Chapter Twelve: Magic Whispers

Lance pondered the question seriously, his face twisting up as he concentrated and let his magic out. With gold filling the air around him and Uncle, he looked up at Giles, his eyes glittering. "She tried to take me away," he explained, then frowned. That didn't sound right…didn't make enough sense for the grown-ups. He patted his chest and added, "She wanted to take my name away, take baby sister and Mom and Dad away." His magic pulsed, whispering something else. "Magic says to say she took unicorn and redwood away," he obediently repeated.

Giles hissed like he would hiss in his flying form, rearing back. "She snapped your wand?" he blurted, eyes wide and an emotion Lance didn't recognize in them. He looked like Daddy had when the newspapers started saying bad things about Harry Potter.

His magic murmured and he nodded. "Magic says yes," he told Giles, then he cocked his head to the side, listening harder. "Magic wouldn't let her take my name, so she tried to make it go away." He remembered that part and his face scrunched up. "And I itched and itched until red came out, but the itch didn't stop."

The other adults, the ones his magic knew, but he didn't, they looked even madder than Mommy had the time he'd snuck baby sister away from Mindy without telling anyone. And Uncle hugged him tight, but it felt nice, not like when mean Mummy woman had hugged him. "I got you," Uncle whispered, just loud enough for Lance to hear. "I got you."

Lance nodded against Uncle's chest, meeting Giles' eyes again. "Cold woman told mean Mummy woman to stop using icky stuff." His head tilted to the side, "She knew I wasn't Daniel, but she pretended I was so mean Mummy woman would listen to her about the icky stuff."

"Cold woman?" Roy questioned.

The boy shrugged, as best he could in Uncle's grip. "Mean Mummy woman called cold woman 'Maria'. Cold woman called me Mudblood…what's that mean?"

There were several angry sounds from the adults and Giles looked like he was shaking, his face twisting up as he shook. After a few deep breaths, he replied, "That's a really bad word for people born to non-magical parents, Lance."

"Why would they think he was tech-born?" a blond man questioned, a confused look on his face.

But Uncle wasn't confused, though he sounded both sad and angry. "Because he was driving a car, Sam. Most purebloods and half-bloods wouldn't bother, am I right?"

Giles inclined his head and there was a slight flush on his cheeks. Lance studied the effect curiously, wondering why the grown-up's face was red. "I don't know how to drive," he admitted, drawing a snicker from Roy at the admission.

Lance looked between Giles and Roy, wondering what was so funny. There wasn't much left to tell, but he finished the tale nonetheless. "Mean Mummy woman wanted to fly 'cause then she could trick the Muggle Aurors into letting her take me away. Then a voice came from the ceiling and we went to the room with lots of people. Then I saw Roy and yelled and everything was right again."

Roy bit his lip, then blurted, "How'd you know my name?"

That was a silly question and Lance giggled, just a bit. "Magic told me," he chirped. "Magic said to yell real loud and not stop or mean Mummy woman would take me away forever and ever." He shuddered at the thought and he was happy that Uncle's hug got tighter.

"I think that's enough," Uncle said, trying to be firm, but his voice trembled too much for that. "We just have to wait for the De-Aging Potion to wear off, right? Then we can get our answers…we've got time."

"Yes and no," Giles admitted, his face glum, like Daddy the time that he'd come in and told Mindy to clean him and baby sister up.

"She's pureblood, isn't she?" Lance's head turned towards the speaker, an upset tall man with really, really short brown hair and big shoulders.

Giles nodded once. "We've got her on kidnapping and attempted murder charges." Angry and alarmed noises came from all the grown-ups. "But her family is already agitating for her release, claiming that she fully intended on returning Lance to his family and that I must have provoked her in some way…her family has enough power that it just might stick…"

"But I was there!" Roy protested.

"And you're a Muggle," Giles explained flatly. "They're also claiming that the wounds on her must have been my fault…we can counter that if we can conclusively, legally prove that Lance is who we say he is, but that means proving it here and now, before the De-Aging Potion wears off."

Roy looked bewildered. "No offense, but why does who Lance is make a difference?"

Lance felt his magic pushing at him and he cocked his head, listening carefully to the big words and things he didn't fully understand, but the grown-ups would. "Because," he enunciated carefully, "I'm a pureblood, too." The grown-ups looked at him, surprised that he was explaining things, instead of Uncle. "And I'm registered, but magic doesn't say why registered is important." He pouted at that, but continued, "Magic says to say that she can be charged with line theft, for what she did to me. What's line theft?"

