The Devil as a Father, Chapter 32
It was a rare night when Lucifer and Chloe were alone. All the children had played so hard and learned so much today, they all fell asleep and had to be tucked into bed by magic.
Lucifer lay back in the covers and looked at his Queen. "Something is bothering you, not the IRS audit I hope?"
She laughed, "No I feel sorry for them if they disappoint Maze, and I hope she has fun. No, Molly Weasley fire-called me and asked if we could examine Minerva McGonagall, the woman you turned permanently into a cat, and see if she was under compulsions and loyalty potions. She said that her family had been put under compulsions by Dumbledore and she feared he had done the same to Minerva. She seemed sincere."
Lucifer looked at her for just a moment thoughtfully, and then said, "Very well. I truly didn't check at the time, which was wrong of me. I was so angry at the way they treated Harry I nearly took everyone's magic away. The fact that there were children there helped. I will contact the Weasley's and scan the woman, then perhaps allow her to visit Ron and Harry and let them get to know her."
Then he smiled at her and wiggled his eyebrows. And she grinned at him.
Lucifer Harry Lucifer Harry Lucifer Harry
Dan had tried to visit with the magicals once before. He was a plain old muggle, but he was interested in what the children had done for the magic cops and so was given permission to come along for the ride. This time Lucifer, Maze and the older children all came with them. The purpose of the visit was the final signing of the contract, which would be educational for the children, but also to let the kids start to teach the aurors how to use the phones. Dan was excited at how they had planned out their first lessons, and the handbooks they had made. He was impressed with all of them and wanted to see how they treated his Trixie Monkey, who had unidentified magic. Knowing that parents had dumped children who turned out to have unidentified magic infuriated Dan.
He had discussed it with Lucifer and was surprised at how easily Lucifer invited him to come. "Dan, we both love Beatrice, and I'd be rather happy to have you with us. I'd like your take on the magical world as well. We've met wonderful people and lots of horrible people. If you think someone is an enemy, tell me. Use your ring."
Dan nodded and was very pleased to be asked to help.
He liked the Ministry of Magic entryway, he liked the way everyone treated Lucifer with respect. He liked meeting Madame Longbottom.
"You are Trixie's father?" she asked, obviously very taken with his little girl.
"Yes, Ma'am," he responded.
"And there is no magic in your family?"
"Not to my knowledge Ma'am. We think it's because she is close to Lucifer, and he's the well-spring of Magic."
"And what is your profession or calling, Mr. Espinoza? She asked, still curious about Trixie and him now.
"I'm a cop, that's an American non-magical auror. I am a detective and I mostly work on solving various crimes, such as illegal gang activities, vice, murder, the bad ones that we can't solve right away."
"Ah," said Madame Longbottom, "Do you have a similar communication device to what the children made for us in the magical world?"
"Yes, Ma'am," he said and obligingly took out his phone and showed her his police database, the photographs and some of the other things. They were similar to what the children had done, but his were without magic. Madame Longbottom seemed impressed.
"You use a gun? Correct?" she asked.
"When I have to," he said, "I try to protect people. Sometimes I have to fight or chase someone. Sometimes that means using a gun."
"I understand," she murmured.
"Maze has beaten all my aurors and proven to them that physical strength and training is essential for them. Do you train physically?"
"Oh yes, Ma'am. I train with Maze and the children. She is the best fighter I have ever met," he said appreciatively.
"Maze is going to give them lessons today," said Madame Longbottom, "Would you like to help her?"
Dan smiled at her, "I'd love to see if her training has made me capable of fighting someone with a wand."
So before they signed the contract, which was going to take place in the Minister's office with ceremony, Dan got to meet his brother cops on the magical side.
He was surprised that some of them reminded him of the men that had gotten him into so much trouble. He carefully took note of them.
"Madam Longbottom. Do you make Aurors take an oath of loyalty?" he asked giving some of the older self-satisfied looking ones an intense stare.
