Harry stared glumly at the plate of food that appeared before him.
The same food they'd had every night. A luxury roast meal. It would have
been great- had it not been an attempt by Lord Voldemort to buy off the
students. But Harry knew better than to trust Voldemort, everyone did.
He looked over at the Slytherin table. Crabbe and Goyle, like almost every
other Slytherin, were tucking in greedily. Malfoy was smiling, his greasy
blonde hair slicked back as usual.
"Can I have your attention, students?"
Chills ran down Harry's spine as he looked up to see their captor standing
at the end of the Gryffindor table.
Silence spread across the great hall. "Something has come to my attention
that I feel you should know about," Voldemort said, his voice low but
commanding. "We have intruders in our home. Three mortal girls, a witch,
a werewolf, and a vampire."
Frightened murmurs spread across the great hall. "Silence!" Voldemort
roared, and again, silence spread throughout the hall. He gestured to the
door to the great hall, and four people walked in.
"These three girls, now under my control, call themselves Vampire Slayers,"
Voldemort began, pulling them forward with a jerk of his wand. All of the
girls were slim. Two had long brown hair, and the other was petite, with
shoulder length blonde hair. All of them were pretty, Harry noticed.
"A witch," Voldemort said, jerking a redhead to the front of the hall.
"Who is also under my control. And a vampire and a werewolf, who have both
agreed to join me."
Harry felt vaguely uneasy. He didn't like the way this was going. Sure
enough, he was right.
"I am here to make an example of the person who summoned them here,"
Voldemort snarled, and sickening realisation hit Harry as his eyes drifted
carelessly over Harry. Voldemort began to walk down between the Gryffindor
and Ravenclaw table.
"Harry Potter," he hissed, and all over the Great Hall heads turned to
Harry. Bewildered now, Harry turned to Ron and Hermione beside him.
"I didn't," he whispered. "You know I didn't." their eyes told Harry
that they believed him.
"Harry Potter," Voldemort repeated. "What do you have to say for
yourself, Harry Potter?"
"I have nothing to say for myself," Harry said boldly. "I've never seen
them before in my life."
"Really?" Voldemort asked, dangerously calm. He twirled his wand between
his fingertips. "Perhaps your little girlfriend would know something about
it?"
Slowly, Harry turned to Hermione. Understanding filled her eyes. "No,"
Harry said vehemently. "No, she doesn't know anything, don't-"
"Avada Kadavra!" Voldemort yelled, and screams filled the hall.
Gryffindors dived out of the way as the jet of green light sped toward
Hermione, and just in time Hermione dived beneath the table. The jet hit
the table instead, and it shattered, broken legs flying into the air.
Sitting next to where Hermione had been only moments before, Ron's hands
flew up to his face to ward off any flying shards of wood.
He didn't see Voldemort raise his wand again, didn't see the green light
shooting out of Voldemort's wand towards him.
"Ron!" Harry yelled, and leaped forward, desperately pushing him forward,
away from the blast, and he didn't give a thought to his own safety.
As Ron fell to the floor, unharmed, blinding green light enveloped Harry,
overloading his senses- and then shutting them down.
Harry opened his eyes and pushed himself quickly to his feet. "I'm all right, I'm OK," he murmured. "I'm just-" His words caught in his throat as he looked at the scene before him. He was standing in the midst of a crowd of people, most hugging each-other, some sobbing uncontrollably. The atmosphere of fear was astounding. But what shocked Harry most was his own dead body on the floor. "Dead?" he finished. Panicking, he rushed forward. "Hey, I'm here okay, I haven't gone anywhere." After getting over the initial shock of being dead, it wasn't seeing his own dead body that chilled him to the bone- it was Hermione's heart wrenching sobs. "Harry?" Ron shouted, his voice choked. "Harry, wake up!" Hermione raised her head, tears streaking her face. "Ron, he's dead!" she screamed hysterically. Harry turned away, feeling as if he were at his own funeral. This was not something that he wanted to see. He noticed a fleeting movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned to the back of the hall. Everyone was crowded around Harry- no, the body, he corrected himself. But a girl stood in front of the double doors. Petite, with cropped blonde/ brown hair, the girl was, like the other three girls earlier, very pretty. Her dark, almond shaped eyes looked at Harry for a moment, then drifted to the scene before them. Harry started to manoeuvre his way around the crowd, then paused. Okay, so he was a ghost. Couldn't ghosts, like, move through things? Tentatively, he raised his arm in front of him, and stepped forward. His arm passed straight through Parvati Patil, who like Hermione was sobbing hysterically, and he pulled back quickly, remembering what it was like when he'd walked through Nearly Headless Nick. Icy cold. Quick and sharp, Harry decided, and ran through the crowd. He stopped at the feet of the girl. "Who