A/N: So here we are, part two of this Harry Potter/Buffy cross over. Hope everything is to Madame or monsieur's pleasing and that the urge to review is overwhelming. I apologise again for anything that isn't entirely accurate on the Buffy stakes (ho hum) but I'm a passing fan and so don't know everything.
Disclaimer: JKR owns Harry's lot, Joss Whedon owns Buffy's. Anything that isn't theirs is mine so there, like it or lump it. Read on!
Harry Potter and the Slayer
The Visitor
The first few weeks of term continued in much the same style. Defence Against the Dark Arts was certainly less practical that it had been previously, but Harry didn't mind. It made a nice change. However, despite the hoards of information Giles was supplying them with, he continued to avoid all discussion of the slayer in her modern incarnation.
However, in the lesson at the beginning of October, Giles stopped Harry at the end of a class about cursed mummies and asked him for a word. Harry exchanged bemused looks with Hermione and shrugged, while she disappeared up the corridor in pursuit of Ron.
'Harry…' began Giles, reaching for one of his books that made his desk constantly inaccessible. 'I was reading this book I got out from your library the other day…wonderful place that, Madam Pince is a true delight. Could have done with that before, really… and anyway, I came across this.'
Giles leaned over and showed Harry the page he was examining closely. Harry recognised it as a piece from Important Magical Events of the Twentieth Century and let out a sigh, waiting for the inevitable. It was headed The Fall of You-Know-Who.
'It appears…' began Giles, looking at Harry with a newly formed interest, ' That you've had a little contact with this Voldemort fellow, hmm?'
'Yeah… what do you want to know?' Harry was a little fed up now.
'Nothing.' Giles replied quickly, a response that took Harry by surprise. 'I just thought you'd like to know you're not the only one.'
Now Harry was completely lost. This had obviously shown on his face as Giles continued.
'The only one to be depended on like this. Harry, the slayer was a very hard time of it, living in a world that is as blissfully unaware of what good she does as they are of your victories over Voldemort. Peas in a pod, you two.'
Harry managed a weak smile.
'Today's slayer has had to give up so much because of a gift she did not ask for. Just as you didn't ask for that scar. She's lost close ones and often had to sacrifice her own happiness in order to protect that of others.' Giles paused and looked back to Harry. 'I've seen it. I wouldn't wish it on anybody. I just thought you'd like to know that some of us understand.'
Harry nodded gratefully at the muggle and slipped out the door, the conversation at its end. He'd mentioned the modern slayer. Harry was rushing off to tell his friends this bit of information when he realised there was nothing much to tell. From what little they'd studied it was easy to figure out the slayer was almost Harry's foil in the muggle world. And in typical style Giles refused to expand on the subject. He found himself in front of the Fat lady, mumbled 'Minotaur' and scrambled into the common room, joining Ron and Hermione round the fire to discuss the upcoming Quidditch game against the Slytherins.
*
By the time Saturday rolled around, the weather had truly descended into winter. Drizzle had been falling constantly since Wednesday and Ron, now a beater and captain in the absence of his older siblings, had been insisting on extra practise every night. Except since Thursday they'd had a new addition to these evening workouts. Giles was now to be found huddled at the top of the stands with Hermione when she had no homework do to, watching the wizarding sport with pure fascination and amazement. His gasps and yelps when dangerous moves were pulled off echoed round the pitch much to the amusement of the Gryffindor team.
'Honestly,' said Ron as he whacked a bludger with as much force as he could muster, 'You'd think these muggles had never seen anything slightly dangerous.'
'Well, I reckon they're a little wimpy when it comes to pain,' said one of the chasers, a lanky 5th year with long curly hair. 'Have you ever seen American Football? They wear so much padding I'm surprised they can still move.'
'Well,' Harry laughed, sweeping down to join them. 'I think you could do with that occasionally Ron!'
Ron's ears turned slightly pink when he thought of the number of times he'd ended a match with a broken nose.
'Come on you lot!' he yelled out suddenly, even though the whole team were easily in ear shot 'We can't stand around chatting when we've got a load of Slytherins to thrash!'
He's getting more like Oliver Wood everyday, thought Harry as he rose back up through the drizzle to continue his snitch practise. He suddenly saw a glimmer of golden light right in front of Hermione and Giles and while he whipped around and swooped in to catch it, he caught a snippet of their conversation.
'… Are you serious?' Hermione was saying, looking startled. 'Can you do that?'
'Erm, in a word, yes.' Giles said in reply. 'Its a complicated spell, Gypsy in origin, but a vampire can regain his or her soul, but unfortunately can lose it just as easily… One moment of true happiness and this gift is wiped from their body. Not nice.'
