Chapter 4

Revelations

You'd probably realized by now, that the background story is from the 1.6 Episode "The Pack", which I am using here – again not owning anything but the character of Helen, whom I hope to introduce a little more closely in this chapter.

Please review, I am very unsure how the writing is, or the story, is it boring? Would you like to read some more? I'll be happy for any kinds of critics, feedbacks, anything that might prove someone had read this tale :)

Willow stared at the wand in Helen's hand, but said nothing. Then someone jumped on the table under which they were hiding and a voice sang: „Wii-lloow? Wheere could you poss-sibly bee?"

Helen carefully crawled from underneath the table, aimed her wand at the boy: „Stupefy!" The wand gave a blue spark, but the boy remained unharmed and looked now with a certain curiosity down at Helen. She got up and tried again, now aiming it at Xander, who stood in front of the door. Again nothing happened. Panic started to take hold of her. She hasn't been expecting much, but surely she had hoped that she would manage at least a simple stunning spell! Xander was walking towards them and to their horror they heard more approaching footsteps and growling coming from the hallway. In her desperation Helen aimed her wand at the ceiling lamp above Xander's head and tried to cast a spell. It worked. The lamp crashed down and knocked him out in about the same time as Buffy and Giles ran into the room. Buffy quickly took care of the other hyena boy behind them, leaving Helen in a complete amazement of her unusual strength. After a moment of surprise of seeing the new teacher there, Buffy told them to leave and get to the zoo while she was to take care of the pack.

„Right, let's go!" cried Willow and ran out, followed by Giles and Helen. They were about to leave the school building when Helen had to stop. The effects of the few spells she cast were already beginning to announce themselves. She felt tired, worn out. Giles and Willow turned back at her.

„What- is- going on here?" She asked with her hand on her chest. Giles turned around, but didn't stop. „We need to get to the zoo. I ... I'll have to explain later. I'm sorry! There's my car. We must get there before Buffy and the others!"

So Helen moved again and soon reached Giles' car. They all got in, Helen on the front seat next to Giles, Willow at the back.

She decided to wait for them to start an explanation and remained silent. So did Giles. He took a look at the both of them, searching for any traces of wounds or injuries. „Are you both all right?" He asked while starting the car. They both just nodded, Willow kept looking nervously at the school.

Helen gave him an inquisitive look, but he kept his eyes firmly staring at the road.

He didn't know how to start. How to tell a person who has no idea of a slayer, a watcher, probably never heard of demons and surely doesn't believe in vampires and their alikes, that there were five kids outside, being possessed by the spirit of hyenas? And most of all how was he supposed to explain without making a complete fool of himself? She'll think I am insane...

„All right," he murmured more to himself, trying to gather some courage. „Eh—it will probably sound ... eh- a little .. fantastic ... to you, you're likely not to believe any of it-"

„Believe me, Giles, she is. Just tell her." Willow interrupted him and Helen noticed her rolling her eyes in the driving mirror.

Giles frowned his forehead a little at this remark and looked at Helen for a second, before he returned his glance to the road.

„Ehm... the children... the... the...", he started.

„Xander's been possessed by a hyena." Willow interrupted him, in an impatient voice.

Helen furrowed her eyebrows and turned around to look at Willow. „What?"

Willow repeated: „Xander and the others, they've been possessed by the spirits of hyenas they met at the zoo this week. It's called..."

„An actual transpossession?" Helen asked, clearly amazed. Giles looked at her, unable to hide his astonishment. „How..? Why..."

„I've heard of it. Predatory animals, primals, wanting to get back to the pure animal state, back-to-nature kind of thing, it sounded like an old fairy tale to me though." She said.

„No fairy tale here, trust me", said Willow, while Giles was still unable to draft a sentence.

„How did it happen? Or perhaps more importantly - how do you intend to reverse it?"

„Giles!" Willow addressed him in an urgent voice as he still seemed to be speechless. „What did you find out at the zoo? Can it be done?"

„Eh, yes, yes." He gave one more canny look to Helen, as if wanting to make sure that she really wouldn't find him a lunatic, although she apparently knew and understood more than they thought. „Buffy and I talked to the zookeeper and he also believed it is possible. We need to get them back to the hyenas' compound. There we must set a ... a ritual before they arrive so that the spirits will be driven out of them back to the hyenas."

„Sounds easy." Said Willow in a high voice. „What should We do?" She asked just as they reached the zoo and Giles parked his car in front of the entrance. They all got out and hurried to the hyena-house.

