Fairy Tales

by Perceval23

Harry failed to learn the Power the Dark Lord Knows Not, so he, with Luna's guidance, must undertake a journey to learn the true history of the Wizarding world, and find himself in the process. Multi-crossover.

17. Lussinata

A/N: Special thanks to Sorg for suggesting Marius Black and his role in this story. You might have noticed that, while I'm basing Alice and friends on the books, I've been using the individual character names and descriptions from the 2010 film directed by Tim Burton. That's mainly because I like them.

You may recognize a Marvin the Martian quote. If not, you need to see more Bugs Bunny cartoons. Bugs has always been one of my role models.

The story of the naming of a band is based on what the member who named it once said it came from. He also gave the band name more realistic origins, but, well, this is a Harry Potter fic. :)

Back in Chapter 10, Luna told Harry about a friend of hers in Sweden, that she described as "the strangest girl you'll ever meet," leaving Harry to wonder what kind of person Luna would describe that way.

Pirates of the Caribbean belongs to Disney. The Chronicles of Narnia created by C. S. Lewis. The Wind in the Willows created by Kenneth Grahame. Pippi Longstocking created by Astrid Lindgren. James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory created by Roald Dahl.

Come on, like you didn't know that one was going to turn up, sooner or later...

---

Chapter Seventeen

Lussinata

Picture yourself in a boat on a river,
With tangerine trees and marmalade skies.
Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly,
A girl with kaleidoscope eyes.

Cellophane flowers of yellow and green,
Towering over your head.
Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes,
And she's gone.

-John Lennon & Paul McCartney, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

---

Chelsea, London, England, UK, December 12, 1966

Centuries ago, this was their night.

In the old Julian Calendar, the night of December 12-13 was the longest night of the year. In Scandinavia, where the Winters were especially long and cold, this was the night that was most feared. It was the Lussinata.

On this night, it was said, animals of different species could speak to each other. It was good that they could communicate, considering what was hunting, that night.

Riding the skies was a female demon called the Lussi, who embodied the Darkness, and her followers, the Lussiferda, which included trolls and other evil spirits. They raided the land, looting, kidnapping, killing, and destroying. Travellers outside, that night, were in great danger of being taken. People had to have certain Yule preparations finished, or the Lussi might punish the household. Naughty children had to especially beware, else the Lussi come down the chimney and steal them.

To protect the farm animals, items believed to ward off the Lussiferda were placed over barn doors, and the animals were given extra food for the long night. Other such items were put over food and ale and a sheaf of corn placed on the roof of the house. The household stayed up overnight, standing guard over the house, in the tradition called Lussevaka.

It was a great time to be the Lussiferda.

Then, from Italy, she came.

St. Lucia was born to rich and noble parents in Syracuse in the year 283, her name meaning Light. Her father, who died when she was five, was Roman, her mother Greek. Christians at this time were being persecuted by the Roman Empire, and Lucia helped them escape, hiding them in the catacombs. Bringing supplies through the dark tunnels, she often had both hands full, so she fashioned a wreath with candles to wear on her head to light the way.

Her Feast Day is December 13, a major date on the Advent Calendar, the weeks of waiting and preparation for the celebration of Christmas. She represents Light emerging from the Darkness, a promise that, though it is the dark and cold Winter, the light and warmth the sun will return. In her native Italy, she is celebrated with large meals of traditional Italian dishes, with a special dessert of wheat in hot chocolate milk. The night before, she would visit homes, leaving small presents for children. It's customary for the children to leave her coffee.

In Hungary, the custom is to plant wheat in a small pot on St. Lucia's Day. By Christmas, green sprouts appear, signs of life coming from death. The wheat is then carried to the Nativity scene.

When Christianity arrived in Scandinavia, Lucia came with it. Her name and Feast Day had special meaning to the Scandinavians, with the similarities to the demonic figure that terrorized them, that night. Scholars have looked very hard over the years to find a connection between the names, but they've never found one. It was just one of those strange coincidences.

Lucia taught the Scandinavians that the darkness and cold of Winter weren't to be feared, that they were merely a part of the yearly cycle. They didn't rule the world, it wouldn't be permanent, and Spring would return, as it always did. Lussinata became a struggle between the dark Lussi and the light Lucia, the fear and cold of the darkest night of the year and the re-emerging light. In time, the terror of the Lussi was driven off, completely.

The Lussevaka was still kept on the Lussinata, but it was now an all night party in honor of Lucia.

In Scandinavia, a girl in the town is elected to be Lucia, the Queen of Light. She wears a white gowns and red sash, with the crown of candles on her head, leading a procession. The procession includes Lucia's Maidens, each wearing white gowns and holding a candle, and sometimes Star Boys, wearing white gowns with cone-shaped, golden star decorated, hats. The procession goes to homes, businesses, and churches, singing Lucia songs and Christmas carols, collecting for charities. Large cities hold large celebrations with concerts. In rural areas, the oldest daughter of the house dresses in the Lucia garb and awakens the family, serving them saffron St. Lucia buns and, of course, coffee.

Lucia is such an important part of Scandinavia that after the Protestant Reformation, when the Lutherans gave up most of the Catholic Saints, they kept Lucia. Many modern Neo-Pagans who follow Nordic based traditions keep Lucia, despite her being purely a Christian tradition.

As the Nobel Prize ceremony takes place during this, prize winners are quite taken by the beauty of these processions. The prize winners, themselves, are visited by a Lucia procession the morning the prizes are given out.

On December 13, 1944, the Scandinavian Lucia traditions were introduced in Denmark as a passive protest to the Nazi occupation, and a promise that even in the darkest of times, there is still light. They've kept the traditions, ever since.

While the celebrations are enjoyed by most, the former Lussiferda wasn't happy about it, at all. The descendants of the trolls that served the Lussi weren't able to rampage, loot, and destroy at will, like their ancestors did in "the good old days."

Now, a troll only found employment with the occasional dark wizard. So, a small army of them was now in a dark building with a large amount of powerful Muggle and magical explosives, preparing for their mission. They were in the use of a dark wizard whose very existence was publicly denied by the Ministry of Magic, but one they feared.

He was called Rotfang.

As the sun set, they were going to place these explosives around Chelsea, and London was going to receive its worst bombing since the Blitz. Yes, on the night their ancestors...

They heard song, from outside, in the distance. And, it was getting closer.

Trolls hated music. There was only one thing they hated more and that was...

Light entered the dark building as the doors opened, much more light than there should have been at this hour.

The trolls tried to shield their eyes and ears. The light wasn't blinding, nor was the music deafening, but the trolls couldn't bear it.

It was her.

Lucia entered the building, her Maidens and Star Boys trailing behind her, singing. She had the most beautiful eyes.

The chief troll groaned, and said, "Couldn't you leave us one Lussinata, for old times sake?"

Lucia looked around at the explosives, and said, "You really didn't think this would escape my notice, did you?"

"We hoped it would."

"Well, you hoped in vain. I have a very busy night ahead, including a party to attend here in Chelsea. But, I'll be sporting. Select your strongest champion to do battle with mine. You win, this night is yours. You lose, you report to the nearest magical law enforcement officials and confess to tonight's crimes."

The chief troll readily agreed, and selected the strongest of his number.

"Now," he said, "let's see your champion."

The trolls could scarcely believe what stepped forward.

It was a little human girl. She had fiery red hair in pigtails that were so tightly wound that they stuck out sideways from her head. As trolls had no appreciation or understanding for how humans dressed themselves, they didn't notice that nothing she wore seemed to match. Had it been Summer, and she was wearing the short dresses she preferred, one would have noticed her long stockings didn't even match.

The trolls laughed, loudly, at the thought of this as Lucia's champion, who was to face their strongest in combat.

They paid little mind that the little girl responded by laughing as loud as they did. They paid no mind at all to the fact that a little human child shouldn't be able to laugh as loud as a troll in the first place. They didn't notice the look in the little girl's eyes as she cracked her knuckles in anticipation.

You see, there was far more unusual about Pippi Longstocking than her hair and attire.

This was going to be a fun bit of exercise, but she didn't want to dawdle. She had wonderful new friends to make, this evening.

---

An Auror's work was never done. No one knew this better than Alastor Moody.

Some called him paranoid, but in today's world, he just called it being realistic. Paranoia was just being aware of how the world really worked. And it became a much more complicated world for a British Auror, post-Grindelwald.

The Western powers and the Communists were engaged in a Cold War. The Soviets had taken Eastern Europe, installing puppet governments. Being the devoted Materialists that they were, they had no tolerance for magic, and those that did it. Their world view didn't allow for such things, so they decided to systematically wipe out all witches and wizards in the lands they controlled.

So, rather than simply protecting Britain from dark witches and wizards, British Aurors now often had missions outside the country, working with the Knights of Walpurgis and the Muggle MI6 to help the magical population trapped behind Communist borders. The Ministries of those countries, like the magical populations themselves, were forced underground or into exile. With the magical schools in those countries closed, other European schools took the students. The Durmstrang Institute in Norway took many of the Purebloods, though still maintaining their backwards, bigoted, policy towards Muggleborns. The joke was on the Purebloods, Moody thought, since this meant the Muggleborn Eastern Europeans wound up in schools with warmer, more comfortable, climates. For all of Durmstrang's prestige, students froze their arses off in Winter there since, in another backward tradition, the school wouldn't light fires except for magical purposes. It made the students strong, the school still insisted.

There was a difference between being tough and just plain stupid, Moody thought.

Moody had often worked with a member of the Knights of Walpurgis, Tom Riddle, against the Soviet spy organization SMERSH. Moody didn't like Riddle, but he had to admit the man was effective against the Commies.

After the Cuba business, the Soviets became less aggressive. That didn't mean they weren't a constant threat, or that there weren't plenty of other international dangers. A number of organizations had risen, all seeking power, often by playing both sides of the Cold War against each other.

For the wizards, the primary one was the Rotfang Conspiracy, named for the dark wizard behind it. It's existence was kept a secret by agreement of the International Confederation of Wizards, to prevent a panic. Rotfang had agents everywhere, even within the Aurors. Since the confrontations with SMERSH had died down, Moody found himself often investigating, and trying to stop, Rotfang's increasingly maniacally warped plans for world domination. Moody still hadn't figured out how spreading gum disease, a key part of Rotfang's schemes, was going to help him meet his goals, but Rotfang had his peculiarities.

Some of Rotfang's specific peculiarities helped keep his actions limited, Moody thought. Rotfang was very obsessed with showmanship, always dressed in black, with a black cape and neatly trimmed mustache. He was very particular about his bases of operation. He always had to have a large pipe organ to play, that produced dramatic flames with each note. He had a special fondness for playing Bach's Toccata And Fugue In D Minor. He was also prone to dramatic speeches and laughing like, well, a mad dark wizard bent on world domination.

Now, Moody was facing Rotfang on top of Victoria Tower of the Palace of Westminster, for what he hoped was their final confrontation.

Rotfang gestured with his usual dramatic flair, and said, "I don't know how you found me, Moody, but it is far too late to stop me!"

Moody calmly replied, "You don't say."

"Oh, but I do say! When Big Ben chimes in the next few seconds, it will be the toll of doom for Chelsea! And part of Kensington! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Big Ben chimed... and nothing happened.

"Well?" asked Moody.

"Just... just wait a moment!" a flustered Rotfang replied.

"Whatever you say..."

A minute passed. Then, two.

Severely agitated, Rotfang shouted, "Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be a Chelsea shattering kaboom!"

"Wondering what happened to your trolls? I'm wondering that, myself. They were pretty terrified when we found 'em. The biggest, toughest looking one of 'em was out like a light. Looks like he took major beating, too. They confessed to everything, even told us where you'd be, now."

"You can't find good help, these days..."

"They begged us to, and I quote, 'Keep us away from her!' Really, Rotfang... I'm not the most religious man in the world, but I know not to provoke St. Lucy tonight, of all nights."

"Curses! Drat, and double drat! Very well... You may have foiled my plans this time, Moody, but..."

"I just told you, I didn't foil 'em. But, since we're both here, how about we settle this, once and for all? Face me one on one, right here, right now, or live knowing you're a coward!"

Rotfang looked Moody in the eye, said, "I can live with that," and promptly apparated away.

"Damn!" said Moody, "I was hoping he'd fall for that!"

Literally, that was what he was hoping for, as he looked at the patch of ice he'd conjured behind where Rotfang had stood, which, had Rotfang accepted the challenge, would have caused him to slip and fall from the tower to his death.

One didn't survive as an Auror as long as Moody had by fighting fair.

---

Andromeda Black, second year Hogwarts student, snuck out of the Slytherin dorm, which was not unusual for her. She'd decided she was going to learn all the castle's secrets from the moment she first arrived, so she'd gotten quite good at sneaking around the school and evading the caretaker and Prefects.

Not that she really had to avoid Detention, this night. It wasn't past curfew, yet, though it would be by the time she returned. Her Head of House, Professor Slughorn, knew of her plans, and even gave her directions and instructions to find and enter one of the school's secret places. But, it was still prudent to avoid the Prefects, especially Molly Prewett, and much of the staff, so she wouldn't have to explain where she was going or what she was doing. She hadn't even told her sisters, Bella and Cissy. Most especially, she hadn't told Lucius. Best friend or not, she knew he couldn't tell him anything about the Fair Folk.

Students were only allowed off campus during Hogsmeade weekends, and even then only Third Years and above. A Second Year like Andy wasn't allowed to do that, so she certainly wasn't allowed to leave campus to go to a party in London on a school night.

