Into the Blue
Book 1: Way of the Warriors

Chapter 25 – Small fish, big fish.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything…

TIMELINE: AU. The fifth and final instalment of the OOTB-series. Takes place during the Order of the Phoenix and begins where Come What May (part 4) left off. Includes spoilers for Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows.

SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. With Voldemort's return, and the Ministry's refusal to see it, things are more caotic than usual. Not even Hogwarts is safe anymore, something Harry and the rest of the trio, along with Sarah, who is to start her first year, is about to experience first hand. Remus and Buffy face problems of their own, at the same time as they must try and save Sirius…from himself. United they'll stand, divided they'll fall – but as the Wizarding World descend into chaos, will the light side conquer or crumble?

"I heard Seamus apologized for acting like a prat," Sarah told Harry, throwing herself down in the sofa beside him, Amanda sitting down more hesitantly in a chair, still rather awed (and slightly scared) of the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Yeah," Harry said ruefully. "Did you hear Luna's dad is reprinting the Quibbler as well?"

Sarah nodded. "Yes, she told me. Anyway, it must feel good, to no longer be seen as an attention-seeking idiot." She glanced meaningfully at the enlarged front cover of the Quibbler, hanging on the wall. Harry's giant head would occasionally exclaim things like "The Ministry Are Morons!" and "Eat Dung, Umbridge."

Harry flushed. "Yes. Still, I wouldn't say the things my picture does."

"Out loud, you mean," Sarah smirked.

Ron, who sat on Harry's other side, snorted at that. "It's brilliant, isn't it? Fred and George's idea."

"Of course it is," Hermione, seated in the other chair, muttered. "It was rather funny when I first saw it, I admit, but it's making it rather difficult to concentrate on my homework."

"Oh, come on!" Ron exclaimed. "Don't be such a mood-killer!"

Hermione gave him a glare that could have frozen fire. "Unlike you, Ron, I actually care about my grades."

"We know," Ron's lips twitched evilly. "I still remember your Boggart from third year: Professor McGonagall!" He said in a high-pitched, theatrical voice. "She said I'd failed everything!"

Harry couldn't help but snort and Hermione stood up with a huff. "I'm going to bed," she declared importantly, stalking off towards the girl's dormitories.

"That was really her Boggart?" Sarah asked incredulously.

"At least that's what Hermione told your dad after her exam," Ron shrugged. "Don't know if it's still the same, though."

"I don't know," Sarah said rather doubtfully. "I mean, I know Hermione cares about her grades but that much? Even though she was a third year?" She wrinkled her nose. "Don't you think it's more likely her Boggart was something more horrible and she only said that so she wouldn't have to admit her actual fear out loud?"

Ron only shrugged. "This is Hermione we're talking about – the girl who feared being expelled more than being killed as a first year."

Harry, however, couldn't help but feel Sarah had a point, as he also remembered something else Hermione had mentioned in her first year: "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things - friendship and bravery." Would Hermione really have failing school as her worst fear? No, Harry realized, she wouldn't.

She had always been so much more mature than them, and while failing fit neatly into a class where the worst fears at the time were spiders, banshees, mummies, rattlesnakes and so on, it didn't really fit the Hermione Harry knew. He glanced towards the girl's dormitories with a scrutinizing look, wondering what her actual fear was, and also knowing he would never ask her.

Some things were private.

She was standing in a dark, curtained room lit by a single branch of candles, staring at Voldemort whose hands were clenched on the back of a chair. Before the chair knelt a Death Eater, and Buffy frowned, trying to put a name to the face. She was 'dream-walking' again, experiencing another vision of the present, like that time when she had seen Arthur being attacked.

"I have been badly advised, it seems," Voldemort spoke coldly, his voice filled with anger.

"Master, I crave your pardon," the Death Eater croaked out, trembling.

"I do not blame you, Rookwood," Voldemort said, and Buffy slowly walked closer, and so did the Dark Lord. Rookwood. That was his name. "You are sure of your facts, Rookwood?"

