"Now, if you guys still don't believe me, your free to leave. I didn't ask for any of this. But, if you want to help there are some ground rules." Buffy began. "First you stay inside, especially at night unless your with me. Second you don't repeat a word of what I just told you to anyone, and the most important, if I tell you to do something, do it. Unless you want to get yourselves killed. You guys decide what your gona do and let me know." she finished walking into the bedroom and closing the door behind her.
"She seems nice." Ron said sarcastically.
"I don't know what to think." Hermione began. "It's your call Harry."
"I guess we have to trust her, at least until we know more. I mean we don't really have anywhere else to go from." Harry began. "We have know idea where the other horcruxes are."
"But, how is she supposed to help. Is she supposed to train us to fight or something?" Hermione asked.
"I guess we'll have to ask her to find out." Harry began but was interrupted by a tapping on the window. They all froze taking out their wands on instinct before they remembered they'd be of little use. Harry turned to the window and let out a sigh of relief hurrying over to open it. "Fawkes, what are you doing here?"
"He showed up about a month ago." Buffy said from her doorway surprising the teens. "I knew then something had happened but, I didn't really believe it till you guys showed up. I mean, I know he was way old and everything but..." she trailed off. "So are you guys staying or what?"
"For now" Harry replied. "I'm still not sure I trust you."
"Good." Buffy replied surprising them. "That's lesson one, the only person you can ever really trust is yourself."
"What exactly are you supposed to be teaching me?" Harry asked.
"I'm not supposed to tech you anything, not really. I promised to help you figure out for yourself what you need." Buffy replied cryptically. "Look, it's kinda hard to explain but, I know that there's some prophecy about you and that voldy guy. I don't know what it says exactly, and I really don't care. But I'm guessing the gist is only you can stop him." Buffy paused looking to Harry who nodded. "I know what that's like. Sucks to be you but, get over it."
"Hey." Harry began furiously. "What do you mean get over it?"
"I mean get over it." Buffy replied calmly. "The universe picked you to be it's savior, doesn't make you special."
"Harry is special." Hermione began indignantly.
"So this is the big plan you insult Harry and suddenly he's able to defeat Voldemort?" Ron asked cringing as he said his name.
"Do they fight all your battles for you?" Buffy asked.
"What's your problem?" Harry yelled.
"You need to control your temper, it's way to easy to rile you up." Buffy replied calmly.
"Is that lesson two?" Harry asked sarcastically.
"No, just a piece of advice." Buffy replied. "So, are you ready to start?"
"Start what?" Harry asked.
"What you came here for, to learn." Buffy replied pulling a trunk over and opening it.
"I still don't see what I can learn from you." Harry replied.
"Oh, so your ready. You can defeat what's his name. Well then go, do it." Buffy replied.
"I will defeat him." Harry declared.
"You want revenge." Buffy stated. "If that's what your looking for, you'll never find it." She continued pulling things out of the trunk till she found what she was looking for. "You know what this is?"
"It's a pensive." Harry replied.
"Good, I assume you've used it with my grandfather." Buffy replied.
"Yes." Harry answered.
"Well then, lets get started." Buffy replied placing it on the table. "Have you two ever been in one?" She asked Ron and Hermione. They shook their heads. "Well, you guys get what it is."
"A way to look at ones memories." Hermione recited.
"Yup, so that means you guys have nothing to be afraid of, nothing in here can hurt you." Buffy explained.
"Who's memories will we be seeing." Ron asked.
"Mine." Buffy replied. "I know your gona have a lot of questions, but it's important to observe. You can ask me whatever you want when we get out." Buffy said bring her wand to her temple and pulling the silver substance down into the pensive, giving it a swirl with her wand. "You guys ready?" They nodded. "Let's get this over with buffy said as they stepped around the pensive. Ron and Hermione were a bit surprised when they were pulled in but, quickly recovered glancing around. Harry glanced at his surroundings, they were in a city, it was almost dusk he was about to ask where they were when Buffy motioned them to follow her. Then their were two of her, the much younger Buffy sat on the steps of her school surrounded by a group of giggling girls. They could tell right away that she was the leader of the group everyone hanging onto her every word. Harry studied both Buffys noticing how Buffy looked longingly at her former self. Then the girls left leaving her alone. She stood and began to walk, then a man approached her. "This is when my life changed forever." Buffy commented quietly. They watched as he tried to explain her destiny, her disbelief and resistance. Then she reluctancy followed the man. "Lets go." Buffy said as they trailed after the duo. They watched her as she battled her first vampire, go home and listen to her parents argue over her, and cry herself to sleep. They moved through more memories, her watcher dying, being expelled from school, her parents marriage falling apart. Meeting her grandfather and discovering the truth, and finally the day her mother told her they were moving to Sunnydale. "OK, lets go." Buffy said and then they were back in her apartment."so, what have we learned?"
"That your life sucks." Ron replied.
"Besides that?" She asked.
"Why did you do it?" Harry asked.
"Do what?" She asked.
"Go with that man, fight the vampires?" Harry replied.
"I didn't really have a choice, did I." Buffy replied.
"Yes you did." Harry insisted. Buffy smiled.
"That's what we were supposed to see." Hermione exclaimed triumphantly.
"That she had a choice?" Ron asked confused.
"That we all do." Buffy explained. "Destiny, prophecies, higher powers, in the end they don't matter. It's what we choose to do. It may not be easy, it may be painful, but in the end it's our choices that matter. I learned that particular lesson from a very unpleasant man, but we'll get to that later. It's late, I'm tired."
