Bring on the Rain: Potions and Flashbacks

Author note: I realized that I didn't credit Joss Wedon for BtVS or J.K. Rowling for HP. There now I am covered. Oh and I wanted to thank Silentchild10 for her story A Slayer as A Teacher. That's where I got the idea to have a very broken Buffy come to Hogwarts to get away but in my story she comes as a student. So, that's about all so on with the story.

Pairings: Buffy/Harry, Ron/Hermione and that's all I can think of right now. More pairings will develop as the story evolves (I think)

"Yeah, I might feel defeated,

And I might hang my head,

I might be barely breathing

But I'm not dead"

"Bring on the Rain" Jo Dee Messina

One month later

Buffy smiled in spite of herself as she brewed the difficult potion perfectly. This fell though as she looked up at the scowling potions professor. Severus Snape glared down at the small blonde girl unable to fault her work. Grudgingly he admitted. "Very good, Ms. Summers. Very few of my seventh years have been able to do that complex potion correctly."

Buffy shrugged, dismissing the comment. "Must be all the years of chemistry." Then she frowned. "Of course, not that I paid that much attention in chemistry." She seemed to ponder this thought for a moment then shrugged. Didn't matter, all that mattered was living one day to the next and some days Buffy wasn't even sure she wanted to do that. Snape quickly dismissed the prattle of the girl and instead looked at her eyes. Such haunted eyes for someone so young. He snorted 'what did this insipid blonde know of tragedy'. Still, she had excelled at potions in her month at Hogwarts, impressing even him though he would never admit it.

"That will be all for today, Ms. Summers. For homework I want a foot- long essay on the history of this particular potion and why it is so rarely used even though it is quite effective when it has been used." With that the Potions professor swept out of the dungeon in a flurry of black robes.

"Geez, dramatic much." Buffy muttered to herself as she contemplated spending yet another night researching in the library. With a start Buffy realized she was starting to enjoy her recent academic lifestyle. Magic was way more fascinating and wow-worthy then muggle school work. Plus, bonus, all the studying didn't bode well for thinking. . . well at least not thinking school related thoughts. Not thinking during school work kind of defeated the purpose and made the whole process incredibly frustrating. What it did alleviate wa the time to dwell on thoughts of her former life back in Sunnydale. Frowning, Buffy quickly pushed those thoughts aside and locked them away. Thoughts of Sunnydale only brought pain and heartache and she'd had quite enough of that, thank you very much. When Sirius Black had literally been dropped into her life she had eagerly took the chance to get away form Sunnyhell for awhile. Her mind slipped back to that night only one month ago. Their first meeting hadn't been the most complimentary what with herself holding a sword on the mysterious man who had been expelled by the Acathla statue. Luckily Giles had appeared just in time to stop any bloodshed of innocents and had surprisingly knew the mysterious man. What had followed was a tale of another world of magic and wonder and a tale of a 16 year old boy who had been defeating Lord Voldemort since he was 11. Buffy tried to remember herself at that age and realized she wouldn't have been able to handle that responsibility. No 11 year old should have to. But Harry did. He stepped up to the challenge and had won each time. At 11 she was a giggly blonde obsessed with hairstyles, fashion and the cute boys in school. Although at 11 she had had her first boyfriend, not that she would ever admit that to her mother. These dates were disguised as group outings. 'Tangent' Buffy thought absently. After Sirius's tale had come to conclusion there had been bizarre talk about some Dumble- something guy needing to be contacted and of owls being sent. Later , much tp Buffy's wonderment, an old guy with a knee-length beard and hair to match had appeared with a pop in Giles's living room. He had greeted Sirius cordially and then had turn his wizened blue eyes one her. They had instantly warmed a portion of her frozen insides and she had smiled back at him.

" It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Summers. I have long heard rumors of the great slayer in America. " He had intoned, his eyes with a twinkle in them, his tone sincere.

" Buffy."

"I beg you pardon" He blinked, though Buffy got the feeling not much surprised this man.

"Call me Buffy. Ms. Summers immediately makes me think I am in trouble." She offered, shrugging. If possible the old wizard's eyes had twinkled even more.

" No that you would know anything about that, would you?" He had asked knowingly. Again Buffy shrugged but for some reason wanted to defend herself less this man think ill of her. She waited until the urge had passed before looking at him again. Blue eyes gazed at her knowingly and with sympathy. She didn't know how he did it but he must have sensed her need to get away for in the course of the conversation he had offered her entrance into Hogwarts.

"Buffy, you have a unique magic all of your own, very powerful in your own right. I believe that Hogwarts would help you harness that power. "

"Why do I sense a condition tagging along with this knowledge?" Se had asked warily, tiredly. D had smiled a at her quick pick up. This one was good. No wonder she had survived three years as the slayer and two of those on the Hellmouth itself.

"I am sure Sirius has told you about our Mister Potter. I would consider it a special favor to me if you would teach him your brand of fighting. As well as acting as a protector to him off school grounds. Mr. Potter and his friends show a knack for finding trouble and breaking the rules and I would feel more secure knowing he was as safe as can be." Buffy frowned, something bothering her.

" Okay, this Harry is called the Boy-Who-Lived. Got that. Why the hard-on for the full court press in the protection department and the fighting department.' Buffy questioned in her own language. Giles sighed, taking his glasses off and began to polish them furiously on his handkerchief. Head D had just smiled in delight at her phrasing. Then he turned more serious than Giles had ever seen him.

" Because, Buffy, he is the wizarding world's last hope. If he fails, then the world as we know it will be no more for once the wizarding world falls to Voldemort the rest of the world will quickly follow." Dumbledoore had quieted then, watching her intently.

" Another fucking prophecy." Buffy filled in the gaps. Another kid thrust into a role he hadn't asked for but was doing his damndest to stay afloat and keep fighting no matter his losses.

'I'm fifteen years old. I don't want to die.' Her words before she had fought the Master came to her then and she wondered if the Harry had ever thrown in the towel only to realize he was it. No one else could do it. It was all on him.

"Harry, of course knows, of this prophecy. After Sirius was thought for dead Harry and I had a long talk and I explained the prophecy to him. Despite his heartbreak he came back for his sixth year at Hogwart's battle worn but ready to begin again."
"Because he's a hero." Buffy answered "And that's what the hero does." She said bitterly yet factually. " No matter what happens the hero goes on because if they don't the world would fall to darkness and all good would be lost." She answered the question in Sirius's eyes. Giles had looked upon his charge with a new light as he realized his slayer had grown up. Gone was the flighty teenager and in her place was a mature woman, battle-hardened and wise beyond her years. It had been agreed that Buffy could leave the Hellmouth and Giles would contact the new slayer and she would be relocated to the Hellmouth. Buffy had gladly and eagerly accepted ,needing to get away from anything Sunnydale. And Giles had gracefully let her go, knowing in his Watcher/ father way that this was the only way for Buffy to come back to herself and to them. So the arrangements were made and two days and many tearful goodbyes later Buffy was no longer the Slayer on the Hellmouth but the Slayer at Hogwart's.

The past month had been a crash course into the world of magic as Head D had figured it wise that she be proficient in basic magic so as not to arouse suspicion among the students. Left with nothing to do but study and roam the castle(avoid her thoughts) she had flourished in the magical environment. Granted though she would never be as powerful a witch as most of her peers she could still hold her own. And she still had kick-ass slayer powers.

Okay, reactions? Good, bad, in between? Feedback, as always, appreciated but not demanded. I'm still mapping out this story so I apologize for slow updates. Next chapter: the sorting the Order and the Harry. He He. Thanks for reading.