But, this was an invitation she simply couldn't refuse.

It had come during breakfast in the Great Hall a few weeks before. She'd been glaring, as she often did, at her arch-rival, a Ravenclaw in her year named Ted Tonks. He was Muggleborn, extremely smart and talented, and cocky. He thought her extremely smart and talented, and a snob. He was also her only real competition in her year.

That infuriated some of her fellow Slytherins, especially Lucius. How dare this Mudblood outperform them? Andy further angered her old friend when she said she took no offence at Tonks's blood status, just his personality. If he was who was going to give her some competition, she welcomed it from whoever could do it.

One of the larger Slytherin boys in her year announced in the Common Room that he was going to teach Tonks a lesson about making his betters look bad. Andy didn't find this at all acceptable. Whatever issues she had with Tonks, if her fellow Slytherins didn't like him getting better scores than them, they should work harder. She went to warn him.

He politely thanked her for the warning, but said his father had fought in the War, and taught him how to handle himself. When the larger Slytherin challenged him to a fight, Tonks easily beat him up. Slughorn then docked Slytherin points, and gave the boy who started the fight Detention.

So, the Pureblood bigots in her House, at least the ones who were open about it, backed off, leaving her and Tonks to hate each other in peace.

The invitation put all thoughts of Ted Tonks out of her mind. She'd been invited to a party in Chelsea by Queen Alice of Wonderland, for St. Lucia on the evening of December 12. For confirmation that this was genuine, the invitation told her to visit Professor Slughorn in his office after classes were done for the day.

This had to be a joke, Andy thought. Not that she didn't believe in Wonderland. After she and Lord Voldemort had observed the Fae dancing before she left for Hogwarts for her first year, she researched everything she could find on the Fair Folk. Since Lord Voldemort was clearly very knowledgeable about them, she asked him many questions upon her return home for Summer Holiday, including what Fairylands he knew of.

He confirmed that Wonderland existed, and Alice was its Queen. There was a touch of sadness in his words, but Andy didn't pry, as she knew he wouldn't explain. He also confirmed Neverland's existence, and told her that the Darlings were related to her friend, Lucius. That's how she learned that the Fae were a touchy subject with Lucius, when she asked him about his cousins. It was something the Malfoys didn't speak of. Period. And, it wasn't just because the Darlings were Squibs.

But, Andy wondered, why would Queen Alice invite her to a party? She remembered Lord Voldemort telling her that the Fae had noticed her, but she was certain those weren't Alice's people she saw, that night.

Still, if someone had sent her a bogus invitation as a joke, she might as well tell her Head of House since the letter said to visit his office, anyway.

So, she did.

"Ah, Miss Black, I've been expecting you," Slughorn said as she entered the office.

"You have?" she asked, noticing a large mirror that wasn't normally there.

"Yes. You've been invited to a party that school rules forbid you to attend. So, if you choose to accept the invitation, we'll have to be Slytherin about it."

"How do you know all this?"

"Because this young woman is very convincing. And, I can confirm she is who she says she is."

He motioned towards the mirror, where a beautiful blonde woman wearing a golden crown and a blue dress stepped through. Her eyes were large, reflective, and sky blue. She was carrying a bottle.

"Hello, Andromeda," she said. "I am Queen Alice of Wonderland." She handed the bottle to Slughorn and said, "This is from Mirana, with love."

Slughorn accepted the gift, and replied, "Please give Her Majesty my thanks."

Well... Andy knew Professor Slughorn knew a lot of well-connected people, but she'd never expected this.

Naturally, Andy formally accepted the invitation. She was told to dress comfortably, as it wasn't a formal affair. She needed worry about Winter cold, as she and the other Hogwarts student who had been invited would be transported directly to the indoor location, and even the part of the party that was outdoors would be quite warm. She also needn't worry about being out too late, for while the party would be several hours, they'd still have her and the other Hogwarts student back in time for curfew.

Andy wondered how they'd manage that, and then remembered that this was a Fairy Queen.

It was later that Slughorn told her how she would get there.

"On the seventh floor in the left corridor, is one of the school's secret rooms, this one created by Rowena Ravenclaw."

"Did all the Founders create a secret place, here?" Andy asked, knowing of Salazar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets. She'd not yet found that one.

"It would seem so. Ravenclaw's was the Room of Requirement. If you're there, and you really need something, the Room will provide it. At least, that's one thing it does. No one has learned all of its secrets. At the appointed time, you'll find it across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy attempting to teach trolls ballet."

"Trolls hate music, so how could they possibly learn ballet?"

"Well, there's a reason he was called barmy. You'll walk past the room three times thinking about what you need, in this case the Fae who will escort you to your party, and the doorway will appear."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"Professor, if you don't mind me asking... Why are you allowing me to do this?"

"Ah... Miss Black, my responsibilities to teach my students go beyond school policies. You may have noticed that I've cultivated a network of friends and acquaintances in various places. When you have that, they can help you achieve many things, especially when it's to your mutual benefit. There will be some important people in many fields that I'm certain you'll find very interesting at this party. And, it is always good to have friends in the Seelie Court of the Fae."

"So, I'm going to this party to make connections I can use, later?"

"You're going to this party to have a night of fun. The possible friendships and connections you make are an added benefit."

So, here she was walking to the left corridor on the seventh floor, wondering who the other Hogwarts student chosen was, if it was anybody she knew. She hoped it was, so everyone there wouldn't be a complete stranger.

She turned the corner and saw who it was.

Well, it was someone she knew, she thought in frustration.

"Tonks."

"Black. Fancy meeting you, here."

"And I thought the Seelie Court had standards... Well, you are good-looking and highly intelligent, so you fit their criteria despite your obnoxiousness."

"And I thought they were easy-going and didn't care for snobs."

"You're one to talk."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, just this oh so morally superior attitude of yours," she said as she began angrily pacing. "You're so judgemental! You accuse me of looking down my nose at you, but you... You think you can see someone and just immediately..."

The door appeared.

"Ah," said Ted, "you remembered the instructions. Now, if you can behave yourself, we can see our escort. We don't want to make a bad impression, do we?"

Andy fumed, but took a deep breath. Blasted smug Ravenclaw... What was worse was he had a point. She didn't want to make a bad impression, so she was just going to have to get along with him, for this evening. Only.

He added, "You look great, by the way."

"Thank you. You look good, as well."

"Not great?"

"Someone has to keep you humble. I've appointed myself."

"The blind leading the blind. Ladies first," he said, motioning to the door.

They entered the Room of Requirement.

Waiting was a beautiful, petite, pale skinned, dark-haired Fae woman with a charming smile.

"Lulu?" asked Ted, in obvious recognition.

A shocked Andy asked, "You know her?"

"Old friend of the family," Ted replied.

---

Spencer Tonks had lived what he'd seen as, overall, a blessed life.

Sure, there had been plenty of rough spots, and no small bit of horror. You didn't serve in World War II without experiencing that. But, he survived, and eventually prospered.

He was born in Solihull, a prosperous town southeast of Birmingham. His family owned some industry in the nearby large city. Unlike most of his peers, however, he was taught that being born into a family with money was a blessing. He'd have advantages most people did not. Most families couldn't send their children to college, let alone the best schools. Most families couldn't financially help their children begin their chosen careers. Just because he was born with certain advantages didn't make him better than those that weren't. As a teen, like his siblings before him, while on Summer Holiday he worked in one of his family's factories, earning his own spending money and befriending people who were outside his social class.

While he wouldn't enter the family business, he would keep those lessons all of his life, and would pass them on to his own children.

At Oxford, Spencer would be part of a close-knit group of friends that would remain very important in his life. Among them were a young Professor named Marius Black, from London; Anne Mayfield, an artist and photographer; and Athena Charles, who lived up to her name, being a very clever young woman who was studying the Classics.

Spencer and Anne fancied each other, and dated. But soon, the war began. When they graduated, Spencer and Marius would enter the Military. He couldn't promise Anne he'd return, since so many didn't. A Vera Lynn song played as they were dancing.

We'll meet again,
Don't know where, don't know when,
But I know we'll meet again, some sunny day.

They both hoped that was true.

Spencer was surprised at what his Military service would be. Marius had suggested he be part of a special group he had been recruited into formed by naval intelligence officer Ian Fleming. The group was sworn to secrecy about its activities.

It seemed the Jerries had more than guns and bombs at their disposal, and were using them. The Allies followed suit. Spencer couldn't believe what he was told about the world, until he was given a very convincing demonstration by a man Marius introduced as his cousin, Arcturus Black.

Marius had never said much about his family while they were at Oxford, but now he told Spencer the full story.

Magical parents generally had magical children, but not always. Every now and then, children would be born into magical families that possessed little or no magic, at all. These were called Squibs by the wizards. The Ministry of Magic didn't even keep records of the births of children of Squibs, such was the low regard they were held in the magical community.

One such man was Marius Black, born in the early 20th Century to one of magical Britain's oldest and most prestigious families. Squibs often led hard lives, unable to truly belong in either the magical or muggle worlds. However, Marius's grandfather, Phineas Nigellus Black, Headmaster of Hogwarts, was determined that his grandson would want for nothing. Marius would have the best education. After all, not all that Marius could learn in the magical world required waving a wand around. Potions, for example, didn't need magic, at all, just knowledge and skill. Some of the best potions makers and Alchemists had been Squibs. After Marius had learned all the magical world could teach him, Phineas arranged for his grandson to attend Oxford.

Upon his arrival at Oxford, he could somehow feel the presence of very powerful magic, but none like he'd ever felt.

He met the man who Phineas had arranged to be his mentor, Professor Digory Kirke. Kirke knew of the Wizarding world, as his mother was a Squib, his uncle and aunt a wizard and witch, from the Ketterley family. When Marius mentioned the magic he felt when he arrived in the town, Kirke explained to him that it was the magic of the Fae, that was strong, there. Wonderland was connected to Oxford, though on a different physical plane. And, it wasn't the only Fairyland that could be reached from here. There was another. Kirke, as a child, had witnessed and participated in its birth.

Marius met another Professor that would become a lifelong friend, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. Professor Tolkien knew of the magical world, as his discoveries in his studies of ancient languages had drawn the attention of the Ministry of Magic. More pleasant for Professor Tolkien was that it also had drawn the attention of the Seelie Court. He and Marius had a lot of knowledge to share with one another.

Ancient languages and history became Marius's passions. Of course, being who he was, he had access to genealogy records that most of his peers did not.

There had been talk from Europe about Gellert Grindelwald, a dark wizard rising in Europe who had allied himself with some dictatorships. The British Ministry of Magic dismissed this as anything to be concerned about, but Marius knew better. He knew a family that had been touched by the rising dark tide on the Continent.

The Lovegoods lived in the Oxford area. Mrs. Lovegood was Grindelwald's daughter, and had fled him, moving to Britain, where she married. From what she told Marius, and what Marius knew of Grindelwald's Nazi allies, he thought the world was in for the bloodiest war in its history. They had a son, named Xenophilius, who wanted to know everything he could learn about the Fairy magic around Oxford.

"I swear," his mother said, "one night some Fairy maiden is going to sweep off with him if he isn't careful."

Then, the war came. Muggles called it World War II, wizards called it the Grindelwald War. Marius would serve his country, both aspects of it, as being of both worlds allowed him to be involved in the duel battles being fought. His group would serve as intelligence agents, and liaisons between the muggle and magical branches of the British Government. Arcturus would be in charge of the magic users in the group, answering to Fleming.

Marius asked his cousin, "How did you wind up with this job?"

Arcturus answered, "Wasn't Fleming's first choice. He wanted Crowley, but both sides of our government balked at that idea. I was who they decided was more... acceptable. While it's not the circumstances I'd like... it's good to be serving with you, Marius."

It was in France in April of 1945, as his group was involved in preparations for the assault on Grindelwald's headquarters, that Spencer had a fling with a Yank girl named Lulu. Given the people he'd been working with for the last few years, he recognized that the petite, pale skinned, black-haired American was no ordinary girl. But, the Yanks they were working with on this mission vouched for her.

The village they were in had suffered much during the war, but it's people were determined to bring back the flavor of France, now that the Nazis were gone. Lulu had brought with her Jazz music from America, and, for reasons only she knew, had chosen Spencer as her dance partner.

The enchanting young woman gave him what she called the Fairy's Kiss for good luck, and gave him a lot more than kisses. After their lovemaking, they cuddled and talked. They talked about his life and plans for after the war, and about music, especially how it had developed in just a few decades, and the technical advances that made it's development and spread possible.

Lulu said, "Amazing how this stuff has developed so quickly, isn't it? And to think, they said the phonograph, moving pictures, and radio would never amount to anything."

"There are always people resistant to new things and change," Spencer replied.

"Yeah, but the world keeps going and changing, regardless. Best to be the one making the changes, y'know?"

"The good changes, yes." Spencer decided that, once the war was over, he'd try to determine what technology would be the next big thing.

After the war, Marius settled back at Oxford, and married Athena, though the Statutes of Secrecy required him to never tell her of his magical roots, or any details of the "classified" work he did in his military service. Like his grandfather, his career would be in education, as would Athena's. They had two children, John Spencer Black and Helen Anne Black.

Spencer and Anne reunited, and began dating, again. Anne wished to move to London for her career as an artist and photographer. Spencer had come to love London, himself, and he had cousins there, so he joined her.

