Disclaimer: I still don't own anything.

Here's the next chapter, nicely beta-ed by Margot!

Chapter 20

Magic school! Piper would ask Leo if he had totally lost it now. She had never wanted her boys to attend magic school. Chris shared her opinion. He walked really slowly behind his father and brother.

"Chris, hurry up a bit. You don't want to arrive late for your first class."

Chris didn't want to arrive for the class at all.

They came to a stop. Leo went into the classroom. During the summer session, the classes were never filled.

"Mrs O'Connor, these are my sons. They're taking part of your course Tuesday and Friday."

"Sure, Leo. Hi boys!"

"Hello," Wyatt greeted her politely, shoving his brother slightly when Chris refused to say anything.

"It's nice to finally meet you two. You will learn the main features of making potions. Moreover, you'll get a first impression of herbology."

Chris rolled his eyes. That'll be fun!

"Okay, boys, take a seat and pay attention. Do your best," Leo said.

Chris and Wyatt both sat down in the second row. Mrs O'Connor started her lesson and Chris knew at once that magic school really was nothing else but a school. She told them something about the right temperature to boil a potion. Suddenly some herbs and powders and a pot appeared on each student's table.

"Okay, now it's your turn. Here on the blackboard, I've written down all the ingredients and amounts. Now, I want you to figure out in which order you have to use them. Go ahead, everyone try their luck. 15 minutes."

Wyatt knew this potion already. Phoebe had made it once and let him help. It was a potion to stun someone. He tried to remember how they had done it then and after some time it turned into a white liquid. Satisfied, he leant back. Some other guys had finished their work as well but not everyone had a white potion. Wyatt tried to get a look into his brother's pot but Chris blocked his view. But he could tell that the brunette was not really interested in making the potion, at all.

Mrs O'Connor walked around observing some of the students before saying: "Okay, now everyone, who has a green potion was smart enough to throw the ingredients in the pot in the same order that they are set out on the blackboard. Clever, but wrong! Everyone who has a potion in some shade of grey or black put them in messily. And everyone who has a white potion did it right and put them in like they are set out on the blackboard but from in ascending order from bottom to top. That is right. This was just a test. But you all can see how easily you can ruin a potion by just using the ingredients in the wrong order."

Chris took another look at his pot and frowned. "Mrs O'Connor, my potion is blue," he said.

The teacher came over to him. "It is surely only a shade of green or grey."

"I know what green and grey looks like," Chris retorted.

Mrs O'Connor gave him a disapproving look for the surly answer. She looked into the pot too and furrowed her brows. "That's not possible," she muttured. "How did you put in the stuff?"

"Out of order."

How else? Wyatt smirked.

"But I don't understand that. Are you sure?"

Did she think he was an idiot? "Of course I am. I put the shit in the damn pot out of order."

"I should punish you for your language but it's your first day." She filled a bit of the potion into a vial. "I'll tell you how this worked out." It was really interesting. No student has ever made the a blue potion.

After the potion making course, Chris and Wyatt were sent to a little office. A young whitelighter named Ian was waiting for them already.

"Hello, Wyatt, Chris! Come on in, take a seat."

The brothers sat down in the fluffy armchairs. Chris took a look at his watch. God, was this a crappy day. A lot of books stood on the shelves. Chris tried to make out what the titles were but failed as he was too far away. A picture hung above Ian's head. It was by Salvador Dalì and showed his favourite painting of the flowing clocks. Chris knew this painter from his fine art class. He was cool. What did Mrs Buvreaux tell them about Dalì again? He was the first artist who had a museum for himself when he was still alive.

"Okay, now who wants to start? Chris?"

Chris awoke from his daydream. He looked at Ian. "What?"

"Please, pay attention. I don't like talking to myself. That makes me feel stupid."

Maybe you are. Chris shrugged. "What should I do?"

"We're going to orb."

"I already now how to orb."

"Right. I'm going to orb. You're going to try to sense me and orb me back."

"Wyatt'll go first."

It was always Wyatt who went first with something. Since they were kids, it was always Wyatt who tried everything out first, then told Chris if it was okay or how it worked. That lead to several occasions when Wyatt ate a bug or sand or anything but Chris didn't as Wyatt told him not to.