There Giles told them to stay outside, he was about to go in and check on the zookeeper. They should warn him as soon as they would hear Buffy and the others approaching.

Helen however couldn't stay still. She didn't know why she felt the urge to follow the librarian, although she knew it wasn't right to let Willow standing alone outside. But she couldn't help it. She suddenly turned on the spot, murmured „I am going to check on them. Wait here." – to Willow and disappeared in the entrance of the hyena house.

Approaching she heard Giles saying: „How terribly frustrating for you, that a bunch of schoolchildren could accomplish what you could not." As she was almost with them, she heard the other man, obviously the zookeeper replying: „It bothered me. But the power will be mine."

Helen came forward with a nonunderstanding expression at her face: „What...?"

„Run! It's a trap!" Giles shouted at her, but it was too late. The zookeeper, apparently very well prepared for the ritual, with an actual masai-elder-costume, hit Giles with a stock he was holding in one hand and before Helen could react or even take out her wand, she too was knocked out unconscious.

When she woke up, Giles was kneeling above her: „Are you alright?" She didn't answer, but took a look of her surroundings. They seemed to be in a small closet, in the zoo, in almost total darkness. Giles helped her to get up. „We need to get out!" Helen thought that that was an unnecessary remark. They started looking for a door and indeed seconds later Giles found a doorknob. But, big surprise, it was locked. He started to pound against the door, but it was solid. For the second time that evening Helen took her wand and pointed it at the door. She laid her free hand softly at Giles' arm that was trying to beat the door open. „Let me." Giles turned around towards her in a little surprise, which she couldn't see because of the darkness, but he stepped back a little.

„Alohomora" was the next he heard and then Helen opened the door. „How...?" But she was already storming out of the closet. They both came running into the hyena-place, where Xander was holding Willow, Buffy was saying something to them. Judging by their expressions, it was all over

„Did we miss anything?" Giles asked.

„Not really." Buffy answered.

„What happened?" Helen demanded to know, so Buffy told them, also of the unfortunate death of the not so innocent zookeeper.

„Apparently WE missed something too." Said Willow out of nothing and looked at Helen. So did Giles, in expectation of hearing some explanations. Buffy and Xander looked at each other, not having the slightest idea, what was going on.

Helen understood, but shook her head and took a step towards the exit. „Not now." She was feeling dizzy already and had to take a halt at the wall. „Monday." She looked at them once more and gave a week smile. „I want to ... go home now."

Giles came closer to her, unsure what to do or what to say. „Do you want someone to come with you? Will you be alright? You seem a little..."

„No, it's fine. Have a nice evening." She was about to leave, but turned one last time at him. „Well,... despite... this." And off she was. In front of the hyena house, she sighed. I am so going to regret this in the morning... she thought as she turned on the spot and disapparated back into her house.

Buffy and Xander looked alternately at Willow and Giles. „Are you planning on telling us anytime soon?"

All four of them walked slowly out of the zoo, while Willow was telling them, what happened in the classroom, how the history-teacher took a wooden stick, how Willow thought at first, it was a vampire stake, and how Helen made it sparkle several times and pointed it at the ceiling lamp with the amazing effect of making it fall at Xander's head.

„So it's actually her fault my head feels like a sack of moving-"

„She used a wand?" Giles asked Willow once more. It couldn't be... Of course, he thought, she must have used it at the door before as well, but in the darkness he couldn't see it, he only heard her casting the spell. But... could it really be...

„I'll talk to her on Monday", he interrupted the ongoing confused discussion between Buffy, Xander and Willow. „There is no point in guessing here." Buffy looked at him as if she wanted to object.

„She didn't do any harm. She was trying to protect us." Willow said to reassure them and they all dropped the subject. Until they talked to her, there really was no point in making any guesses.

So Giles drove them all home. On his drive back to his apartment his mind kept revolving around the young history teacher. Or how young was she? Where did she come from? Why was she there? Away from England and in Sunnydale of all places? And the most intriguing question: Who or what was she? He knew nothing about her, but for what she looked like. She might have been around 30, wasn't tall, but slim, which made her look even more tiny, had brown eyes and light brown hair that she wore mostly tied at the back of her head. She had very polite, gentle and kind manners, almost shy, as if she was in constant and anxious worry not to disturb anyone with her existence, wasn't talking much, always appeared to be preparing and to weighing every single word before she spoke it out loud. Yet she was always friendly when talking to him, she usually played with her scarf – an accessoire she seemed to have wrapped around her neck at all times – especially when she was nervous. Giles smiled unconsciously at the image of her standing in his office as she came to tell him, that she got a new classroom: During those few minutes they talked, her fingers hadn't stopped playing with the dark green scarf for a moment. He decided to go and talk to her on Monday straight after her classes – he still knew her timetable by heart.