London had suffered a great deal of damage during the war, especially during the Blitz, and was in need of rebuilding. The Tonks factories produced construction supplies, so they found themselves with a lot of work. Spencer thought to expand the family's interest in construction, to which the family agreed. He also developed a personal interest in real estate, and would make investments. Another interest was a new medium called television. New technology always fascinated him, and this was something, he was sure, would revolutionize the way we lived. Many argued that it would never take off, but Spencer remembered his conversation with Lulu about all those other things the "experts" had said the same about, pressed ahead, and made the investments. The gains wouldn't be short-term. They wouldn't really see fruit for over a decade. But, when that time came, it proved to be a wise move.

Then, there was another event.

The Olympics hadn't been held since 1936, before the war, in Berlin. London was chosen to revive the Games, that would be held in 1948. Spencer would help organize it.

With London still in recovery, a very limited amount of money, and food rations still in place, it wasn't going to be a lavish spectacle. But, London did what it always did in difficult times: It made do. No new venues would be built, nor an Olympic Village. Male athletes would be housed in military camps, while female athletes would be housed in London colleges. Athletes that lived in London stayed at home, many commuting to the Games via public transportation. Athletes were encouraged to buy or make their own uniforms. The food rations were increased for the athletes, due to their need for more calories. Many other competing countries pitched in to help increase provisions.

The Games were a success, with a then record number of nations and athletes participating. These were also the first Olympics filmed in color, as well as the first to be broadcast on television. Not that many people in 1948 could watch the broadcasts, but the new medium promoted the Games in a way it never had never been, before.

Spencer and Anne settled in Chelsea, near Kensington, long a haven for artists, writers, and poets, and the perfect place for Anne's studio. They had three children, the youngest, Theodore, usually called "Ted," born in 1954.

That same year, across the Atlantic, a new form of Jazz was exploding called Rock and Roll. This would lead, the following year, to Lulu's return to Spencer's life.

The new music had been introduced to Britain by American servicemen stationed in the country, and by American films such as The Blackboard Jungle and Rock Around The Clock, both of which featured music by Bill Haley and the Comets, which topped the UK record charts. The movies created a moral panic in Britain, as teens were so enthused they tore up the seats in the theaters to dance. Rock and Roll became identified with delinquency, and right in the middle of it all, dancing with wild abandon, was Lulu.

She'd hadn't aged a day since Spencer last saw her a decade before. But, he reasoned, being a Fae, she wouldn't. It seems she'd returned to Britain to promote this new music. She'd somehow managed to avoid getting arrested and deported.

They caught up over lunch. She convinced him to use his influence to keep Rock and Roll from being banned on radio and television. He wasn't sure how she managed to convince him, but she did. Rock and Roll became an underground youth movement, the center of a generation of teens finding its own identity.

Lulu also convinced him to introduce her to his family.

If Spencer had any concerns about tension between his wife and his World War II friend and fling, he learned there was no need to worry, as Anne was very charmed by Lulu, and asked her to pose for her. Lulu, during her frequent trips to Britain, became Anne's favorite muse and model. Lulu, for her part, loved, Spencer's family, and was especially taken with the baby, Ted.

"You've got a gifted one, there," she told his parents.

"His name means 'Gift of the Gods,'" Anne replied.

"And," Lulu said to Ted, "you're gonna live up to that name, aren't you, Sweetie?"

Many of the teen British fans of American Rock and Roll took up playing it themselves, forming bands. They also drew heavily from the Blues and Bluegrass musicians that had influenced the American Rock and Roll musicians. The first bands from the '50s weren't anything special, but by the '60, several were among the very best. They even became exceedingly popular in Rock and Roll's home country, with their interest in and exploration of the roots of the music bringing a new appreciation in Americans for the depth and quality of their own musical past, much like the French New Wave film directors were doing for American appreciation of their own classic movies by drawing heavily on them and talking about their brilliance and artistry. The artists from overseas were making Americans look at decades of their entertainment with new eyes. They learned that, despite what everyone had said for so long, including most of their so-called cultural leaders, the US had made some major contributions to art and music, revolutionizing the fields, in fact. This would influence the new work of American artists, in turn.

And where and when there are major developments in music, art, literature, and poetry, there are the Fae. They had spent the past century returning to the hearts and minds of the people, a process that had begun with George MacDonald and continued with those he influenced.

Britain's long road to recovery had gone beyond expectations. By the mid-1960s, Londoners now had more disposable income than they'd ever had. It was also a much younger country, thanks to the post-war Baby Boom, the urban population was the youngest it had been since Roman times. 40% of the population was under 25.

There was, as there seemed to be with every new generation, a revival in interest in Lewis Carroll, particularly his Alice works. Tolkien's work experienced a new surge in popularity, with fans writing articles analyzing the detailed works, speculating on some of those details, and even writing their own stories based on them. They wrote the stories without pay or any compensation, of course, in self published magazines called "fanzines," as doing otherwise would be violating copyright laws. One of these writers, an American woman named Marion Zimmer Bradley, published articles and stories in one of these fanzines, Astra's Tower. One of the stories she wrote would develop into her Darkover series.

John Lennon, born in Liverpool, had a very troubled childhood, with an often absentee father and a mother ill-equipped to raise a child. He was primarily raised by his aunt and uncle. As a child, he received as a present Lewis Carroll's Alice books. These would become his favorites throughout his life, and he would re-read them, annually. The writing style, among other things, would greatly influence his own work. As a teen, like so many of his contemporaries, he discovered Rock and Roll, and formed a band with Paul McCartney, who also happened to be fascinated with and influenced by Alice. Their band went through a few names and line-ups before becoming the Beatles. Alice and her journeys to Wonderland would inspire several of their songs.

From Cambridge came childhood friends Roger Barrett, called Syd, and Roger Waters. They were fascinated with and influenced by both Wonderland and Oz, and would form a band that would eventually be called Pink Floyd.

They, and so many others, would find themselves in Wonderland and Oz when the Queens would be in particularly whimsical moods, though most would remember it as dreams.

The horrors of World War II, particularly the Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazis, had awakened many in the West to their own long-held prejudices, and the social injustices of their systems that they'd never noticed. Thus, Princess Dorothy's ideals and passion for social justice took root in many young people. The Seelie Court's idealistic vision of a better world also took root, with a renewed interest in ecology and the health of our planet's systems. Alternate ways of thinking were explored, including a strong interest in the Eastern spiritual paths that guided Oz. People looked to expand their minds. The bright colors and surrealist designs of Wonderland and Oz when the Queens were feeling whimsical inspired what would be called Psychedelia. The colors and designs and being taken to other worlds would be especially popular with children, as it dazzled them and stimulated their imaginations.

Thus, in 20 years, London had transformed from the depressed, gloomy, and grimy city it was at the end of the war to the bright, shining, Swinging London. And, the center of Swinging London was Chelsea.

As a child, Ted became acquainted with the friends and clients of his mother that Lulu had introduced her to, that often were flocking into her studio. One was Mary Quant, a fashion designer who was partly responsible for the creation and popularity of mini skirts and hot pants, and was the leader of a hard partying group known as the Chelsea Set. Anne took photos of models wearing Mary's clothes, and many of the lovely Mary, herself. Models, for the first time, became superstars, such as Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy.

While the Beatles had made Liverpool famous, worldwide, London was not without its own major bands, such as the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Animals, the Kinks, and the Small Faces, that would become huge around the world.

When the letter came announcing Ted's acceptance in a school for magic called Hogwarts, Spencer's reaction wasn't the usual shock, but feeling a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He'd been required to keep so many secrets from Anne, and hated that. After a rather stuffy, in Anne's opinion, Scotswoman from the school demonstrated to Anne and Ted that magic was real, he was free to tell his family everything, including what Lulu was.

It also freed Lulu to introduce her friends to more people she knew. While Rock and Roll wasn't banned by the BBC, the amount of time that could be devoted to popular music was severely limited. So, off shore, there were "pirate" radio stations on ships broadcasting Rock and Roll, all the time. One of the people known to be involved was a mysterious figure called Red Handed Jill. The name was familiar to Ted, but he couldn't place where he'd heard it prior to the pirate radio broadcasts.

The Tonkses wondered what Lulu meant when she said that Red Handed Jill really was who she would say she was.

"Hello," the beautiful red-haired woman said as she introduced herself, "I am Wendy Moira Angela Darling."

Well, they weren't expecting that.

"Really?" asked Ted.

"Really, really," she replied.

"Cool!"

Anne, naturally, herded Wendy into her studio, and took photos.

All of this magic happening in Britain went unnoticed by most of the so-called magical population of the country, blind as they were to everything going on around them. They wondered why some of the younger witches and wizards had developed such strange interests, but assured themselves that they'd grow out of it and become proper members of the community. They also wondered what all these blasted foreigners, especially Americans, were doing in the country. At least they were keeping themselves to the Muggle world, for the most part. Problem was, it was difficult, almost impossible, to tell the Yank witches and wizards apart from everybody else. The young Muggles dressed so strangely, these days, even for Muggles. Why, some of those clothes were scandalous, and their wanton behavior...

Well, all that will certainly never happen here.

---

Ted introduced Andy to Lulu, who shook her hand. Andy wondered how Ted's Muggle family could have a Fae as an old friend. There was apparently much more to Ted Tonks than met the eye. But, there was something else she wondered more, right then.

"How were you able to get in here?" she asked Lulu. "No one's supposed to be able to get into the castle without anyone noticing."

Lulu answered, "The woman who made this room set it up so the Seelie Court would have access. She was descended from Morgan le Fay, you know."

"Actually, I didn't know that. It makes sense, though."

"Yeah," Ted agreed. "The wisdom, the power, all the bird imagery, plus being Celtic..."

Andy asked, "Does the Headmaster know you can get in, this way?"

"Not that I know of," Lulu answered. "The Magi establishment in this country doesn't like us, much."

"I heard about that. I apologize for my people."

"Thanks, but it's not your fault. If you felt that way, you wouldn't be here, now."

Ted said, "She does that, a lot."

"I do what, a lot?" asked Andy.

"Apologize for things you have no control over, what other people in your House do."

"They bring disgrace to Slytherin House."

"And you have no responsibility for what they do, unless you let it go without saying or doing anything. I know you don't do that because you warned me when one of them planned to attack me."

"What happened?" asked Lulu, angrily. No one was going to threaten her Teddy and get by with it.

"Nothing I couldn't handle. Big boy, glass jaw."

"Ah. Your dad would be proud. But, we have places to be, so..."

She picked up a large painting in the room and placed it on the floor.

"Nice painting," said Andy. What is it?"

Lulu answered, "It's where we are going, and how we are getting there. Mary Poppins taught me a little travelling trick she uses. She'll be at the party, by the way."

Ted said, "We're going to do an incantation, and jump into the painting?"

"You know of it, then..."

"Yeah, it was in the movie."

A shocked Andy asked, "It was in a movie?"

"You know about movies?" Ted asked, surprised.

"Yes, though I've never seen one. Some of us Purebloods aren't completely ignorant of the world around us. My family reads Muggle newspapers, listens to the radio, reads Muggle books, and I love the music from the Muggle world. My favorite band is the Beatles."

Lulu said, "It just so happens that the Beatles will be at the party."

"Really?" Andy squeaked, in delight.

"Uh huh, and some of the Rolling Stones, too... including Mick."

"Mick? Omigod... Omigod..." Andy then saw Ted raise an eyebrow in amusement, so she forced herself to regain her composure.

Ted smirked, and said, "Yeah, you might just fit right in the muggle world, at least with the girls."

"Shut up. I hope Nancy Sinatra's there, so I can see you make a fool of yourself."

"How do you know I like Nancy?"

"You're a boy."

"Good point."

"Ahem," said Lulu. "If you two are done, we can be on our way. Oh, and use your first names with each other. You're not in the stuffy British boarding school, tonight, and the other kids you'll be meeting use first names."

She took each of them by the hand, spoke the incantation, and they jumped.

They landed in a room that, sure enough, matched the painting.

"Well," said Andy, "that certainly beats traveling by floo."

"Yeah," agreed Ted. "No soot."

"So," said Andy, "what are we free to... discuss about ourselves?"

Lulu answered, "You can be very open with this bunch. They know about witches and wizards, and all sorts of other things."

Ted added, "Probably things we don't know about."

"C'mon," said Lulu, and they followed her though a doorway.

The large room filled with all sorts of interesting looking people they entered was eye-popping, Andy thought. She'd seen photos of rooms like this, being the Beatles fan she was, but seeing something in photos and experiencing it was something else.

The art, the furniture, everything, was brightly colored. Like the Art Deco of the 1920s and 30s that Andy had come to love, the clothes, furniture, art, and music combined to form a single aesthetic, a reflection of the spirits of those that created and lived it.

Some lamps caught her eye. They didn't produce much light, so they were clearly purely decorative. They were cone-shaped, and clear, with colorful... somethings on the inside moving up and down liquid in different, and changing, shapes.

"They're called lava lamps," said Ted. "They don't really have lava in them, of course. That's wax that's heated by a small light bulb in the base."

"That's very clever," she replied.

Lulu said, "Isn't it, though? C'mon, you two, I'm gonna introduce you to one of your hosts."

She led them to a swivel chair, that was turned away from them. They didn't see a head indicating someone was sitting there, meaning the chair was empty, or it was someone very short. Or, they were invisible.

"Hello," said a voice that sounded like a child, indicating the very short option. The chair turned to face them, and the person was a young girl, who looked... very unusual, with mismatching clothes, shoes that were obviously too big, and her red hair in pigtails sticking out from both sides of her head. She introduced herself with an unusually long name, even by Andy's standards, spinning her chair and saying each name as she faced Andy and Ted, again.

