A/N: Just a quick note. Erik's name is now spelled properly.

Chapter 23: What Was and Will Be

"It will be a few minutes, Mrs. Muniz," the nurse said. "The doctor's finishing with his last patient."

"We can wait," She said and turned around to look for Malcolm. He was around the corner, talking to a young girl in a wheelchair.

"That's cool," Malcolm was saying. "My friend, Stevie, he doesn't have power steering. He has to turn his own wheels."

"You're silly," the girl said but she was smiling.

"He does. His arms are really strong because of that."

"I'm not strong enough," the girl whispered.

"You don't need to be. You only need to be strong enough. In here." Malcolm poked her in the chest and she let out a giggle.

"It's so hard."

Malcolm hid his thoughts behind his smile. Even if he had all of Madam Pomfrey's powers he couldn't do anything to help this girl. It had been explained his first year, when he asked about Stevie. Was he born that way.

But maybe I can do something.

"I can help, but . . ." he deliberately paused. "Do you believe in magic?"

The girl frowned. "Magic isn't real."

Malcolm gave her an angry look. "Haven't you ever heard of Harry Potter?"

"You're not Harry Potter."

"Of course not. He's two years older than I am. And in his sixth year. I'm only a fourth year."

The girl's face showed amusement. "You're a wizard?"

"In training. But I can do this." He pulled out his wand. "What's your favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Then blue it is." The wand's tip shown with a blue light.."

"That's a nice trick."

Malcolm gave her a frown. "You have to believe if the magic is going to work." He put his hand over the wand and wiped the tip. The blue light was gone. Malcolm put his wand away. "Do you believe in magic?" He opened his hand. The blue light was still there. He opened the girl's hand, and rolled the ball of light into her hand.

"I believe," the girl whispered with sudden force.

"This magic is part of my strength," Malcolm whispered. "I'm giving it to you. It won't do the work for you, but if you try, it will help. What's hard to do will become easier every day."

Malcolm flicked the blue ball out of her hand and it hit the girl on the nose, lighting her entire face with a blue glow before it faded away. "Now, you will always have help when you need it."

"Thank you," the girl said. With a great effort, she sat up and reached out, grabbing his hand. She looked at her hand in amazement. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Malcolm said, as he let go of her hand and stepped away.

As he did, his 'mom' looked at him and smiled. Then they both looked as the girl's mother and a nurse walked up to her.

"Are you ready, Abeer," her mother said. "It's time for your physical therapy. And please try, this time. You need this."

"I will, Mum," the girl said. "I'll try real hard. I promise."

"Where did that come from," the mother asked the nurse with grateful surprise, as the girl was led away.

"That was a nice thing you did, Malcolm. Can you really give some of your strength to other people."

"It was just a ball of light. And the strength I gave her was to help her believe in herself."

"And how was it that no one else noticed?"

"It was just a small charm. To let everyone know there was nothing happening that they needed to look at."

"A small charm?"

"It didn't even affect the lights," Malcolm pointed out.

Mrs. Muniz ran her hand through his hair, a way she had probably done a thousand times. "I've seen Malcolm for years, but that's something I never expected to see him do. That was very out of character."

"I blame Gabrielle for that. That's the kind of things she loves me to do."

"You have a girlfriend."

"More than that. Once we graduate, it's wedding bells. We even made a formal announcement."

"She sounds wonderful." Malcolm was pulled into a hug. "If I can do anything to help, not just to get Frankie back, please let me know. And until then, try to think of me as your own mother."

I can't help it. I've got to say this.

"In case anybody asks, I didn't do it."

"Do what?"

"Whatever they're asking about."

"Francisco Muniz," the nurse called, "This way please."

I lied to her. It wasn't Gabrielle at all. That girl, she had that same look Stevie had when we first met. I had to do something. I mean, Stevie's my friend, right?

"You're completely healthy. What a surprise."

"Thanks, Mom. Where are we going, now?"

"When we were talking this morning, you mentioned seeing if some of those places you know are actually there. With that in mind, where would you like to go first?"

It was Malcolm's idea to go to Charring Cross Road. They parked down the street from where the Leaky Cauldron was and Malcolm led the way. But the brick wall did not become the entrance to a pub. It remained a brick wall. If magic was in this world, it was in a different place.

"We could try King's Cross Station," Mrs. Muniz suggested.

"There won't be anything there."

"How can you be so sure."

"The accident. The more I think about it, the more I realize that the flash was a large release of magical energy. If your world had a Ministry for Magic, someone would have noticed, and did crowd control to make sure no one suspected magic was involved."

"Maybe they did. No one suspects."

"But no one came by. I was there long enough to notice if a wizard or witch made an appearance."

"Maybe the wizards in this world simply didn't think it was necessary. It was a movie studio."

