Chapter 9: The Lovegood Family
It had been a busy night for Xenophilius and Pandora Lovegood. The couple had many journalistic irons in the fire plus a baby daughter to look after. Yet they still managed to complete the stories they planned to publish in the Quibbler the moment that they got back to the UK. Let the UK's Daily Prophet and the American Towne Scryer cover the main story about the Incursion from the Enchanted Realms and its implications for the world in general and the Wizarding World in particular.
Those Mainstream Wizarding papers could have their "big" stories; like the one about the American muggle President (with the full support from the UK's muggle Prime Minister,) wanting to target the Incursion in Maine with something called a "Titan II missile." The Quibbler would focus instead on the effect the Incursion was having on the families that were forced to flee everything they knew and loved at a moment's notice. Those were the real stories that needed to be told about the Incursion from the Enchanted Realms. Xenophilius Lovegood shook his head. He wondered if the wizards and witches responsible for the Incursion knew or even cared about the suffering that they were causing in our world . . . .
But this excursion to the American Colonies, which the Lovegoods had actually began several days before the Incursion came through, also presented another journalistic opportunity for the Quibbler. Here was an unprecedented opportunity for them to interview so many blended wizard/muggle families at one place at the same time. And they would begin these interviews with the Martindale, Dorsey and Jordan families.
Xenophilius believed that as more blended wizard/muggle families came forward, that the commonplaceness of it would push the Pureblood Supremacists to the margins; most of them, anyway. There would always be those whose minds were so ruled by hatred that they were beyond reaching out to. But the Lovegoods could not worry about reaching those minds. Pureblood Supremacists would think what they wanted to think. Just so long as they knew that the society that they lived in would not tolerate any harm being committed against families like the Quests, the Martindales, the Dorseys and the Jordans.
Xenophilius could even envision a time when the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy would be all by repealed, heralding the start of a better, more open era for wizards, muggles and mutants alike. It would be a much better world for Luna to grow up in than the world she was born into – that much was certain.
The interview with Agent Quest-Singh and his family would have to be postponed indefinitely, as the FBS agent had a full plate on his hands with the Incursion in Maine. The fact that the Malfoy family stated their intention to remain in the Colonies for another few days couldn't have helped much, either. But Agent Quest-Singh did say that he would speak with his father and brother and that a time would be set when they could all meet with the Lovegoods.
The Dorsey family and their two lovely daughters; a nine year old witch and a seven year old muggle, had their hands full packing up since they would be leaving the DWC in the morning. So in the end, all the Lovegoods could do was request their permission to contact them later, when they had settled in to their new home.
But the Lovegoods' interview with the Martindales and the Jordans had been quite comprehensive. For the past two hours, the Lovegoods spoke with the Martindale and Jordan families in the now all but empty dining room of the DWC about the ins and outs of being part of a blended wizarding/muggle family. And in the case of the Jordan family, this was not a moment too soon. As the Lovegoods spoke with the Martindales, the Jordans had met with the Relocation Committee, and had been able to find a new home in St. Louis, Missouri; where they would be going in another day or so to start a new life. When Ren and Aggie Jordan returned to the table, the Lovegoods were almost finished speaking with the Martindales.
"Now, Corey," said Xenophilius. "There is one more thing that I would like to ask you." Corey nodded and Xenophilius continued. "Have you ever wished that you could do magic the way your mother does? Have you ever wanted to be a wizard instead of a muggle, Corey?"
Corey looked over at his mother and his father, who gave him a nod of encouragement. Then he turned to Xenophilius, shrugged and said, "Sure, from time to time. Like, I've ridden on a broom with my mom lots of times. But it would be totally awesome if I could actually fly a broom all by myself. I'd bet that I would make a good Quodpot or Quidditch player. But that's alright. I like to play Baseball and Hockey and Basketball and I've taken up Surfing. I sure hope that wherever we move to has a beach nearby! But, you know, for the most part, I'm pretty happy with things the way they are with my family. It's kind of hard to explain in words . . . .
"Mr. Lovegood, how about you? Have you ever wondered what it might be like if you couldn't do any magic? I mean, if you were a muggle, you wouldn't have to worry about keeping a lot of secrets about how you can do magic, or whether or not your daughter might jump off a swing in public and float down in front of a whole bunch of muggles when she is my age."
Xenophilius nodded thoughtfully, and said, "I can't say that I ever have, Corey. But I do see your point. I believe that what you are saying to me is that there are advantages and disadvantages with being able to do magic or not."
