Chapter 4

"What in the name of Merlin's beard was that" harry mumbled to himself as he tried to regain his senses. He was on his hands and knees in the park he had port keyed to, and the nausea was starting to wear off. He had never experienced anything like that before and hoped it was only a symptom of traveling such a long distance.

After another minute of internal debate he decided to try standing again. He moved slowly and found he could stand but the nausea instantly turned into a pounding headache. He looked around to see if there was anyone within eyeshot, finding no one, he took out his trunk and returned it to its normal size. He knew he had an ample supply of painkiller potions and helped himself to one. The vile potion slid down his throat and instantly relieved the headache.

He pulled out Giles wand and tried again. "Inveniet Dominum Tuum" he said and once again the wand quickly pointed the way. As before he felt wave nausea hit him, but this time he was able to avoid spilling the remaining contents of his stomach.

Harry got his bearing and headed off in the direction the wand was pointing him. Naturally he couldn't walk around in a muggle city with the wand in his palm so he continually had to repeat the procedure as he traveled the streets. Each time he performed the spell he would continue to feel less and less nauseous, but it still hit him every time. He would have to make sure to mention it in his report.

He rounded another street corner and after looking around performed the spell to locate Giles once more. After the nausea went away he noticed that the wand was pointing right at the house he was standing in front of. It was a very large house with several windows in the front, a natural wood picket fence, and a brick exterior. From the outside there appeared to be two stories, but the windows in the attic could be a sign that it had been finished into additional bedrooms.

Harry released the latch on the gate and approached the house. The minute he did so he felt as though he was being watched. As he found himself in front of the door it opened and he couldn't help but stare for a moment before he regained his composure. She was much more beautiful in person than he would have imagined from her pictures in the file. She was barely dressed, and what she was wearing looked like it'd been painted on.

After looking him up and down for a second she plastered a fake grin on her face. "Now what would a leather clad wanna be Bogart be doing on my front porch" she asked, obviously referring to his leather trench coat and fedora.

"You must be Faith" he said as he removed his hat.

"Congratulations Skippy, right in one. You on the other hand still haven't answered my question. Why in the hell are you on my porch" she replied, minus the grin and with a heavy layer of sarcasm.

"My name is Harry and I'm looking for Rupert Giles. I was told I could find him here" he replied in the most pleasant voice he could muster. He wasn't sure, but he didn't think he liked this slayer's attitude.

"Hold on a minute, I'll see if he's here" she said as she slammed the door in his face. Were all Americans this rude? He could hear her yelling from the other side of the door "G-Man, there's a stuffy Brit on the porch looking for you."

Harry sighed and looked around the porch. It was one of those wrap around deals that extended the length of the front of the house. As he was about to sit on a bench against the house he noticed the curtains in the window part and saw no less than four teenage girls looking out with curiosity written all over their face. He recognized one of them from the file as Buffy's little sister, Dawn.

The sound of the door opening caught his attention, as well as the distinguished looking older man who walked out. This man was clearly Rupert Giles, and though he had aged quite a bit since his picture had last been updated in his file, he still looked fairly young for his age.

"Can I help you" he asked after taking in Harry's appearance. He immediately recognized the dragon hide material this young man's jacket was made from, and instantly realized that he must be from the wizarding world.

Harry held out his hand, and after a moment's hesitation Giles shook it politely. He had moderate magical power, but nothing out of the ordinary he thought as she said "Yes Sir, I'm a representative of the British Ministry. I was sent here for two reasons and because of certain…statutes…I can't go into detail out here. Would it be alright if we went inside?"

Giles hesitated for a moment, clearly uncomfortable about letting this strange wizard into a house full of slayers in training. Harry noticed this and decided to go ahead and play one of his cards now to try and earn a little trust. He reached into his pocket and retrieved the wand that had been given to him for delivery. He held it out for Giles to see and said "Do you recognize this Mister Giles? I believe it chose you at one time."

Giles eyebrows rose and his eyes got big. "Young man, even though it's been many years since I last held it, I would recognize that particular item anywhere. Please come inside" he said as he opened the door and gestured for his guest to come inside. Once the door had been closed he took Harry's trench coat and hat and hung them on a hook by the door. "Please follow me into the dining room, there's plenty of room in there for us to talk without too many prying ears" he replied as he turned his back on Harry for the first time since they had met. He began walking towards the dining room and gestured for Harry to have a seat at the table.