'Blimey.'
Harry wasn't taking much notice, however, as he had scooped up the snitch with his left hand and was rising triumphantly above the other players. Ron cheered.
'Four point five seconds Harry! That's the quickest capture yet! Those Slytherins are stuffed and mounted!'
*
Despite Ron's tendency to over emphasise in divination, this time round he had accurately captured the essence of Saturday's game. Malfoy had never been a match for Harry's natural speed, and partly due to a long absence of the snitch and the poor quality of the Slytherin defence, the match ended at 450- 20 in favour of Gryffindor, making the Quidditch cup appear sealed very early in the season. Ron had very little to worry about so joined in the fun and frolics that continued in the common room into the early hours of the morning. Harry finally got to bed at two, incredibly sleepy from the length of the match and a stomach full of butterbeer, smuggled in by Hermione with a little help from Padfoot and the gang. The dormitory was finally filed with Neville's snores half an hour later, and Harry's eyes began to droop. He was always the last to doze off, as if the familiar noises of his friend's slumbers guaranteed their safety. His bed was so warm, so cosy and comfortable…
BANG.
Harry shot up in a flash, wide awake, unsure whether the noise he'd heard was simply part of a dream. He stared out at the darkness in front of him, listening. All he could hear was his own breathing, deep and unsteady, absorbed slightly by the increasing wind outside.
BANG.
Now Harry was certain it wasn't a dream. The noise had come from the window. It had opened and now it had been slammed shut. Harry reached for his wand and slid out from his hangings that surrounded his four poster bed, eyes wide open now. They flashed, ever watchful, from each corner of the room, expecting something to leap out from the shadows. He heard a shuffle…
'Expelliamus!' he cried, aiming his ward at the direction of the shuffle. He heard a gasp as something heavy fell to the ground with a thud. Ron now appeared to examine the object that was now stretched out across the foot of his bed.
'What the…'
'I'm as mystified as you are mate.' said Harry, who now got out of bed and examined the object with a lit up wand, an object that turned out to be a man. He appeared physically only a few years older than Harry and Ron, yet had a face that showed a hundred more in experience. He was very pale with short, black hair, while his eyes, though wide from the stunning spell, looked warm and soulful compared to the coldness of the rest of the body. Harry took this opportunity to search the stranger's pocket for a wand, a note, anything to indicate his identity. Instead he felt his hand grasp round a small vial which he pulled out of the man's leather jacket. But before he could examine its contents, a movement out of the corner of his eye made him jump. Hermione had somehow heard the commotion and sneaked up to the boy's room, her eyes wide at the sight of this strange man.
'Angel?..' she gasped, as the boys looked at her, mystified.
'Y- You know this bloke?' stuttered Ron.
'Not personally…' Hermione began, but then her common sense got the better of her. She checked the man's pulse and stood up decisively. 'We need to get him to Giles.'
'What are you on about?' said Harry, stuffing the vial back in the stranger's jacket, 'You're not making any sense…'
'Just follow me.'
Ron and Harry struggled under Angel's weight as they picked him up and scrambled through the portrait hole towards Giles' office. It was dark and by them time they'd had to hide behind three pillars due to the approach of Peeves, Harry began to wish he'd grabbed the invisibility cloak. By the time they'd had to hide behind a suit of armour due to an oncoming Mrs Norris, Ron obviously felt Hermione owed them an explanation.
'Well,' she began, unsure whether she'd be overheard, 'Let's just say he's an acquaintance of the slayer.'
'So he's a muggle then?' said Ron, still baffled. 'How did he manage to get in here then? I think Dumbledore better review some of those muggle repelling charms, I don't think somehow they're up to scratch…'
'That's because he isn't human, he's a vampire.'
'WHAT???' screeched Ron, dropping Angel's feet onto the hard wooden floor, the noise echoing down the corridor. Harry shushed him and turned his eyes on Hermione expectantly.
'A Vampire, Ron.'
Harry felt he had to stutter in a protest. 'But I thought a vampire could only cross the threshold with permission? I certainly haven't been dishing out the invites…'
'Public building, Harry. Doesn't apply. Let's just get him to Giles' office before he wakes up.' She muttered as they continued down the hall.
When they finally reached the door, Angel was beginning to stir. Hermione frantically knocked on his office door, which opened in a flash. Giles however appeared unmoved by the sight of three pupils in their dressing gowns carrying a vampire round the school at the dead of night. Instead he just sighed.
'I though this would happen….' He mumbled as he beckoned them into his office.
