MAGIC KINGDOM

a Disney/Hogwarts Crossover Fic

03. YOU CAN FLY

The start of any school year is always a bit hectic, particularly when one is a new student. Wendy found herself lost on more than one occasion. One of the Hufflepuff prefects, an athletic sixth-year named Hercules Iroikos, had advised that the first-years go everywhere in groups, until they really had the layout of the school memorized. It was good advice, but even remaining in the company of her roommate, Jenny Foxworth, the pair still ended up in the wrong place. They even stumbled into the third floor corridor of the west wing, and it took twenty minutes for Signore Intagliatore to get them back to the ground.

Thankfully, that was the only major embarrassment that week. At least, for Wendy. In Charms class, Mike Yagoobian-or "Goob," as he was called by his friends-managed to embed a goose feather into the wall, instead of simply levitating it. He'd also fallen asleep during their first Astronomy lesson, but Professor Fairchild didn't make much of it. After all, it was the only class which took place in the middle of the night. Thankfully, it was also the only class which happened only once a week. After a stern look and a warning for the rest of the class not to let it happen again, she continued with the lesson.

When Vanellope Von Schweetz misread a recipe in Potions class, they had to evacuate and fumigate the corridor. Taffyta Muttonfudge, a snide Slytherin first-year, seemed to delight in teasing Vanellope about it, and it was only the intervention of her Housemates which kept Vanellope from punching the girl. During Herbology, Professor Price had to rescue Alice from a carnivorous rosebush when she opened the wrong greenhouse door, and rush her to the infirmary.

Some of the new students found themselves embarrassed not by their own mistakes, but by to whom they were related. Though all the older students were familiar with Tadashi Hamada's frequent boasts about his younger brother, this would be the first year Hiro had to witness it all first-hand. Chip Potts, whose mother was in charge of the Hogwarts kitchens, often found himself wishing he could crawl into a hole and die. Madame Potts was adored by students and staff alike, but it's another thing entirely to have one's own mother work at one's school.

And, of course, Arthur Pendragon was constantly under scrutiny. Everything he did seemed to garner some sort of criticism. Half of the people expected him to be a prodigy, only be disappointed when his work was merely acceptable. The other half expected him to be completely unworthy of his family's fame and to fail miserably, only to deride him with accusations of favoritism when he managed to pass. When their first flying lesson came along, most of the first-years were ready for what sounded like a fun afternoon.

Coach Ryen, the sportsmaster and flying instructor, was a young, athletic man with a baked-in tan, sun-bleached hair, and bright green eyes. Add in his thick Australian accent, and schoolgirl crushes blossomed around him like dandelions.

A long row of brooms were lined up on the ground, and Coach Ryen had the first-years take up position alongside them. "Right, everyone," he called out to the group. "Everyone got a broom? No-don't pick them up. Very good." He strode along the line, green eyes taking them in. "Now, I'm sure you all think we're moments away from soaring through the clouds as the landscape rolls by underneath. Believe me, I'm sorry to disabuse you of that notion."

There were more than a few resigned sighs and groans of disappointment. "Yeah, yeah, I know, I know," Ryen said. "But why don't we start with actually making the thing work? Can't chase the wind if you can't get off the ground." The sportsmaster then instructed them to hold their hand out above their broom and command the broom to rise into their hand. Most of the students only got their broom to sort of twitch and hop a few inches off the ground. Wendy's reached about knee-level before dropping down again, and Alice's seemed to try and crawl away. Arthur Pendragon's broom drifted almost reluctantly up into his hand, and Lewis Robinson's scythed his feet out from under him.

A handful, though got their brooms to snap smartly into their hands with little problem. Vanellope let out a squeal of joy as the broom leapt into her hand, as if eager to play. Her happiness deflated slightly when she saw Taffyta achieve similar results. The only other student to successfully summon their broom to their hand on the first go was a Slytherin boy named Peter. The sound of his pleased laughter was familiar, and Wendy realized he was the boy who'd almost mowed her and Alice over at King's Cross.

Coach Ryen walked up and down the line, offering helpful criticism to students who couldn't quite get their brooms to respond favorably. It took a while, but eventually, everyone managed to call their broom to their hand, though Wendy suspected more than one surreptitiously picked theirs up by hand when Ryen wasn't looking. He then instructed the students on mounting the brooms and hovering in place. Many of the students wobbled a little, Chip Potts nearly dropping to the ground.

