Chapter Thirteen
Letters
While Vin poured a round of drinks—she included the two fifteen-year-olds in her wine-pouring—Sophie started their meal. It was just something to chew on really, to dispel the sour taste that Edna had left in the house. The sisters would mainly drink their dinner while they watched to make certain both Buffy and Tom ate something. Neither seemed particularly hungry though, so the four of them sat at the table picking at their meals.
"We should probably discuss the events of the evening," Vin said after the silence had gone one too long.
Both Buffy and Tom looked up.
"Did everything...go the way you explained it to Edna?" Sophie asked.
Buffy nodded. "Pretty much, yeah," she said. "Though, there might be a tiny bit we left out." Buffy glanced at Tom, then continued on. "About Tom's missing wand and what happened when I found it. Or rather, when I touched it. It was like the 4th of July out there!"
Vin and Sophie said nothing. Tom worked his jaw, but didn't add anything either.
Vin eyed him. He was clearly upset. "Could you explain? So we have all the facts," she requested.
"Um. I'm not sure how it happened, but his wand ended up stuck in a tree," Buffy said.
The sisters looked at Tom.
"When the vampire went for Buffy, it pushed me away and...somehow my wand was knocked out of my hand," he said, embarrassed.
Vin nodded. "I see."
"I shouldn't have brought it, but..." His words trailed off.
"But you did," Sophie finished. "It's your means of defense, we understand."
Tom frowned. "The Ministry of Magic won't understand!" he snapped, thinking these people lived in some sort of fantasy world. They all did, really, but what was the point of pointing that out?! Bloody Muggles...who weren't Muggles!
"You'd be surprised at what they do and don't understand, young man," Vin said gently. "Let's try to...remain calm."
Tom had opened his mouth to counter the woman's delusional thinking when there came a tapping from behind him, high up on one of the tall windows at the front of the house—startling him and the three females. All of them turned and looked at the curtain-covered windows at the front of the house. Tom though, stood up, a look of genuine panic marring his otherwise handsome face.
This is it! he thought wildly. I'm doomed!
Buffy rose slowly and took his hand. She was doing that more and more as of late and neither one of them seemed to notice.
"I'll just...go see what that is," said Vin, excusing herself from the table and the room.
They all waited. Just seconds later, presumably as soon as the front door was opened, a huge barn owl flew into the room and dropped a letter onto the dining table, then flew back out again.
By the time Vin had closed the front door and returned, Tom was holding the envelope with his name on it.
"Go on then, let's hear what they have to say," Sophie said, waving her hand at what Tom was holding.
Frowning, Tom sighed and nodded.
Dear Mr Riddle
We have received intelligence that unknown spells were used at the
location of Hyde Park this evening at twenty-three minutes past ten.
As you know, underage wizards are not permitted to perform spells
outside of school. Further spellwork on your part may lead to expulsion
from said school (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage
Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C).
We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity that
risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is
a serious offense under section 13 of the International Confederation
of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy.
Enjoy you holidays!
Yours Sincerely,
Ursula Travers
IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE
Ministry of Magic
After reading the letter to himself, Tom just stood there without speaking—so Buffy grabbed it from him and read it over for herself.
"Doesn't look too threatening to me," she said after reading it a second time, then handing it to Sophie. "It's just a warning. And they don't have all the facts. Tom didn't do anything. It was me. I think, at least. He wasn't even touching his wand! How do we get them the facts?"
Tom was just about to say that the Ministry wouldn't be interested in their facts—that all they'd care about was the use of magic in a Muggle park and that it was his wand—but another tapping, this time on the front door, stopped him.
"Oh, bloody hell! This place is like Piccadilly Circus!" Sophie snapped, handing Tom's letter to Vin. "I'll get that."
Sophie wasn't gone very long. When she returned, however, she wasn't alone. With her was an older gentleman with a long, but neatly trimmed beard, dressed in a deep purple suit and a garishly colored scarf.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Tom said, stunned by who'd just walked in. Inside his head, everything felt icy and numb. First the letter of warning from the Ministry and now a visit from Albus Dumbledore!
"Good evening, Tom," the man greeted his student, then looked around the room.
Buffy and Tom watched him. They were still standing near the dining table, but Vin had seated herself on the oversized padded footstool in the lounge. She looked distressed.
"This is my sister, Vin," Sophie said with a gesture.
"Hello Albus," Vin said with a familiarity that took Sophie by surprise.
"You look as lovely as ever, Lavinia," the older man said. "How are you?"
Vin narrowed her eyes at the man, but shrugged. "I'm well, thank you. You?"
"A few more gray hairs, as you can see," he said. "You look... exactly the same."
She laughed nervously. "Well, you know me. A little magic here, a little magic there." She waved her hand dismissively, then took a gulp of wine.
"Yes, I know you very well, Lavinia."
"What is going on here?" Sophie cut in.
