New year, new story! Hello, my lovelies. I've missed you. Here's your promised sequel!

Previously on NCIS/HP: JK, LOL. I'm not writing all of that out! Go on and look back at "An Unusual Case".

And here... we... GO!

Letters and Owls

"Vance wants you up in his office, Boss," Tony said in way of greeting as Gibbs entered the bull pen with a fresh cup of coffee.

"Did he say what he wanted, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, setting his coffee down to shrug off his coat.

"I tried to get it out of him, but then he just gave me that look that makes me feel like a small, insignificant child." Tony had been spacing out as he spoke, retreating into his imagination, but an unimpressed look from his boss made him clear his throat and come back to reality. "I kind of let it go then."

Gibbs rolled his eyes, then climbed the stairs up to the Director's office.

Ziva looked around quickly to make sure no one was listening or watching before hurrying over to McGee's desk and beginning to speak in a low voice. "Have you heard from Professor Sprout recently, McGee?"

"Now that you mention it, no," McGee said, looking thoughtful. "It's been about three weeks. It's almost the end of semester, though. I'm sure she's pretty busy."

"Did I hear the name of everyone's favorite plant-loving professor?" Tony asked, butting into the conversation. He smirked at Ziva, recalling how she and the Herbology professor had not gotten along terribly well.

"Why do you ask, Ziva?" McGee asked, choosing to ignore Tony.

"I have not heard from Flitwick recently, either, and the last – " she quickly checked over her shoulders, "- owl he sent me was injured."

"And it still made it all the way here? Poor thing!"

"That is not all!" Ziva continued. "Snape hasn't sent Abby anything since mid June."

"Are we surprised by that?" Tony asked with a small chuckle, determined to find his way into the conversation.

"Hooch wouldn't have any last minute things to do before end of semester," McGee reasoned aloud. "You haven't heard from Hooch, have you, Tony?"

"No. She was traveling a lot over the summer and stopped writing," Tony said. "Let's not lie; I don't miss owls hitting my window at three in the morning."

"What do you think is going on?" Ziva asked. "Obviously something has happened that's made them all stop writing!"

"It's been two years since we were there, Ziva," Tony said. "Maybe it's time to just let Hogwarts go."

"That is another thing," Ziva said, pointing a severe finger at Tony. "Abby was supposed to have gone back last year, but Dumbledore sent her a letter himself telling her that she would not be able to."

"Has Gibbs heard from McGonagall?" McGee asked from out of the blue.

"I dunno, Probie. Why don't you check his desk for letters?" Tony suggested.

"Because I'd like to live, DiNozzo," McGee came back with smartly.

"What do you think Director Vance called Gibbs for?" Ziva asked, looking up at the door to the Director's office.

"Probably for something that has to do with Washington D.C. and not the UK," Tony said.

"Something is wrong," Ziva said decidedly before returning to her desk.

"Read this," Vance demanded of Gibbs, holding out a letter addressed in green ink with a purple wax seal.

Gibbs took the letter and quickly recognized the font in which it was addressed before opening it. The name on the bottom of the page caught his attention before the bulk of the letter: Albus Dumbledore.

Gibbs quickly scanned over the letter, which was addressed to Director Sheppard, before handing it back to Vance. "So?"

Vance held the letter level with his face. "Who the hell's Dumbledore, what's Hogwarts, and why is this addressed to Jenny Sheppard?"

"Dumbledore's the headmaster of Hogwarts, a school in England. We did a bit of work for him a while ago, and he probably doesn't know that Jenny's dead," Gibbs answered as simply as possible.

"Just what aren't you telling me, Gibbs?" Vance asked suspiciously.

"You wouldn't believe me if I did tell you, Leon" Gibbs said with a mischievous glint in his eye and the faintest hint of a smile.

An insistent tapping noise filled the office. Vance looked out his window to see an owl, of all things, rapping sharply on the glass with its beak. "What the hell?"

Gibbs's smile broke free of its restraints as he recognized the owl. "William Wallace," he seemed to say to himself as he strode over to the window.

"Don't let that thing in here!" Vance said harshly as Gibbs made to open the window.

"It won't crap on your desk, Leon," Gibbs said casually, defying orders and opening the window. The owl flew in and perched itself on Gibbs's arm. "Been a long time since I've seen you," he told it.

The owl hooted and shook the snow off its head before presenting its leg to Gibbs, which had a letter tied to it.

Gibbs took the letter, but the owl remained on his arm, looking at him expectantly. "I don't have anything for you!"

The owl glared at Gibbs, then hooted angrily and decided to perch itself on top of Vance's computer screen instead of the agent's arm.

"Be that way, Wallace," Gibbs said with a chuckle. "I don't care."

The owl turned its head resolutely away from Gibbs.

"You'd better have an explanation for that," Vance said as he quickly strode across his office and slammed the window shut, preventing anymore cold winter air from flowing in.

Gibbs read the note the owl had given him before answering Vance. "Meet William Wallace. He's the pet of a teacher at Hogwarts. She says she'll be here in – " Gibbs paused and looked at his watch, "Forty five seconds to meet you."

Vance looked at the bird, then back at Gibbs. "That's someone's pet?"

Gibbs smiled amusedly.

"You know this teacher who claims to be coming here?"

