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 are your answers.
Q&A
Aren't there any lawyers to sue the papers? — Buffy suing the Daily Prophet isn't really progressive towards the story in any way. There might be some lawyers, but I can't say since the wizarding world is so complex and new information is always being found out.
When is Xander going to visit to cause some chaos? — Xander won't be visiting. That and the rest of the Scobbies visiting is played out like the new Ashanti CD. Here's a hint though. You'll see him soon enough.
Wasn't Snape taking 50 points too excessive? — I figure Snape is going to be a little more pissy these days, since he's taking up his old spying job. Working for Lord I'm a Crazed Skitzo bent on world domination would make anyone a little miffed.
Thank you once again to all my reviewers. Like I said last time I'm really excited about the chapters coming up. They make me all excited just thinking about what's coming up. According to my little outline here beside me. There should be six more chapters plus the epilogue. Just in case anyone was wondering. ^_^
Stars Not in Heaven
Chapter Fourteen: When I Dream, I Dream in Color
By: Water Mage
The first two weeks passed quickly in all its novelty. Buffy had worried for nothing about her new job. She took to it like a gasping fish being put back into a fishbowl. After the Adams Justice session, word had quickly spread about Buffy's generosity and honest, caring nature. Students flocked to her for advice and help. The session subjects ranged from students wanting a certain schoolmate to notice them or even hard taboo subjects. As one female student had asked Buffy if it were a good idea to have sex with her boyfriend of two years. That had led Buffy into having a sudden coughing fit. She had regained her composure and told the girl of how her own first time went. Of course she left out the Angelus taking over Angel and his trying to send the world into Hell part. In the end the girl had decided to wait until she truly felt she was ready and didn't have any doubts about it.
Buffy walked into the adjoining living room that she and Harry shared. The moonlight shinned through the window giving light to the darkened room. Buffy laid her stake and short sword on the off white couch positioned in front of the fireplace. Professor Snape and herself had only just returned from their nightly patrol of the Forbidden Forest. Tonight had been a productive night. Total, Buffy and Snape had killed one vampire and some kind of subterranean demon that Buffy had never seen before. They weren't sure but Buffy was almost positive that these guys had been spies from Lord Voldemort sent to check Hogwarts for any possible signs of weaknesses.
Buffy checked on Harry in his room. The younger boy was sleeping quite peacefully in his bed. Buffy brushed a strand of hair from his forward, pulling his comforter higher on his chest. A light smile played on Harry's face as he dreamed on. Buffy's eyes flickered from his smile down to his chest. She wouldn't have noticed it if it weren't such a startling white. Around his neck Harry had a long, white feather attached to a piece of cord. Buffy reached out and felt its softness.
"I wonder where this came from?" she wondered aloud.
Shrugging it off to ask him later, Buffy gave Harry one last glance then left the room. She went across the living room to her own room, slipping off her clothes as she went. Five minutes later, Buffy's head hit the pillow and she was out like a light.
Buffy returned to her office the next morning just returning from lunch. She sat at her desk and picked up the book laid in the corner. She had finished the book she had started last week and moved on to its predecessor, The Two Towers. She hadn't had much time to read it seeing as how busy she had been. A knock sounded on her door and it opened a moment later.
In entered a teenage boy of about seventeen. He had wavy brown hair and startling blue eyes that contrasted with his dark locks of hair. He gave Buffy a glowing smile as he sauntered in and sat down on the comfy, black couch near her desk. He leaned back on the couch slouching slightly, still wearing his charming smile.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Buffy asked a little confused by his entrance.
"Yes, you can," replied the boy, his voice deep and husky sounding. "I'm Kenneth Towler, seventh year, Gryffindor by the way."
"I'm Professor Potter if you already didn't know. What do you need that I can help you with?"
Kenneth gave her a charming smile, his blue boring into hers like she was a coveted prize. "I saw you watching me at dinner yesterday and I know you felt it."
Buffy's brow furrowed in confusion, this was her first time ever seeing this boy. Her memories returned to last night's dinner in the Great Hall, but for the life of her she didn't recall ever seeing him before. "What are you talking about?"
"The spark that passed between the two of us was undeniable. I just wanted to let you know that I feel the same way. I graduate soon and I'll be legal to date you in public. For now it will have to be kept secret, since teacher-student relationships are a no no around here."
Buffy mouth dropped open and her cheeks tinged red. She leaned forward in her seat, giving him a long gaze. "Are you high? What are you even talking about?"
