A/N: Although many of you would like me to, I cannot say that no Slytherins were harmed in the making of this fic. Draco was being annoying, he deserved it! Read and review this anyway, please!
Dis: All the usual. I own nothing. I am a mere A-level student looking for some form of relaxation, not fortunes galore. So in essence, JKR owns the Harry Potter bits, Joss Whedon all the Buffy, and all I get at the end is anything you don't recognise. Oh, so hash.
Harry Potter and the Slayer
The cult
Of course there was as little chance of Giles changing Harry's mind as there was Snape giving Harry a box of chocolates on his birthday. So he resided to accepting their help and so the weekend was spent down in the library doing Hermione's favourite thing, researching. However now it would appear that she had a rival.
'Can I have that one once you've finished?' asked Willow when Hermione was scanning the text contained within Famous demonic events of the millennium. Hermione looked at her suspiciously over the top of the volume.
'Why? I'm already checking it. Nothing.'
'Well, I just thought…'
'Well, you thought wrong then.'
Harry leaned over to Willow apologetically
'You'll have to ignore Hermione. I think the events of the past few days has thrown her belief system up in the air.'
'Easily threatened that one.' said Buffy, wandering over from the restricted section, 'Hey Willow, you'd love some of the stuff they've got over there. It's covered in blood and goo and stuff.'
Willow however was not as thrilled by that prospect as Buffy expected.
'Sounds icky… I think I'll stick to levitating pencils, thanks.' Suddenly a thought crossed Harry's mind.
'How come you're able to do that sort of stuff if you're all muggle?'
This time Giles provided the answer.
'Well, non-magical humans, if they at least have the belief, can just about perform simple spells and enchantments.' He muttered from behind a pile of dusty books. 'Willow has both the intellect and knowledge. However she does need a little help at times…'
'Yeah,' said Willow with a smile, 'Chicken's feet, seances and all that. You lot can just pick up a wand and pow! You've got yourself a casserole. Must be great.'
Expecting a sarcastic comeback from Hermione, he turned to where she was sitting to be met by giggle. Xander was now showing her how to make paper aeroplanes. Ron tutted disapprovingly.
They spent three days like this before they came across anything that could help them. However it appeared to Harry that the Slayer and her friends were used to such a gruelling schedule. But on the afternoon of the third day, they had the most unwelcome of visitors.
'What's this Potter? Secret Homework club?'
Harry glanced up to see Draco Malfoy leering at him from the other side of his desk, his blond hair swept across the pale face, a little pink now from the cold of the castle.
'I really wonder about you sometimes Potter,' he continued, sneering. 'I mean, why do you want to hang out with that excuse for a muggle…' he nodded at Giles. 'I've already written to my father. He may no longer be a governor but he still has the right contacts. I suppose you're just keeping with tradition, with that mudblood and the poor kid.'
Harry suppressed the anger that was boiling up in him. Buffy, however, stood up.
'Hey who - ' Malfoy began, but then changed the tone of his voice. 'Who is this gorgeous creature?'
Buffy didn't reply, but merely stared at Malfoy with a look of disgust on her face. But before he could begin the sweet talk, she'd got him in a head grip and flipped over, pinning him to the ground with his face even whiter with surprise.
'My name is Buffy Summers,' she said peering down at the cowering figure of Malfoy 'I'm the Slayer, and I suggest you get out of here.'
Malfoy got up, whimpering, and scuttled back out of the library and out of sight. Ron got up to congratulate Buffy.
'That was superb! Up there with the bouncing ferret incident. Wait 'til I tell the others, Malfoy getting his butt kicked by a girl…'
However, Hermione was more concerned with the consequences of this little interruption, giving Ron a scowl that was so intense he dived back down his book with muster.
'I bet you anything that Malfoy is sitting in the Slytherin common room right now, gossiping with his cronies about his run in with the slayer,' Hermione looked a little panicky, 'And they'll want answers.'
'Got it!!!'
They all turned and stared at the sudden outburst from Ron, barely visible behind his particular pile of books. Harry ignored the fact that in the pile were hidden a few Quidditch tactic volumes and ran round to have a look.
