I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or anything associated with it. It belongs to its creator Joss Whedon and whoever else owns it. This piece of literature is simply the work of a humble fan. I don't own Harry Potter neither. It belongs to J.K. Rowling.
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:::Author Notes:::
This takes place during Season Four of Buffy. It's after the episode Restless (Where the First Slayer killed all of them in their dreams). For Harry Potter it takes place after the events of book five: Order of the Phoenix.
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Some of you had questions in your reviews. I don't like people being confused so here our your answers.
Q&A
When is Buffy going to meet the Weasley's? – Soon. That's all I can say now. I just get the feeling like they'll steal the show if I write them in now.
Will Sirius come back to life? – Could be, could be not…. whose to say. ; )
Is there something special about Buffy's wand combination? – Nope. I just like to be different.
Is all the money in Harry's vault half Buffy's? – I personally think the vault is the Potter family vault that Harry inherited, instead of a separate account that the Potters started for Harry just in case. So, yes, half the money is Buffy's. She is his sister and it is the family vault.
This is to the person (I forgot your user name) who told me that I was wrong and Buffy's name is Elizabeth on the show. Buffy's name is Buffy. Hard-core Buffy fans like to call something like the Buffy/Elizabeth thing fannon. Because it exist just in the fanfiction universe and is not cannon. I can give you exact episodes and scenes that prove I'm right, if you don't believe me. I'm on the debate team at school and I have this thing about liking to prove my point. I'm not trying to come off mean. : )
Hey, everybody! Thanks for all the reviews. You all know I love them. I completely loved the letter too. I think the last chapter was one of my favorites so far. That letter came in at the last minute too. I just thought it would be a nice touch to add. Anyway, before I get long winded. Here is the new chapter.
Stars Not in Heaven
Chapter Eight: A Lesson and a Present
By: Water Mage
Two blissful weeks had passed since that day at Diagon Alley. After finding the letter in the vault, anybody walking past Harry and Buffy in Diagon Alley would have thought they were high. Permanent grins were fixed on their faces as they left Gringotts with the letter clutched in Harry's hand. Harry was ecstatic to have something that his parents had actually written and Buffy was joyful that her parents loved her and gave her up for noble reasons. The letter had erased that nagging thought in the back of her mind that maybe her parents gave her up simply because she was a mistake. Now, she knew for sure that that wasn't true.
Buffy sat alone in her room, reading a letter from Willow, Giles, and Xander. It had been delivered during breakfast in the Great Hall. Buffy absentmindedly petted the deliverer of the letter as she read. The hawk beside Buffy made sounds of contentment at the action. Buffy took her eyes of the letter to give the bird a smile. She had never really had a pet before, so she was still somewhat new at being a caretaker. Dumbledore gave her the hawk after their first magic lesson. Buffy grinned as she remembered that particular event…
Buffy, Harry, and Dumbledore sat in various places in the Headmaster's circular shaped office. Harry sat away from Buffy and Dumbledore to give them room to work. Fawkes was perched on Harry's shoulder, trilling a calming note every so often to soothe Buffy's nervousness. Dumbledore sat behind his desk perfectly calm and Buffy sat behind in front of him, tapping her wand against her hand haphazardly.
"So, I'm just supposed to twitch my nose and make the feather float," said Buffy.
Dumbledore lips twitched as he tried to hold back a smile. "No, Buffy. It's a bit more complicated than that. You need to have wand movement and perfect pronunciation of the incantation. Now, watch me." Dumbledore pulled out his wand and aimed it at the feather lying between them on his desk.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The feather rose off the desk and hovered about eight feet above their heads. Buffy clapped her hands together. "Way to go, David Blaine."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrow in query at the name. Buffy gave him a shrug in answer, watching as he lowered the feather back to the desk. "Remember to swish then flick and correctly pronounce the spell. Its Wingardium Leviosa."
Buffy nodded, clutched the wand in her hand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
The feather twitched a little then became still once more. Buffy scowled at the feather narrowing her eyes. "Son of a—" She tapped the feather hard with her wand, repeating, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Suddenly, there was a flash and spark and the feather burst into flames. Buffy screeched and hurriedly threw the feather on the ground, stomping on it hard. Sheepishly, Buffy looked up at up Dumbledore once the small fire was put out.
"My bad," she smiled, guiltily.
Dumbledore couldn't hide the grin on his face. He gave Buffy an amused look behind his half moon spectacles. "I think it would be best if we move on to Transfiguration."
"I'll say," Harry muttered, laughing softly.
