"Do the words 'Bite Me' mean anything to you, skull-head?"
"Willow…"
"Will…"
"Red, he ain't a good guy to…"
The ground in front of them exploded, sending all four hurtling through the air. The sound of the blast, coupled with the shower of falling dirt, left them stunned and disoriented on the ground.
"You really have no idea who you're dealing with, do you?" Voldemort said. "You think you have power, little witch? That you're an unstoppable force?" He flicked his wand and Willow's dirty form rose a few feet into the air. "You aren't. Not now. You don't know half of what Precious knows, and she is a suckling babe in the world of dark magic. Isn't that right, Precious?"
"Leave her be, you son of a bitch!" Jess yelled. "Don't listen to him, Red. You don't want what he has to offer. You'll lose…"
Voldemort flicked his wand. "Crucio."
Jess doubled over, screaming in pain as the curse hit her. Willow struggled valiantly, but whatever Voldemort had done to her had stolen control of her body completely.
"That's a good girl. Be quiet, Precious. You've had your say. Now, Willow, where were we? Oh, yes, I remember…"
"You were packing up and leaving before I killed you," Grey snarled. He wiped the dirt from his eyes and came to his feet.
Genuinely amused, Voldemort let out a loud cackle.
"Oh, that is hysterical, Mister Grey. Yes, at the sight of your fearsome lightsaber I will most certainly do a runner." His red eyes flashed. "I think not." Another flick of the wand and an invisible fist slammed into Grey, knocking him sprawling. He lay on the ground near Tara and his still-screaming ex-fiancee, feeling pain ripple through his cracked ribs with every breath. He watched helplessly through hazy vision as a similar force sent Tara writhing.
As they lay on the ground gasping for breath, Lucius Malfoy entered the courtyard with Harry and the rest. He herded them away from the witches and the auror, close to Voldemort. The Death Eaters shoved them roughly to their knees and two took up guard positions.
"As you requested, my lord," Lucius reported, dropping to one knee. "The others were in our way, so we collected them as well."
"Excellent work, Lucius," Voldemort praised as he surveyed the captives. "Your best in ages." Voldemort walked over to Harry and cupped his chin. "Harry Potter. Splendid. I do love a nice dessert after a full meal."
Harry shook him off roughly, praying silently for Snape to hurry up and get Ron and the others loose.
"Such a rascal, this one. Anyway," Voldemort intoned, walking back to Willow, "as I was saying before, you know almost nothing. It bothers you, doesn't it? Having the power all locked up inside and no way to let it out? Having it scratch and tear and burn under your skin, with no way to relieve the pressure?"
"Don't listen to him, Willow," Grey called weakly, knowing where Voldemort was headed. The wand moved again and Grey was on the ground writhing in pain, an iron band of pressure constricting his broken chest.
Willow's eyes widened and her nostrils flared as he cried out. She could feel the power building inside her but had no idea how to break Voldemort's hold. From her perch in the sky, she could see Jess shaking from the effects of the Cruciatus curse and Grey and Tara clutching their chests as Voldemort's grip squeezed tighter on them.
"I can help you," Voldemort continued, "I can teach you, make you powerful and strong and," he paused for dramatic effect, "comfortable with your magic. You would be as powerful as any sorceress who ever lived."
"Actually," a distinctly female voice called from the shadows of the building, "I really think she's okay with the standard magical features. I mean, power locks, power windows, resurrection spells. Does she need anything else?"
Buffy Summers stepped into the courtyard, her blue eyes locked on Voldemort. As she saw his face more closely, she wrinkled her nose.
"You know, I have friend from L.A., her dad's a plastic surgeon. He could take care of the whole Skeletor thing you have going on. I hear his prices are reasonable, too."
Incensed, Voldemort raised his wand and shouted.
"CRUCIO!"
Buffy deftly dodged the curse and kept talking.
"Rude much? It was just a suggestion." She pouted. "Guess I'll keep my fashion advice to myself."
"Who are you, girl? Only an idiot would come here now, alone, and taunt me." His voice held the arrogant astonishment of someone who had never been spoken to that way, and couldn't really process it.
"You mean you don't know?" Spike snorted from his knees. "You wanker. Tryin' to kill the Slayer's best friend, and you don't know the Slayer when you see her?" One of the Death Eaters backhanded him across the face. Spike managed to keep himself from toppling over, but when he had his balance again he spat blood onto the grass in front of him.
