Author's note: Wow, I'm actually going to do things close together this
time! Ok I have a feeling that this chapter and the next are going to bore
some people, since its stuff many HP fans already know, however, being that
this is also an X-Files story and there might be some Philes out there who
do not have a clue about Harry Potter.
Bally: Hahaha I'm working on the Remus/Rupert shindig! Though I don't think I'm going to set it in England, since I want to work with Buffy and gang. I'm hoping to get the first chapter out perhaps in early may, though pretty soon I'm gonna have to stop writing and start studying for exams. Pooh.
MegumiFuu, Madelaine, Tidmag, Sarah: Thank you for your reviews! I love it when you review even if you just say "Great chapter". It strokes my ego. Ego stroking means more chapters faster.
Animagus-Steph, Orange, and DrM: The Kintner girl is actually named after my best friend Ms Snape. You get to see more of Stephanie Kintner in this chapter. I like her as a character. She's helpful. I've looked back and realized that no one will be able to figure out such an obscure reference to "Kintner" without some reference to shark attacks to go along with it. I got the name from the movie Jaws. The Kintner boy was the boy killed on the 4th of July. Then his mom slapped Chief Brody. I've seen Jaws one too many times.
Yadda: Thank you! That was like one of the best reviews I have ever received. I'm glad you think that I stay in character (Though I make Mulder to be more of an ass than he really is. Truth is that I don't like Mulder all that much he grates my nerves. I also had to do it to contrast something that's gonna happen in one of the upcoming chapters…And I have said too much)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I'm a poor college student. If you try to sue me all you will get is stolen ballpoint pens and pocket lint.
Ok enough of this hootenanny! On with the fic!
Instinct
Chapter 9: Wingardium Leviosa
Mulder and Scully both turned and glared/blinked expectantly at Lupin and Black.
"Eh, Agent Mulder, Agent Scully…"
"You're British wizards?" Stephanie interjected excitedly, "did you go to Hogwarts? Oh I've always wanted to go there!"
Sirius grinned at the girl, "Class of '76."
"Oh my god that is so cool!" The girl giggled some before catching herself. She blushed a bit before her eyes lit up with what was obviously a new idea. "Hey, maybe you know the person that I'm doing my college entrance essay on! Did you know Remus Lupin?"
Black's grin grew mischievous, "I should like to think I know him, he's standing next to me."
Lupin had an utterly confused look on his face, "Wha..?"
"Mr. Lupin it's an honor sir!" Stephanie jumped forward, shaking Lupin's hand.
"You're…writing a paper…on me?"
"Of course! You started a major political debate in America, or rather, your year of teaching at Hogwarts School before your lycanthropy became widely known. I've been following all this very closely, it's fascinating!"
Lupin still looked confused, but not quite as confused as the two FBI agents. "What," Mulder asked, "Is a 'Muggle'."
"Oh well there is a rather extensive world you don't know about where magic exists…" Black said offhandedly, as if it were common knowledge.
"What?" Scully finally found her voice, "Magic? Nonsense…"
"You said the same thing about werewolves 2 weeks ago…" Black rationalized. "Magic is how I was able to help you with Remus. We'll explain in detail later."
"So the agents are muggles? What are you investigating?" Stephanie asked as her mother came back into the living room.
"A werewolf has been disturbing the forest." Mulder said, plainly not happy with the way things were going.
"But we know it wasn't me." Lupin added quickly.
Mrs. Kintner nodded, "So then, what does this have to do with us?"
"Well, Mrs. Kintner," Scully began, "We are asking all the people who have moved recently to the area if they have been ill over the past few months. According to your neighbors you and your daughter moved to Ithaca 5 months ago, around the same time the werewolf first started appearing."
Mrs. Kintner's eyes narrowed, her jaw setting as she listened, "I think I know where this is going. My daughter and I are not some foul beasts."
"Mom! Please, Mr. Lupin is a werewolf. You're going to…"
"I know full and well what he is, Stephanie; a trouble maker. Friend of mass murderers and other monsters." Both Lupin and Black flinched.
"Mother, this is hardly the time for your out dated and stupid prejudices against a species of humans who had no choice in their mutation."
"Stephanie, go to your room."
