Chapter 22: It Can't Happen Here

As a boy growing up, Ren Jordan had heard lots of stories about the many threats faced by Wizardkind. There were groups like the New Salem Philanthropic Society, also known to the American Wizarding Community as the "Second Salemers," whose ultimate goal was to expose and eradicate all magic users, not just in America, but wherever they could be found. There were also the growing number of Anti-Mutant Organizations that would probably not make too much of a distinction between someone whose "abilities" came from an "X-Gene" and those whose powers came from ordinary "magic."

Even more scary, there was also rumors of a newly emerged group known by the innocuous title of "The Home Office," who were similar to, though maybe a bit more militant than the SS - were that even possible. And if that was not bad enough, the Home Office was believed to know about the secret of squid-ink and its magical-dampening properties.

Ren's grandmother had told him many bedtime stories about how just a single drop of squid-ink could prevent a wizard or witch from doing magic until it wore off. And while such stories terrified him as a little boy, he later dismissed them as "bogeyman" stories intended to encourage young wizards and witches to behave (that is, to keep their magic under control,) whenever they were in public.

But as Ren got older, other more sundry concerns displaced such abstract threats of being assaulted by Second Salemers or Home Officers with squid-ink loaded water pistols.

There were school tests, term papers and final exams to get through. Getting and holding onto his place on the Collinsport High Vampires Varsity Basketball Team cost him more than one night's sleep in his teenage years. Going to the interview to get hired on part-time at the local lumber yard to earn extra spending money made him just as nervous.

Then there was getting a Driver's License (and a decent, reasonably –classic car to go with it.) Then there was trying to work up the courage to ask out a pretty-faced muggle girl named Agatha Price (who could really fill-out a bikini!) And then, after he and Aggie began dating steadily, worrying about just how Aggie and her family would react when he told them that he was a wizard before proposing marriage . . . .

Later on, these concerns were replaced in turn by other, more mundane (though no less worrisome,) concerns, such as mortgage payments, layoff threats, Income Tax forms, and sitting up with Jenny when she was sick at 2:00 am; something that Ricky was now putting them through, as well. And, of course, helping Jenny with her homework that seemed more difficult than he remembered when he was a fifth grader.

For the most part, the only magic-related concerns that Ren had in the immediate future would be helping Jenny and Ricky find wands that liked them, (without having to travel all over the world to find them,) before getting their kids into a good school of magic.

Ren knew several people who went to Randolph Carter in the Miskatonic Valley, and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Scotland. But Randolph Carter was just a stone's throw away from the Incursion Site in Maine, making Hogwarts look more and more attractive as of late (despite the fact that as Half-Bloods, his children could conceivably have trouble with some of the other students, there.) There was also the added concern of how he and Aggie could afford a Hogwarts education for their children on his salary; especially since he could not work on brooms where they now lived to earn extra money. And the Scholarship Application / Student Aid forms from Hogwarts had yet to arrive.

Of course, there were always the annoying Wizarding Supremacist recruiters, who came out of the woodwork every now and then. But until recently, this was easily taken care of by throwing their recruiting literature that came almost daily by Owl Post into the fireplace and casting an incendio charm. Sure, what with the Incursion from the Enchanted Realms, these organizations were becoming more and more persistent; a fact hammered home by the recent attempt of the Sanderson boy to try to intimidate him and Healer Rachel Martindale through Jenny and Corey. If the Dresden boy had not came at the right moment on an errand for Healer Martindale . . . .

But up until now, Ren had never thought about what would happen if he ever ran into some actual Pureblood Wizarding Supremacists like those in the UK and Europe. And the truth-be-told, he never thought that he ever had to worry about anything like that. Not in America, where there were no Pureblood Supremacy movements, much less enough "Purebloods" around to start one. Not in a country that had the highest rate of intermarriage between wizards, witches and muggles. And certainly not in the 20th Century!

Yes, the recent events in the UK and Europe, where a certain Lord Vol -, ah, "You Know Who," (No body was ever found, so why take any unnecessary chances?) had tried to bring about a Pureblood Supremacist agenda, had been a cause for concern that made most American wizards and witches sit up and take notice. It was a no-brainer that if YKW managed to succeed in taking over the UK and European Magical Communities, that he would then turn his attention to the magical community in America.

