Spike burst out laughing. "Wizards? You lot? If you're wizards, than I'm a bloody priest!"
"Think it's funny, do you?" Draco challenged, wand in hand.
Spike fell silent at the sight of something pointy and wooden aimed in his direction. "That's not very nice," he protested.
"Put it away, Malfoy," ordered Harry.
Draco didn't move. "What are you going to do about it, Potter?"
Harry stepped forward and revealed his own wand. "I've fought against dragons, basilisks, and an entire fleet of dementors," he replied, losing his patience with Draco. "I've challenged Voldemort face to face every year since I was eleven and lived to tell the tale. Do you really think you stand even the slightest chance against me?"
Draco paused for a moment, then backed down.
"I thought so," said Harry with grim satisfaction.
"Why don't you take his stake away too, while you're at it?" Spike suggested.
"They're not stakes, they're wands," Harry corrected him. "Still," he paused and snatched the wand from Draco's hand, "an excellent idea."
Draco crossed his arms and glowered at Harry, who ignored him.
"How do we know you're really wizards?" Angel questioned, returning to the point of discussion.
"Would you like a demonstration?" asked Harry.
"Please," said Angel.
"As long as no one gets hurt," Wesley added wisely.
Harry waved his wand and produced a bouquet of fresh flowers, which he handed to Fred.
"For me?" Fred was flattered. "Thank you," she added, inhaling the sweet aroma.
Wesley was surprised and taken aback by Harry's apparent forwardness, while Gunn remained skeptical.
"Any phony out on the streets with a top hat and a rabbit can pull a stunt like that," said Gunn. "You got any real magic, or just smoke and mirrors stuff?"
Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Well, er...what would you like to see?"
Gunn shrugged. "Give it your best shot."
Harry thought for a moment before raising his wand. "Petrificus totalis!" he shouted, and Gunn was instantly frozen. The room was silent as he fell to the floor with a thud.
"That is a useful trick," Angel remarked, eyeing Spike thoughtfully.
"Very funny," Spike replied. "I'd ask you to do Angel next," he said to Harry, "but he's already pretty much frozen, isn't he?"
Angel glared. "Whatever," he said. "I think Gunn would appreciate being able to move right about now."
"Oh. Right." Harry waved his wand, and the spell was lifted.
"Whoa," said Gunn. "What was that?"
Harry smiled. "Magic." He twirled his wand once before placing it back in his robe pocket.
"Show-off," Draco sneered.
Angel looked at Spike. "Are you sure you never..." he trailed off.
"Positive," Spike confirmed.
"Right," said Angel. "Just checking."
"So what do we do now?" asked Fred, ever the practical one.
"Well, obviously at least one of them has some magical talent," Wesley replied, "and there is no reason to suspect that they are evil, or that they have anything to do with us at all, for that matter."
"In other words, why can't we just put them on the first flight to Hocus Pocus Academy?" Gunn paraphrased.
"It's called Hogwarts, actually," Harry corrected him. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"And remind me again how you ended up here?" said Angel.
"You'll have to ask him," Harry answered darkly, glaring at Draco.
"What?" Draco wondered, reacting to the expectant stares of everyone in the room. "I didn't do anything."
Harry laughed in disbelief. "Anything besides try to kill me, you mean."
"Did not!" argued Draco. "I only wanted to send you to the hospital wing with a few broken bones. And it's not like you were just standing there. You started it!" he reminded Harry.
"Only because you-"
"Hey!" Angel interrupted him, and both boys fell silent. "This is giving me a headache."
"So basically, neither of you know what happened," Gunn said to Harry and Draco.
"Well, we were dueling," Harry admitted.
Fred's eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Like, with swords?" she asked.
"Of course not," Draco replied haughtily. "What do you think wands are for? Ow!" he exclaimed as Harry elbowed him in the ribs.
"Be polite," Harry hissed. Draco glowered, rubbing his sore ribs.
"So you were dueling," Wesley prompted, attempting to keep them focused, "and then what?"
"Well, I cast a spell-" Harry began to say.
"No, I cast a spell!" Draco interrupted.
"But I remember-"
"It was me."
"No, it was me."
"Me!"
"Me!"
"Will you both bloody shut up?" yelled Spike, who had been sitting silently for a very long time but had finally lost his patience. Everyone else looked at him gratefully. "Is it possible," Spike continued, "that you both cast spells at the same time?"
"Ah," said Harry with a sudden flash of understanding, "so that explains it."
"No it doesn't!" Draco exclaimed. "Are you crazy, or-"
"Hush, Malfoy," Harry said before beginning to explain his theory. "When two spells are cast simultaneously, it can produce some…unusual results."
"You mean this has happened to you before?" asked Angel.
"Only once," Harry admitted. "Last time, it made the other wand undo all of the spells it had previously cast, but that was under very… unique circumstances. Since it was just Draco and me, the combined effect of our spells could have easily-"
"Transported you here," Angel finished.
Harry nodded. "Exactly."
"Well, what are you waiting for, then?" wondered Draco. "I want to go home!"
"We're working on it," replied Angel in the most polite tone he could muster. "Where exactly is this school?"
"Er… I don't know," Harry admitted as sighs of exasperation were heard around the room.
"I do," said Draco smugly.
"What! How?" Harry was shocked.
"My father has-"
"Of course," said Harry. "It was silly of me to think that your father wouldn't know. Even though the location is supposed to be an absolute secret!"
"You're just jealous because your parents are dead!" Draco replied.
Harry was fuming. "Don't you ever talk about my parents," he said threateningly, raising his wand. "Or I'll…"
"Could I speak to you for a moment, Angel?" said Wesley as the boys continued to fight.
"What's the matter?"
"I was just thinking," Wesley explained, "we are obviously dealing with an unprecedented type of magic here. I've never seen or even heard of anything like it before. It might be wise to do some research first, find out their capabilities and limitations, ways they could benefit us, that sort of thing."
"You mean you want to keep them?" asked Angel.
"No, not forever," Wesley said. "But why send them off right away?"
A commotion from the other side of the room cut off any response Angel might have had. Harry and Draco had their wands drawn and were eyeing each other hatefully.
"For the last time," Spike yelled, "put those bloody stakes away!"
Draco seized the moment and quickly cast a spell on Harry, whose robes burst into flames. Fred rushed to grab the fire extinguisher and put out the fire in seconds.
"Thanks," said Harry, still glaring in Draco's direction.
"Don't mention it," Fred replied.
Wesley surveyed Harry's charred robes and the rest of the room, which was covered in white fire-extinguishing powder, then turned back to Angel. "How soon can they leave?"
What's this? I finally updated? Wow! I am the biggest procrastinator in the entire world, as you may have already figured out, and I am very sorry it has taken this long. Thank you for continuing to hold me accountable, and please let me know what you think of this chapter, the story in general, or whatever. Reviews are always much appreciated! Thank you! -Luna