"But Mom…"
"Now!" Mrs. Kintner watched as her daughter stormed off upstairs before turning her glare to the agents and wizards. "And as for the four of you…How dare you come in here acusing myself and my daughter of being…"
"Mrs. Kintner, if you would please listen." Scully said calmly, "We are not accusing your family of anything, we are only trying to carry out an investigation. We only wanted your help."
"Well unless you can produce a warrant or a supeina or something then you will not be getting my help!" Mrs. Kintner fumed, "And as for two of you," she said darkly to Lupin and Black, in a low tone that would make AD Skinner squirm uncomfortably, "Get out of my house!"
Rather than cause a bigger scene and agitate the Kintner woman further, Mulder and Scully bid her thanks before leaving with a very quiet Lupin and Black following. Once they were back to the car Mulder's patience broke. "Right you two, just what the hell is going on here? First your little alias, Black, then all this talk about wizards and magic?"
"Agent Mulder, please calm down, Sirius and I can explain…" Lupin said, hands raised slightly in a defensive gesture.
"Then. Explain."
"Not here though…" Black added, getting in the car, "Back at the Watch House. Where we'd have some privacy.
Mulder frowned and looked at Scully as the two "wizards" got into the car. "Well?"
"Lets just get in the car, Mulder, and let them explain…if they even have an explanation."
They arrived at the Watch House just in time to turn away some regular customers to which Black explained he was still on vacation. Once inside, Mulder wasted no time in cutting to the chase. "Alright, what happened back there?"
Lupin blinked at Black before pulling a long wooden stick from his pocket and setting it on the table while Black headed up stairs. "This," Lupin began, "Is a magic wand. Mine, to be exact. Before you say anything let me explain that what Sirius and I show you cannot make its way into your field report."
"Like hell this isn't going into the field report!" yelled Mulder.
"You don't understand. Even if it does make it's way into your field report it would disappear." Lupin explained calmly. "There are measures in place to remove anything about magic from muggle, or non magic, awareness."
"So you're saying there is a conspiracy to cover the truth about magic?" Scully asked trying to sort things out in her mind.
"A world wide conspiracy," Black cut in from the top of the stairs. Behind him he was dragging an ornate trunk. "Moony, can you toss me your wand?"
Lupin picked the wooden stick off the table and tossed it upstairs. Black caught it deftly and turned back to the trunk.
Mulder sighed, "Alright. Wizards, magic, why haven't I run across this yet? Our entire department in the FBI is there to investigate cases with no explanation, like conspiracies. I've been doing this for 5 years and I have never heard or seen any of this."
Scully nodded, she had the same thoughts, "And by magic, do you mean something practical? Like Wicca?"
Black blinked downstairs, standing at the top of the stairwell with wand in hand, "Wicca? No, no, not like that. Wicca is a religion, and a muggle practice for the most part. Wizardry is a practice. Here, I'll demonstrate."
Black turned to the trunk, made a gesture with the wand and said, in a clear voice, "Wingardium Leviosa."
Muder's and Scully's eyes widened as the trunk raised up off the ground and, under Black's guidance, floated downstairs.
Mulder shifted on his feet and Scully could tell his mind was working rapidly. Scully stood quiet until Black arrived on the ground floor. She walked over and looked at the trunk.
"Go ahead…examine it." Black said. He flicked the wand and the trunk raised higher. Scully held a little gasp in before letting herself go into full scientist mode. She ran her hand under the trunk and all around.
"Nothing is supporting this." She said, in slight awe of the situation, "Its just…floating. Mulder?"
Much of the animosity had drained from Mulder's face as he turned to Lupin. "Show us more."
Over the course of the next hour, Black and Lupin showed the agents many magical feats. Lupin would show Mulder and Scully the numerous book s and artifacts from the trunk while Black would demonstrate charms, hexes, and spells with the wand. Mulder was fascinated with an object called a Sneakoscope. Lupin explained that the tiny glass ball could tell if someone was being truthful, and to demonstrate, black exclaimed, "My best friend is Severus Snape and I love him so much!" The sneakoscope suddenly started whirling and whistling. Black shudder a bit, "I feel very dirty now…"
"I could really sue one of these…" Mulder sighed, setting the sneakoscope back in the trunk.
