CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: THE CURSE
Blaise Zabini was having the time of her life. She could feel Oliver Wood's eyes following her as they walked up towards the castle, and she could only wonder just what exactly was going on between the young Flying Instructor and Buffy Summers anyway. It was obvious from the way that Oliver looked at her –looked at Buffy- that he had a serious crush on the girl.
They walked up the stone steps, towards the double oak doors that opened into the Entrance Hall, and Blaise came to an abrupt stop. Oliver looked at her curiously.
"What's wrong?"
"I…I don't think I want to go in just yet. I mean…if you heard about what happened, and you weren't even there, then it must be all around Hogwarts by now," Blaise said, trying to sound upset by the notion, when really she was jumping for joy. She was actually surprised by how fast the news had travelled.
Oliver nodded and gently took her by the hand, leading her back down the stairs. They walked slightly off to the side, and Blaise sank down onto the grass, leaning against the castle wall.
"Will you be alright?" he asked gently.
She nodded and watched as he sat down beside her.
"I think so. I just…I don't understand what happened between him and me. Things were going so well, and then…well…he just wasn't mature enough for me I think," she said.
She watched Oliver carefully for his reaction, and was had to stop herself from smirking when she saw the hopeful expression on his face.
"Why can't he be more like you?" she asked quietly. "You're so nice, and good-looking, and smart. He just couldn't understand that I needed someone a little older."
She slowly reached her hand over to take Oliver's. Oliver for his part could feel his heart racing wildly in his chest. He'd liked Buffy Summers since the day he'd first met her, but hadn't acted on his want out of respect for Harry. But, if Buffy had broken up with Harry, it left Oliver free to try and woo the blonde girl for himself.
Blaise could practically hear Oliver's inner monologue of hope. She shifted closer to him and leant her head against his shoulder. Several seconds later, she shifted closer and turned her head slightly so that her lips brushed against his.
For Oliver, everything froze. This was what he'd been wanting for the last several weeks. Buffy in his arms. Buffy kissing him. It took all of his self-control to pull away from her.
"I'm sorry Buffy, but…I can't let this happen. Not now. Not when you've just broken up with Harry. I'd be taking advantage of you, and…I won't do that to you," he said quietly.
Blaise just looked at him incredulously. If she'd kissed any of the Slytherin boys after breaking up with someone, they'd be only too eager to get her into their beds, and try and comfort her in that way. What was it with the Gryffindors that made the boys gentlemen who wouldn't even allow themselves to kiss (seemingly) distraught girls?
She stood quickly, not wanting to have to go through the humiliation of being rejected for the second time in an hour. Oliver struggled to get to his face and caught Buffy's wrist before she could storm away.
"Wait, let me explain."
She turned to look at him, anger in her eyes. Oliver dropped her wrist, startled by how resentful Buffy looked.
"Sod off." With that, Blaise turned and quickly walked up the stone stairs and into the Entrance Hall.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were nowhere in sight, but the Slytherins were still milling about the area. Several Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had joined the fun, the rumour about Buffy and Harry's break-up obviously having travelled through the entire castle. The Entrance Hall went deathly silent as soon as Buffy walked inside.
Whispers then broke out amongst the different groups, the gossip mill spreading further as they took in the angry stride of the girl that most of the students still feared. Ginny Weasley approached Buffy, glaring at the older girl.
"How could you do that to Harry?" she demanded. "I thought you loved him!"
Blaise just shook her head condescendingly. "You don't know the first thing about me, or about love, little girl. So stay the hell out of my way."
Ginny glared at her friend. She couldn't believe that the person in front of her was the same person who had saved her from certain death only the week before during the Quidditch Match. With tears in her eyes at the sudden and horrible transformation of someone she considered one of her best friends, Ginny turned and began walking away.
As Blaise walked past the group of Slytherins, applause broke out. She stopped and turned to glare at them, acting the part of Buffy Summers. The three other houses all quietened down to listen to what they knew would be an interesting confrontation. Ginny noticed the sudden silence and stopped halfway up the stairs, turning to watch what was going on. It was at that moment that Professor McGonagall and Giles walked out of the Great Hall and into the Entrance Hall. Blaise knew that their timing couldn't have been better.
"What are you clapping at?" she demanded of the Slytherins.
Crabbe, Goyle and Millicent Bulstrode all stepped forward.
"You've finally become just like your father," Crabbe replied cockily.
Blaises's –Buffy's- eyes narrowed and she reached for her wand, concealed within her cloak. She pointed it at Crabbe. Giles and McGonagall stepped forward, Giles worried about what Buffy would do to the boy if she was feeling too threatened.