"Why it has not been done for a long time, since the war really. Perhaps that is another good idea. Why do you ask?"
"Because these three men over here stink of evil," he heard himself saying to his deep personal shock. He just didn't say things like that. But he knew it like he knew Lucifer was his friend, and like he knew Harry was stronger than any of them. He strode forward, and to the shock of everyone, grabbed one man's arm and ribbed the sleeve right off, showing a faded mark.
"This man served Voldermort," he said quite firmly, "Voldermort is dead and nothing can return his magic, but this one still follows his ways in his heart. That's why the mark isn't entirely gone as it is with those who didn't liked being enslaved to the bastard."
Another man who had the same stench went for his wand, and Dan pulled his gun and learned that Magicals don't even recognize guns as weapons, so he shot the wand out of the man's hand, giving them an abject lesson.
Maze and Lucifer popped into the room, where Madam Longbottom was staring at the three aurors that made Dan's skin crawl.
"I believe Lord Morningstar, that Mr. Espinoza has magic," she said, "and that he may have just saved lives here."
"How can you believe a filthy muggle over us? We have served for years," said the auror nursing his bleeding hand, while Dan was handcuffing the one whose mark had been exposed.
"You mean aside or in spite of the fact that he is glowing with mage sight?" asked Lucifer looking at Dan with delight.
"They are sicker than Palmetto," said Dan softly, "they raped and killed to serve Voldermort. They are total bastards that don't deserve to be brother officers."
One man's face turned red and he started to draw his wand, despite it being stupid to do so, surrounded by wand-wielding aurors and one very pissed off muggle with a gun, but Lucifer snapped his fingers and his wand disappeared.
Dan strode forward and knocked the man out with one very angry blow. He had seen what they did to become death eaters. He had seen how they used their auror offices to hurt innocents. How they had killed muggles and gotten away with it because they were aurors.
He began to explain every single thing each man had done. Someone set up a magic quill to take dictation. Dan had names, dates, locations, crimes and they rolled off his tongue like judgement. When he was done, the three men were stripped of their badges, arrested and thrown in cells.
Dan was freaked. Madame Longbottom told him he was magical, and she felt he had done her a huge favor. The rest of the aurors felt the same way.
Dan looked at Lucifer. "Did you make me magical?" he asked. "No," said Lucifer, "I would have asked you first."
"Then what is going on?"
"I'm not sure, Dan," Lucifer said rather wistfully, "I am not sure what it is. May I examine you to see if I can figure this out?"
The children all came in with Rose, the secretary to Madame Longbottom, and everyone could see Dan glow now.
"Daddy," said Trixie, "What happened?"
"I don't know darling, Lucifer is checking." Her father smiled at her bravely as Lucifer stared both at him and through him and around him.
"Well, that's certainly a surprise," said Lucifer, "Dan is a truth seer, not a seer who see the future but whether those around are true or enemies to his loved ones. It's a rare gift and perhaps all the ambient magic made it pop out. It should be an excellent help with law enforcement."
"So how did I get it?" asked Dan, still perturbed about the whole situation.
Lucifer looked at him and Trixie. "I did not in any way even wish this upon you, but I wonder if the closeness our family now has made the difference and you mystically evolved a bit."
"Mystically evolved?" asked Dan and he looked at Trixie, who still had unknown magic. Then another auror came in the room and Dan nearly passed out by the evil pouring off the bastard. He opened his mouth and the man pulled out a wand and threw a green and purple spell towards Dan. Lucifer stood in the way and took the spell. The man screamed, "How dare you accuse my friends!"
In the very same moment, Trixie screamed and Lucifer froze as the spell touched him. The attacker froze as well. Dan reached out a hand and touched Lucifer. "He's alive," he said. He turned to Trixie and took her in his arms. "What did you do little monkey?" he asked.
Trixie was crying pathetically, but they had Lucifer frozen like a statue. Maze came over and hugged her. "You saved him didn't you?" she said, "Now think what did you do when you saved him?"
