The Alchemists Arms, Friday morning, New York time
"Thank you for agreeing to help us with this, Rex, Louise, Jean, Linda," Ginny said earnestly. "It is just that you are better skilled at investigating in the muggle or no-maj world than we are.
"Can you figure out where Rita might be going?"
The adult Potters and Greengrass-Potters, plus Sirius and Dora, had gathered with the Milligans, Dana-Craigs and Scamanders in the American Diner. If the restaurant was all elegant upholstery and linen and the pub quirky with cosy nooks and alcoves, then the American Diner was a few tables with chairs, barstools against a long bar and pulse-hardened jukebox and traditional arcade games in a corner. Currently, "Bat Out of Hell" was blaring out of the jukebox. The whole place screamed late twentieth-century Americana.
"We'll be glad to help, as always," Jean replied with typical cheery enthusiasm.
"The dates of the floo journeys seem to follow a set pattern," Louise noted, "being every Monday evening your time, so early afternoon in New York. They alternate between the two houses. Both houses are empty, owned by a letting company based in Queens, near to both properties. These are the only two properties it lets, and the company's own premises are also empty.
"Can you identify where Ms Skeeter, err, Apparates to?"
"Wait a minute, darling," Rex cut in, "that pattern suggests a regular meeting. Perhaps our financier is also based outside of New York most of the week?
"We should check the airports and stations. Who visits New York every Monday? That could give us some possible suspects at least."
"We'll find your mystery financier, mis amigos," Linda promised. "When it comes to finding patterns and piercing together clues, somos los mejores!"
"No wonder you and Wednesday are friends!" Harry noted drily.
"Asking around the New York airports hasn't proven a great success," Rex reported back to the Secret Circle general council. "We haven't discovered a regular visitor to New York on a Monday anyway."
"We have asked at JFK, Newark Liberty, Stewart and Long Island MacArthur," Louise added. "As my husband said, no probable financier for Rita has visited every Monday via one or any combination of those airports. It is the same for the stations and docks.
"Either we are looking for a conglomerate, the individual is based in the New York area or is coming in via private aircraft to a small private airfield or helipad. We need to identify which."
"How about the Furies?" Wanda Maximoff suggested. "If Wonder Witch's Invisible Jet was to circle in full Stealth Mode above New York, they could see any company or private aircraft approach. Then they could send a couple of Disillusioned Furies after possible suspects to see if they can obtain any evidence that they met with Ms Skeeter.
"Rex, Louise, could you take the Balaska II to New York Harbour? Ron or Harry can use the rune sets that were engraved in the prow to trigger the portkey function to Storybrooke Harbour and then the Disillusionment one to travel the rest of the way by sea undetected."
The Balaska II was a wedding present given to Rex and Louise by MI6's Q Branch in return for all the services the former young adventurers had given to the British and American Governments over the years. Not that either the American sleuth or the British journalist needed any rewards for that. They were an ex-teen sleuth and a former schoolboy chronicler after all. Duty was part of their character, alongside loyalty and friendship. Luna often joked that Rex and his friends were the very epitome of Hufflepuff, which, for all their bravery, intelligence and cunning, would have been the natural habitat of any British mage belonging to said fraternity. Zelena was likewise known to observe that the shared traits were so ingrained that it was almost as if Crystal Cove, Rocky Beach, Sleepyside-on-Hudson, Oak Falls, Penfield, Bayport, River Heights, the Rancho del Sol, Kirrin Cottage, Kirrin Island, Witchend, Seven Gates, The Gay Dolphin Hotel at Rye and the areas of London around Sheldrake Grammar School and Old Park House were mini-Storybrookes. That is, that the Young Adventurers had come into this world from a Realm of Storytelling, like the Enchanted Forest, Neverland, Wonderland, the Land of Untold Stories, the Land Without Colour and the Wish Realms. Rex noted that, compared to chasing a monkey through the streets of London in swimming trunks and luminous paint in December, being fictional almost seemed tame. Louise and Jean both agreed, since teenagers regularly catching art thieves and kidnappers was hardly normal either.
"We could do that," Rex agreed. "The scanning array on the young girl is top notch."