Scully was thumbing through a leather bound book on potions. "This is amazing. It's like chemistry, biology, and cooking all rolled into one subject." She sat the potions text down and lifted up a transfiguration text. "Where…Where do you learn all of this?"
"The boarding school I told you about, Agent Scully, is one of the oldest and most predominant schools of wizardry in the world. Students there learn about potions, herbology, charms, transfiguration, astronomy, divination, runes, history and, the subject I taught, defense against the dark arts."
"What about other classes, like literature or civics or mathematics?"
Black shook his head, "We learned those things in grammer school. If you live in the wizarding world it's not really necessary."
Scully looked back at the transfiguration book. "Inanimate to animate? Human transfiguration? I guess the myth about witches turning into cats is true…"
"Actually," Black began, a wicked sort of smile on his face, "You don't get to choose the animal you transform into. Some people do turn into cats…but others, well, just watch."
Black winked cheekily and a small pop and flash of smoke later, a very large black dog stood in Black's place, panting slightly and doggy smiling widely.
Mulder and Scully shared a slightly bewildered look. While, yes, they had seen things similar to this in the past, the manner in which they saw it and would later explain it was very different. Mulder was the first to speak up, "Can all wizards do this?"
Lupin shook his head, "No. The process of becoming an animagi, or a shape shifter, is a long, difficult and rather dangerous process. Many people that attempt it end up horridly transfigured. Some times they become stuck in their animal form or, in even worse cases, remain partially transformed. Because of this, wizarding governments have put all sorts of restrictions over who can and cannot attempt the process and all the people who do complete the transfiguration successfully are supposed to register with the government.
Scully kneeled by Sirius' dog form, examining him, the analytical part of her brain working overtime in a futile effort to disprove everything she had seen. The whole concept of magic like this seemed ridiculous. Scully felt something cold and wet press up against her hand. She looked down at black, who was forcing his muzzle under Scully's hand. Scully smiled, thinking briefly of her dog QueeQueg. She gently scratched behind Black's ears.
"Oh knock it off Padfoot," Lupin sighed. Suddenly Black's canine form left Scully's side and pounced Lupin, who was nearly bowled over by the large dog but was clearly used to it.
Mulder cleared his throat, catching the attention of the two wizards. Black took a few doggy steps away from Lupin before changing back to his human form. "Heh…Sorry. Got carried away…"
"So the dog we saw the night of the full moon was you?" Mulder asked, playing with the sneakoscope again. Scully had resumed her perusal of the trunk.
"Yes it was me. Typically on the nights of the full moons Remus and I will go out to this abandoned trapper's hut we found in the woods and lock ourselves in. I transform into Padfoot, my canine form's nickname, and I'll keep Remus company." Black explained.
"So if you're typically locked up then how did the two of you get out?" Mulder waited expectantly for an answer, tossing the sneakoscope about like a baseball.
"It took us longer than normal to boot out the last customers and close up the bar than it normally does." Black explained, "We were walking through the woods to the shack when Remus started to change. I managed to keep him in control for a while but toward the end of the night he went wild, darting off. It was all I could do to keep up."
Lupin had a sad guilty sort of look. Scully noticed and felt bad for him, but shrugged and looked back down at the trunk. "This thing has more space then Mary Poppins' bag…" She said out loud to herself while pulling out a stack of newspapers. Each had the title "The Daily Prophet" and dates ranging from recent to 1981. She thumbed through the headlines. Some were familiar like "Muggle Cold War Ends" or "John Lenin Murdered", but others were very different: "Boy Who Lived: Hogwarts Champion", "Scenes of Terror at the Quidditch World Cup!", "Black Escapes Again! DADA Professor a Werewolf", "Sirius Black Escapes Azkaban", "Boy Who Lived Defeats You-Know- Who Again". There was an abrupt age gap in the interesting papers, the next interesting headlines were dated 1981: "Black For Life in Azkaban", "Sirius Black Traitor", "You-Know-Who Defeated by One-Year-Old Boy".