"Take that back."
"What are you going to do about it Summers?" he taunted. "Kill me?"
Blaise smirked. As thick as the Slytherin boy was at most times, he could actually act.
"Not quite," she replied calmly. "Crucio!"
Crabbe fell to his knees, screaming out, long and loud. McGonagall ran to the fallen boys side, trying to calm his whimpers of pain as the spell passed. Giles grabbed Buffy roughly by the wrist, causing Blaise to turn towards him. Giles nearly recoiled at the coldness of her eyes. He could only wonder what had happened to the girl that he had watched over for three years to cause such a change in her.
"What the hell do you think you're playing at?" he yelled angrily.
She smirked at him and yanked her wrist free. "Who said anything about playing Professor?"
She quickly ran up the stairs, the students who were milling about quickly splitting apart to stay as far away from the enraged girl as possible. Ginny Weasley stared at her friend in shock and disgust. Giles watched for a moment before gathering himself together. He cast a glance at McGonagall and Crabbe, who was shaking slightly.
"Get him to Madame Pomfrey," Giles said, his voice wavering. "Make sure he's alright."
McGonagall nodded, still too dumbstruck by the idea of a student using the Cruciatus curse on another student. It had never happened within Hogwarts before. Not even when Voldemort's reign was at its peak. She couldn't believe that the same girl who had ended the reign of terror now looked to be beginning one of her own.
Giles pulled his wand out, and began walking up the stairs.
"Rupert, watch your back," McGonagall called after him. He turned to look down at where she knelt beside the Slytherin boy. "I know how much you care for her, but…"
Giles just nodded, trying to mentally prepare himself for what needed to be done. He could feel his heart racing as he continued up the stairs. He moved towards the Gryffindor Tower and went through the portrait. The password of 'courage' seemed strangely appropriate for his given situation.
Inside the Common Room, several students milled about.
"Did anyone see Buffy Summers come through here?" he asked the group in general.
They all nodded, most of them with wide and fearful eyes.
"Did she hurt anyone?" Giles asked worriedly.
Giles recognised the First Year boy who stepped forward. "She swore at us a lot," Glenn explained. "But…other than that, we're alright."
Giles nodded, thankful for small reprieves.
"Has anyone seen Harry Potter or Hermione Granger?" Giles asked.
"They're in the Sixth Year boys dorms," Glenn replied.
Giles took a deep breath, wondering which room to try first. On one hand, he knew that when his young charge couldn't handle the stress of a situation, she was likely to run from it. That meant that there was a chance she was in her own dorm packing her bags to leave Hogwarts for good. On the other hand, he also knew that when Buffy was at her most vulnerable, she tended to try and seek comfort in the people that she loved. That would be with Harry, Ron and Hermione. He walked up the stairs and to the left towards the boys room.
Harry, Ron and Hermione sat on Harry's bed, the three of them huddled close. Ron had his arm draped across Hermione's waist while Hermione held Harry's hand to try and support him. Harry's eyes were red-rimmed from crying, and the trio looked up in confusion when they noticed Giles enter the room.
"Uh…sorry to intrude, but…has Buffy been in here?" Giles asked.
Ron scoffed and Hermione glared at him sharply. He just shrugged unrepentantly.
"We haven't seen her Professor," Hermione replied. "Not since that scene down in the Entrance Hall."
"You were there? I didn't notice you. How did you get up here before I did?" he asked.
The trio looked at him curiously. "It's been nearly an hour sir," Ron replied.
"An hour…then…you're not talking about what just happened? Not five minutes ago down in the Entrance Hall?" Giles asked.
The trio shook their heads.
"What else happened?" Hermione asked, her curiousity getting the better of her.
Giles' eyes narrowed at the memory. He turned and closed the door behind him, not wanting all of Gryffindor to hear their conversation.
"She used the Cruciatus Curse on Vincent Crabbe," he explained, realising there was no point in trying to keep it from them when half of the school had witnessed the event. No doubt it was all over Hogwarts by now.
Hermione gasped, Ron's jaw dropped and Harry's heart sank even lower into his stomach.
"I don't understand," Harry whispered. "What on earth is going on with her? I know that she hates Crabbe, but…to do that to him? That's…that's just…"
"Incredibly unlike her," Giles finished.
Harry, Ron and Hermione nodded their agreement.
"Perhaps the stress was getting to her," Hermione put forward. "Maybe she just got sick of everyone being against her."
"But not everyone is against her," Giles replied. "I spoke to her yesterday, and…she seemed to very much be looking forward to spending the weekend with the three of you."