"I wish we had it in the 1930s and 40s, when we first started out," Louise agreed. "Uncle Ned would have loved it!" After being orphaned in infancy, she and Jean had been raised by their father's brother and sister. The former had been the captain of the passenger steamer The Balaska. "Not so much the scanning array as the boat!"
"The same for me in the 1950s and 60s," Rex admitted. "This Royal Jelly Honey might keep us young, but honestly we do feel old sometimes!"
"Youngster!" his wife retorted, to general amusement.
Culver Bay, Dorset, two days later
"It is always great to see you all, Uncle Rex, Auntie Louise, Cousin Harriet," Joe McClaine said, as the three came out of George's house Kirrin Cottage, having just arrived through the portal from the Dana House at Oak Falls. "Are you here for the Balaska II?"
"We are, Joe," Rex smiled at the World Intelligence Agency's Most Special Agent, codenamed Joe 90. Now nearly 16, Joe lived with his adopted father Professor Ian "Mac" McClaine in the thatched cottage nearest to George's in Culver Bay. Below the cliffs, the boathouses that held the Balaska II, a midsized yacht, and the larger yacht Nike were located.
"Cool! Well, I wish you all luck in whatever you need her for."
"We are trying to find Rita Skeeter's mystery American backer, Joe," Louise explained. "If the Balaska II is in New York Harbour cloaked, we can scan sea and air for the Furies to see if anyone visits the Big Apple tomorrow. Then we see if the Furies can gather evidence to present to the Wizengamot.
"I doubt that the conservative purebloods would be the sort to appreciate that they could be accused of the same thing as they are accusing Hermione of. In fact, I think most would turn their ire towards Ms Skeeter herself…"
"Based on my experience of them, darling, I agree that Ms Skeeter will be persona non grata for quite some time, but they will try to put the blame on her.
"As for their attacks on Hermione, well, they have proof positive that muggle filth is indeed polluting their world. If the Potters and Weasleys are the main source for such pollution, why should the fact that they themselves were more of a contributing factor this time change their narrative? These are bigots, Louise love. How did that MAD Magazine from your side of the Pond put it?"
"You can never win with a bigot!"
A few minutes later, they had finished taking the zigzag pathway to the base of the cliffs. Once they were in the Balaska II, Rex and Louise went to the bridge. Joe operated the door controls manually for the boathouse and then waved as the yacht's turbines powered it out onto the sea. Harriet waved back from the deck.
As Rex drove the boat, Louise flicked a switch under the dashboard to reveal a couple of concealed control panels behind sliding panels in the walls. She pressed a button on one of these panels to slide back a further panel to reveal the monitor screen behind it. A second button opened a secure Skype link with a pulse-hardened laptop at The Alchemists Arms.
"Permission to come on board, Ma'am?!" Ron asked with a mock salute.
"Of course, Ron. I'll be in the portal room in a few minutes." Louise ended the call, then went down below decks and opened a secret door into the portal room, where four portal mirrors were found, alongside fore and aft doors to the loading bay and the diving equipment store and its adjacent airlock with a concealed underwater exit. One mirror glowed white and Ron, Hermione (with Hope in her arms), Hugo, Luna, Rolf, Lorcan, Lysander, Padma, Parvati and Zelena trooped through.
Ron went up on the foredeck, as Louise joined Rex back in the bridge. At a signal from her to indicate that there was nothing in the vicinity, Ron tapped the prow with his wand and intoned "Portus!" In an instant, the Balaska II was transported to an area of sea just off the coast of Maine, empty of all ships bar the Jolly Roger. Henry Mills (the version married to a pregnant Ava) raised the Snow Queen's Scroll, causing Storybrooke Harbour to appear on the shore.
Once the Balaska II was docked, the party went to Granny's Diner for a hearty meal of lasagne, salad and garlic bread. "Are we all set for tomorrow?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, Hermione dear," Parvati responded. "Tonight, we Disillusion the Balaska II and cast her off for the short journey to New York Bay. You and Ron can use one of the portals to drop Hugo, Harriet and the boy twins off at the Seraphina Picquery. Rex and Louise use those muggle scanning thingies to see if they can find anything that might be our person or persons unknown, then Padma and I contact our fellow Furies in the Invisible Jet. We then try to get the evidence that we need by sending down a Disillusioned Fury with a magical camera.