The aurors were gathered around and Madame Longbottom was watching her.
"I froze him so it wouldn't touch him," she said hesitatingly.
"So he's safe, now he needs to be unfrozen," said Maze confidently.
Trixie went to Lucifer and hugged his frozen form and he was back in an instant. He grinned. "Trixie, that was amazing," he said and picked the girl up in his arms.
She kissed his cheek shyly and then hugged him fiercely. "I don't like seeing you die," she said flatly.
"Yes, it is inconvenient," he said softly, stroking her hair.
"Inconvenient?" said an Auror.
"Yes," said Lucifer, still stroking Trixie, who was beginning to calm now. "I generally pop down on the throne of hell and have to fly back. Most inconvenient and upsets the children."
Dan smirked at the aurors, who were beginning to realize that Lucifer was really an immortal and had really invented magic. They all looked awed. Madam Longbottom just looked happy.
"Lord Morningstar, you have been such a blessing to us here in the Ministry. You have brought us a tool for aurors which will help them in the field, and you have discovered 4 traitors through Master Espinoza here. You have truly been a wonderful friend, and Miss Trixie here is a delight."
She walked to where the much calmer Trixie was between her Dad and her Daddy Lucifer and smiled at her. "What do you want to do now, My Dear?"
Trixie stared at the still frozen auror who had tried to take her Daddy Lucifer away. She held out her hand and the man unfroze and then screamed in agony. "I gave him what he tried to give Daddy, but without the death. He should have lots to tell you, and he doesn't even know how to cure the curse he put on Daddy," she said coldly, "You are a very nasty man," she said to the man who was now screaming as his skin turned purple.
Trixie then held out a hand and the curse was lifted. "We are not like you. You torture people for fun. You think people without magic are nothing, but it's you who are nothing." The man shrieked again as everyone present realized she had stripped all magic from the man. Trixie stood quietly and then grabbed Lucifer. "This man is very evil, Daddy, but now he can start to see what he has become."
Lucifer looked down at those bright and still innocent eyes and saw goodness there. "My darling child, are you alright?"
"I always care about people and try to treat them with respect. But he was a very bad man, Daddy and he had to have the things he used to do bad things taken from him. He probably won't change, but he can't keep hurting people."
Harry, who was gazing at the man who had tried to hurt his Dad with contempt, stepped forward and kissed Trixie, "You really are my hero. Thank you for protecting Dad and not letting him get hurt."
Maze grinned at him and the rest of the children except Neville came and hugged Trixie. Neville went to his Gran and gave her a hug. "Are you all right, Gran?" he asked and she nodded and looked down at him. "Are you sure you are all up to coming to sign the contract and start training?" she asked, worried that the children had to be exposed to such violence.
Trixie nodded to everyone and went to her Daddy and hugged him. "Daddy, you can do magic too; really good magic for a policeman. I wonder what Mom's magic will be like."
"The mind boggles at what your mother could come up with," said Lucifer and Dan laughed.
Neville now walked over and hugged Trixie. "I think you did the right thing Trixie. You protected your family and made sure he wouldn't try it again."
Trixie gave him a very brave smile and a hug, and many observed Madam Longbottom smiling in pleasure at the two.
"We no longer have time before the meeting to sign to the contract for Maze to teach. If we are not tired afterwards, we could do it then."
"As long as the children aren't too tired, that would be lovely," said Lucifer, still looking concerned that the children had to see such a travesty.
"I'm glad the littles didn't see that," said Ron thoughtfully.
"Yes," said Draco solemnly, "I'm proud that Trixie is powerful like Harry is. She doesn't need magic to be special, but knowing she can defend her family is wonderful. There's nothing worse than thinking you are going to lose a parent or sister or brother." Ron gave him a strange look and remembered that Draco had seen his father torture his mother. He nodded to Draco.
Harry snapped his fingers, and Dobby appeared and Harry whispered into his large elven ears. The little elf smiled and disappeared.