"Maybe it's that time of the month," Ron suggested, only to be promptly hit by Hermione.
"But it's not," Harry replied absently.
Ron, Hermione and Giles all turned to stare at him incredulously, and the black-haired wizard turned an interesting shade of red.
"Well…as much as I don't think I wanted to know that about Buffy…it does eliminate that option," Ron said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"What else happened down in the Hall that I should know about?" Giles asked, remembering their words of a scene an hour earlier.
Harry flinched and Hermione rubbed his shoulder soothingly. Ron looked to the Professor, anger in his eyes.
"She broke up with Harry. In front of half of the Slytherins. That's…it's just so unlike her," Ron said.
"She was acting strangely in the library earlier too," Hermione added.
"Hey, maybe she's possessed," Ron suggested, his love of drama flaring up inside of him. It had been too long since there had been a good scandal at Hogwarts. Not since it had been discovered that Buffy was Voldemort's daughter.
Harry and Hermione just glared at their friend, but Giles' look turned thoughtful. After living in Sunnydale for two years, the thought of someone being possessed wasn't outside the realm of possibility. He'd seen first hand the effects of possession, when Xander had been possessed by a hyena spirit. What he couldn't work out though was what could have broken through the Hogwarts barriers in order to possess Buffy.
"It is possible," Giles mused.
Harry and Hermione turned to look at the Professor, and Ron puffed out his chest in an unconscious imitation of Percy.
"See? I'm not an idiot," Ron proclaimed proudly.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, you're a genius. But…what could have done it. Something magical perhaps? Maybe someone cast a spell on her."
"Buffy has proven herself to be incredibly gifted in duelling, so I doubt that anyone could have magically affected her," Giles replied. "I'd suggest something demonic perhaps, but the Hogwarts barriers are terribly effective against demons. Except for vampires of course, but no vampire could have done anything like this."
Harry couldn't help but get his hopes up that something had indeed made his girlfriend do what she'd done earlier that day. He hadn't been able to understand why she would have broken up with him in the first place, let alone in public. Not to mention, using the Cruciastus Curse on Crabbe. He knew from experience how tough Crabbe and Goyle were. He'd been in Goyle's skin in second year, and even then he could feel how strong they were. Crabbe would have been able to survive the curse, but it was still a painful spell to endure.
Harry's mind suddenly clicked onto another possibility. Remembering how he'd felt wearing another person's skin had given him an idea.
"What if it was magic?" Harry asked. "But what if the spell wasn't cast on Buffy?"
Hermione, Ron and Giles looked at him blankly. Within seconds both Hermione and Giles had caught on.
"What d'you mean?" Ron asked.
"Polyjuice potion," Hermione replied. "Someone pretending to be Buffy."
The door burst open, startling the four of them. Draco Malfoy stumbled into the room, panting heavily.
"There's something seriously wrong with Buffy!"
They looked at him and nodded calmly. Draco regarded the four of them, wondering why they weren't more worked up over it. He deflated somewhat when he realised why that was.
"But you already knew that," he added.
Harry, Ron and Hermione nodded.
"What did she do that was out of the ordinary?" Giles asked.
Draco's nose wrinkled in remembrance of Buffy's strange behaviour.
"She kissed me."
"WHAT?!"
"Calm down Potter," Draco said, rolling his eyes and taking a seat on Ron's free bed. "I'm pretty sure she's under a spell or something."
"We were just suggesting Polyjuice Potion," Hermione explained.
Draco looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "That does make sense. Whoever it was had no idea that Buffy and I are cousins. She was going on about how Potter wasn't mature enough for her, things like that. She said she broke up with you."
Harry nodded, feeling less saddened by the break-up by the minute. "In front of half the school."
"So…who do we think it was?" Draco asked.
The room fell into silence as the five of them searched through their memories for enemies of Buffy. Unfortunately, half of Slytherin, as well as the majority of the wizarding world seemed to be against the blonde girl.
Hermione was struck by a sudden and terrifying thought.
"Uh…not to spoil the brainstorming session or anything, but…if there's someone roaming around looking exactly like Buffy…well…where's our Buffy?"
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*insert dramatic music here* Dun-nun-nun-nah. Uh oh. This does not look good for our heroine.
Oh, and Lisette…next week?! *scoffs* pah. I sooo don't think so.
Many many many thanks for all your feedback and emails! You guys all fully awesome!! Oh, and for those of you who don't wander into the general Buffy fic section, check out my latest fic 'Moving On'. It's a Buffy and Faith fic set between the eps Dirty Girls and Chosen.
Toodles.
DKG.