Ok.. this is the last chapter I posted as NC17. Any further chapters are new. Hope
you all enjoy. Hopefully the formatting worked better this time around, last time it
was all squashed! So review, please!!!!!
Thanks as always to Lady Allylandra and Andrew, the sexiest man on the planet who,
conveniently is also my boyfriend. Love you always babes! Xxx
Harry left Water's rooms thoughtful, trying to understand what she had told him. This
was too much, mortal realms, immortal planes. He wandered slowly to the Great Hall
finally paying attention to the growling of his stomach. A quick glance at his watch
told him it was lunchtime. He'd missed Herbology, he thought dully. Great, how am
I going to explain to Ron and Hermione where I've been all morning? He looked up
at the sound of his name being called. Speak of the Devil and he shall appear, he
thought as Ron and Hermione rounded the corner, worried and pale.
"Harry, where have you been?"
"Why weren't you in the dorm when we woke up?"
" Why weren't you in Herbology this morning, were you ill?"
"You weren't with Malfoy were you?"
The last question, predictably from Ron made Harry look up in surprise. "How'd
you?… Yes I was."
Ron seemed stunned. "Um… Harry, I mean I'm not judging you, but isn't that, you
know, a bit fast?"
Hermione was more blunt. "You didn't. Tell me you didn't sleep with Malfoy after
only deciding you like him for a couple of days. Please tell me that my best friend
isn't a slut."
"What? No, I mean I was with Malfoy, but we didn't, nothing happened, we were in
the hospital wing."
A mixture of relief and concern flitted over Ron and Hermione's faces. "The Hospital
wing?" Harry sighed and proceeded to tell them about the events of last night and this
morning, including his last conversation with Water.
"Wow, that's erm.. not quite what we expected. Is Malfoy going to be ok?" Ron
asked.
"Madam Pomfrey thinks so, they just have no idea who did it."
"Well, it's obvious isn't it? It's got to be one of the Slytherins, after what happened
who else can it be? I mean the teachers must have noticed how they're treating him."
Hermione ventured, frowning in concentration.
"You think wouldn't you?" Harry sighed. "Unfortunately the teachers seem to
follow the muggle idea, innocent until proven guilty. They won't investigate any
specific Slytherins until they have reason to suspect them."
"How about Malfoy, does he know who attacked him?" Ron asked.
Harry frowned thinking back to his conversation with Draco in the hospital wing. "I
don't know, I'll have to talk to him again." He glanced up to see both Ron and
Hermione smiling gently at him. "What?"
"It's sweet really," Hermione said to her boyfriend.
"Nauseous if you ask me," Ron grinned.
"Harry, let the teachers deal with it and pity those on the receiving end of Snape's
wrath!" Hermione told Harry, laughter dancing behind her eyes as she struggled not
to smile.
"And those DADA teachers", Ron shuddered
"Now, as you missed breakfast you must be starving. You are coming with us to the
Great hall now!" Hermione ordered grabbing one of Harry's arms. Ron nodded in
agreement as he seized Harry's other arm and the pair proceeded to haul Harry
between them filling him in on the non-event of the Herbology lesson he'd missed.
Water sat in her room staring at the door Harry had just exited. She didn't bother to
look up as her brother entered the room. "You calmed down yet?" He chuckled
slightly in reply. Turning round to face him she looked reproachfully at him. "It's
not like you to get so worked up about anything like that. What ever happened to
'every argument has two sides' that I normally hear from you and completely
ignore?" Air sat heavily onto the coach in front of her and ran a hand through his
sandy brown hair. He was silent for a long while before he looked up at his sister.
She trapped his gaze in her brilliant emerald eyes and she raised a questioning
eyebrow.
"I guess I just protective of you that's all. I hate the idea of someone gunning for
you. You're my kid sis."
Water rolled her eyes. "Actually we're the same age."
"Details, details." Air waved his hand around, brushing her point away as he would a
fly.