"Would you care for some tea or something to eat" he asked.

"I could definitely use a cup of tea, thanks" Harry replied as he sat down and placed the wand on the table in front of him, along with his Senior Auror badge, which Giles also recognized.

"Dawn would you please go and get your sister and Willow, and then bring us some tea dear" he asked the young girl standing in the doorway. She simply rolled her eyes and nodded as she left the room muttering something about always being left out.

"While we wait for the others, perhaps you could fill me in on the basics of why you're here…I'm sorry I don't think I caught your name" he said, coming to the realization that this young man had never introduced himself.

This was an important moment for Harry. He'd intentionally not introduced himself earlier knowing that how he reacted to this moment may set the tone for the rest of their discussion. "I'm sorry about that, my name is Senior Auror Harry Potter" he replied, watching the older man's face closely for a reaction.

Giles took another step and looked more closely at the gentleman standing in front of him when the resemblance hit him. How could he not have noticed this before? This young man was the spitting image of James Potter. He took a seat and spent a moment staring at the table before he finally spoke "I see it now, you must be James' son."

"I am" he replied as he watched the conflicting emotions play out on the man he knew to be his cousin's face. He could definitely sense sadness, mixed in with a bit of long forgotten anger, and a healthy dose of shame.

"Are you aware of our family connection Mister Potter" he asked slowly. Harry only nodded in response as two more people entered the room. He was immediately struck again with the feeling of nausea, but it went away as quickly as it came.

"What's up Giles" the first of them asked as she looked across the table at Harry. This must be Buffy, Harry thought to himself. He was beginning to wonder if there was some kind of code stating that in order to be a slayer you had to be drop dead gorgeous. While she would never compare to Faith in pure sex appeal, she had a look that he could only compare to a girl he'd gone to school with named Daphne Greengrass. To put it mildly, she was stunning.

The other woman who entered was obviously the source of his nausea. Her aura was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. He knew she had some kind of power, but he couldn't place it. It intrigued him, but it didn't concern him. Magically there wasn't anyone in the room who could pose a threat to him. Physically, he was sure that Buffy would wipe the floor with him.

Giles looked at his slayer and began the introductions. "Buffy, Willow, I would like you both to meet Harry Potter. He's come here from England on a mission from the government" he said as Harry rose and shook both of their hands. This was where it would get interesting. Harry could sense auras just by looking at someone, but he could get a much better read of their magical levels by touching them. As he shook the slayers hand he could sense very little actual magic, but there was something else there that was extremely powerful. If it was magic, he would compare it in strength to his own. He could tell that she felt something as well, since she took a deep breath as soon as their hands came apart. Next was Willow, and he was simply not prepared for what he felt from her. Her visual aura didn't register any magic at all, but he could feel magic oozing out of her. This was definitely something he would have to ask Giles about later.

"Wow Gilesey, you're really moving up in the world" Willow said with a smile as she sat down. "You've got the Queen sending people over to get your autograph now."

"Hardly" Giles replied with a sigh. "Auror Potter doesn't exactly represent the Queen. He's a dark wizard catcher for the British magical government."

This single sentence caused three very different reactions from the rest of the people in the room. Willow quickly broke the world record for biggest smile at the mention of a magical government. "Cool" she said.

Buffy on the other hand reacted quite a bit more forcefully. She quickly stood up and walked over to the wall, retrieving a sword from what Harry had assumed was a wall ornament.

This reaction created an immediate sense of urgency on Harry's part as he drew his wand, pointed it at Buffy, and actually said out loud "Shit, not again." Lucius had also pulled a sword on him.

Giles, as always, immediately reacted to try and defuse the situation. "Everyone calm down. Buffy, what are you thinking. This young man could knock you through that wall before you came anywhere near him with that sword" he said quickly.

"I'd like to see him try. What's he gonna do throw his pointy stick thing at me" she replied. "I won't let some stuffy Brit come across the ocean and take you away from me. Not now" She said with a mixture of anger and frustration in her voice.

Harry just stared at her down the length of his wand. "I have no intention of taking Mr. Giles into custody Buffy. He's done nothing wrong that I'm aware of."

"Everyone just calm down for a minute. Harry, if you would please lower your wand I'm sure Buffy will put the sword down" he said with desperation in his voice. This was not going well at all.

