A Second Life

Chapter 3; Introductions

London; Alley near The Wandering Myth

Paige reappeared in a dark Alley, true to Leo's prediction it was already almost dark in the early evening light as the alley walls shielded the witch from the last twilight glow on the west horizon. She looked around slightly disoriented at the sudden jump forwards in time.

"Wow! It's like time travel!" She muttered to herself childishly before glancing around to make sure no-one had seen her arrival. Then she found the end of the alley and strolled out into the dwindling crowd as innocently as possible. She glanced around looking for the aforementioned pub before spotting it on the opposite side of the street. She worried for a minute over how to cross the foreign roads where the traffic almost seemed to run in reverse to what she had grown up with before she noticed crowds of people heading down some stair and her heart leapt as she discovered her solution and followed them down and under the street.

To her eyes the pub looked like any other. Small window panes filled the two large window frames and a large double arched doorway stood with one side open to welcome in customers. A sign above the door declared the pub as being The Wandering Myth and the hanging sign, in the old style so rarely seen in pubs in America, boasted the image of the mythological Phoenix. Paige remembered not to laugh at normal peoples ideas about magic; it was a whole different magical world after all. Who was to say what creatures were part of it?

She entered the pub trying to look casual and failed miserably when she felt as if her magic had been tugged at briefly and a cold feeling washed over her as if she had suddenly walked into a freezer. She struggled to keep her composure as she realised how much power she had felt. She stopped inside the door and glanced around taking in everything she could, using her experience with the time she spent in P3, her sister Piper's club in San Francisco.

She immediately registered the slightly weirdly dressed people sat at some tables. They wore normal cloths but most seemed to appear as if they had only just decided to start or wore immaculate suits which looked like they had been told to wear them.

She picked a seat at the bar and ate a few of the peanuts from the tray in front of her as she listened to the chatter from a group just beside her who she quickly realised were a group of these 'Wizards' that Leo had mentioned.

"Did you feel that ward though?" One of the three men asked in a whisper that wasn't quiet enough to stop Paige hearing it. "Its one of the most powerful I've ever felt. And to think it's on just a pub!"

"Yeah, but I heard that Harry Potter was placing the Wards here!" A second man said in a voice that suggested it was a big secret.

The third man finally spoke up. "Don't be a fool Gibbs! Of course Harry Potter placed them, he lives here doesn't he!"

At least by this point Paige new she was in the right place. "What I want to know though is how come none of those Muggles are repelled by them? Wards that powerful should mean there were no Muggles here." Gibbs didn't sound that bright.

It seemed that the third man was about to put something in when a glass suddenly landed firmly on the counter near to Paige which made her jump, she looked at the sound to realise that it had landed just where the men stood chatting. The bar tender, whose hand was attached to it, spoke rather reproachfully.

"Watch your words Gibbs if you don't mind, I'd rather not have to charm anyone in here." He voice was young to match his body and Paige sensed the magic coming off of him. 'Could this be Harry?' she thought to herself but the idea was thrown out when the first man spoke again.

"Come now Jason! No harm done, nobody heard us talking." He paused and Paige watched as he leaned in closer but his voice didn't get any quieter. "So how come the Wards are so powerful but Muggles can still come in?" By this point Paige had realised that Muggle meant the magic-less humans.

"Like Vister," here he nodded at the third man as he spoke, "said, Harry Potter lives here, no let's just leave it at that shall we." The men looked as though they wished to continue so the bar man, Jason, added, "You all three know that Harry doesn't like being talked about like this. Lets just leave him and his work alone shall we?"

He put emphasis on the word work leading Paige to wonder exactly what her new charge did.

Paige was still pondering this and the idea of their wards when she realised that the bar man Jason was talking to her.

"I'm sorry what were you saying? I spaced out a bit there!" She looked the man other and decided that his age would be a match for her own charge and that must be the Jason Aberro that she had been told to find.

"I asked if you wanted something, you have been sitting at a bar for over five minutes without even trying to get served."

"Um, just an orange juice if you could please?"

He smiled slightly and reached under a counter to retrieve a bottle of juice from under the counter and move to pour it out but Paige caught him. "The bottles fine!"

He gave her a strange look but handed her the bottle before resting his elbows on the counter in front of her and looking at her.

"You from America?" he asked suddenly surprising her by his bluntness.

"Yeah, west coast." There was a slight pause so she found a question to ask. "Is this place yours?"

His face lit up suddenly and Paige was glad she had change the subject successfully away from her. "Yeah, I inherited it from my Grandfather. It's a one-in-a-kind place." He said proudly.

"How so?" She asked without thinking and instantly regretted it realising that he meant about the fact that they were serving both magical patrons and non-magical ones. She quickly tried to cover this up by asking if that was what he meant.

"You are a peculiar one." He told her quietly after nodding at her. He frowned slightly at her once more before seeming to shake himself out of it and standing up again he told her to call him if she wanted another drink before he stepped out the door to the back.

'Back' of The Wandering Myth

Jason leant against the wall and concentrated on Harry's mind to talk to him. He wasn't as strong as Harry when projecting thoughts so he just mentally nudged his boyfriends mind before letting Harry open the connection to him.