"And secondly, I can look out for myself, it's not like a mortal, human boy could ever
best me!" Air laughed with her. "True, most demons lose out to your bad side."
"What bad side!" Water pretended to be insulted. Her innocent look wilted under his
glare. She grinned at him, her trade mark predatory grin. Before long he was
matching her grin with one of his own. The sight of his grin reminded her painfully
of the way they used to live, a way they could never live again. Part of her missed
those days, free from all the cares the universe had to offer. Now they were renegades
from their own people, hunting down those they once called family. No, not all
demons were evil. Just most of them. It was rare to find a demon turn against evil
and revenge. Anyanka, now known as Anya was a prime example, a demon who had
had to switch sides. Water pitied her in a way the other mortals didn't, she knew of
the struggle Anya had gone through to turn against her former comrades. It was the
same struggle Water, Air, Fire and Earth went through every day.
"Hello, anyone in there?"
Water shook her self slightly. "What?"
Air smiled indulgently. "You were a million miles away. Having fun there?"
She winced. "Not really." She paused. "Would you ever go back? You know, to the
way things were?"
Air sighed. "Yes. And no. We're not those demons any more sis. We never will be,
we've changed. And maybe, even though it's harder, maybe it's for the best."
"Do you blame me?"
"Never."
Giles sat on his desk in the classroom due to be filled with students again in an hour.
That, however, was an hour away and in the meantime he still had a slayer to train.
He watched as Buffy went through the normal routine of kicks and punches against
the huge sandbag hanging from the ceiling. He winced slightly as a final kick ripped
the bag from its hangings. Buffy stepped back before turning to look at him guiltily.
"Oops." Giles sighed. She was still so young. It tore at him every time he put herself
in danger, all in the name of destiny. No body asked her if she wanted to save the
world. Heaven help her, she'd already died twice. He looked at her, standing with a
guilty look on her face. Giving her a small smile he gestured towards the bag. "I
suppose we'd better clean this away before the lesson. Are we clear on the subject
for… Oh, which year group is it?"
"Third year. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff." Buffy smiled fondly. "Giles, please try
and remember some things, you are meant to be the responsible adult of this group. I
mean you're like, old and everything."
Giles nailed her with a glare. "Spike's older than me."
"Spike doesn't count, he's still stuck at 20,21, how old is he?"
"Technically he's 180. As for when he was turned, I have no idea. Early twenties I
would imagine."
"Precisely. That would make him permanently Xander's age."
Giles sighed. "I shudder at the thought."
"I rest my case."
"Why, is it heavy? Hey, G- Man, what's a happenin' you funky party weasel you?"
Buffy laughed as she turned towards the door to see Xander, Anya and Willow
standing there. Xander grinned goofily before enveloping Anya in a bear hug, kissing
her on the cheek. Giles sighed, again. "Xander, I have asked you a thousand times
not to call me that."
"Sure, whatever G- Man."
"Xander." Willow said reproachfully.
"What?! Hey, Buffster, looking good today."
"Thank you." Buffy laughed. "Where's Dawn?"
"Tara's looking after her in Sunnydale. She didn't fancy travelling the Ghost Roads
today. Headache."
"Eew." Buffy shuddered. "The Ghost Roads. Not my favourite way to travel."
"One lapse in concentration and bamn!" Xander exclaimed. "Trapped forever. Or
lost in Timbuktu, with no way of getting home."
"Timbuktu is nice." Anya pouted. "Lots of cheating men, I spent a lot of time there."
She paused. "Of course it may have changed since I was last there."
"Which was?" Buffy prompted.
"Around 300 years ago. I forget exactly. I remember there was this one girl who
wished her husband's heart would explode but he was having dinner with his parents
when she made the wish so the dessert was kinda ruined." Anya paused and looked
around at the suddenly green faces. "What?"
"It is so gross some of the things she does. Xand, tell me she never comes up with
this stuff when we're not talking about demon stuff."
Xander shook his head still looking nauseous. Anya frowned slightly. "Anyway, I
can't understand why you don't like travelling on the ghost roads. Spike and Angel
don't have any problems."
