Disclaimer: All previous disclaimers apply.
Chapter 18: Thanksgiving, a Will Reading & Some Magic
Halliwell Manor
1329 Prescott Street
San Francisco, CA, USA
November 25, 2031
7:00 am
After almost two weeks, Thanksgiving Day arrives. Piper likes Thanksgiving because it is one of the few days of the year other than the monthly Halliwell family dinners that Phoebe's and Paige's families visit the Halliwell Manor and she gets to hear how exciting their lives are.
Thanksgiving is also cleaning and cooking day. Wyatt and Melinda usually clean their rooms and scrub the floors and vacuum the carpet in the living room and family room, while Leo dusts the wood furniture and Chris helps her cook. However, this year, Wyatt and Melinda watch a horror movie with blood and heads rolling around on the ground at the movie theatre, while some wizarding world household cleaning spells clean the Halliwell Manor for them. It is a good thing that Melinda thought of using wizarding world magic to do Wyatt's and her Thanksgiving chores because wizarding world magic has no personal gain issues attached to it and because she doesn't use a wand, the Ministry of Magic cannot track her magical signature and send her to Azkaban for underage magic. It is also a good idea because Piper will never know that Leo has also shirked his cleaning duties and is spending the day in his office at Magic School grading papers.
In addition, Emily and Aisling offer to help Piper and Chris cook Thanksgiving dinner. Emily makes candied yams and green bean casserole. Aisling makes mashed potatoes with gravy and cranberry sauce. Chris bakes the turkey and stuffs the turkey with stuffing, while Piper bakes pumpkin pie and cornbread.
Halliwell Manor
1329 Prescott Street
San Francisco, CA, USA
November 25, 2031
7:30 pm
Phoebe, Coop, Pandora, Psyche, Paige, Henry Senior, Henry Junior, Patience, Persephone, a disguised 5'2" tall Prue with red hair and green eyes, a disguised 5'8" tall Andy with blond hair and blue eyes, Jennifer, Cole, Dr. Claire Mallory, James Young, Harry, Ginny, Albus, Amanda, Teddy, Victoire, James, Lily, Melinda, Wyatt, Chris who is using his Elder ability to become invisible so that Darryl will not cart him off to jail for Mrs. O'Keeffe's and Mrs. Jones' deaths, Leo, Darryl and Sheila Morris, Piper, Aisling, Emily, Parker Blake, Victor Bennett and Alasdair sit at a long cherry table that has a burgundy table runner on it, dressed in blue jeans. The ladies wear various colored spaghetti-strap shirts, while the men wear polo shirts. In front of each person is a burgundy placemat. A white china plate with a gold border on it is in the center of the placemat. A bright yellow napkin with an outline of a turkey in brown thread on it rests flat on top of each plate. Underneath the picture of the turkey on the napkin is a person's name embroidered in brown thread. The salad fork and meat fork rest to the left of the plate. To the right of the plate is a meat knife, a butter knife and a soup spoon. Above and to the left of the plate is a champagne flute and above and to the right of the plate is a water goblet.
A juicy golden brown 20 -pound turkey full of stuffing sits on a steel platter in the center of the table. To the left of the turkey is the large steel pot of mashed potatoes with gravy, a bowl of cranberry sauce and a plate of cornbread. To the right of the turkey is a 13" by 9" baking dish full of green bean casserole, another tray of candied yams , a box of pumpkin pie, and two containers of eight-ounce whipped cream topping.
After praying, everyone enjoys Thanksgiving dinner.
"Piper, the candied yams are delicious," Phoebe says as she takes another helping of candied yams and turkey and pointedly ignores Cole who is sitting across from her and talking to Dr. Mallory.
"Thanks, Pheebs, but I didn't make the candied yams this year," Piper says with a smile.
"Who did?" Phoebe asks.
Aisling who is sitting next to Emily nudges Emily who is eating a piece of cornbread.
"I cooked the candied yams," Emily replies.
"Hats off to our newest chef!" Phoebe says as she raises her champagne flute for a toast.
"Thank you, but I didn't do it by myself. Chris has been teaching me," Emily replies.
"Where is Chris?" Darryl asks.
Nobody answers. After a long pause, Wyatt replies, "Chris is at his favorite thinking place."
"Where is this thinking place?" Darryl asks.
Wyatt points up toward the ceiling.
"Be sure to tell me when he returns," Darryl says.