So they went to Madam Longbottom's office, while Rose and Lucifer discussed an oath of fealty to at least not misusing magic or doing unethical things. It would be hard because they were in politics, which made both Madame Longbottom smile and Lucifer snicker. The goblins were waiting for them, dressed nicely, and Harry immediately went and bowed to them after the goblin fashion, greeting them politely and then explaining what had happened down in the Auror's department.
These were Goblins that they didn't know well, being younger members of the bank being given the opportunity to help with the contract. They were nervous of most of the humans but utterly in awe of Lucifer and very glad to see Harry. Trixie stepped forward and spoke to them in their own language politely, and then Ron, Neville and Draco spoke also. They were getting lessons from Harry and this really pleased the young Goblins very much.
The actual signing went very well. Madame Longbottom grinned as she signed and was careful to cover her teeth, so as not to offend the Goblins.
Then Dobby popped in and brought lunch for everyone, including the Goblins, who were impressed with the cooking. Harry explained that he had given the house elves lessons on cooking his way. Harry didn't know it, but this was the first time magicals and Goblins had a meal together in known history. It started out rather strangely until the Goblins bit into the food and one squealed with pleasure. Then everyone laughed happily, the Goblins realized it wasn't mocking, but shared joy and the children and Lucifer discussed food with the Goblins.
Then Lucifer cast a spell on a large golden lamp which turned into a universal translator for all there, and the conversations became animated. It was impossible to keep the children from asking the younger Goblins questions about food they liked, and Neville surprised the Goblins by knowing tons about growing mushrooms and edible fungi. Ron wanted to know what games they played, and found out that mental math was considered a sport, but that they learned to use weapons and different styles of fighting, one of which Maze recognized, causing the demon to blush. It was their most ancient fighting style and she had taught it to them centuries ago.
Trixie got excited about the concept of mental math and proposed a future tournament with Goblins and her family. The Goblins got excited too.
They all went to a large training room and the aurors all arrived, along with several department heads. Dan stood up and eyed every person entering the room sternly, making some of the managers nervous. He stared harder at one particular manager, and waved at Madame Longbottom, who walked up to him.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Stealing department funds," Dan said.
"Madame Bones," called Madame Longbottom.
Now Madame Bones had heard what happened with Dan, and she summoned an auror to come with her and they walked up to the Manager. "Stealing department funds," said Dan softly.
"Manager Walksover, would you come with me?" said Madame Bones, "We need your assistance."
The man pompously followed them out of the room and was arrested quickly. When he complained about someone reading his mind illegally, Madame Bones laughed at him and said, "Truth Seer," and Dan told them where the evidence would be found with dates, crimes, and notes on people he had fired when they got to close to figuring things out. Madame Bones smiled at him and suggested bringing those people back and seeing if any of them would like to work for the Ministry again.
Dan and Madame Bones walked back into the room, and Dan muttered to himself about being believed by the police when he got home. It would make it so much easier if he had his own department believe him.
Dan took a seat in the back and proceeded to watch everything with pride in the kids.
First Trixie went to the podium and stood on some steps to get to it that Lucifer put in place with magic He sat quietly in the front row and let all the children do presentations. First Trixie gave them all an adorable smile. "I am Trixie Morningstar, the adoptive daughter of Lucifer Morningstar. My Mom and Dad are non-magical aurors and keeping them safe is important to me. When we found out that the magical world had aurors and that you don't have instant communications, my brother Harry and Daddy Lucifer decided you needed something that would allow you to immediately call for assistance or to warn of danger. In the muggle world we have telephones. So in the magical world, we decided to make magical phones. They all run by magic and they are for aurors and also department managers, as it is quick communication. Please check out the screen behind me," she instructed and pointed to a large magical video screen.
Then Harry stood up and gave them all a video presentation on how to use the phones. Then phones were given out by the children and basic calling was explained and then practiced, with everyone learning they had a special number.