Corey nodded and said, "The important thing is that my mom and dad love each other and they love me and I love them. We're a family. And after that, everything else is unimportant."
It was 9:00 pm by the time the interview was over and the Martindales returned to their room with Jenny coming along to watch a late movie with Corey. This allowed the Jordans and the Lovegoods to continue their conversation as Ricky Jordan and Luna Lovegood slept in their mothers' laps.
"Mrs. Jordan, did you really say that to Narcissa Malfoy?" said Pandora Lovegood incredulously. "Did you really ask her if she had a "problem" with you being a muggle who is married to a wizard?"
"Yes, I said that to her," said Aggie. "Oh, and please call me "Aggie." She snuggled Ricky, who was sound asleep in her arms. "I mean, the interview is over. We really don't have to be so formal anymore. May I call you, "Pandora?"
"Of course you may." The English witch looked down at the baby girl in her arms and smiled as her daughter slept soundly. "But I think that "Dori" would be better; if I am to call you "Aggie" instead of "Agatha."
"And please call me "Xeno," said her husband smiling. The Jordans nodded and the conversation continued.
Aggie said, "Please believe me, Dori. I wasn't trying to insult Mrs. Malfoy or make her uncomfortable. But it seemed like she took offense to every other word that I said. You should have seen the look on her face . . . ."
Xeno raised his eyebrow at Aggie's last comment. There was no mockery in her voice when she said it. No boasting, either. If anything, her voice betrayed perplexity. "The Malfoys are, shall we say, somewhat provincial, Aggie. It is likely that you were the first muggle that they ever spoke with at length, if at all. You probably made them nervous. Also, back home, Old-Stock Pureblood Wizarding families like the Malfoys expect a certain . . . deference from other wizards and witches; deference that they apparently did not get from the local Wizarding community here in the Colonies."
"I think that our hosts would prefer it if you said "The States," instead of "The Colonies," Xeno," said Dori with just a trace of admonishment. "They haven't been our "Colonials" since 1776, you know."
"Of course, Dori," said Xeno. "Where are my manners?"
"No, it's alright, Xeno," said Aggie. "To be honest, I kind of like the way that you and your wife talk. It's weird, but an English accent and vocabulary makes you and Dori sound more friendly and folksy. But in the case of the Malfoys, it actually makes them sound more snobbish and stuck-up; like they've got some kind of Superiority Complex, or something."
"Well, that is because they do think that they are better than most everyone else," said Dori matter-of-factly. "Not just better than muggles - which is practically a given, but that they are better than most other wizards as well."
"They sure do seem obsessed with genealogy," said Ren. "When Lucius and I were in line getting our dinner tonight, he wanted to know my ancestry in detail. He also told me his own ancestry, and even claimed that THE Morgana Le Fay was his ancestor, and that she came from the Enchanted Realms."
"So that was the ". . . and stuff," part of your conversation with Lucius, I take it?" said Aggie.
"Hey, wait, it gets "better," said Ren. "He insisted that I speak with the Lovegoods here about arranging a betrothal contract for Ricky and Luna!"
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me, Ren," said Aggie, more amused than incredulous. Then to the Lovegoods, she added, "I mean, Luna is a cutie, and all, but an arranged marriage in this day and age? This is the 20th Century, after all!"
Dori said, "It happens all the time in Our World, Aggie; especially among Pureblood families. In fact, shortly after Luna was born, Narcissa contacted me for the same reason; to investigate a betrothal with Luna for her son, Draco. Now, you understand that Betrothal Arrangements in Our World are traditionally made by the witches. But, as you are a muggle, Aggie . . . ."
"What did you do?" said Aggie. "I mean, when Narcissa Malfoy wanted to talk with you about your kids becoming engaged before they could even dress themselves?"
"Good Form required that I accept her invitation," said Dori shrugging. "Fortunately, I did not have to go to Malfoy Manor; Narcissa came to our home as traditionally it is the family with the son who visits the family of the daughter. In the end, Narcissa withdrew her offer. Let us just say that when she came calling, we put on quite a show for her – and as with you, we weren't even trying to deliberately provoke her."
"What Dori is trying to say so politely," said Xeno. "Is that we convinced her that while we may be pureblooded that we were most definitely undesirable; given our belief that purebloods are no better or worse than half-bloods, muggle-borns and even muggles."
More seriously, Ren added, "Lucius also admonished me to keep Jenny away from Corey; flat-out saying that our family's bloodlines were "diluted enough." Ren shrugged, giving his wife an apologetic look.