'It's all here!' Ron cried, pointing excitedly at a column of print. 'The Agora cult comes every thousand years… blah blah blah… and has only been stopped once in a battle where only half those involved lost their lives. Hmm.'
'That's nice and reassuring.' Mumbled Xander. Giles took the book and continued to scan it.
'It appears our only hope is to take this thing head on,' said Giles, looking petrified, 'Just with a series of protection charms and… oh my…'
'What?' said Buffy, looking just as concerned.
'Well, there appears to be a ringleader which, once killed, the others will retreat. That's what must have happened 5,000 years ago. They must have staked him without realising.'
'Well, that's a little easy,' said Willow, relief spreading across her face. 'We take out the big boss guy.'
'But how do we tell who that one is?' said Hermione seriously. Harry stood up and looked her straight in the eye, strong as ever.
'Luck.'
The others looked disbelieving.
'And a little bit of potion mixing.'
*
Harry attempted to explain as they snuck into Snape's dungeon at midnight, all hidden under the invisibility cloak apart from Giles, who unluckily was on patrolling duty around the third floor corridors. He said he'd try to keep the dungeons clear for them to work undisturbed. It was much easier now they had a teacher on side, Harry thought as they crept down the stone stairs. On his previous escapades it seemed that everything conspired against them. Snape, Filch and Mrs Norris had an eye everywhere, guaranteed to turn up exactly when you least expected it. Despite the daunting and important task ahead of them, the need to keep it secret for now meant they couldn't risk interception.
'I discovered this little beauty when training for the third task,' he said, taking various bottles off the shelves behind Snape's desk. 'It's a vunerallis potion. Designed to show you the weakest point in the pack. But with a little adaptation I think it'll do the job.'
Hermione looked panic stricken at Harry's way of going about things.
'Hundreds of lives are at stake here and you're talking about guessing!' she squealed, raising her hands to the ceiling, 'You're mad!'
'There's nothing else we can do.' Muttered Harry, lighting a flame beneath his caldron. Buffy, however, had something to add.
'Erm… Harry… Not meaning to talk outta place here, but surely the ringleader will be the strongest point in this particular pack of cards and this excuse for a slim-fast milkshake won't have any effect on his bad Mojo.'
Hermione raised an eyebrow.
'Talk English.' She muttered
Willow took over the theory as Xander stood by the door, keeping watch.
'From what it says here…' she began, pacing up and down with a mouldy copy of Moste Potente Potiones 'We need to make up the potion but use a binding ingredient to allow the gunk to show up the weakest link, even if it appears the strongest.'
'Right…' said Harry, now concentrating on grating the wolfsbane. 'But that's where the problem starts. Where in the whole of Hogsmeade are we gonna get the ingredient? It's a really rare form of…'
'Harry,' Hermione said quietly, handing him the crushed wormwood, 'We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.'
For a second, Harry was taken back by Hermione's calmness, normally so absent along with any form of plan. However he got the sense that she knew more than she was letting on.
They worked long into the night, as the potion was very complicated, there was enough work for all of them. They'd had a few scares when Mrs Norris pattered along outside, but apart from that they'd been lucky. But it had been quiet for a while; Xander now sitting at the base of the door, staring down the corridor with his eye lids drooping. Suddenly, he jerked up, awake and alert, as footsteps down the corridor grew closer.
'Harry!' he said in a horse whisper, 'Someone's coming!'
But before they could move, the dark figure marched straight in and stepped into the moonlight…
'Angel!' breathed Buffy with relief, 'You had us worried for a second.'
Buffy and Angel continued to talk as Ron gradually shuffled into the corner of the dungeon, looking a little weary of the intruder. Hermione looked skyward and sighed.
'Ron, he's not going to bite your head off.'
Harry interrupted them all.
'That's it,' he exclaimed, throwing down his mortar defiantly, 'We can't do anything else. We need the binding ingredient. But where are we going to get some…
'Basilisk blood?' said Angel hopefully. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small vial Harry had found the night they first met. Harry took it with a shaking hand, remembering what it was like to be covered in the liquid, warm and oozing down his arm that night in the chamber of secrets so long ago, and shuddered at his lucky escape. Angel merely shrugged at the look of gratefulness that was plastered on Harry's face.