are you?" Harry asked. The girl smiled comfortingly at him. "Are you a ghost too?" She nodded. "My name's India," she said in a wavering voice. She had a faint southern American accent. "I'm- I was a Slayer. I got killed." "Like me," Harry said, feeling his translucent throat constrict. "Yeah. And no. I was hacked to death by a mummy. But, more to the point, I can help you." "You can?" Harry asked, feeling hope swell within him. "I need to help y'all against this creep Voldemort." India said earnestly. Suddenly, Harry was aware of how young this girl had been when she'd died. Eighteen at most. "I know how to break the spell on the other Slayers. I'll distract him, and your friend- the girl- knows how she could bring you back." "You'd do that?" Harry asked gratefully. India nodded. "But you have to do it now." India said. "Before its too late for you. You have to tell your friend what's going on?" Harry felt his hope deflate. "But how? No-one can see me-" "Just concentrate," India urged him. " Just concentrate only on her and she'll be able to hear you." Harry paused doubtfully, then plunged back into the crowds again. Ron and Hermione were still crouched over his body, too wrapped up in their own grief to notice Voldemort approaching them. The crowds began to part as more and more people noticed the Dark Lord. "Hermione! Ron!" Harry yelled desperately, waving his hands in front of them. They didn't notice. All too aware of the time that was quickly passing, Harry stopped, and concentrated, thinking only of Hermione. "Hermione," he said quietly. Hermione turned, her face streaked with tears, and her eyes widened when she saw Harry. "Harry, how- You're a ghost," she said sadly. Voldemort was behind her now. "Hermione, look out!" Harry panicked. At a startling speed, one of the Slayers, the petite blonde one launched herself at Voldemort, knocking his wand out of his hand. They tumbled to the floor, and both Ron and Hermione spun round to see what was happening. "Hermione, no!" Harry said desperately, and Hermione turned back round again. "You have to bring me back." Bewildered, Hermione shook her head. "Magic can't bring back the dead, Harry, you know that." "I know, but-" He tried again. "I met this ghost, India, she possessed that girl attacking Voldemort. She said you knew a way." "But-" Her eyes widened. "Not a magical way? CPR?" Hope flared within her, as it had Harry moments ago. Harry shrugged. "It's worth a try," he said. "But what if it doesn't work?" Hermione asked dejectedly, but crouched beside Harry's corpse. "What if it does work, Hermione?" Harry asked. "I don't like being dead," he added sadly, but Hermione heard. She looked up at him sympathetically, then looked back down determinedly at what had been Harry, only minutes ago. She pinched the bridge of his nose and began to blow air into his lungs. It felt extremely weird to be watching this. After a moment, Hermione sat up, placed her hands on his chest, and began to pump, counting as she did so. Harry looked around anxiously, but no-one was watching Hermione's action- they were too focused on the sight of India beating up Voldemort. A wave of dizziness passed through Harry, and he raised a trembling hand. "Woah," he said softly. Hermione looked up, but kept pumping, trying to jolt Harry's heart. "What?" she asked, concerned. Harry's hand flickered in and out of view with each wave of dizziness. "I think its working!" he said excitedly. Hermione leaned forward, blowing another two gasps of air into Harry's lungs, and Harry flickered entirely out of view. Harry closed his eyes, feeling dizzy again, and when he opened them again Hermione was peering over him anxiously. Her golden-brown eyes were wide, but she was no longer crying. "Harry?" Hermione asked. He blinked at the bright lights of the candles above him, and realised he was lying on his back on the floor. "I'm alive?" he asked excitedly, struggling to sit up. Sure enough, he was solid. He leaped to his feet. "I'm alive!" Hermione nodded, her eyes shining. Impulsively, she flung her arms around Harry. Harry winced, and pulled away. "Oh god, did I hurt you?" Hermione cried. "I'm sorry!" Harry shook his head, wrapping his arms around his stomach gingerly. "It's not you," he answered. "My stomach hurts- I think it's where it hit." "Oh." Almost as an afterthought, Hermione stepped forward and shook Ron's shoulder. "In a minute, Hermione!" Ron said impatiently. "Ron, I really think you should see this-" Ron interrupted her. "Hermione, this is the creep who killed my best friend!" he said angrily. "If you think I won't get some satisfaction out of-" "Ron," Harry said, and Ron stopped in his tracks. "Harry?" he whispered, and turned round quickly. A broad grin spread across his face. "Harry, is it really you? What happened? How did you-?" "It was Hermione," Harry replied, returning the grin. "She brought me back." He faced Hermione. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed Ron looking at him peculiarly. Hermione blushed, and turned her attention to the scene in front of them. "Uh-oh," she said, her tone changing, and Ron and Harry looked up. Voldemort was unconscious on the floor, and Death Eaters were closing in on India. She looked around her for a moment, then collapsed to the floor. She looked up, confused. The other girls were standing on uninterestedly, but one seemed to be struggling with herself. She looked up, and gave Harry a wink. This girl was India now, Harry realised. The remaining Slayer also seemed to have woken up, and the clubbed together with the confused looking blonde. The Death Eaters closed in on them. "Hermione, do something!" Harry cried, and Hermione raised her wand, mind racing. "Angelus Incantem!" she cried, and the world froze around them. Only they and the Slayers remained aware. They looked around, spooked. "Hermione, what did you do?" Ron whispered anxiously. The three girls approached, and as they moved toward the three friends, a whisper of light flickered around India. Finally, the soul of the real India darted out of the body and landed before Harry. The Slayer wobbled, but was caught by the blonde. "Thanks," Harry told India, and she smiled modestly. "Just doing my part to rid the world from evil," she replied. The blonde approached. "Okay, would some-one care to tell me what's going on here?" she asked. Suddenly she noticed the ghost floated among them. "Oh, hi India. How're things goin' as a ghost?" "Hey, Buffy!" India said warmly. "You wanna know the haps?" Buffy placed her hand on her hips and nodded. "Now," she said sharply. "Okay, here's the short version: this is a school for witches and wizards, don't laugh Faith. The guy you- well, me but in your body, just beat up was an evil wizard who keeps trying to kill Harry. No-one knows how, but Harry stopped him when he was only 1 year old. Voldemort- that's his name- got bitter. He took over Hogwarts- this school. The students sent out telepathic cries for help, which Willow heard. Y'all all came here through the Ghost Roads. Y'all got caught, and put under a curse to control your minds. Voldemort killed Harry, he became a ghost, and we made a deal. I possessed you, beat Voldemort up, distracted everyone, and Hermione- Harry's girlfriend-" "I am not his girlfriend," Hermione interrupted. "Says you," India continued. "Harry's friend brought him back, and I woke up Faith and Kendra. Now y'all have to help Harry and co. stamp out the evil witches and wizards." Buffy looked bewildered for a moment. "Okay," she said, still trying to sort through everything India had told her. "Oh god, I am such a bad host!" India cried. "Introductions- Okay, this is Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger. And this is Buffy-" the petite blonde smiled at them. "Faith-" the tough looking brunette whom India had possessed. "And Kendra, in the body of Cordelia- again." The tall brunette merely nodded her head curtly. Almost as an afterthought, she added, "Oh, and I'm India, the Slayer before Buffy who got hacked to death by a mummy with an axe." "Talk much?" Faith murmured. "I've been living in ghost land for years," India said bluntly, never losing her smile. "You try doing that and having no-one to talk to. " Faith shrugged. "Fair enough." Ron looked uneasily at the teenage girls in front of him, only around three years older than himself. But they felt so far away. "Um, Hermione?" Harry asked cautiously. "How long is this thing going to last?" Hermione winced as people roared back to life around them. Disorientated, no-one noticed the small group at the back of the hall. "Not long enough!" she exclaimed. "Come on!" Grabbing Ron's arm to pull him along, she raced for the door, Harry, Buffy, Faith, and Cordelia/Kendra racing behind her. India trailed behind them, hovering a foot above the floor. "Where are we going?" Harry panted, clutching his stomach as he ran. Hermione crashed through the double doors, and all heads turned to see the group retreating. She turned left, along the corridor to the dungeons. "We're going to the dungeons?" Ron asked incredulously. "Nooo," Hermione said slowly, and stopped in front of a portrait of a bowl of fruit. "We're going to hide in the kitchens with Dobby and Winky." She reached forward, and with one hand tickled the pear in the fruit bowl. The portrait swung aside immediately, revealing a huge kitchen, easily as large as the great hall. Hundreds of house-elves, small, green and wrinkly, scurried around, and as they placed food on the plates of the tables in the centre of the kitchen, the food appeared magically on the plates of the house tables themselves. They entered the kitchen, the three living Slayers looking around in wonder. Only India looked unimpressed, probably because, as a ghost she'd seen it before. "Wow," Faith said, impressed. "Harry Potter!" Dobby squealed, launching himself as Harry. He wrapped his arms around Harry's neck, and he fell to the ground. Harry sat up. "It's nice to see you, too," Harry laughed. Dobby stood up, pulling his pillowcase clothing around him modestly. "But what is Harry Potter doing here, sir?" Dobby asked, puzzled. "Dobby means no disrespect, sir, but if Lord Voldemort finds out Harry Potter and Harry Potter's friends were here, Dobby will be flogged. And Dobby hears rumours, sir, and Dobby