Yet Helen didn't show at school on Monday, she had to call in and asked the principal to be excused for the day due to an illness. The disapparition had cost her her last sources of energy, she barely made it to bed on Friday night and her state didn't improve much by the next morning. Her whole circulation was completely messed up and her nose was in an on/off-bleeding mode during the whole weekend, so that when on Monday morning she regained enough focus to look at her reflection in the mirror, it was clear to her that she couldn't face her students like this, with huge dark circles under her eyes, pale as death and still barely keeping her balance, not to mention that she was hardly capable of teaching.

It was Willow who told Giles about Ms. McGregor being absent that Monday.

„Oh? She didn't come?" He looked up from his book in surprise.

„Nope. Called herself ill this morning." Willow answered.

„Well, when will she be back?"

„I don't know. She's only been put on substitute for today, so I am guessing tomorrow she should show."

„Hm." Giles just nodded and sank back into his thoughts.

And indeed the next day Helen managed – she left an hour earlier than usually to avoid the masses in front of the school – to get out of her house, into her car and somehow into her classroom, though she thought, she still looked like a walking death. Somehow the day passed, and it was early afternoon, she stayed in her classroom, working at the teacher's desk – Mr. Pescoe was working in their office and occasionally she could hear his joyful – or indignant and outraged – cries – depending whether or not he agreed with the thesis of the writer he was currently reading – through the door. Helen was about to work for an hour or two, to prepare her lessons for the next day, then she wanted to – well, she didn't really wanted, but she felt she had to – go to the library and finally get and offer some explanations, that were in place after last week's events.

She was just writing down some notes when she heard a knock on the opened door. She raised her eyes and saw Giles standing in the door frame. Her heart jumped for a second.

Then she smiled at him. He took it as an invitation and entered. „Hello." He said, as he walked slowly in, keeping his hands in his pockets - as he often did, when he felt a little insecure or was trying to remain calm – and his eyes on his shoes, after he gave her a quick look.

„Hello." She replied.

He came closer to her desk and she felt her heartbeat getting faster. It's been long since the last time that happened to her.

„I thought I'd find you in your new office." He said wondering a little, and nodded with his head at the door which led to her and Mr. Pescoe's office. „Is it not to your liking?"

„Oh, right." She shook her head. „No, no. Not at all. It's... it's a great room. It's just, it had turned out that my new colleague has rather, well, let's say he has some habits that require a certain-ah- disposition to ... bear them." She felt bad about talking bad about Mr. Pescoe.

„Oh?" Said Giles with raised eyebrows. In that precise moment a half loud, yet well audible cry from behind the office door could be heard:

„That was the Spanish, you ditsy idiot!"

They both, Helen and Giles looked towards the door.

„Oh." Now Giles understood. Helen gave an apologetic smile.

„It's good you're here. You saved me the journey to the library." She said, but remained sitting at her desk and didn't stand up. Giles came yet closer and noticed only now, how dreadful she looked. She must have been really ill, he thought.

„Yes... We perhaps need to talk."

„Yes."

Silence.

„Seems like we both have kept some rather grave secrets." He said, looking at the floor.

Helen nodded. This is so hard, she wished it would be over already. „Who is to start?" She finally asked.

Now he raised his glance from the floor and looked her into her eyes with eager interest. „Who are you? ... Are you a witch?"

Helen shrugged a little at this direct straightforward question. In a very hesitant tone she said „Yes."

Giles nodded slowly, it didn't surprise him really, yet...

„How...? Where..? Where did you learn all this? How did you - become a witch?" He asked, his eyebrows frowned, but his expression wasn't unfriendly nor wary. Clearly he was just very curious to know.

„I was born like this." Helen replied, starring at the notes on the desk in front of her. „My parents were wizards, both of my older brothers as well, so the chances were pretty high, that I too would inherit their ... magical blood." She said it in an undertone that made clear how she disliked the phrase.

Now Giles stared at her. From all he knew magical skills weren't hereditary. It didn't make any sense to him. He himself was acquainted with a few who had magical powers, which they were either born with or acquired through tedious studies of the occults, but he never had heard of anyone who would pass those powers to their children.