"If you know anything about me Mr. Giles you know that's not going to happen" he replied with a sense of finality in his voice.

Giles did in fact know quite a bit about his long lost cousin, if the stories could be believed. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist Harry. I have no doubt that you would easily defeat Buffy but you must understand that there are currently fourteen slayers staying in this house. You would never defeat them all."

Harry's face quickly betrayed his confusion as he slowly lowered his wand. This allowed the room to relax a bit and Buffy reluctantly handed the sword to her former watcher. "Thanks for the vote of confidence" she said as she leaned against the wall, watching Harry like a hawk.

"Wait a minute, did you say fourteen slayers? She doesn't look like someone whose died thirteen times" Harry said as he sat back down at the table.

Buffy's facial expression quickly changed at what she decided to take as a compliment "Thanks, you don't look dead either."

"Yes well, that's a long story. If everyone would please just have a seat I'm sure we can get down to the bottom of this" Giles said as he took a seat himself. "Senior Auror Potter was just about to explain to us why he's here. Please continue" he said as he gestured for Harry to get on with it before things got out of hand again.

Harry took a deep breath and began speaking. "First, if everyone would just call me Harry this would be a lot easier. Senior Auror Potter takes too long to say" Harry waited until he got an acknowledgement from everyone at the table before he continued. "I'm not here because of anything Mr. Giles has done"

"Please call me Rupert, Harry"

"Thanks, I'm actually here for several reasons. The first is the reason I agreed to come here. Rupert is my cousin. Currently he's the only living magical relative I have left."

"So you came all the way over here for a family reunion" Buffy asked skeptically.

"Not exactly, that's just a bonus. Rupert, how much do they know about the wizarding world" Harry asked as he turned to face his cousin.

"Nothing at all" he quickly replied.

"Hey, I know about magic. Really powerful witch remember" Willow said with a frustrated look on her face. Would Giles ever take her seriously?

"No Willow, what Harry is talking about is something else entirely. You practice a completely separate branch of magic than he does. Your source of power is the earth and the elements. Harry's magic, on the other hand, is a part of him. He doesn't require rituals or offerings to make his magic work. They have a completely separate world…" Giles went on to explain the existence of a magical world that had been there, right under everyone's noses, for thousands of years. There was even a magical community in Cleveland, he told them.

Buffy and Willow listened to Giles rather intently during the discussion. They would occasionally interrupt to ask a question or two but for the most part they were quite accepting of the concept. Harry figured being around the slayer must make you pretty immune to surprise.

Once the discussion was over Harry began speaking again as he placed his hand on the wand that was still sitting on the table. "The primary purpose of my mission is to return this to its proper owner, and to try and retrieve some intelligence about what happened with the council six months ago. One does not depend on the other" Harry said as he handed the wand to Giles.

Giles had an internal debate going on. Part of him wanted to take the wand and snap it. He didn't know if he wanted that kind of responsibility again. The last time he had abused his powers and it had cost him dearly. On the other hand, he knew that if he were a proper wizard again he could be an immense help to Buffy and the others as they tried to gain some type of order out of their current chaos. There was also the fact that he could actually feel his wand calling out to him in his very soul. He slowly reached out and took the wand from Harry's hand. As soon as he touched it a rush of power coursed through his body and he finally felt whole again. When he'd first had his wand taken from him he'd felt as though a part of him was missing. He could only compare it to what a person must feel when they lose an arm or a leg. As time went by he had begun to notice it less and less until he finally quit thinking about it all together. Now he was sure he could never go without it again.

"Thank you Harry" he replied as he tested it out on a flower vase on the table, which promptly exploded.

Harry grinned and waved his hand repairing the vase instantly, causing Giles to look at him with a shocked expression. This man could do wandless magic. He had only ever known of one other wizard who could do that, Professor Dumbledore. Willow could do a lot of things with simple gestures but most wizards required a wand. He would have to keep a close eye on his cousin.

"Take it easy Rupert. I don't have to return to England for a few days still and I'd be more than happy to give you some refreshers so you don't destroy your home" Harry said grinning.

"Okay, everyone slow your roll for a second. I'm sure I speak for Willow as well as myself when I say…huh. Can you use a pointy stick thingy Giles" Buffy asked, speaking for the first time in a while.

