The rights to Rex Milligan belong to the late Anthony Buckeridge. Those to Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling. Those to the Dana girls, Linda Craig and others to the Stratemeyer Syndicate. Death in Paradise and Doctor Who are owned by the BBC. Those to the Tudors are held by Showtime Entertainment, although I am using characters that were all genuine historical people. Other rights belong to Marvel Comics, DC Comics/Warner Brothers/Hanna-Barbera, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, Disney, Jim Butcher, Susan Cooper, Joss Whedon, the estates of the late Terrance Dicks, the late PL Travers, the late Enid Blyton, the late Charles Addams, the late Malcolm Saville, the late Ian Fleming and more. I own nothing and make claim to the same nothing.

The Champs-Elysees, July 2020

"It was good of you to meet up with me in Paris, Hermione. I know that you live in the United States now…"

"A portal or a portkey can get me here in a trice, Florence. I thought that you would like to see your goddaughter. Little Hope sees her other godparents in person all the time, but usually only sees you over Skype.

"With little Sachin only a few months old, Pads is on maternity leave, so she can look after Hope when I am in the office. I only work three days a week now and heading the International Commission for the Protection of House-Elves never feels like work in any case. With Ron heading Magical Interpol from the same building, I get to spend plenty of time with him and then we go back home to Pads, Hope and Sachin.

"That's enough about me. How are you getting on after...?"

Florence Cassell, previously of the Saint Marie police force, sighed. "My fiancé being murdered and me being shot?! Patrice and I may have only been together for a short time, but I did love him, and it hurts!

"I couldn't stay on Saint Marie, Hermione, not after… After spending a year or so in Martinique with my family, I came over here a couple of weeks ago to catch up with Camille. With Jack and Siobhan back in London, and Humphrey Goodman due to marry Martha Lloyd there next month, I shall be heading over La Manche for that. After that, who knows?"

"Ron is looking for Muggles with knowledge of the Wizard world and experience in law enforcement to join Magical Interpol, Florence. You fit the bill perfectly!

"If you are interested, we could find a nice apartment for you and the salary would be good."

"That sounds wonderful, Hermione! Merci beaucoup!"

Hermione Weasley chuckled. Ever since she and Florence had been abducted by a Muggle crime lord on Saint Marie almost exactly two years previously, they had been firm friends. Being effectively raped by the late unlamented Mr Gallia was awful, but I got a beautiful daughter and some true friends out of the experience.

Florence was almost a decade her junior, but mages age at a much slower rate than the norm, so the two ladies looked about the same age. In the cosmopolitan bustle of contemporary Paris, Florence's mixed-race Franco-Caribbean appearance was not a matter of much comment. Hermione wondered whether Wizard Paris would be as accommodating of a non-magique. Pureblood Supremacists don't care how gorgeous a non-magical person is…

Padma Patil-Weasley came up to Hermione and Florence's table, placing the pram she was pushing next to Hope's pushchair. Since discovering that she was the mutual second soulmate of both Ron and Hermione nearly a year earlier, she had fitted into the family well. Her four-month old son Sachin and was slumbering in the pram and pushchair sections. Whilst Hope was the biological offspring of Hermione's rapist, she had been adopted by Ron and was loved by the whole family. Padma sat down at the table outside the Parisian café and ordered a cafe au lait and a croissant.

"Bonjour, Florence! How is Parisian life suiting you?"

"Bonjour, Padma! Very well, thank you. How is parenthood suiting you?"

"It has been a change, certainly, but I love being a Mum. Ron and Hermione have been the pillars of strength that they both always are.

"Speaking of Ron, he should be here shortly, once he has arranged for an American dark wizard to be deported from France to the United States to stand trial for money laundering. Thankfully, that isn't a capital crime even in No-Maj America, so there shouldn't be a problem. The White Council agreeing to respect the Wizard European Union's prohibition on extraditing criminals who could face the death penalty doesn't always play well with MACUSA."

The Tower of London, the same day.

"Are you sure that you are willing to take the portal, Anne? I am sure that is safe, but…"

"I have been a ghost for a couple of months over 484 years, Rex! Taking a trip to Windsor Castle is not going to kill me now, is it?! As you would say, honestly, I ask you...?

"As long as I only get to see my daughter and not that bloated oaf..." Anne Boleyn decided to spare her friends, living and ghosts alike, a further unflattering description of King Henry VIII.

"So far as I know, only Elizabeth I haunts the library, Anne. At worst, you might get to chat with Charles I or George III, neither of whom were wife-murdering psychopaths in life."

Rex Milligan, the 1950's schoolboy chronicler who was now Muggle Correspondent of The Quibbler, grinned at the spectral form of the unfortunate queen consort. "We shall be with you in any case. I take it that her aunt, uncle and third stepmother at least shall be coming too?"

"Yes, and Jane and Guildford Dudley too," Anne agreed happily. "They are old friends of Elizabeth's, and relatively close kin in Jane's case.

"Jane Grey-Dudley, do you mind answering to Janey? If we call Jane Boleyn that, I could just imagine my dear brother driving us all mad with it.