But Ren kept telling himself that YKW would be a fool to try that! If some kid wizard Ricky's age could tear YKW a new one without even trying, then it followed that going up against someone like Aurors Addams and Quest-Singh (to say nothing of Dr. Strange!) would be a Very Bad Idea for YKW.

But now, Ren Jordan and his family actually found themselves being threatened by genuine, European Pureblood Fanatics. And at the moment there were no FBS Aurors or Whitelighters here (much less the Sorcerer Supreme,) to protect them from these Dark Wizards who had years of training at Hogwarts under their belts. The Malfoys probably even had experience with magical dueling that Ren could not hope to match, even with Xeno and Dori here. And Ren doubted very much that Lucius Malfoy would agree to a one-on-one game of muggle basketball, (or even a broom race where Ren would actually stand a decent chance of winning.)

But years of playing Varsity Basketball in High School did confer one advantage on Ren that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy did not have: The well-honed ability to quickly size-up a tight, ever changing situation, and react to it. Ren's mind raced. Lucius had the drop on him and the Lovegoods. Narcissa held Corey Martindale firmly, with her wand pointed at the frightened boy's head. And Ren could also see some fear in the Malfoys as they tried to figure out their next move. Clearly, their simple plan to come into the Jordan's home in polyjuice potion disguise as Aurors Graymalkin and Spellman, and take Owen Flynn with them without any resistance, had gone terribly wrong.

As in a game of basketball, the clock was ticking. Ren knew that the longer the Malfoys could be kept from taking Owen and leaving, the greater the chance that the FBS would realize that something was wrong, and send someone else to investigate the delay. But even if the Malfoys did not know that, Ren could tell that their impatience was growing.

Unbidden, Ren's mind went back to the Displaced Wizards' Center, and something that seemed like it happened a lifetime ago stood out. He remembered that Lucius Malfoy fancied himself something of an orator for his cause. And if Ren could get Lucius talking . . . .

Lucius said threateningly, "I'll not ask you again, Jordan! Give Owen Flynn to us!"

Ren said, "Listen, Malfoy –"

"That's Mister Malfoy, to you, Jordan!" snapped Lucius. "I would advise you to use more respect when dealing with your betters; especially when you find yourself at their mercy!"

"Alright, Mister Malfoy," said Ren evenly. "What I am trying to tell you is that you have no idea what you are dealing with regarding the Incursion and those responsible for it being here." Ren glanced down at Owen and managed a reassuring smile. He then returned his attention to Lucius, and added, "The only thing that you will learn from reviewing Owen's memories of his time in Storybrooke – that is what the Incursion is called by its creators – is that it looks like a typical, American Eastern Seaboard muggle village. Our Aurors hope to learn from Owen's memories what the internal layout of the Incursion is like. That won't be of much help to you. But I can tell you something that you might just find interesting.

"A few days ago, Xeno – Mr. Lovegood – and I were privy to another person's memories of the Enchanted Realms." Ren jerked his head back to the pensieve behind him. "I can show you what I saw, if you would like. But I am not foolish enough to think that you would want to take your attention off of us to have a look in a pensieve. So I will tell you what I saw."

When Lucius Malfoy raised an eyebrow in interest, Ren continued. He told the Malfoys about the witch from the Enchanted Realms named Regina Mills, and the curse that she used to bring over an entire village, superposing it on a section of forest in Coastal Maine. And what would happen the next time she cast the curse, but left out the part that superposes what comes over with what is already there.

Ren spoke slowly and carefully. He did not expect what he said to have any effect on the Malfoys' attitude, much less their plans to take Owen with them. The important thing was to delay the Malfoys as long as possible in the hope that the FBS would send someone over to investigate "Agent Spellman's" and "Agent Graymalkin's" delay.

At least Agents Spellman and Graymalkin are still alive, thought Ren, who knew that polyjuice potion will not work if the person you costume yourself as was dead.

When Ren was finished, Xeno added, "And that is not all, Lucius. Regina Mills has the ability to actually rip-out a person's heart and kill them; a spell widely believed to be fictional, or at best, lost in antiquity. And she can do it without a wand, gesture or incantation."

"Interesting . . . ," drawled Lucius.

Dori said, "But if you think that Regina has come here as the Wizarding World's "Liberator," then you could not be more wrong."

"Your point?" said Narcissa impatiently as she tightened her arm around Corey's neck.