Then the children divided all people there in groups and had the call one another, explained the "911" button, which would dial the auror on duty for emergencies, and after they had called each other or received calls, showed them how to conference call.
The aurors started to get excited about what this meant to communications. A woman auror called Tonks had her hair turn pink in excitement, and Draco realized she was his cousin. They called each other and conferenced in Harry, and then asked if she could visit Draco and Narcissa at the Lux.
Then Harry conferenced in his Dad, at #666, and Tonks started giggling at the phone number. Because the aurors and the ministry were a small group, they had used 3 digit phone numbers, with plans to expand in future if the idea caught on.
The department managers started to get excited about calling each other, as did the aurors, when Draco did his presentation about the camera application and the spell ballistics. Mad-Eye, jumped up and said, "This will revolutionize our ability to check on who did the spell. It's tremendous!"
When they were done, Lucifer stood up and thanked everyone for coming. He preened a bit when they all stood and applauded not him, but the children. It pleased him to no end. Then he gathered up the rather hyper children and popped the whole group home.
Maze snapped her fingers and said, "We forgot about the fight training." Harry sat down next to Trixie on the couch and fell asleep. Ron and Neville went to shower and go to bed, and Draco bowed politely to Maze, Dan and Lucifer and went to see his mother.
Chloe came in to ask how the whole experience had been, and Maze took off, while Dan smiled. Maze didn't want to hear Chloe yelling at Lucifer because it might turn into yelling at Maze.
Dan said, "I found out I have some kind of seer ability, and someone tried to kill Lucifer and Trixie saved him."
Chloe looked quickly at the couch where her children were sleeping peacefully.
She turned around and said, "Magic the children to bed, Dear, and then please talk with me."
Lucifer grinned and then proceeded to transport the sleeping children to bed. Dan considered a hasty retreat but decided Lucifer might need backup.
After everyone was properly tucked in, Lucifer and Chloe adjourned to the dining area, where Dan was waiting for them.
"Tell me," said Chloe, rather sternly.
Lucifer explained, while Dan would occasionally add some small detail.
When they were done, Chloe put her head down on the table and moaned.
"How do you manage all this?" she said.
She raised her head and gave both men an extremely scary look. "Next time, I'm going too," she proclaimed flatly, "And I'm going with you to explain it to the Lieutenant. This is too important a resource to give up."
Dan nodded carefully. He fully agreed.
"Trixie goes to see the doctor," said Chloe then, "To make sure all this trauma has a chance to heal."
"Good idea, my darling," said Lucifer, "I was thinking about it myself. Oh, and Trixie wants to start doing mental math competitions."
"Why?" asked Chloe.
"Because the Goblins love it as a game and she wants to play with them,"
Chloe laughed.
The next day, Maze was left in charge of the children with KynKyn, who wanted some training in fighting and was an eager student.
Lucifer, Chloe and Dan went to the Precinct and met with the Lieutenant.
"Remember when I showed you some tricks of the trade?" asked Lucifer.
The Lieutenant grinned. "Best day of my life career wise. You cleaned up the department and also helped a lot of really good people."
"Well Detective Espinoza has developed something that may help the department as well.
"Oh?" said the Lieutenant.
"We discovered it helping a police department in England a few weeks ago with some communications issues" said Lucifer. "We met with some brother officers and Dan had tagged along. He suddenly knew they had some true traitors there, and was able to give dates, people, locations of evidence and everything."
Dan looked aggravated. "I don't know what the hell happened. Maybe it was something from the near death experience, and I'm freaked about it, Sir, but Chloe says it's too good not to see if we can use it as a resource, especially because I always know where the evidence is."
Normally they would have been sent in for a mental health assessment making these type of claims, but the Lieutenant had seen some very weird stuff happen with Lucifer that did wonders for their case solving statistics. The man stared at them and mused to himself, maybe it's catching or something.