Not liking where the conversation is going, Piper asks Darryl's son, Mike, about basketball.
After dinner, Darryl gestures to Piper, Phoebe and Paige to sit across from him at the table, while everyone else goes to the living room to talk.
"How may we help you?" Phoebe asks, while Piper mutters some inappropriate words under her breath about Darryl.
"I need your help," Darryl says.
"That's rich coming from you. You tried to arrest Chris for assaulting you when his evil self did it," Piper says in a cold voice to Darryl.
"Piper, I know he hurt us, but we have to be reasonable. It has been 26 years since then. Let's at least hear what Darryl has to say," Phoebe says as she hugs Piper.
After hugging Piper, Phoebe turns to Darryl and waits for him to begin.
"I am investigating Mrs. O'Keeffe's and Mrs. Jones' deaths. The laboratory results indicate that the murder weapon is a dart dipped in the poison of a poison dart tree frog. I am not interested in how Mrs. O'Keeffe and Mrs. Jones' died, but rather, who murdered them. Would you scry for the murderer using the darts?" Darryl asks.
The sisters discuss it.
Then Piper says, "We will do it for Aisling and Emily."
"Then, meet me at the police department with your scrying tools," Darryl says.
"The police department is not on a spiritual nexus. You will have to come here," Piper says with her arms crossed.
Phoebe and Paige stand next to her.
I see that I am outnumbered.
"Very well, I will come here when I can with the darts that killed Mrs. O'Keeffe and Mrs. Jones," Darryl says.
Then, they go to the living room and enjoy the rest of the evening.
Oceanside Apartments
Leasing Office
Ocean-view Drive
San Francisco, CA, USA
December 01, 2031
6:00 am
Emily, who is dressed in a black suit, enters the glass doors of the leasing office at Oceanside Apartments and looks around the lobby of the leasing office, while she waits in line for her turn to talk with the red-haired lady behind the black marble counter. There is a red area rug on the pine hardwood floors. On the forest green wall across from the counter is a painting of horses racing along a track. Underneath the painting is a chintz sofa. On both sides of the sofa are two end tables with table lamps on them. In front of the sofa is a cherry wood coffee table with a stack of magazines on it. A crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling.
When it is Emily's turn, she hands the lady a check for her rent. Then, she exits the office and goes to the mailboxes, which are next to the leasing office. She opens her mailbox and looks at the addresses on the envelopes until she sees a letter from her grandparents' lawyer. She opens the envelope and takes out the letter. She unfolds the letter and reads:
Law Offices of Campbell & Blount, LLP
4702 Greenbrook Avenue
Los Angeles, CA, USA
02 November 2031
Dear Miss Emily Blake:
We are sorry for your loss. Your grandmother's will reading is on 15 November 2031. I have spoken with your grandfather and he wishes to postpone the will reading until you are ready. Please call me when you are ready to hear the contents of your grandmother's will and I will make the necessary arrangements.
Sincerely,
Jacob Campbell, J.D.
Attorneys at Law
After reading the letter, Emily takes out her cellular phone and calls Mr. Campbell.
Law Offices of Campbell & Blount, LLP
4702 Greenbrook Avenue
Los Angeles, CA, USA
December 01, 2031
6:30 am
Ring! Ring!
Mr. Jacob Campbell lifts his head from the top of his desk and stares up at the round clock on the wall.
"Who calls at 6:30 in the morning?" Jacob wonders.
Groggily, he picks up the phone and says, "Yes?"
"I am so happy I could reach you, Mr. Campbell. This is Emily Blake," Emily says.
"Emily, what do you want to tell me at 6:30 am?" Mr. Jacob Campbell asks.
"I didn't know it was so early. I am sorry for bothering you. I just saw your letter about the will reading. I am ready to attend the will reading. I will be at your office at 9:00 pm tonight. Just call Mom, Dad and Grandpa and tell them about the will reading. I have to go to class now. Bye," Emily says and hangs up the phone.
Law Offices of Campbell & Blount, LLP
4702 Greenbrook Avenue
Los Angeles, CA, USA
December 01, 2031
9:00 pm
Parker Blake, Emily and Emily's parents, who are dressed in black suits that they wore to work, sit in chairs in front of Mr. Campbell's desk, facing Mr. Campbell. The bald Mr. Campbell has stormy gray eyes that are hidden behind thick black-rimmed glasses. He wears a finely tailored black suit and black dress shoes. His desk is covered with a picture frame containing a picture of Mr. Campbell's family and stacks of papers. Next to one of the stacks of papers is a desk lamp with a green shade on it. The lamp also comes with a gold chain that can be pulled to turn the lamp on or off. The light from the desk lamp shines down on one of the stacks of papers. The blinds on the window behind Mr. Campbell's desk are drawn to provide privacy. There are some paintings on the walls of landscapes like gardens and waterfalls. There is also a framed diploma on the wall.
