The Owl Service

Buffy watched in amazement as hundreds of owls flew through the open windows and into the Hall. They circled overhead, swooping over the House tables with letters and parcels clutched in their talons. There were so many of them that Buffy wasn't able to pick out the Lovegood's barn owl until the bird swooped so low its wings to touch her hair.

The owl circled over the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables once more, seemingly unsure who it should go to first. Finally, it flew to Lovell and dropped one of the two parcels it was carrying in front of the Ravenclaw. Then it rose, flying over to Buffy and this time landing on the table next to her plate. Lovell leaned over and handed Buffy an owl treat. She broke it into two and fed each piece to the bird.

"Go to the Owlery," Lovell called to it. "Eat and rest until evening."

The Owl hooted once and flew off.

Lovell gave his parcel a wary look. "I wonder what Dad has sent? In my first year I got a tincture to ward off Umgubular Slashkilters."

"Oh, those are nasty," said Buffy, "I saw a picture of them in Aunt Bendy's book. They look like a hairy slug. They always eat just one sock and chew holes in the front of your shoes. Did the tincture work?"

Lovell brightened. "It must have done, I never saw any."

"Cool. Mine is from Mom. I wonder what's in it?" Buffy pushed the remains of her breakfast away and drew the plainly wrapped parcel towards her.

Next to her, Travers sat reading one of his handwritten books. Buffy could see his eyes darting from his book to her parcel and then back to his page. As a Muggleborn he didn't receive many letters of parcels and was curious to see what she'd received.

"What is it?" Uma asked. She'd also had a letter but she'd taken one look at the handwriting and tossed it to the side. Buffy had heard her say it was from her mother and she was either nagging about her exam grades or complaining because she'd left her room in a mess.

"I dunno. It's from Mom," Buffy replied, cutting through the string with her knife.

Fiona hadn't received anything from the owls and didn't look bothered. She used her fork to point at Buffy's parcel, saying, "I bet it's something you forgot to pack."

A cheer went up from further along the Slytherin table, and all around the Hall heads turned to see what the excitement was about. A pink-faced Abraxus Malfoy stood up and waved a broomstick over his head excitedly.

"It's arrived!" he shouted. "My Nimbus 1,000 from Quality Quidditch Supplies! I'll be the fastest wizard in the skies at the Quidditch try-outs next weekend!"

The Slytherins clapped politely in support of one of their own, across the Hall there were worried faces at the Gryffindor table.

"Morgana save us," Uma whispered across the table as she politely clapped and smiled. "He already thinks he's Salazar's gift to Quidditch. I hope someone beats him at the try-outs."

Buffy sniggered. Not caring about Malfoy or his racing broomstick, Buffy went back to unwrapping her parcel. Inside, was a box with a covering letter from her Mom. She put the letter to one side to read later, lifted the box's lid, and stared down at a set of leather bracelets.

"It's a wand holster for your wrist," Travers said. He'd stopped pretending to read and slipped the book into his pocket. "The instructions will be on the underside of the box. Yours is made by Henry Nock and it's a Deluxe Ladies Version."

Buffy looked at him in surprise and he gestured to the box.

"There's a label on this side," he explained. "Goodness knows why you didn't read the label first before opening it. There could have been anything in there."

Fiona made a humph-humph noise in her throat, and everyone looked at her. Her mouth too full of scrambled egg to speak, so she waggled her fork at the holster box. Eventually, she swallowed the food in her mouth and said, "Nock's holsters are the best you can buy! If that's the Deluxe Ladies Version you can alter the length of the straps and strap it around your inner thigh." Seeing the perplexed expressions, she explained, "In case you're wearing a sleeveless dress at a dinner party or you're trying to keep it out of sight."

"Wouldn't that look odd?" Uma asked. "Shoving your hand up your skirt in public place and pulling out a wand."

"It's mainly for Aurors or spies," Fiona explained. "They did a review on them in Better Witch and Home magazine."