knows they aren't true, but Dobby hears rumours that Lord Voldemort killed Harry Potter!" Dobby laughed derisively, but Harry fidgeted, uncomfortable. "Ah, well-" Dobby idolised him, he knew. Should he really tell him the truth. "I suppose you just hear some strange things," Harry finished lamely. "Dobby, we really need your help-" Hermione began, then screamed as a huge crack rang throughout the chamber. Dust rained down, and Kendra yanked her out of the way as a small section of the ceiling fell. "Shut up!" Kendra hissed, and Hermione stopped screaming immediately. "What was that?" Buffy whispered, her face pale. "Voldemort," Harry, Ron, Hermione and India said at the same time, and an even louder crack sounded. Above them, a large section of the plaster rained down, and this time both Buffy and Hermione screamed as they were buried beneath the rubble. Only India remained standing, the pieces passing through her. "Harry? Buffy?" she called, panicking. She glanced quickly up at the ceiling, where a shape loomed dangerously. "Anybody?" Buffy shrugged off the rubble, and struggled to her feet. Faith wasn't far behind. Immediately, they began searching for the others. Faith's leather trousers were covered in chalk, and Buffy's T-shirt and jeans were torn in several places. India caught sight of Cordelia/Kendra's baby blue boots, and guided them to the spot. Buffy tore away a few pieces of rubble, and Kendra rose to her feet, yanking Hermione up beside her. "Where's Ron?" Hermione asked. "And Harry? Where are they?" India shook her head mutely. "I don't know," Faith said, still searching. "We'll find them," Buffy promised. Kendra joined in the hunt, but the area of rubble was as large as the great hall, and finding Harry and Ron could take a long time. Too long. Impulsively, India dove into the rubble, searching for either of them, and soon she noticed hair. Red hair. While Kendra and Faith dug Ron out, India and Buffy continued to search for Harry. "This is useless!" Buffy exclaimed, and privately India agreed. They had been spread out all over the kitchens. And there was no sign of any of the house-elves either, their magic could have proved very useful. "Buffy!" India yelled suddenly, making her friend jump. Buffy raced over to the spot where India was waving violently, and began to haul away huge pieces of the rubble. "A little help might be nice!" she grunted, and Kendra sprinted to her side, easily lifting the heavy pieces. India cast a glance over to Faith. She was with Hermione, and they were struggling to wake up Ron. Gently, Kendra and Buffy picked up an unconscious Harry, and placed him on the floor next to Ron, who was waking up groggily. "Whass goin' on?" Ron asked in a slurred voice, then seemed to wake up sharply when he saw the chaos around him. "Come on, Ron, we have to go," Hermione said impatiently. Loud voices approached from down the corridor. "Harry?" Buffy was struggling to wake up Harry, who seemed to be out cold. Buffy looked up, concerned, hearing the voices. "I'll carry him," she said, making up her mind quickly. "But we have to go somewhere safe." Once again, Hermione led the way, leading Ron by the arm, and this time Buffy trailed behind the others, struggling to carry Harry. They raced up a set of stairs, across a landing, down a set of stairs, and across another landing before they stopped before a statue of a gargoyle. Hermione pulled out her wand with shaking hands and tapped the gargoyle lightly, saying the spell to open it. It slid aside, revealing a winding stone slide. "Go," Buffy emphasised. Hermione cast one last look around her before dropping into the laundry shoot. "Ron next." Ron slid into the shoot a moment after Hermione. Faith and Kendra/Cordelia went next. Buffy paused for a moment, then slid into the chute, pulling Harry down behind her. The gargoyle magically sealed itself shut. The chute felt, to Buffy, like it lasted forever. It was long and winding, smooth, but rough at the same time, and Buffy was relieved when she slid out of the end. She slid out of the way of Harry, who dropped to the floor, a dead weight. Faith, Kendra, Ron, Hermione, and India were crowded awkwardly in the narrow cavern. Buffy pushed herself to her feet and dusted herself off.
Hermione rushed towards Buffy, then bent down, picking something up.
"Harry's glasses," Hermione said, peering at them.
"I wondered why I couldn't see right."
Hermione jumped, startled, and turned around quickly. Harry was pushing himself up to a sitting position, and looked around to see where he was.
"We're in the passage to Hogsmeade," Ron said helpfully. "Voldemort blew the kitchen down on top of you. Well, you and the rest of us."
Harry stood up. "Is everyone okay?" he asked, concerned. He glanced at Buffy, who nodded. "And." he hesitated. "Dobby?"
Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy noticed Hermione and Ron looking at each-other. "We didn't have time to get them," Buffy admitted. "We had to leave them there so we could get away from Vol- Willow. Angel. And Oz. They're still there. He's got them, and probably doing god knows what to them!"
She made to climb back up the tunnel.