Vin harrumphed and looked away, leaving it to Albus to explain or not.
"Lavinia and I are acquainted. She knew my sister, Ariana," the man said.
"Why are you here, Albus?" Vin asked, deciding to be direct. She hadn't seen any of the Dumbledores since Ariana had been killed—and she didn't want to! "It's not because of Tom, is it?"
Albus looked over at Tom Riddle. He was still standing stiffly in the same place across the room—next to a girl of about the same age.
"No, not directly," he said. "Though I am curious as to why he's here. I must admit that I was not expecting him to be."
No one responded, but Tom's mind was racing. If Dumbledore didn't know he was here, then there'd been no communication between the Ministry and Hogwarts yet. That boded well. Or maybe it was just too soon.
"Would someone care to explain?" Albus Dumbledore pushed.
Vin sighed. "Sophie and I ran into Tom about a week ago. He was...assisting Buffy."
Albus' eyes went to Tom and the girl called Buffy. She was the reason for his visit. As of tonight, she was on the Ministry's radar—her name had suddenly been added to the list of students who would attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—but it was as if she'd suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Who was this girl?
"I have a letter for you, Ms Summers," Albus Dumbledore said as he reached into a pocket to procure the missive. When he had it in his hand, he held it out to her.
Blinking, Buffy glanced at Tom, then crept forward and took the yellow-ish envelope from the odd man. It was heavy, made of something thicker even than cardstock—and it had her name and current address written, clear as day, in emerald-green ink.
Miss B. Summers
Downstairs Bedroom
13 D'Arblay Street
Soho
London
There was no postage stamp, but...why would there be when it was being delivered by hand?
Confused, her hands trembling, she turned the envelope over, intrigued by what was happening. On the other side there was a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H.
Frowning, she reached out and picked up the envelope that Tom's letter had arrived in and looked it over, front and back. It wasn't exactly the same as hers, but similar—three differences being, the wax seal with a big "M" pushed into it on the back was black, as was the color of the script on the front, and that it had Tom's name on it instead of hers. The similarities were the thick yellow-ish paper and that it also lacked a stamp.
Frowning, Buffy put Tom's envelope down, then broke the seal on her envelope. Slipping the letter out, she read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Armando Dippet
Dear Miss Summers
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed
a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins 1 September. We await your owl by no later than
31 July.
Yours Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore,
Deputy Headmaster
When she'd finished reading the short letter, she read it again, then looked up at the older man with curiosity. "The letter's from you."
The man chuckled. "Yes. I considered owling it to you, but decided I needed to meet the witch whose powers only just manifested at the age of fifteen. It's highly unusual."
Buffy huffed. "I'm actually sixteen, but Vin and Soph say otherwise."
Dumbledore eyed her, then said, "Our minimal information about you puts you in your fifth year."
Buffy didn't respond to that, but instead said, "So...I am like Tom?"
Dumbledore looked between the two teenagers. They'd clearly become friendly—real friends, he noted—which was odd, because Tom had always been so distant and suspicious of everyone. At Hogwarts he spent time with his housemates, but it never quite appeared that they were truly close. Housemates and acquaintances, but not true friends. The connection between him and this girl was different. It was real. It would bear watching.
And Buffy, though she appeared to be naïve and innocent, with her sunkissed blonde hair and wide questioning green eyes, Dumbledore doubted that was the case. He could already feel strength and drive and tenacity radiating off her.
"It appears that you are, Buffy," he said with a nod.
Buffy glanced at Tom. "After the night we've had, I was thinking that I might be."
Tom nodded. "I also thought so," he said. He could hardly contain his glee, but he knew he must. He couldn't allow Dumbledore see past his hard outer shell. And Dumbledore was watching them, taking in everything. There was little that Dumbledore missed.
"Could we discuss where you've come from, Buffy?" Dumbledore asked. "And possibly how you know about Tom?" He glanced over at the boy and frowned.
Tom tried to hide his alarm by moving to sit down. Without thinking he picked up his untouched glass of wine and took a sip—then grimaced!
Buffy cocked her head and shrugged. "I don't know, Professor. We could talk about anything, I suppose," she said with a smirk. "Is that what I'm supposed to call you? Professor?"
Dumbledore nodded. "I am a professor, so yes."
Buffy smiled—but it was almost scheming.
"So tell me, Buffy Summers, where have you come from?"
"Los Angeles, California, originally, but after that Sunnydale."
Dumbledore's eyes widened, his blue irises twinkling with knowledge.
"You know of Sunnydale?" Buffy queried, seeing the man's recognition of the town situated on the mouth of Hell.
Dumbledore nodded, eyeing the silver cross around her neck. "I have heard of it, yes. And...I know what you are."
"Hmph! Interesting," Buffy said. "How did you know...about me?"
"It shows." He paused. "Now, tell me of your knowledge of our world," Dumbledore continued, his gaze—which Buffy moved to obstruct—seeking out Tom. Sneaky, the older man noted.