"Are you planning on a career as a spy, Buffy?" Travers drawled with bitter sarcasm. "Will you sneak across the channel and infiltrate Grindelwald's inner circle with a wand strapped to your leg?"

"OO7, armed and licenced to thrill," quipped Buffy. An image of Xander's smiling face in her head as she said it.

Uma and Fiona looked at her blankly. Since the memory had all but vanished from Buffy's head, she looked back at them blankly too.

"I'm guessing that was a pathetic attempt at a joke," Travers sneered. "You really are odd, you know. A veritable loony."

Uma and Fiona both glared at him and Travers shrugged. "What? You had absolutely no idea what she was talking about either!"

Fiona stuck her tongue out at him, then turned to Buffy. "Are you thinking of a career in the Aurors when you finish at Hogwarts? Being able to cast a corporeal Patronus is a valuable skill."

"God help the Wizarding World," Travers said under his breath. "No wonder they are in disarray."

Ignoring Travers' sarcasm, Buffy replied, "I don't know. A career in law enforcement was suggested to me at my old school," She had no idea what she wanted to do when it came to her leaving school. Three years seemed a long way time off, but her old life memories told her time moved fast and she'd be graduating before she knew it. "I'll look into it. See what qualifications I'd need."

Fiona went on, "I overheard Slughorn bragging about it to Dumbledore at dinner. He thinks you have star potential."

Travers guffawed at the phrase 'star potential' and it earned him dark glares from all sides of the table.

Leaning over the table, Uma growled, "Travers needs to learn Slytherin girls won't be insulted."

The dark-haired boy flushed. He scrambled to his feet. "That's my cue to be off," he said grabbing his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. "I'll leave you, ladies, to your discuss your upcoming stardom." With that parting shot, he sauntered off with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

"He's full of himself today," said Fiona, going back to eating the remains of her breakfast.

"At least he's started talking." Buffy attached the wand holster to her forearm and placed her wand into it. "He hardly spoke when I first sat here, he acted as if I was gonna bite him."

Uma spread soft yellow butter onto a thick slice of toast. "The boys don't like him," she said. "Several of them bully him because he's a Mudb-," she caught Buffy's eye, "Um, a Muggleborn."

Fiona placed her knife and fork onto her empty plate and pushed them to one side. "Uma's right," she said. "Salazar Slytherin was known for only taking Purebloods or Half-bloods into his House and the boys like to prove a point."

Buffy gave her a dark look.

"Don't look at me like that, Buffy!" Fiona protested. "It isn't my fault. I'm just telling you how things are."

"I don't see why anyone cares what a guy who's been dead for almost a thousand years thought," Buffy replied. "Anyway, I'm not far off a Muggleborn. Mom is a Squib and Dad's a Muggle sperm donor."

Uma and Fiona exchanged glances.

Buffy didn't notice as she was pushing her letter into her robe pocket. The letter reminded her of something. "In Potions yesterday, I was sat next to Travers and Malfoy kept passing me notes. He called me a Squib brat."

"Travers called you that?" Uma asked, outraged. "He wants hexing."

"Make it a spell involving soap and water," suggested Fiona. "He looks in need of a good wash."

They both laughed and Buffy tried not to join in. The girls were right, Travers was a bit on the greasy side. "It wasn't Travers who called me a Squib brat, it was Malfoy."

All three of them simultaneously looked up the table. Abraxus Malfoy had his broom on his lap, Avery, Lestrange and Riddle were ranged along the table and the two Parkinson girls were sat across from them. Abraxus divided his time between flirting with the two girls and gazing lovingly at his broom.

Marcus Lestrange glanced their way and acknowledged the three of them with a nod and a smile. Malfoy and the Parkinsons instantly picked up on it, and all three of them looked over at Buffy and curled their lip contemptuously. Dorothea whispered somethingto her cousin and Penelope let out a loud bray of mocking laughter.

"Malfoy is an arse," said Uma gloomily. "Wiv any luck, his privates will shrivel up an' drop off while he's riding his new broom."