"Buffy, no!" Faith shouted, and Kendra planted herself firmly in front of Buffy, blocking her path.
"Get out of my way," Buffy said menacingly.
"Don't be an idiot," Kendra said bluntly. "You go back, he will get you too, and then we will have lost another warrior."
"Get out of my way or I'll make you," Buffy said evenly, ignoring Kendra's words of sense.
"You can't get out Buffy," Hermione said determinedly. All heads turned to her. "You need to be a witch or wizard to say the spell. And we aren't going to let you out, are we?"
"No way," Ron said defiantly. Harry remained silent.
"Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Please, Harry," Buffy asked desperately. "You know what it's like to loose someone. Don't make me loose my best friend and my lover." Harry wavered uncertainly, and Buffy took advantage of it. "Do you want to loose Dobby? Dobby would obviously do anything for you. Don't you wanna return the favour."
Harry made up his mind. He grabbed his glasses off Hermione, pulled out his wand, and ducked past Kendra to climb back up to the entrance. Buffy followed suit.
"Harry!" Ron and Hermione called incredulously, but he kept climbing.
Without warning, India appeared in front of Harry, and he stopped in his tracks. She looked even more ghostly than ever in the faint light of the tunnel. Her lower body was completely emerged in the rock.
"Wait," she said, and Harry obeyed. Buffy looked curiously at India. "I'll go," India continued. "I know my way about the castle, I'm least likely to be noticed. Plus, I'd be easier for me to get back unharmed. Maybe I can do something to help."
Begrudgingly, Harry agreed, and he and Buffy slid back down the tunnel.
Harry opened his eyes and pushed himself quickly to his feet. "I'm all right, I'm OK," he murmured. "I'm just-" His words caught in his throat as he looked at the scene before him. He was standing in the midst of a crowd of people, most hugging each-other, some sobbing uncontrollably. The atmosphere of fear was astounding. But what shocked Harry most was his own dead body on the floor. "Dead?" he finished. Panicking, he rushed forward. "Hey, I'm here okay, I haven't gone anywhere." After getting over the initial shock of being dead, it wasn't seeing his own dead body that chilled him to the bone- it was Hermione's heart wrenching sobs. "Harry?" Ron shouted, his voice choked. "Harry, wake up!" Hermione raised her head, tears streaking her face. "Ron, he's dead!" she screamed hysterically. Harry turned away, feeling as if he were at his own funeral. This was not something that he wanted to see. He noticed a fleeting movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned to the back of the hall. Everyone was crowded around Harry- no, the body, he corrected himself. But a girl stood in front of the double doors. Petite, with cropped blonde/ brown hair, the girl was, like the other three girls earlier, very pretty. Her dark, almond shaped eyes looked at Harry for a moment, then drifted to the scene before them. Harry started to manoeuvre his way around the crowd, then paused. Okay, so he was a ghost. Couldn't ghosts, like, move through things? Tentatively, he raised his arm in front of him, and stepped forward. His arm passed straight through Parvati Patil, who like Hermione was sobbing hysterically, and he pulled back quickly, remembering what it was like when he'd walked through Nearly Headless Nick. Icy cold. Quick and sharp, Harry decided, and ran through the crowd. He stopped at the feet of the girl. "Who are you?" Harry asked. The girl smiled comfortingly at him. "Are you a ghost too?" She nodded. "My name's India," she said in a wavering voice. She had a faint southern American accent. "I'm- I was a Slayer. I got killed." "Like me," Harry said, feeling his translucent throat constrict. "Yeah. And no. I was hacked to death by a mummy. But, more to the point, I can help you." "You can?" Harry asked, feeling hope swell within him. "I need to help y'all against this creep Voldemort." India said earnestly. Suddenly, Harry was aware of how young this girl had been when she'd died. Eighteen at most. "I know how to break the spell on the other Slayers. I'll distract him, and your friend- the girl- knows how she could bring you back." "You'd do that?" Harry asked gratefully. India nodded. "But you have to do it now." India said. "Before its too late for you. You have to tell your friend what's going on?" Harry felt his hope deflate. "But how? No-one can see me-" "Just concentrate," India urged him. " Just concentrate only on her and she'll be able to hear you." Harry paused doubtfully, then plunged back into the crowds again. Ron and Hermione were still crouched over his body, too wrapped up in their own grief to notice Voldemort approaching them. The crowds began to part as more and more people noticed the Dark Lord. "Hermione! Ron!" Harry yelled desperately, waving his hands in front of them. They didn't notice. All too aware of the time that was quickly passing, Harry stopped, and concentrated, thinking only of Hermione. "Hermione," he said quietly. Hermione turned, her face streaked with tears, and her eyes widened when she saw