"This plan is simple but elegant. Hopefully it works at least as well as we expect."
"Then," her twin added, "we try to persuade the Wizengamot of the Truth…"
The following morning, outside the Kilns, Harry gathered his other allies together. Millie, Pansy, Ginny, Daphne, Tracey, Astoria, Susan, Alicia, Katie and Gabrielle spun themselves into Wonder Witch and all bar two of the Furies. Although neither the new mother Daphne and the pregnant Susan were on the active duty roster (Susan's armour had magically adapted to take account of the small baby bump that was just developing), both could telepathically pilot Wonder Witch's Invisible Jet if required. Once everyone was ready, they hugged and kissed Harry, Wednesday, Draco, Neville and Hannah goodbye, before boarding the Invisible Jet, setting the full Stealth Mode to make the occupants as invisible as the plane itself and taking off for New York.
Meanwhile the Disillusioned Balaska II entered New York Bay and anchored in a quiet spot. In the bridge, both Padma and Parvati were already suited and booted as Justice and Grace of the Furies. As Rex and Louise monitored the scanners, Justice touched the Caduceus symbol on her tiara.
"The Invisible Jet has arrived. From our position just off the shipping lanes and theirs away from the major flightpaths, we should be able to monitor the skies."
"So," Ron said softly, "if our mystery money man does live outside New York, we should find him if he arrives by sea or air…"
"Remind me never to get a job as an air traffic controller!" Rex complained three hours later. "All we have identified so far are regular flights into New York airports!"
"You and me both, my love," Louise seconded fervently.
"Fossilised Fishhooks! What's that?! That blip over Queens doesn't look right somehow. It isn't using the standard flightpaths and doesn't seem to be heading towards any of the airports.
"Grace, Justice, could one of you contact your fellows in the Invisible Jet and ask them to take a look please?"
"Of course, Rex." Grace touched her tiara's Caduceus symbol. "Wonder Witch says thank you for the information, Rex. They are on their way to check. Further details to follow!"
As the Invisible Jet headed towards Queens, Wonder Witch gave the order to follow and not intercept the mystery aircraft. Once the vehicle was in sight, the Furies saw that it was a medium-sized private helicopter. Wrath noted the alphanumeric registration sequence.
"Wrath see if Rex and Louise can trace who owns that helicopter please," Wonder Witch requested. "I think I've seen that logo before somewhere too."
"Lexcorp!" growled the two Milligans in unison as Grace relayed the logo's description.
"According to the registration, it is Lex Luthor's personal private helicopter," Rex noted a couple of minutes later. "It flies into New York from Metropolis every Monday and lands on the helipad on top of Lexcorp's New York offices."
"When we stopped his stunt with that dragon last July," his wife continued, "Luthor managed to get the charges against him mysteriously dropped a couple of weeks later. You British wizards played a major role, especially Wonder Witch and the Furies. Luthor, to the best of our knowledge, doesn't know who you are.
"If, however, he encountered Rita Skeeter in New York, he knows that Harry and Ron at least were in the party. Why not finance a new newspaper, in which she can turn the British magical establishment against those who foiled him?"
"We shall contact those who know Luthor to see if we are missing something, love. He's vindictive, sure, but he usually only does things he profits from. The Daily Owl Post won't make a massive return on his investment.
"Luthor must have some other interest here. Find that, and we have a case."
"In the meantime," Ron spoke up, "Grace, Justice, ask Wonder Witch to try and get whatever snaps they can of Rita meeting Luthor.
"I can't imagine the conservative purebloods would be happy to find that they have been doing the will of a muggle crime lord. Ms Skeeter is in big trouble, I fancy…"
"How sad!" his wife muttered.
Wonder Witch listened to Nemesis relay the message from Grace. "Right!" she barked. "Tracker and Pursuer, Disillusion yourselves and fly after Luthor's helicopter with a magical camera. Follow him to the ends of the Earth if you need to!
"Lioness, Warrior, do the same, but to Rita's most likely floo destination. Do not engage! I know what you are both like, my dears!