"I would think," said Dori evenly, "that my point would be obvious to those such as you and your husband, who subscribe to the Wizarding Identity Thesis, Narcissa.

"As you are well aware, the Wizarding Identity Thesis posits that the Enchanted Realms are the fountainhead of all magic in our world. Moreover, the people who come from the Enchanted Realms are all capable of performing magic, assuming that they are properly trained and motivated.

"In the Enchanted Realms, learning how to perform magic is something that, like learning how to play a musical instrument, is possible for anyone. However, as with music, some are more inclined to being able to learn and perform magic there than others are.

"To use my analogy of learning how to play a musical instrument, like say, a flute, a person must needs have hands to cover and uncover the holes and a mouth to blow air through it to make music. But not everyone who possesses hands and a mouth has the necessary aptitude for learning how to play such an instrument, even though they are physically capable of doing so –"

"I said, what is your point . . . ?" said Narcissa severely.

"Ah, well, as I said, that should be most obvious to anyone who accepts the Wizards Identity Thesis as a matter of fact . . . ."

Though nervous, Ren had to bite his lip to keep from smiling. Dori - and undoubtedly Xeno, as well - knew what Ren was trying to do, and were also doing their part to delay the Malfoy's departure. Ren had to hand it to Dori. Like a high school student assigned a term paper that had to be at least ten pages long but could not find enough actual references, Dori was being overly wordy, "padding" her reply to keep the discussion going as long as possible.

Ren stole a glance at the clock. It was now about 7:25 am. The Aurors were supposed to come over at 7:30 am, so everyone would be expected in Salem shortly after. Ren guessed that there may be at least a 10 – 15 minute "grace period" before the FBS got worried. First, they would undoubtedly try to contact Agents Spellman and Graymalkin by mirror, and would then send someone over to investigate when they did not get an immediate reply. Ren and the Lovegoods had to keep the Malfoys distracted for just a little longer . . . .

Dori continued, "So you see, Narcissa, since everyone in the Enchanted Realms has the potential ability to be a wizard or a witch - provided they obtained the proper training – that the concept of "Pure Blood," "Half-Blood," "Muggle-Born," "Squib," and even "Muggle," would have no meaning to them, as it does to you and your fellow believers."

"They would have no use for us, Lucius," said Xeno. "Not as fellow mages to be "liberated;" much less as equals or even as potential collaborators if they do want to take over this world.

"No, they would just come in and take what they want, or rather, replace the old with the new. And we would be powerless to stop them."

"And that," said Ren. "Is why you can't take Owen with you. He is the only person in our world – wizard or muggle - who has actually been inside the incursion and seen it with his own eyes. Our Aurors need to review his memories to help us come up with a way to protect us all from the invaders!

"Lu – Mister Malfoy, our Aurors are pretty certain that Regina Mills does not know that we – native magic users - are here. When the Incursion came through, it set off every alarm in our world, but the muggles didn't notice anything. This means that Regina knew she had to hide from muggles, but did not know that she had to hide from other magic users, as well.

"But if you or anyone else attempts to make contact with her, then she will know that we exist. And if this is a hostile invasion, she will strike hard and fast and we would be powerless against her! And by "we," I mean everyone in this world. Wizards, muggles, mutants - everyone!"

"How does this sound, Lucius?" said Xeno reasonably. "You leave now, without taking Owen. Let us know where the two American Aurors are who you have impersonated. In return, we will not tell the American FBS that you were here, and Dori and I will not publish anything implicating you in The Quibbler."

"Please, Narcissa," said Dori. "Nobody has been seriously hurt, yet. Please leave us in peace. Return to England. In exchange, we won't report you to the FBS or the MoM! And then, please let the American FBS and the White Council handle Storybrooke and Regina!"

For a long several seconds, nobody said anything. Then, Lucius Malfoy smiled thinly and said, "Did I not tell you, Jordan, what I wanted and that I would not ask, yet again?" And then to Narcissa, he added, "Use the Cruciatus Curse on the Blood Traitor Witch's "son."

Grimly, but without hesitation, Narcissa threw Corey to the floor and pointed her wand. Corey braced himself for what was coming. But before she could cast the curse, there was a knock at the door. Ren recognized the knock. It was Aggie.

"Hello!" came Aggie's muffled voice from outside. "Hey, is everyone still here? I hope so, because my hands are full! Can someone open the door for me?"