"The Slayer?" Voldemort laughed. "What can you possibly hope to accomplish against a powerful wizard such as I?"
"Nothing, I
guess. I mean, what can I say?" Buffy replied with a smirk. "I've never been
much for the book learning or the strategy. That's Willow's department." She
smiled at the redhead. "I did pick up a few things though, such as don't be
stupid," she paused for dramatic effect, "and come alone."
Four crossbow bolts sped from
the shadows, two each for the Death Eaters standing guard over Spike, Harry,
and the professors. The guards dropped with a thud as the bolts took out their
legs.
Connor and Angel appeared beside Buffy, their faces grim and determined, longswords nestled tightly in their hands. Sirius, still in dog form, walked out with them.
Gunn and Xander came out from the building carrying nasty-looking axes and stepped between Voldemort's army and the four captives. Dawn, Fred, Cordelia, and Wesley came into view behind them, calmly reloading their crossbows.
"RESOLVO!" Four voices shouted at once, and Harry, Spike, McGonagall, and Giles felt their bonds break. The four other Gryffindors came forward, helping them to their feet. Neville gave his wand to a shocked Harry, then drew two short swords from beneath his robe and handed one to Spike.
"You're a better wizard than me," he said by way of explanation. Harry took the wand and nodded.
"Remember," Spike said quietly to Neville, "stick and move, stick and bloody move." Neville nodded. He willed his muscles to relax as he grimly observed the forces massed against them.
Voldemort laughed as Buffy pulled Grey, Jess and Tara to their feet. All three of them swayed unsteadily but were able to stand.
"This is what you bring? Muggles, vampires, and children? Are you daft?"
"It means stupid," Spike told Xander.
"I know what daft means, Junior. Shut up and let Buffy talk to the evil wizard."
Voldemort was done talking.
"I believe I have had enough of you fools." He looked Willow in the eye. "It was a superb offer. You could have had everything. Of course, I know you would never accept. Pity." His wand moved again, following his eyes to the redhead.
Grey felt it coming before it happened. He moved so fast that he never heard the words; all he saw was the eerie glow of green as it left the wand headed directly for Willow.
He wanted to tell her he loved her, to say it aloud and make it real, but he never had the chance. He hoped she had felt it in his thoughts.
He stepped in front of her and the curse hit his lightsaber straight on. With an unholy shriek, the metal and magic rent and exploded, burying shiny silver shards in Grey's chest a split-second before the Avada Kedavra curse seared him.
His body collapsed bonelessly to the ground.
"NOOOO!"
Willow's scream tore the night apart.
The air came alive with dark magic. Even the youngest wizards could feel it vibrating around them as Willow's pain manifested itself. A black flash tore her free from Voldemort's binding; she dropped to the ground and tenderly touched Grey's chest.
She bent her head and a single tear leaked from her eye. Then the need for vengeance took over, and Willow disappeared into her magic.
She raised her hand and tendrils of dark energy shot from her fingertips. Each one snaked out and stabbed the chest of a Death Eater. The ten robed bodies convulsed and bucked as she sucked their magic from them.
Voldemort watched in awe as she drew together more and more power. He erected a shield around himself and the closest Death Eaters, though her power lines stayed far from his place. Wormtail and Malfoy flanked him, each with his wand at the ready.
Buffy moved to grab Willow, but Angel held her back.
"Don't!" He shouted. "The magic will kill you if you touch her!"
"But…"
"Buffy, don't!"
Abruptly, the energy disappeared and the drained Death Eaters crumpled to the ground, barely alive.
Willow stood silently, flexing the fingers of her hands and feeling the magic inside her. Her whole body rippled with it, like when she would stand too close to the speakers at one of Oz's concerts and the sound waves would overwhelm her. Her hair had turned black and her skin was so pale that purple veins showed through.
She turned her gaze on Voldemort, and her anger was frightening to behold.
"You." The one word said it all.
Voldemort was not afraid. She had no idea the powers he possessed. "Well, my dear, it would appear you've grown up a bit. Thinking about taking me on, are you?"
She said nothing, the power burning for release. She didn't know enough to defeat him; his power most likely still exceeded hers, and he had years of experience that she didn't.
But someone else did.
Willow looked at Jess. The sorceress was staring at Grey, an oddly disquieted look in her eyes. She had completely ignored the spectacle that had unfolded in the courtyard.