The grown-ups traded looks at that. "What about the broken wand?" the pretty short lady asked suddenly. "She broke a minor's wand, isn't that something else she can be charged with?"

A soft sigh. "We only have Lance's word right now on the broken wand – and yes, I believe him about that – but until he's back to being sixteen it's 'she said, a four-year-old said.' What I need is evidence that she tried to magically manipulate the Heir to an Ancient and Noble House. That would be the line theft Lance is alleging. And I still need evidence that Lance is who we say he is, especially since we have a death certificate for him."

"So what can we help with?" a blond man standing very close to the pretty lady questioned.

The big brown-haired man waved a hand. "Is there anything we could use to quickly prove his identity?"

"His magic," Uncle replied without missing a beat. "That's how I knew it was him…his magic is gold and Alanna's is violet. And it's family magic…as far as I know, it's impossible to replicate."

"Family magic…familial Animagus form," Giles muttered to himself, nodding slowly. "That just might work, Parker."

"And if you find his wand," the pretty lady put in, "It's unique to him, right?"

Another nod, this one more confident. "Close enough that we can prove the death certificate is in error. That just leaves the magical manipulation…"

Two men, one with very tan skin and one with spiky hair started whispering to each other as the moment hung. Lance studied them, his magic swirling, but silent. The boy bit his lip, considering Giles' words…at least, as much as a four-year-old could at any rate. Then spiky hair came over, his eyes worried and he looked unsure, like Lance had felt when he'd gone exploring in the shed behind his home. He looked to Uncle for permission and got it; crouching down to be on Lance's level, he asked, "Lance, could you tell us how she tried to take your name away?"

Giles jerked and stared and Uncle's grip got tight again. And his magic pushed at him, asking to speak through him. He let it, feeling his eyes burn a little as the magic filled him. "Recensiete Memorite (5)," he whispered. "That's what she used, Auror Onasi." His head came up, the gold still burning brightly. "She wanted me to be Daniel, but I'm not." Briefly, he cocked his head to the side, expression turning thoughtful. "She worships Daniel and blames her husband, the Aurors, and anyone she can think of for his death. And she hates the Lion…she blames Him most of all; He called Daniel home just like He called Mom and Dad home." The gold faded from his eyes, the magic curling inward and satisfied with the information it had imparted. "Magic done talking now," he reported. "Can I see baby sister now?"


Greg came very close to swearing as his nephew's eyes burned a bright, fierce golden hue. And the voice that came from him…it was an adult's, not a child's and not a teenager's either. A chill ran up Greg's spine, because he'd heard a trace of the voice before, behind this same four-year-old's solemn words…twelve years ago in his one and only meeting with Arthur Calvin and his young family.

"Not right for you. Care too much. Help people who talk back."

He swallowed hard. Looking back, Lance had been absolutely correct…he did do better with people who talked back, because he cared so much. Unnerved, but determined, Greg remarked quietly, "Giles, everything he just said, I'll back up one-hundred percent if I need to."

"You don't," Giles almost whispered, looking just as stunned as Greg felt. He'd gone paler and paler the longer Lance talked. "The spell she used…it's one of the most powerful memory alteration charms ever created. Powerful because it's so simple…simple and elegant, I think I heard an Obliviator say once." The Auror rose to his feet, anger entering his eyes. "Only Obliviators and Aurors are permitted to use it…and even we have to fill out a stack of parchmentwork three meters tall if we do use it. Using it on a minor…" Rage was filtering in.

"Prison sentence?" Lou inquired.

A growl came from Giles. "Prison is being generous…and using an illegal memory alteration charm on a kidnap victim who just happens to be the Heir to an Ancient and Noble House means she's on the hook for attempted line theft. Maybe more once we add in the De-Aging Potion she used and the Suppression Potion."

"Which reminds me," Roy mused, turning to Parker. "Do you know if Lance is a Wild Mage?"

"I've heard both of them referred to as Wild Mages," Spike offered up, getting a startled look from Giles and Roy.

"I'm not sure I've ever heard yea or nay," Greg admitted, though his eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"If we search her house," Roy remarked suddenly, hastily changing the subject without answering Greg's question, "We might find the pieces of Lance's wand, too."

"That's gravy," Giles rumbled, stalking towards the door. He halted, turning back sheepishly. "Sorry, Parker, but at this point, active investigation…"

"Go," Greg replied, understanding. "Tell us when you can, Giles." He frowned, another factor occurring to him. "What about the driver?"