"I'm Pippilotta... (spin) Delicatessa... (spin) Windowshade... (spin) Mackrelmint... (spin) Efraimsdotter... (spin) Longstocking. But, you can call me Pippi."

"A pleasure to meet you, Pippi," said Andy. She then looked around, and found a swivel chair opposite Pippi's. She sat and introduced herself.

"I'm Andromeda... (spin) Eleanor... (spin) Rosier... (spin) Black, but you can call me Andy."

Pippi clapped with delight, and said, "That's the spirit! A pleasure to meet you, Andy."

Ted said, "Well, I don't have a long name like you two... I'm Theodore Nicholas Tonks. Call me Ted."

Pippi shook his hand, with a grip he found surprisingly strong, and said, "Pleasure to meet you, Ted."

Andy said, "Very explosive initials you have, Ted."

Lulu said, "I'll leave you lot to get to know each other," and left the kids to themselves.

Pippi then stood on the chair. Andy briefly wondered if the girl was allowed to do that, but since she, according to Lulu, was one of their hosts, she probably was. Pippi gave a loud whistle, and they soon found themselves joined by others that looked about Andy's and Ted's age.

Introductions were made, and they began talking about themselves.

Pippi was of the Fae, now, but even before then, she was the world's strongest girl, sometimes picking up objects as heavy as cars. She demonstrated her superhuman strength by lifting a very large cabinet in the room over her head, then putting it back in place without breaking it. She lived with her father, sometimes. He was a former pirate turned king of an island in the south seas. She'd had quite a number of adventures.

A blonde girl named Emily Piper hadn't had many adventures, and was, for the most part, a normal girl from London. Except, as she put it, she saw things that most people didn't. On a trip to the West End, for example, near St Giles Circus, she saw what looked like a pub appearing, then disappearing, as though it was trying to hide from her. It was unsuccessful in its attempts, though, as she wasn't going to allow a mere pub to hide from her. Sometimes, she saw glimpses of people she met, a bit of their past, sometimes a bit of their future. In Kensington Gardens, she met the pixies and Wendy Darling, who invited her to this party.

"We're going to be very good friends," she told Andy and Ted, knowingly.

"The pub you described sounds like the Leaky Cauldron," said Ted.

Andy said, "You're not supposed to be able to see it at all unless you're a witch or wizard."

"Well, I'm not one of those, I'm sure," said Emily.

"Interesting," said Ted. "Maybe you have a type of magic that allows you to see it... and other things."

A boy named James Trotter said, "My house is like that. It's in Central Park in New York, but most people don't notice it because of a charm some wizards put on it. I get a lot of witches and wizards visiting, though. It's a tourist attraction."

Andy and Ted explained that they were witches and wizards, told them about Hogwarts, and gave them a little magic demonstration. The others thought it was "cool."

Another boy, Charlie Bucket, had, the previous year, become the heir to the Wonka Chocolate company, one both Andy and Ted knew well, as it was considered the greatest creator of confections in both the magical and non-magical communities. Wonka candies were among the sweets the kids were eating now, in fact.

Andy asked, "How did you come to be in charge of the world's greatest chocolate factory at your age?"

Charlie said, "Remember the Golden Ticket contest, last year? Well, the tour that was the prize was so Mr. Wonka could pick an heir. He said the new owner needed the imagination of a child, and the sense of wonder, to run it the way he did. He still consults with me, though."

Charlie's was a rags to riches story, having been as poor as it was possible to be in Britain without being homeless. It wasn't the money he now had that was important to him, aside from the fact that now he could take care of his family, but that he was living his dream.

Ted asked, "What's it like?"

"What I imagine Wonderland to be like. Mr. Wonka had been there, and he said it's what inspired him."

Pippi said, "You're gonna find that out, soon enough. That's where the outdoor part of the party is."

Andy, and, she noticed, the rest, were excited to hear that.

"So," Ted asked, "things running smoothly at the chocolate factory?"

Charlie answered, "As much as it ever does... The place... isn't like any other factory in the world, trust me. Though, some time back before I got there, the giant peach that crashed through the place and damaged part of it was something even they thought strange."

"Yeah," said James. "Sorry about that. We couldn't steer the thing."

"That was you?"

Andy said, "I remember something about that. The authorities gave an unconvincing explanation for it. Can't remember what they said..."

Ted said, "Scientific experiments to end world hunger that went wrong."

"No, that was the somewhat more believable explanation they gave after no one believed the first one."

"Oh, yeah... Weather balloon and swamp gas."

"Yes, that was it. Swamp gas is London. How did you come to be trying to steer a giant peach?"

James answered, "When I was four, my mum and dad were eaten by a rhinoceros."

"A rhinoceros?"

"Yeah, I'm told they're usually not that big or carnivorous... I wound up living with my aunts, who... weren't good people. They starved me, worked me like a slave, beat me for no reason, and forced me to sleep on bare floorboards in the attic."

The others gasped. Pippi was enraged.

She said, "If I'd only known you, then... I'd have made sure they never hurt you. In fact, let me know where they are..."

"It's OK. They won't hurt anyone else, ever again. When I was seven, I came across a strange old man. I found out later his name was Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs."

"The Wizard of Oz!" Pippi said, in recognition.

Andy added, "Professor Dumbledore must be jealous of that name."

"Yeah, that's him," said James. "Queen Ozma and Princess Dorothy are who invited me the party."

James continued his story, how the Wizard gave him a sack of tiny glowing-green crocodile tongues, and told him if he mixed it with a jug of water and added ten hairs from his own head, it would create a potion that, once drunk, would bring him happiness and great adventures. On the way home, James tripped and spilled the contents of the sack on a peach tree outside his aunts' house that had never given fruit. The tree then blossomed, and a peach grew the size of a large house. The aunts saw a money-making opportunity, and locked James away. They sent him out at night to collect the rubbish left by the many people who had come to see the giant peach, but instead he entered a juicy, fleshy, tunnel in the peach, which led to a hollow stone in the middle of it. There, he met insects that had grown to large size and could communicate with him, transformed by the enchanted crocodile tongues.

He befriended the insects, who hated James's aunts as much as he did, and had waited for him to join them so they could escape together. The Centipede bit through the peach's stem, freeing it from the tree, where it rolled downhill, squashing James's aunts in the process.

No one mourned them.

After rolling out of control for quite a bit, crashing through villages, houses, and a certain chocolate factory, it landed in the English Channel, and drifted into the Atlantic Ocean. Close to the Azores, the peach was attacked by hundreds of sharks. James, who had become very resourceful, hatched a plan to lure over five hundred seagulls from the islands nearby. Using webs from the Spider and silk from the Silkworm, they tied the seagulls to the peach's broken stem, who then lifted the peach out of the water away from the sharks. The more the seagulls attempted to escape the peach, the higher they took it.

There were more adventures involving the weather manipulating Cloud Men, but the peach finally arrived in Manhattan. A passing plane accidentally severed the strands holding the seagulls, and the peach fell, impaled on the tip of the Empire State Building. James and his friends were rescued, and the stone of the peach, what was left of the peach eaten by thousands of children. The giant peach stone was turned into a mansion in Central Park, and James now has all the friends he could ever want.

"Again, sorry about crashing into the chocolate factory," he told Charlie.

"Don't worry about it. Mr. Wonka thought it was funny when he told me about it, though I'm sure he didn't think it was funny, at the time. He said, 'And they thought I was daft for taking an insurance policy that covered damage by pieces of fruit the size of houses...'"

Andy pulled Ted aside.

"Ted, a question..." she began.

"Yes, Dromeda?" he asked.

"I said to call me Andy."

"Which is why I'm calling you Dromeda. Anyway, you had a question?"

"While I am more familiar with the Muggle world than most Purebloods, there is so much I don't know. Is it common for Muggles to live in mansions made of stones from giant flying peaches? Giant flying peaches that they travel across the sea in with giant insect friends that they can talk to?"

"No. This is the only instance that I've heard of."

"Ah... Do you have the feeling that... Well..."

"The witch and wizard who study magic at Hogwarts are the two most mundane and probably dull people here?"

"Yes. That."

"It's a bit humbling, really..."

"Oh, good. I thought it was just me."

"Well, look at it this way... Our hosts thought we were worth inviting."

Andy nodded, and added, "The only two Hogwarts students, in fact."

"So, I guess they think we're special... at least among our peers."

Pippi called, "Hey, you two! C'mon, so we can have some fun! Don't worry, so much. Y'know what Charlie said Mr. Wonka required to run his chocolate factory? That's true about getting into the Fairylands, too. You have to be... as a child, I think the Ozians said. So, I'm going to make sure you're not acting like grown-ups, for the night."

Andy thought about that. The prediction her mother made the previous year had been correct. Like Bella, she had been an early bloomer. Puberty was always awkward, and for a shape-shifter it was even more so. Add being the first girl in her year in the Slytherin dorms to grow hair where it had never been before, the breast that began to grow, and... the other things, while still being very much a child was giving Andy a lot to deal with, and very few that she could discuss it with. She was very thankful Bella was there to help her through it.

She hoped that wasn't why Ted Tonks could get under her skin so easily. That could be... problematic.

But, she was still a child, and she was going to enjoy tonight like a child, regardless of body changes, boys, girls, and everything else. Well, there was the boy she came with, but she wasn't going to worry about that.

While the kids were occupied in their own little world, they were unaware that they were being observed.

---

"I just saw how Wonderland is looking this evening," said Professor Tolkien, "and I must say, the colors are even more vibrant and sharper than usual. Did Polychrome do the decorating, Galadriel?"

The tall, beautiful, woman answered, "Yes, in fact. The children will love it. And John, you know I haven't gone by that name for thousands of years."

"I know, Glinda, but you'll always be Galadriel to me. And Nic, Peri, always a pleasure to see you."

"The pleasure is always ours," said Nicolas Flamel

"So," said Xeno Lovegood, "what's new for the world's leading, for centuries now, Alchemists?"

"The Book of Abraham has disappeared."

Willy Wonka said, "Oh, dear. That's not the sort of thing you want to misplace. If it fell into the wrong hands..."

"It won't," said Perenelle Flamel, reassuringly. "It goes to the one meant to have it."

"The next Master Alchemist," Nicolas confirmed.

"Well, that's good news," said Tolkien. "But, if you're about to have an heir, doesn't that mean..."

"Some day, yes. Probably not anytime soon. I hope to teach my successor."

"A better teacher he or she could never find. And Marius," Tolkien said to an old friend, "good that you could make it."

Marius Black replied, "When I was told who two of the young guests would be, I had to come."

Wonka said, "I'm glad to see Charlie making friends with kids his age, and ones who'll understand him, at that. Which two drew you here, Marius?"

Xeno said, "The two Hogwarts students, I assume. You know them?"

"One of them," Marius answered. "Ted Tonks is the son of one of my oldest and dearest friends."

Tolkien asked, "One of Spencer's boys is going to Hogwarts? I'll have to congratulate him. Do that lot some good to have someone smart, there. If he takes after his father, that is."

"He takes after both his parents."

"Even better. And the other Hogwarts student?"

"The dark-haired girl is Andromeda Black."

"Hmm," Glinda said, thoughtfully. "She's the one I saw in my pool."

"Oh..." said Marius, letting that sink in. While he didn't know the vision Glinda saw, he knew enough of her to know when she saw these things, it was significant, usually indicating a crisis ahead, and the person who would see it through. Naturally, he was more concerned for his grandniece than he was for whatever the upcoming situation was.

Xeno said, "She's so young..."

Glinda answered, "Alice and Dorothy were much younger. She still has several years before it's time, so she'll be an adult when it comes. She'll need to prepare, though. And," she said, turning to Marius, "she'll need all the help and support she can get."

"So," Tolkien asked Marius, "what can you tell us about her?"

"Very little. We've never met, but... She's my grandniece."

"Then," said Glinda, with a radiant smile, "we should introduce ourselves to her and her friends."

Xeno said, "I think my beloved is beating us to it."

The group looked, and saw that, indeed, a familiar blonde haired Fae with large, silver, moon like eyes was approaching the children, stepping right behind Andromeda.

---

Pippi looked slightly upwards, behind Andy, and smiled.

"Hello," she said to whoever had come up behind Andy, prompting Andy to turn around.

She then gasped, as did Emily.

She found herself looking into silver eyes she'd only seen once before, over a year ago, and from a distance at that, the night before she went to Diagon Alley to buy her wand and supplies for her first year at Hogwarts, when she and Lord Voldemort watched the fairies dance near the pond at her family home. But, those were eyes she'd never forget.

"Hi..." she said to the Fae, hesitantly. "I saw you dance..."

"I remember," the Fae replied. "I was hoping you would join us."

"I wanted to..."

"Um," Ted said, breaking her trance. "Would you like to introduce us?"

"I don't know her name..."

With a warm smile, the Fae said, "I am Morgan. And, who are your friends? I know Pippi..."

"Hey!" said a blond man approaching them with a group of adults. "Wait for us, hon, so they don't have to introduce themselves twice."

"Of course, Xeno," said Morgan, with affection.

Andy noticed both Ted and Charlie recognized at least some of the newcomers.

"Mr. Wonka?" said Charlie. "I didn't know you'd be here, tonight."

"Where else would I be, Charlie?" the well dressed man with the top hat asked the boy who was his son in all but blood. The other children, including Andy, were excited to meet the famous Willy Wonka.