"Jess."
The dark-haired sorceress looked up. "That's a new look. Red, listen …"
"I need you," Willow said, ignoring her. "ACCIO!"
An invisible hand yanked Jess forward; Willow caught her by the throat, her grip shockingly strong.
"Don't … do … it," Jess choked out, knowing what Willow wanted. "It … hurts … you … more … Willow, please!"
"I'm sorry," she replied, an angry sneer marring her pale features as she thought of all the pain this one had caused Grey. "Willow doesn't live here anymore."
The air around them shimmered, like the heat distortion that floated above the sand in the desert. Jess' head buzzed, the kind of sickening feeling she knew from nights of hard drinking, and she felt Willow inside her mind. It lasted only a few seconds before she saw Willow's eyes flash and the witch let her go. She dropped next to Grey, every muscle in her entire body drained of energy. Even the thought of moving was too much.
"Oh dear," Giles whispered.
Tara moved to check on Jess, relieved to find the girl still breathing and barely conscious. Buffy sprinted the ten yards to where Giles stood with the others; Connor and Angel followed right on her heels.
"Giles, what is this? What's she doing?"
"Grieving, I think."
"What did she…"
"Absorbed her knowledge," McGonagall answered before Buffy even finished the question. "I fear she is now more deadly than Miss O'Brien was, even at the height of her powers."
"Agreed," Giles said.
"We need to help her!"
"Actually, I'm thinking we duck and cover first," Xander chipped in, watching his best friend sweep the field with her glare.
"Taught her a lot, didn'tcha," Willow said to Voldemort. An evil grin spread over her face. "Thanks."
"P-perhaps we should … retreat, my lord?" Wormtail whispered.
"Hardly, though some caution is in order. Let our allies battle them while our people fall back a bit. We don't want to risk my loyal following unnecessarily. Leave the girl to me; once she is stopped, we can finish off the rest at our leisure."
He kept his voice low, but she heard him anyway.
"The girl doesn't think so."
Voldemort glared at her. A dark streak of indeterminate evil magic shot at her from his wand. Willow held up her right hand; the blast stopped in mid-air and vanished.
"Bored now."
A thousand tiny sonic booms filled the air as Willow harnessed the air around her into an armada of razor-sharp blades. They hung behind her for a short moment, distorting the view of the building beyond. Then they hurtled forward.
Even as Malfoy and Wormtail covered their heads with their arms and huddled on the ground, Voldemort stood unflinching. His shield stopped the air daggers several yards from him.
"That's how you begin, my dear? Clearly, I didn't teach her enough." He turned back to Wormtail. "Now, Wormtail."
Wormtail pointed his wand to the sky and said the correct words. The energy shot from his wand and there, glowing high in the sky, was the dark mark.
It was their signal for a general advance, and it caused all hell to break loose.
A dozen vampires and the last few hellhounds rushed at Buffy; she, Angel, and Connor saw them move and met them halfway with swords and fists flying. The Gryffindors, following Professor McGonagall's orders, hurled curses in the direction of the Death Eaters, who fired right back. The four crossbow-wielders turned and fired in the direction of the vampires, careful not to hit their comrades.
Spike, Xander, and Gunn watched with wide eyes as the giants came for them.
"Those can't be real," Gunn said, shaking his head.
"They're real alright, mate. Strong as all hell, and mean."
"Once again I say, anyone for ducking and covering?"
Spike raised an eyebrow and looked at Gunn. "Whelp's got a point."
"Don't want ter disappoint yeh," Hagrid said, stepping out of the building's shadow, an enormous mace clutched in his right hand, "but they ain't that tough ter stop." Sirius had told him to watch and wait for when he was needed. He figured now was about that time. "Jus' like normal people, 'cept bigger an' stronger."
"Riiiight," Xander said. "Like normal people. Sure. Okay. Says the guy the size of a Suburban."
The four of them readied their weapons and advanced towards the lumbering giants in a rough line.
"That's Pettigrew, isn't it," Harry said to Ron as he gestured with Neville's wand. The fat wizard had scurried away from Voldemort's side, and now stood in the open, trying to figure out where his energy would best be spent.
"Harry, you're not thinkin' … what am I saying. Let's torch the wanker."
Harry nodded grimly, then turned to Neville, Ginny, and Hermione.
"Can you three keep us covered?"
Hermione nodded. "Let's go get him."
They took off at a dead run.