Mr. Campbell picks up some papers from one of the stacks on his desk and reads aloud:
I, Christina Blake née Wentworth, of sound mind and body, hereby bequeath the vacation home in North Carolina to my daughter and son-in-law. I give everything else to my dear husband in the hopes that he will leave all of it to Miss Emily Blake, my granddaughter and any great-grandchildren we may have, in his will.
After reading the will, Mr. Jacob hands everybody some papers to sign that state that they heard the contents of Mrs. Jones' will. Parker, Emily, and her parents sign the papers, say bye to Mr. Campbell and exit the office.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster's Office
Somewhere in Scotland
December 02, 2031
6:00 am
While Emily is at her grandmother's will reading, Aisling and Chris are in Harry's office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, pleading with Harry to let them borrow the computer that will tell them what powers Aisling has. After lots of pleading, Harry relents and summons the computer. He places the flat 32" screen monitor and accompanying ergonomically designed keyboard in the middle of the floor. He places a mouse and pad next to the keyboard and sits in front of the keyboard. Aisling and Chris sit next to Harry. Harry turns the computer on and opens a program that will determine Aisling's magical powers. When the program opens, a little flap in the keyboard opens and out rolls a tiny touchpad.
"Place a finger on the pad, Aisling," Harry instructs.
Aisling places the thumb of her right hand on the touchpad and waits for something to happen. Little sensors on the pad heat up. When the computer is done sensing, a dialog box pops up on the computer asking if the user wants a printout of the results of the test. Harry clicks yes using the mouse and the computer prints the results. Harry picks up the printout and reads aloud:
Miss Aisling O'Keeffe
Powerful Wizarding World Witch and Wicca Witch
Wicca Powers
Telekinesis
Wind Elemental
Seer- Has Premonitions
"Aisling, I can teach you telekinesis and Aunt Phoebe can teach you how to control your premonitions, but how do we deal with your wind elemental ability?" Chris asks.
Harry hands Chris and Aisling some books and says, "These books should help you learn about elementals."
Chris and Aisling spend the next four days reading the books. Then, they return to Harry's office.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster's Office
Somewhere in Scotland
December 06, 2031
7:00 am
"Hey, Munchkin! Did the books help?" Harry asks Aisling and Chris.
"Yes, Uncle Harry," Chris replies.
We want to go to the Quidditch Pitch and try some of Aisling's powers.
"Okay," Harry says as Chris, Aisling, and he head down to the Quidditch Pitch.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Quidditch Pitch
Somewhere in Scotland
December 06, 2031
7:15 am
Aisling stands in the middle of the Quidditch Pitch, stretches her hands out in front of her and thinks of how angry she was when her parents announced that they were moving to San Francisco from Florida. However, nothing happens. Aisling tries again and again, but nothing happens.
"Maybe anger isn't the trigger," Chris suggests.
"The books say that the trigger of the wind comes from anger," Aisling retorts in frustration.
"Maybe the trigger is love for the air. I know that I feel happiest when I am flying on my broom in the air, which is the reason why I can transform into a phoenix," Harry says.
Aisling closes her eyes and imagines what it might feel like to fly. When she opens her eyes and looks down, she finds herself in the air, but her long red skirt hasn't moved and there aren't goosebumps on her arms from the cold winds despite the fact that she is wearing a sleeveless white blouse.
"How is this happening?" Aisling shrieks.
"The winds are at your mercy. They keep you up there and support your weight while you are up there, but they don't affect you in that you won't feel cold from the winds. Even if the winds blow things around you, you will remain in the same spot as nicely kempt as you were before the winds came," Harry explains.
"Get me down from here," Aisling shouts.
"Just imagine that you are on the ground and the winds will take you there," Harry gently says.
Aisling imagines the rustling grass of the Quidditch Pitch and she finds herself safely standing on the ground.
Then, Chris and Aisling say goodbye to Harry and Chris orbs Aisling to her house. Then, Chris goes to P3, while Harry returns to the castle to teach a class of second year students.