A/N: Ah! It's another chapter! Yay! I reached my goal of writing two more chapters this Christmas break! Happy New Year everyone! Woo hoo. 2005! Anyway, reviewers…Lady Emerald Black: Thank you! And about my evil plan…well, you'll find that out, but not in this chappy, sorry. UPDTAE!UPDTAE!etc…, Zurine, emily: I'm not that unoriginal, am I? Anyway, you'll find out what she is later.

Now, here's the chapter!

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Chapter Thirty-Six

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"Come on…come on…" Hermione whispered to herself, running a finger over the spines of the books on one of the library shelves. She was looking for a particular volume and it didn't seem to be here, though she knew it had to be, as she had checked it out before. She went to the next row of books and commenced the search. "Ah, here you are," she said when she found the large burgundy hardback. She pulled it off the shelf and headed over to the nearest empty table, putting the book on it and sitting down on the wooden chair.

She flipped through the heavy pages, her eyes searching sub titles until she found what she was looking for. "I knew it! I knew it!" she cried, rushing to the check out desk so that she could show the book to Pepper, Ginny, Harry and Ron. So that they would understand what was happening to them. So that they could fight what was happening and so they could resist the strange new girl.

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Professor Giancarlo had not been able to see Harry or Pepper for their extra Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons nor had she been able to see Ron so he could quiz her on how she knew his brother. She wouldn't have the time today, either. But then, none of them would want to see her today.

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Professor Giancarlo stood in front of her class, looking at the face of Pepper Halliwell-Black before she began speaking to the silent students. "Wendigo, Grimlock, Drazi, Abraxas, Troxa, Dane, Keats, Jeric, Barabas, Cree, Ludlow, Lukas, Kellman…can anyone tell me what those are the names of?"

Hermione looked at her desk-mate, Pepper, before tentatively raising her hand. "Yes, Miss Granger?" said the professor.

"Demons," answered Hermione simply.

"Correct. Very good Miss Granger, ten points to Gryffindor. Now, does anyone recognize the names Eames, Gavin, Dragon, Arnon, Jeremy, Nicholas, Zile or Anton?" Professor Giancarlo asked as she walked among the desks the Slytherins were seated at. "How about you Miss Stoke?" she asked Alana.

Alana shrugged and raised an eyebrow in boredom. "Famous authors," she said dully.

"Warlocks," said Malfoy suddenly, looking at Pepper meaningfully.

Pepper's eyes widened. He did say that he'd looked into her family lineage, hadn't he…? But she never thought that he'd know that much about her and her history. And she wondered what the hell this had to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts—it was a completely different magical world.

"That's correct, Mr. Malfoy, ten points to Slytherin. Five points from Slytherin as well, Miss Stoke, for your sarcasm," said Professor Giancarlo, walking back up to the front of the classroom. "I see most of you are staring at me blankly," she added with an amused smile. "I'm sure none of you in this room has heard of demons or warlocks, well, save for Miss Granger, Miss Halliwell, Mr. Malfoy and perhaps Misters Potter and Weasley because none of you have researched into this branch of Dark Magic. In fact, this topic is a new addition to the curriculum this year since its power is growing and beginning to affect our world of magic. Ah, I'm still getting blank stares." She smiled slightly at the class before continuing. "I must say, our half of the magical world is the less complicated half. Miss Halliwell, I was wondering if you could perhaps share some of your vast knowledge about this topic with us, as I seem to be getting no response."

Hesitantly, Pepper stood up and walked to the front of the room next to Professor Giancarlo. The professor stepped aside and gave the floor to Pepper. The student was very confused and she wasn't sure at all what to say. She was still wondering why this was something Professor Giancarlo was teaching. Wasn't she or Professor Dumbledore afraid that the Slytherins would learn too much? Hadn't the Headmaster warned her about using her powers in front of them? She decided just to stay away from her powers, though the biggest Slytherin threat was probably Malfoy, and she knew he was good. She licked her lips in nervousness; the whole class was looking at her and she saw Malfoy's know-it-all smirk shot in her direction. She gave him a death glare before she began.

"Well, er, I don't really know where to begin, I guess. I know so much about, erm, the other half of the magical world because I grew up in it. My aunts and I are sort of Muggle witches, if you'll excuse the oxymoron. I guess all you really need to know about is everything we fight. Well, demons and warlocks are about the evilest you can get. There are many different demons and warlocks, as Professor Giancarlo basically just said. They have evil powers used against innocent people. Warlocks appear as humans and demons can as well…um…oh, they're vanquished, er, defeated with special spells and potions and can be warded off with a wand shooting spells." Pepper shot a look at Harry and Hermione, who turned a bit red. "Uh, I guess that's all…professor?" Pepper shrugged at the class uncertainly, earning a small laugh from some of them.