"Ned, I leave you to ensure the Tower's ghosts stay at least somewhat under control."

"Of course, Anne," Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, responded. "Although George Boleyn and Katherine Howard are amongst the worst offenders and are going with you."

"Don't remind me!" Anne hugged her fellow ghost. "Now I get to see my daughter for the first time in over 450 years…"

Rex was accompanied by his wife Louise Milligan nee Dana, their adopted daughter Harriet (the elder paternal half-sister of Hope Weasley), Louise's younger sister Jean Dana-Craig and her wife Linda. In addition, Luna, Rolf, Lorcan and Lysander Scamander were present, alongside the other four former young adventurers that formed the Paranormal Investigations Bureau, Jon and Penny Warrender, George Jones nee Kirrin and Jigger Johnson. George's husband Jupiter and Jigger's wife Velma nee Dinkley, alongside the rest of the Three Investigators and Mystery Inc, were also amongst them. Since all the former young adventurers had access to Sherlock Holmes' elixir vitae the Royal Jelly Honey, one would never guess that the youngest of them, Linda Craig, was well into her sixties.

At a touch of a button, a mirror glowed white and Luna led the party through to the main library at Windsor Castle. A ghostly figure was standing there. She was wearing a French hood and was facing the bookcases opposite the portal.

"Elizabeth!" Anne cried out in delight. "It is good to see you again…"

"I'm sorry, Lady Anne, but my half-sister is currently next door," the ghost replied, turning around to reveal the face of Mary I. "After we reconciled post-mortem, we decided to share the same haunts, literally! Papa prefers the Great Staircase, although George III visits from time to time. We have no quarrel with him or Charles I, although the latter does occasionally complain about Bess having his grandmother Mary executed. Well, I would have done the same in the circumstances, but Bess and I do see why her grandson might not be best pleased.

"In any event, my dear stepmother, I shall fetch Bess for you. I no more want to spend time with you than you do with me…"

"Lady Mary – no, Queen Mary, I am sorry for not speaking up on you and your mother's behalf with your father. You didn't deserve to go from a Princess to a bastard forced to wait upon your baby sister and your mother deserved better than to be packed off to a draughty remote castle to die. If I had done more…"

"Once Papa gets something into his head, nothing can change it," the queen sighed. "I wasn't treated any better for a few months after your death. That blasted Oath…!

"You were beheaded on trumped-up charges when he tired of you. If anything, Mama and I got off lightly!"

"Good morrow to ye, Mary."

"Oh, good morrow to ye, Bess. Meet your mother…"

"Mama!" exclaimed Queen Elizabeth I, having walked through a wall. "How did…"

"We came through yonder portal," Anne laughed, embracing her daughter. "Thank our friends here for recalibrating it to allow the dead as well as the living to take them."

"I will.

"What about a portal to Kimbolton Castle? Mary should see her Mama too…"

"Bess…"

"No, sister, you should get to see your mother again too. It is only fair…"

"Thank you, Bess. I…" Mary trailed off, seeing Lady Jane Grey and her husband. "Oh! I'm sorry…"

"You never meant to have us both beheaded, Cousin Mary?" Jane asked. "Guildford and I blame our fathers for our deaths. As you said about Mary, Queen of Scots, in the circumstances you did the only thing that you could do. We both forgive you, if that helps you forgive yourself."

"We Tudors were terrible relatives," Mary sighed.

"I thank you, Cousin Jane, Lord Guildford. Your kindness is more than I deserved.

"Now, I have another stepmother to greet, the one who was younger than me. I love my Papa, but he could be an idiot! Who in their right mind believes that a teenager could be in love with an obese man of fifty with an ulcerous leg?!

"Not that that excused poor Katherine's adultery. Even so…"

"I never actually slept with Thomas Culpepper," Katherine Howard sighed. "Yes, I would have married him if I had outlived your father. Unfortunately, someone discovered that Henry wasn't my first and then everything spiralled out of control.

"In any event, it is good to see you again, Mary. You too, Bessie!"

Ron had just finished hugging Florence after kissing his wives very thoroughly indeed. "It is really good to see you again, Florence."

"You too, Ron!

"By the way, Hermione mentioned that you may have a job opportunity for me. Where do I submit my application to?"

"Do you have a notice period for your current job?"

"I'm between job currently, Ron. The Saint Marie police department says that I always have a job with them, but I'm far from ready to return to where Patrice and I…" She broke down into tears. Hermione pulled her into a firm embrace.

"Florence Cassell, welcome to Magical Interpol!"

"Thank you, Ron. When do I start?"

"Whenever you are willing and able to do so."

"Would in about four to six weeks be acceptable? I have a few engagements both here and in London first."

"Of course!"

"Merci beaucoup! I…"

Florence was interrupted by the appearance of a gaunt spectre in what looked like monastic robes, although Ron, Hermione and Padma recognised them as antiquated wizard ones. "Quittez ces rues à la fois! Les Chevaliers de Walpurgis sont de retour!"

"The Knights of Walpurgis?!" Hermione asked wide-eyed. "What on earth is going on?!