Wendy was concentrating on keeping her broom steady, when she heard Alice gasp. She looked up, but before she could ask her what the problem was, Mike Yagoobian sneezed, and his broom shot backwards and tossed him like a rodeo bull. Coach Ryen let out an Australian swear word and ran towards the fallen Hufflepuff.

Ryen shooed away the students who clustered around, and bent to check on Goob, who was biting his lip to hold back a whimper. Ryen touched Goob's arm, and the boy bit back a sound of pain. "Looks like you cracked your wrist, mate," Ryen said. "Right, let's get you to Doc Poppins." He helped Goob up to his feet and began walking the boy towards the castle proper. He paused and turned to glare at the class. "Any brooms leave the ground, you're bunyip bait, understand?" He nodded, taking the class' silence as an affirmative, and led Mike back to the castle.

The gathered students took this as an opportunity to unwind and chat. Wendy walked up to Alice and pulled her aside. "Alice," she murmured, "when Mike was hurt, you gasped."

Alice nodded. "Well, it was quite an injury," she said.

Wendy shook her head. "You gasped before it happened."

Alice blinked. "I-I don't-"

There was sudden a commotion, and the two girls turned to look.

Taffyta and Minty Zaki, another Slytherin girl, seemed to be playing keepaway with something Wendy couldn't see from where she was. Lewis Robinson and Chip Potts were trying to get something back from the two of them. Alice and Wendy exchanged glances and approached the crowd. Wendy walked up to Jenny Foxworth and asked her what was going on.

"Taffyta found something of Goob's on the ground," she said. "I think it's a medal, or something. Lewis says it's important-the two of them were friends before they came to Hogwarts."

Wendy frowned. "And why are they tossing it around?"

"They have personality defects," Alice answered simply.

The keepaway had turned into shouting, and Taffyta had a mean little smirk on her face. She snatched up her broom. "If you want it so bad, come and get it," she taunted. Then she swung a leg over her broomstick and kicked off the ground. She rose smoothly through the air, the medal-Wendy could see it was indeed a medal, now-in her hand. The rest of the students gaped at her, not only bewildered by the ease with which she flew, but also by the flagrant disobedience to Coach Ryen's orders, even if he wasn't present.

Lewis frowned, clearly conflicted, but Chip scrabbled for a broom. Before he could even straddle his broom, Vanellope shot up after Taffyta. "Stop it, Taffyta! Give it back!"

"Whatever, freak," Taffyta sneered, and flew away. Vanellope growled and gave chase. The pair of them zigged and zagged through the air, though it was clear Taffyta had more experience than Vanellope. Wendy had heard some new students bragging about having their own broom and flying before school had started, and it seemed like it was true for Taffyta. However, Vanellope seemed like a fast study, and was gaining on her. Wendy wasn't sure what Vanellope would actually do if she caught Taffyta.

Vanellope did manage to get Taffyta cornered near the stone wall. "Will you stop being such a jerk, T-Taffyta?" she demanded.

Taffyta snorted. "What's that, Vuh-Vuh-Vanellope?" she asked with a fake stutter. "I duh-didn't cuh-catch that."

"S-stop it!"

"Wah-wah-what?"

Vanellope's face turned red. "I s-said-"

Fzzt!

Everyone blinked, not quite understanding what they were seeing. Or, rather, what they weren't seeing. Vanellope had simply vanished. Her broom tumbled to the ground as everyone watched in silence. Then, Alice clapped her hands to her mouth, eyes wide, looking up. Wendy followed her gaze, and saw a flicker of light, and Vanellope suddenly appeared-many, many feet above the ground, without a broom.

Wendy kicked off the ground, astride her broom, headed towards the plummeting, screaming Gryffindor. She hadn't even realized she had done it until she was in the air. And did she really think she'd be able to catch the girl? What was she thinking?

She had to try, though. Vanellope was falling from too high to survive, and they hadn't learned any spells to stop her fall and there weren't any teachers around and she was getting close now and Wendy had her arm stretched out, and surely she could time this right and she was so close, and-

She missed.

Vanellope slipped right past her, and Wendy didn't even get a hand on the girl's robes.

Wendy's heart stopped, and she was screaming, too, now, and everyone was shouting from below, and-

Vanellope stopped falling.

Wendy blinked, again, trying to process what she was seeing. Someone actually caught Vanellope. Wendy drifted down, mouth hanging open. It was Peter, the auburn-haired Slytherin boy. He was holding Vanellope in his arms, and he...

He wasn't on a broom.

Wendy gaped at him. "How..?"

