Chapter 1- It begins
Ginny sighed and made her way out of the terminal, legs still shaking slightly. It had been her first time traveling on an airplane, and needless to say it wasn't pleasant. In between the old man who insisted on snoring directly in her face, and the annoying four year old girl who would not stop asking questions, she didn't get much sleep on the long and tiresome plane ride. Not to mention the increasing nervousness and anxiety that had plagued her for the past week.
It was the day of the leaving feast, and Ginny, who had gotten out of the hospital wing just a week before received an owl requesting her presence in the Headmaster's office. Ginny wasn't due for another half an hour but decided to head down to the office anyway. A few minutes later, she found herself in front of the statue when she realized she didn't have the password.
"Er.. Sherbet Lemon? Cockroach Clusters? Ice Mice? Lemon Drop? Eurgh just open up you stupid statue! Blood Lollipop? Skiving Snackboxes?" The statue sprang open and Ginny stared in surprise and stepped onto the staircase. Coming up to the door, she raised her arm to knock and hesitated when she heard sobbing.
"And you're sure it's her? Albus it has to be a mistake," Ginny's eyes widened as she recognized her mother's voice.
"Molly calm down," came the voice of her father.
"Calm down? Calm down Arthur, this is my baby girl, my Ginny. Just one week ago her and Ronald come back from The Department of Mysteries, where they could have very well died and now you're telling me she may not live to see the age of thirty! No I will not be calm!" Ginny froze and her mind raced.
"Why don't we explain things to Miss Weasley as I'm sure your last comment gave her quite a fright," Dumbledore said trying to keep the irate woman calm.
Ginny slowly opened the door and sat down calmly waiting for an explanation. After a few moments silence, Ginny looked at Dumbledore. "Why am I not going to live until the age of thirty?"
Dumbledore sighed and looked at Ginny through his half moon spectacles.
"That Miss Weasley is why I called you to my office today."
"Well, obviously," Ginny drawled.
"Ginny," her father scolded.
"I'm sorry Professor but could we possibly get to the point? My mind is drawing conclusions as to why I'm going to die within the next fifteen years and each one is less pleasant than the last."
"Miss Weasley what do you know about vampires?"
"Only what we learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts." She replied curiously.
"In every generation a slayer is born. A girl with the power to fight vampires and other forces of evil." (Hah.. yeah don't you love my Buffy knowledge?)
"So what, am I that girl?" Ginny asked.
"No not quite but you are what they call a potential. If the current slayer were to die, the responsibility would eventually be passed to a potential. Miss Weasley, there are others in the same position as you are, training for an upcoming war in America.
So, that was that. After much crying and wailing on her mother's part, the youngest of the Weasley family found herself in the Los Angeles airport.
"Excuse me but are you Ginevra Weasley?" asked a girl who had long brown hair.
"That would be me I'm afraid," she replied. "And the name is Ginny or Gin, whichever you prefer."
"Alright then I'm Dawn Summers, let's get out of this place." The two went to baggage claim, grabbed her bags and made their way out to the car.
Ginny sat in the car and looked at Dawn.
"So are you a potential too?"
Dawn gave a small smile. "Nope, not me I'm just Dawn, the slayer's little sister. I'll never be old enough to do anything. The only reason I got to come pick you up is because everyone else was busy training and what not. I don't know why they can't just trust me, I'm fifteen years old, but no everyone insists on treating me like a two year old." Dawn paused and took a deep breath. "Sorry about that didn't mean to flip out on you, it's just frustrating when your older sister is the savior of the world."
"Don't worry about it I know exactly how you feel. I've got six older brothers and I'm continually babied, it's like no matter what you do to prove yourself they insist on thinking you're still a child."
"Exactly!" Dawn exclaimed.
Ginny smiled and took off her sweater when she heard something drop out of her pocket. She hurried to grab it off the ground but was too late.
"What's that?" Dawn asked curiously.
Ginny immediately began to panic. None of the girls were supposed to know she was a witch, and she technically wasn't supposed to even be able to use her wand. Given the circumstances however, Dumbledore had gotten the restriction lifted off of her.
"Er.. no.. this is my umm.. this is just my lucky stake.. yeah I keep it with me all- wait what do you mean too?"
Dawn smirked and reached under the seat. "Is that really the best you could come up with?" Dawn asked pulling out her wand. "Fourteen inches, willow with one unicorn hair."
"Wicked. Where do you go to school?"
"There's a small school of Witchcraft and Wizardry right outside of Sunnydale called Maple Oak, it's not very well known, but it's pretty decent. I'm assuming you go to Hogwarts?" Dawn replied.
"Yeah how do you know about Hogwarts? What year are you?"
"Who doesn't know about Hogwarts, it's only the best school out there, and I'm going to be a sixth year."
"Brilliant, I'm going into sixth as well. I'm technically supposed to be a fifth year, but I got moved up a year and took my O.W.L.'s early. My brother doesn't even know yet, it'll be quite a shock when he finds out." Ginny said. "Does anyone else know about you being a witch? Do you have a restriction on underage magic?"
"All the scoobies know, scoobies being Buffy, Xander, Spike, Faith, Willow, Giles, pretty much all the adults, but none of the potentials know. Technically we do have a restriction but no one ever listens to it."
"Brilliant."
"You know what Gin? I think this is the beginning of an awesome friendship." Dawn said smiling.
"You know what Dawn? I think I agree."
Ginny looked out the window and smiled to herself. She knew for the first time in her life that this was where she belonged.