For a moment, Giles' face went blank, then he facepalmed. "Right…the driver…I'll take care of it. And the death certificate, too."

Roy cleared his throat, joining his partner and whacking his shoulder. "I think you meant, we'll take care of it, right, partner?"

Greg was unsurprised when both men managed to disappear without any further ado. He looked down at wide, hopeful blue eyes. "Baby sister?" Lance asked, managing to pack enough pleading in those two words to overwhelm even the hardest of hearts.

The Sergeant bit back a chuckle. "Okay, sport," he agreed, "Let's get you home."

"Sarge…" Greg looked over at Wordy, who was torn between chagrin and laughter. "Is your apartment kid-proofed?"

Kid-proofed? Greg's expression did all the talking for him as he gave his constable a quizzical look.

Wordy bit his lip, holding in his laughter, though it danced in his eyes and slipped out in a snicker or two. "Four-year-old kid, who can turn into a flying gryphon cub…you think your place is going to survive for however long that De-Aging Potion lasts?"

Greg froze, looking down at his nephew, who blinked innocently at him, then back up at his team. "Oh, boy."


Alanna wiped her tears away, wishing, yet again, that her brother hadn't left her all alone. She knew he hadn't meant to leave her, but he still had and it wasn't fair. She was trying to be brave and strong, for Uncle Greg who looked more and more forlorn with every passing day, but it was so hard. Biting back another sniffle, she made her way to where Aunt Shelley was waiting to pick her up, with the three Wordsworth girls in tow.

As always, Claire and Lilly bombarded her with questions about magic and how it worked, asking questions faster than she could answer them. Ally bubbled out a few questions of her own, but she wasn't quite old enough to get in before her two older sisters. Before, it had made her laugh, but now…now it was just another thing to endure. She pasted a smile on her face and answered the last question first, even as, inside, her heart broke all over again, remembering how Lance would sometimes join the three little girls, his laughter ringing in his voice as he teased her. How could you leave me, big brother…why did you leave me all alone?

"Okay, girls, that's enough," Aunt Shelley broke in. "Give Alanna some room to breathe."

Alanna's smile turned genuine at Aunt Shelley's intervention. "Thanks," she whispered.

"Anytime, sweetie," Aunt Shelley murmured back. "Kevin called, said he and Greg had a surprise for you when you get back to our place."

A surprise…she'd never wanted a surprise less in her life. But Uncle Wordy and Uncle Greg working together was a good thing…she knew things had been a little strained ever since Uncle Wordy's Wizengamot trial.


Aunt Shelley led the way into the house, peering around in confusion when neither Uncle Greg nor Uncle Wordy appeared with the promised surprise. Alanna followed close behind, her eyes dull and unhappy…the only surprise she wanted was for time to work backwards, so she could save her brother.

"Kevin?" Aunt Shelley called, a lilt in her voice that suggested Uncle Wordy was on the cusp of being in trouble.

"In here, Shel," Uncle Wordy called back from the living room.

Aunt Shelley stepped to the doorway, then gasped and dropped her purse, her hands coming up to her mouth. Curious, Alanna peered around her. Uncle Greg, Uncle Wordy, and a little boy were in the center of the room; the little boy's sapphire eyes fixed on her, going wide.

Then his face turned completely, utterly delighted. "Baby sister!" he declared, magic spilling out, blazing gold in the room.

Alanna's jaw dropped, her own magic slipping out without thought, meeting and mixing with his. She wasn't aware of moving, but she must have, because the next thing she knew, she was in the living room, curled around her brother and crying. She felt Uncle Greg's arms come around both of them and she leaned into him, letting her sobs and magic out in equal measure.

"Baby sister not cry," Lance whispered…and how had he been turned into a four-year-old? "Don't be sad. Aslan bring me home."

Her laugh, right in the middle of her crying, was watery, but real. "Yes," she whispered back, running a hand through his soft brown hair, "He brought you home." Her magic danced around his and she added, "I'm crying because I'm happy, big brother."

Lance's face twisted in thought, then turned unhappy. "Not big anymore," he observed. "Baby sister big now."

She laughed again, felt Uncle Greg laugh too. "Don't worry, big brother," she replied, "You'll always be my big brother."

"Promise?"

"Until the stars go dim," Alanna promised, twining her fingers with his.


[5] Latin for 'change memory'