"Marius," Ted greeted another man.

"Hello, Ted," the man replied. "How's the family?"

"Doing well, though I haven't been home in a few months. School, and all..."

"Of course."

"Oh... Everyone, this is Marius Black. He's an old friend of the family."

Andy's eyes widened. "Marius... Black?"

"Related?" asked James.

"Yes... It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Likewise," said Marius.

A tall, beautiful, and clearly Fae woman said, "He'll have a lot to teach you, Andromeda, more than he realizes."

"Thank you," said Marius, a bit confused, wondering what he could teach the girl. "The woman who seems to know everything is Glinda the Good of Oz."

"Glinda?" Ted asked in surprise. "You're nothing like the movie. Way deeper voice for one thing."

"That movie," she replied, "took, as they say, many liberties. They combined me with the Witch of the North, for example. Not that either of us are anything like that. Pink... Really..." she shook her head. "You'll find Dorothy to be nothing like that film portrayed her, as well... Except for walking up to a lion and slapping him in anger. That's our Dorothy... But, let's have the children introduce themselves, then the rest of us can introduce ourselves, in turn."

They did. Xeno Lovegood was a wizard, writer, inventor, journalist, naturist, the magical version of a Renaissance Man. He was also the lover of Morgan.

"I see," he said to Andy, "you'd already encountered Morgan."

"Yes," Andy replied. "She was very enchanting."

"She is that, yes."

Ted was sure he recognized one of the men, from photos he had seen. He was proven correct when the man was introduced as Professor J. R. R. Tolkien.

"I've read you books," he told the Professor. "They're amazing!"

"Thank you, Ted. I hope they brought you joy and a little inspiration."

"They did, sir."

"So, you and Andromeda are at Hogwarts... Are Filius Flitwick and Horace Slughorn still teaching, there?"

"Yes. Professor Flitwick is my Head of House."

"And," said Andy, "Professor Slughorn in the Head of mine."

"Delightful. I'll have to remember to send them some gifts for Christmas. Please give them my regards."

"We will, sir."

Andy made a mental note to look up Tolkien's books.

Finally, they were introduced to the Flamels. Andy was in awe. So, she noticed, were Ted and, to her surprise, Charlie.

It seemed she and Ted had another thing in common, an interest in Alchemy. Charlie was studying it for a more practical reason. It was used in developing some of the Wonka Chocolate company's secret recipes.

"When I taught Willy," said Nicolas, "I never dreamed he'd apply it to candy making."

Wonka replied, "We mix it with love."

"Of course. You see," Nicolas said to Andy and Ted, "Alchemy is a difficult subject to master. It's journey is often perilous. But, if one can master oneself, and unlock its secrets, it can take you places you'd never have imagined."

Morgan said, "Speaking of taking you places, it seems it's time for you to meet the rest of our hosts."

A lovely, conservatively dressed woman approached. She practically radiated loving warmth, Andy thought. She felt... safe in her presence.

Glinda introduced the children to Mary Poppins.

After introductions were made, Mary asked, "Who's ready for Wonderland?"

Naturally, they all were.

"Follow me, then," said Mary.

They followed, though Andy felt a strange longing. She looked back at Morgan, locking eyes with her.

Without even looking back, Mary paused, and asked, "Will you join us, Morgan?"

"I would love to," Morgan replied. She kissed Xeno, and joined the group going to Wonderland. Andy felt... light, and content.

They walked into an adjoining room, where there was a very large mirror.

"Is this how we're getting there?" Andy asked Morgan.

"It's better than by falling down a rabbit hole," said Morgan. "Or so Alice assures me."

They stepped into another world.

---

The first thing Andy noticed about Wonderland was the colors. Everything was bright, vivid, dazzling. The trees, the sky, everything.

Morgan said, "It doesn't always look like this."

James, looking around, said, "Yeah, Polychrome had definitely been here."

"Who's Polychrome?" asked Charlie.

"Daughter of the Rainbow. She visits Oz, sometimes."

"What about the giant yellow and green cellophane flowers?"

Mary answered, "The giant flowers are normal, but they're not usually cellophane. They also usually talk."

"That sounds nice," said Emily.

"You'd think so, except the talking flowers are rather rude."

"Ah," said Charlie. "And the giant mushrooms?"

"Oh, they're always here."

They were approached by four young women, obviously Fae. Three were wearing crowns. One, Andy recognized from the meeting at Slughorn's office, Queen Alice. Some of her new friends seemed to recognize others in the group. Ted clearly knew the red-haired woman without a crown.

When introductions were made, it turned out all four were known to her, and, she was certain, the rest of her group. The dark-haired ones were Queen Ozma, with her usual flowers in her hair, and Princess Dorothy of Oz. Both had American accents, though Ozma's was more cultured than Dorothy's. The red-haired Fae was Wendy Darling, of Neverland.

"Welcome to Wonderland," said Alice.

The people at this part of the party were colorful, as well. While Ozma, Dorothy, and Wendy left to see other guests, Alice led the group to a table near a bandstand. On the bandstand, some musicians were having an informal jam session. Andy recognized three of them, immediately: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones. She took a deep breath to keep from hyperventilating. She didn't recognize the drummer or two of the men playing guitar, one a young white man, the other a much older black man wearing a straw hat. She didn't recognize the young white man playing drums, either.

At the table were some she recognized, some from photos, some from descriptions. She had to take another deep breath.

The pale skinned man with the bright orange hair and extremely large top hat had to be the Mad Hatter. The talking hare throwing cups around had to be the Match Hare. Andy presumed the little mouse was the Dormouse, but it didn't seem sleepy, at the moment. A beautiful young woman with white hair, a white dress, and a crown, Andy wasn't certain, but guessed to be the White Queen. Alice kissed the Hatter on the cheek before joining the four young men at the table that were the reason Andy had to take a deep breath.

It was John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, the Beatles.

Introductions were made, which confirmed that Andy was right about the White Queen. Charlie quickly engaged in conversation with the Mad Hatter. Charlie's mentor, Willy Wonka, had been to Wonderland, and it was clear to Charlie who he had drawn some inspiration from.

"Oh yes, Willy," said the Hatter. "I make all his hats, of course."

Andy whispered to Morgan, who was sitting by her side, "I... want to talk with the Beatles, but I'm... nervous."

"Be bold, dear," Morgan whispered back.

Encouraged, Andy did the bravest thing she had ever done in her life: She spoke with her musical idols without embarrassing herself.

They were very nice, and answered her questions about what their plans for their next album were. They were in a bit of a rivalry with a friend in the States, Brian Wilson. Brian, who was favored by Queen Ozma, had been pretty much reinventing how pop music was composed and produced. With every innovation, he thought he was simply trying to catch up to the Beatles, who, in turn, thought they were simply trying to keep up with Brian with every innovation of theirs. Thus, they were inspiring each other to outdo what they'd done, before. Brian had been working on a massive project called Smile, and the Beatles were working on creating their own concept album.

"This your first trip to Wonderland?" John asked Andy.

"Yes. Have you been here, before?"

"Yeah, lots of times. Those books Lewis Carroll wrote about Alice here inspired my two books."

"I read them. I liked them, a lot."

"Thanks."

"You should put more of that style in your songwriting."

Paul said, "Oh, he is, trust me."

Andy considered how her best friend Lucius didn't understand so many of her interests. Not only that, he refused, flat-out, to try to understand. There was, he told her, nothing of worth in the Muggle world. Yet, while he was, right now, at Hogwarts doing the same routine their fellow Purebloods had been doing for generations, she was here in Wonderland meeting interesting people and doing interesting things. She was having tea with the Mad Hatter... well, attempting to, anyway, since she, and she noticed, the other guests, couldn't seem to drink any tea with the way the cups, when they managed to get one and tea poured into them, would be grabbed by someone else as it was time to move down a chair.

"Am I the only one who can't seem to drink any tea?" Andy asked, for confirmation, mainly.

"We're in a Fairyland," a young man with an Australian accent who was at the table said. "They're being very careful to make sure you don't eat or drink anything, here. You'll belong to the Fae, otherwise. But, this being Wonderland, they make a game out of it."

Morgan, impressed with the Aussie, said, "Very good, sir. I'm Morgan. What is your name?"

The man smiled and introduced himself as Martin Sharp, an artist who, until very recently, was the art director for an Australian "magazine of dissent" called Oz.

"So," Andy joked, "you were at Oz and now you're in Wonderland?"

"Yeah, funny how that worked out."

The magazine had been irreverent, and it's its satirical and topical coverage of national issues gave it a high profile. It also made it a target for the Establishment, who sought any method to shut it down. A poem Martin had written for the magazine led to a trumped-up conviction of obscenity, sending Martin and the magazine's publishers to prison.

The resulting public outcry forced the courts to acquit the three on appeal, but the Government succeeded in its primary goal of silencing and shutting down the magazine. The three decided to leave Australia, and make their way to Swinging London by going overland through Asia.

"In Kathmandu," he said, "I met Glinda, and here I am, in Wonderland meeting people and listening to one hell of a jam session."

Andy said, "I recognize the Stones, but not the others."

"The white guy on guitar is Eric Clapton, one of the best guitarists, alive. The drummer's Ginger Baker. They've got a band called Cream."

Emily said, "They're very good."

Ted said, "I can tell those two are, at least. Haven't gotten to hear them since I'm at boarding school."

Martin asked, "They don't let you listen to the radio, there?"

"It's not that," Andy said. "It just that it's a school for witches and wizards, and we only get the Wizarding Wireless Network."

"Which is bollocks," said Ted.

"I don't think they have any bollocks, actually," said Andy. "But, it is rubbish, yes."

Morgan said, "We'll have to talk to Wendy about that."

"Wendy?" asked Martin.

"Wendy Darling, of Neverland, and driving force behind pirate radio in Britain, where she's known as Red Handed Jill."

"Ah, I knew there was something familiar about that name."

Andy asked, "And the man with the straw hat?"

Morgan answered, "That's Papa Legba, of the Loa."

"Are they a band?" Andy pictured some legendary blues band from the States.

"The Loa? No. They are... I suppose they could best be described as the African version of us."

"Us, as in..."

"The Fair Folk. Papa Legba is the Gatekeeper, the intermediary between worlds. Though now he's in his North American form, which ties him to the Catholic Saints, and, it seems, makes him a great guitarist."

The band was between songs when Papa Legba looked up, motioned something to the others that they apparently understood, and began playing a tune that Andy didn't recognize, but others at the table did.

"It's an old Italian song called Santa Lucia," Morgan told her, sensing her confusion. Our guest of honor is making her entrance."

Andy looked around, but noticed Morgan looking upwards in the same direction Papa Legba had. So, she turned her eyes there.

The procession coming down to Earth was breathtaking. A woman who could only be St. Lucia, crowned with a wreath of candles, was leading it, followed by her Maidens, each holding a candle and singing along with the tune Papa Legba was playing, followed by the Star Boys.

"Well," said John, "that's not something you see every day."

Paul replied, "You mean St. Lucy coming down from the sky at a party in Wonderland?"

"Yeah, that."

Andy and Ted continued to discuss music with the Beatles.

Ted said, "I loved 'Norwegian Wood.'"

Andy added, "I was especially impressed with George playing the sitar on that. First time I'd heard that instrument on a pop record."

Paul said, "First time it was ever done, as far as I know."

Andy asked George, "When did you learn to play it?"

George answered, "When we were filming Help, there were some Indian musicians playing in a scene. I started messing around with it, then. Then, I kept hearing about a musician named Ravi Shankar. I bought one of his records, and that was it. The music just felt very familiar to me. I bought a sitar right after that, then I went to India to learn from Ravi."

"Ravi Shankar is amazing."

"You've heard his stuff?" George asked, surprised that an English girl her age would have.

"My tutor has travelled extensively, and he has a special love for India. The meditation exercises he taught me came from there, though he says my sisters and I are the only ones of his current students who could learn them. He likes to play Ravi Shankar during some of his lessons."

Alice said, "Ozma and Dorothy forced me to take up Yoga, which involves that sort of meditation. I must say, it does work."

"So I've been told," said George. "I'll have to look into all of that." His band mates agreed.

"We've been working on something for next year, what Ozma calls the Summer of Love. I think you four wonderful friends and many of our other guests will be vital parts of it."

"So," said John, "you think the new record will be good, then?"

"Of course, it will. Ozma wants to bring Ravi to the States, next year. She has a big festival planned for next Summer in California, and wants him to perform, there. I'm sure plenty of girls will be wearing flowers in their hair, like she does."

Andy said, "He'll be a hit, I'm sure. The sitar is becoming popular. The Stones used it on 'Paint It Black.' Anyone know who played it on that record?"

George answered, "Brian," referring to Brian Jones, the Stones' rhythm guitarist.

"I notice he's not one of the Stones that's playing, tonight," said Ted.

John said, "I noticed that, too. I would have expected him to be here. Wonder what he's up to?"

---

Leanan was loving her life, lately.

The Unseelie Court Fae thrived most when there were a variety or poets and artists to serve as Muse for, and she was having a feast of delicious young creative people. She had lovers in the States, especially California, and here in Swinging London, as well.

Of course, that meant balancing her time, so Brian couldn't attend this party in Wonderland, even though some of the other Stones would be there. She'd make it up to him, after.

Tonight, she was with Jimi.

Jimi Hendrix was an utterly brilliant guitarist from the States, who had moved to London. Leanan was going to see to it that he would create the groundbreaking work she knew him capable of.

