Accidentally Magical, or

Xander Harris and the Brand New Start

by KJ Dekker aka RockyD

Rating: PG-14 (nothing worse than the source materials)

Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me, the Buffy ones belong to Joss Whedon and Co. while Harry Potter and friends are property of J.K. Rowling. The only thing I lay claim to is the excruciating torture I put them through... and I'm sure they love me for it.

Spoilers: Harry Potter through Deathly Hallows, but set before the epilogue; Buffy set near the end of the Season 4 episode 'The Harsh Light Of Day'

Author's Note: Thanks continue to go out for the feedback, it's much appreciated. Not much to say about this really. We're almost to the part in the series where I start really getting into a groove, in my opinion. If you can just hang with me, it'll be worth it. Alright, on with the adventure.

Feedback: Yes, please. Writing is an ever evolving process and your constructive criticism can be invaluable to a rusty author. Anything you can tell me will be appreciated, even if I'm too introverted to always respond.

Chapter Ten: Trial By Fire

When Xander asked how she would know when the restrictions were lifted, she responded that the Ministry office had instructions to owl her a letter when it happened. Xander, who hadn't been present for the previous owl delivery, responded in curiosity as his eyes widened briefly, "Owl? You mean, like, an actual owl?" She couldn't help but chuckle at his youthful curiosity. She explained that yes, indeed, an actual owl would be sent with a letter for her.

As Hermione waited for word from the Ministry that she was allowed to return to England, she first made sure to send off an message to her employer, Mr. Ollivander, explaining the situation to him and apologizing for it. He had replied back shortly thereafter that she would be welcomed back when the time came and her hours were covered. It helped that they were in the slowest part of their year. The students were already off to Hogwarts, and only a handful of people ever came in to purchase a completely new wand.

Once that was off her conscience, took the opportunity to lounge about, as much as she ever really could anyway. She was quite eager to browse Giles' collection of books, most especially the ones on demonology, a subject she'd never had the chance to explore. It amazed her that so many creatures existed which weren't contained within the books in the Hogwarts library.

Giles was more than happy to explain things which the books left vague, impressing her with his wealth of knowledge. Her time there was also giving her an opportunity to get to know the individuals who frequented Giles' apartment, who were each very unique people.

She could see a lot of herself in Willow; her mousy bookishness and underlying shyness, little-by-little coming out of her shell every day. Her conversations with the redhead were always filled with barely contained exuberance, as if she were constantly ready to explode with excitement.

She could tell the girl was bursting with questions about the wizarding world, but was having trouble working up the nerve to ask. She even saw the calming effect her boyfriend Oz had on her, even without saying a word, as he rarely did.

Everyone seemed enthused about the potential applications for the ability to brew their own potions that would provide benefits not available through normal medicine. Xander seemed unusually interested in the bruise-healing salve, though he wouldn't go into detail about why. Giles was already picking Hermione's brain in regards to other, more potent healing concoctions to help them all recover from particularly vicious battles.

That was one thing that alarmed Hermione about these individuals. They seemed to be fighting alone against an almost insurmountable force that had the ability to replenish it's losses on an almost nightly basis. How they managed to wage this secret war and retain their sanity she could barely understand.

Even after Voldemort's rise to power, they'd had the support of numerous allies and a vast array of spells and counter-curses to draw from. All these people had most times were their bare hands and a refusal to back down.

She quickly came to realize one reason these people hadn't gone mad in their fight against the dark; Xander. What had started out as his annoying tendancy to say wholly inappropriate things at the oddest of times, she soon began to see for what it was. An attempt to break the tension.

Whether he realized it or not, he took every opportunity that he could to lighten all their moods and prevent them from being consumed by the darkness they were surrounded by. It was an admirable trait he shared with Ron, although more often than not Ron shoved his foot firmly down his throat moments later.

She'd also had an opportunity to observe Buffy, and was pleased to see she did seem a much better person than the one who crushed Xander's feelings not long after they'd met. She seemed just as close to both Willow and Xander as she herself had been with Harry and Ron at Hogwarts.

There was an unspoken bond between them that seemed as solid as stone. They always shared the moments that they could together, trying to pretend they were still children and didn't have the burden of the world on their shoulders.

Hermione couldn't help but feel for the girl, carrying a responsibility much like Harry had under the threat of Voldemort. There was a definite 'world-on-your-shoulders' air to her stance, but when she sat with her friends it seemed to melt away.

She now had a decent working knowledge of Slayer lore, thanks to Giles' allowing her to read through his collection, and she understood that the outlook was not good for the girls who had been chosen. Still, Buffy had collected a strong core of friends who were every bit determined to see her survive as she was herself. It made her long for the days when the Golden Trio of Hogwarts was that solid.

Her thoughts suddenly returned to Xander. If she were asked, she would have to admit he seemed a startling amalgamation of her two best friends. Xander showed a fierce determination towards his friends that she knew to be one of Harry's driving forces.