"Eww!" Fiona squealed. "I can't unsee that image!"

"Yeah, that's totally gross," Buffy agreed. "He didn't like me calling him an inbred mutant in front of his friends either. I thought he was gonna choke on his own saliva."

Uma and Fiona sniggered. Fiona snorting juice down her nose as she'd just taken a drink. Seeing that made Buffy and Uma laugh even harder.

Still grinning, Buffy rose to her feet and picked up her bag. "I've gotta go. I've Arithmancy with Professor McGonagall and I need to go over something before the class starts."

###

She and Lovell walked out of the Great Hall together, ignoring the whispering from the Slytherin table. The main staircase was busier than Buffy had expected at this time and there was no chance to talk as they pushed their way past students. The people in the paintings were either yawning or had gone off visiting the other paintings. Most ignored Buffy and Lovell, only the Jester waved to them as they passed his portrait. This time instead of turning her head away and giving him a wide berth, Buffy gave the jester a quick thumbs up which caused him to somersault in a circle.

"What was in your parcel?" Buffy asked Lovell once they reached a quiet corridor. "I got a wand holster." She lifted her arm and shook back her sleeve to show him the holster.

"I prefer your gift to mine." Lovell took out two red dirigible plums from his pocket and a butterbeer cork. "Here, these are for you. Dad sent enough for both of us."

"What are they for?" asked Buffy as she took them from him.

"Dad met a witch who lives in Hogsmeade and she told him about the rogue Dementor. Dementors cause despair and confusion, he thinks a side effect might be an influx of Wrackspurts. Wearing a butterbeer cork repels them."

"There was a swarm in my Potions class yesterday," Buffy replied, thoughtfully. She put the plums and cork into her pocket. "I told Slughorn and he promised to tell the caretaker. What are the plums for?"

"To enhance clear thinking," Lovell replied. "Did Aunt Joyce say anything about Von Kendrick's attacks on Muggleborns?"

When Buffy confessed she hadn't read the letter yet, Lovell pulled her sleeve and drew her behind one of the tapestries hanging on the corridor wall. Buffy was surprised to find a short corridor leading to a panelled door set in an arched doorway. There was a stone bench set to one side and a single magically lit lantern hung from the ceiling. Was this a shortcut to another part of the castle? Or did it lead to one of Hogwarts' many unused classrooms? Finding places like this made her itch to start patrolling, learn the castle's layout and discover all its secrets.

Taking a seat on the hard bench, Buffy took out her Mom's letter and began to read it aloud.

'Dear Buffy,

There's a parcel with this letter containing a wand holster for your wrist. Please don't keep putting your wand into your waistband. If you accidentally sit on it you might break it.'

"As if I'm gonna sit on my wand!" Buffy huffed indignantly.

'The boy you met on the train, Caradoc Dearborn, is he trustworthy? How much older than you is he? I understand you want friends, but this is your first year at Hogwarts and you have a lot of catching up to do. Please don't get distracted by cute boys!'

Buffy met Lovell's eye. "With my schedule I barely have time to eat, never mind spend time with boys, of the cute or un-cute variety."

Lovell grinned. "I heard her telling Dumbledore you needed a full timetable to keep you out of trouble."

Buffy tutted and rolled her eyes. She read on.

'Thank you for warning me about Von Kendrick. I doubt I am on his target list if he is looking for Muggleborns. However, your Uncle Peregrine reinforced all the wards around the house yesterday just in case, and apart from my appointments at St Mungo's I won't go far.'

"Dad will look after her," Lovell said reassuringly.

Although Buffy nodded, she knew Peregrine wasn't a duellist. Would he be able to hold off a wizard as vicious as Von Kendrick? What if he was killed or badly injured while trying to protect her Mom? Not daring to meet Lovell's eyes, she turned back to the letter.

'Buffy, I am worried about you. I had a long, overdue talk with Peregrine last night and told him things I should have said years ago. He's been kind and understanding. I couldn't wish for a better brother.'