The Leanan Sidhe remembered all of her romances from over the centuries with a deep and true love. She brought out their great creativity, and, in return, she took some of their life. Her romances never lasted more than a few years because of this, as they only had so much life to give her.

It wasn't until the end that they knew the price for her inspiration.

Leanan altered her appearance from how Brian knew her to the form Jimi knew. Wouldn't do for the girl Brian had been spending so much time with to be seen by his band mates and other friends with another man. And, with so much of the Seelie Court present, well... They never did approve of her...

She arrived at Jimi's place, and he and "Lea" went to a very special party.

---

Mary decided to lead the children from the tea party to where games were being played near a bridge by a fountain. Alice, with the Beatles, followed, watching them. John was rather fascinated with the rocking horse people eating marshmallow pies.

The rules of the games made little sense, but, Andy mused, she loved playing Quidditch and the rules for that made little sense, too, so it was just as well.

Emily gasped, and Andy looked to see what she was reacting to. She saw Ozma and Dorothy chatting with two young dark-haired men she didn't recognize. But, apparently Emily did.

"Syd! Roger!" Emily called to them.

Ozma, Dorothy, and the two men walked over to join the kids, with Emily giving the men enthusiastic hugs.

The shorter and handsomer of the two said to the other, "See, I told you she'd be here."

Emily turned to the others, and said, "Everyone, these are some friends of mine, Roger Barrett and Roger Waters. They've got a band. Though this Roger," she motioned to the shorter one, "calls himself Syd."

Syd replied, "Don't want to confuse people, after all..."

Roger added, "We're confused enough, as it is."

Andy asked, "Do you have a record out, yet?"

"Not yet," Roger replied, "but we're going into the studio in the next few months."

"Still writing songs," Syd added.

"They're really good," said Emily.

"Of course, you'd say that," said Roger.

"But you are, and you know it."

"Of course, they do," said Morgan, "but it's polite to behave as though you're modest."

Syd said to Morgan, "And it is good to see you, again. We wouldn't have our band name if it wasn't for you."

Roger said, "You're who he met at Glastonbury Tor?"

"Yes," said Morgan, "though he was rather confused about what I was, at the time."

---

Syd Barrett's father was a pathologist related to the 19th Century physician and feminist Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first Englishwoman to qualify as a physician and surgeon in Britain, the co-founder of the first hospital staffed by women, the first dean of a British medical school, the first female M.D. in France, the first woman in Britain to be elected to a school board and, as Mayor of Aldeburgh, the first female mayor and magistrate in Britain. Syd's father was also a member of the Cambridge Philharmonic Society, and thus he and Syd's mother encouraged the boy's interest in music.

A month before Syd's 16th birthday, his father died. He dealt with his grief by forming bands, with his childhood friend, Roger Waters, who shared Syd's interests in music and fascination with the Alice and Oz books, often attending and sometimes helping organize gigs. Syd and Roger met another musician who would become a friend, David Gilmore. Then, something changed Syd's life.

A new band had broken out called the Beatles, who made a huge impact on Syd. He told another school friend, Storm Thorgerson, an artist who would later design Pink Floyd's album covers, "Storm, man, this is it." He began playing Beatles songs at parties and picnics.

Shortly thereafter came another band, the Rolling Stones. After seeing them perform in Cambridgeshire, Syd chatted at the bar with the Stones singer, Mick Jagger, and started writing songs. He travelled a great deal during this period, sometimes with friends, including David, developed an interest in Tolkien as well as Hindu and other Eastern spiritual philosophies and systems.

Syd's friend, Roger Waters, was rather intense. His father died in action during World War II, when Roger was five months old. He was always reminded of this when other children on the playground's dad's would arrive to pick them up. Despite being a good athlete, and member of the cricket and rugby teams, his school years were horrible, due to the way many British schools were run, at the time. He not only suffered from bullies among his fellow students, but among the teachers, as well. It seemed many teachers and headmasters enjoyed causing children as much pain as they could, making it questionable whether teaching children was their proper profession.

Roger would carry the emotional scars well into his adult life. More emotional scars would be added to them, over the years.

His activism would begin early. At 15, he was chairman of the Cambridge Youth Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, designing their publicity poster. He and Syd moved to London for college, where Roger met Nick Mason, and formed a band. It would go through several line-ups and name changes. Syd studied art, and became a painter.

Syd had visited Glastonbury Tor, where he saw what he thought to be a flying saucer. The glowing object hovered over him, and he saw a beautiful woman. He felt her voice in his mind, saying two enigmatic words: "Pink Floyd."

He joined Roger's band, then called the Tea Set. One night, they were playing a gig, and there was another band on the bill with the same name. On the spot, Syd suggested they rename themselves The Pink Floyd Sound, later The Pink Floyd, and finally, just Pink Floyd.

---

"Why 'Pink Floyd'?" Andy asked Morgan.

"Why not 'Pink Floyd'?" Morgan answered. "Trust me, in a few years those will be household words."

Syd said, "Poly certainly did a good job with the color scheme."

Roger asked, "Where is Poly, anyway?"

Ozma answered, "Poly has to make her grand entrance."

As if on cue, the brightest, most vivid, rainbow Andy had ever seen appeared in the sky. The arc actually landed directly in front of them.

Ted said, "I suppose the pot of gold is at the other end."

Morgan replied, "You usually can't return with gold from a Fairyland, anyway, especially Leprechaun gold. There are exceptions, of course."

"I wasn't planning on looking for it."

"I know. But, look. Up there..."

A figure was seen on the rainbow, and began coming down the arc. Shortly, it was close enough for the kids to see it was a young woman, dancing her way down, her flowing dress being the colors of the rainbow. She landed before them, and did a pirouette. As she spun, the colors of the rainbow seemed to come from her dancing form, spinning outwards in every direction.

This was noticed on the bandstand.

"Look at her, Keith!" said Mick. "She comes in colors, everywhere! She's like a rainbow! Shit, I need to write that down..."

Poly danced her way to the bandstand, which ended the impromptu set. Music began playing out of seemingly nowhere, anyway.

Aside from music, Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman's passion was art, and his addiction, women. His indulgence in drugs, even alcohol, unlike some of his band mates, was moderate. Women, though... That would get him in a lot of hot water, over the years. And here was one that was also a work of art.

Naturally, he couldn't help but chat her up. Soon, they were strolling, as he held her hand.

"Nobody else's hand will ever do," he told her.

Jimi and Lea had caught part of the set. Eric noticed them, so he and Ginger walked over to say hello.

Jimi had relationships with women that had left him frustrated. He knew what he wanted but he just didn't know how to go about getting it. He'd come to the conclusion that what he really wanted to do was make love to Music, itself. Making love to Lea was, somehow, fulfilling that. She was everything. She made love, she broke love, it was all the same. Sometimes, he didn't know if he was up or down. Was he happy or in misery?

Whatever it was, that girl put a spell on him.

Syd and Roger were chatting with Emily. Syd first met her in a dream while sleeping in the woods after taking a psychedelic drug. He was surprised to see her again, after he was awake and no longer under the effects of the drug, learning that she wasn't just a product of the dream. Even more surprising was she remembered their conversation in the dream.

He was very relieved when Roger saw her. He'd been concerned that she was a figment of his imagination.

"As always," said Syd, "running into you is serendipity."

"Serendipity's my middle name. It really is, too, Emily Serendipity Piper. I was an accident, but a happy one."

"I'm sure you were. Hmm, your initials are E.S.P."

"I knew you were going to say that."

"Of course, you did. Well, you know my dreams. What about yours?"

Emily tried, but misunderstood, and said, "I don't remember many of them."

"Let's try it another way... I meant, what would you like to do in life? Mine is to be an artist and musician, so I'm living my dream. What are yours?"

"I haven't thought about that. I'm usually so tied up with everyone else's. I'll just borrow someone's. I'm often inclined to borrow somebody's dreams 'til tomorrow. Oh look, the train is coming."

"What train?" Syd asked, only to notice a train station where he hadn't, before.

"You remember," said Roger. "Alice rode a train in Wonderland in Through the Looking Glass."

"I remember that. I just didn't see the station until now. Did you?"

"No, but we are in Wonderland, so I'm not particularly surprised that we didn't notice it until it was time for us to."

"Good point."

Still with Alice, the Beatles saw the train arriving.

"I guess we're going on a little trip," said Ringo.

Alice asked, "Would you do the honors, Paul?"

"I'd be honored," he replied. So, he walked to the station entrance, turned, and announced, "Roll up, roll up for the Mystery Tour! Step right this way! We've got everything you need! Satisfaction guaranteed! The Magical Mystery Tour is hoping to take you away!"

As the approached the turnstiles, John noticed Lucy was suddenly there. This was the first time he'd gotten a good, close up, look at her. The beauty of her eyes was legendary, given to her by God to replace the ones that had been plucked out, and John thought, upon looking into them, that the legends didn't do them justice. At first, they seemed kaleidoscopic, beautiful forms moving in them, but then it seemed as if she had the sun in her eyes, shining brightly. He felt the need to look away out of fear of going blind.

The guests boarded the train, and took their seats. The porters on the train appeared to be made of plasticine and wore ties that reflected like mirrors. Martin, the artist from Australia, was sitting with Eric and Ginger, discussing a possible collaboration. The children, along with May, Morgan, Syd, Roger, and the Beatles, were with Alice.

James asked, "Where are we going, anyway?"

Mary answered, "Queen Alice's castle, or the grounds, anyway."

As the train pulled into the station, the children looked out the window to see a large blue castle, with a, naturally, blue river flowing near it. To some on the train, it looked very familiar.

James said, "Is that... the castle from Disneyland?"

"Well," said Ted, "we are in a magic kingdom."

Alice explained, "Walt saw it, and liked it, and had one built for his park that looked a great deal like it."

As they disembarked, John heard a woman calling his name. They'd never spoken, but he somehow knew who it was. What would she want with him?

He turned and faced her, and answered, quite slowly, "St. Lucy?"

She smiled gently, and kissed his cheek.

"All you need is love," she said. "Remember."

"Um... I will. Thanks."

He shook his head in confusion, then turned to look for her, again, but she was gone.

Alice led the party to the shore of the river. The flowers near the bank were blue, too.

She turned, and announced, "We have a guest from Olympus, who will be bringing us our next transport."

"Olympus?" asked Andy. "What would the Greek gods be doing in a Celtic Fairyland?"

Morgan answered, "Dionysus was in Narnia, as were centaurs. The Fae do have some common roots with the Olympians. Our respective worshippers came into conflict when the Romans were building their Empire, but that was more about the Romans than any of us. Mary was rather insistent that we learn to get along."

Andy looked at Mary Poppins for a moment, wondering just how long she'd been around, when she realized which Mary Morgan was talking about.

The water began bubbling, and a large crimson seashell surfaced. Andy realized who the Olympian would be. The shell opened, to reveal a beautiful nude woman who could only be Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty. The Horae arrived quickly to clothe her, much to the disappointment of most of the males present, and Andy, herself.

Andy felt it, a connection to Aphrodite. She thought it had to be her name. Aphrodite, who was born of the Sea, had many attributes of Ishtar, who was also related to the most famous Andromeda myth. Aphrodite also had connections with the Egyptian snake goddess Wadjet. Not that Andy could figure out how these goddesses could be connected, yet distinct.

Morgan spoke to her, softly, saying, "Interesting, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"The connection you're feeling."

"You can tell?"

"Yes. Danu, the goddess from whom the Fae are descended, was a water goddess, too. The Ancients understood more than the modern world gives them credit for."

"Hmm?"

"They had no way of knowing about how life evolved on Earth, yet they knew, from all these water goddesses, that Life began in the sea. These goddesses embodied the waters that gave birth to us all."

"But, why do I feel a connection to Aphrodite? Andromeda is just the name my parents gave me. It's not like I am the women I was named for."

"No."

"But... Wait... Lord Voldemort told me how names in our culture are incantations, shaping who we become..."

"Yes."

"And I've always loved water... Right now, all I want to do is undress and take a swim in the river... I'm not going to, of course, since nudity is that silly taboo most of the people around here have, including the boy I came with, I'd guess."

"More than likely, yes. It's more than that, though. You're also a very loving person."

"And a fighter. The name Andromeda was as much about war as love."

"And Aphrodite married Ares."

"True."

Andy was thinking about one of her middle names, and what came with it, when she "heard" Morgan's voice in her head.

"Don't be afraid. I thought we needed to continue this discussion in a way no one else will overhear."

"Huh? Wow... OK..."

"You were wanting to say something?"

"Yes... My... inheritance from my mother's side of the family, the Rosiers. Last year, she gave Bella and I 'The Talk,' but this year, she took me aside and gave me a more personal one about what she and I inherited from the original Rosier who founded the family... The shape shifting ability, and... the other part of it, needs I'll have. It was even more awkward than last year's talk."

"I imagine so. Aphrodite has seduction as one of her aspects, and has had many lovers."

"But... What they said about our family's founder... Mother said it's up to me whether it'll be a good or bad thing, and she's glad it was me and not Bella, because she didn't think Bella could rule her passions."

"And your mother is correct. You have these gifts that make you different from most others. You'll have different needs than most others. But, it's your choice to use your gifts for good or ill."

"Thank you... I know Mum said it and I trust her, but..."

"It's good to have an outside perspective."

"Yes, exactly."

As they were speaking, the large seashell floated to the shore. It then began growing, expanding, transforming. Soon, to the amazement of those watching, it was a crimson steamship.