She noticed his blank gaze so she continued to explain. „I was taught at a – or THE - Wizarding School in the Black Forest, in Germany, and then after the recommendation of one of my teachers I spent one more year at Hogwarts. That's the..."

„Hogwarts?" Now Giles' head jumped up and he looked at her first in disbelief, then as if a sudden comprehension came upon him.

Helen was puzzled. He couldn't possibly have heard of Hogwarts. Could he...?

„You said Hogwarts? I've heard the name, of a school for witches and warlocks..."

„That's wizards. They're really delicate about that." She smiled. „How exactly is that – "

„I always thought it was a myth!" Giles continued in an astounded voice, finding it harder and harder to hide his excitement. „A school where they learn magics with wands... Willow told me you used a wand... You are an actual, a real witch then?" He looked amazed and for a moment they both remained silent, staring at each other, Helen offering him time to absorb and waiting for him to fill her gaps. Then he shook his head slightly. „I'm sorry, you must wonder..." For a second he examined her, he was thinking of how much he should tell her. He still didn't know, why she was here, what her agenda was, what her goals. Yet something about her - he couldn't describe it - made him trust her. He was sure, that she wasn't here for any evil cause.

„It's a... for that to explain, I am afraid, I'll have to start at a ..." He suddenly stopped and took a close, scanning look at her.

„Do you... Are you likely to believe in vampires?"

The question bewildered her for a moment and she looked at him very confused. „Why – yes. I do. It's not a question of faith really..." Good, he thought and interrupted her.

„Then it won't be as hard."

„All right." Said Helen reluctantly, wondering, what was about to come.

„There's something you need to know about Buffy. She is a vampire slayer."

Helen rose her eyebrows but let him go on, ready to contain every information he would be presenting her with. „She kills vampires and fights all kinds of other demons. Those are unfortunately quite frequent here in Sunnydale."

A Slayer! Again, she had heard of those long time ago, but never really knew whether or not to believe it. Apparently, this was the week of confirmed myths. But who was he? What part was he playing in all this? „When you say a vampire slayer-"

„There is but one. A "chosen one" if you like, and Buffy is it. As long as there've been the vampires, there's been the slayer... And almost that long there's been her watcher."

„A watcher?"

„A... a guide, a trainer, a couch if you will. Someone who is helping her, who prepares her for the fights, provides her with the necessary knowledge about the demons, their particular specific natures, behaviours, their weaknesses and strengths..."

„Does it have something to do with the Watchers Council?" Helen asked as she remembered something.

Giles wondered. „Yes. There is a Watchers council, their headquarters is in London, it's a ... how did you hear about this?"

„There was a department at the Ministry I passed along couple of times, years ago, and it said "WC-matters", no one really knew what it meant, so – given the name – everyone was inventing jokes about what kind of research or counselling they could possibly be doing behind a door with that label..." She noticed his raised eyebrows and decided it'd be better to drop the amused tone and definitely not to mention any examples for those jokes. „-until someone told me it actually meant a Watchers Council, without being able to tell more." He didn't reply, but was piercing at her, which made her nervous – her hand wandered again to the silk scarf wrapped losely around her neck. Giles smiled imperceptibly.

„So-uh, you're the watcher then?" She asked.

„Yes. I've been Buffy's watcher since the start of this school year. So you're saying, that the Ministry- wait, what Ministry? has some contact to Watchers Council?"

„I'm sorry, I don't know anything about it. Like I said, there was, few years ago I saw it last, this small department at the Ministry of magic, an office, that was dealing with Council matters, I don't even know if they're still operating. Nobody seemed to know much about it, and I have to confess I didn't attach much notice to it either... I'd guess they perhaps had some sort of a cooperation, or contact at least, as they had with the muggle Prime Minister, not on regular basis I'd suppose, but maybe they were exchanging information? I'd have thought you would know better, as one of them." She didn't mean to, but her words obviously hit some wound point in him, though he was trying to conceal it, but his sarcastic tone was unmistakable: „So would I. But... no. Apparently I wasn't considered important enough to be entrusted with a knowledge of that kind." I am after all but the Watcher of the current Slayer, he thought bitterly. He gave a hurt, bitter smile.

„Well, you know now." She said in a voice, that was trying to cheer him up. He looked at her thankfully.

„So what happened last week, with the transpossession, is it ... common here?"

„Yes, I'm afraid it is. I mean, not the hyena transpossession, but demons, vampires, all sorts of evil things like revived mummies, or witches... oh..."

:)))) please review, comment, criticize, anything proving someone actually read this would be nice :)))

Next chapter already in progress.