"Finally, Vendetta, Allure, go Disillusioned to the alternative floo destination. We might as well cover all our bases.
"Good luck and God speed, everyone!"
"This is dull!" Warrior grumbled. She and Lioness had found a fire escape overlooking the room with the floo connection in the building Rita was most likely to come to. "Being a superheroine is supposed to be about hitting people, not snooping around with a camera! This is in Rex and Louise's territories, not ours!"
"You are preaching to the converted, dear!
"Hang on! The fireplace has just glowed with green fire! Yes, Rita's through! I'll take a few snaps, while you contact Wonder Witch."
"Righto, Lioness!"
"Our boots are even better for flying than our brooms!" Tracker exulted. "It is a shame that we can't use these openly for Quidditch!"
"It would rather jeopardise that whole secret identity thing, dear!" her friend retorted drily, as they followed the chauffeur-driven limousine Luthor had taken from the local Lexcorp offices, after the helicopter had landed on the rooftop helipad there.
"Wait, they are parking in that carpark, or parking lot as these weird colonial types call them. Our old friend Mr Luthor seems to be going into that nondescript office block. If I didn't know better, I would say that it was a wizard place! That tracking charm I've just cast on his shoes should allow us to locate the room he is going to, Tracker."
"It should indeed, Pursuer. Let's see if we can get some shots of him meeting a certain witch reporter. Then we should be able to get the Wizengamot conservatives off Hermione's back!
"There he is! And look who has just Apparated in! We have them!"
"We have some good holiday snaps of Lex Luthor meeting with Rita Skeeter," Millie noted later, back at the Kilns in her civilian identity. All the Furies, plus Harry, Wednesday, Neville, Hannah, Draco, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Rolf, Rex, Louise, Jean, Linda, Bob and Zelena were gathered in the ballroom. Teddy Lupin and his fiancée Victoire Weasley, who had finished Hogwarts the previous summer, were looking after Lily, Hugo, Harriet, Lorcan and Lysander. Pansy, Daphne and Hermione had Sirius, Dora and Hope with them.
"Given the existence of Polyjuice Potion," Draco pointed out, "the pureblood conservatives could well argue that the photos are faked. That said, the evidence from the Floo Registration Office and the air traffic controllers is compelling. How much store that Patrick Parkinson and his cronies will put in the American no-maj evidence is another matter entirely."
Rex's mobile rang. "Hi David! Do you have that list of recent property transactions made by Lex Luthor in the UK?" After a pause for the answer, Rex continued: "Just the one request for planning permission on land that he is in the process of acquiring? That seems small beer for Luthor! I'll ask our wizard friends anyway. Give my regards to Peter… You too. Goodbye David.
"That was David Morton, everyone," he said after the phone call had ended. David Morton is the Captain of the Lone Pine Club, the team of once teen sleuths that Jon and Penny Warrender belong to and now a respected lawyer. He was married to Petronella "Peter" Morton nee Sterling, the Club's Vice-Captain. "Apparently, Lex Luthor has obtained planning permission for a shopping centre on a patch of land near Ottery St Catchpole. The land is about five miles southwest of the Burrow and the old Lovegood House."
"Isn't that Ministry of Magic-owned land?" Susan asked. "Why would they be selling land to Luthor?!"
"Funnily enough," Draco noted, "it mysteriously also happens to be an area that Patrick Parkinson has been trying to get the Ministry to sell cheaply to Rita Skeeter, so she can build offices and a printing press for The Daily Owl Post there. It is more than large enough for a muggle shopping centre to be built there. Given that it is an area where there is a need for such an establishment to serve the local small towns, villages and farms, I can see why a businessman such as Lex Luthor might see it as an opportunity to add to his real estate portfolio and get a touch of revenge at the same time.
"We can prove that Rita Skeeter is actually the one bringing muggle immorality into the wizard world. Let's present it to the Wizengamot as soon as possible and bring this sordid affair to a close…"
"Thank you, Draco," Hermione replied. "That said, I'm sure that this is not going to change what the conservative purebloods think of me. If I know Rita Skeeter, she will give us a good fight too!"