Harry. "Harry, how- You're a ghost," she said sadly. Voldemort was behind her now. "Hermione, look out!" Harry panicked. At a startling speed, one of the Slayers, the petite blonde one launched herself at Voldemort, knocking his wand out of his hand. They tumbled to the floor, and both Ron and Hermione spun round to see what was happening. "Hermione, no!" Harry said desperately, and Hermione turned back round again. "You have to bring me back." Bewildered, Hermione shook her head. "Magic can't bring back the dead, Harry, you know that." "I know, but-" He tried again. "I met this ghost, India, she possessed that girl attacking Voldemort. She said you knew a way." "But-" Her eyes widened. "Not a magical way? CPR?" Hope flared within her, as it had Harry moments ago. Harry shrugged. "It's worth a try," he said. "But what if it doesn't work?" Hermione asked dejectedly, but crouched beside Harry's corpse. "What if it does work, Hermione?" Harry asked. "I don't like being dead," he added sadly, but Hermione heard. She looked up at him sympathetically, then looked back down determinedly at what had been Harry, only minutes ago. She pinched the bridge of his nose and began to blow air into his lungs. It felt extremely weird to be watching this. After a moment, Hermione sat up, placed her hands on his chest, and began to pump, counting as she did so. Harry looked around anxiously, but no-one was watching Hermione's action- they were too focused on the sight of India beating up Voldemort. A wave of dizziness passed through Harry, and he raised a trembling hand. "Woah," he said softly. Hermione looked up, but kept pumping, trying to jolt Harry's heart. "What?" she asked, concerned. Harry's hand flickered in and out of view with each wave of dizziness. "I think its working!" he said excitedly. Hermione leaned forward, blowing another two gasps of air into Harry's lungs, and Harry flickered entirely out of view. Harry closed his eyes, feeling dizzy again, and when he opened them again Hermione was peering over him anxiously. Her golden-brown eyes were wide, but she was no longer crying. "Harry?" Hermione asked. He blinked at the bright lights of the candles above him, and realised he was lying on his back on the floor. "I'm alive?" he asked excitedly, struggling to sit up. Sure enough, he was solid. He leaped to his feet. "I'm alive!" Hermione nodded, her eyes shining. Impulsively, she flung her arms around Harry. Harry winced, and pulled away. "Oh god, did I hurt you?" Hermione cried. "I'm sorry!" Harry shook his head, wrapping his arms around his stomach gingerly. "It's not you," he answered. "My stomach hurts- I think it's where it hit." "Oh." Almost as an afterthought, Hermione stepped forward and shook Ron's shoulder. "In a minute, Hermione!" Ron said impatiently. "Ron, I really think you should see this-" Ron interrupted her. "Hermione, this is the creep who killed my best friend!" he said angrily. "If you think I won't get some satisfaction out of-" "Ron," Harry said, and Ron stopped in his tracks. "Harry?" he whispered, and turned round quickly. A broad grin spread across his face. "Harry, is it really you? What happened? How did you-?" "It was Hermione," Harry replied, returning the grin. "She brought me back." He faced Hermione. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed Ron looking at him peculiarly. Hermione blushed, and turned her attention to the scene in front of them. "Uh-oh," she said, her tone changing, and Ron and Harry looked up. Voldemort was unconscious on the floor, and Death Eaters were closing in on India. She looked around her for a moment, then collapsed to the floor. She looked up, confused. The other girls were standing on uninterestedly, but one seemed to be struggling with herself. She looked up, and gave Harry a wink. This girl was India now, Harry realised. The remaining Slayer also seemed to have woken up, and the clubbed together with the confused looking blonde. The Death Eaters closed in on them. "Hermione, do something!" Harry cried, and Hermione raised her wand, mind racing. "Angelus Incantem!" she cried, and the world froze around them. Only they and the Slayers remained aware. They looked around, spooked. "Hermione, what did you do?" Ron whispered anxiously. The three girls approached, and as they moved toward the three friends, a whisper of light flickered around India. Finally, the soul of the real India darted out of the body and landed before Harry. The Slayer wobbled, but was caught by the blonde. "Thanks," Harry told India, and she smiled modestly. "Just doing my part to rid the world from evil," she replied. The blonde approached. "Okay, would some-one care to tell me what's going on here?" she asked. Suddenly she noticed the ghost floated among them. "Oh, hi India. How're things goin' as a ghost?" "Hey, Buffy!" India said warmly. "You wanna know the haps?" Buffy placed her hand on her hips and nodded. "Now," she said sharply. "Okay, here's the short version: this is a school for witches and wizards, don't laugh Faith. The guy you- well, me but in your body, just beat up was an evil wizard who keeps trying to kill Harry. No-one knows how, but Harry stopped him when