Scully blinked trying to comprehend what all this meant. She looked up at Black and Lupin, who were trying to explain some sort of ball game to Mulder. She cleared her throat and caught their attention. "Uhm, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin? What happened in 1981? What is 'Azkaban'?"
Bally: Hahaha I'm working on the Remus/Rupert shindig! Though I don't think I'm going to set it in England, since I want to work with Buffy and gang. I'm hoping to get the first chapter out perhaps in early may, though pretty soon I'm gonna have to stop writing and start studying for exams. Pooh.
MegumiFuu, Madelaine, Tidmag, Sarah: Thank you for your reviews! I love it when you review even if you just say "Great chapter". It strokes my ego. Ego stroking means more chapters faster.
Animagus-Steph, Orange, and DrM: The Kintner girl is actually named after my best friend Ms Snape. You get to see more of Stephanie Kintner in this chapter. I like her as a character. She's helpful. I've looked back and realized that no one will be able to figure out such an obscure reference to "Kintner" without some reference to shark attacks to go along with it. I got the name from the movie Jaws. The Kintner boy was the boy killed on the 4th of July. Then his mom slapped Chief Brody. I've seen Jaws one too many times.
Yadda: Thank you! That was like one of the best reviews I have ever received. I'm glad you think that I stay in character (Though I make Mulder to be more of an ass than he really is. Truth is that I don't like Mulder all that much he grates my nerves. I also had to do it to contrast something that's gonna happen in one of the upcoming chapters…And I have said too much)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I'm a poor college student. If you try to sue me all you will get is stolen ballpoint pens and pocket lint.
Ok enough of this hootenanny! On with the fic!
Instinct
Chapter 9: Wingardium Leviosa
Mulder and Scully both turned and glared/blinked expectantly at Lupin and Black.
"Eh, Agent Mulder, Agent Scully…"
"You're British wizards?" Stephanie interjected excitedly, "did you go to Hogwarts? Oh I've always wanted to go there!"
Sirius grinned at the girl, "Class of '76."
"Oh my god that is so cool!" The girl giggled some before catching herself. She blushed a bit before her eyes lit up with what was obviously a new idea. "Hey, maybe you know the person that I'm doing my college entrance essay on! Did you know Remus Lupin?"
Black's grin grew mischievous, "I should like to think I know him, he's standing next to me."
Lupin had an utterly confused look on his face, "Wha..?"
"Mr. Lupin it's an honor sir!" Stephanie jumped forward, shaking Lupin's hand.
"You're…writing a paper…on me?"
"Of course! You started a major political debate in America, or rather, your year of teaching at Hogwarts School before your lycanthropy became widely known. I've been following all this very closely, it's fascinating!"
Lupin still looked confused, but not quite as confused as the two FBI agents. "What," Mulder asked, "Is a 'Muggle'."
"Oh well there is a rather extensive world you don't know about where magic exists…" Black said offhandedly, as if it were common knowledge.
"What?" Scully finally found her voice, "Magic? Nonsense…"
"You said the same thing about werewolves 2 weeks ago…" Black rationalized. "Magic is how I was able to help you with Remus. We'll explain in detail later."
"So the agents are muggles? What are you investigating?" Stephanie asked as her mother came back into the living room.
"A werewolf has been disturbing the forest." Mulder said, plainly not happy with the way things were going.
"But we know it wasn't me." Lupin added quickly.
Mrs. Kintner nodded, "So then, what does this have to do with us?"
"Well, Mrs. Kintner," Scully began, "We are asking all the people who have moved recently to the area if they have been ill over the past few months. According to your neighbors you and your daughter moved to Ithaca 5 months ago, around the same time the werewolf first started appearing."
Mrs. Kintner's eyes narrowed, her jaw setting as she listened, "I think I know where this is going. My daughter and I are not some foul beasts."
"Mom! Please, Mr. Lupin is a werewolf. You're going to…"
"I know full and well what he is, Stephanie; a trouble maker. Friend of mass murderers and other monsters." Both Lupin and Black flinched.
"Mother, this is hardly the time for your out dated and stupid prejudices against a species of humans who had no choice in their mutation."
"Stephanie, go to your room."