"Thank you Miss Halliwell, thirty points to Gryffindor for your help," said Professor Giancarlo, taking reign of the class once again. "Now—"

Professor Giancarlo's lesson was cut off by the classroom door bursting open and Professor McGonagall rushing in. The curious eyes of all of the students followed her as she made her way to the front of the room to talk with Professor Giancarlo in hushed tones. When the short conversation ended Professor McGonagall ordered Pepper to follow her. Pepper got up from her seat for the second time in the past five minutes and followed the teacher, almost running to keep up.

Pepper's Uncle Leo was standing at the end of the hall, looking worried and impatient, running a hand through his hair. "Pepper, go with your uncle; you're excused from your classes for the rest of the day," said Professor McGonagall, smiling at her encouragingly. Pepper was confused and she looked at her uncle.

"Come on, Pep, we've got to go," he said. Grabbing Pepper's hand, he orbed out of the Hogwarts hallway, leaving Professor McGonagall standing there in slight shock.

Piper and Paige were waiting in the parlor for Leo to arrive with Pepper. They had no idea what to do about their sister, who was currently swimming somewhere off the coast, ignoring her love for Cole and the fact that he had come back. Piper was pacing back and forth so much that Paige was afraid she was going to burn a hole in the floor. Paige was fidgety: she kept crossing and uncrossing her legs, biting her nails and playing with her hair. The two of them were very worried about Phoebe. She had already been a mermaid for a week and it didn't seem like she was going to be coming home any time soon.

Pepper and Leo entered the parlor from the foyer and Pepper immediately ran over and hugged her aunts. A puzzled expression appeared on her face and she asked, "Where's Aunt Phoebe?"

"Somewhere in the middle of the sea, probably," said Piper agitatedly. "We haven't seen her in days."

Pepper gasped. "What? How the heck is she surviving in the middle of the sea?"

"She's a mermaid," Paige helped, shrugging like this sort of thing happened every day. It took Pepper a moment to remember that this sort of thing did happen every day.

"Why is she a mermaid?" Pepper asked evenly, sitting in a chair across from her Aunt Paige. Leo followed suit. "Can someone please explain this to me?"

"Well...I trust Phoebe has filled you in with all that's going on with Cole and their jobs recently, yes?" Leo said. Pepper nodded so he continued. "So you're aware that Cole showed up when Phoebe was trying to divorce him?" Receiving another nod he went on with the explanation. "A mermaid by the name of Mylie shows up here asking your aunts for help because she made a pact with a Sea Hag: if her love, Craig, professed his love for Mylie then she would become human. If not then she owed her immortality to the Sea Hag, who promised the demon Necron Mylie's immortality. Paige wrote a spell to track the Sea Hag which turned Phoebe into a mermaid, so Phoebe took to the water to find the Sea Hag. Piper didn't come with Paige and I when we went to Phoebe, so the Sea Hag couldn't be vanquished, but Paige saved Mylie by orbing a deadly, life-sucking shell from her chest and putting it on the Sea Hag. I went to get Craig, who professed his love for Mylie so that she turned human. But Phoebe didn't come back with us, she decided to go swimming. I've tried a few times to capture her but it hasn't worked. We don't know what to do so Piper suggested going to get you to see if you three can come up with a sort of de-mermaiding spell or something."

"Oh," said Pepper, trying to absorb all of this information. "You actually think a de-mermaiding spell will work? Is it possible to write one of those? And does this mean you want me to be a part of the Power of Three? You really think I can be apart of it?" Pepper was excited now.

"We're not sure we can write a spell like that, or if it will work," said Piper, stopping her pacing and taking a seat as well. "And yes, Pepper, we think you can be apart of the Power of Three. We know you're powerful enough; it's just the question of whether or not two sisters and their niece will work for the Power of Three. We'll just have to see, I suppose." She was smiling and the bright and excited look on her niece's face. Pepper had been waiting to be apart of the Power of Three since she was eleven.

"Then do we have to do all of this today? Since I'm only excused from my classes for the rest of the day?" Pepper wondered. She doubted they could accomplish this all in one day. From the sound of it, it would be very difficult locating her Aunt Phoebe, not to mention the fact that they still had to write the spell.

"We'll see," shrugged Leo.

"What are we waiting for? Let's get to work," said Piper, standing up and heading up to the attic. Pepper, Leo and Paige soon followed, Pepper determined not to let her aunts down.

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"Resist the call of the ocean, ignore the sound of the sea…you're really a witch, a human, come back to us, Phoebe? Scales and fin turn to skin and legs, as a human you're set free…um…gills transform back into lungs, you can again be sisters three?"

"Not bad, Pepper, not bad at all," said Piper, very impressed with her niece, as she scribbled it down on the pad on her lap. "Now we're actually getting somewhere. This really might work…"

"Very nice, Pepper," agreed Leo, also impressed with the girl's work. Pepper beamed.

"Though we might have to change the line, "as a human you're set free." I'm not sure if it quite fits," Piper said, tapping the pen on her thigh.

"I was thinking something along the lines of "mermaid abductee." Maybe that can fit in somewhere…?" said Paige.