"He didn't tell me, if that's what you're thinking," Buffy said defensively.
"Then how did you know?" he pushed.
"It shows," she said, throwing his words back at him with another smirk.
Dumbledore looked at Vin, who shrugged. "Oh hell, Albus!" she burst. "We're not...secret keepers! You can't blame us for having loose tongues!"
Sophie giggled. "Better loose tongues than what Edna accuses us of!"
Albus looked over at Sophie Fairweather. "Edna's still at it, is she?"
Sophie rolled her eyes. "Hmm. She never stops. She has a singular focus."
"And currently her focus is solely on acquiring the Slayer," Vin said.
"Well, in light of Buffy's new ability to perform magic, I'd say that's not going to be a concern anymore," Dumbledore said with a chuckle.
"How's that?" Buffy asked.
"You are a witch now, Buffy, so the Ministry will intervene on your behalf if they must," said Dumbledore.
"Explain please," Buffy demanded.
The older man eyed the young witch, then began. "A very long time ago, there was once a girl who was born a witch and then later was called to be the Slayer. There was much argument over the matter. In fact, the Ministry of Magic and the Watchers Council fought viciously. The Council, seeing an advantage in having a witch as their next Slayer, refused to acknowledge the Ministry's influence over the girl and attempted to override them by using intimidation tactics. The Ministry then countered, threatening to magically seize control of Council Headquarters and incarcerate all who defied them in the wizarding prison known as Azkaban."
"Could they do that?" Sophie asked, incredulous.
Dumbledore shrugged. "They must have believed it at the time," he said. "But what both groups neglected to realize was that there was another issue; they had the girl's parents to contend with as well. The girl was from an extremely wealthy and influential wizarding family who didn't appreciate that either side was attempting to take control of their daughter and use her for their own purposes. At some point, they stepped in and made their own threats. It was not good. No one seemed capable of compromise."
"My mom, if she knew about all this...or about me, for that matter...would obliterate the both of them," Buffy said, with more fervor than she actually felt. Truth be told, she missed her mother more than anything and wondered what was happening in Sunnydale in 1997. Would she ever find out?
Vin was watching the young girl and sighed. "What happened next, Albus?" she asked, to draw Buffy out of her introspective mood.
"The Slayer-witch agreed to slay when necessary, but she was unwilling to allow the Council to use her magic for their own needs. She wanted to continue her schooling at Hogwarts and focus on her studies. And, of course, train with a Watcher, to hone her Slayer skills."
"So, she did both?" Buffy asked hopefully.
Dumbledore shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. At this point the Watchers Council had no other choice but the take the Slayer's powers away from her, so the next Chosen One could be activated...so they'd have a girl with only one focus, so as not to be spread too thin."
Buffy's eyes widened. "What?! No! I can't do that! I won't allow that! I am a Slayer! It's all I know."
This wasn't precisely true. She hadn't been a slayer all that long, but she'd grown used to it. So many times she'd wished she could just stop, but now that it was an option, she knew that she couldn't go through with it.
"You won't have a choice, Buffy," Dumbledore continued, after watching the girl quickly think it over. "If you accept your invitation to attend Hogwarts, the Council will need to take your Slayer powers, so that they can be given to another girl. There must always be the Slayer. One girl in all the world."
Buffy frowned. "But...there's already another," she said, looking over at Vin and Sophie for support. "Tell him. I'm not the only one."
"She speaks the truth, Albus," Vin verified. "Buffy is a Slayer, but not the one and only Slayer."
Dumbledore frowned. "I don't understand. How is this possible? There is always just the one."
Vin sighed. "Buffy is...different."
"How so?"
"She is...from a different time," Sophie said quietly. "We don't know how she got here, but Tom found her floating in a fountain. She was unconscious. Hardly breathing."
Dumbledore looked at the young man curiously—and wondered if he'd done something to cause this. How, the older man had no idea! And Tom stared back defiantly. After a few moments, Albus' gaze went back to Buffy.
"When did you arrive?" he asked.
"Eight days ago," she responded.
Dumbledore closed his eyes and rubbed his beard. "Hmm."
"What, hmm?" Buffy inquired. "That hmm-age doesn't sound even one bit positive."
Opening his eyes, Dumbledore smiled at the girl—his eyes twinkling. "I had been thinking that your sudden magic was due to you appearing here in 1942, but if that occurred a week ago, then that's not the case. Something happened tonight that caused this."
"Oh! This part is easy," Buffy said cheerfully. "I was out slaying...with a Watcher-in-training. Edna's son...and...I may have come in contact with a wand." Buffy threw a quick glance at Tom, then looked back at Dumbledore. "And bam!" she burst, clapping her hands together. "There was some brilliant sparkage! And then a letter arrived by owl. And then you showed up!"
"This is curious," said Dumbledore, as he ran a hand over his beard. "Very curious indeed."