"We should test this scientifically," said the Lieutenant, "Meet with suspects that aren't from our department. We'll film it. See if this works here. It has to be consistent."
First they were invited to a mild interrogation for a little old lady who was found to have a body in her basement. She claimed to know nothing about it, but went to the interrogation.
Dan sat behind the mirror and when the old woman was brought in, he got up and puked his guts out in the trash can. Lucifer and Chloe got worried. The lieutenant was a bit bemused himself.
"That woman has 22 bodies in her back yard. She takes them on as renters and steals their money and sometimes their social security money. She has missing persons going back 20 years and she just loves murdering people who trust her," spat Dan before rushing to the can again.
They wouldn't have figured it out if Dan didn't give them name and dates and where the bodies were buried. Even Lucifer didn't want to talk to the woman after that.
It made the papers, but nothing was said about Dan or ESP. Just mention that a good hunch, and knowledge of missing persons going back 20 years helped them make the call.
The Lieutenant was a happy camper, and Dan did a lot of interviews and interrogations. Soon his fellow cops figured out that Dan was doing something spooky, but since it helped them, and Dan wasn't being a pain about it, they were supportive and actually closed ranks when the level of solved cases exceeded the national standard and reporters started to nose about.
Now the Lieutenant had been thinking about retirement, but was now having too much fun. Being able to solve so many cases let him write his ticket on changes he wanted, and the whole precinct started to thrive, and their old bad reputation changed to being a great community resource that could be counted on. So when Marcus Pierce's file showed up as a replacement, the man was told that the Lieutenant was putting off retirement for another 5 years.
Lucifer Harry Lucifer Harry Lucifer Harry
A week later, Lucifer made arrangements to visit Minerva McGonagall at the Weasley home.
Minerva McGonagall was, of course, in her cat form. She hoped when she was turned back, that she would look like herself, but many people took on their animal form features if they stayed in the form too long, and she feared she would have cat eyes. Oh Well. She was waiting today, at the front door, to meet the being who had turned her into a cat. All that she learned of him, and she had been very interested, was that he was supremely powerful in magic, was an angel, and that they had been doing magic wrong for centuries.
He was the adoptive father of Harry Potter and come to Hogwarts to rescue his son from the world of magic. He had done it fairly easily, and Minerva, who was helping make the uncooperative boy obey Albus' commands, had been turned into a cat for her crimes.
Now that she was a cat all the time, her feelings about everything had changed. The magic Albus had used on her, though powerful, had faded. The potions he had used to compel her to unthinking loyalty and devotion were gone. If Albus had appeared right now, she would have tried to kill him for her betrayal at his hands. It apparently had started years ago, when she first went with him to the Dursley's house, and she had been regularly drugged and spellbound since.
Now there was a sense of sudden magic and a handsome looking, muggle dressed man appeared before her.
"Ah, Ms. McGonagall, I see you remember me." He said, as she shuddered and crouched down submissively.
He knelt down before her and simply looked at her, or so it would appear to the mortal eye, but Minerva was born and bred magic, and felt powerful yet delicately wielded magic suffuse her whole being and examine her.
"Oh my Father, I was terribly wrong about you, Madame," he said softly. "You have my deepest apologies. What he did to you is as bad as what he did to my Harry."
She meowed.
"You don't want to be turned back yet?" he asked in surprise.
She chirruped to him in formal cat.
"Oh, that's extremely thoughtful," he said, "Yes Harry would be terrified of you. You want me to make sure he knows you were under spells and potions and won't be afraid of you first?"
She purred at him.
"So you would like to meet him in your feline form and wait till he knows you better?" he sounded impressed.
The purring increased.
"Very well. Again, you have my deepest apology about this whole situation," he said regretfully.
"purrrrreeeeetttt"
"Well, that's certainly true, Madame. I was so angry I almost took back the gift of magic from everyone, but I didn't want to hurt the children or frighten them."
"MEOW."
"I agree, I was terrified on Harry's behalf."