"But Mom…"
"Now!" Mrs. Kintner watched as her daughter stormed off upstairs before turning her glare to the agents and wizards. "And as for the four of you…How dare you come in here acusing myself and my daughter of being…"
"Mrs. Kintner, if you would please listen." Scully said calmly, "We are not accusing your family of anything, we are only trying to carry out an investigation. We only wanted your help."
"Well unless you can produce a warrant or a supeina or something then you will not be getting my help!" Mrs. Kintner fumed, "And as for two of you," she said darkly to Lupin and Black, in a low tone that would make AD Skinner squirm uncomfortably, "Get out of my house!"
Rather than cause a bigger scene and agitate the Kintner woman further, Mulder and Scully bid her thanks before leaving with a very quiet Lupin and Black following. Once they were back to the car Mulder's patience broke. "Right you two, just what the hell is going on here? First your little alias, Black, then all this talk about wizards and magic?"
"Agent Mulder, please calm down, Sirius and I can explain…" Lupin said, hands raised slightly in a defensive gesture.
"Then. Explain."
"Not here though…" Black added, getting in the car, "Back at the Watch House. Where we'd have some privacy.
Mulder frowned and looked at Scully as the two "wizards" got into the car. "Well?"
"Lets just get in the car, Mulder, and let them explain…if they even have an explanation."
They arrived at the Watch House just in time to turn away some regular customers to which Black explained he was still on vacation. Once inside, Mulder wasted no time in cutting to the chase. "Alright, what happened back there?"
Lupin blinked at Black before pulling a long wooden stick from his pocket and setting it on the table while Black headed up stairs. "This," Lupin began, "Is a magic wand. Mine, to be exact. Before you say anything let me explain that what Sirius and I show you cannot make its way into your field report."
"Like hell this isn't going into the field report!" yelled Mulder.
"You don't understand. Even if it does make it's way into your field report it would disappear." Lupin explained calmly. "There are measures in place to remove anything about magic from muggle, or non magic, awareness."
"So you're saying there is a conspiracy to cover the truth about magic?" Scully asked trying to sort things out in her mind.
"A world wide conspiracy," Black cut in from the top of the stairs. Behind him he was dragging an ornate trunk. "Moony, can you toss me your wand?"
Lupin picked the wooden stick off the table and tossed it upstairs. Black caught it deftly and turned back to the trunk.
Mulder sighed, "Alright. Wizards, magic, why haven't I run across this yet? Our entire department in the FBI is there to investigate cases with no explanation, like conspiracies. I've been doing this for 5 years and I have never heard or seen any of this."
Scully nodded, she had the same thoughts, "And by magic, do you mean something practical? Like Wicca?"
Black blinked downstairs, standing at the top of the stairwell with wand in hand, "Wicca? No, no, not like that. Wicca is a religion, and a muggle practice for the most part. Wizardry is a practice. Here, I'll demonstrate."
Black turned to the trunk, made a gesture with the wand and said, in a clear voice, "Wingardium Leviosa."
Muder's and Scully's eyes widened as the trunk raised up off the ground and, under Black's guidance, floated downstairs.
Mulder shifted on his feet and Scully could tell his mind was working rapidly. Scully stood quiet until Black arrived on the ground floor. She walked over and looked at the trunk.
"Go ahead…examine it." Black said. He flicked the wand and the trunk raised higher. Scully held a little gasp in before letting herself go into full scientist mode. She ran her hand under the trunk and all around.
"Nothing is supporting this." She said, in slight awe of the situation, "Its just…floating. Mulder?"
Much of the animosity had drained from Mulder's face as he turned to Lupin. "Show us more."
Over the course of the next hour, Black and Lupin showed the agents many magical feats. Lupin would show Mulder and Scully the numerous book s and artifacts from the trunk while Black would demonstrate charms, hexes, and spells with the wand. Mulder was fascinated with an object called a Sneakoscope. Lupin explained that the tiny glass ball could tell if someone was being truthful, and to demonstrate, black exclaimed, "My best friend is Severus Snape and I love him so much!" The sneakoscope suddenly started whirling and whistling. Black shudder a bit, "I feel very dirty now…"
"I could really sue one of these…" Mulder sighed, setting the sneakoscope back in the trunk.