'How did you…' Ron began, but his words were now eaten up by the noise that was filling the chamber, a gathering wind round the caldron lit up by an eerie white glow. Harry had added the vital ingredient and the spells were now in the midst of binding.
'Come on!' Harry yelled above the growing din, beckoning everyone to join him at the caldron's side.
The wind was now reaching gale like strength, causing Harry's already untidy black hair to sweep right across his face and glasses, desperately clinging onto his face for dear life. The others joined in the circle as Harry began a silent chant, his face tense in concentration. No one could hear, but Hermione watched him wide eyed as he muttered the ancient words without taking a breath, as if possessed by some other being, his eyes flashing furiously. Suddenly the light became blinding as the wind began to scream with all its fury, as if ready to blow the walls apart if contained.
Hermione heard herself scream, as if from outside herself, as she hit the floor and faded into the night.
*
When she awoke, some hours later, she found herself back in her bed in the Gryffindor tower, warm and safe. However, she dared not open her eyes as familiar voices came into hearing.
'Well, I think it's pretty safe to say that this is screwed up.'
'What happened Harry? Why was she chosen?'
'I honestly don't know…'
Hermione could sense it was the middle of the day, yet her room felt oddly dark. When she opened her eyes she saw why. Angel was at her bedside, her curtains drawn around her bed and Ron sitting close by, sweeping her hair out of her face with a soft fingertip. Harry sat at the foot of her bed, looking almost apologetic. Willow was there too, looking ghastly pale along with Xander, opting at this time not to jig around in his usual, excited or even half nervously manner. Buffy meanwhile, wanted to get down to business.
'How d'you feel?' said Ron, his eyes lacking the sarcasm they normally hid behind. Hermione nodded faintly as she sipped the water Willow just handed her, Ron continuing to stroke her hair.
'I thought you were a gonner,' muttered Buffy, looking stern, but concerned. 'You collapsed on us. We managed to get you back up here but the potion…'
'It's gone.' Harry said quietly. 'Filch must have heard the commotion and seized the evidence. I found my empty caldron by the lake this morning.'
'Oh Harry…' Hermione began, her eyes stinging with tears. 'This is all my fault. What are we going to do now? That was our best hope of beating this thing…'
'Not quite.' said Angel, now throwing a dark cloak over himself before Xander let in the sunlight. It flooded the room like a river bursting its banks, while Angel scrambled into the remaining dark corner, smoking slightly.
'Angel, you really should go.' said Buffy, while Angel nodded simply and swept out of the room.
'Hermione, you know that potion was supposed to give us the ability to pick out the ringleader, bring him down along with the others?' said Giles, Now nervously pacing Hermione nodded.
'Well as I was saying,' muttered Xander, 'Muggins here went and screwed it all up.'
'I didn't!' screeched Harry, now standing to meet Xander's glare, 'I was just a little…er…'
'Chemically challenged?'
Harry ignored the last comment and continued the explanation.
'The blinding white light you saw was supposed to enter each of us, just for a second, to give us a base to absorb the ability in it's liquid form. Unfortunately…'
'Unfortunately it stuck with you.' Finished Ron, his eyes fully on Hermione, as if willing her to be all right.
'So…' she said, sitting up but aching all over. 'What does it mean?'
'It means you have the gift. You'll be able to pick out evil in its purest form, the central point at which a demon, vampire, dark wizard or whatever draws its energy.'
Hermione gulped at looked at her friends for reassurance.
'But for how long?'
'I don't know. I just don't know…' Harry said, his voice now breaking. 'I'm so sorry Hermione…'
However, Hermione was far from the defeatist type, She swung her legs round off the bed and strode across the room, searching for her robes.
'Well, this just means a bit of a change in plans,' she said, ignoring the fear that caused her voice to shake. 'Er…what was the plan anyway?'
'Me and Harry to after the big boss dude while you guys battle it out with his minions.' Buffy replied
'Nice.' said Xander, looking uneasy at the prospect.