Ian nodded and orbed away.

"This is our chance to flee!" Chris exclaimed.

"And leave the poor guy in Kenya? That's not nice," Wyatt answered. It never was a problem for him to sense people. With his family it was really easy as he always felt them somehow. A stranger was more difficult, but still it only took a few seconds. "I know you don't want to be here, but it was fun 'til now. Admit it! You made a blue potion noone had ever made before." Chris only stared at him. "And we going to be done really soon, so come on."

"It's not like I really have a choice, is it?"

Wyatt smiled. "Not really." He orbed the whitelighter back in his seat.

"Really good, Wyatt. Okay, Chris, ready?"

If he wouldn't orb away by himself, Chris would do it. "Yeah."

Ian again formed into the blue and white lights and was gone. A few seconds later, Wyatt looked at Chris expectantly. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"You gonna orb him back?" Wyatt already had found their teacher again.

"I can't. I don't know where he is."

Wyatt rolled his eyes. "Rubbish! You orbed me back into the playpen when you were only 2."

"And? You're my brother. He's just some random guy," Chris leant back in the armchair.

"You are not even trying. Come one, focus!"

"Oh, shut up, Wy! I hate this shit!" Chris exclaimed. Some books flew out of the shelves onto the floor.

The 17-year-old didn't even flinch. When Chris lost control over his telekinesis it was mostly at random and every time he did, Wyatt could tell he was really upset. "I'm not going to tell you where he is."

"Then I hope he's some place fun," Chris replied crossing his arms over his chest.

Wyatt mimicked his brother's gesture. They stared ahead for a while, when Ian appeared back in his chair. "Was there a problem?" he asked. "What happened to my books?"

They only had one more course for the day: Spells. Wyatt hated spells. Maybe that meant that Chris was good at spells. One of them had to be good in it for future vanquishes. Moreover, they hadn't discovered a combusting power for Chris yet and he needed something that would vanquish a demon.

But Chris was not cooperating at all that day. He stared out of the window which only let in some light, but didn't show anything outside. The glass seemed to be the light itself.

They were playing a 'game'. Apparantly, this teacher was one who loved alternative teaching methods. Therefore, they all sat in a circle and practised two line spells. Which meant one person said the first line and the person, who sat next, formed the next line.

It seemed like most of the students had fun. Chris heard them laugh from time to time. He was bored.

"Chris?" He was patted on his arm and finally tore his eyes away from the window.

He looked at his teacher, a young witch with red hair, obviously fresh from college. "It's your turn!"

His turn! Okay, did he have to do the first line? Or had the girl next to him said anything already? He couldn't tell, and the teacher noticed that. She looked at him sternly. "Chris, I want you to listen to what we are doing here."

Chris was so tired of teachers telling him to pay attention, to do this and that. Stupid jerks!

"And just for your information, I'm a telepath."

Chris rolled his eyes. Who cares? Stupid…Chris stopped himself.

"Do you want me to call the headmaster?"

"Better call him in as my father, then he'll punish me worse."

The teacher smiled slightly. "How about a little spell on your own now and we'll be okay."

Chris took a deep breath and thought for a few moments. A little rhyme... "Reverse the last cast spell yet, as my teacher is quite mad."

A few students chuckled but the red haird teacher smiled brightly. "Good."

Before the two brothers headed home, they visited Leo in his office. It was the first time they ever were in his office. It looked similar to Ian's but bigger with more books and more papers on the desk.

"Hey, boys, how was your morning?" Leo had already talked to Mrs O'Connor, who was still trying to figure out how Chris could have made a blue potion, and Ian.

"Okay," Wyatt answered. He could tell that his father already knew how the lessons had been.

"You don't have to meet with Ian again, Wyatt. I already knew that you wouldn't have any problems with the orbing. You sensed me when you were a few months old. But I didn't want Chris to go alone."

"Wyatt doesn't need to go to any courses. He's the twice-blessed super-witch!"

"Hey, why are you mad at me?" Wyatt asked. He knew his brother well enough to hear the anger in his voice even when he tried to supress it.