"But you, Spike and Angel are of the super, while we mere mortals are of the
normal." Xander explained.
"I'm mortal now."
"Yes but Anya, you were a demon for 1000 years, you're used to this shit."
"I envy the elementals, they can travel instantly through their elements." Buffy
grumbled.
Willow's eyes widened. "Have you ever seen Water emerge from a tiny drop of
water, it's so freaky? And the way Fire just appears from flames. Ooh and the way
Air kinda looks like a ghost and Earth grows like a really fast tree?"
"Speaking of Earth, where's he been the past couple of days?" Buffy asked.
"Greece."
She turned to Giles in surprise. "How'd you know that?"
"He said he wanted to see how it had changed since he'd last been there and he'd be
back soon. I overheard him tell Air."
"What's with those two?" Xander exclaimed. "They seem inseparable. I thought
they were brothers."
"Pull your mind out of the gutter Xand. Water and Air are brother and sister and Fire
and Earth are brother and sister. Don't ask me why or how it works it just does. Fire
told me." Willow explained.
"But are Air and Earth?…" Xander left the question unspoken.
Willow sighed. "I don't know Xander, I'd imagine so from what the four of them
have said. And the fact they share a bedroom as opposed to the girls who have a
bedroom each in their apartment."
"You dissin' the number of rooms in our apartment?" A slow drawl asked. The
group turned to see a slim young man leaning against the windowsill. A potted plant
had fallen onto the floor, the earth spilling from it. Without breaking their gaze the
young man waved a hand and the earth floated back onto the windowsill. The pot
floated up also and fixed, the plant upright. He grinned, his deep brown eyes
twinkling with good humour. Buffy grinned with him. "Hey Earth, enjoy Greece?"
He scowled momentarily. "Way more tourists than I remember. Tacky." He
brightened again. "Where's Air?" He looked from Buffy to Xander, to the others
with all the hopefulness of a puppy dog. Buffy had to smile. "Come on, I'll show
you, he should be in his room with Water."
"Cool." With that Earth bounded out of the room leaving Buffy to follow shaking her
head in mild amusement. "Be back in a minute guys."
It didn't take long for a routine to establish itself for Harry. Lessons continued, and
Draco healed. That didn't stop Harry worrying about him, or allow him to ignore the
growing attraction he felt for him. He noticed Draco by himself, never with anyone,
especially the Slytherins. Their cold treatment of Draco made everyone
uncomfortable, yet the teachers seemed not to notice. After their exchange in the
sickbay, Harry half expected for a bond to have developed between Draco and
himself. Not the case, Draco had all but ignored him. Harry sighed to himself as he
wandered down the corridor to his DADA lesson. DADA had quickly become one of
his favourite lessons, a view that was held by most of the school. He hadn't enjoyed
it this much since Remus Lupin had taught. These teachers lived up the expectations;
they really knew their stuff. He'd learnt more about demons and fighting in this year
than he'd ever learnt in his life. Plus the homework meant access to the restricted
area of the library, which had nearly caused Hermione to faint with pleasure. He
turned into the door to see most of the DADA teachers standing there. All of them
except Angle and Spike. He frowned, he couldn't remember ever seeing so many of
the teachers together. He took his seat and looked up expectantly. Giles frowned.
"Where's Seamus and Dean?"
"They er… er.. kinda overslept." Ron muttered smirking.
Giles raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
Ron seemed to flounder for a moment, the other Gryffindors trying to suppress their
laughter. Ron was saved however by a blushing Seamus bursting through the door, a
scarlet Dean right behind him. They screeched to a halt, not meeting the teachers'
eyes. Giles looked down and suppressed a smile. "Sit down you two." They
sheepishly sat down at their seats. Earth was grinning broadly and Harry caught him
winking at Seamus and Dean. Giles sighed. "Today we're splitting up into groups.