'Jason? You all right? The wards ok?'

'Hey love! I'm fine, the wards are working great, though they seem to be causing quite the curious confusion with some of the more intelligent wizards here.'

'So what's up? I'll be home in ten minutes anyway, I'm just leaving again.' Harry had already been home once today after the planned assault and had set up the wards before going in to file his report with his boss.

'There's a curious woman here. American, her signature is confusing the wards. They nearly didn't let her pass. She registering as a witch but the list has put her in a separate heading then the other Witches and Wizards here. I think she's here about you though. I heard her listening intently on a couple of guys talk about you.'

'I'll be there soon love.' With that the connection ended though Jason noticed that Harry left it slightly open, just enough that if Jason got in trouble Harry would know almost before Jason himself would. Jason smiled a slightly sappy smile before turning to re-enter the pub.

"So you waiting for someone then?" He asked her conversationally after a few more minutes where he watched her sip her orange juice.

"Yeah, I've been sent to talk to someone."

"Sent by who?"

"Someone in America. They sent me to Harry Potter."

"You a reporter?" Jason asked with disdain in his voice that shocked Paige into answering defensively in the negative.

Jason didn't answer as Harry walked out of the back door and into the area behind the pub. He wore muggle clothes, Paige noted, and he had Black hair with silver highlights and was spiked up at the front like Jason's. Paige dimly noted a connection form between her and him as her Whitelighter side formed the bond that would allow her to protect him.

Paige watched as he spoke to Jason for a few seconds before bringing his hand to the back of the other mans neck and placing a loving kiss on his lips. To say Paige was shocked was an understatement. Her charge was gay! Not that she really minded it just came as an off revelation and on the side she realised that that was why Jason had been so defensive when the three men had brought up Harry when they were chatting.

Harry then turned and looked at her and she went utterly still as she felt power flow across her senses that made her shiver but for some reason she couldn't break eye contact with the green eyes across from her. She felt something brush against her mind and it reminded her of when Piper had told her about the Demon of Fear that had read their thoughts. She blanched as she realised what was happening and yanked her eyes down to the table top hoping that it would stop him. She felt the tendril of power withdraw and sighed with relief.

She looked up and jumped when she realised that Harry was now standing just across the bar from him. He was just about to say something when Gibbs' voice broke through calling out to Harry.

"Hey Harry Potter. How did you create those wards then?" Shock rippled throughout the bar as these words split the people there into two groups. The Magical people stared at the man in disbelief whilst the Non-magical people stared in confusion.

"Gibbs, that's strike two." Jason sighed, and pulled out his wand and waved it at the doors. Paige jumped internally as the open door smacked shut and clicked as they locked. "One more strike and you will be banned."

Paige watched the scene in confusion and when she looked forwards she realised that her charge was still looking straight at her. He didn't do anything but look at her when she looked around at the voices that were being raised.

"Harry! Could you please do something about them?" Jason was suddenly beside Harry tugging on his arm.

"About who?" Harry asked snapping his eyes away from Paige.

"The Muggles! There's going to be a riot in a minute!" Jason sounded slightly distressed and upset.

Paige watched Harry's hand reach out and squeeze his boyfriends hand comfortingly before his closed his eye briefly and waved his other hand in a wide arc that trailed a green light. When the arc was complete Paige felt magic wash over her again in a searching way before it suddenly flowed around her and onto someone else. She felt no different.

The room had gone completely quiet; the raised voices had gone silent. It was Jason that broke the silence.

"I'm sorry, we're shutting now, could everyone help each other out?" He gave a significant nod in the Non-Magical people's direction and nobody argued. A few of the Wizards started herding the quiet Muggles out of the room. Paige noticed then that their eyes were slightly glazed. Whatever the magic was that had probed her had somehow effected them.

The sighed resignedly when she saw people leaving and made to stand, she'd have to come back tomorrow, maybe she could follow Harry to work.

"No, you stay here. I have some questions for you." Harry spoke to her and she sat back on the stool as she watched the last of the patrons leave the pub. Jason pulled out the wooden stick again that he had used to close the pubs doors and swept it around in front of him. Paige covered her jump as best as possible as glasses and plates leapt from the tables and started stacking themselves neatly on the table. She knew however that Harry had noticed her surprise.

Jason looked over at Harry as he laughed quietly but gave another wave of his wand to send the plates one after another to the sink to wash themselves.

"You are a witch are you not?" It didn't ask it as a question but Paige still nodded. "Then why are you shocked at basic charms?"

"I'm from America, we do things differently over there." She answered truthfully.

"Jason says that you're here to see me." Again it was more of a statement then a question but this time he waited for her to respond.

"I was sent to check up on you by my boss." She quickly explained hoping he wouldn't dig deeper.

"Who is your boss to worry about me?" She sighed as he pushed for details.

"I'm not allowed to say. I was sent to protect you and help you."

It was Jason that next spoke after a pause. "You're not a Witch by our standards are you?"

"No," was her simple answer. There was a pause, "Why aren't you that surprised by that?"