Scully was thumbing through a leather bound book on potions. "This is amazing. It's like chemistry, biology, and cooking all rolled into one subject." She sat the potions text down and lifted up a transfiguration text. "Where…Where do you learn all of this?"
"The boarding school I told you about, Agent Scully, is one of the oldest and most predominant schools of wizardry in the world. Students there learn about potions, herbology, charms, transfiguration, astronomy, divination, runes, history and, the subject I taught, defense against the dark arts."
"What about other classes, like literature or civics or mathematics?"
Black shook his head, "We learned those things in grammer school. If you live in the wizarding world it's not really necessary."
Scully looked back at the transfiguration book. "Inanimate to animate? Human transfiguration? I guess the myth about witches turning into cats is true…"
"Actually," Black began, a wicked sort of smile on his face, "You don't get to choose the animal you transform into. Some people do turn into cats…but others, well, just watch."
Black winked cheekily and a small pop and flash of smoke later, a very large black dog stood in Black's place, panting slightly and doggy smiling widely.
Mulder and Scully shared a slightly bewildered look. While, yes, they had seen things similar to this in the past, the manner in which they saw it and would later explain it was very different. Mulder was the first to speak up, "Can all wizards do this?"
Lupin shook his head, "No. The process of becoming an animagi, or a shape shifter, is a long, difficult and rather dangerous process. Many people that attempt it end up horridly transfigured. Some times they become stuck in their animal form or, in even worse cases, remain partially transformed. Because of this, wizarding governments have put all sorts of restrictions over who can and cannot attempt the process and all the people who do complete the transfiguration successfully are supposed to register with the government.
Scully kneeled by Sirius' dog form, examining him, the analytical part of her brain working overtime in a futile effort to disprove everything she had seen. The whole concept of magic like this seemed ridiculous. Scully felt something cold and wet press up against her hand. She looked down at black, who was forcing his muzzle under Scully's hand. Scully smiled, thinking briefly of her dog QueeQueg. She gently scratched behind Black's ears.
"Oh knock it off Padfoot," Lupin sighed. Suddenly Black's canine form left Scully's side and pounced Lupin, who was nearly bowled over by the large dog but was clearly used to it.
Mulder cleared his throat, catching the attention of the two wizards. Black took a few doggy steps away from Lupin before changing back to his human form. "Heh…Sorry. Got carried away…"
"So the dog we saw the night of the full moon was you?" Mulder asked, playing with the sneakoscope again. Scully had resumed her perusal of the trunk.
"Yes it was me. Typically on the nights of the full moons Remus and I will go out to this abandoned trapper's hut we found in the woods and lock ourselves in. I transform into Padfoot, my canine form's nickname, and I'll keep Remus company." Black explained.
"So if you're typically locked up then how did the two of you get out?" Mulder waited expectantly for an answer, tossing the sneakoscope about like a baseball.
"It took us longer than normal to boot out the last customers and close up the bar than it normally does." Black explained, "We were walking through the woods to the shack when Remus started to change. I managed to keep him in control for a while but toward the end of the night he went wild, darting off. It was all I could do to keep up."
Lupin had a sad guilty sort of look. Scully noticed and felt bad for him, but shrugged and looked back down at the trunk. "This thing has more space then Mary Poppins' bag…" She said out loud to herself while pulling out a stack of newspapers. Each had the title "The Daily Prophet" and dates ranging from recent to 1981. She thumbed through the headlines. Some were familiar like "Muggle Cold War Ends" or "John Lenin Murdered", but others were very different: "Boy Who Lived: Hogwarts Champion", "Scenes of Terror at the Quidditch World Cup!", "Black Escapes Again! DADA Professor a Werewolf", "Sirius Black Escapes Azkaban", "Boy Who Lived Defeats You-Know- Who Again". There was an abrupt age gap in the interesting papers, the next interesting headlines were dated 1981: "Black For Life in Azkaban", "Sirius Black Traitor", "You-Know-Who Defeated by One-Year-Old Boy".
Scully blinked trying to comprehend what all this meant. She looked up at Black and Lupin, who were trying to explain some sort of ball game to Mulder. She cleared her throat and caught their attention. "Uhm, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin? What happened in 1981? What is 'Azkaban'?"