Chapter One: Family Magic
If you read the Author note in the prologue, skip straight to the story; if not, here's your second chance to read the disclaimer, etc.
Author note: This story is the fifth in the Magical Flashpoint series. It follows "Phoenix Aligned".
Although all original characters belong to me, I do not own Flashpoint, Harry Potter, Narnia, or Merlin.
3 hours earlier
"How'd it go?" Wordy asked, looking up from the inevitable paperwork as Sarge came in, looking annoyed and worn.
Sarge shot Wordy a 'do-shut-up' look and sank into one of the briefing room chairs with a heavy sigh. Ouch…good thing today's been quiet so far.
"Oohhh…" Jules drawled from the opposite side of the table. "That good, eh?"
Sarge folded his arms on the briefing table and dropped his head onto them. A muffled, "Thank you, Constable Callaghan," emerged from the slumped man.
Ed clapped the Sarge on the shoulder. "Now you know how Wordy and I feel when our kids have trouble," he teased.
Sarge groaned, head coming back up. "Clark ever have a teacher out for his blood because of something you did, Ed?"
Whistles went around the room. "What'd you do, Boss?" Lou asked, eyebrows shooting up.
The stocky Sergeant shook his head. "Well, apparently, insisting that a teacher teach kids their family talents means the teacher has carte blanche to grade the kids as harshly as possible and snipe at the kids in class." Team One obliged their Sergeant with a host of disbelieving noises.
"So?" Ed asked, "like Wordy said: How'd it go?"
"The Deputy Headmistress gave him a warning."
"That's it?" Sam demanded.
"Yep," Sarge confirmed. "And I've been informed that Professor Ellroy has the 'full support of the administration' to conduct his class as he sees fit."
"So what now?" Wordy asked, his expression just as disbelieving as the rest of the team.
"Haven't figured that out yet," Sarge admitted, frustration coloring his tone. "I can go to the Headmaster, but after that…" he sighed, "…any other type of school and I could move them to another school, complain to the Ministry of Education…"
"Why can't you?" Ed put in.
Sarge arched a brow and Wordy elaborated, "Why can't you go to the Ministry of Education?"
"And say what to them? That my nipotes aren't being taught their unique talents?"
Sam grinned; he'd figured out what Ed and Wordy were driving at. "You could say that to the other Ministry of Education," he suggested. "I bet they'd be even more impressed if you took your other badge along." Snickers of agreement rose from his teammates.
Spike tilted his head, curiosity written across his face. "Why's this guy throwing such a fit, anyway? Isn't teaching his job?"
All of Team One looked at their Sergeant; his expression turned a touch trapped at the scrutiny. With an exaggerated groan, he hefted himself out of the chair, walked to the door, and tapped the controls to lower the barrier. As the steel barrier lowered, Sarge paced at the head of the table, brow furrowed in thought.
By this time, Team One had all but abandoned their paperwork; Wordy found himself wondering if they were about to find out how the kids had pulled off a few of their more…impossible…tricks.
Sarge came to a halt and turned toward Wordy. "Remember what happened right after the training debacle?"
"Sure, Sarge," Wordy confirmed.
"What about it?" Spike asked. "I mean, wasn't that what those healer guys would have done anyway?"
"No, Spike, it wasn't," Wordy corrected. "I knew, Sarge knew, I'd be looking at weeks of recovery; I might have even lost my spot on the team."
Gasps ran around the room; even Ed, who was Wordy's best friend, hadn't known it had been that bad.
Wordy shrugged as he kept going, "Even when I got better, I would have had a scar from that one curse the rest of my life; they told me that right after they got me stabilized and conscious again." Silence hung in the air, mixed with shock. "Then the kids charged in and, hey, presto, I'm pretty much just fine."
"And Locksley freaked," Sam drawled.
"Yep," Wordy agreed.
"And here I thought it was us," Lou remarked.
"So what'd the kids do?" Spike queried, attention turning to Sarge.
Sarge's smile just about lit the room. "That was their family magic, Spike."
Brows went up as the team absorbed that.
"Oh, oh, oh," Jules bounced and waved a hand. "What about the shield Alanna used when she was kidnapped?"
"Yes, Jules, that was family magic too," Sarge agreed.
"But the kids didn't use any spells when they healed Wordy," Sam protested. "They just latched on and that light stuff appeared."
Jules cut in again, "Unless Alanna was casting outside," she arched a brow at Sarge, who shook his head no, "she didn't cast anything when her magic snuck back inside and shielded me."
Sam's whistle was low and long. "Sarge, that's pretty impressive. Wandless magic is supposed to be tricky, elite stuff; not something kids still in school can do."
"What about silent casting…or is it the same?" Lou asked, attention on their magic expert.
Sam's expression turned thoughtful. "I don't think it is the same, Lou," he admitted. "But we're kinda getting out of my knowledge level anyway; I didn't think magicals used anything except Latin for spells. That shield thing Alanna used definitely wasn't Latin."
Curious looks were directed in Sarge's direction, but he didn't directly confirm or deny Sam's remarks. "I've seen the family grimoire," he said quietly. "And the kids filled me in as much as they could about the family history. Their father made sure several family books were packed the night of the fire."
Wordy translated that to mean that Sarge had a pretty good idea of what the family history and magic was, but was keeping it mostly quiet for now, even from Team One. "So, because their magic is different, this professor guy is having trouble teaching them?" he asked, bringing them back on topic.
"Yes, Wordy," Sarge confirmed. "He's also angry because the kids can do several of the spells that he hasn't been able to manage yet."
"Are they taunting him or something?" was Ed's question.
"They wouldn't," Spike protested.
"As far as I know, no, they are not taunting their professor. And if they had, I suspect I would have heard about it today," Sarge pointed out.
"Sarge?"
"Yes, Jules?"
"What about that phoenix thing we saw at Duglin's house?" Jules asked tentatively.
Sarge's shrug was helpless. "That I don't know about, Jules," he confessed. "If the family had any information about that, it was lost in the fire, I'm afraid."
He might have said more, but the door barrier abruptly began to retract; prompting the team to return their attention to their neglected paperwork as if they'd been working on it the entire time. Sarge moved over to Lou, peering over his shoulder and pretending to point something out. An extremely amused blonde entered the room, surveying the 'industrious' Team One. "If you and your team have a moment, Sergeant?" she inquired, lips twitching at the speed with which Team One abandoned their paperwork again.
"Madame Locksley," Sarge greeted. "This is a pleasant surprise."
"I thought I would arrange a few things in person, particularly after the floo call I received this afternoon about a 'Muggle' trying to interfere at the Toronto School of Magic."
Team One glanced between their Sergeant and Madame Locksley, the former of whom had his negotiator mask firmly in place and the latter of whom looked amused. Rather than wait for any explosions, Locksley went on, "Sergeant Parker, I informed the Deputy Headmistress that you have the same rights as any parent or guardian concerning the schooling of your minor children. Furthermore, I expressed my dismay that any professor would be unprofessional enough to discriminate against a student based on their family or background." Locksley smiled at the surprise on her official/unofficial subordinate's face. "I suggest that if you or your charges are given any more…I believe the word is 'guff'…you show them your Auror badge and refer them to me as your superior."
Her smile widened at the gratitude on Parker's face. Though she personally was uncomfortable with the Calvin siblings' unique magic, that was no reason to treat them differently from any other witch or wizard. And it wouldn't do to let 'her' Muggle Aurors figure out she was afraid of the teens; no that would not do at all.