"Yes Buffy and it's called a wand. I went to school for seven years, along with Harry's father, to learn how to use my pointy stick thingy. I was quite good at it too, graduated at the top of my class. They took it away from me when we summoned Eyghon."

"I still can't believe you were such a rebel back in the olden days" Willow said with her usual grin before Buffy quickly cut her off.

"He's not like that anymore though Harry. He's all proper and stuffy now" she said coming to the defense of her watcher. Harry couldn't help but smile when she said that. There was something about this woman. As uncertain as he was about Faith, he knew that he would get along famously with Buffy. There was something about her that he couldn't help but like. It didn't hurt that she was extremely easy on the eyes.

Before he could reply Dawn came into the room along with a few other girls who looked to be about her age, and Faith. "Here's that tea you asked for Giles" she said as she placed the tray on the table, blushing as she looked at Harry. She seemed like a nice enough kid, but she was also a mystery. Her aura was also very strong, but completely different than anyone else in the house.

Faith dropped into the chair next to Buffy and looked around the room. "So do we get to beat up on the new guy or what" she asked grinning mischievously at Harry.

"Leave him alone Faith. Harry is a guest here and will be treated with respect" Giles replied, taking off his glasses to clean them with his handkerchief. Everyone understood this as a sign of frustration in the ageing watcher.

"You got it G man. You know me, all respectful and everything" she said with a smile as she turned her attention back to Harry. "So what's your story man? You show up on our door wearing a funny leather jacket and a hat that screams Indiana Jones, and then everybody starts yellin' while I'm trying to train the newbies. Spill it" she said, giving Harry the sultry look she reserved for pretty much every male of the species.

"Harry's a wizard" Willow replied happily before Harry could reply. She was so excited to have other magical people around she could barely keep herself from squealing. She couldn't wait to start asking Giles questions about what he could do.

"He's quite a bit more than just your average wizard from what I've seen so far. That little display of wandless magic puts you in the mage class I believe" Giles said to Harry.

"I'm a lower level mage, but my core is still growing. The ministry people think I will eventually hit sorcerer level" Harry replied. He didn't normally like to talk about his power but for some reason, surrounded by beautiful girls and his long lost cousin, he didn't mind.

"He's also quite famous back home. If the stories I have been hearing are accurate he defeated a very powerful dark wizard a few years ago, ending a rather nasty war" Giles added with a small amount of pride.

"Great he's weird, famous, and cute. B's gonna fall in love with him" Faith said as she threw her boots up on the table and leaned back to watch the fun.

"Hey, that's not fair. I don't fall in love that easy" Buffy huffed and crossed her arms across her chest as all the other girls laughed.

"That's enough Faith" Giles said with a warning tone. Sometimes he felt he would spend the rest of his life acting as a referee between these two. "Now if everyone would give us a moment of privacy we have a lot to discuss. I would appreciate it if we were not disturbed" he added.

Grumbling complaints the girls all got up and shuffled out of the room. Harry couldn't help himself and he let out a short laugh. "You seem to have your hands full here with these girls Rupert. I believe I'd go ruddy mad dealing with this everyday" he said grinning.

Giles couldn't help but smile as he turned back to face Harry "Yes well it can be quite trying at times. But I must admit, it's very rewarding working with slayers" he said with that hint of pride in his voice Harry noticed earlier.

The two men spent the rest of the day, and well into the evening, telling their stories. Harry told Giles the tales of his adventures in Hogwarts and how he, along with his friends, had spent a year on the run and eventually defeated Tom Riddle. He didn't tell him about the horcruxes or about the fact that he had actually died. He briefly talked about getting married to his best friend's sister, and her becoming pregnant shortly after. He mentioned that she died before the child was born but didn't go into detail. Giles was sensitive enough not to ask questions. It was still too painful to talk about. He then told him about his time hunting the remaining Death Eaters. In turn Giles filled Harry in on everything that happened since he'd become a watcher, eventually leading to the tale of how The First and Caleb had declared war on the Council and tried to eliminate the slayers from existence. Once they were finished trading war stories Harry listened greedily as Giles told him stories about their family. He filled Harry in on things he had only dreamed of hearing. Giles told him stories about Harry's grandparents, and what it was like growing up alongside his cousin James.

After what seemed like ages of story swapping, Giles got up and walked over to the cupboard where he kept his stash of scotch. After pouring them both a glass he sat back down. Harry was hesitant at first, but figured if the conversation stayed pleasant and he kept it to only one or two glasses he should be fine.