he was only 1 year old. Voldemort- that's his name- got bitter. He took over Hogwarts- this school. The students sent out telepathic cries for help, which Willow heard. Y'all all came here through the Ghost Roads. Y'all got caught, and put under a curse to control your minds. Voldemort killed Harry, he became a ghost, and we made a deal. I possessed you, beat Voldemort up, distracted everyone, and Hermione- Harry's girlfriend-" "I am not his girlfriend," Hermione interrupted. "Says you," India continued. "Harry's friend brought him back, and I woke up Faith and Kendra. Now y'all have to help Harry and co. stamp out the evil witches and wizards." Buffy looked bewildered for a moment. "Okay," she said, still trying to sort through everything India had told her. "Oh god, I am such a bad host!" India cried. "Introductions- Okay, this is Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger. And this is Buffy-" the petite blonde smiled at them. "Faith-" the tough looking brunette whom India had possessed. "And Kendra, in the body of Cordelia- again." The tall brunette merely nodded her head curtly. Almost as an afterthought, she added, "Oh, and I'm India, the Slayer before Buffy who got hacked to death by a mummy with an axe." "Talk much?" Faith murmured. "I've been living in ghost land for years," India said bluntly, never losing her smile. "You try doing that and having no-one to talk to. " Faith shrugged. "Fair enough." Ron looked uneasily at the teenage girls in front of him, only around three years older than himself. But they felt so far away. "Um, Hermione?" Harry asked cautiously. "How long is this thing going to last?" Hermione winced as people roared back to life around them. Disorientated, no-one noticed the small group at the back of the hall. "Not long enough!" she exclaimed. "Come on!" Grabbing Ron's arm to pull him along, she raced for the door, Harry, Buffy, Faith, and Cordelia/Kendra racing behind her. India trailed behind them, hovering a foot above the floor. "Where are we going?" Harry panted, clutching his stomach as he ran. Hermione crashed through the double doors, and all heads turned to see the group retreating. She turned left, along the corridor to the dungeons. "We're going to the dungeons?" Ron asked incredulously. "Nooo," Hermione said slowly, and stopped in front of a portrait of a bowl of fruit. "We're going to hide in the kitchens with Dobby and Winky." She reached forward, and with one hand tickled the pear in the fruit bowl. The portrait swung aside immediately, revealing a huge kitchen, easily as large as the great hall. Hundreds of house-elves, small, green and wrinkly, scurried around, and as they placed food on the plates of the tables in the centre of the kitchen, the food appeared magically on the plates of the house tables themselves. They entered the kitchen, the three living Slayers looking around in wonder. Only India looked unimpressed, probably because, as a ghost she'd seen it before. "Wow," Faith said, impressed. "Harry Potter!" Dobby squealed, launching himself as Harry. He wrapped his arms around Harry's neck, and he fell to the ground. Harry sat up. "It's nice to see you, too," Harry laughed. Dobby stood up, pulling his pillowcase clothing around him modestly. "But what is Harry Potter doing here, sir?" Dobby asked, puzzled. "Dobby means no disrespect, sir, but if Lord Voldemort finds out Harry Potter and Harry Potter's friends were here, Dobby will be flogged. And Dobby hears rumours, sir, and Dobby knows they aren't true, but Dobby hears rumours that Lord Voldemort killed Harry Potter!" Dobby laughed derisively, but Harry fidgeted, uncomfortable. "Ah, well-" Dobby idolised him, he knew. Should he really tell him the truth. "I suppose you just hear some strange things," Harry finished lamely. "Dobby, we really need your help-" Hermione began, then screamed as a huge crack rang throughout the chamber. Dust rained down, and Kendra yanked her out of the way as a small section of the ceiling fell. "Shut up!" Kendra hissed, and Hermione stopped screaming immediately. "What was that?" Buffy whispered, her face pale. "Voldemort," Harry, Ron, Hermione and India said at the same time, and an even louder crack sounded. Above them, a large section of the plaster rained down, and this time both Buffy and Hermione screamed as they were buried beneath the rubble. Only India remained standing, the pieces passing through her. "Harry? Buffy?" she called, panicking. She glanced quickly up at the ceiling, where a shape loomed dangerously. "Anybody?" Buffy shrugged off the rubble, and struggled to her feet. Faith wasn't far behind. Immediately, they began searching for the others. Faith's leather trousers were covered in chalk, and Buffy's T-shirt and jeans were torn in several places. India caught sight of Cordelia/Kendra's baby blue boots, and guided them to the spot. Buffy tore away a few pieces of rubble, and Kendra rose to her feet, yanking Hermione up beside her. "Where's Ron?" Hermione asked. "And Harry? Where are they?" India shook her head mutely. "I don't know," Faith said, still searching. "We'll find them," Buffy promised. Kendra joined in the hunt, but the area