Pointing her wand away from Corey, Narcissa directed it at the door, and said, "Alohomora!" The door flew open and Aggie Jordan came inside carrying a large cardboard box.

"Hey, Ren!" said Aggie. "I'm glad I got here before you and everyone else left for Salem!"

But it was not her husband who replied. Instead, Narcissa Malfoy said, "Get inside and set that box down, you filthy muggle cow!"

"N-Narcissa Malfoy . . . ?" said Aggie surprised, who turned to her husband, and said, "Ren, what's going on, here?"

"We've, ah, we've got a situation, here, Aggie," said Ren nervously. "Please just do as she says!"

"Yes," said Narcissa dryly. "Do as I say! Set the bloody box down, and don't move! That should be simple enough instruction even for a stupid muggle to understand!"

Aggie looked over at Ren who nodded that she should obey, and slowly moved to set the box she was carrying down on the couch, wary of the wand that Narcissa Malfoy had pointed at her.

While Narcissa's wand was pointed at her mother, Jenny quickly went over to Corey, protectively putting her arms around him. The Malfoys had no qualms about harming the eleven-year- old muggle boy. But as obsessed as they were about Wizarding Lineages, they might think twice about harming a ten-year-old witch of the Peverell line.

Quickly, Aggie checked out her surroundings. Ricky was over with Ren, holding tightly onto his leg as Ren stood with his arm around a somewhat chubby boy that Aggie knew had to be Owen Flynn. The Lovegoods were standing there, too; their wands at their feet where they must have let them fall at the order of the Malfoys. The Lovegood's daughter, Luna, was sitting up on the couch, watching everything unfold with a detached interest.

As Aggie set the box down, her eyes met Narcissa's. And while Aggie's was a look of concern for her family, Narcissa's was a look of contempt and hate.

The two women were quite the study in contrasts. The blonde Narcissa was dressed in the same outfit that FBS Agent Susan Spellman had worn the night before, giving her something of an "Annie Hall" look. The dark-haired Aggie, dressed in old jeans and a sweatshirt that only somewhat toned-down her voluptuous curves, appeared to Narcissa as slatternly. Worse, she was a muggle slattern who had managed to seduce a wizard from the noble Peverell line; no doubt with her whorish antics in the bedroom.

Even worse as far as Narcissa was concerned, Lucius had his eyes on her, too. "I have her covered, Lucius," said Narcissa curtly. "You keep your eyes on the Lovegoods and the Colonial Wizard. They're a far greater threat than this little muggle slut!"

"Take that back!" said Jenny, who was still kneeling on the floor, hugging Corey protectively. "You'd better take back what you just called my mom, lady!"

But to Ren's and Aggie's and the Lovegoods' relief, Narcissa ignored the ten-year-old witch, and said to Aggie, "You must be really proud of yourself, having landed a wizard for a husband. But you are nothing more than a common Lady of Negotiable Affection, as far as I am concerned."

"Probably all that she is good for," opined Lucius in little more than a mutter. "That is the only reason why you married this muggle whore, isn't it, Jordan? Or where you just unable to find a witch who would have a low, magically-uneducated tradesman for a spouse . . . ?"

Ren was about to say something, but Aggie spoke first. "To tell the truth, I really don't care what you think of us. But I do care about my children, our friends, and my husband. I'll do what is necessary to keep them safe. But let's get one thing straight - what my husband and I do when we are . . . being intimate is none of your business. Though unlike you, I couldn't say how many cracks are in our bedroom ceiling when Ren and I are affectionate."

"How dare you . . . ?" said Narcissa, tightening her grip on her wand.

How Aggie wished for a gun at that moment. Ren told her that most muggles with a firearm could get off a shot or two before a wizard or witch could get off a curse. But although Aggie did not have an actual firearm, she saw something in the box that could be almost as good as one. It would be a last-ditch act of desperation. But it was something. And something was better than nothing. In the back of Aggie's mind, an idea started to take shape.

After setting the box down carefully on the couch, Aggie stole a glance at Ren. A quick eye contact was all they needed. The Malfoys had the drop on them, and were going to take Jenny's friend with them and the Jordans and the Lovegoods would be powerless to stop them. That they were going to take Owen Flynn was a given. But what would the Malfoys do with the rest of them?