Giles cleared his throat and took a long swallow of his drink before he continued with a hint of sadness in his voice. "I loved your father as though he was the little brother I never had. After my wand was taken and I resigned myself to becoming a watcher I only visited the wizarding world three more times. The first was to attend the wedding of your parents. James was so proud, and Lilly was one of the most beautiful brides I have ever seen. I remember him chasing her around the castle after he started Hogwarts. She was such a wonderful girl Harry. She had the remarkable ability to bring out the good in everyone around her. I never though he stood a chance but he eventually won her heart. The next time I visited it was to meet you for the first time" Giles said while looking over the tops of his glasses at Harry. He received the look of surprise he expected from Harry at this announcement.

"I didn't know that" Harry replied, taking another swig from his own glass. "Sirius and Remus never mentioned you to me."

"No I don't imagine they would have. They never forgave me for doing the things I'd done after I graduated and they thought I'd gone dark. They felt that James would be better off if he was to cut me out of his life, but James wouldn't hear it. As soon as I received word that you had been born I came to meet you. You were a tiny thing, but right away it was glaringly obvious that you were a Potter. You were born with messy hair" he said as they both laughed. Harry couldn't help but feel a connection with the man who sat swapping stories with him. This man seemed to give so freely of himself, expecting nothing in return.

"My final visit was on the first of November, 1981" he said as Harry instantly recognized the significance of that date. It was the day after his parents were killed and he became the Boy Who Lived.

"I heard of their death through a contact at the council who kept tabs on the wizarding world. I immediately contacted Professor Dumbledore to find out what happened. I was devastated. He comforted me and ensured me that you were quite well and that you would be living with your Aunt. I didn't know much about Lilly's sister but I knew they didn't get along. Dumbledore assured me that it was the safest place for you, since the blood wards he'd set up relied on the protection of your closest living relative. That was clearly your Aunt. After that I received regular reports from my contact on how you were doing once you entered Hogwarts. Once I left for America to become Buffy's watcher I heard less and less until finally one day I was informed that you had defeated Lord Voldemort. That must have been immensely satisfying by the way. I had often dreamed of killing that thing myself. That was the last time anyone ever mentioned you to me" he said.

After finishing his second glass of scotch Harry yawned and looked at the clock on the wall. It was only seven but back home it was after midnight. "Where are my manners" Giles said. "You must be exhausted. You should stay here with us. All of the rooms upstairs are occupied. Most of those even have two sets of bunk beds. The basement on the other hand is set up as a training area. I'm sure it would be no trouble for a mage of your talents to conjure up a bed."

Harry looked relieved at the offer. "If it's not too much trouble that would be brilliant. I'm too tired to try and find a hotel right now."

"Smashing. Tomorrow we can go over a few spells and I can show you what we've accomplished with the girls here" he said as he led Harry to the basement door, passing several young slayers on the way. As they went down the stairs Harry noticed how crude the training area was. There were several scarecrow style fighting dummies lined up on one of the walls. On the other wall there were straw filled targets, set up for throwing knives or shooting a crossbow. Scattered at irregular intervals along the floor were several training mats that were quite worn. Harry promised himself that he would do something about the situation in the morning. It was no trouble really with the help of magic.

Harry took out his wand and transfigured one of the mats into a bed. He then began transfiguring objects into sheets, a pillow, and some blankets. Giles watched with a smile on his face as he began remembering the things that he would now be able to do once again.

"That will come in quite handy around here. Make sure to go over that with me tomorrow" he said thinking of all the money they could have saved setting up this household.

"I'd be happy to."

"Well, I'm sure you'll be up before everyone else in the morning, with the jet lag and all. Feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Make yourself at home" Giles said as he headed for the stairs. "There is one more thing Harry. As you know we're on a hellmouth. Strange things tend to happen on a hellmouth, and being in slayer central tends to amplify that. Be careful and make sure you have your wand with you at all times. I know vampires may not seem like a terrible threat after what you've been through, but they tend to be much stronger here" he warned.

"Of course. I'll see you in the morning Giles" Harry said as his cousin headed up the stairs. He took off his clothes and climbed into bed, falling into a deep sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

AUTHORS NOTE: I know Xander didn't appear in this chapter. He was somewhere…doing something. Rest assured he will be appearing in later chapters.