He was unerringly loyal and sought to protect those he cared for. He showed a strong sense of empathy and rationality, even as he was exhibiting his childish side. His sense of humor and childlike enthusiasm definitely made her think of Ron, who had simply refused to grow up.

Thinking of Ron again hurt more than she would care to acknowledge. Her break up with Ron just a few months prior had not been pretty, but then again neither had the relationship itself. Constant bickering and stubborn refusals to compromise had finally been enough for her.

No children had been born of the two of them, a fact she was thankful for, as she couldn't imagine raising a child in such an unstable environment. She had accepted that they were both at fault for the break down of their relationship, however Ron had not.

He placed the responsibility squarely on her, asserting he had done everything possible to make it work. This had put a strain on her friendship with Harry, as well. Even though he took it objectively and agreed that they both were to blame, it still made it difficult for him to maintain both friendships when neither was willing to occupy the same space for any amount of time.

She was grateful to him for sticking by her, but almost wished he would give one or the other up so he wouldn't be stretched limb from limb by their obstinacy.

Over the next several days, still with no word from the Ministry, she continued to look through Giles' books to find many texts she had never even heard of. They piqued her interest and had her writing down names to try and track down copies when she returned to England.

While no owls from the Ministry arrived, correspondance from the American Ministry of Magic had arrived in regards to both Willow and Xander's disclosure as wizards. They were very curious as to the circumstances behind the revelation, as it was unusual for a wizard to go undetected by their own means for such a long time, and even more unusual for the discovery to be made by a wand salesperson traveling abroad.

She could tell by reading the letter that a bureaucratic nightmare was on the way, as there would be all sorts of questions about just why she happened to be visiting this particular household and just how she managed to reveal not one but two previously unknown magical folk.

In addition to an inquiry from the Ministry, which she seriously hoped would be curtailed by Minister Shacklebolt from her own Ministry, it appeared that their admittance to any of the regional wizarding academies would be delayed as term had already started.

She wasn't surprised by this, as her late birthday had prevented her from attending Hogwarts the year she found out she was a witch. This still disappointed her, though, as she knew very well that it would be undeniably advantageous for the two of them to begin learning magic as soon as possible.

It was because of this rationalization that she decided to make a potentially career-threatening but beyond any doubt necessary move. She would help Mr. Giles teach Willow and Xander the basics of spell casting, as well as a few select incantations that could very well help save their lives each and every night. She really didn't know what was possessing her, but in the end it didn't matter. Once she'd set her mind to something, it was going to get done.

Her determination to help them in dealing with the darkness they faced came when she herself was faced with it. Almost a week into her stay, she had finally convinced them to start allowing her to come along on what they had termed a 'patrol.' It sounded to her as if it was as routine a function as the rounds the prefects did in the halls of Hogwarts every evening. Go out and check to make sure no one was up to no good. What she had gotten herself into was nothing of the sort.

Buffy was a sight to behold, the grace with which she moved truly astounding. She went toe-to-toe with vile looking creatures and was pounding them like someone twice her size. Make that three times her size, actually, she was really quite small. It seemed as if all the others did on these patrols was spectate.

It wasn't until a vampire managed a lucky hit that sent Buffy to the ground did she begin to see the supporting roles they all played. They worked together to dust the many vampires they encountered each night.

One particular evening, Hermione was paired with Xander and Willow while Buffy and Giles covered another part of the same cemetery. The split-up of their numbers came about when Hermione proved her spell casting abilities made her a formidable opponent in her own right. In addition, she could work with the two youths on battlefield casting. Anything that prepared them for the practical use of their magic was considered a good thing.

So, as the trio patrolled a typically quiet portion of the graveyard, they were caught off-guard as a vampire dropped out of a nearby tree onto Willow, causing her to cry out. It then closed in on its pray with a wide, toothy grin until a mass of limbs pounced on its back and drew its attention elsewhere. Hermione quickly realized the limbs belonged to Xander, who had foolishly jumped into the fray in an attempt to keep the monster from hurting Willow.

She watched in horror as he was easily grabbed and slammed to the earth by the inhuman beast. It quickly snatched him up by the throat and held up in the air, choking the life right out of him. Willow was still sprawled out on the ground recovering from her recent collision, and Xander was turning an alarming shade of purple as the monster slowly crushed his windpipe. In the distance, Buffy had heard Willow's cry and was making a beeline for their position but was just too far away to be able to make it in time.

The vampire suddenly erupted in flames and Xander was dropped unceremoniously to the grass below. He was coughing fiercely, as he rolled back and forth to put out a fire that had started consuming his shirt. In all, the entire confrontation took only a matter of seconds.

Buffy arrived at their location a few moments later, and Giles could be seen making his way behind her. Willow, finally back to good after her spill, took the chance to glance around for the source of the fire to find Hermione facing the scene with her wand drawn. She suddenly became self-conscious and replaced her wand in it's holster.

Nobody said anything for a time, while Buffy helped Xander to his feet and made sure he was no longer ablaze. Giles and Willow were replaying the whole scene in their mind's eyes, until Willow suddenly exclaimed, "That was so cool!"