The Malfoys' original plan had obviously been to masquerade as FBS Aurors, take Owen with them, and that would have been that. But they had not counted on being delayed long enough for their polyjuice potion disguise to wear off, throwing a monkey-wrench into their plan. Worse, they now found themselves being outnumbered by three other magic users and an adult muggle woman. And with the added distraction of Jenny, Corey and even Ricky and little Luna; Aggie could see that they were getting more and more nervous.

Ricky was sobbing as he held onto his father's leg with one hand as he sucked his thumb with the other. Owen Flynn was on the verge of crying as Ren held him firmly with his arm around him. So far, his plan to protect Owen by counting on the Malfoys' reluctance to harm a fellow wizard seemed to be working. And Jenny hugging Corey tightly was keeping him safe, for the moment. But now that Aggie was also here . . . .

"Give the boy to us, Jordan," hissed Lucius. "I have no desire to harm anyone who has the blood of the Peverell family flowing through them, even though they may be pathetically lost sheep, such as yourself." He then glanced over at Jenny, who held Corey protectively against her. "And I have even less desire to harm a little witch of Peverell descent, even though she does have a muggle mother." Lucius looked over at Jenny's mom smiled.

Narcissa Malfoy nodded, and added, "But we have absolutely no qualms about doing whatever we shall to this filthy muggle slattern.

"You know, Lucius, it might be somewhat amusing to turn Jordan's impudent muggle dollymop into a little bunny rabbit . . . ."

"Quite, Narcissa," said Lucius smiling thinly. "That should teach that upstart colonial husband of hers how to respect his betters."

But just as Narcissa began to brandish her wand, Jenny screamed "NO!" and the wand flew out of the adult witch's hand by Jenny's involuntary reflexive magic, catching everyone by surprise. Frantically, Narcissa looked around for her wand, but it was nowhere to be seen.

That was the opening that Aggie needed, and in one smooth motion, she grabbed an object from the box on the couch and pointed it threateningly at Lucius. "Drop your wand, or I'll blast you into radioactive atoms!"

Lucius gasped in spite of himself. The device in Aggie Jordan's hand was all white coloured and about eighteen inches long with a slender handle and a thumb-operated trigger. The main body was fat near the handle, tapering into a smaller end with a thin, rectangular opening pointed directly at Lucius. On the side of the device, the words "Black and Decker" could be read; no doubt the name of a muggle weapons manufacturer. Then, to Lucius' added horror, the device began to make a whirring sound and a small cover blocking the rectangular opening retracted inwardly.

"My atomic plasma nebulizer is building to discharge, Malfoy!" said Aggie. "I can disintegrate you before you can say "Avada Kedavra! Now, hands up, both of you! Ren! Get his wand!"

Ren quickly brushed back his hair and Lucius' wand slipped from his grasp and flew to him. Ren caught it easily. Then Dori said, "Accio," and Narcissa's wand - which was floating just above her head - came to her. Immediately, Ren and the Lovegoods performed the same spell to retrieve their own wands, pointing them at the Malfoys the moment they got them.

"Way to go, Mr. and Mrs. Jordan!" said Corey.

Then Ren said, "Jenny, take Corey and Owen and run for help! Call the FBS!"

"But what about Ricky and Luna?" said Jenny.

"I said RUN!" snapped Ren. And without another word, Jenny Jordan grabbed Corey's and Owen's hands and the three kids were sprinting out the open door

None of the children had their coats on, and Jenny and Corey were still in stocking feet. It was cold outside; the man on the TV said that it was in the mid 30's. But it was nothing that three East Coast kids couldn't handle.

"That was totally awesome, Jenny!" said Corey. "The way you made Mrs. Malfoy's wand fly out of her hand and float just above her head where she couldn't see it!"

Jenny responded by saying "C'mon, you guys! We gotta get to a phone!" Then Jenny began running to where she remembered seeing some stores, with Corey and Owen right behind her.

Inside the Jordan's house, Lucius and Narcissa were ordered to their knees and were then bound by an incarcerous spell as Ren, Xeno, and Dori held them at wandpoint. Aggie held Ricky as she kept the muggle weapon pointed at the Malfoys, in spite of the magically conjured ropes binding them as good as any set of handcuffs could do. Once the Malfoys were secured, Aggie then went over to the telephone in the kitchen. She came back a few seconds later, and said, "I'm not getting a dial tone. These two must have cut the line."

