Morticia smiled a little to herself as she filled out the papers to send to that nice Minister . . . Fuddle, she thought his name was, and the new Headmistress at Hogwarts, Ms. McGonagall. They had only agreed to send their children to Hogwarts on a trial basis, after all. While confronting a crazed killer, deadly plants, a Cerberus, a troll, deadly marble soldiers in a game of chess and all that was perfectly good fun, it wasn't exactly something safe. No, coupled with her little Wednesday getting so dreadfully sick from that Cola drink, she didn't think that Hogwarts was a good place to send her children. She knew they were still considering going back, however, but it was only polite to send the Minister and the Headmistress letters to tell them that.

Besides, should that Fudgey man throw a fit over it . . . Well, the summer had been somewhat boring so far.

… … … … … … … … … … …

"DELORES!" Fudge yelled, his face purple and what looked like a funeral notice on charcoal colored parchment clutched tightly in his fist.

Delores Umbridge bustled in, worried. "Yes, Cornelius?" She asked in a sickly tone.

"Look at this!" The Minister of Magic fumed.

Dear Minister Fudge,

You may or may not know who I am, but I shall tell you anyway, for politeness' sake. My name is Morticia Addams, Harcourt Addams-Potter's Aunt and guardian.

Harcourt and Wednesday told me about their school year, and I'm afraid that I may have to pull them out of Hogwarts. You see, Minister, while confronting a Cerberus', Devil's Snare, deadly flying keys, giant marble chess sets, trolls, poison, fire, meddling old men, and murderous Defense teachers may all be in good fun, I'm afraid that the officials of the school should have tried to stop at least some of that from happening.

The twins, as well as six of their cousins, are still considering attending Hogwarts this coming year, but they also are looking at going to Salem full time, rather than just by correspondence as they did this last year. It seemed only fair that you would know, so that there would be no pleasant surprises should the children not attend next year.

Have a perfectly dreary day,

Morticia Addams.

Delores had a very good fish imitation. She looked very much like a rabid toad fish that Morticia had zombified with her cousin Lily Dracula when they were small.

… … … … … … … … … … … … . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

16TH December, 1991:

Laura Granger sighed as she looked over at her daughter, who was pouring over books upon books on magical apprentices. And to think, there were at least four boxes in the child's room with information on who, at the moment, was looking for an apprentice, or was available to have one. She just wished her baby girl would enjoy the holidays, now that that Addams man had won, yet lost, their case against the school. She still wasn't sure how they'd gotten the school to pay for Hermione's magical education even though the Grangers had lost the case.

She rubbed her temples; the Wizarding world was absolutely batty, she didn't need to know any more than that.

"I've got it!" Hermione squealed, before nearly toppling her father over as she ran up the stairs.

"Ooh, George, let me help you with those," Laura told her husband, taking the top box. "Silly man, you tell me not to carry anything, and nearly break your neck because you can't see over the box . . . "

"I was fine, Laura!"

"Of course you were, dear."

She pointedly ignored her husband's mutterings about crazy wives and obsessive daughters with a fondness for books.

… … … … … … … … … … … … . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Hey, guys, look at this," Phoebe called out as she flipped through the mail. The one caught her attention, though. She didn't get a vision from it, but she felt pulled to it, sort of. After all these years as a witch, she'd learned not to ignore that sort of thing. Thus, she was calling for her sisters.

"Y'ello?"

"Ahk! Paige! Quit orbing in behind me!"

Paige stuck her tongue out at her older sister before asking, "So, what is it?"

"Wait. First we need Piper, the letter's addressed to all three of us."

Paige made a face and yelled out, "PIPER!"

"OW! Jesus Christ, Paige, do you have to blow out our eardrums? I was putting Chris to sleep, jeesh. Now what is it?"

"Phoebe's got a letter."

Piper glared at them both. "You're screaming at me for a letter? I'm going back upstairs," she said, raising her hands in exasperation. "Shoo, off with you, Momma's taking care of her baby."

Paige rolled her eyes and grabbed her eldest living sister's arm. "Uh-uh-uh, Piper. Phoebe thinks it's important, and it's addressed to all three of us. Now come on."

Piper glared some more, but did as they asked. Sitting on the stairs. "I'm not moving anymore."

Both younger sisters sighed and rolled their eyes, sitting down beside her. Phoebe opened the letter and read out to them,

"'Dear Misses Halliwell,

My name is Hermione Granger, and I am twelve years old. I recently left Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, due to a troll incident and I have been looking to see if I could continue my education via apprenticeship, and came across a reference to the Halliwell family in my research, and read that your family is focused mainly in Witchcraft, which is what I am hoping to learn, as it seems more compatible to me than Wizardry. My question, though, is if one of you might take me on as an apprentice? I realize that asking via a letter is rather rude, but as I live in the UK, I have no way to reach you.

Yours Hopefully,

Hermione Granger.'" Phoebe looked up at her sisters. "Well, it sure seems sincere, and when I read the bit on that Hoggish school ,she seemed kind of . . . frustrated? I get the feeling that Hogwarts wasn't very good."