He knocked on the door. Mrs. Weasley opened and welcomed him enthusiastically, and picked up Minerva and carried her to the table, where she had tea set up for all of them.
She has a deep saucer of Earl Grey and Lucifer had Ceylon tea. Then Minerva was given smoked salmon on a dish, and Lucifer had cheese and smoke salmon sandwiches, grilled on home-made bread.
Both women listened with deep interest as Lucifer told them about his new and extended family.
"And Mrs. Edwards is a seer," he said after describing her to the two.
"Mrrrrppppt?"
"Oh no, not even slightly a fraud like this woman who gave the prophecy that Bumbles was so enamored of. Mrs. Edwards is also quite sober. She has saved lives with her ability, and the children love her. She is our official Grandmother of all children at the Lux."
"That's lovely," said Molly Weasley, "we have few real seers about."
"Well, that may be because many of them can't use a wand, and were tossed out as squibs."
"Oh no," said Molly, and she struggled not to cry.
"Rowrrrr," said Minerva quite distinctly.
"Language, Professor, Language," chided Lucifer gently, "Our little Daffodil, one of the so-called squibs we have had the joy of adopting, is a very powerful seer. I often ask her opinion on new people in our lives."
Then he grinned, "And one of the members of our family, Dan Espinoza, who would have sworn up and down he hadn't a drop of magic in him, has suddenly become a truth seer, and been very helpful to the Auror Department and the Ministry of Magic. They are starting to use his abilities in the LAPD, and he's very irritated because his fellow officers keep asking him to suggest numbers for the lottery. He would have been considered a squib in the magical world, yet he has a very special gift. I am very proud of him."
Molly Weasley smiled at him. Minerva began to purrrrrrrrrr. They were a very attentive audience.
"Now lovely ladies, if Minerva feels ready, we can pop home to the Lux."
"Meow, Meow!"
"I think that was a resounding yes," said Molly.
Lucifer Harry Lucifer Harry Lucifer Harry
Chloe returned from a crime scene, tired, but happier than she had been before. She had wonderful little children waiting for her, who needed her. Trixie was getting an incredible education, as were the rest of the children, but she never would have known Trixie was genius level if it weren't for magic. Supper would be fantastic, there was a shower that massaged sore muscles, and a husband she was madly in love with. She was still solving crimes and might just ask her husband for assistance tomorrow.
A cat was sitting on the couch, in a content ball of fur, basking in the sun through the balcony window.
"Well hello," said brightly, forgetting all fatigue. A new pet, a new friend? You never knew what was going to happen at home any more.
The cat raised its head and gave her a very intelligent look.
She sat down near the cat, but not too near and said, "I'm Chloe Morningstar. I'm very glad to meet you."
The cat looked very surprised, but Chloe was more surprised when a voice said distinctly, "Why hello Mrs. Morningstar, I'm Minerva McGonagall." It was heard mentally, and not vocally, and Chloe recognized some of the communications she had done with Lucifer and Harry.
"Oh of course," she said brightly, "Lucifer was going to check and see if you had been influenced by that, that, that…."
"Horrible, goat loving, son of a ;ldkfjd;lfk;dklja," said the cat with vigor.
"Yes, exactly."
"So have you met everyone yet?"
"Oh yes, that's why I'm napping. They are vigorous, intelligent and I'm so pleased that Harry isn't afraid of me," said the cat, "I've romped for a good 3 hours straight. Oh, and the pets can speak to me. They are so sweet and loyal and quite personable."
Chloe laughed, "They run us all ragged, believe me. Did they tell you about Ron saving Daffodil from a, a?" Chloe stopped, "A terrible man who tried to steal her in the middle of the Farmer's Market?"
"Ron told me. I thought he was surely childish and immature, but he appears to have grown up a bit. He is very protective of Daffodil and the other smaller children. You both have done wonders for those children."
Minerva began to purr, and Chloe went over and began to gently scratch behind her ears. A friendship was born.