Pansy, Millicent, Vincent and Gregory, you will be with Fire and Willow." Fire
glared at Giles. Giles continued, "Blaise, Lavender, Parvati and Neville, you'll be
with Buffy and Earth. Hermione, Harry and Draco, you'll be with Water and Xander
and Ron, Dean and Seamus will be with Air and myself." Giles turned away and
Harry barely caught Fire muttering. "If I kill any of them, it will be your fault."
"That's why Willow's with you."
"Air's much calmer than me. Or my brother. I will go CRAZY!" The last word was
said in a strangled hiss. Giles smiled. "Then maybe it will be a good time for you to
learn self control." He turned away and smiled as he heard Fire mutter. "I have self
control."
Harry heard no more as Water snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Ok, you
three, all come and grab this, I've never done this before, so I hope this works."
They clustered around and grabbed hold of the rock she was holding out. As Harry
thought the room began to spin and blur. Suddenly the school disappeared and they
were standing in a muggle shopping centre.
"Hey, Roxanne!"
The call was in Xander's voice, but the name was unfamiliar. He walked toward
Water. "Where are we exactly?"
"A small town in Surrey, a suburb of England, just outside London. Guildford to be
precise. Nice little place, actually. Not bad shopping."
"Roxanne?" Harry asked
Water smiled. "The name I go by in the human world. Water is just a bit strange.
So, Roxanne. Air is Ewan, Earth is Ryan and Fire is Holly. Just makes us blend a
little more."
"So what's the lesson exactly?" Draco asked.
"This is." Xander said simply.
"Look around you." Water said. "What do you see?"
"Muggles." Harry stated.
"Precisely. Look at them, continuing their lives, without a single clue of the danger
that surrounds them. This is what we fight for. The preservation of their innocence.
We all here have been gifted with the powers to help these people. You needed to see
this. Remember what you're fighting for. You're fighting for these people."
"Um… Pro… Roxanne. Muggles isn't just what I see," Hermione ventured, her voice
trembling.
Harry turned to follow her gaze and saw five Dementors gliding towards them………
TO BE CONTINUED ………….. (If enough people review. At least 10 new reviews
please!)
you all enjoy. Hopefully the formatting worked better this time around, last time it
was all squashed! So review, please!!!!!
Thanks as always to Lady Allylandra and Andrew, the sexiest man on the planet who,
conveniently is also my boyfriend. Love you always babes! Xxx
Harry left Water's rooms thoughtful, trying to understand what she had told him. This
was too much, mortal realms, immortal planes. He wandered slowly to the Great Hall
finally paying attention to the growling of his stomach. A quick glance at his watch
told him it was lunchtime. He'd missed Herbology, he thought dully. Great, how am
I going to explain to Ron and Hermione where I've been all morning? He looked up
at the sound of his name being called. Speak of the Devil and he shall appear, he
thought as Ron and Hermione rounded the corner, worried and pale.
"Harry, where have you been?"
"Why weren't you in the dorm when we woke up?"
" Why weren't you in Herbology this morning, were you ill?"
"You weren't with Malfoy were you?"
The last question, predictably from Ron made Harry look up in surprise. "How'd
you?… Yes I was."
Ron seemed stunned. "Um… Harry, I mean I'm not judging you, but isn't that, you
know, a bit fast?"
Hermione was more blunt. "You didn't. Tell me you didn't sleep with Malfoy after
only deciding you like him for a couple of days. Please tell me that my best friend
isn't a slut."
"What? No, I mean I was with Malfoy, but we didn't, nothing happened, we were in
the hospital wing."
A mixture of relief and concern flitted over Ron and Hermione's faces. "The Hospital
wing?" Harry sighed and proceeded to tell them about the events of last night and this
morning, including his last conversation with Water.
"Wow, that's erm.. not quite what we expected. Is Malfoy going to be ok?" Ron
asked.
"Madam Pomfrey thinks so, they just have no idea who did it."
"Well, it's obvious isn't it? It's got to be one of the Slytherins, after what happened
who else can it be? I mean the teachers must have noticed how they're treating him."