Kenneth shook his head as if what she was saying was pure nonsense. "You have no idea what you're saying. You must be tired…"
"Get out," interrupted Buffy, her eyes turning cold and her voice hard. "You have approximately five seconds to leave my sight or I'll give you so much detention your Grandchildren will be attending Hogwarts and you'll still be serving it. Go!"
Kenneth took the hint and sprung from his seat as if struck by lightning. He ran from the room without so much as a passing glance back at her. Buffy leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes and slowing rubbing her temples. A headache was not what she needed right now. That had been the fourth boy this week to try his luck at trying to woo her. This one just happened to be the most outlandish and boldest one yet. A knock sounded on the door again. Buffy was about to scream go away but stopped herself, seeing who entered.
"What happened to you?" asked Harry, sitting down in the armchair. "You look stressed or something."
Buffy sighed, her left eye twitching with suppressed irritation and annoyance. She told Harry about her latest session, which resulted in him holding him his sides as laughter continuously, erupted from his mouth. Buffy tried to glare at him but in the end she couldn't resist, and joined him in a laughing fit. Chuckling, Harry looked into Buffy's green eyes.
At once, Harry's scar that tied him to Voldemort burned with a pain he had felt only once before. He bit his lip, preventing a cry of agony to escape forth. It felt like a thousand sharpened knives had been stabbed into his scar all at the same time. Something external welled inside of Harry and told him to strike out and wrap his hands around Buffy's neck and snap it. Slowly, Harry raised his hands—
"… Harry!"
Harry came to with Buffy shaking and calling to him her voice strained with worry. Harry blinked clearing his blurred vision. He placed his hands over Buffy's to stop her shaking. "I'm…fine," he said, his own voice oddly soft and quiet.
Buffy green eyes racked over his form concern etched clear on her face. "Harry, what the hell just happened?"
Harry tried to smile but failed. His head was killing him with its constant throbbing. "I think… that I was almost possessed by Voldemort again."
"WHAT?!" said Buffy blanching.
Harry looked down at the blood that ran down his chin. He had bit his lip in his pain to keep himself from screaming out his pain to the world. The red droplet contrasted sharply with his bronzed skin that tanned from spending many afternoons' flying outdoors under the hot, summer sun. With a shaking hand, Harry reached up and wiped the trail of blood from his chin. Buffy helped him out by pressing a tissue to the wound marring his lip. Harry looked up at Buffy his smile coming out weak and pitiful.
"I think it may be time for me to take up Occlumency again…"
"Absolutely not!"
Harry and Buffy stood in the Teachers Lounge directly in front of a furious, Professor Snape. Harry shot Buffy an I told you so look. Professor Snape glared at the two Potter siblings his deep, black eyes boring holes into their heads. Harry made a move as to walk away but Buffy gripped his arm, holding him in place.
Buffy put on her friendliest look. "Professor, I don't think you understand the severity of the situation. Lord Voldemort—stop wincing you wuss— is using Harry as a tool to carry out his will. He needs Occlumency to build up a defense against possession."
Snape smiled nastily. "I don't see what this has to do with me."
Buffy was quickly losing control of her temper. Sure, she and Snape hated each other's guts but this was just low. Refusing to help someone clearly in need of help was wrong on many levels. How could a grudge go this far, she wondered.
"Listen," Buffy began. "I know we aren't friends or anything and you hate all things Potter, but Harry really needs your help. I know last year when you tried to teach him you two had some sort of falling out but Harry is sorry for looking in your pensive. So if you could just find it in your heart to help him out…"
"No."
Buffy officially had had enough. She was now pissed off. They had been here for fifteen minutes pleading with Snape to help them. Buffy closed the distanced between her and the Potions Master quickly. Narrowing her eyes she picked up the tall, dark haired man with one arm. Snape was shocked at her actions but he refused to be intimidated by her. His stony glare matched her fiery one evenly.
Buffy stared up at him. "My little brother is being using as a conduit by your pale bastard of a boss! You will get off your period and help him learn Occlumency! So you got picked on when you went to school… so what! Harry got picked on! So did I for god's sake! You're damn near forty years old… get over it!"
She dropped Snape unceremoniously to the floor. He fixed his robes all the while staring at her. Buffy sighed regretting her hasty actions. She bowed her head to floor somewhat guiltily. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to do that. It's just that… I know you hate us because of what our father did to you. But you more than anybody knows that people can grow up and change. Take this girl I know for example. Cordelia Chase was a girl I went to school with. She put the itch in bitch. She and her group, the Cordettes, made everyone's life a living hell in high school. When she found out about Vampires and Demons. She didn't hide behind a veil of cluelessness anymore. She was still a bitch but she started to help out and fight the darkness."