'Cool!' said Willow, her eyes wide with delight, 'I'm sure you lot can teach me some whiz bang stuff which would allow me to kick some serious vampire booty!'
'Yes. Ahem,' coughed Ron, exchanging a bemused smile with Harry, 'It'll be hard work, with you being muggles and all, but I don't see why we can't manage it. I think magic is catching around here.'
'That's settled then.' Buffy said, sharply before standing up. 'I'd better go and find Giles and explain…'
'Who you are and what you are doing at this school!'
It was Professor Snape. He was standing in the doorway, wand in hand, his eyes narrowed in obvious rage. He swept into the room and pointed his wand at Buffy accusingly, his gaze not lifting for a second.
'I do not like intruders. Explain yourself!'
For once, Buffy couldn't find the words. She looked completely dumbstruck. Even Xander was silent, no witty comeback for the potions teacher who had the power to turn him into a gulping goldfish there on the spot. His mouth just fell open and closed again at regular intervals. A bit like Ron, really, Harry thought despite the apparent tension in the circular room.
'Well, erm, first I think you'd better calm down…'
But Buffy soon changed her tack when she saw that Snape meant business.
'I bumped into your young friend Mr Malfoy at breakfast this morning, Potter,' he spat, not taking her eyes off Buffy for a second. 'And he said we have the Slayer in our midst. I presume you are just that.'
Buffy just nodded.
'So I suppose that explains why my dungeon looks like a hurricane went through it!' Snape snarled.
'Well, actually…' Xander began before Hermione poked him in the back.
'I'll have to tell Dumbledore, you know that? I hope all of you are expelled! I'll see to it myself! You've got away with this sort of thing for too long Potter!'
Harry was on the verge of arguing back, his fists now white with a rage of his own.
'Come with me!' he growled, grabbing Harry by the scruff of his robes, still pointing his wand at a now worried looking Slayer. 'I'll be back with Dumbledore and we'll see what becomes of your little scooby gang!'
He dragged Harry back out of the room and down the stairs of the Gryffindor tower, Buffy and her group exchanging bemused but desperate looks behind. Harry's feet clanked with each step as he and Snape descended down the Tower. He must be really peeved, Harry thought as the blisters began to form on his heels. Yet Harry was sure… no, positive that he'd left the place immaculate. But in the aftermath of that thing, he wasn't surprised he'd left one clue to his identity. Not that Snape needed one…
He felt himself being dragged back through the portrait hole but instead of heading back up the stairs to Dumbledore's office, Snape pulled him into an empty classroom and slammed the door shut. Harry felt for his wand in the pocket of his robe. He wouldn't put anything past that slimeball.
'Now Potter…' Snape began, almost smiling in a mischievous way. 'I know your little secret. I know how you manage to sneak out every night right under our noses. I'd just like to see you try without it for once.'
At this point Snape reached into his pocket and Harry tightened his grip on the sleek polished wand. But instead Snape just gleamed as something silvery and floating slid onto the floor. Harry gasped.
'Your beloved Father's invisibility cloak.' Snape spat out, the words like poison in his mouth. 'Of course a truly great wizard would not need such a children's toy.'
Harry took his chances and made a grab for his most treasured possession. Where had Snape got it? He'd used it, just the night before, wrapping the cold, clammy body of Hermione in it and brought her back to the safety of the Gryffindor tower. Unless…
'You stole that from my room!' Harry cried, now pointing his wand at Snape. 'What the hell were you doing in there?'
'Now, now Mr Potter,' he muttered, looking at the weapon disapprovingly, 'You don't want to be doing that. Tell me what you're up to and I might consider handing it over.'
Harry lowered his arm, but his eyes remained on Snape, flashing furiously at the simple ignorance of his professor.
'You don't understand…'
'Ah, but I do Harry,' Snape began, fingering the cloth of the cloak with a bony hand. 'Like father like son. Always out to make trouble. Always out to be the hero. Not this time…'
'Serveus!'