"Yes, My Lord, yes… I used to work in the Department after ‐after all…" Buffy hissed, knowing they wouldn't be able to hear her. He had worked in the Department of Mysteries? Absently, she wondered if he had been there at the same time as Lily – it was actually rather likely, considering the age of the Death Eater kneeling by Voldemort's feet.

"Avery told me Bode would be able to remove it," Voldemort spoke slowly, and Buffy's eyes narrowed further. Bode…who was Bode? She was sure she had heard that name…or seen it…in a newspaper, perhaps?

"Bode could never have taken it, Master… Bode would have known he could not… undoubtedly, that is why he fought so hard against Malfoyʹs Imperius Curse…"

"Stand up, Rookwood," Voldemort commanded in a whisper and Rookwood nearly fell over in his haste to obey. Buffy couldn't help but let out a snort. How very graceful… The man looked terrified as he stared up into Voldemort's face.

"You have done well to tell me this. Very well. I have wasted months on fruitless schemes, it seems." Buffy smirked at that. "But no matter…we begin again, from now. You have Lord Voldemort's gratitude, Rookwood…"

"Identity crisis, much?" Buffy muttered to herself with a roll of her eyes. "To speak about yourself in third person…you're really trying to fill all the clichés when it comes to being evil, aren't you?"

"My Lord….yes, My Lord," Rookwood gasped.

"I shall need your help. I shall need all the information you can give me."

"Of course, My Lord, of course… anything…"

"Very well… you may go. Send Avery to me."

Rookwood scurried away, disappearing through a door, giving Buffy the opportunity to study the 'reborn' Voldemort more closely. She grimaced. "Could you be any uglier?" She muttered, peering up at his slit-like nostrils and red eyes…which suddenly, for less than a second, but enough for Buffy to notice, gleamed a startling green…

Buffy sat up in her bed, waking up with a gasp.

"Buffy?" Remus gave her a worried look.

"I'm fine…another vision," Buffy muttered. "I need to talk to Dumbledore." She stood up, her mind whirling. Green…it was as they had thought then. Harry was somehow connected to Voldemort…and she to either Harry or him. Or were these just Slayer dreams? Doubtful – they were never so detailed.

"Thank you for telling me this, Buffy," Dumbledore told the Slayer from through the fire gently. "It clears up a lot. I had wondered about Bode's sudden death's…and Sturgis' imprisonment…" He nodded slightly to himself. "You said Tom's eyes glowed green?"

"Just for half a second," Buffy said with a frown.

"It is as I feared then. Tom and Harry are connected." He pursed his lips. "I wonder…"

"What?" Buffy asked.

"It is more than likely that Harry has also experienced what you just told me. Why hasn't he alerted me to that fact?"

Buffy let an eyebrow rise, for a moment questioning the Headmaster's sanity. "Well, jeez, Dumbles," she said sarcastically. "Maybe because you've given him no reason whatsoever to put any trust in you this year, what with you ignoring him every step of the way. I mean, that's no reason to not confide in you at all, is it?"

"There's no need to be sarcastic, Buffy," Dumbledore told her, glaring slightly.

"Just calling it as I see it, Headmaster," the Slayer stated. "Trust goes both ways, you know." And with that, she shut down the floo-connection.

"Hey, Moony!" Sirius said cheerily, peering down at Remus who was lying on his back a thick mat in the middle of the library, dressed in a sweat-covered tank-top, 'bicycling' with his legs through the air. Buffy was sitting in a chair a few feet away, chewing on an apple. "How's it going?"

Remus threw him a glare. "Splendidly," he said sarcastically, stopping the motions with his legs for a few seconds. "I'm really enjoying this."

"Hey!" Buffy threw her apple-core at his knees. "Less talking, more exercising."

Remus groaned but slowly began to tread with his feet and legs through the air again. "How much longer must I keep this up?" He questioned. "I'm dying here!"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Sirius said merrily, patting his best friend on the head. "Keep up the good work, and you'll be riding a bike for real in no time."

Buffy sniggered. "Try not to antagonize him, Padfoot."

"Moi?" Sirius gasped in mock-hurt. "Antagonize Moony? Never! I'm just encouraging him!"