of rubble was as large as the great hall, and finding Harry and Ron could take a long time. Too long. Impulsively, India dove into the rubble, searching for either of them, and soon she noticed hair. Red hair. While Kendra and Faith dug Ron out, India and Buffy continued to search for Harry. "This is useless!" Buffy exclaimed, and privately India agreed. They had been spread out all over the kitchens. And there was no sign of any of the house-elves either, their magic could have proved very useful. "Buffy!" India yelled suddenly, making her friend jump. Buffy raced over to the spot where India was waving violently, and began to haul away huge pieces of the rubble. "A little help might be nice!" she grunted, and Kendra sprinted to her side, easily lifting the heavy pieces. India cast a glance over to Faith. She was with Hermione, and they were struggling to wake up Ron. Gently, Kendra and Buffy picked up an unconscious Harry, and placed him on the floor next to Ron, who was waking up groggily. "Whass goin' on?" Ron asked in a slurred voice, then seemed to wake up sharply when he saw the chaos around him. "Come on, Ron, we have to go," Hermione said impatiently. Loud voices approached from down the corridor. "Harry?" Buffy was struggling to wake up Harry, who seemed to be out cold. Buffy looked up, concerned, hearing the voices. "I'll carry him," she said, making up her mind quickly. "But we have to go somewhere safe." Once again, Hermione led the way, leading Ron by the arm, and this time Buffy trailed behind the others, struggling to carry Harry. They raced up a set of stairs, across a landing, down a set of stairs, and across another landing before they stopped before a statue of a gargoyle. Hermione pulled out her wand with shaking hands and tapped the gargoyle lightly, saying the spell to open it. It slid aside, revealing a winding stone slide. "Go," Buffy emphasised. Hermione cast one last look around her before dropping into the laundry shoot. "Ron next." Ron slid into the shoot a moment after Hermione. Faith and Kendra/Cordelia went next. Buffy paused for a moment, then slid into the chute, pulling Harry down behind her. The gargoyle magically sealed itself shut. The chute felt, to Buffy, like it lasted forever. It was long and winding, smooth, but rough at the same time, and Buffy was relieved when she slid out of the end. She slid out of the way of Harry, who dropped to the floor, a dead weight. Faith, Kendra, Ron, Hermione, and India were crowded awkwardly in the narrow cavern. Buffy pushed herself to her feet and dusted herself off.
Hermione rushed towards Buffy, then bent down, picking something up.
"Harry's glasses," Hermione said, peering at them.
"I wondered why I couldn't see right."
Hermione jumped, startled, and turned around quickly. Harry was pushing himself up to a sitting position, and looked around to see where he was.
"We're in the passage to Hogsmeade," Ron said helpfully. "Voldemort blew the kitchen down on top of you. Well, you and the rest of us."
Harry stood up. "Is everyone okay?" he asked, concerned. He glanced at Buffy, who nodded. "And." he hesitated. "Dobby?"
Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy noticed Hermione and Ron looking at each-other. "We didn't have time to get them," Buffy admitted. "We had to leave them there so we could get away from Vol- Willow. Angel. And Oz. They're still there. He's got them, and probably doing god knows what to them!"
She made to climb back up the tunnel.
"Buffy, no!" Faith shouted, and Kendra planted herself firmly in front of Buffy, blocking her path.
"Get out of my way," Buffy said menacingly.
"Don't be an idiot," Kendra said bluntly. "You go back, he will get you too, and then we will have lost another warrior."
"Get out of my way or I'll make you," Buffy said evenly, ignoring Kendra's words of sense.
"You can't get out Buffy," Hermione said determinedly. All heads turned to her. "You need to be a witch or wizard to say the spell. And we aren't going to let you out, are we?"
"No way," Ron said defiantly. Harry remained silent.
"Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Please, Harry," Buffy asked desperately. "You know what it's like to loose someone. Don't make me loose my best friend and my lover." Harry wavered uncertainly, and Buffy took advantage of it. "Do you want to loose Dobby? Dobby would obviously do anything for you. Don't you wanna return the favour."
Harry made up his mind. He grabbed his glasses off Hermione, pulled out his wand, and ducked past Kendra to climb back up to the entrance. Buffy followed suit.
"Harry!" Ron and Hermione called incredulously, but he kept climbing.
Without warning, India appeared in front of Harry, and he stopped in his tracks. She looked even more ghostly than ever in the faint light of the tunnel. Her lower body was completely emerged in the rock.
"Wait," she said, and Harry obeyed. Buffy looked curiously at India. "I'll go," India continued. "I know my way about the castle, I'm least likely to be noticed. Plus, I'd be easier for me to get back unharmed. Maybe I can do something to help."
Begrudgingly, Harry agreed, and he and Buffy slid back down the tunnel.