Malcolm nodded. "Okay. King's Cross. Just to make sure."

"Bad timing," 'Mom' said as they walked between platforms nine and ten.

"Why's that?"

"See that group. It's the Harry Potter tour. And they're right in front of the secret entrance."

"No they're not."

"That's the one used in the movie."

Malcolm grinned. "The real entrance is the next one down."

Malcolm's grin faded as he noticed several members of the tour looking directly at him. One of the tourists raised her hand to interrupt the guide. "This boy claims you've got the wrong column."

The tour guide, as had the girl, recognized him, and smiled. "Is that true, Mister Muniz. This is not the secret entrance to Platform Nine and Three Quarters?"

Malcolm smiled. Lying was needed and that was his specialty. "It's Malcolm, Ma'am. And Harry explained it to me. "The Ministry for Magic wouldn't give permission to use the real entrance. That's why they had to use this column."

"And the real one is . . . where?"

"The next one down," Malcolm said generously, "but don't expect to get through. There's a spell to keep muggles out."

"That's not the real entrance," a teenaged boy Malcolm's age challenged.

"I'll test it," Malcolm offered. He walked over to the column and patted all four sides. Then he turned back to the crowd. "I forgot. I'm a muggle, too. Is anyone here a wizard?"

The joke went over well, and there was a delay while Malcolm found himself being asked for his autograph. It was an experience he was not used to.

I hope me and Frankie have the same handwriting.

Mrs. Muniz led her 'son' from the train station in a bemused mood. "Be thankful you weren't the Radcliffe boy. We'd have to get the police to escort you from that place."

"He's that popular?"

"We're talking Harry Potter in King's Cross Station. If it weren't for this special we're filming, they probably wouldn't have recognized you."

"I should be thankful for small favors."

"And, did you find anything?"

"No. And it's no use looking for any of the other places."

"We'll have to look a different way."

Malcolm was confused. "Huh?"

"It's obvious. If wizards and witches exist in this world, they would make it a point not to let their secret places be mentioned in a book, especially a very popular series of book. Malcolm, is it true that you're a genius."

"Yeah."

"Then think about it. How would you find other wizards, if you knew they were around but you didn't know where they were. And remember, they're hiding but their not hiding from you."

Malcolm paused. "If." He looked up. He had stopped at the car. His 'mother' was opening the door for him.

"Reverse that," Malcolm said suddenly.

"And by that you mean?"

"Suppose you're a wizard. And another wizard suddenly appears, in a way you don't understand. What would you do? Follow him and find out what he's up to."

Malcolm's heart was racing. What if he was right? What if there was magic in this world. And if they were watching, where would they be?

"Mom," Malcolm said as he pulled out his wand. "I'm going to prove there aren't any wizards in this world. I'm going to shoot a fireball into the air." Malcolm raised his wand above his head. "FLAMUS . . ."

"Exotho Rabdi," another voice shouted and Malcolm's wand went flying from his hand. He turned around to see a man standing there in standard muggle clothing.

"Satin shoes?" Malcolm asked.

The man scowled as he realized Malcolm's trick. "Mrs. Muniz," he said politely as he approached them.

"See, Mom," Malcolm said. "No one is paying the slightest attention to us."

"Smart boy," The man said with mock politeness. "Madam, may I suggest we go for a ride. I think it is time for us to have a talk about you son."

"Where are we going?"

The man shrugged his shoulders. "Back to your hotel? Unless you had planned on making another stop. At her surprise he added, "I was telling the truth. We need to discuss certain things about your son."

"I suppose I should start," the man said as the car pulled out into traffic. "I am Miklos Abercrombie. I was assigned to investigate your son, Mrs. Muniz."

"The Ministry of Magic?"

"That would be the Ministry FOR Magic. And the answer is no. We are organized on a more international scale. And we were very curious as to how your son suddenly developed such potent abilities so quickly at an advanced age. Listening in on his conversation with you was highly educational."

He looked into the back seat at Malcolm. "And how did you manage such a feat as transporting to a different temporal plane?"

"I don't know."

"Then you can't repeat the spell?"

"No."

"Good. That means we don't have to worry about a deliberate invasion."

"Invasion?" Mrs. Muniz asked. "Isn't that an awfully paranoid word?"

"Malcolm's sudden appearance has made a great many people paranoid."

Mrs. Muniz smirked. "I can understand that."

"Thanks, Mom." Malcolm leaned forward. "Mister Abercrombie, do you happen to have a son named Euan? He'd be a second year."

Abernathy paused. "How did you know that?"

"He's in my house. Have you encountered many cases like mine before?"

"No. There are rumours. Old legends. But that's about all."

"Then you don't know how I can get home?"

Abercromie paused. "No, but I would not suggest trying. If you did something wrong . . ."

"I know. I got that lecture when they found out I could turn into an owl."