Hermione ventured, frowning in concentration.
"You think wouldn't you?" Harry sighed. "Unfortunately the teachers seem to
follow the muggle idea, innocent until proven guilty. They won't investigate any
specific Slytherins until they have reason to suspect them."
"How about Malfoy, does he know who attacked him?" Ron asked.
Harry frowned thinking back to his conversation with Draco in the hospital wing. "I
don't know, I'll have to talk to him again." He glanced up to see both Ron and
Hermione smiling gently at him. "What?"
"It's sweet really," Hermione said to her boyfriend.
"Nauseous if you ask me," Ron grinned.
"Harry, let the teachers deal with it and pity those on the receiving end of Snape's
wrath!" Hermione told Harry, laughter dancing behind her eyes as she struggled not
to smile.
"And those DADA teachers", Ron shuddered
"Now, as you missed breakfast you must be starving. You are coming with us to the
Great hall now!" Hermione ordered grabbing one of Harry's arms. Ron nodded in
agreement as he seized Harry's other arm and the pair proceeded to haul Harry
between them filling him in on the non-event of the Herbology lesson he'd missed.
Water sat in her room staring at the door Harry had just exited. She didn't bother to
look up as her brother entered the room. "You calmed down yet?" He chuckled
slightly in reply. Turning round to face him she looked reproachfully at him. "It's
not like you to get so worked up about anything like that. What ever happened to
'every argument has two sides' that I normally hear from you and completely
ignore?" Air sat heavily onto the coach in front of her and ran a hand through his
sandy brown hair. He was silent for a long while before he looked up at his sister.
She trapped his gaze in her brilliant emerald eyes and she raised a questioning
eyebrow.
"I guess I just protective of you that's all. I hate the idea of someone gunning for
you. You're my kid sis."
Water rolled her eyes. "Actually we're the same age."
"Details, details." Air waved his hand around, brushing her point away as he would a
fly.
"And secondly, I can look out for myself, it's not like a mortal, human boy could ever
best me!" Air laughed with her. "True, most demons lose out to your bad side."
"What bad side!" Water pretended to be insulted. Her innocent look wilted under his
glare. She grinned at him, her trade mark predatory grin. Before long he was
matching her grin with one of his own. The sight of his grin reminded her painfully
of the way they used to live, a way they could never live again. Part of her missed
those days, free from all the cares the universe had to offer. Now they were renegades
from their own people, hunting down those they once called family. No, not all
demons were evil. Just most of them. It was rare to find a demon turn against evil
and revenge. Anyanka, now known as Anya was a prime example, a demon who had
had to switch sides. Water pitied her in a way the other mortals didn't, she knew of
the struggle Anya had gone through to turn against her former comrades. It was the
same struggle Water, Air, Fire and Earth went through every day.
"Hello, anyone in there?"
Water shook her self slightly. "What?"
Air smiled indulgently. "You were a million miles away. Having fun there?"
She winced. "Not really." She paused. "Would you ever go back? You know, to the
way things were?"
Air sighed. "Yes. And no. We're not those demons any more sis. We never will be,
we've changed. And maybe, even though it's harder, maybe it's for the best."
"Do you blame me?"
"Never."
Giles sat on his desk in the classroom due to be filled with students again in an hour.
That, however, was an hour away and in the meantime he still had a slayer to train.
He watched as Buffy went through the normal routine of kicks and punches against
the huge sandbag hanging from the ceiling. He winced slightly as a final kick ripped
the bag from its hangings. Buffy stepped back before turning to look at him guiltily.
"Oops." Giles sighed. She was still so young. It tore at him every time he put herself
in danger, all in the name of destiny. No body asked her if she wanted to save the
world. Heaven help her, she'd already died twice. He looked at her, standing with a
guilty look on her face. Giving her a small smile he gestured towards the bag. "I
suppose we'd better clean this away before the lesson. Are we clear on the subject
for… Oh, which year group is it?"
"Third year. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff." Buffy smiled fondly. "Giles, please try
and remember some things, you are meant to be the responsible adult of this group. I
mean you're like, old and everything."