Harry spun round at the sound of Giles' voice as he saw him standing at the doorway, hand outstretched expectantly. Realising he'd been caught out, Snape threw the cloak at Harry in disgust.
'I know you're up to something. I know it. You won't rest until this school is in ruins.'
He swept out the door past a disgruntled Giles, who said nothing but clearly understood. He stroked the cloak laying in Harry's arms silently and disappeared up the corridor towards the Gryffindor tower. Harry merely stood there in silence, calm and peaceful for the first time in days, until the footsteps finally faded away into the darkness of the school.
They had two weeks. Two weeks to try and hide Buffy and prey that Snape kept his slippery mouth shut. Two weeks to train everyone up to kick some 'vampire booty' as Willow fondly put it. They'd adopted an unused History of Magic classroom as their base, tucked in some forgotten corner of the castle. Even though in the past they hadn't known specifically what they were up against, Harry thought that this time the task, however, appeared just as daunting. Hermione tried to teach Willow a few basic vampire repelling charms, and it appeared that she took Willow's early success as a personal insult. If looks could kill, thought Harry as Willow perfected the banishing charm.
'You do know Willow…' said Giles as Buffy hit his pads with another high kick, 'The likelihood of you maintaining these abilities once we leave Hogwarts is, unfortunately, minimal.'
The look of disappointment of Willow's face was hard to avoid, making Harry squirm with guilt for getting her hopes up. However Hermione remained stone-faced, trying to conceal a small smile.
'It's the magic, you see,' she said, as if it was perfectly obvious, 'It's so strong here that even the worst of muggles catch a bit. A little like a cold, I suppose.' Now she grinned as she glanced over at Xander, who was levitating a pencil over Ron's head, oblivious.
'Oww!' yelled the redhead as the point came crashing down, nearly poking his eye out.
It was hard work. While Willow, Xander and Buffy were about to focus their all on the impending armageddon, Harry, Ron and Hermione still had lessons to attend, which were getting far more difficult and complex in the run up to their NEWTs. Under the piles of Divination charts, Arithmacy tables and a concoction that appeared to have a very negative effect upon Trevor the toad, Halloween had crept up on them. As least Giles seemed to take note of the extra strain they were under, a few knowing smiles in a Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, often the highlight of an otherwise gloomy day. He had informed them that the strike was unlikely to occur until the feast in the evening, when everyone was gathered in the great hall and the impact would be at its most hideous.
'Great stuff.' said Ron with his usual level of sarcasm.
'Maximum impact, I like that.' replied Xander.
As Harry got to bed the night before Halloween, he pulled the curtains around him closed and stayed up for a while, just thinking. Giles had said to get as much sleep as possible, but after six years of facing this sort of thing, Harry had got used to the drill. He flopped back upon his cosy, red quilt and stared up at the scarlet canopy, wondering not for the first time in his short life whether he'd live to see it another day. He thought about his roommates, Neville, Seamus and Dean, whose muffled snores and grunts he'd often found a comfort in his years at Hogwarts, and whether they'd live to see it with him. He moved across his bed and looked out into the room and smiled weakly. This was his family. This was his home. As much as Dumbledore had wanted him to stay at the Dursleys, especially in the years since Voldemort's return, this was were he belonged. And he wouldn't give it up without a fight.
'Mind if I join you?'
Harry jumped at the sound of Buffy, who now appeared in the corner of the room. Even she looked pale now; tired from the strain that Giles had put her under. As Harry nodded and Buffy perched at the foot of his bed, he wondered why she was here. Why was she fighting a battle that wasn't even hers? He often asked himself the same question.
'You can't sleep either?' she whispered, so not to wake the others.
'No.' Harry muttered in reply, looking down into his laps. 'I have bad dreams.'
He didn't even now why he had said that. He only told Ron and Hermione of the really bad ones. The dreams about Voldemort. Not the nightmares that plagued him so regularly that he'd forgotten what is was not to wake up in a cold sweat.
Buffy gave him a weak smile through the darkness and a mutual understanding passed between them.
'Do you remember your parents?'
'Sorry?'