"Where did that damn dog go?" Alyssa's voice was heard, and Sirius winced, transformed into Padfoot and hid underneath the sofa. "Sirius!" Alyssa, her normally strawberry blonde hair a bright neon green and dripping wet - walked into the library, dressed in nothing but a dressing gown. Phoebe followed, a wide grin on her face. "Have you seen Sirius?"

Wordlessly, Remus and Buffy pointed at the sofa, quite amused. Enraged, Alyssa stalked up to the sofa, grabbed the black tail that was clearly sticking out and pulled Sirius out, ignoring the Animagus' howling. "Thanks!" Alyssa said chirpily, exiting as quickly as she came, dragging Sirius behind her, the dog leaving deep scratches in the floor from his claws.

Buffy and Remus gave up their attempts not to laugh. "What did he do?" Buffy gasped out, looking at Phoebe.

"He pranked Alyssa's shampoo with some stuff he found lying in the room the twins normally use," Phoebe said, still grinning. "I don't think there's a reversal."

Buffy, Remus and Phoebe winced in unison, as Alyssa's loud scream from upstairs proved Phoebe correct in her assumption: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT?"

None of them were surprised to see Sirius come down dressed in a white frilly ballerina dress with his hair – colored pink – in pigtails, and his face covered in badly applied make-up, when it was time for dinner.

"You two make quite a pair," Remus said as he passed him the potatoes, amused, earning himself identical glares from Alyssa (her hair still bright green) and Sirius, who huffed.

During the March full moon, Buffy was delighted to see Moony stand up on his own, and even walk around. But it was clear the wolf was even happier, as he yipped playfully, tongue lolling out, an impish glint in his amber eyes.

"It seems the cure is working on you too," Buffy commented, laughing as Moony bowled her over and then ran to the other side of the room, wagging its tail playfully. "Don't overdo it, though," the Slayer warned, and the wolf seemed to roll its eyes.

"Catch," Buffy said, throwing a chicken leg – leftovers from the day's dinner – at the werewolf, who caught it his mouth and began to chew. Buffy walked over to him as he ate, stroking the fur gently. "It's good to see you happy again," she muttered, smiling.

Four days later, Sirius (his and Alyssa's appearances back to normal) burst out laughing as he read through the latest letter from Harry.

"What is it?" Remus asked, walking into the kitchen, a smile on his face. Ever since his legs had been fixed, he'd been extremely cheerful. He got tired a lot quicker than he used to, but Buffy said that was to be expected after everything, and therefore, she still forced him to do his 'exercises' – which ended up being the only occasions he wasn't happy.

"Trelawney was sacked by Umbridge," Sirius said, still chortling. Buffy and Alyssa who had both followed Remus into the room, frowned.

"Okay, I can see why you'd think that was good," Buffy agreed hesitantly, "considering we all know what a pitiful teacher she is… But still – Umbitch sacking her…? Anything that gives her more power can't really be considered a laughing matter…"

"No, no, her being sacked wasn't what had me laughing," Sirius hurried to explain, then paused. "Okay, maybe a little. But anyway, the reason I laughed was because of Trelawney's replacement." He was smirking.

"Yes?" Alyssa said after awhile, tapping her foot impatiently. "We're waiting."

In the next second, Phoebe burst into the room, holding a letter from Sarah in her hand. "Sarah says the Divination professor was fired by Umbridge and Dumbledore replaced her with Firenze, a centaur!"

For a few seconds, there was a stunned silence, Sirius pouting slightly, put out he wasn't the one that got to break the news. "What she said," he muttered, nodding in Phoebe's direction.

"Firenze…" Remus muttered, eye's wide. Then, his lips began to twitch. And then, he began to laugh, loudly, quickly followed by Alyssa, Buffy and Sirius. Phoebe stared at the three adults, confused.

"Why is that funny?"

"Because I think that's far from what Umbridge had in mind," Buffy snorted. "She is probably going spare! She hates so-called 'half-breeds' and everything 'unnatural.' To have to accept a centaur on the post as professor…" She burst into new laughter.

