"Yeah, I totally feel that too" Musa agreed. "I feel like Griselda is standing over my shoulder, and it's her they're talking to!"
"Well, how apt you are then, Ms. Musa, as it's you girls I've come to see," Griselda spoke up right behind Musa, making her jump.
"Really?" Flora asked, "Did you need us for something?"
"In fact, it's the Headmistress that needs to see you, as well as Roxy here" Griselda told them as she motioned Roxy forward from by the door.
"We're there!" Bloom replied, and the seven girls followed Griselda to the Headmistress' office.
"Ah, there you are girls" Faragonda welcomed them a few minutes later. "How are you settling into things?"
"Oh it's great, Mrs. F!" Stella exclaimed.
"Hey Stella, weren't you just saying how weird it is being a teacher?" Layla teased.
Stella just blushed in response.
"So did you need us for something, Mrs. F; a mission, maybe?" Bloom asked, hopefully.
"Perhaps, but at this precise moment what I need is information. About Earth and magic in particular, and you girls have the most experience in this matter" she explained.
"Magic? On Earth? I thought you told us that there was no magic on Earth now?" Bloom asked, puzzled.
"That is indeed what we always believed, but I have recently learned that what I always believed to be rumour's may in fact be truth; magic still exists on Earth, besides for Roxy of course." Faragonda revealed.
"Holy Cow!" Stella exclaimed, while both Flora and Bloom immediately asked; "How!"
"I have recently learned that the Tree of Life branch representing Earth is not completely dead, and it is more magic than just Roxy can represent by herself. There have always been stories of magical creatures, witches and wizards, living on Earth," Faragonda continued.
"Witches!" Techna exclaimed, but Faragonda held up her hand for silence.
"Yes, both witches and wizards, but not like those we know. It is just rumour of course, but what I have heard is that the witches and wizards both, use wands to do magic."
"Really? I wonder how they work." Techna wondered, a far away look developing in her eyes as she ran possibilities in her head.
"I know of nothing more, but I believe it's something that needs to be investigated. Bloom, Roxy, do you have any thoughts?" Faragonda asked them.
The two girls thought a minute before Bloom answered.
"There are just stories, Mrs. F., witches causing trouble, wizards providing guidance, unicorns and centaurs living in Enchanted Forests, but I've never heard anything more than that, although there are those kind of stories all over the world," Bloom told them.
"Hmmm, thank you Bloom, that does match what I've heard as well. Roxy, is there anything you could add?" Faragonda asked.
"I've heard the same stories as Bloom growing up, but there is one thing I remember that was strange," she began, as the others leaned forward eagerly.
"Yes?" Faragonda encouraged.
"Well, when I was a kid in primary school I had a friend who always insisted, just to me, that her uncle was a wizard; and not just him, but her whole extended family, all except her dad, who's an Accountant. I just thought she'd made it up, but some of what you just said, and what she told me matches up," Roxy explained.
"This could be vitally important, Roxy; exactly what we're searching for!" Faragonda told her, leaning forward across her desk. "Do you remember any details about this girls' family at all?"
"Only that their name was Weasley, they live in a country on Earth called England, and that all the kids go to a funny sounding school called Hogwarts."
Faragonda leaned back into her chair, steepening her fingers, thoughtfully.
"Does that help, Mrs. F.?" Roxy asked anxiously, not as sure of the Headmistress as the other girls already were.
"Yes, indeed it has, Roxy, for we now have vital components that we didn't before; now we have a name, and a place to set a tracker spell on," Faragonda told them.
"Ah ha! Why that's brilliant, Mrs. F.! A basic non-intrusive, invisible, information seeking spell that also leaves detectable traces to those who are looking for them! But it takes a lot of precision in the spell," Techna informed everyone.
"And it needs to be crafted very carefully, which is why we'll be finished with all the details in a few weeks," Faragonda told them. Then she turned to Roxy; "We greatly appreciate your help with this Roxy. You can return to your day now, with our thanks."
Roxy shot a glance at the Winx girls as she rose; "I'm glad I could help, Headmistress. See you all later," she told the Winx as she left the office.
"Was there something else, Mrs. F.?" Flora asked politely, as the rest of the Winx eyed their mentor curiously.
"Yes indeed there is, girls. What I did not wish to mention in front of Roxy, just yet, is that I want you girls to head to Earth, and find out what is going on there with magic. This could have vital importance to the entire magical dimensions."
"Don't worry, Mrs. F., you can count on us!" Bloom stated, and the other girls soundly agreed.
"Thank you, girls. Although I do realize that this mission will again interrupt the teaching of your class," Mrs. F. began, smiling with the others when Stella snorted. "I appreciate the sacrifice of your time. Now, barring any problems, the spell should be ready within a few weeks, and I want you girls ready. Ready for whatever we might discover."