'Er, explanation please??!?' demanded Ron for the eighteenth time that night. Hermione finally complied while Giles set about waking Angel up.
'Angel was a muggle who turned vampire back in the 1700's. He's currently around 200 years old….'
'Blimey,' said Ron, 'Those anti ageing creams really do work…'
'Anyway around the turn of the last century a complicated gypsy spell returned his soul as a punishment for his crimes as a vampire. Personally I think it's pretty unreasonable as it's in a vampire's nature to feed and torture, but there you go…'
'Get on with it.' snapped Harry, now very tired and irritable.
'He's on our side now…' continued Giles from over by the fireplace. 'And very valuable too.'
At this point, Angel groaned and blinked at Giles, a little dazed.
'Giles! I found you! Thank god! Look…'
'Where is she?'
'By the lake. I followed her. I can't keep outta this one, Doyle had a vision from the powers that be and I knew I had to come and help. The others are with her. Giles, it's all happening, it's…'
'We can do explanations later, We need to get them inside. Harry, Hermione?'
Both instantly understood and hurried out of the room, leaving Ron standing in the corner looking rather baffled by the whole scenario. However beside appearances, Harry and Hermione were just as confused, approaching the lake outside with some caution. Across by the bank, they saw three figures, merely shadows in the moonlight, huddled together for warmth from the bitter northern winds. From what Harry could make out by their silhouettes, it looked like two girls and a boy, all glancing around them nervously. They couldn't have been more than three metres away when suddenly in a flash one of the shadows turned around and launched into a drop kick that sent Harry hurtling into the ground, only to find himself pinned to the floor by the tightest grip he'd ever felt, a stake aimed over his heart.
He'd heard Hermione scream and saw himself looking into the face of a girl with golden blond hair and a sun-kissed complexion, stake poised to strike at the slightest resistance.
It was the slayer.
*
Hermione ran over and pulled the slayer off, angrier than Harry had ever seen her, those eyes blazing behind the windswept mass of brown bushy hair. Harry, completely dumfounded by the girl's speed and agility remain floor bound, a little shocked.
'What the hell do you think you're doing?' Hermione gasped at the girl.
'What am I doing?' she snapped back, her American accent clear in the cold night air. 'What do you expect if you go sneaking up on people in this place in the middle of the night?'
'I think we'd all better calm down a bit…' said Harry, now standing, brushing the dirt off his cloak.
'I'm with the kid with that scar thing,' said the boy who was with them, his eyes darting from one face to the other nervously. 'This place is giving me the creeps.'
'What's wrong with it?' said the slayer, looking puzzled at her companion.
'Well, it's a ruin, Buffy. It's falling apart at the seams. What Giles is doing here I don't know…'
'It looks perfectly normal to me,' Buffy replied, staring into the distance, 'All the lights are on, someone's obviously home.'
'Honestly.' Hermione muttered at this bickering when the explanation was obvious. 'Sometimes. I know my family is full of them, but you muggles can't see it when it's right in front of your nose… Just follow me.'
She began to stalk off in the direction of the Castle, while the slayer looked at Harry, bewildered.
'Come on…'
While the small group trudged up to the main door to the great hall, Harry's mind began to wonder. This Buffy character could see the life inside Hogwarts because of her slayer abilities, he presumed. But how would the other two cope? Had any muggle ever trodden in their footsteps and entered the castle before them? Would they spend the whole time convinced they were taught in a ruin?
'What the…'
The other girl, with glass green eyes and shoulder length auburn hair, a much richer red than Ron's, was looking at the great hall as if it had only just come into her vision. Obviously the muggle repelling charms didn't stretch as far as the castle's interior. While her companions gazed at the sight of the bewitched ceiling, the slayer was less perplexed.
'Take us to Giles.' She demanded.
Not wishing to be pinned to the floor again, Harry led them to his office where upon entry, she yelped with a mixture of shock and surprise, staring straight at Angel before she ran to him, almost knocking Ron over in the process. He was beyond bafflement and just watched with an expressionless face. Angel appeared to have the desired effect, calming Buffy down with a reassuring hug, as if it had been a long time coming. Harry and the others slipped silently into the office, wishing something to make sense at some point before sunrise.
'Right,' said Giles, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes, 'Time for some explanations on both parties, I think.'
'Giles, what is this place? What are you doing here?' said the auburn haired girl,
'And why are all these people wearing this strange get-up?' said the boy half merrily 'Are we going trick or treating?'
'Giles, is this the slayer?' said Hermione, trying not to be amused by the boy's outburst which reminded Harry lot of something Ron would have said, if he hadn't been stunned into silence.