Peter shrugged and gave a little grin. "Magic?"

"EVERYONE ON THE GROUND, RIGHT BLOODY NOW!"

When it was all over, Wendy, Taffyta, Peter and Vanellope all had detention. As Taffyta was really the only one who had done anything wrong, Wendy expected she and the others had gotten in trouble on principle. She didn't really know all the details, but both Vanellope and Peter were taken aside after Coach Ryen lit into them. She assumed Vanellope was being checked out by Doctor Poppins in the infirmary. Apparation, as Wendy learned it would be called later, is something she shouldn't have been able to do until she was at least a fifth-year. However, it seemed to happen uncontrollably, and Vanellope looked sort of shell-shocked afterwards. And Peter...

She didn't know what was going on there.

It wasn't the only thing which puzzled Wendy. Taffyta and Minty were being awful, and Taffyta escalated the awfulness. Vanellope shouldn't have responded, risen to the bait, but she was standing up to the class' self-designated bully. Then, when she was falling, Wendy and Peter were trying to save her life.

It was remarkably unfair.

The only bright spot was that none of the Houses lost points for the episode. Angry as he was over the whole mess, Coach Ryen couldn't very well deduct points from Hufflepuff for Wendy's attempt to save Vanellope, or from Gryffindor, given the fragile state Vanellope was in. And, any points Taffyta's behavior would have deducted from Slytherin, Peter earned back by saving Vanellope.

Perhaps that wasn't the only bright spot.

Though all four were given detention, they weren't given the same detention. At first, Wendy was incensed. Taffyta took no time in rubbing in the fact that her detention was going to be served with the notoriously pleasant Professor Glauben. Peter's was to be served with Coach Ryen, Vanellope's with Professor Maeblieghe, and Wendy's with Professor Mrs. Dearly-and though all three were well-liked, all three were known to be tough, as well.

Then, of course, the detentions actually happened. Professor Mrs. Dearly had Wendy clean paintbrushes and tidy up the student gallery. It wasn't too bad, especially since there were older art students helping, too. They chatted with Wendy as if she was a peer, instead of a student being punished. It actually felt more like Wendy was being included in something she wouldn't have been invited to, otherwise.

Later, Wendy found out from Vanellope that Professor Maeblieghe had her read to her. Vanellope couldn't very well complain about helping out the blind, elderly woman-at least out loud. But, as Vanellope read the books on monsters, demons and sorcerous combat aloud, Vanellope was so engrossed, she was more than a little disappointed when Maeblieghe declared an end to the detention.

Peter never really told Wendy what Coach Ryen had him do, not exactly. He certainly seemed exhausted the next day, but not unhappy. Wendy imagined the flight instructor put the boy through some kind of aerial obstacle course, testing his talent to fly unaided. It would certainly understand why Peter had such a smile on his face. It struck Wendy as unlikely he'd ever had such an opportunity before.

Then, of course, there was Taffyta. Professor Glauben was, indeed, a very sweet woman, known for never losing her temper, no matter how abominable her students' behavior. As such, Professor Glauben very sweetly had Taffyta assist the Hogwarts house elves in harvesting pumpkins.

It was a happy thought, indeed.

0-0-0-0

"Business or pleasure?"

The man looked up from the conveyor belt carrying his luggage. "I beg your pardon, son?"

The man behind the counter smiled as he tapped away at his computer. "I was just asking about your trip," he said. "Business or pleasure?"

The other man smiled, violet eyes twinkling. "Son, if a man can't make room for the latter while dealing with the former, he ain't livin' right."

That got a chuckle from the airline employee. "Go to England often?"

"Every so often," the man said. "I'm takin' some historical artifacts to be studied at Oxford." The man's violet eyes flicked back to the cases, being scanned by the security staff. "If you gotta take a look, I hope you wear gloves," he called to the agent. "Old books are awful fragile."

The security agent didn't seem like he really cared, but as the contents of the cases didn't set off any alarms, he didn't rummage about inside. The little beagle tasked with sniffing out dangerous compounds stirred a little, but didn't give any sign there were any explosives or drugs in the cases. The boxes were soon locked back up and sent along with the other items of luggage.

The employee behind the counter finished typing and handed a boarding pass to the traveler. "There we are, Doctor," he said with a smile. "Everything's all ready to go. I hope you have a pleasant flight and enjoy your time in England."

"I intend to," the doctor said with a smile, and prepared to take flight across the ocean. He did, after all, have friends on the other side.