"Where is she now? In a coffin I bet," said Snape, looking mildly interested in the story despite his non-caring look he was putting on.
Buffy shook her head. "No. She currently works in Los Angeles with an ensouled vampire, my ex-boyfriend, as a seer for the Powers that Be."
"Alright, I'll do it."
Harry and Buffy blinked, surprise shown clearly on their faces. Snape smirked at their expressions. "Meet me in my classroom tonight directly after dinner. Do. Not. Be. Late." He turned around and marched from the room his black robes as usual billowing behind him.
"Did he just agree," said Harry slowly as if his brain didn't comprehend what had just happened.
Buffy nodded dumbly. "I can't believe it. I thought we would have had to bribe him."
Harry shook his head. "Never let it be said that my sister doesn't ever lose her temper under pressure."
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"Again!"
Harry got to his feet rubbing his knee. In his right hand he gripped his wand as if were a lifeline. Professor Snape stood a few feet in front of him with his wand out and dark gaze trained on him. Harry had reported to the dungeons for his Occlumency lesson right after dinner, just as Professor Snape requested. They were thirty minutes into the lesson and Harry was doing no better than the previous year.
"Do you want the Dark Lord to invade your mind, Potter!" said Snape coolly.
"No, sir," said Harry grounding his teeth together, angrily.
Snape nodded and raised his wand. "Now clear your thoughts. I'm about to break into your mind… Remember to resist at all cost… Prepare yourself… Legilimens!"
All around him were Deatheaters… He was in the graveyard that Voldemort had been resurrected in… Slowly the masked people began to move closer… They glided along the ground as if they floated… Harry looked around frantically… Finally, he spotted Snape standing amongst the hooded figures… He was staring at Harry, not blinking all the while muttering under his breath, just like in first year when he was saving him from being thrown off his jinxed broom… Harry knew what to do, with all his might he concentrated on Snape and the Deatheaters vanished leaving only them…
In reality outside the hazy dreamlike world, Harry raised his own wand.
"Defendo!"
Snape was hit by the knock back jinx, making him stumble backwards as if suddenly shoved hard in the chest. Harry collapsed to his knees; his breath coming out in short gasps and his eyes shut tight. With sluggish movements Harry got back to his feet. Snape had recovered from the jinx and regarded Harry with an odd look.
"Better. That's it for tonight, you've made good enough progress. You may go now."
Harry nodded and left the dungeons without even a backward glance. Harry trudged through the corridors feeling his tiredness spread rapidly through him with each step he took. He placed his hand on the tapestry and mumbled the password to his and Buffy's quarters. He walked through the transparent entranceway and slumped down onto the couch, his head falling into Buffy's lap. Buffy looked down from the book in her hands to raise her eyebrow at her brother. She closed the book sitting it down beside her.
"He must have worked you pretty hard. You look worse than usual self."
Harry made a face. "Ha ha," he said dryly. "In case you couldn't figure it out because of your blond-ness that was a sarcastic laugh."
"Really," said Buffy sarcastically, running her hands through his hair. Harry felt relaxed by the soothing treatment and slowly his eyelids began to get heavy. Against his will they closed and he drifted into dreamland. Buffy continued the treatment for nearly ten minutes before she noticed that Harry had fallen asleep. Easily she picked him up as if he were lighter than a pillow and walked to his room, carefully depositing him down on his bed, pulling the comforter up on him.
"Goodnight, Harry bear," she whispered, kissing his forehead and exiting the room.
If Buffy had stayed longer she would have noticed something very disturbing. Harry suddenly began to thrash around in his bed. His eyes still closed, Harry's hands clenched the sheets tightly as the dream running through his mind took a different path.
Harry was dreaming he was riding a broomstick. He cut through puffy white clouds and sped along, a worthy match for the wind in speed. Against Harry's own accord the broom began to dive down. Harry tried to pull the broom up but it wouldn't respond to him. He gritted his teeth as he dived towards the ground at a breakneck speed. Suddenly Harry wasn't on his broom anymore. He was standing in a dark room only lighted with torches braced against the wall here and there. At once, the room's occupants appeared from nowhere as if they simply faded in. Harry gasped lightly and stepped back, noticing for the first time that his body was transparent. The room's occupants hadn't faded in, he had. Harry recognized this group of people well.
Around a long rectangular table were two black robed people he didn't recognize by face but by posture and attitude… Deatheaters. Lord Voldemort sat at the head of the table his slanted, red snake like eyes gazed about at the two stony faces. One was an Asian woman with long black hair tied in a tight braid and the other a middle-aged man with a long noise and calculating ice blue eyes. Voldemort snapped his head to the place Harry stood in. Harry gulped but kept his ground. Voldemort stared for a moment before turning back to his inner circle.