'How do you know that?' demanded Buffy, shooting suspicious glances in the direction of Hermione.
'What are all of you on about?' Ron said suddenly, looking at all the faces in the room frantically. 'It's three o'clock in the morning and I'm shattered!'
'Well, you haven't just been on a transatlantic flight have you?' snapped the boy 'This jet lag is a killer…'
'Well you haven't just played the longest game of Quidditch in your life with a bludger bearing a grudge…'
'Shut up!'
All six stopped dead, staring at Giles and his sudden outburst. He sighed at sat back down behind his desk, looking as if all the world's woes had descended upon his shoulders. He was silent for a while, with not a sound to be heard except an occasional creak of the castle as the winter winds began to grow stronger. The rain drummed on the window deafeningly now, while they waited patiently for an explanation.
'Introductions first, I believe.'
No one said anything for a moment. Then Harry decided to be bold and offered his hand to Buffy.
'Harry Potter, at your service.'
'Buffy Summers…' said the slayer, shaking Harry's hand politely 'and this is my friend Willow, my witchcraft consultant…'
The auburn haired girl waved shyly, as if embarrassed at this description.
'Wait a minute…' said Hermione, when what Buffy had said was sinking in. Buffy continued.
'And this is Xander, who…'
'I'm just along for the ride.' Xander grinned cheekily.
'Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger…' Harry said, indicating, 'Quidditch captain and best witch in the year.'
If these statements confused the muggles, they didn't show it.
'And what's special about you then?' said Buffy. At this point it appeared that something had dawned on Willow as her eyes grew wide and flicked up to Harry's' forehead.
'Oh my god… but I thought that was years ago… I've seen it in a couple of Giles' books, but…'
The conversation continued well into the early hours, where upon the newcomers learnt that they were in fact in Hogwarts and of Harry's legendary past. Even at this Buffy looked a little envious.
'Sheesh and I thought blowing up the mayor was a big deal…' she muttered.
But what they did not get on to was the reason behind the new arrivals, mainly due to the impending appearance of the sun meant a swift action to find Angel a place to dwell in away from the rest of the students. They settled on a room in the north tower, hardly used but discovered on the marauder's map, now acting as refuge for the vampire. As they bid Angel goodnight and locked the Tower door, Harry asked the question which had been preying on his mind since Angel's unexpected appearance.
'Not meaning to be rude or anything,' he said to Buffy as the others disappeared to take advantage of an empty common room due to the Hogsmeade weekend. 'But what exactly are you doing here? What is all this business of Giles no longer being your watcher?'
Buffy sighed sadly and looked at Harry.
'Well, Giles is no longer my watcher because…basically he cared too much. You know about the cruciamentum test?' she said. Harry nodded. He vaguely remembered Giles mentioning a test that aimed to prove a slayer's abilities and resourcefulness in extreme circumstances, but without prior warning or preparation.
'Let's just say that I passed, but he didn't. As with everything in my life, events went a little haywire.'
She smiled knowingly at Harry, 'But of course you know about that sort of thing. Two peas in a pod.'
'Yeah…so why are you here now? You've got a new watcher, right?'
'Kind of,' said Buffy 'I've actually left the council. We just didn't click. And as for my watcher, Wesley… he's no use. Knows his stuff, but he'd scream like a girl if a mouse said boo at him.'
Harry smiled. That image reminded him of Professor Quirrell.
'Right now, we need Giles. It's gone bad. I really shouldn't tell you anymore just yet, but don't worry, I'll fill you in.' she gave Harry a wink. 'I think we'll need some help on this one. Anyway, I really need a nap. I've been up for 36 hours you know!'
*
Harry had no such luck. With extra potions homework due in first thing Monday and another Quidditch match just weeks away, he sat up in the common room all day with Ron and Hermione while Buffy, Willow and Xander used their beds to get some much longed for sleep. A lock charm remained present on the Gryffindor boy's dormitory to prevent any unnecessary interruptions. However, none of them had much concentration and tended to drift off into conversation about the previous night's events. Hermione was for once, the most intrigued of all.
'That Buffy must be something pretty special,' muttered Ron, obviously smitten. Hermione frowned at this comment but continued with her own trail of thought.
'How did that girl know so much about Harry?' she quizzed thoughtfully, 'I thought the muggles didn't really know about Voldemort…'
'Please will you say You-Know-who?' wailed Ron, flinching at the name of the darkest of wizards.
'Well, Buffy said Willow knew a little about witchcraft,' said Harry reasonably. 'She probably came across the story at some point but dismissed it because she didn't know about this whole set up.'
