Chapter 29: Back at Hogwarts.
Once they were back at Hogwarts they were bombarded with questions about Los Angeles, and Wolfram and Hart. During the first week back Dumbledore moved up the dance to next week, so this weekend was a Hogsmeade weekend. Most people were all abuzz about what they were going to wear and whom they were going to go with.
" Whom are you going with Connor?" Ginny asked, everyone but Connor, Luna, and Harry had dates.
" I don't know. Who doesn't have a date?" Connor asked looking around.
" Well, there's Luna or Harry in Gryffindor, and Hannah Abbot in Ravenclaw. I think all the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs have dates though." Ginny said looking out at the lake with the others.
" I guess I'll have to ask Luna. I'm definitly not going with Harry." Connor got up to go and find Luna.
A couple hours later they group decided to go back to Gryffindor common room and start on some homework when someone came through the portrait door. " Where's Zoe I can't wait to see her, I have to tell her the funniest story about Buffy and Xander." Dawn Summer's ran into the room.
" Oh, hi Dawn. What are you doing here? I thought you would be with your sister. Anyways Zoe's not here, we haven't seen her for a while actually." Hermione said getting up to give Dawn a hug.
" Well Buffy's here to check up with everyone. We're going to be here for a few days. What do you mean that you haven't seen Zoe in a while?" Dawn said sitting down and looking concerned.
" Well don't flip out, we know she's still here. She's going to classes obviously since the professor's aren't worrying about them. We think she might be getting up very early in the morning and coming back way past curfew when everyone is sleeping. I mean she does have to caught up since she was thrown into her 6th year. I personally would of had troubles espically with finals around the corner." Hermione said trying not to worry Dawn. It didn't look like she was doing a good job at it either.
" I've got to go inform Buffy, it doesn't sound like Zoe at all." Dawn ran from the room. Hermione left a little while later but wouldn't tell anyone why.
" Dawn wait up!" Hermione yelled down the hallway. She had totally forgot what she had told Harry about helping him get a date to the ball.
" What? It's a little important that I talk to Buffy right now." Dawn turned and took the time to breath.
" I just wanted to tell you that we have a valentines day ball coming up and that if you wanted to come we'd be more than happy to invite you. I even have the perfect guy for you to go with." Hermione said as quick as she could, she didn't want to keep Dawn from Buffy.
" Ok, whose the guy?"
" Harry Potter. He's a great guy and if you don't want to go it's fine it's just that I thought you might want to come to something you've never been to before. A little adventure with out all that dangerous stuff." Hermione said starting to walk with Dawn towards Buffy's room.
" Fine, I guess I'll talk to Harry about it when I get the time. Thanks Hermione your a great friend." Dawn said turning the corner leaving Hermione in the middle of the hallway.
Dawn entered Buffy's room and ran into the back of someone. " Sorry, I have- to talk- to Buffy, " Dawn said out of breath. She looked up to see who she ran into, she had a shock when it was Athur Weasley.
" Dawn we're in the middle of a meeting can it wait until later?" Buffy said looking slightly annoyed. Dawn looked around and noticed people that she hadn't noticed before.
" Yeah, unless I can talk to someone else." Dawn said looking around, she saw that Xander was the closest to the door and pulled him outside. " Xan, have you been keeping an eye on Zoe?" Dawn gave a concerned look.
' Yeah, I see her a few times a day. Why? What's going on?" Xander asked her, he kept a close eye on her but he thought she could take care of herself and only checked up on her once in a while.
" According to Hermione and the others Zoe isn't around as much as she usually is. She leaves before anyone gets up and comes back by the time everyone's asleep. I remember Buffy doing that when she was dating Angel and doing the slaying thing, but I also remember Faith doing stuff like that when she was evil." Dawn sat down with her back against the wall.
" What are you trying to say? That Zoe is evil or something." Xander wasn't talking this news to well.
" Well I'm not exactly saying that just pointing out some of the key facts. I mean it's not that hard to believe is it? Buffy went to the wild side once, Faith did too. I'm just saying at some point in time I think all slayers go through this but I think that she might not be strong enough to fight off the rebelious urge. When was the last time you saw Zoe?" Dawn looked Xander in the eye.
" The last time I saw Zoe was, um, I spent Christmas break with you guys and then we headed back here to stay with Andrew and I didn't see her much when we came back to England. Since being at Hogwarts I think I saw her the first week and that was it. Dawn we need to tell Faith and Buffy." Xander got up and ran into the meeting.
" Buffy, Dawn wasn't kidding this is an Emergency or atleast an alert. Since we have everyone here I don't think that we should discuss it privately. Dawn said that Zoe hasn't been acting like herself, and I have a feeling that she's right. I think Zoe maybe evil she's acting just like you did Buffy when you reach that rebelious stage and is on the verge of acting like Faith when she was on the psycho killer phase." Xander said looking at everyone.
" Okay, that's bad. I suggest everyone keep a very very close eye on her. Andrew, Faith, Spike you know what to do. Don't let her know or think we're on to her but you know exactly what to ask and what to do. Espically you Faith if it is what we've been fearing contact me and Angel immediately! Other than that everyone keep a close eye on her make sure she stays with in eye contact. I think that will end this meeting." With that Buffy and everyone else left.