"Two of our number are lost to us for now," said Voldemort, his voice deep and soft at the same time. Almost like a soft hissing. "Lestrange and Malfoy will be returned to us in time and then the Four Horsemen shall be together again. When you four are reunited an apocalypse the wizarding world has never seen will be upon them."
"My lord," said the Asian woman. Her voice was light but held an edge of sharpness behind it that betrayed her beauty, making her seem cold and professional. "When will this happen?"
Harry shuddered as Voldemort's face formed into what he guess could be considered a smile. "On the day of the Great Conjunction we shall strike Hogwarts and show that there is no safe place in the world from my force. That foolish Dumbledore and his chess piece, Potter, will no doubt defend the school and they shall perish along with all who stand beside them."
"The sister is new to us, My Lord. Our sources have had trouble gathering information on her. As far we can tell she just appeared this summer. Our allies in the demons all seem to hush up suspiciously when her very name is mentioned around them," said the man with the long nose.
Harry's eyes widened as he bravely moved closer to the table to hear the conversation better. They were digging around for information about Buffy. It would only be soon before they got lucky and found out her true nature as being the Slayer.
Lord Voldemort rubbed the wand in his hand. The wand that held the brother feather to the Phoenix feather that resided in Harry's own wand. Voldemort hummed thoughtfully puzzling over this new information.
"I see. Interrogate our demonic allies but do not harm them. Our alliance with them is fragile enough. The sister shouldn't matter. I shall give her the same choice I gave the other Descendents. Either serve me or die. Her brother doesn't get that same choice. He shall experience pain that only people in the furthest depths of Hell feel for the half-life he inflicted on me!"
Harry felt his whole body jerk backwards. His eyes snapped open and he found himself looking up at the ceiling of his room. Harry swung his legs over the edge of bed and sprinted into Buffy's room. He shook her awake calling her name loud enough to wake the dead.
"What? What? What!" said Buffy coming awake, her eyes blinking quickly to adjust to darkness of the room.
"Get up and come on! I just had a dream about Voldemort!"
Buffy didn't offer anymore questions she slipped on her robe and followed Harry. They ran down the hallways with Harry filling her in on what he saw and heard. Buffy gave the password to the gargoyle. She knew it because she had her magic lessons with Dumbledore in his office. They sprinted up the stairs and banged on the door that blocked the circular room on the other side from view. A sleepy eyed Dumbledore, wearing a fuzzy purple robe and matching hat opened the door. He let them in immediately seeing the urgency written on both their faces.
"Have a seat," offered Dumbledore, conjuring a pair of seats in mid air. They sank down in them as he moved behind his desk and sat in his own chair. "What is the nature of your emergency?" he asked once seated.
Harry instantly began to rattle off the events of his dream to the Headmaster. Contrary to popular belief, Dumbledore was not all knowing and he didn't know every single event that went on in the world. He was a normal wizard just more powerful and wiser than most. He was genially shocked as Harry repeated the events of his dream to him.
"This is most unsettling," he said, rubbing his beard. "Professor Snape is not privy to be in Voldemort's inner circle so this information would have reached us too late if you hadn't told me. Thank you, Harry."
Harry absently rubbed a finger over his scar as he remembered the events of his dream. "Sir, what did Voldemort mean by his Four Horsemen being together again and what is the Great Conjunction and why will he attack Hogwarts then?"
Dumbledore placed his hands together, his face looking calm despite the grave news he had just received. "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in mythology were Strife, War, Famine, and Death and when together they would bring about the end of the world. Voldemort has four Deatheaters who are so cruel and vicious that they earned this title from their master. When the four of them got together they became the definition of evil."
"I got dibs on them," voiced Buffy, rubbing her hands together.
Harry rolled his eyes giving her a side-glance. Smiling Dumbledore continued to answer Harry's next question. "Now, the Great Conjunction is when all the planets in the Solar System from Mercury to Pluto will align and magic on Earth will be in state of perfect harmony. This day only comes every hundred years and is usually celebrated but Voldemort obviously wants to catch us with our guard down. But thanks to you we will be ready."
Buffy started to get up to leave but Harry put a hand on her arm, stopping her. She sat back down giving him a questioning glance. Harry turned to Dumbledore. "Sir, before we leave there is something else that Voldemort said that I don't understand."
"What's that, Harry?" asked Dumbledore, leaning forward in his chair. His half moon spectacles slipped down his slightly.