"I'm not mad at you," Chris lied. He was mad. He wasn't sure if he was really angry at Wyatt or himself. But it was Wyatt who was praised by every teacher today and some students wanted him to show them his energy blasting. Wyatt was always standing in the front. Chris still didn't get why he needed to come into his powers, anyway. Wyatt could fight the demons alone.

"I only have one question. Did you put anything else in that potion to make it blue? It's not bad if you did, but I could tell Mrs O'Connor then so she can stop the research."

"No, I didn't. It just turned blue, because I'm too stupid to make a fucking potion. Just like it is with the sensing. Maybe I'm just a loser."

"You are not a loser," Leo protested. "What nonsense!"

"Dad's right! You go to school to learn how to use your powers, you don't have to be perfect in it. Moreover, you were good at the spells."

"Yeah, I managed to rhyme two words."

"Wyatt, you can go home, okay? You have free day tomorrow."

Wyatt stood up. He hoped his father was not going to scold Chris because he hadn't done well today in the classes.

Leo waited for Wyatt to close the door. He came out from behind his desk and leant against it. He and Piper had once decided to only tell Chris about his future self if they felt it was absolutely necessary. Leo was alone now, so it was up to him to decide when it was absolutely necessary. He wouldn't tell him that Wyatt had been evil, but he needed Chris to know that he was a great person and a powerful witch, so he would be motivated to learn more.

"Chris, almost 16 years ago a young man appeared in the Manor. He told us he was from the future and wanted to rescue his family. It is not important what the danger was that he wanted to stop. What's important is that he was a really determined young witchlighter with great powers and a great personality. And we were all really devastated when he left us. But now we know that he succeeded. He rescued his family and the whole world."

"And why are you telling me this?"

"Because, this young man also felt like he was weak and not good enough. He had low self-confidence and an inferiority complex with respect to his older brother."

"Why haven't you ever mentioned him before since he was so great?"

"Because, Chris, that man was you. Me and your mom didn't want to confuse you by telling you it."

Chris frowned. "Me?"

"Yes, a 22 year old you. But it was you. You rescued your family. You came to make the world what it is now. A safe place."

Chris wasn't sure, what to think about this information. "But it seems like I made a mistake. Why couldn't I save mom?"

"You tried. But there are just things that are not supposed to be changed."

Chris avoided his father stare. Why didn't his father just say it? Chris failed. Like always.

Leo noticed his son's face fall. He had intended to motivate Chris not make him feel even worse. "It's not your fault, Chris, that your mom had to die. You did great. You always gave your best and that's all that matters. And maybe, we can't see it right now, but she didn't die for nothing. Destiny made this happen to smooth the way for something else. Your Aunt Prue had to die to make Paige one of the Charmed Ones. Because only with her were they able to win the battles they had to fight."

"When one door closes another opens. Is that it?"

Leo smirked. "That's it."

"Grandpa told me Grandma Patty always said so."

Leo only nodded.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned grandpa," Chris said.

"No, no! It's okay. I know, how much you and Victor mean to each other. I really don't want to change that."

"But you mean just as much to me as grandpa does and I know that you don't like grandpa."

"I like your grandpa," Leo replied. 'Like' maybe was a too strong word. "Sometimes we just don't agree though. But that has nothing to do with you. We are both here for you. It doesn't matter who you want to talk to or be with."

Chris nodded. "Can I go now, too?"

"Yeah, sure."

Chris stood up. "Dad, what was this danger I wanted to protect my family from?"

Leo sighed. "I'll tell you some other time, okay? The important thing is that you stopped it."

Chris shrugged. When you're the youngest in the family, that's a sentence you hear all the time. You'll learn later. I'll tell you some other time. You'll know when you're older.

Chris opened the door but turned around once more. "Dad, it was good to talk, you know."

Leo smiled at him. "Yes it was. We should do it more often."

"Yeah. You should talk to Wyatt, too. I don't know why he's angry, but it would be good if the three of us could be not angry at each other for once."

Now we come to the magic including chapters. I hope you liked it! Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far. Keep it coming. I really appreciate it!