With that, nothing was going to prevent Pippi from taking charge. She gave a very loud whistle, much louder than a girl her size should have been capable of, and shouted, "ALL ABOOOOARD!"

When everyone had boarded the steamer, Pippi, a very experienced sailor, took the wheel.

"Where are we going?" asked James.

"The boat's pointed in this direction," answered Pippi, "so that's where I'm taking her."

Any concerns anyone who didn't know her had about Pippi steering the boat were settled by how smooth she sailed it. It was downright relaxing, seemingly completely at odds with someone who was normally a ball of chaos. They passed tangerine trees under what appeared to be marmalade skies. Emily was making daisy chains from flowers she'd picked before boarding the boat and laughing.

"I could float on this river forever," said Emily.

Syd asked, "Forever and ever?"

"And ever..."

Not so relaxed was Eric Clapton. You see, one didn't have the opportunity to speak with a Greek goddess very often, and he decided to take advantage of this. But, with the goddess in question being Aphrodite, he was having difficulty focusing on what he would have wanted to discuss with a Greek deity.

He'd thought the leaden winter would bring him down forever. But now he was watching mermaids, with tiny purple fishes running laughing through his fingers when he touched the water. But, he kept looking for Aphrodite, and understood how Ulysses must have felt when the sirens were sweetly singing, the sparkling waves calling him to kiss their white laced lips.

The kids were sitting near Pippi on a bunch of comfortable pillows, playing a game with Mary, except for Andy, who was quietly looking at the shore. Despite Morgan's comforting words, she was brooding. Ted looked to her, with concern, as did Emily and Mary. Emily looked at a pillow, then back at Andy. Mary smiled, and motioned the others to move out of the way.

Andy's brooding was interrupted by being smacked in the head with a pillow, wielded by Emily.

"Hey! What the he- What are you doing?"

"What's the matter, Andy?" Emily taunted. "Never been in a pillow fight?"

She hadn't, actually. This was silly, duelling with pillows. It would damage them. It would...

She picked up a pillow and smiled.

"OK, Emily, let's see if you can take as well as you give."

The battle was on. It was truly epic. Feathers flew, everywhere, and were picked up by the wind. The battle ended, suddenly, when the boat docked, and Mary told them to stop.

Emily bowed, and said, "An excellent duel, Andromeda. We will have to settle this contest, later."

They looked around, and discovered the river had ended, and was emptying into a sea.

Everyone disembarked, some choosing to walk on the beach.

Bill and Poly walked across the sand, hand in hand, the sea as blue as the sky.

"It's so magical," said Bill, "the spray flying high, the feathers floating by..."

"The feathers floating by aren't magical," said Poly. "Two of the kids got into a pillow fight."

"Oh."

Eric noticed a girl's footprints, and followed them, to see Aphrodite dancing in the shallow waters near the beach.

He walked up to her, unable to prevent himself, and touched her. Rather than be offended, she kissed him. He suddenly felt as if he was drowning in her body, it carving deep blue ripples in the tissues of his mind.

Andy seemed uninterested in the beach or the sea, however. She was looking to a hill. It'd be a bit of a climb, but it reminded her of the ones she climbed at home.

"I want to climb that hill," she told the other children.

"Why?" asked James.

"I don't know... It's just..."

Emily said, "It's calling you."

"Yeah..."

Pippi, with her usual enthusiasm, asked, "Well, what are we waiting for?" and ran to the hill.

Ted said, "I guess that settles that," and they followed.

Aside from having a head start, Pippi was faster and obviously much stronger than Andy, and, Andy had to admit, an even better climber than she was. Andy scaled the hill second, though.

Once everyone had climbed the hill, they had a look around, only to hear a voice greeting them.

"Hello," said the voice. "Is that your boat, down by the river?"

The children looked around, to see a mole and a rat, wearing clothes as was the fashion in Wonderland.

Pippi answered, "It's not mine, but I'm sailing it."

"You didn't steal it, did you?" asked the mole.

"No, it belongs to Aphrodite. She's down at the beach."

"Ah, well that's good. You see, we have a friend who once stole a motor car, twice, and a horse on top of that, so we wanted to be sure."

The rat added, "There's nothing more worthwhile than messing about with boats."

"I agree," said Pippi.

Andy said, "I didn't know Toad Hill and it's surroundings were part of Wonderland."

"Oh, you're not in Wonderland," said Ratty. "That's back down the river, a bit."

"Strange place, that, so I've been told," said Mole.

Ted observed, "We must have crossed over into here... probably when the sky changed from marmalade to... a more normal sky."

"So, you're from Wonderland, then?"

"No," replied Andy. "We're from different places, and are in Wonderland for St. Lucy's."

"What brought you here, then?"

Ratty said, "That beautiful steamboat, of course."

"Yes, but... I meant why? If you're in Wonderland, why would you come to our quiet place, as happy as we are to have friendly visitors?"

Emily answered, "Alice obviously wanted us to see you. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Mole and Mr. Rat."

Ted added, "And from what I read, this place isn't all that quiet. You've had some adventures."

"True, true," said Mole. "Well, it's quiet when we're not having those. And, it's a pleasure to meet you, as well."

"We do need to introduce ourselves," said Pippi.

So, they did. Andy was, however, distracted. Mole and Ratty noticed.

"Do you hear something?" asked Ratty.

"Sort of," Andy answered. "I don't exactly hear something, but... I'm feeling drawn to... follow something..."

"The wind is whispering to you," said Mole.

"No... It's more like... music."

"Pipes?" asked Ratty.

"Yes, that's it. Is it...?"

"You're being called to a sacred place. You must follow it."

"Yes," Emily agreed.

"Should we go along?" asked Mole.

"It's her journey," said Ratty. "They're her companions. They'll be alright."

Having read of their adventures, unlike Mole and Ratty when they went on this journey, Andy knew where she and her friends were going and who they'd meet. It wouldn't be as overwhelming for them, she knew, as they had spent the entire evening encountering various august Presences.

It had been over a year since she had her first encounter with Morgan and the Fae. She knew that, from that twilight encounter on, everything was leading her here, to this moment.

As they walked through the woods, her friends were hearing the pipes, too. Back on the beach, some were hearing.

Syd and Roger exchanged a look.

"Pipes..." said Syd.

"Where do you suppose it's coming from?" asked Roger.

"Don't know. I just know we have to find it."

Jimi asked Lea, "You hear that?"

"Someone's playing the pipes," said Lea.

"And we're going to find who."

"What if it's the Pied Piper seeking to submerge us?"

"We'll hold hands and watch the sunrise from the bottom of the sea."

The children continued, when Ted remembered something.

"Isn't where we're going on an island?"

"Yeah," said Andy. "Haven't thought about how we'll get there when we reach the shore."

"We'll find a way," said Emily.

When they reached the shore, they looked around. Pippi, naturally, was the first to spot it.

"There's just what we need!"

It was a boat, one unlike any Andy had seen before. It was large enough for the six of them, and contained some unusual objects. There was a crown and sword, and a very large bed with a canopy. It reminded Andy of something, but she couldn't place it, until Ted made his own observation.

"These branches above the bed... The colors, red, white, and green... Those are the colors of the Alchemical process."

Then, it clicked. Andy remembered something her mother told her the year before when she was telling her of the history of the Rosiers, and the Seal of Solomon.

"It's King Solomon's ship. He came up with it, the Queen of Sheba built it, they put these things in it, and sent it off."

"What's it for?" asked James.

"It travels through space and time and... places like this. It was found and used by King Arthur's Knights on the Grail Quest. It's... here to take us where we need to go."

Pippi asked, "How do you steer it?"

The answer, it seemed, was you didn't, as the boat began sailing on its own, clearly knowing it's destination.

The island was shrouded in mist as they approached, a veil to keep it hidden until those who were chosen and called came. As they passed the mists, they noticed the sky had darkened, a bright full moon shining above them, giving the trees on the island a silvery glow.

The boat stopped at a flowery shore, and the children stepped onto the island, walking through the plant life to the level ground, where they entered a lawn of marvellous green, surrounded by trees - crab-apple, wild cherry, and sloe.

Following the music, they felt happy and at peace, and noticed it was leading them towards light. As they walked, the light just grew and grew.

Finally, they reached a gate, the other side of which was great light like the dawn. Reclining before it, one hand holding the pipes he had been playing, was who the children knew to expect, the Friend and Helper who Mole and Rat met, long ago. He had kindly eyes that looked at the children humorously, curved horns that swept backwards, a half-smile on his bearded mouth. He was Pan, God of the Wild, nature, shepherds, and flocks.

There were no Nymphs in sight, for which Andy was thankful. She knew she wouldn't be able to resist joining them, were they here dancing with Pan's pipes. Glancing at Pippi, she saw the other girl's disappointment at the lack of dancing Nymphs to join.

No, it wasn't time for Andy to receive her gift from the Nymphs, yet. This would be a different gift. Her eyes met Pan's. He then looked to the hand that wasn't holding the pipes, that was resting on a book.

Then, he vanished, leaving the book behind.

After a moment's hesitation, Andy walked to where the book was laying, and picked it up. As she turned, she noticed that she wasn't just being watched by the other children, but the other partygoers who had somehow arrived without her noticing.

Jimi, looking at the gate, asked, "Is it tomorrow, or just the end of time?"

Syd answered, "It's the Gates of Dawn," and stood, contemplating it.

Morgan and Mary approached, the other children already having gathered around Andy.

Pippi asked, "How did you get here?"

Mary answered, "Aphrodite brought us on the steamer."

Andy opened the book, and found that it was written in Hebrew.

"I don't understand much of this language."

Ted said, "You're doing better than me. I don't understand any of it."

James asked, "What kind of book is it?" as Andy turned pages.

Charlie said, "It's an Alchemical text, judging from the pictures and diagrams."

Ted added, "And a very old one, too... Hope Flamel will still be at... where we were before we went to Wonderland."

Morgan said, knowingly, "He will be. Time is passing differently here, remember."

While the others were studying the book, Emily looked to her other friends.

Syd rejoined Roger, and they began brainstorming about something. Emily watched them, happy when they were in full creative mode.

Then, she saw.

The Fairylands always inspired creativity and idealism. They took you to a different place, not always physically, but always mentally and spiritually. You were never the same after visiting. They altered you, fundamentally.

But, there was a dark aspect to them, the Labyrinth, what King Arthur's Knights knew as Chapel Perilous, which Perceval had to undergo on his quest for the Holy Grail. It had all manner of tests and traps designed for the individual Knight's personal weaknesses, which they had to face. Doing so successfully, overcoming their weaknesses meant great treasure, though not always literally.

But, not everyone always emerged from the journey intact. Some died. Some were driven to madness.

Emily saw it all, in an instant, as she often saw things. It felt like her head was exploding.

Syd, her beloved Syd, was going to be one of those who emerged damaged. And there was nothing she, nor Roger, nor anyone could do about it.

They'd record their first singles, and then their first album, Piper at the Gates of Dawn, written and composed mostly by Syd. It would be very acclaimed, and become even more so as the decades passed.

Shortly after, Syd would become more and more erratic and unpredictable, and increasingly unable to perform, leading to David Gilmore being added as a second guitarist so they could still perform live. Eventually, the decision was made for Syd to retire from the road and just write and record songs with the band, the hope being that not touring would help him.

It wouldn't, so the rest of the band would take over the songwriting, Roger being the main one. Syd would be out of the band, and his mental illness would deepen. Trying to record a solo album would fail, resulting in him being in a mental hospital.

After he recovered, somewhat, he'd return to his solo album, with Roger and David producing, called The Madcap Laughs. Given that he would still be quite erratic, the sessions would be very difficult, but the extremely revealing album would be finished, as would a follow-up.

There would be other attempts at music over the next few years, but Syd's mental instability would always prevent something coming of it. He'd break off from the music industry completely, his only involvement collecting his royalty checks. When the Punk Rock scene would rise in the mid-70s, bands who loved his work such as the Damned and Sex Pistols would seek him out hoping to get him to produce them, to no avail.

He would become completely withdrawn from the world, his only contact being with his mother and sister. He'd walk the entire 50 miles from London to his home town of Cambridge, where he would remain the rest of his life. His former band mates would make a special point of seeing to it that the royalty checks he'd earned always got to him, rightfully not trusting the record labels or music publishers not to rip Syd off, as they had done to so many others over the years.

He'd return, in his later years, to what he was doing before he joined what would become Pink Floyd, painting. He'd never be truly whole again, though.

Losing his best friend and band mate to madness would have a profound effect on Roger. He would empathise heavily with Syd, and it would work its way into his songwriting with what would be the band's big commercial breakthrough, a concept album called Dark Side of the Moon, about conflict, greed, the passage of time, death, and insanity, and a call for recognizing what all humans have in common. "Don't be afraid to care." Roger had entered Chapel Perilous, but knew empathy to be the key to navigating it.

And if the dam breaks open many years too soon
And if there is no room upon the hill
And if your head explodes with dark forbodings too
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon

The lunatic is in my head
The lunatic is in my head
You raise the blade, you make the change
You re-arrange me 'till I'm sane
You lock the door
And throw away the key
There's someone in my head but it's not me.

