Chapter 8 - Perfect Timing
The next day was the last day of the holidays, so Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny had the day at their leisure. Unfortunately for the scoobies, they did not have the same liberty, they were to be evaluated to see what kind of magical ability they had, and how much they knew of theory. They had an hour of Transfiguration, then an hour of Herbology, then just before lunch an hour of Potions. Then after lunch they had Defence Against the Dark Arts, followed by an hour of Charms. They were nervous, but not particularly dreading the experience, they all wanted to see more magic.
Buffy woke Dawn up early and they got dressed, Buffy selecting pale pink robes for that day. They ate a hurried breakfast, then followed Professor McGonagall to the transfiguration classroom.
"Now, this is a very tricky subject," she said sternly, "so I don't expect great results from any of you." She handed out matches, and they proceeded to attempt to turn them into needles. Unsurprisingly, Willow had the most success, managing to completely transfigure her match, Giles and Dawn had a little, their matches turned to silver, but Buffy and Xander only succeeded to thin their matches.
"Pathetic much?" Xander said grinning to Professor McGonagall, but she just pursed her lips at him.
"Looks like I made a friend there," he whispered to Buffy. However, the Professor smiled openly at Willow, Dawn and Giles, congratulating them on their success, which she said was impressive for a first magical attempt. They left the classroom, and headed outside, marvelling at the forest and fields which were so unlike anything in California.
Buffy and Xander had more success in Herbology, they were all able to identify many of the plants shown to them, having used them in spells before, and they all liked the jolly witch that taught them, Professor Sprout.
Buffy was dreading potions, from what Sirius had said about Professor Snape. They found their way down to the cold dungeons.
"This place gives me the major wiggins," Buffy whispered to Willow, who was about to reply, when a large dark figure loomed in front of them. Professor Snape stood silently while they filed into the classroom.
"Welcome to Potions," he said softly, require ding them to really listen to catch his words, "I don't expect much success from you, you are of course essentially muggles, and American muggles at that, so I won't expect you to be able to master the art of potion making."
"Uh oh," Dawn whispered to Buffy, "Willows got her game face on." Buffy looked over at Willow, and saw that her red haired friends face was set into a grim line. Professor Snape waved his wand and instructions appeared on the board as to how to make a fairly difficult potion to make the drinker grow temporary horns.
"You will be testing your potions on yourselves, so I warn you," he said silkily, "too many mistakes and the tail will be permanent and very difficult to remove."
They set to work busily, and all managed to make a green watery looking potion. At Snapes request, they all took a sit of their potions. At once, they all began to sprout horns. They laughed at one another, Buffy's horns being the most amusing, as hers were pink to match her robes. Xander's were by far the biggest, before they all began to shrink and disappear.
"Just like mixing cement really," he said breezily.
Snape stared at them coldly.
"Well well it looks like you have some simple potion skills," he said grudgingly, "Of course any muggle could do that." With that, the bell rang announcing lunch, and they left the room. Snape looked at them all in disgust, his eyes lingering particularly harshly on Buffy.
After a lunch of fish and chips, the proper English way, Giles announced proudly, they made their way to the Dark Arts classroom. Sirius and Lupin were waiting for them.
"We will be testing, first of all, your ability to protect yourselves from simple jinxes," Lupin said. He showed them the way to create a simple deflection barrier, to block the simplest of spells. Buffy couldn't quite get it, and she watched apprehensively as the others successfully conjured the barrier and countered the jinxes. She stepped up for her turn, knowing she wouldn't be able to stop the jinx. Instead, when Sirius shot a jinx at her, she left into the air and flipped forwards, landing in front of him and grabbing his wand.
"Whoa" he said in surprise, "Didn't see that coming." She grinned and handed back his wand.
"Sorry, its just I knew that I couldn't do the spell," she explained, "Lets call it practical defence."
"You're going to have teach me to do that," Sirius said, his eyes twinkling at her.
He demonstrated the blocker to her and she picked it up quickly this time.
They moved onto jinxing itself, learning the stupefy jinx. This time they were all able to successfully stun one another, Buffy being better this time, as her reflexes meant she could stun Giles before he had lifted his wand. Since Giles hadn't been able to stun her at all, not being quick enough, she let Dawn take over, and began to work with Sirius.
"Think you can take me?" he said challengingly.
"Easy," she said lightly.
They turned their back to one another, preparing to count twenty paces, then turn and fire. The others stopped to watch.
"Nineteen, Twenty," Buffy muttered, turning quickly on her heel, "Stupefy!" At the same time she fired, a bolt of light hit her and she was stunned.
Lupin ran over, "Enervate" he said quickly.
She sat up.
"I lost," she said, "Oh well." Lupin left her side, and went to Sirius, who he also had to un-stun.
"You hit each other at exactly the same time," Giles said, taking off his glasses and cleaning them, "Astounding. Absolutely perfect timing." Buffy stared at Sirius, who had just got up breathing heavily. He stared right back at her.
"Oh," said Giles jumping, "We must get to charms." They followed him out of the classroom, Buffy glancing back at Sirius to smile, finding he was still watching her.
Charms passed without much incident, Dawn enjoying watching the tiny Professor bob about at his desk. They practised the Wingardium Leviosa charm, which they had all managed but the end of the lesson.
They left the room, and went to the Great Hall for dinner, sitting in the Seats they had become accustomed to, Buffy next to Sirius, Giles with Lupin, Xander and Willow, opposite Buffy on either side of Dumbledore, and Dawn with Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Dumbledore stood up to greet them.
"I have heard you have done very well today, with your lessons," he said, " I have organised a timetable, in which you will have private lessons when the teachers don't have lessons with the other children. Dawn, you will be in some lessons with Harry and the others, as I felt you might want to spend time with some people your own age. You will have Potions, Herbology and Defence Against the Dark Arts with the sixth years, and the rest of the lessons with your family. Of course there will be a great deal of catching up to do, but your teachers feel you are sufficient enough to so, and I'm sure your friends will help you." Dawn nodded happily, and Harry and the others grinned at her.
The food appeared in front of them as usual, and Buffy leant forward to grab a bread roll. At the same time, Sirius leant forward to get the same roll, and their fingers brushed as they both grabbed the roll.
"Perfect timing," Sirius said quietly. They each remembered the look on each others faces then, for a very long time.
After everyone had eaten sufficient, Dumbledore picked up a battered wizards hat.
"This is the sorting hat," he explained, "It will tell us which houses you are meant to be in, though it only really matters in Dawns case, as it will decide her classes.
He placed the hat on Dawns head, and she sat silently for a moment, before it yelled out "Gryffindor!" Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny burst into enthusiastic applause.
He then placed the hat on Xander's head, and almost immediately it yelled, "Gryffindor!" in the same way. More cheering followed.
Willow put the hat on, and sat silently for a long time. They hat eventually yelled out "Gryffindor!" and Willow broke out into a huge grin. Ghiles also was placed in Gryffindor, with the others.
Buffy took the hat from her and placed it on her own head.
"Well, well a slayer, never had one of those before," a little voice said, "Lots of physical power, of course, yes, but magical power too. A strong will, but a lack of regard for rules, Slytherin would do you well. But the light, and they bravery, that would be Gryffindor. Where to put you? A tricky one….let me see……lets try GRYFFINDOR!" Buffy grinned thankfully, glad to be with her friends and passed the hat to Dumbledore.