Buffy snapped her head around, cocking her head in a questioning gesture. Harry gulped, quickly turning his laugh into a cough. Buffy gave him an entirely too sweet grin then turned back to Professor Dumbledore. "I guess that was pretty bad, huh?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "Not at all. There was once a student who actually blew up a desk instead of levitating an object."
Buffy didn't look all that assured. "Alright, what do you want me to do next?"
Dumbledore opened a drawer by his leg. He pulled out a small round stone and placed it on the desk between him and Buffy.
"This will be the last thing we do today. I want you turn this stone into a mouse. Transfiguration is a difficult subject for some but for others it comes easily. It's more about want and forcing your will to happen. You need a sharp mind and good deal of concentration."
Buffy absorbed the information like a sponge. Transfiguration did indeed sound hard. If it required concentration then she would be concentration girl. She followed Dumbledore's instructions and did precisely as he showed her. She focused on her task, envisioning in her mind the stone turning into a squeaking gray mouse. Buffy felt a tingling feeling as she tapped her wand against the stone. All three of them gasped in surprise as the stone turned into a squeaking gray mouse.
"Congratulations, Buffy!" smiled Harry.
"Very good, Buffy. You got it perfect on your first try too. I dare say you might have a knack for transfiguration. James was quite a genius at transfiguration. You must have picked up his talent," remarked Dumbledore.
Buffy blushed at the praise. Dumbledore transfigured the mouse back into a stone and placed it inside of his desk. "That's all for today's lesson, Buffy. You did very well today." Buffy and Harry got up and headed toward the door.
"Oh!" Dumbledore exclaimed, causing the two siblings at the door to stop in their tracks. "Before I forget. I have something that belongs to you, Buffy." He put two fingers to his lips and whistled piercingly. There was a screech from above their heads and to Buffy's and Harry's amazement a brown-feathered hawk flew down from the top of a bookshelf from the second landing. The bird circled above their heads before it landed on Buffy's outstretched arm.
Buffy looked at the hawk in confusion. Then a light bulb clicked on in her brain and she remembered the bird. "Now I remember! This is the bird that Willow mojoed. I honestly forgot all about it."
"He's been with me for the last few days, since he delivered your message. I'm sure we can find a place for him up in the owlery," said Dumbledore.
Buffy nodded and followed Harry out of the office. "What's his name?" asked Harry, as they walked down the corridor.
Buffy opened her mouth then closed it. She forgot that he didn't have a name. She looked down at it possible names running through her head. The hawk looked back at her with those eyes that she remembered thinking held too much intelligence for an animal. She grinned as that thought gave her the perfect name to suit her new-feathered friend.
"His name is Einstein."
Buffy shook off the memory and went back to reading the letter. It seemed everyone in Sunnydale was doing fine. Her friends true to their word were holding down the fort. The Hellmouth hadn't attracted any big baddies, so the gang just had to patrol the cemetery at night for vampires. She hoped that things would stay quiet in Sunnydale, for a while at least. The memory of Adam was still fresh in everyone's minds. Buffy read the last paragraph of the letter twice making sure she read it correctly then quickly checked the envelope the letter came in. Sure enough there was at least three hundred dollars inside. A smile blossomed on her face as she stared at the money. Buffy picked up the letter and read the end again.
----Your Dad came through on his word. He sent you this money and a note saying that he'll send three hundred every month. I'm sorry, it didn't say anything else, but that. Go and put the money to good use. Giles say's you should save it. Xander and me think you should treat yourself. You've earned it. We all hope to hear back from you soon.
Love,
Willow, Xander, and Giles
Buffy knew the perfect thing to do with the money. Harry's birthday was coming up in two day's and she still hadn't bought him a gift. She and Dumbledore planned to hold him a party in the Great Hall. Harry knew about it because he had 'accidentally' overheard them talking about it one day. Harry had invited all of the Weasley's and Hermione to come. By the twinkle in his eye every time he mentioned the Weasley's, she could guess that Harry hadn't told the clan or Hermione about her yet in his letters. He wanted to surprise them in person.
Buffy pocketed the money and left her room. She had to be quick if she wanted to go into Hogsmeade and back without Harry noticing her gone. Buffy rolled her eyes seeing Harry was lying on the couch reading a book. It was just her luck to have that happen. Softly without making noise, she started to creep past him. Harry looked up, pinning her with his gaze as she tried to tiptoe past him.
"Where are you going?"
Buffy cringed inwardly. She knew that tiptoe stuff wouldn't work. She really had to call up Angel and ask him how he got that stealthiness down. Buffy turned to Harry hiding a grin. "I'm just going into Hogsmeade for something."