Giles nailed her with a glare. "Spike's older than me."
"Spike doesn't count, he's still stuck at 20,21, how old is he?"
"Technically he's 180. As for when he was turned, I have no idea. Early twenties I
would imagine."
"Precisely. That would make him permanently Xander's age."
Giles sighed. "I shudder at the thought."
"I rest my case."
"Why, is it heavy? Hey, G- Man, what's a happenin' you funky party weasel you?"
Buffy laughed as she turned towards the door to see Xander, Anya and Willow
standing there. Xander grinned goofily before enveloping Anya in a bear hug, kissing
her on the cheek. Giles sighed, again. "Xander, I have asked you a thousand times
not to call me that."
"Sure, whatever G- Man."
"Xander." Willow said reproachfully.
"What?! Hey, Buffster, looking good today."
"Thank you." Buffy laughed. "Where's Dawn?"
"Tara's looking after her in Sunnydale. She didn't fancy travelling the Ghost Roads
today. Headache."
"Eew." Buffy shuddered. "The Ghost Roads. Not my favourite way to travel."
"One lapse in concentration and bamn!" Xander exclaimed. "Trapped forever. Or
lost in Timbuktu, with no way of getting home."
"Timbuktu is nice." Anya pouted. "Lots of cheating men, I spent a lot of time there."
She paused. "Of course it may have changed since I was last there."
"Which was?" Buffy prompted.
"Around 300 years ago. I forget exactly. I remember there was this one girl who
wished her husband's heart would explode but he was having dinner with his parents
when she made the wish so the dessert was kinda ruined." Anya paused and looked
around at the suddenly green faces. "What?"
"It is so gross some of the things she does. Xand, tell me she never comes up with
this stuff when we're not talking about demon stuff."
Xander shook his head still looking nauseous. Anya frowned slightly. "Anyway, I
can't understand why you don't like travelling on the ghost roads. Spike and Angel
don't have any problems."
"But you, Spike and Angel are of the super, while we mere mortals are of the
normal." Xander explained.
"I'm mortal now."
"Yes but Anya, you were a demon for 1000 years, you're used to this shit."
"I envy the elementals, they can travel instantly through their elements." Buffy
grumbled.
Willow's eyes widened. "Have you ever seen Water emerge from a tiny drop of
water, it's so freaky? And the way Fire just appears from flames. Ooh and the way
Air kinda looks like a ghost and Earth grows like a really fast tree?"
"Speaking of Earth, where's he been the past couple of days?" Buffy asked.
"Greece."
She turned to Giles in surprise. "How'd you know that?"
"He said he wanted to see how it had changed since he'd last been there and he'd be
back soon. I overheard him tell Air."
"What's with those two?" Xander exclaimed. "They seem inseparable. I thought
they were brothers."
"Pull your mind out of the gutter Xand. Water and Air are brother and sister and Fire
and Earth are brother and sister. Don't ask me why or how it works it just does. Fire
told me." Willow explained.
"But are Air and Earth?…" Xander left the question unspoken.
Willow sighed. "I don't know Xander, I'd imagine so from what the four of them
have said. And the fact they share a bedroom as opposed to the girls who have a
bedroom each in their apartment."
"You dissin' the number of rooms in our apartment?" A slow drawl asked. The
group turned to see a slim young man leaning against the windowsill. A potted plant
had fallen onto the floor, the earth spilling from it. Without breaking their gaze the
young man waved a hand and the earth floated back onto the windowsill. The pot
floated up also and fixed, the plant upright. He grinned, his deep brown eyes
twinkling with good humour. Buffy grinned with him. "Hey Earth, enjoy Greece?"
He scowled momentarily. "Way more tourists than I remember. Tacky." He
brightened again. "Where's Air?" He looked from Buffy to Xander, to the others
with all the hopefulness of a puppy dog. Buffy had to smile. "Come on, I'll show
you, he should be in his room with Water."