"Don't worry, dear," said Ren. "Jenny and her friends will get to a telephone soon enough."

"I don't know what you are talking about!" snarled Narcissa. "We haven't done anything to your telephone; whatever that may be. Now, would you be so kind as to turn off your muggle weapon, Mrs. Jordan? I wouldn't want you to disintegrate us by accident!"

"Too right!" said Lucius with just a trace of fretfulness.

"I have no desire to die by a muggle nuclear weapon, Mrs. Jordan!" added Narcissa.

"Oh," said Aggie conversationally. "So it's "Mrs. Jordan," now, and not "filthy muggle . . . ," what was that word that Narcissa called me, Dori?"

"Dollymop," Aggie," said Dori evenly. "Narcissa called you an "impudent muggle dollymop," right before she threatened to transfigure you into a little bunny rabbit."

"Yeah," said Aggie. "So . . . what does "dollymop" actually mean, Dori . . . ?"

"Narcissa called you a prostitute, Aggie," said Dori. "It is something of an old-fashioned term from the past century; just what I would expect from a family as provincial as the Malfoys."

"I see . . . ," said Aggie neutrally, as she regarded the bound Narcissa with a poker-face; though Narcissa returned Aggie's look with one of fear seasoned with hate. "So . . . . If the two of you are here, then where is your son, Draco?"

"How dare you speak his name!" said Narcissa. "And what business is it of yours where our son is? Know that he is safe and sound! So any plans that you might have of taking him from us shall never come to pass!"

"Taking him from you . . . ?" Aggie shook her head and let out a weary sigh. "I'm just concerned that if you left your son with a sitter that they should be alerted that Magical Children's Services will be coming to pick him up instead of the two of you. That way Draco may be sent to his closest relatives in England as soon as possible. I hate to be the one to point it out, but I have a feeling that the two of you will be staying here in "The Colonies" a bit longer than you had originally planned.

"Now, maybe you did not think that your plan to kidnap a ten-year-old boy would fail. But it had to cross your mind as at least a mathematical possibility. Nobody is going to take your son from you; least of all us or the Lovegoods. If anything, your decision to break the law did that all by itself. And if you want my two-cent's worth, I think that pulling a stunt like this is pretty irresponsible as far as Draco would be concerned."

"You still don't quite understand, you stupid muggle cow," said Narcissa. "What Lucius and I have done was all for Draco and Pureblooded Wizardkind! To keep our bloodlines pure and untainted by muggle filth, and to establish a world where the future of Pureblood Wizards and Witches will be guaranteed!"

Aggie shook her head. If Aggie were to look up the word "fanatic" in the dictionary, she would not be surprised to see a picture of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and Aggie knew that there would be no talking with them. She had never actually met anyone quite like them, before, and the school teacher in her found them interesting on some level. She almost wished that she had the opportunity to speak with them at length out of academic interest.

But Aggie could almost guess the answers to any questions that she might want to ask them. Kneeling on the floor before her, bound by magically conjured ropes, were two, textbook examples of Eric Hoffer's True Believers. And while Aggie Jordan did not want to think that there were any people beyond redemption, she knew that she had neither the knowledge nor the skill to reach out to these two people so overcome with fear and loathing. But there was one question that nagged at the front of her mind that she just had to ask them.

"I imagine," said Aggie clinically, "that you would have killed us – my husband and I, as well as the Lovegoods. I can also imagine you killing Corey in cold blood, and even Owen when you learned all that you could from him. But what exactly would you have done with Jenny, Ricky and Luna?"

Narcissa raised an eyebrow, smiled, and said, "What do you think we would have done with them, Mrs. Jordan? We would have seen to it that they would have been given a proper wizarding upbringing."

Before either the Jordans or the Lovegoods could reply, Agent Hadji Quest-Singh came through the front door, and Agent Wednesday Addams came from the back door through the kitchen of the Jordans home. Both Aurors had their wands out and were ready for anything.

"Is everyone alright?" said Agent Addams.

Ren let out a sigh of relief. He wanted to say, "What the hell took you so long? We could have been killed!" But instead, he said, "Thank G-d you are here! Are Jenny, Corey and Owen safe?"

Agent Quest-Singh glanced around the room, nodding as he spotted Ricky Jordan in his mother's arms, and Luna Lovegood sitting on the couch, taking in everything going on around her with perfect aplomb. "Where are Jenny, Corey and Owen? They're not here with you?"