"I was wondering if you knew what Voldemort meant when he said that Buffy was going to get the same choice the other Descendents got. Either serve him or die. He said that I wouldn't get that choice. What is he talking about?"
Buffy narrowed her eyes at the old wizard. He seemed that he was struggling with something inside himself. She had seen the same look on Giles' face before he told her about the prophecy that predicted the Master would kill her. "You know something don't you?" she said more harshly than she intended.
Dumbledore nodded, slowly. He opened a drawer beside his desk and pulled out a long rolled up parchment that looked almost older then he did. Dumbledore sat the parchment on the desk and regarded both the siblings with tired eyes that spoke of weariness and sadness along with some trepidation.
"There is something that you two along with most of the wizarding world doesn't know. As you know Voldemort is the descendent of Salazar Slytherin, one of the Four Founders of Hogwarts. When he came to power he began to seek out the other descendents of the Founders Four. Voldemort wanted to get revenge for Slytherin by making those who exiled his ancestor to serve under him and become slaves. During his reign of terror he sought them all out, but they all refused to serve him and one by one he killed them. The Bones the last of Hufflepuffs bloodline, the Prewetts, the last of Ravenclaw. Finally, he sought out the last of Gryffindors bloodline. They fought valiantly against him till finally there was only the direct descendents left, but each time he confronted them they alluded him."
Dumbledore opened the parchment in front of him. Buffy and Harry leaned forward to look. On the old paper was a sketch of what looked like a family tree. Their family tree to be exact. Dumbledore pointed a finger at line that connected Lily and James, their parents.
"Here are your parents' names. As many people know Lily Potter was a muggle born witch and James was a pureblood wizard. What people don't know is Lily's true heritage. Her mother was a pureblood witch and her father a muggle. When they married Lily's mother took the last name Evan's. Few know that her name before marriage was Roselyn McKinnon… the direct descendent of Godric Gryffindor."
Buffy and Harry's jaw's dropped simultaneously. Harry shook his head not believing it. Seeing Dumbledore's serious expression stopped his oncoming outburst. Slowly Harry put the pieces and clues together that should have been obvious all these years.
When he first got his wand he had produced gold and scarlet sparks the house colors of Gryffindor.
Hagrid mentioned that his parents lived in Godric's Hollow when he told him about Voldemort all those years ago.
Second year he pulled Gryffindor's sword from the Sorting Hat to defeat the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets.
Harry looked at Dumbledore his mind racing with old memories and barely formed theories and possibilities. One theory stood out more than others, "Aunt Petunia knows doesn't she! She's bitter that she isn't a witch and Mum and Grandmum were! That's why she hates magic."
He could clearly remember her words when she told him her frustrations with Lily being a witch almost six years ago...
'I was the only one who saw her for what she was— a freak! But my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!'
Dumbledore nodded. "You are precisely right. Petunia grew up hearing stories of magic from her mother and when she found out she was a muggle, she began to detest all things magical. Having her younger sister be a witch and not her was a devastating blow that couldn't be healed."
A tear made its way down Harry's check. He hurriedly wiped it away. "Mum didn't have to die. I remember. Voldemort told her to stand aside and she didn't have to die. She only died to protect me…" Buffy slipped an arm around him as he trailed off, his eyes glazed over going over the memory.
"Your mother didn't have to die, but she chose to because she wanted you to live. As a Descendent she had two options: serve Voldemort or die. She worked ancient magic and chose the second one placing a protection on you that even the wheels of time couldn't break."
"You seem to be taking this awfully well, Buffy," observed Dumbledore moments later, noting how calm the blond had been during this entire revelation. She was shocked at first but it quickly wore away only to be replace with concern for her brother.
Buffy shrugged as if it were no big deal. "I'm not really shocked. First I find out I'm the Slayer, then adopted, I have brother, I'm a witch, and now I'm a descendent of a famous wizard who built this school… typical. My life might as well be a template for an episode of Beverly Hills 90210 with the way things are going."
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I hope there weren't too many mistakes in this chapter. I just got back from this all night lock in type thing and I haven't been to sleep in thirty-six hours. // Harry being the descendent of Godric Gryffindor always seemed so obvious to me. It may seem corny and typical but its just because many people believe it and are writing so many stories about it. All the clues and things just fit, you know? I guessed about 90% percent of OotP, so I think I'm right about this. Well, I think I am ^_^ Oh yeah, the names for the Descendents came straight from the Sorcerers Stone, page. 56
Hahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaa---------- Evil maniac laughter. The next chapter will be worth the read. The ending will no doubt leave many of you cheering or sitting on the edge of your seats.