"Cool." With that Earth bounded out of the room leaving Buffy to follow shaking her
head in mild amusement. "Be back in a minute guys."
It didn't take long for a routine to establish itself for Harry. Lessons continued, and
Draco healed. That didn't stop Harry worrying about him, or allow him to ignore the
growing attraction he felt for him. He noticed Draco by himself, never with anyone,
especially the Slytherins. Their cold treatment of Draco made everyone
uncomfortable, yet the teachers seemed not to notice. After their exchange in the
sickbay, Harry half expected for a bond to have developed between Draco and
himself. Not the case, Draco had all but ignored him. Harry sighed to himself as he
wandered down the corridor to his DADA lesson. DADA had quickly become one of
his favourite lessons, a view that was held by most of the school. He hadn't enjoyed
it this much since Remus Lupin had taught. These teachers lived up the expectations;
they really knew their stuff. He'd learnt more about demons and fighting in this year
than he'd ever learnt in his life. Plus the homework meant access to the restricted
area of the library, which had nearly caused Hermione to faint with pleasure. He
turned into the door to see most of the DADA teachers standing there. All of them
except Angle and Spike. He frowned, he couldn't remember ever seeing so many of
the teachers together. He took his seat and looked up expectantly. Giles frowned.
"Where's Seamus and Dean?"
"They er… er.. kinda overslept." Ron muttered smirking.
Giles raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
Ron seemed to flounder for a moment, the other Gryffindors trying to suppress their
laughter. Ron was saved however by a blushing Seamus bursting through the door, a
scarlet Dean right behind him. They screeched to a halt, not meeting the teachers'
eyes. Giles looked down and suppressed a smile. "Sit down you two." They
sheepishly sat down at their seats. Earth was grinning broadly and Harry caught him
winking at Seamus and Dean. Giles sighed. "Today we're splitting up into groups.
Pansy, Millicent, Vincent and Gregory, you will be with Fire and Willow." Fire
glared at Giles. Giles continued, "Blaise, Lavender, Parvati and Neville, you'll be
with Buffy and Earth. Hermione, Harry and Draco, you'll be with Water and Xander
and Ron, Dean and Seamus will be with Air and myself." Giles turned away and
Harry barely caught Fire muttering. "If I kill any of them, it will be your fault."
"That's why Willow's with you."
"Air's much calmer than me. Or my brother. I will go CRAZY!" The last word was
said in a strangled hiss. Giles smiled. "Then maybe it will be a good time for you to
learn self control." He turned away and smiled as he heard Fire mutter. "I have self
control."
Harry heard no more as Water snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Ok, you
three, all come and grab this, I've never done this before, so I hope this works."
They clustered around and grabbed hold of the rock she was holding out. As Harry
thought the room began to spin and blur. Suddenly the school disappeared and they
were standing in a muggle shopping centre.
"Hey, Roxanne!"
The call was in Xander's voice, but the name was unfamiliar. He walked toward
Water. "Where are we exactly?"
"A small town in Surrey, a suburb of England, just outside London. Guildford to be
precise. Nice little place, actually. Not bad shopping."
"Roxanne?" Harry asked
Water smiled. "The name I go by in the human world. Water is just a bit strange.
So, Roxanne. Air is Ewan, Earth is Ryan and Fire is Holly. Just makes us blend a
little more."
"So what's the lesson exactly?" Draco asked.
"This is." Xander said simply.
"Look around you." Water said. "What do you see?"
"Muggles." Harry stated.
"Precisely. Look at them, continuing their lives, without a single clue of the danger
that surrounds them. This is what we fight for. The preservation of their innocence.
We all here have been gifted with the powers to help these people. You needed to see
this. Remember what you're fighting for. You're fighting for these people."
"Um… Pro… Roxanne. Muggles isn't just what I see," Hermione ventured, her voice
trembling.
Harry turned to follow her gaze and saw five Dementors gliding towards them………
TO BE CONTINUED ………….. (If enough people review. At least 10 new reviews
please!)