"No, said Aggie. "They ran out to call for help a few minutes ago! Didn't they call you and let you know that we were in trouble?"

Agent Addams shook her head. "We came here when Agents Spellman and Graymalkin did not arrive at Headquarters with Owen and the rest of you at the scheduled time. When they did not answer their mirrors, we tried to call you on the telephone, but the line was dead. Normally, we would wait about ten minutes before investigating such a delay. But given the extraordinary importance of this situation . . . ."

"I think that the Malfoys must have cut our phone line," said Ren.

Agent Quest-Singh said, "Wednesday, I'll get Lucius and Narcissa back to Salem and send over someone to take everyone's statement. You'd better look for the kids."

Wednesday said, "Mr. and Mrs. Jordan, do you have any idea where they might have gone to use a telephone to call the FBS for help?"

"There's a small strip mall a couple of blocks down the street to your right when you go out the front door," said Ren. "Jenny knows about it. She passes it on her way to school. I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that that is where she and the boys went." Without saying anything more, Agent Addams sprinted out the door quicker than one would imagine she could in her long, Gothic dress.

In the back of his mind, Ren imagined that the dress had been enchanted to allow such movement, if necessary. But in the front of his mind, he had other concerns. Naturally first and foremost was the safety of his daughter and her friends. But another thought was vying for his immediate attention, pushing the first aside.

Ren said, "Agent Quest-Singh, before you and Agent Addams got here, the Malfoys told us that they didn't do anything to our telephone. Why lie about something like that?"

"I don't know," said Hadji shaking his head. "But we can clear that up for you later, back at Salem." Agent Quest-Singh then turned his attention to the bound wizard and witch, and added, "But it does not surprise me that the Malfoys would try something like this, given what they tried to do to my family."

"What are you talking about?" said Lucius. "We have never met."

"I should think not," added Narcissa. "We do not associate with Blood Traitors!"

Without wasting another moment, Hadji took out his mirror, and contacted Salem to request immediate backup.

"What did you do that for?" said Aggie, who assumed that the situation was under control. "What's wrong?"

"I won't kid you," said Agent Quest-Singh. "I think that you daughter and her friends may be in more danger out there than they would have been if they stayed here!"

Nervously, Ren said, "What do you mean?" Ren moved over to Aggie, putting his arm around her. Ricky looked up at him from Aggie's arms with wide eyes. All three Jordans were acutely feeling Jenny's absence.

"I think that the Malfoys are not the only ones after Owen Flynn," said Agent Quest-Singh. Before he could elaborate more, several more Aurors suddenly apparated into the Jordans' living room with multiple, loud "bangs!"

The Aurors promptly gathered around Agent Quest-Singh, who ordered all but two of them to fan-out and find the three missing children. He then instructed the other two to get the prisoners back to Salem. When they left with the Malfoys, Agent Quest-Singh said, "I think that someone else may be after Owen Flynn. And that their plan to take him happened to coincide with the Malfoy's attempt."

Aggie said, "We have to go and look for Jenny and her friends, Ren."

"No," said Agent Quest-Singh. "I want you to wait here for your own safety. Once Jenny, Corey and Owen are located, we are all going to Salem, where you will be safe."

"Who could be after them," said Dori, "if not the Malfoys and their ilk?"

Xeno said, "Those two were not the Malfoys, Agent Quest-Singh, were they?"

"I don't believe they were, no," said Agent Quest-Singh. "But I imagine that whoever they were, they were working for, if not with the Malfoys. According to our best intelligence, the Malfoys left to return to England earlier this morning."

"But how?" said Ren. "We saw them transform from Agents Spellman and Graymalkin when they came to take Owen."

Dori drew a quick breath. "Layered Polyjuice Potion. It's theoretically possible to layer two or more different disguises to be time-released in the same manner as some types of muggle medications."

"But why do that?" said Dori. "Were whoever those two people really are trying to, uh, "frame" the Malfoys, or something?"

"I don't know," said Agent Quest-Singh. "Hopefully, we will find out more when we get a warrant to Soulgaze those two in an hour or so. Right now, our priority is to find the missing children. But while we are waiting, there is one question that I really must ask you, Mrs. Jordan.

"Why, exactly, are you holding that Dust Buster . . . ?"