"You are referring to your abilities as a zoomagos. An interesting trick for someone your age. If I could ask a question of curiosity first. Do you attend Hogwarts?"

"I'm in the same house as Potter, if that's your next question."

"It was. I think I will have to reread those books. I will assume that those books parallel your world quite faithfully."

"I wouldn't know. I haven't read them. I do know that I'm not in them. Can I ask, do the books reflect your use of magic."

"To a degree. Magic wands appear to be common knowledge. Almost all wizards and magicians have them. The author came close on having all the spells based in an ancient language. Had she used Greek instead of Latin we may have had to intervene. And the potions classes seem quite inventive, especially in the last book with the Slughorn character."

But . . . I read about it. That book came out months ago. And Slughorn just started this year. And . . . It's the sixth book. Harry's in his sixth year. I've got to get a copy of that book.

"I'll check out the book, Mister Abercrombie, and tell you how much is true. I've lived through most of it."

"I have to ask," Abercrombie said with a hint of excitement. "How does Potter truly feel about Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore's his mentor. He's like the father that Potter never had. And regardless of what may happen, Dumbledore will always have his loyalty."

Miklos Abercrombie smiled. "I can see that the same respect lies in you, Malcolm."

"He's the type of guy who deserves respect, even if no one is there to see it."

Did I just say that.

"I think that's a good sign. He would have loved knowing you felt that way."

"Mister Abercrombie, I will find a way back."

"May I ask a question?" Mrs. Muniz asked. "Malcolm told me what my son will be doing right about this time, and I was curious. Do you have Quidditch?"

Miklos laughed. "The answer is yes and no. We never had the sport until it appeared in those books. However, there are a number of young people trying to develop the game. The brooms are easy enough, but controlling the bludgers and the snitch are proving to be a problem."

"You fly brooms?"

"We prefer carpets. Easier to sit on. The more professional of us simple levitate."

"And one more question. How did you end up with the name Miklos?"

Abercrombie laughed. "Because I'm Greek. I was named after my Grandfather, my mother's father. You should ask how I became Abercrombie. My father's father came to Greece at the age of 12 when HIS father was attached to the embassy. Ten years later, he married my grandmother. He never left." He looked up. "We're getting near to your hotel. Are there any more questions?"

"I have one," Malcolm said. "What are you going to do with Mrs. Muniz now that she knows about you. And what about the others that know about me?"

Miklos grinned. "Madam, do you promise not to tell anyone about this?"

"And be called a crazy lady. Sure, I promise." She put the car in park. "We're here."

Miklos turned back to Malcolm. "If there was a problem, it would have been dealt with. But this is a simple case of not telling anyone."

"You trust her?"

"Why not? You trust her. And if you will excuse me. Thank you for the ride and the conversation, but I must make my report. May I stop by, later tonight? I'd like to talk to the others."

Mrs. Muniz nodded. Miklos said thank you once more. Then he apparated.

I can't believe I'm older than he is. He looks so much like Reese.

"So, Frankie, sorry, Malcolm. When's this guy coming by?"

"Pretty soon, Justin. That's all he said. I think he just wants to make sure none of us are jerks about this."

"About telling people? Who'd believe me anyway. Frankie's really this powerful wizard and Harry and Ron are his best friends. They'd lock me up as a loon before I finished that sentence, even though it's all true."

"But it's not true. Potter and me aren't friends. And Ron hates me because Draco is my cousin. It's Dewey he likes."

Justin stared. "Draco Malfoy is your cousin?"

"Wait a minute," Erik called out. "Ron Weasley hates you but he likes me? But you're in Gryffindor and you said I'm in Slytherin."

"Ron believes you were put in the wrong house. And the wrong family. And we're talking about Dewey, not you. You're actually decent to be around."

"Frankie," Mrs. Muniz called as she entered the suite.

"We're in here, Mom."

"Frankie?" Justin asked.

"I need to get used to it. My guess is she'll tell you to do it too."

"Makes sense," Justin admitted. "Okay, from now on you're Frankie."

"Wait until after we're done," Mrs, Muniz said as she walked into the den with Miklos Abercrombie.

"Is that him?" Erik's excitement was self-evident.

"A real wizard," Malcolm assured him.

"This is so cool," Justin admitted. "I just wish I knew somebody I could tell who would believe me."

Malcolm was handed a package. Miklos smiled as Malcolm took it. "A gift. You said you were interested."

"Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince?"

"I left the first five books in the foyer. I didn't know if you'd want to read this one first or start from the beginning."

I already know the past.

"I'll start with this one. Most of the details are still fresh. And if anything's wrong or different, it should be more obvious in the later books."

"Good point," Miklos acknowledged. "And as for the rest of you," he looked at Justin and Erik. "We'll wait for the other two to come up."