"It doesn't surprise me that they would say something like that," said Aggie. "I saw the way that the Malfoys - especially Narcissa, looked at Corey when the kids were playing earlier today. She also gave Katie Dorsey the same look. Like they had absolutely no right to be where they were, playing with their friends . . . ."
"Well, actually, that is precisely what they believe," said Dori. "You heard what Lucius said during his "presentation." The Malfoys are convinced that the wizards and witches in our world can trace their ancestry back to magic users who originally came from the Enchanted Realms."
"Wait, what?" said Aggie. "Are you telling me that the Malfoys actually believe that they come from the same place as the Incursion?"
"Quite so, Aggie," said Xeno. He removed a pamphlet from his robes and handed it to Ren, who perused it, raising his eyebrows as he silently read various portions. "This explains most of it. I would have handed that pamphlet to you, Aggie. But it is enchanted to be readable only if you are a wizard or a witch. In your hands, it would look like a political tract for some cause or the other."
"I've never heard of this bunch before, Xeno," said Ren. "The Wizarding Identity Thesis. This must be a fairly new group. I mean, I know about the Order of Trismegistos, The Magical Sons of the Confederacy and the Brotherhood of the Shadowed Path, and such. But not these dudes."
Xeno shook his head. "The Wizarding Identity Thesis is not an organized group per se, Ren. Rather, it is an ideology that many purebloods subscribe to and has been gaining a lot of support, lately. I must confess that I, myself, used to accept it and in many ways, I still do. But I cannot in all good conscience support it wholeheartedly anymore, now that it has been taken up – taken over, actually, by those with a supremacist agenda."
"What is it, then?" said Aggie.
Xeno continued, "The Wizarding Identity Thesis, or WIT for short, posits that the world that we live in has no natural, indigenous magic, and that all magic users in our world are really the descendants of wizards and witches who originally came over from the Enchanted Realms."
Ren said, "So when Lucius Malfoy claimed that Morgana Le Fey was his ancestor, he really wasn't just talkin' trash . . . ." It was a statement; not a question.
"Sadly, yes," said Xeno nodding. "It would seem that the Malfoy family accepts the Wizarding Identity Thesis without reservation. And I believe that this is why they are here in The States. And that's why we originally came here, too, to try and find out what they are up to.
"It was only fortuitously that Dori and I found ourselves here when the Incursion came through and we were on-hand to report on that event, too. But we actually came to your country several days prior to the Incursion to follow-up on an important lead in our investigation of the followers of the WIT ideology. Furthermore, the Malfoys also came to The States a day before the Incursion, giving lie to the Malfoy's claim to have come in response to the crisis."
"Then why are they really here, Xeno?" said Aggie.
"I believe that they are here to find a way into the Enchanted Realms," said Xeno.
"Then they are wasting their time," said Ren flatly. "I may not have had any formal Wizarding Education, Xeno, but even I know that to travel to the Enchanted Realms requires some special talisman or totem; a magic bean, for example, or the services of a "portal-jumper" with a magic hat. And from what I hear, those items are even more elusive than the Deathly Hallows are." Ren nodded to the pin on Xeno's robes; a triangle with a circle inside bisected by a vertical line.
"The Deathly Hallows?" said Aggie. "You mean like from those stories that you read to Jenny from Beedle the Bard's book?" Aggie had never read Jenny from the storybook in question as it, like the WIT pamphlet, had been enchanted to not be readable by muggles. "So The Deathly Hallows are real?"
"They are," said Xeno flatly.
"If you say so," said Ren with a shrug. "My grandma also says that the Hallows are real; at least she did when she read those stories to me when I was Jenny's age. She even claims that we are descended from the Peverell family. But the fact that the Peverell family was real doesn't mean that the Hallows are . . . ."
"This is a debate for another time," said Xeno, shaking his head. "My concern for now is whether or not the Malfoys have managed to locate a way to the Enchanted Realms. Now, while I believe that Ren is correct when he says that the Malfoys will not be able to locate a magic bean or a Portal-Jumper's hat, I fear that he may have found another way, and in a most unexpected place; at least, as far as the Wizarding World is concerned."
"What do you mean?" said Ren.
"I believe that the Malfoy family is so desperate to find a way into the Enchanted Realms that they are actually associating with muggles to further their aims."
"What kind of muggles would be able to help him find a way to the Enchanted Realms?" said Aggie.
