Chapter 5

After everyone had left the Great Hall, the group were free to talk freely.

"What are we going to do today then?" Buffy repeated. "I'm at your mercy; you guys know what's fun to do more than anyone." Harry, Ron and Hermione considered for a moment.
 "We've got to give you a tour of Hogwarts," Hermione said reasonably. "And outside too. Dumbledore said we had to show you your training room so we can do that on the way."

"And you've got to try Quidditch!" Ron said eagerly. Buffy looked at him, nonplussed.

"Pardon?" she said.
 "You'll see soon enough." Harry said chuckling. "And maybe we can teach you some spells."
 "Cool," Buffy said happily. "Let's go then!"

Ron, Harry and Hermione took Buffy on the tour of Hogwarts, showing her the various secret passage ways, the classrooms she would be attending with Harry and the moving staircases and doors which were littered throughout the school. On the way they talked, mostly Harry, Ron and Hermione telling them about their lives. Buffy learnt about Ron's family, each one of them, and all the challenges they had faced over the years. They also filled her in on the finer details of Voldemort and Harry's prophecy. Buffy was fascinated at their lives which were similar to hers in the way they were out of the ordinary, but still so different. She did notice how they consciously avoided the events of the end of their last school year and mostly any mention of Harry's godfather. Buffy had heard from Dumbledore that Harry had lost Sirius, but she didn't know any details about it. She was curious but knew from experience not to ask. She also noticed about how they carefully avoided asking her anything much about her life, which she was grateful for.


 "This must be your training room," Hermione commented as they approached the door. She said the password and pushed it open and they all entered. Buffy was pleasantly surprised. The room was long, with huge windows along one wall with view across the grounds, including a big stadium which Buffy did not know the use of. In the room was a punching bag, a dummy, a variety of weights and the weapons she had bought in Diagon Alley, plus others that had been provided. A variety of gymnastics equipment had been provided in addition. There was also a large sofa, a shelf full of books on demon lore and a roaring fire.

 "It's great!" Buffy exclaimed. "All I had in Sunnydale was the library and Giles'. But I haven't got anyone to practice with."
 "Don't worry about that," Ron said with a grin, "We can help you." Buffy smiled at him gratefully.

"Thanks," she said. "But I don't know if you'll be able to keep up with me."
"We won't need to," Hermione said, consulting a piece of parchment left on the table in the room. "Professor Dumbledore has given us a charm for that dummy. He said it will provide you with a 'sparring partner.' Let's try it." She looked up at Buffy who nodded.

"Mannequin mobilarbus," Hermione murmured, pointing her wand at the dummy.  The dummy jerked to life and Buffy stepped forward. It went to punch her, but she blocked it and punched it in the stomach. She then jumped into a roundhouse kick, and the dummy was knocked over. It got up quickly, and attempted to kick Buffy, which she again blocked. Then she kicked it against the back wall.
 "Finite Incantum," Hermione said, stepping forward.
 "That was bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed. "I've never seen anything like it."

"You were right," Harry said ruefully. "There's no way I could win a fight against you. That was incredible." Buffy grinned and brushed her hair back.
 "All part of the slayer package," she said.

They returned to the Great Hall for lunch, where Buffy once again attracted as many stares and whispers as before and then they headed into the grounds to spend the afternoon. First, Harry, Ron and Hermione took Buffy round the lake and showed her giant squid which repulsed her. Then they took her to visit Hagrid, but unfortunately he wasn't in his cabin.
 "Let's go to the Quidditch Pitch!" Harry said, eyes shining.

"Again, what's Quidditch?" Buffy asked bemusedly.
 "Only the greatest game ever invented!" Ron said fervently. "Harry's Gryffindor Quidditch captain. Hey I wonder if you're as good at Quidditch as you are at fighting."
 "If you are, we want you for the team," Harry declared. "We need all the help we can get. Each house team has seven players, and right now we've got me, Ron and Katie who can actually play. Since Fred and George left we've been without decent beaters, and now Angelina and Alicia have gone, we've only got one chaser."

"Ok slow down!" Buffy giggled. "What's with the cryptic?"

Harry laughed.
 "I was like that when I came to Hogwarts, I didn't know what Quidditch was either," Harry admitted. They reached the pitch and Harry and Ron ran through the rules of the game to Buffy, who finally understood what they had been talking about. Hermione took her familiar place in the stands and began to read as usual. Harry, Ron and Buffy took school brooms from the broom shed, since Harry and Ron had left their own in their dormitory.
They showed Buffy how to mount, and so she did and rose up into the air. "
Woah!" she said. "This is something." She quickly got the hang on flying and rose higher and began to fly back and forwards across the pitch, getting faster every time. Hermione put down her book to watch them. Buffy got confident to race with Ron and Harry, and as Ron had predicted, Buffy was a very good flyer. Harry and Ron threw the quaffle for her and she caught it every time and passed it back to them deftly and accurately.

"I'm going to have to ask Dumbledore if you're allowed to try out for them team," Harry informed Buffy.
 "I hope so, flying is a big happy!" Buffy said, her face flushed from the cold air. She, Ron, Harry and Hermione headed back towards Hogwarts.
"Let's go to the common room," Ron suggested. "We can try out some spells and everyone will be coming back from working all day!" Buffy shifted awkwardly. Hermione looked at her questioningly.
"It's just, well, the Common Room gives me the wiggins," she confessed. "Well, people filled common room does. When I first got here I went in and everyone stared at me. And they still are and it's just kind of scary." She blushed.
 Let's go to your training room then," Hermione offered and Buffy grinned apologetically. They spent the afternoon in the training room and Buffy mastered transfiguring a match into a needle and the levitation charm.