That sounded ominous. Buffy read on,

'Buffy, I saw Von Kendrick before we left America. He was stood outside of Hemery High when I went to meet you one night after cheerleading practice. He didn't see me, but I recognised him as a Wizard and one of Grindelwald's supporters. I knew that you were in danger. It's one of the reasons I came back to England.'

"She recognised him?" Lovell said, sounding as startled as she was by her mother's admission. "Why would he be at your Muggle school?" He peered at her, trying to work out what was different about his cousin. "What's so interesting about you?"

Buffy felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. "I don't know, she doesn't say. Maybe he wants me for his crazy experiments lab?"

She grew angry. The Slayer stirred inside her, and her magic sparked in response. Did Von Kendrick or Grindelwald know about Slayers? They could have found out about them from an old account. Had she been seen as a weapon and been hunted for it? Had something gone wrong during the kidnapping? Caradoc said Von Kendrick had a track record of leaving death and destruction behind him. The attack in London fit his profiling.

Part of her hoped that the Dark Wizard would show up again. If he did, she'd let the Slayer loose for what he'd put her and her Mom through. The thought of fighting him made her feel better, yet, deep down, she knew she wasn't ready to face a Dark Wizard who'd stop at nothing to get what he wanted. She needed to learn a lot more about magic, particularly dark magic before she had a hope of protecting those she loved and defeating him.

Buffy dipped her head and read on,

'Dumbledore has assured me that Hogwarts is one of the safest places in Britain and you'll be fine in school. Peregrine says I'm worrying needlessly and that even during Hogsmeade visits there are always teachers around. Please, take care. If Minister Lestrange is right and Von Kendrick has broken away from Grindelwald's influence he might be even more dangerous to you.'

Buffy frowned and gave Lovell a confused look. "Why would that make Von Kendrick more dangerous?"

Lovell shrugged. "I honestly don't know. Could Grindelwald disagree with Von Kendrick's experiments? Grindelwald hates the Statute of Secrecy and those who support it, but I've never heard of him going after the Muggleborns or Squibs."

Buffy read more,

'The more I think about you leaving the school grounds and its protective wards, the more worried I become. I'm thinking of writing to the headmaster and withdrawing my permission for your Hogsmeade visits.'

"She'd better not!" Buffy squeaked in growing panic. "No boys, no time out, and no shopping trips for Buffy? My life might as well be over!"

"There's far more to this life than flirting and shopping, Buffy."

Buffy pouted at Lovell. Then a sly expression came over her face and she smiled.

It was Lovell's turn to panic. "I didn't mean slaying!"

"You like a bit of nocturnal hunting as much as I do," she pointed out.

"Hunting moths doesn't break Wizarding law."

Buffy pouted. "No one will know!"

"I'll know," he said firmly. "I've only just found you. I don't want to lose you to Azkaban."

Unwilling to argue and upset him, Buffy returned to the letter.

'I'm still waiting to hear what House you were sorted into. Did you get Ravenclaw like you wanted? Dumbledore says you're brave and fearless and thinks you might be a Gryffindor. What do you think of the school, the teachers, and your classes? Write soon and tell me all,

Love, Mom.'

Lovell looked happier. "I'd like to see Aunt Joyce's face when she finds out you've been sorted into Slytherin. She'll realise then just how devious you really are."

"Lovell!"

Her cousin merely grinned at her. "Von Kendrick should despair, Grindelwald accept defeat. Dark Wizards everywhere will weep for I've seen Buffy's ruthless streak."

Buffy laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure they're all shaking in their wizarding boots."

Pushing his hair from his eyes, Lovell tugged on her arm, almost dragging her off the seat in his haste to get moving. "C'mon," he said. "Professor McGonagall is strict. If we're the slightest bit late for Arithmancy, we'll have a detention."

…...

A/N;

I was only going to post tomorrow or Tuesday, but we have had a ton of rain and I edited instead of gardening.

A few more clues for Buffy there.

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