"Scientists," said Xeno. "Specifically, they are interested in Theoretical and Experimental Physicists who are researching inter-dimensional travel. According to my sources, Lucius' father, Abraxas Malfoy, has been surreptitiously funding a project through various proxies to make a portal to the Enchanted Realms by using muggle science. That, I believe, is the original reason for Lucius and Narcissa coming here to The States; to check up on the progress of that effort. But the arrival of the Incursion may have thrown a spanner into their original plans; though sadly, more for the better than for the worse as far as the Malfoys are concerned.
"I believe that now their task has been expanded to learn as much as possible about the Incursion. I believe that the Malfoys and those whose interests they represent will try to make contact with whoever is behind the concealment charms in Maine. And if they are successful – or even if they are not successful, they will most certainly alert whoever is responsible for the Incursion that magic exists in our world and that we know that they are here. And I think that you will agree that this must not be allowed to happen."
"Why?" said Aggie. "What do you think will happen if they do make contact with whoever came through?"
Xeno sighed. "You heard Lucius' speech, Aggie. I believe that the Malfoys will attempt to enlist the support of whoever came through in their mad scheme to establish Wizarding Superiority in our world. Pureblood Wizarding Superiority. The Malfoy's idea of Heaven on Earth.
"It would be a world where your children, Jenny and Ricky, would be second-class citizens because they have a muggle mother. It would be a world where Healer Rachel Martindale would be considered a criminal for marrying a muggle and adopting his son as her own. That's the world that they want. And they apparently think that whoever came over from the Enchanted Realms in Maine will help them achieve their mad aims."
Ren nodded, and said, "So Lucius Malfoy would really collaborate with the Invaders instead of joining with everyone else to fighting them off if they are hostile." It was another statement, not a question.
"Why, that little Benedict Arno -," said Aggie stopping short as her face turned red with embarrassment. "Ah, sorry . . . ."
"You have nothing to apologise for," said Dori evenly. "I think that you will find that Mr. Arnold has very few fans back in the UK. Though we may have been on opposite sides in 1776, you may rest assured that nobody likes a traitor; even if they are ostensibly on one's own side."
"Let me get more to the point, Ren," said Xeno. "If we are to find out whatever it is that the Malfoys have in mind, we are going to need help. Specifically, we will need help from people who know the local culture and can help us get around. For example, neither Dori nor I know how to drive a car, much less drive one on the wrong side of the road. And we shall require advice on how to dress so as to not attract too much attention."
Ren silently canvassed Aggie, who nodded. Then Ren said to the Lovegoods, "We'd like to help. But Maine is off-limits to all wizards and witches until further notice."
"What we need to investigate is not in Maine, Ren," said Xeno. The English wizard removed another pamphlet from his robes, this time handing it to Aggie.
"Department of Physics at Washington University in St. Louis," said Aggie, reading the front of the pamphlet. "Is this where the scientists work that the Malfoys are using?"
Xeno nodded, and said, "Ren, Aggie, I cannot even begin to imagine the hardship and disruption to your lives that the Incursion must have caused for your family, and please believe me when I say that we would not ask this of you if it were not important.
"Since it is your family's intention to relocate to St. Louis, we are wondering if it would be possible for us to stay with you for a few days so we may follow-up on our lead. Naturally, we shall be paying our own way to impose on you as little as possible."
As if anticipating Aggie's next question, Dori said, "We have already attempted to alert your country's Federal Bureau of Sorcery, but they have informed us that they do not have enough agents available to follow every "dubious lead."
Xeno added, "They won't even send any agents to Boston to investigate the minor incursion that came just before the big one by only a few moments, saying that it was probably not related to what happened in Maine."
"Well," said Ren thoughtfully. He looked over at Aggie, who nodded, and said, "You know, this might just work out for both of our families . . . ."
Aggie nodded and explained, "I am planning to go back to Collinsport with some other muggle spouses and in-laws shortly after we get to our new home in Missouri. We're going there to properly pack the stuff that we had to leave behind when we evacuated, like our family records and personal things that are irreplaceable. A big chunk of our lives are still in Maine.
"But I was worried about leaving Ren alone with a toddler, especially since he will need to enroll Jenny in her new school and start work at his new job a few days after we move in. At first, I was planning to take Ricky with me – the restriction only applies to wizards and witches over five. But if you will be staying with us for a few days . . . ."
Dori smiled and said, "It would be my pleasure to look after little Ricky while you are away, Aggie. Besides, this will leave our husbands free to follow up on our lead at Washington University."
Ren smiled. "Works for us. I know that Jenny will be thrilled. Especially when she hears that we will be taking some action against the Malfoys . . . ." This brought a smile to everyone's faces as they bade each other goodnight and went to their rooms for some much needed sleep.