"How long will you be gone?"
"A few hours," replied Buffy, feeling like she was getting interrogated.
"Can I come?"
"I really don't think you want to," said Buffy, discouragingly.
"Why not?" he asked, cocking his head.
Buffy inwardly sighed. She was starting to feel like she was on an episode of COPS. She grinned sweetly a perfect response coming to her. "I'm going to go get some feminine products. You can come if you want. It will be fun! I can tell you all about the kinds of things that girls use—"
"No!" Harry shouted, shaking his head empathetically. "I'm fine."
Buffy gave him an innocent look. "Are you sure? Because—"
"No," said Harry more calmly this time. His cheeks were flushed a cheery red. "I'm fine. Trust me. I'm fine."
"Why are you blushing, Harry?" asked Buffy, rubbing it in. She knew full well why he was blushing. "There is nothing to be embarrassed about. A woman's mens— "
"IM FINE! Go and get your things," said Harry loudly, covering his ears with a mortified look upon his face.
Buffy gave him a shrug and calmly strode out of the room through the tapestry. Once she got in the hallway, she let out a loud continuous laugh. She leaned against the wall holding her sides, while tears of laughter fell down her cheeks. That had to have been one of the funniest things she had ever seen.
"Oh, its just you. Here I thought a wild hyena had been let loose in the halls," said a snide voice.
Buffy rolled her eyes in annoyance, recognizing the voice. Sighing, she looked up into Professor's Snape's black eyes. "If we didn't live in the same place, I would swear you were stalking me," she said.
"Stalking? I wouldn't stoop to that level, child," replied Snape, disdainfully.
Buffy nodded mockingly. "I understand you like 'em young, Professor. But really, I don't think it would be right if we were to date."
Snape turned red hot, opening his mouth to retort. Buffy beat him to it. She took his hands in her hers and gave him a patented fake smile. "I'm sorry, Snape. It just wouldn't work out. Its not you, its me. I need more me time, and not more we time. That's why I'm going to leave now."
Buffy gave him a bogus sad smile before she spun on her heel, leaving the hall dramatically. She left Snape staring furiously at her back. Buffy snorted as walked out of the castle's entrance doors. "And my theater teacher said I had no acting talent."
Hogsmeade was just like Buffy had imagined it would be. This was her first time journeying through the wizarding village. The small cottages and shops looked very welcoming. It all seemed very surreal to her eyes. She walked through the hobbled streets reading the signs as she passed. She crossed the road, seeing the place she needed to go in. Inside it was warm and very modern looking compared to the outside. In front of her was a counter with a man standing behind it. Since, she was the only person here Buffy went to the man.
"Welcome to Hogsmeade Bank," said the man behind the counter.
Buffy smiled politely. "I was wondering if you could exchange American money for wizard gold."
The bank teller nodded. "Sure we can, miss." Buffy let out a relieved sigh, handing him the money.
"Let me see." He pressed some buttons on a calculator like machine. "At the current exchange rate that will be 49 Galleons, 16 Sickles, and 6 Knuts." He reached into a cabinet and pulled out a metal box and a brown leather bag. He opened the safe and counted out the money, while placing it inside the bag. When done, he tied up the bag and handed it to Buffy.
"There you are, miss."
"Thank you," replied Buffy, taking the offered bag.
She waved goodbye and left the bank. Once outside she stopped not knowing where to go next. She had the money, but she had no idea what to get Harry. Quidditch was out. Everybody else would probably give him something related to the sport. If sport was actually the word for the activity. Personally, Buffy didn't see the sense in playing a game that takes place a hundred feet off the ground with the only thing stopping you from falling is a broomstick.
"I might as well do what I'm best at," Buffy muttered, going to the nearest store.
She began to do one of her specialties… window shop. A shop with a dull yellow sign that read They're All Magical attracted her attention. She crossed the street to the shop. There wasn't much room in the shop. Cages filled with different varieties of animals took up a lot of the space. Most of the cages lined the walls hiding what was actually the wall. The witch behind the counter was already helping a wizard, so Buffy waited, examining the cages.
Buffy walked up to a cage that held four softly meowing kittens. They looked up at her each making soft noises trying to outdo the other at getting her attention. Only one cat of the four was lying in the corner not vying for her attention. Its coat was a striking blue with a tuft of white fur at the base of its neck. The cat lazily lifted its head and looked at Buffy with icy blue eyes that was a lighter blue than the rest of him. It meowed softly and Buffy fell in love. The wizard left, and Buffy approached the counter.