"I work with a research team. One of our projects involves strange occurrences in America along with evidence of slightly altered Magical Signatures of Witches that match yours."

Paige could only look in shock as she realised what Harry meant. Her world knew nothing of their yet this man, her charge, knew about hers.

"Why have you been sent to protect me?" Harry asked.

"My bosses think that something is going to happen that might require my help."

"And how are you planning on helping me?"

"Actually not just me, my sisters and I can help you."

"So why is it just you who came?" This was Jason this time.

"I'm what is called a Whitelighter; normally a Whitelighter is someone who has died after a life full of kindness and love. I'm only half Whitelighter as my father was one but that gives me the ability to use Magic as well." Harry and Jason waited silently for her to continue, "All Whitelighters are given charges to look after. I was given you this morning so I came over to meet with you. Normally we don't reveal ourselves till we have to but I underestimated your powers."

"I wouldn't have bothered to search your magical signature if it wasn't for Jason and it was the wards that registered and reported your 'abnormality' to Jason which wouldn't have been there if you had come yesterday. They were only completed this afternoon."

There was another short silence before Jason spoke up. His voice was slightly cold, "How do you know we can trust her love?"

Harry looked at her and then turned to look at him before saying quietly, "I can't be sure without searching her mind but I already tried that, there is an external force protecting her mind and body. Actually that's not that true, her magic is a force split in three, if you attack one you face all three. Their combined power is greater than my own. I would lose if I tried to forcibly pry into her mind and probably summon the other two at he same time."

"I've never heard it put like that before." Paige stuttered, "we always just say that we are three sisters that together hold the power to fight back evil."

"We have a different understanding of magic then you." Jason explained.

"Trust will come in time if she deserves it." Harry concluded. Then Harry shocked her again, "The wards won't prevent your particular type of transport until you use them once then I will change them to block you." His voice had a hardness to it. Paige had no idea he knew that she could orb.

"I better leave then. I will come back soon." She got up to head for the door. She knew that if she orbed out then Harry would be able to lock the wards against her so she planned to walk out so she could orb back in later. "If you ever need me just call out my name, that goes for you too Jason."

"It would help if we knew your name." Jason stated bluntly but not without a bit of humour. Paige blushed slightly but told them her name anyway before turning back to the door, thinking she had got out without orbing.

A laugh drew her attention back to Harry as she realised he had suddenly closed the distance between the bar and the door without her hearing. Not to mention the fact the actual bar had been between him and the door before hand.

"Nice try Paige, but I really don't like people being able to just appear in my home." Without any further comments he was pointing a wooden stick at her and muttering the words Avada Kadavra.

Paige's eyes widened slightly as a blue beam of light leapt violently from the wand and lanced towards her but never reached her as she burst into orbs and flew quickly up into the air before disappearing.

Halliwell Manor; immediately afterwards.

Piper stood holding Chris and Billie was playing on the floor with Wyatt and Leo was helping Phoebe search through the Book of Shadows as they looked for anything to do with this new World.

Everything went quiet when Paige appeared in a cloud of orbs until Chris giggled at her and reached out for his aunt. Paige took him automatically still in shock that the curse that Leo had warned her about had been sent at her from her own charge.

Piper was the first to realise that something was seriously wrong but Leo spoke first. "Paige? What happened?"

"He tried to kill me."

"What?" Piper shrieked.

"Everything was going fine and I was just about to leave when he suddenly laughed, said he didn't like people just appearing in his home then he just pointed a stick at me and said Avada Kadavra and the last thing I saw before I orbed out was a blue light."

"Take us back there," Piper stated, "We'll kill him!"

"Are you sure you're powerful enough, he's supposed to be really powerful." Leo asked her.

"He is more powerful than one of us, but he admitted to being weaker than the three of us combined." Paige said.

"How did he know that?" Phoebe asked. "Maybe you should start from the beginning."

"Wait a sec," Leo said before he called out, "Luke!"

Orbs appeared near the door to the living room, before the English Whitelighter appeared before them. "What's up?"

Paige then went onto tell them everything while she cuddled Chris into her as he played with her hair. When she reached the end everyone was silent until Luke spoke.

"Did you say the curse thrown at you before you left was blue?" He asked slowly as he frowned.

"Yeah, he shouted Avada Kedavra and then I saw a blue beam of light before I orbed out."

"Didn't you say that it would be a green light Luke?" Leo asked his old friend and then they all noticed his slight grin.

"Yes, if it was a true killing curse it would have been a sickly green colour. The spell he fired couldn't have been the killing curse." Luke explained.

"But he said the words." Piper interrupted

"Yes, but we know that he doesn't need words to cast spells and in some cases he doesn't even need his wand to increase his power. I think he must have cast a dud spell at you. Why I don't know." Luke wondered.

Paige suddenly laughed as it all clicked together. "He forced me to orb through his wards. He said that as soon as I did he could lock the wards to keep anyone from orbing through them. I was going to try to leave without orbing so that I could orb back in but he forced me to orb. He must have realised that I knew just that curse and had been told to leave if I heard it."

"Clever…" muttered Leo earning a glare from his wife.