"And she can't do anything about it, because a centaur, if anyone, is more than qualified to teach Divination," Alyssa concluded, smirking.

Phoebe's mouth formed an 'oh' in realization.

March slowly passed the students of Hogwarts by, day by day, until Sarah's twelfth birthday on the 29nth. Sarah, in the company of Amanda, Neville, the trio and the majority of the DA spent the afternoon and most the evening celebrating the event in the Room of Requirement: A place they could be as undisturbed and loud as they wanted, without any impromptu kill-joy visits from Umbridge.

"What is that?" Sarah stared in quirky fascination at the strange looking plant Neville's present to her contained. It was small and green, consisting of several quivering branches, that began to sway when Sarah spoke, the leaves and colorful flowers at the top twisting in her direction.

"A mood-plant," Neville said proudly and the top swayed again, this time towards Neville. "I grew it myself. It's quite rare, you know."

"Okay…what does it do?"

"Well…once its 'connected' to a specific person, the plant will react to your moods. If your happy, it will be colorful and healthy, like it is now…if not…well, I think you get the picture. As long as you feel well, the plant will. It's symbiotic."

"So if I'm not happy, it will die?" Sarah asked.

"Not necessarily. It won't…look very healthy, or nice, but it won't die." Neville explained. "If you're sad, and sit by the plant, and talk to it…well, it's complicated, but a mood-plant's presence actually helps with cheering you up, most of the time. Since the plant feels good when you do, it will automatically try and make it feel better if you're not. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but it sends out some sort of magical tendrils that affect you. Not strong enough to make you feel anything you don't want to," he hurriedly added at Sarah's now rather hesitant look. "If you're really mad and don't want to feel better, the plant's magic won't help…and then it will probably die, eventually, since, like I said, your mood affects it."

"It seems to react to our voices," Hermione commented, looking strangely fascinated as well, as the plant once again twisted its top.

"That's because it does. It can make out sounds from its surroundings and react to them," Neville said enthusiastically. "And depending on the tone of your voice…if you scream it, it will sort of 'shrivel up' in a…well, a defensive position, I guess. Give it honest compliments, and it will stretch into its full length, looking quite proud of itself."

"Wicked," Ron breathed. "Can I shout at it? Just to try?"

"No!" Sarah said, pulling the potted plant towards her protectively, and frowning at the redhead. "It will make it sad!"

As if sensing her protectiveness, the plant stretched out a long branch towards Sarah's face, tickling her cheek, making her laugh. "Aww! It's adorable!" Sarah exclaimed, and the plant trembled in happiness. "I'm not a plant person, but I think I really like this one! Umm…how do I…'connect' with it?"

"You already are," Neville said. "I took care of that while raising it."

"How?"

"Well, a drop of blood from the person dribbled onto the plant's roots works best, but anything works, really."

"So what did you use?" Sarah asked with narrowed eyes. "I think I would have noticed if you'd taken any blood from me…"

"Your saliva," Neville answered honestly, and Sarah's jaw dropped even as the trio's eyebrows rose to their hairlines.

"My what now?"

Neville flushed slightly.

"You'd fallen asleep on the common room sofa one night," he said uncomfortably. "And you were sort of…drooling." He shrugged.

"I do not drool!" Sarah exclaimed, blushing. Oh God…she had drooled in her sleep! In front of Neville! And God knows who else in the common room…

"Actually, you do," Amanda pointed out, earning herself a glare.

Harry sniggered.

On a Monday in late April, the five constant occupants of Grimmauld Place sat in the kitchen talking after having dinner, when suddenly, Molly and Arthur flooed in. "What's going on?" Buffy asked, confused.

"Clear off everything," Molly commanded, immediately taking charge, to Sirius' annoyance. "And then gather in the living room…I imagine more Order members will start coming through any second now…"

"Would you mind telling us what has happened?" Remus asked mildly as he began to banish the dishes into the sink, and Molly flushed slightly.

"Oh, yes, of course… Dumbledore flooed us…he's called for an emergency Order meeting, right away."