"Resist the now-large part of you, that's a mermaid abductee?" Piper tried. "I think it fits better, but now we'll have to change the other two lines…I like the very last line."

"We don't even know if this is going to work! What if we get there and this Necron is all ready for us with life-sucking shells or something?" Pepper said.

"Don't be so worried, Pepper, it'll be alright. Necron probably won't even be there when we arrive…come to think of it, Phoebe probably won't be there either. How are we going to get her?" Piper said.

"I could try Mirroring," Pepper suggested. "I could just picture Aunt Phoebe and I could probably go to her."

"But what if she's underwater?" Paige pointed out. "That wouldn't be good at all. You'd drown."

"No, I could just mirror right out again."

"Plus, Phoebe looks different now."

"Oh please, just let me try it. I'll be careful, Aunt Paige, I promise," Pepper begged, curling her lip down in a pout.

"I don't know," said Piper uncertainly, looking at her niece. Pepper's lip curled down more and Piper smiled.

"Alright, alright," Piper chuckled. "But be careful."

"I will," Pepper grinned. She shut her eyes and put her face in her hands, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes so white shapes floated inside her eyelids. She pictured the face of her Aunt Phoebe because Pepper knew she would look quite different as a mermaid…

The familiar feeling of her stomach falling out was followed by brightness from beyond her eyelids and she opened her eyes, blinking furiously to get her eyes accustomed to the bright sun. She was standing on a beach at the waters edge and it strongly reminded her of her night with Malfoy…she shook her head to relieve her brain of the memory and looked around.

"Ah…hello, erm, Uncle Cole…"

"Pepper," said Cole, smirking at her.

Pepper glared at him, trying not to recall the crush she used to have on him. "Where's Aunt Phoebe?" she said incredulously, glancing around the beach. A wave licked the toes of her black heels, her black school robes blowing slightly in the breeze. The sea's salty air covered her in a light mist.

"Swam off, I'm afraid," replied Cole. "I was trying to talk some sense into her but she wouldn't hear it. Pepper," he tipped his head the slightest bit and looked at her, "what are you so afraid of? I won't hurt you."

"Who said I was afraid?" she asked with an I'm-untouchable attitude, raising a pencil-darkened eyebrow at her uncle. But she was afraid, and she was slightly ashamed that she'd let herself show it.

"I can tell, Pepper, believe me. I won't hurt you," he repeated, and Pepper was reassured.

"So tell me, why'd you just show up when Aunt Phoebe was filing the divorce papers?" Pepper asked, stepping up the beach a little and crossing her arms, her eyebrow still high on her forehead.

Cole let out a little laugh. "I didn't want her to divorce me. I'm still very much in love with your aunt, Pepper, and I know she loves me back."

"Oh really," said Pepper, not dropping the attitude.

"Yes, really," answered Cole. He didn't appreciate the attitude his niece was taking with him, but even he had heard of what she was capable of, and didn't think anything of it. Besides, he hadn't seen Pepper in a long time and he decided this would be the chance to, er, catch up with her. "So, Pepper, how's school going?" glancing down at the Gryffindor crest on her robes.

"Fine," she said, shrugging a little. "There were some complications but I guess it's going all right again. I'm almost top in my class…"

"But that's to be expected," he said.

She shrugged again. "Is it? Ah, there you are, Aunt Phoebe!" Cole's gaze followed Pepper's to the sea where Phoebe's torso was sticking out of the water about ten feet off shore.

"Pepper!" Phoebe smiled, swimming closer. Pepper noticed she didn't acknowledge Cole's presence. "Why are you here?"

"Because I want you home!" cried Pepper. "Aunt Paige and Aunt Piper and Uncle Leo are so worried about you and I think you should just get your arse home!"

Phoebe laughed a light and bubbly laugh. "My home is the sea now, Pepper," said Phoebe, now staying where she was.

"But then I won't get to see you anymore!" Pepper said, walking towards the water's edge and walking into the water until her feet were almost covered by the waves so that she could get closer to her aunt.

"You can come visit me out here!" said Phoebe.

"No I can't!" said Pepper, willing this to work. If she could just touch her aunt then she could Mirror her back to the Manor… "The sea is so big and stuff!"

"There's too much to deal with at home, Pepper. You should join me out here!"

For a moment Pepper actually considered that idea. Then she came to her senses. "Well then can I at least say goodbye?" She put on her saddest look and opened her arms for her aunt to come closer to give her a hug.

Phoebe, smiling, came closer to give Pepper a wet, slippery hug. As soon as Pepper got contact with Phoebe's skin she closed her eyes and imagined the parlor with all her might, hoping she could get back there before Phoebe realized what was happening.

Phoebe let out a yell but Pepper was feeling the familiar roller coaster sensation and soon her feet were on solid ground again, her aunt in her arms, Phoebe's tail flopping uselessly on the parlor floor.

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A/N: Tell me what you think of my spell! Oh, in case you all were not aware, that was a real episode of 'Charmed' but I'm just messing with it a little. Don't forget to review! (Where are you, charmedsisters