Gibbs nodded.

"You gonna go meet her?" Vance asked, expecting Gibbs to head for the door.

"Nah, she'll find her own way," said Gibbs confidently.

Vance looked at Gibbs with some amount of concern. "Are you alright, Gibbs?"

"I'm fine, Leon," Gibbs said, still a mischievous glint in his eye. "Brace yourself."

"For wh – "

Vance never finished his thought. A crack sounded and a tall woman with black hair pulled into a bun and glasses suddenly appeared square in the center of his office. He automatically whipped his gun out of his desk drawer and pointed at the invader.

"That won't be necessary, sir," the woman said crisply, fixing Vance with a glare he could not disobey. He lowered his weapon.

"Professor McGonagall," Gibbs said. He looked the woman over. She was dressed in slacks and a blouse and would have appeared perfectly normal if Gibbs had not known her usual attire. "It's been a while." He offered his hand.

The woman called McGonagall shook with Gibbs. "I'm sure you'll shortly find out why," she said.

"Director Leon Vance, Professor Minerva McGonagall," Gibbs introduced.

Vance put his gun in his weak hand and shook with McGonagall at Gibbs' encouragement.

"Director?" McGonagall asked sharply. "What happened to – "

"Dead," Gibbs said simply.

"Oh, I'm sorry," McGonagall said sincerely. "You never said any – "

"What have you been sent for?" Gibbs asked, cutting McGonagall off. "I'd like to make this fast. DiNozzo, David, and McGee are currently unsupervised."

"And we all know how disastrous that could be," McGonagall said with the ghost of a smile. She looked at Vance expectantly. "One would usually offer their guest a seat, or at least not point a weapon at them."

Looking rather unhappy, Vance gestured to the seats across his desk, which Gibbs and McGonagall lowered themselves into.

The owl that had perched itself on Vance's computer screen hopped off and settled on the arm of McGonagall's chair. McGonagall gave the creature's head a single stroke before pulling some sort of treat out of her pocket and offering it. The bird took it and, with it in its beak, glared at Gibbs.

"What have you done to upset William Wallace, Gibbs?" McGonagall asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I didn't have any food for him," Gibbs answered smartly.

"Well, that's for the best. You were fattening him up too much."

The owl, who seemed to understand English, looked unhappily at its owner.

"I figured he'd taste better with a bit of meat on him," Gibbs remarked sarcastically.

With food still clutched in its beak, the owl hooted angrily at Gibbs.

Vance cleared his throat loudly. "You dropped, literally, into my office, Professor. If you don't mind, I'd like to know why."

"Not how?" Gibbs asked lowly with a chuckle.

"You've read the letter that Dumbledore sent?" McGonagall asked, acknowledging Gibbs only by twitching her lips upwards ever so slightly.

"I have," Vance confirmed.

"Then you, not being Director Sheppard, undoubtedly have questions."

"That I do. What is Hogwarts?"

"It's a school for witches and wizards," McGonagall said simply.

"Witches?" Vance asked with disbelief.

"Yes," McGonagall said. "You don't know about us already? I thought you would, considering your daughter and all."

"What's my daughter got to do with any of this?" Vance asked aggressively, his teeth gritted somewhat.

"Well, she's a witch, isn't she?"

"What?" Vance very nearly shouted.

"Never mind that," McGonagall said crisply. "I'm sure you'll be informed soon enough as to how your daughter managed to turn your son's teeth purple. Now," she said loudly as Vance made to open his mouth again, "I haven't got very much time. I've already told you what Hogwarts is. Arrangements have been made for Agent Gibbs and his team, along with Dr. Mallard, Mr. Palmer, and Miss Scuito, to return to Hogwarts and assist with instructing a class."

"That offer's expanded and is a year late," Gibbs commented.

"You'll find out why soon enough," McGonagall said shortly. "What do you have to say, Director Vance?"

"I think this is a really weird dream I'm going to wake up from soon," Vance said, rubbing his forehead. "Why should I allow my top team to leave? I don't know anything about Hogwarts, whatever it really is, and I certainly don't think witches and wizards exist."

"Agent Gibbs, am I speaking truth?" McGonagall asked.

"Every word," Gibbs said. "Maybe a demonstration and a copy of the case file will help convince Director Vance."

"Very well," McGonagall agreed. From her sleeve, she produced a long, thin piece of wood, which she waved through the air. A moment later she put it back up her sleeve.

"I'm still waiting," Vance said after a moment with a smug smirk. "Gibbs, I think you need a pshy –"

Vance cut short as a file materialized into his hands.

"While you read that, Director, I think I'll show Professor McGonagall around, if you don't mind," Gibbs said, rising from his chair.

"Get that thing out of here, first," Vance said, looking at the owl, which had begun to doze.

McGonagall picked up her owl, brought it over to the window, which she opened with another flick of her wand, and threw the bird out into the cold, wintery wind.

Gibbs held the door open for McGonagall and gave Vance one last smirk before exiting the office.

Vance rubbed his temples for a moment and tried to process what on earth had just happened before opening the file in front of him.

Author's Note

Up next: Indefinite Leave

Now, I'm still very much struggling with plot, so I will not be updating this story as often as I'd like, for now, at least. Fair warning.

Well, go on! Leave a review, tell me what you think!