"Now?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, I said that, didn't I`?" Molly asked. "Oh, it's nice to see you up and about, Remus," she added and Remus smiled.

"It's nice to be up."

Fifteen minutes after Molly and Arthur flooed in, Phoebe had been sent to her room, and the living room at Grimmauld Place was packed with Order members. In fact, Buffy mused as she looked around, there were more people here than during any meeting before – it seemed Dumbledore had called every member in, so whatever he had to say must be fairly important.

Finally, after another five minutes, Dumbledore himself arrived, looking rather calm. "Ah. I'm glad to see you're all here. Since I've never liked beating around the bush – "

Buffy stared at him incredulously. Yeah, right…

" – I'll get straight to the point. I have been fired from Hogwarts, replaced with Dolores Umbridge and am as of an hour ago, on the 'run' from the Ministry." His eyes twinkled merrily.

As everyone burst out shouting with questions and exclamations, he held up his hand, until they again fell silent. "Not to worry. I have no doubt I'll be able to evade them. Even if they find me, I doubt they can catch me."

The Order chuckled weakly, still in shock.

"Why were you fired?" Hestia Jones asked. "What happened."

"Ah, thank you for reminding me. As most of you surely know, Harry Potter and his friends have started up their own Defense Club this year, due to the lack of quality in their actual lessons for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Dolores found out, and since such clubs are illegal due to one of her…educational degrees, she saw it as a chance to get rid of Harry from the school once and for all."

Buffy, Remus and Sirius hissed.

"Naturally, I couldn't allow that to happen. In her possession, she had a list of all the students in the club. Curiously – and perhaps, luckily – enough, they had named themselves Dumbledore's Army."

For a few moments, he allowed that to sink in.

"You took the fall for him," Buffy said quietly, some of the dislike she had felt for Dumbledore the past year or so dissipating, as her respect for him rose a notch. He might be rather manipulative, but he did care... "You pretended the club was your idea…"

"And since the Ministry fears you are creating an army of your own, they jumped at the chance to arrest you," Remus concluded.

"Indeed," Dumbledore inclined his head. "After all, why bother with a small fish when you can get a big fish? Not that I mean to toot my own horn, of course…" His eyes twinkled wildly and most of the Order grinned. Molly Weasley, however, did not.

"Oh, I knew that club would only bring trouble," Molly bemoaned.

"It did not just bring trouble!" Sirius said sharply. "From what I understand, it's been a great help!"

"Well, of course you'd think that," Molly huffed. "But now Dumbledore – "

" - Can do a lot of things for the Order I didn't have time for before," Dumbledore commented mildly, ending the argument before it could really begin. "This year hasn't really been the easiest for me either, with Dolores at Hogwarts. I haven't been able to dedicate as much time I would have liked to the war effort."

"What exactly are you going to be doing now, Albus?" Moody asked gruffly.

"I am afraid I am not going to be able to tell you," Dumbledore answered. "Needless to say, it is important, rather dangerous, and better left a secret to the Order as a whole. However, what I can tell you is that I won't be able to be around. I have a lot to do, and I can't do it from here, just as it couldn't be done from Hogwarts," Dumbledore continued.

"Does anyone know what you're going to be up to?" Alyssa questioned. "In case something happens to you…if it's as important as you say, shouldn't at least one other person know about it?"

Dumbledore pursed his lips together. "I have put certain measures in place," he said. "In the unlikely events of my death, you will not be left drifting with no clue, I assure you. I won't tell you what these measures are, however. What I am going to do is on a very strict need to know basis."

Slightly mollified, but still worried, Alyssa sat down.

"Now, as I'm not going to be around, I need someone to be a temporary leader for the Order," Dumbledore continued. "You all have missions – " Sirius snorted. "And someone needs to take your reports and lead the meetings in my absence. Remus."

Remus' head darted up in surprise. "Yes?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he stood up. "I leave you in charge." Jaws dropped, Remus' furthest of all. "Good day, everyone, and only contact me in an emergency. Just call for Fawkes." And in a flurry of purple robes, the Headmaster was gone.

Remus stared, still in shock, at all the faces that suddenly swiveled in his direction.