Yeah, Erik's dad used himself as the excuse to have Dan come by. I think he was in the neighborhood when his car broke down.

Malcolm opened the book and began reading while Miklos made small talk. He turned the pages quickly, pausing when he reached the chapter where Narcissa Malfoy met with Severus Snape. He quickly recovered his surprise and kept reading. He paused again after reading about Diagon Alley.

"You read pretty fast," Justin admonished. "It's been what? Fifteen minutes since you opened the book."

"I took speed reading as a Krelboyne. I've been reading like this for years. I was reading about Fred and George."

"The joke shop. Is it real?"

"It's great. I stopped in there just before we went to the station. I got all sorts of fireworks. Me and Dewey sat them off on the train and there were these two sunbursters we shot off at the same time. They blew out every window in the car we were in. It was so cool."

"Did you get anything else there."

"Yeah, George gave me one of their hats. I was supposed to wear it whenever I went outside Hogwarts." Malcolm paused. "I remember . . . Gabrielle and I were interrupted. She liked my hat. I was wearing it when I went out into the hall and . . . The doctor knocked it off my head when he was examining me. I forgot all about it."

"We have it," Miklos answered. "One of our men picked it up."

"There were wizards there?"

"Two. One of them was working as an English lighting technician. The other one was an American props manager. He's the one that picked up your hat."

"But?" Malcolm couldn't understand. "You couldn't have been expecting me? Why were they there?"

"To keep an eye on things. To make sure no one shows magic as being too real. We monitor all movie productions that fall under Science Fiction or Fantasy."

"You do?"

"And the wizard who is the lighting technician. He says the pay is good, and he gets to meet people, too. His last film was a remake of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

"Then, I really was a surprise?"

"You were a big surprise, Malcolm. Your being here challenges so many principles that we've come to accept in both the canny world and the magos world. Why, the philosophical implications alone are staggering."

"Canny?" Justin asked.

"Originally a variant of the Greek word for common, Kanois. The variant became more popular around the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Most mages think the variant is more appropriate." He smiles at Malcolm. "You muggles have done the most canny things."

Grinning, Malcolm asked, "Mister Abercrombie, do you need me for this discussion? I'm really curious about this book. What I've read so far, I know what I've been doing. But this book is all about Harry, and I've already come across a few things that I didn't know."

Such as describing to me perfectly exactly what happened between Dumbledore and Potter. And the description being written down who knows how long before it ever happened.

There was a knock. Mrs. Muniz commented, "they're here", and went to answer the door.

"We'll call you if we need you," Miklos offered. "I'm mostly going to admonish everyone not to talk about this, and to make sure everyone understands."

Daniel smirked as he walked up. "You mean let us satisfy our curiosity."

"Exactly. A secret is better kept if you understand exactly what it is you're keeping secret. The best way to insure someone's silence is to make them a co-conspirator."

As Malcolm left, Erik asked a curious question. One that Malcolm would have wished he had heard.

"Mister Miklos. Malcolm told me he was in his fourth year."

"He told me that too. And I believe he mentioned that you, as Dewey, are in your second year."

"But he said that Harry Potter was two years ahead of him." Erik had everyone's attention at this point. "That would mean that Harry would be a sixth year student. Like in the book."

Justin had the pleasure of voicing what Erik had left unsaid. "Malcolm is reading about the future. Or he will be shortly. Erik, he said he stopped at the joke shop before he went to King's Cross."

"He could have meant last year," Mrs. Muniz suggested. "Miklos, is the Quidditch game mentioned in the book? Malcolm said they played today."

"They did. And they won." His next words held a sense of foreboding. "We have just given him a book of prophecy. What do we do?"

"Help him go back," Erik suggested. "He can change the bad things. Dumbledore won't die."

"But?" Miklos Abercrombie was in a quandary. "We don't know what will happen. Assume that the books foretell true events. We know the next and final book will tell of Voldemort's defeat. But what if Malcolm changes the wrong things?"

Justin smiled. "We warn him. That lady already started writing book seven. You can use your magic to find out what she's written so far. Then we find a way to send Malcolm back with all that information. Dumbledore's supposed to be very smart. He'll know what to do."

Miklos smiled. "Justin, that is an excellent plan. But you just reminded me of the most important fact of the matter. Malcolm has no way of getting back. He doesn't remember how he came here. He can't recast the spell to send himself home." He looked up at Mrs. Muniz. "I must apologize to you. And to your husband. There may be no way we can ever bring Frankie back. I'm sorry."

"I understand. And I'm the one who'll have to explain it to my husband. And Malcolm will have to learn to adjust. Will we be sending him to a school like Hogwarts."

"No. In our world, he is Frankie Muniz. He has to stay here and be an actor. I should ask. Can you handle that?"

"If I can't I'll have Jane come over and yell at him a few times."