"I would like to buy a cat," she told the witch. "It's for my little brother's birthday. I need to keep it a surprise, so would it be alright if I leave it here to pick up later."
The witch nodded. "Yes, it's alright. You'll just need to pay a ten Sickle reservation fee. Then when you come pick up the animal, you can pay the rest. I just need to know which cat you'd like."
"I would like the blue one, please," said Buffy, pointing to the cage.
"That is a great pet to have. Him and his brothers are empathic and very protective of their masters. Very good pets those," said the witch.
Buffy opened the bag and fished out the money, handing it to the witch. "Here you go. I'll be back in two days to pick it up."
The witch agreed and Buffy left the shop feeling good about her choice. She really hoped that Harry liked her gift. She really lucked out that the cat was empathic. If it could sense feelings, maybe it could get Harry to open up and start talking about Sirius' death instead of holding it all in. She didn't want to push him to start talking. Pushing didn't do anything but cause a person to get defensive. Buffy walked up the road to Hogwarts, thinking about all the recent changes in her life. She entered her and Harry's shared room. Harry was precisely where he was when she left him.
"Hey, Har-bear," she greeted, collapsing on the couch beside him.
His left eye twitched a little as he glared at her. "I told you not to call me that."
"Sorry," she said, not sounding it at all. "It must have slipped my mind."
Harry looked at her curiously. Buffy began looking at herself self-consciously. "What? Do I look horrible in this color? It was a gift from Xander at Christmas. I thought it was cute then, but I think it shrunk. So now its totally—"
Harry held up his hand, causing Buffy to shut her mouth. "Where are your bags?" he asked, finally. "You went to go buy things, but you have no bags."
Buffy opened her mouth then closed it. "Would you believe they ran out of—"
"Don't say it," interrupted Harry, his cheeks flushed. He did not want to hear anything about feminine hygiene products. "Lets just try something I like to call telling the truth."
Buffy blinked. "The truth? But that is the truth, Harry. Why would I ever lie to you, oh brother of mine?" She knew she was laying it on thick, but he had no proof of what she was doing. A triumphant grin formed on her face seeing he was stumped. Her grin disappeared as Harry suddenly began to smile.
"So, what did you get me for my birthday?" he asked with a smirk.
Buffy's mouth dropped open. 'Damn, this kid is good,' she thought. She closed her mouth, crossing her arms. "What makes you think I got you a gift?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. You mysteriously went to Hogsmeade for… things," he blushed. "But you come back empty handed. I'm no Sherlock Holmes, but I'm not daft. All the evidence points to the fact that you went and got me a gift. So, what is it?"
"The only gift your going to get is the chance to see my lovely face."
Harry squawked in indignation. "WHAT! That's not a gift. It should be the other way around anyway."
Buffy sighed heavily. "Alright you got me. I'll come clean, Batman. I went and got you a gift."
"So, what is it?" asked Harry, practically bouncing in his seat.
"A smile," replied Buffy, beaming.
She laughed hard at the pout on Harry's face. She got up and headed to her room. Harry followed her, constantly asking what she got him. She ignored him the whole time. Buffy walked into her room and stopped. There on her bed was her favorite ax that Giles had given her two years ago. Being the Slayer was an everyday job, so of course she had packed weapons with her. Buffy didn't mind the ax being left openly on her bed. What made her stop was the fact that the hand base was broken in half. Buffy nostrils flared angrily. There was only one person who knew where her weapons were. She turned around sharply glaring at Harry.
Harry who had been slowly backing up, stopped when she turned her furious gaze on him. "See, it was an accident—" he began.
"Run," Buffy said, icily.
"What?"
"You have ten seconds. Starting now. Go."
"Sorry," apologized Harry, meekly. He turned around and high tailed it from the room. Buffy let out a breath she had been holding in once Harry was gone. She looked at her ax a pout on her face. It had been her favorite too. She had beheaded many a vampire with that ax.
"Little brothers," she said, sighing. Buffy reached ten in her mind and sprinted from the room. She wasn't going to kill Harry. He was her little brother. Because of that she wouldn't hurt him… much.
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Finally, done with this chapter. I didn't know how I wanted to do this. I'm glad it came out alright. Don't worry about Buffy and Harry. She's not going to break his arms or anything. Just a normal sibling fight. If you have a sibling, you know what I mean. The next chapter. Buffy will meet the Weasley's and Hermione. Harry will have his birthday party. Harry wants to surprise his friends with Buffy, so the next chapter they will find out about the lost Potter.