These would continue to be Roger's obsessions. Those, and the things that made him angry, would be the themes of later albums, as all of his personal demons came to the forefront. Syd's madness, and, to a degree, his own; his childhood, the death of his father that he never got to know, and the bullying and cruelty from the teachers for the purpose of breaking the children and molding them into faceless, robotic, "proper" members of society; a music industry that exploited artists, chewed them up, and spit them out; exploitive large corporations and big business in general; the social-political landscape of Britain as the 70s wore on; a broken marriage; it all came together, making him increasingly alienated from the world.

Things would come to a head during a tour. A promoter in Chicago would attempt to defraud the band of $640,000. Roger wouldn't be the only one alienated and miserable, as David would refuse to do the band's traditional encore. The moment Roger would realize that his demons were consuming him would be when he his irritation at a group of enthusiastic fans in the front row would cause him to spit at them. He would tell the band's producer that he felt like building a wall between the fans and himself.

He would realize that he had, in fact, like Syd before him, built a wall around himself.

The result would be another concept album, that would be both a very public act of self therapy and his masterpiece, centered on a character that was based on both himself and Syd. Wonderland was still influencing him, as he used, as he often did, it's imagery in the story he was telling. The subsequent tour would feature an animated sequence with marching hammers based of the Marching Cards sequence to Walt Disney's animated version of Alice in Wonderland.

The album would end, like Alice's first journey to Wonderland, with a trial. At the end, the wall the protagonist had built would come down.

All alone, or in two's,
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands.
The bleeding hearts and artists
Make their stand.

And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad bugger's wall.

After Syd's death in 2006, there would be many tributes. One would be at the Cathedral tower in Utrecht in the Netherlands, built in the 1400s, which would play, on the church bells, the song that was Pink Floyd's breakthrough single, "See Emily Play."

Emily sometimes hated her gift of seeing.

She needed to be away from the others, so she slipped off to sit beneath some trees, where she cried.

Andy, Ted, and Charlie were absorbed with the book when Andy suddenly looked up with concern.

"Emily..."

"Where'd she go?" asked Ted.

Mary motioned for them to hush, then seemed to be listening for something.

"This way," she said.

They found Emily gazing through the trees in sorrow, hardly making a sound. Mary rushed to her, holding her, comforting her. Andy quickly joined them, offering whatever comfort and strength she could.

Mary was humming a tune, which, Andy knew, somehow helped. Emily finally became responsive. Andy heard someone approach.

It was John Lennon.

"Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun?" John asked. "If the sun don't come, you get a tan from standing in the English rain. Well, here at least."

Emily chuckled, but still sniffed.

"I don't know..." she said. "I'm... different, I don't know where I belong..."

"Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be. You can learn how to be you in time. It's easy. All you need is love."

"Thank you," she said gratefully. Suddenly, she looked into John's eyes, and held their gaze. She smiled, and said, "You'll find her."

"Find who?"

She just smiled, enigmatically.

Andy asked, "Is everything OK?"

Emily held her gaze, as she had John's. She placed her hand on Andy's cheek.

"It will be," she said, and hugged Andy.

The party returned to the steamer, and Pippi once again took the wheel as they returned to the mainland. They found themselves back in daylight as they left the mists of the island. When they docked, they saw that taxis made of newspapers had appeared on the shore, waiting to take them away.

It was time to return.

Jimi heard trumpets and violins in the distance.

"I think they're calling our names."

He wasn't sure if Lea was hearing them, but thought she would if he took her hand.

"Well," she said, "we know which taxi is ours. Better than most car horns, I think."

Bill Wyman had noticed the sky had turned red, indicating a setting sun. Then, he heard the trumpets blow. He said to Poly, "I don't know how I came to be here, and now I'm about to leave."

He didn't want to leave her. What's worse, he realized he didn't even get a shag. What he found really strange was he was actually content just holding her hand, still thinking no one else's hand would ever do. Was this some kind of joke?

Eric Clapton was finding departing even harder, since his date was Aphrodite.

"I just..." he began.

"Want to take her with you?" asked Martin, knowing the answer.

"Yeah, back home..."

"Cold Winter isn't for her. You know that."

The children, Mary, and Morgan watched as the other guests departed, the taxis flying into the clouds.

Jimi Hendrix poked his head out the window, and said, "'Scuse me while I kiss the sky."

From the hill, a mole, rat, badger, and toad were watching.

"Remarkable!" said an excited Mr. Toad. "Taxis made of newspapers that fly into the clouds! I must -"

"No!" said the other three.

"Oh, come on! Just one flying newspaper taxi? No? Fine, then! How about a steamboat?"

"No!" said Mole and Badger. Ratty, however...

"Imagine," said Mr. Toad. "We could sail further on the mighty river than we ever have!"

"Hmm," said Ratty.

Mr. Badger sighed in resignation.

"None of the taxis are for us?" asked James.

Mary answered, "No dears. We're returning the way we came."

"But, there's no mirror, here... Well, there wasn't." said James, noticing the mirror that hadn't been there.

---

Andy looked at a clock when they arrived back in Chelsea. Time had passed differently in Wonderland. It was as if they had just left. They immediately sought out Nicolas Flamel, to find him and Perri chatting with Professor Tolkien and Marius Black.

Andy said, "We were hoping you were still here."

"Of course, we are," said Tolkien. "It's St. Lucy's Night, so we'll be here to watch the sun rise. You, though, have school tomorrow."

"Yes, I suppose we'll have to leave, shortly. But, we needed to speak with Mr. Flamel."

"Call me Nicolas," said Flamel, eyeing the book in her hand.

"Thank you, sir. We found this book..."

"Ah, I was wondering who that would turn up with."

"You recognize it?"

"It's a book that came into my possession, so many years ago, the one that taught Perri and I the secrets of Alchemy, the Book of Abraham the Jew."

Andy, Ted, and Charlie collectively gasped in recognition.

Perri said, "It vanished, last Midsummer."

Andy said, "Good thing we found it, then," before trying to hand it back to Nicolas, only for him to refuse to take it.

He said, "The book finds the Alchemist. If it found you, you are its rightful owner."

Andy's reaction wasn't the most dignified. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped.

Ted said, "It did call to you. We went on a quest and everything."

Tolkien said, "Did you, now?"

Andy replied, quietly, reflecting on everything they had just done, "Yes. We even rode the Ship of Solomon to the Gates of Dawn."

"The Ship of Solomon? Are you sure?"

"Very sure... Mother told me of it... Her family helped build it."

Marius said, "You'd best only tell those you can really trust. That likely won't include many people you think you can."

"Yes," said Nicolas. "Your tutor, for example, and your Headmaster."

"Professor Dumbledore?" Ted asked. "I thought you two were friends. Didn't you work together on the dragon's blood project?"

"Yes, we are friends, but it's best he not know you have this book. He... strongly disapproves of much of what you'll learn from it."

Andy asked, "You know of my tutor?"

"Yes. Quite brilliant, but... He's not entirely as he presents himself, I'm afraid. Professor Slughorn can be trusted, however. I'll contact him, tomorrow. Professor Flitwick, as well."

Perri added, "You'll need a partner, and," she said, looking at Ted, "I'd say you have a potential one you'll be compatible with."

Ted Tonks, Andy thought? Well, as long as they stayed on subject, given their mutual passion for Alchemy, they'd be fine. Still...

"Can I tell my mother?" Andy asked. "She's the only person I know who could teach me the language. She inherited the Seal of Solomon, after all..."

"You're Druella's daughter?" asked Perri.

"One of them. You know her?"

"We've met on occasions. She takes her responsibilities seriously. She'll help you."

Nicolas said, "I'd like to help you, as well. As you're my heir, you should be my apprentice."

"Thank you," said Andy. "This is a bit... overwhelming."

Perri said, "Whatever power decides who the Master Alchemist will be, it has always known what it was doing."

The children decided to exchange addresses, so they could write each other. There was a potential problem for Andy, though. Her father and sisters might not approve of her having contact with those outside of their culture.

Marius, however, had a solution.

"They won't object to you having contact with me, so I'll give the others my address, and can send their letters to you. You can send your letters to them through me, as well."

Tolkien added, "You might be interested in what Marius has to offer besides as a go between. He has... extensive family records for your people."

"That's true, more than what the Ministry has, in fact. They don't keep up with the Squib lines. They should, since I've noticed some Muggleborns have come from those lines."

"Hmm," said Andy, "I wonder if Ted here has magical ancestors? I'd love to take a look at those records. Besides, I'd like to get to know someone in my family I never met until tonight."

---

After parting for the evening with Jimi, the Leanan Sidhe still had a full night ahead, as tasty as Jimi was. She changed her clothes, as well as her physical appearance to the form Brian Jones knew.

She arrived in a limo at Brian's place.

"Leanne," he said, "right on time!"

She kissed him, enjoying the taste.

"C'mon, Brian, the night's still young."

"We have all the time in the world, Leanne."

Her expression was unreadable. They didn't have all the time in the world. None who loved the Leanan Sidhe did.

She loved them all, and missed them all.

Still, Leanan was pleased, content with inspiring so much beauty in the world, helping her lovers achieve greatness.

Brian Jones died around midnight, July 3, 1969, age 27. The coroner ruled it "death by misadventure."

Jimi Hendrix died in Kensington on September 18, 1970, also age 27.

---

The next day, Andromeda was back to the old Hogwarts routine, classes, friends, and remembering she hated Ted Tonks. Slughorn had requested a meeting after classes.

"So," he asked, "how did things go, last night?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

So, she did, and he did believe her. But, considering the people he knew, she realized she shouldn't be surprised.

"Nicolas contacted me," he said. "Congratulations."

"He told you about the book?"

"Yes."

"Don't congratulate me too quickly. I can't read it."

"You will. And, it's not like you'll be completely alone."

"True... Ted..."

"Ted?" he asked, clearly amused.

"Tonks," she corrected. "We were told before we left to use our first names with each other, as the others would find using surnames unusually formal for the occasion." She paused, and added, "I don't like him."

"Of course, you don't."

"Lucius is prettier."

"And, I'm sure a boy would appreciate being called 'pretty.'"

"Anyway... Tonks is as interested in Alchemy as I am, and he's certainly smart enough."

"Your only competition in your year..."

"Exactly. Given our mutual ability and interest in the subject, I'm certain we can overcome our personal mutual animosity and complete this project."

"I'm certain of that, as well. I've spoken with Professor Flitwick, and we've agreed that it would be a good suggestion that the two of you make Alchemy your NEWT Elective subject. Since we have no formal classes on the subject, the two of you would be studying mostly on your own, with occasional lessons arranged with a certain famous Alchemist."

"Some of my dorm mates might cause problems if I'm spending a lot of time with Tonks."

"You share classes, already, and will be sharing more next year, I expect, considering the subjects I expect you both to take. Plus, as the two top students of your year, from influential families, I might add, you'll both be invited into the Slug Club. So, those particular dorm mates will see that as the reason you're spending time together. Plus, of course, you both know of the Room of Requirement, which you can use for private study sessions. It will provide you with anything the two of you might need at any given time."

"Anything? Hmm, I've sailed on Solomon's Ship... I wonder if the Lesser Key of Solomon has anything that will help me translate..."

The Lesser Key of Solomon... She felt like such an idiot. Here she'd spent over a year trying to solve the puzzle of the magical lock her mother had put in place to keep her out of the room that held the Seal of Solomon, and the key was there, all along... Get that, and she would be able to communicate with and command the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets... if she could ever find the blasted place... and...

"Andromeda?"

"Hmm?"

"You trailed off in mid-sentence."

"Oh, sorry... Just thinking ahead..."

---

At Winter Solstice, 1966, a pirate wireless station called the Elizabeth Swann Network began broadcasting over the British wizarding airwaves, playing the same Rock and Roll music it's Muggle counterparts did. The Ministry of Magic tried to shut it down, jam it's signals, track down wherever it was broadcasting from, and find the elusive Red Handed Jill to no avail. The ESN broadcast until the non-magical Government shut down pirate stations operating offshore in 1968.

But, if the Ministry of Magic thought this was the end of "this Muggle noise" polluting Wizarding Britain, they couldn't be more wrong. Young witches and wizards were hooked on the forbidden music, and some would form bands of their own.

One such young wizard was Andy's cousin, Sirius Black. The music appealed to his rebellious spirit, plus it had the added benefit of enraging his mother. Using a "clever" alias, he would one day form a band called the Hobgoblins.

But that's another story.

---

A/N: Songs used in this chapter...

We'll Meet Again, written by Ross Parker & Hugh Charles, performed by Vera Lynn

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, performed by the Beatles

All You Need Is Love, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, performed by the Beatles

Magical Mystery Tour, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, performed by the Beatles

I Am the Walrus, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, performed by the Beatles

San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair), written and performed by Scott McKenzie

See Emily Play, written by Syd Barrett, performed by Pink Floyd

Brain Damage, written by Roger Waters, performed by Pink Floyd

Outside the Wall, written by Roger Waters, performed by Pink Floyd

In Another Land, written by Bill Wyman, performed by the Rolling Stones

She's a Rainbow, written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, performed by the Rolling Stones

Purple Haze, written and performed by Jimi Hendrix

Manic Depression, written and performed by Jimi Hendrix

Are You Experienced, written and performed by Jimi Hendrix

Tales of Brave Ulysses, written by Eric Clapton & Martin Sharp, performed by Cream

The festival in California Ozma is planning is the legendary Monterey Pop Festival, documented in D. A. Pennebaker's film Monterey Pop. As this was the first festival of its kind, the film was also the first of it's kind, using newly developed cameras to film the event. I highly recommend it, for not only the great music and creative filmmaking, but as a snapshot of an important cultural event.