"Florence, the Knights of Walpurgis are an old group of Pureblood Supremacists, who believed that magic should be reserved only for those of magical descent on both sides. By all accounts, the Knights ceased to operate some decades ago and were absorbed into other terrorist groups, including the so-called Death Eaters of the self-styled Lord Voldemort. Thanks to Harry Potter, Voldemort is no more and the Death Eaters effectively disbanded."

"More to the point, Hermione," Padma asked, "why is a ghost warning everyone, magical and muggle alike, to leave the streets of Central Paris because they are back? Why publicise it openly in a non-magique part of the city? The Statute of Secrecy could be shattered by this! We need to speak to the White Council…"

"Let's contact Harry Muggle-style!" Ron said with a smile. He produced a mobile phone and selected Harry Potter from his Contacts' list. "Hi, Harry. Something weird has come up. We shall need urgent assistance…"

Auror Department, Ministry of Magic

Harry put down his mobile. He produced a mirror from his pocket, then tapped it with his wand and clearly intoned "Luna Scamander." His reflection was quickly replaced by the familiar dirty blonde hair and protuberant blue eyes of his old friend. "Hi Luna. We have a situation. Is Rex with you please?"

"Yes, Harry, he is. I'll call him for you. Is it the Nargles?"

"A ghost in wizard robes has been terrorising non-magique Paris, whilst openly mentioning the Knights of Walpurgis. I was thinking that Rex might know a French phantom or two for possible undercover work…

"Are you at the Tower of London or Windsor Castle?"

"Kimbolton Castle, Harry. Unbeknownst to us, both Henry VIII's daughters haunt the Windsor Castle library. We are halfway to a full set of the Six Wives. Perhaps we should go for the full house, so to speak?"

"Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn are in the same room?!"

"Why, yes, Harry. All seems very amicable so far. Anne apologised for her part in the King's Great Matter, which her predecessor accepted. They are now bemoaning their unfortunate taste in men. I am also learning some rather interesting details about Henry's shortcomings in the marital bed, which Katherine Howard is also providing input into. This is proving both informative and entertaining."

"I am sure. As interesting as 16th Century Gossip must be, however, the situation in Paris is happening today. Please ask Rex as to what assistance he might provide."

After listening to Harry, Rex pondered the situation briefly. "Rentaghost would be perfect, if not for the fact that they are currently being hired to act as night security staff.

"We could… Petrified Paintpots! Anne Boleyn speaks French better than any of Rentaghost's current line-up can.

"Anne, how would you and your friends want to join us on an adventure in Paris? We need a ghost with a quick wit and fluent in French to ask about a fraternity of Pureblood Supremacist Dark Wizards. You and your friends would be perfect. Are you up for joining us on a grand week out?"

"Why not, Rex?

"We could make it a family affair. The nine of us ghosts plus Ned Seymour can show what happens when Houses Trastámara, Boleyn, Tudor, Seymour, Howard, Parker, Grey and Dudley work together."

"What about Aragon, mi amigo?!" Linda Dana-Craig asked. Unlike her elder brother Bob, who had the freckled light skin and sandy hair of their Scottish father, she had inherited the olive skin, raven hair and dark eyes of her Hispanic mother. The equestrian sleuth was proud of her Spanish descent and thought that her legendary telepathic understanding with the golden palomino Chica d'Oro was due to their shared Spanish blood.

"I was born the Infanta Catalina Trastámara, mi amigo," Katherine of Aragon answered. "Anne was right about my House.

"To avoid confusion, perhaps I should go by Catalina, as Katherine Howard and I shall keep answering to our mutual Christian name."

"Jinkies! Jane Grey is Janey and Katherine of Aragon is Catalina. Us getting muddled is likely to happen anyway."

"I love Paris!" Daphne Blake cheered as Fred Jones drove the Mystery Machine through an enlarged portal from the Tower of London to UNIT's French base. "We get to solve a mystery and go clothes shopping."

Mary and Elizabeth Tudor, half-sisters and once Queens of England, were in the back. "Tis nearly five centuries since I was last in France," the former mused. "When I was betrothed to the Dauphin at the Field of the Cloth of Gold at the age of four, I pushed him flat on his back when he reacted badly to me kissing his cheek."

"You definitely inherited the Tudor temper as well as the red hair, Mary! I did too, of course."

"I shall refrain from commenting, Bess!"

The respective mothers looked on approvingly. "You know, Anne, that our daughters being close again after Wyatt's Rebellion – which I know Elizabeth didn't support – is hope for us all."

"True.

"I meant every word of my apology, Catalina. My refusal to bed the king unless we were wed doomed us both. It was unfair on you that I encouraged Henry in his Great Matter. I also should have treated Mary as a daughter, as I was the adult and not her.

"How I wish that neither you nor I had ever met that accursed swine Henry!"

"At the price of Mary and Elizabeth not being born? I don't think that I could ever wish that, Anne."

"You are right," Anne sighed. "I wouldn't trade Elizabeth for anything! If my execution was the price to pay for her, then so be it.

"From what Rex tells me, an adventure should be fun! I hope that it brings us all together as a family…"

"As do I, mi amigo."