Piper raised an eyebrow. "And how, exactly, can we be sure it's not some trick by a demon?"

Phoebe sighed. "I don't think it is, Piper. The girl, Hermione, she feels sincere."

Piper turned to Paige, silently asking her to back her up. "I agree with Phoebe," Paige told her, shrugging. "I'm just wondering why she doesn't ask her Whitelighter to take her to San Francisco, though."

"Because it'd be rude? Time difference? Why not ask Leo?"

Paige stuck her tongue out at Phoebe before asking Piper, "So, where is your husband?"

"With Wyatt, at Magic School," Piper replied sourly.

"Be back in jiff!" Paige told her happily as she orbed out of the room.

"I swear, you two will be the death of me!" Piper grumbled. "And of course, she gets back in seconds," she continued dryly when her sister orbed back in with Leo.

Leo, on his part, looked somewhat frantic. Obviously Paige hadn't filled him in, probably just grabbing him and orbing back to the Manor again. "What? What is it? Is there a demon? Is Chris okay? What happened?"

Sparing a glare at Paige, Piper said calmly, "We got a letter from a twelve year old witch in Britain asking if one of us will take her on as an apprentice."

Leo smiled, relieved, "That's great news! Are you going to take her on?"

Piper frowned tartly; apparently she had no backing here. Peachy.

"Well, the girl, Hermione, why didn't she just ask her Whitelighter to orb her here? She lives in Britain."

Leo frowned. "Well . . . Most witches get a Whitelighter around eleven, but I'm not sure why she wouldn't have one, though, unless . . . "

"Unless what?"

"If her parents aren't witches, then she'd get a letter to a school for witches and wizards."

"Witches and Wizards? But the last of the wizards is dead. "

Leo shook his head. "No, they're not. While they are nearly extinct, those aren't the sort of wizards I'm talking about. These wizards . . . It's more of a gender term, really. They have the same name, but they're a different race. They are mortals, but they have magic that is something like ours, but they use wands to focus it. Now, some of them, their families have used wand magic for so long that they literally can't do magic without it. Others, like this Hermione girl, are born from normal mortals like any other Witch can be, but some of them choose to go to schools for magic, thus they enter that world, and eventually lose their ability to use Wiccan magic.

"This Hermione must have entered the wizard school, so she doesn't have one. Only Wiccans and potential Whitelighters have them. Since it takes about ten years to stop being able to use Wiccan magic, she should be fine as your apprentice. Wizards only start their training in magic around the age of eleven. Hermione might have some trouble adjusting to Wiccan magic, but she should be fine after a few months or so."

"So why didn't we get letters to some funky magic school?"

"You probably did, but Penny burned them or said that you weren't going. Or, since you had your powers bound, you didn't register as having magic during that time."

Piper sighed and threw her hands up in defeat. "Fine. Fine. I give up, you can take her as an apprentice. Now I am going to check on Chris again. Paige, orb Leo back to magic school, and stop scaring him like that!"

"No, if she's looking for an apprenticeship, I think I'd better send her a Whitelighter. If she is a true witch, he or she will know...and he or she will bring the girl here."

… … … … … … … … … … … … . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hermione looked up from her letter. It looked like the Addamses were gutting one of the bears. Okay. She shrugged and went back to her letter to the Halliwells. She'd been very surprised when someone appeared in a bunch of blue light in the middle of

' . . . Well, the Addams are gutting one of the toy bears, and knowing Aunt Becky and Uncle Gary, they'll show up just as the Addams start zombifying the thing, so I'd best go. Is Chris still colicky? Give everyone my love,

Hermione.'

There, her letter was finished, and now she just had to send it. Hopefully she could convince her aunt and uncle to let her send a letter . . . If not, well, personal gain really was an irritant.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Severus gave Carnation a grudging nod of agreement as they walked. When they reached the gates to the Addams Mansion, He gave Carnation a quick sidelong glance. Would she leave . . . ?

No. Damn it all. Instead, the brunette irritant's face lit up. "This is where you live? Oh, it's beautiful! A sort of . . . Faded charm, I suppose. Well, don't have me keep you waiting, I'm sure that your family must be dying to see you again. Ta!"

Damn it! Severus snarled in his head as he stalked up the path to the house.

"Hi Severus, you'll never guess what has ha-"

"Say another word, Miss Jellinsky, and I will disembowel you."

Debbie shut up, thank God. He didn't like that glint in her eye, however . . . She would need watching.

"Severus, my good man! You won't believe the news! Fester is getting married!"

That was enough to stop the Potions Master in his tracks. "To . . . whom?"

"Why to Debbie of course! We've just sent the letter off to the children! Isn't it thrilling?"

"Positively chilling to the very bone, Gomez." The blonde bint would need double watching, now. "If you will excuse me, I am going to my lab. Next time you send the children a letter, tell them that I said to keep their noses clean or else."

"Already did, Severus!"

"Lovely." And with that, the 'Dungeon Bat' stormed back to his lab, pointedly ignoring the wedding planning.