Chapter 30

This was sheer lunacy. What the heck was Dumbledore thinking? I stood where Buffy directed me, in the hallway between the formal living room and the front door. My heart was beating frantic, and I knew I was losing concentration so I started to center myself.

"Where's the stupid peephole? How can you see who's on the other side of the door without a peephole?"

I shut Buffy's voice out of my head and drew on the earth and the power of the Goddess. As soon as it entered me I was immediately calm. I knew I was safe and in the warm arms of the power.

When I opened my eyes and took in the situation I heard an explosion and a scream from outside. Buffy turned and looked back at me.

"Hold the fort, Wil."

Dumbledore held out his hand to hold the door. "Buffy, you must wait. The final battle will be in this house."

Buffy nodded. "Then I'll be back. The fight is out there and good people might be dying as we speak."

Dumbledore faltered and released the door. "As you wish." He tapped the door with his wand and the multitude of locks snapped open. Seconds later Buffy was gone.

I looked back into the living room at Faith. She was rocking back and forth with anticipation, waiting for the first bad guy to poof out of the fireplace. She didn't have to wait long.

Green flames shot up and out came a black robed person. I couldn't tell if it was a man or woman because of the white mask it was wearing. It's wand was spinning and words were being uttered before it was fully out of the fireplace.

Faith wasted no time, slamming her fist into it's face and shattering the mask and most of the guy's face in the process. He dropped like a doll in front of the fireplace and Faith left him there, I guess for the next person to fall over.

More explosions came from the front and I jumped. I felt a breath of pain flash across my vision. Buffy!

"Sirius!"

The kitchen door slammed open and he stood in the doorway with fear on his face.

"I have to go help Buffy, she's in trouble! Take my place!"

He didn't have time to protest. Neither did Dumbledore, because I didn't give them the chance. I looked at the door and it crashed open, ripping off its hinges and slid down the hall to stop at my feet. Dumbledore back up a pace. He wasn't going to try to stop me, he was just giving me room to work. Good enough. I exited the house into a closed square with only one exit. A large fountain stood in the center spraying water in all directions. Needless to say that was one of the earlier explosions.

"Willow!"

I heard Buffy's cry and turned to find her fighting off three of the wizards. Well fighting off didn't really explain it. She was a nonstop flurry of movement. Every blast of magic they sent at her, she dodged, jumped over, or dove under.

I raised my hand and pointed between them. "Thicken."

Their attacks either were absorbed or glanced off the shield spell which gave Buffy enough time to make a quick exit for better odds. I still maintained the spell while I searched for something to use. Like I said before, white magic uses mostly defensive spells and not so much offensive. However, there are plenty of manipulation spells as well.

I pointed at the all of the spilled water in the square, which was water-a-plenty and twirled my hand in quick circles. "Spin. Spin. Spin. Spin. Spin! Spin!"

The power of the earth surged through me and I felt the wind pick up as a number of times before. A column of water shot up in a twisted arc and shot toward the three wizards that I was holding. It was like being hit with a demented fire-hose. They fell and flailed around , losing their wands, and generally not having a good time.

"Impressive. A wandless witch."

I turned and gasped at the figure that stood before me. He or it was rail-thin his face was nothing short of evil looking if there was ever such a look. His nose was gone and in its place stood two long slits. His skin looked rough and almost scale like.

"What will Dumbledore pull out of his pointy hat next?"

Something told me that this person was a bit more than the average bad guy.

"How about a Slayer?" A voice called from behind him. Buffy.

He spun and backed away from us at with his back to the center of the square. Buffy spun her sword in a wide arc.

"Tom!"

"Dumbledore!"

The old wizard walked out of the front door, his wand at his side.

"Tom, please end this before more needless deaths occur."

A streak of red light hit the street in front of us. Cobblestone exploded sending shards our way. It happened too quick for another shield spell so we absorbed most of shards with our own bodies.

When the dust cleared I saw the sniper atop one of the houses across the way. "Mine!"

Voldemort was clear of the close in fighting and across the square before Buffy reacted. Small explosions popped all around me as the fighting between most of the Order and the bad guys closed in.

Dumbledore strode purposefully toward Voldemort. Grim determination was cast upon his face.

I expended a small amount of power to contact Faith and Xander back in the house. Form what I could see in their minds they had subdued the token few bad guys that tried for the back.

*Everyone out front, now!* I sent.