'I suppose…' said Hermione, not sounding convinced. 'Its typical thought, isn't it? First sign of trouble and she goes running to her old watcher. Told you she wouldn't be bright.'
'Well,' said Harry, turning back to his potions write-up but trying to avoid an argument 'I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.'
However, that statement appeared to be far from the truth. The gang went down to dinner, almost expecting some sort of celebration to welcome the muggles into there midst, but here was nothing. Nothing at all expect for the usual Sunday roast and jugs of pumpkin juice. Even Giles was absent from the staff table, possibly caught up in sorting out Buffy's little crisis. Hermione was continuing her bitter crusade.
'She's probably mislaid her eyeliner. ' Hermione said loudly, ignoring Ron's scowls.
'Hermione…' he said bitterly, 'What have you got against that girl?'
'Well, nothing, but…'
'Shut up then.'
Harry sighed as he attacked a roast potato. He'd grown used to all this bickering between his two best friends, but he thought it should have blown over by now. If it wasn't Victor Krum, It was that Fleur Delacour or someone else that was currently the flavour of the month that either of them highly disapproved of for the other. Both completely blind to the obvious, Harry thought as he raised one eyebrow at the pair of them the subject matter was quickly altered.
Despite his previous confidence in the abilities of Giles to quickly solve Buffy's query, Harry's hopes were dashed in the form of Giles' absence from breakfast the next morning, and their afternoon lesson. When the absence continued for the rest of the week and after a hideous detention from Snape that involved a dust pan brush and splattered frogs brains, Harry had reached the end of his tether.
'I need to speak to Giles today. Tonight.' He declared to Ron and Hermione over lunch. 'I need to find out what all this is about.'
'Harry…' Hermione said soothingly 'Whatever it is, it's Giles' job to sort it out. And Buffy's. It's not up to you. You don't have to put yourself on the front line for once.' She looked almost relieved.
'Hermione's right,' Ron said timidly, 'You should be on the bench for this one. Save your strength.'
'What for?' Harry snapped.
'Er… Quidditch?'
Harry however knew exactly what his two friends were getting at.
'Look, I can't just sit here and do nothing. Voldemort's uprising may be on the horizon and I may not even live to see my NEWT results, but I just can't sit here and wait for it to happen. That's not me, is it? I dive straight in. Head first. Eyes open. Buffy said they may need my help… our help… so obviously it s bit more of a deal than their usual package. Fighting demons and vampires out in the muggle world may be a completely different ball game. They're out of their depth. They're panicking. They need our help… and that's exactly what they're going to get.'
Harry promptly finished his meal and stood up defiantly, reaching for his wand. However Ron was up there with him in a flash.
'Count me in. Where's the gallant hero without his sidekick?'
'And the intelligent one who does all the theory, but also a damn fine practical much to the shock and surprise of her male comrades?'
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione and grinned. They'd never let him do anything alone. The three of them almost ran out of the great hall, knocking over a couple of first years in the process, and didn't even stop when Peeves threatened them with water balloons, disappointed at their lack of reaction, he went off to torment the house-elves.
By the time they reached Giles' office they were out of breath and red in the face.
'Just… stop… for a… minute…' heaved Hermione, the others nodding in agreement. But suddenly she held up a hand to command silence as a heated argument appeared to be in procession…
'Look, it's just not possible…'
'Well, we can at least try!' Harry heard a voice he now knew distinctly was Buffy's, 'If we go down fighting then that's the best send of I'm ever gonna get!'
'Dumbledore is completely unaware of all this, we'll never pull it off.'
'So we're gonna sit here and watch the whole student body get wiped out are we?'
'For once, Buffy, I cannot see a solution.' Giles said quietly, sounding more tired than Harry had ever heard him. 'This thing is so infamous simply due it it's size and strength. The Agora cult has never been stopped before. Every thousand years it descends upon a place of collective magical powers and drains on them, along with the blood. It's the only way they can survive. Vampires who were wizards before they were turned only continue to thrive under the promise of this event. It looks like we've got a massacre on our hands. The date is set. Halloween.'
Ron turned to his friends and gulped, the panic clearly visible in those big brown eyes. Even Hermione looked out of her depth. A vampire with the enhanced powers of wizardry was the worst scenario they could possibly imagine. While the argument continued, Hermione turned to Harry, the worry etched into her face.
'Are you sure about this?…' she began. But immediately she knew Harry's mind was set. He opened the door to the office and turned to look at his now petrified friends.
'We can't do it without the students knowing…'
'I think it's a little too late for that.'
Harry had now stepped into the office to be met by questioning glares from Buffy and Giles.
'Count us in.'
*