Harry hadn't been expecting that one. He shifted uncomfortably and Buffy realised her mistake
'Look, I'm sorry I…'
'No, it's OK.' Harry sighed. 'I remember a little. Mainly through the dementors, you know, they feed on hope and happiness, leaving you with the worst experiences of your life. When Voldemort came for them, my dad tried to fight. I don't know much about him, but I've heard his voice. I hear it everyday.'
At this point Harry swallowed as a lump began to form in his throat. Yet he continued.
'He died in the fight, and Voldemort turned his wand on me. My mum was screaming…All I can hear is her screaming with terror, begging Voldemort to take her and leave me. I remember a green light and my forehead burning, and…and…'
Harry found himself unable to look Buffy in the eye. He'd never told anybody, let alone a complete stranger, a muggle. The others only knew in parts. He was unable to prevent a solitary tear running down his cheek.
'Have you ever met this guy?'
'Voldemort?' Harry asked, 'Yeah. He's come so close to killing me so many times it's a wonder I'm not a gibbering wreak. My blood resurrected him. Me being alive is his force, his drive, his mission. Sometimes it seems I'm the only thing preventing his take-over. For him, I either become his ally or I die. I'm his Achilles heel. As long as I live, people will know that he's not invincible and that's something he simply cannot live with.' Harry sighed, a world's responsibilities settling on his shoulders.
They said nothing for a long time. Both just staring at their feet in the silence of the castle at peace.
'Do you dream about your parents?' Buffy eventually whispered.
'Sometimes.' Harry smiled for the first time in days, 'I'd like to think they're happy.'
Buffy smiled back weakly, the strain of it all obviously getting to her. However it was Harry's turn to ask the questions.
'Buffy, why did you come here?' he said, as if afraid to let the fatal words past his lips.
Buffy sighed a sigh that sounded like it had been waiting to escape for a long time.
'Honestly… I needed to get away. I needed to be somewhere that wasn't Sunnydale.' Now it was her turn to look on the verge of tears. 'Too much bad karma.'
Harry didn't feel the urge to delve further, but something about his meeting had made the pair of them open up like never before.
'You know about ascensions, right?' she asked timidly. Harry nodded. 'Well, I've seen one. I lived through one. It dominated my life. My every waking moment from the time we discovered it was dedicated to stopping the ascension. I had no life. '
For the fist time since arriving, Buffy's strength was failing her. She now looked like a tired young girl who had seen the worst of the world yet was aware that more was to come. She sighed.
'Being a slayer means so much. It costs so much. But the ascension seemed to cost so much more. Friends, family… and…'
'Angel?'
Buffy nodded but looked slightly surprised.
'I guessed.' Harry said simply. Buffy continued.
'He left after the ascension. He lives in LA now, running a kind of detective agency dealing with the yucky stuff. We agreed it was for the best.' She wiped a tear away. 'But since then there's been nothing. Slaying at times is almost therapeutic; it proves that I can still be alive, that I'm still me. Coming here is part of that. We heard Giles was sent by the council to prevent this thing and I had to come. I just had to. He means too much to me to let him see this one through alone.'
'Were you expecting Angel?'
'No, not at all. His link to 'the powers that be' is certainly unpredictable. But it doesn't change things. We live in different worlds. He can no longer protect me. No more high school. No more scooby gang. It's moved on.'
Silence took them over again, both seemingly aware of the necessity of their existence in their own worlds despite the unforgiving responsibilities it awarded them. It seemed like they'd been there for hours when Buffy finally got up. It was nearly dawn, the sky outside the window was turning from midnight blue to a brilliant orange, as if the world was alight with the power of the oncoming sun. Buffy stood, framed as a silhouette against its brilliance. Harry looked up at this girl and finally felt that someone understood.
'Look Harry, if we don't…you know…'
'You don't have to say it.'
'I'd just like you to know that, well, you do yourself a lot of credit. Most of the people I've met who aren't nearly as vital as you can't cope with it all.' She almost laughed. 'God knows I can't. You're a good man Harry. You're destined for big things. Don't let any of this change that.'
She finally walked away and slid silently out of the door, creaking it shut behind her. The first cock crowed.
*