I liked my disclaimer that said we bring back the dead. But I think that's all the dead we want to bring back. I wanted it to go in cannon, sort of like on Angel, but from here on out, anything Angel related is strictly AU.

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Chapter 12

That Old Black Magic

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The moment Buffy stepped into her suite following her final class the day before Halloween, she found Tara and Willow sitting across the room, their arms folded, neither one of them talking. The moment Buffy opened her mouth, Willow rose and handed her the phone. "Angel called," she said, deliberately looking over Buffy's shoulder. "He really wants you to call him back."

"I've been ignoring his calls for the past week," Buffy sighed, setting the phone and her briefcase down. "If I didn't have a mountain of second, third and fourth year essays to grade tonight, I would probably call him."

Before Buffy could protest, Willow reached across and grasped the briefcase, pulling it open and dumping a small avalanche of parchment and scrolls out. "We'll worry about grading. You worry about Angel."

Buffy could barely restrain her grin as she seized the phone. "If you need anything, I'll be in my room."

"We'll be okay," Tara said quietly, watching as Willow divided the mountain of papers into three neat piles. "Just go."

Buffy retreated to her bedroom and quickly called long distance, listening to the sound of the beeps. It had been nearly three months since she'd last spoken with Angel, and being halfway across the world put a whole new perspective on things.

"Angel Investigations," a chirpy voice sounded.

"Is Angel there?" Buffy asked lightly.

"Just a sec," came the bored voice on the other line. Buffy could hear the woman yelling in the background, "Where's Angel?"

"Can I ask who's calling please?"

"Tell him it's Buffy. I'm returning his call from earlier."

"Oh, so you're the one who won't talk to him," the woman said with a snicker. Buffy listened in amusement as Angel approached and began to berate the woman who had answered the phone before she finally heard his voice on the other end.

"Buffy."

"Angel."

And suddenly, it was all right again.

"How are you?"

"I'm okay," Buffy said softly, pulling her knees to her chest. "It's a lot different here than I expected it would be."

"Did you get my message?" Angel asked curiously.

"I know Spike's alive," she replied.

"He's doing everything in his power to come to England, but I told him to wait for a bit," Angel sighed. "He keeps saying he needs to see you again."

"I need to see him to believe the truth, for one thing," Buffy chuckled.

"I'm currently in negotiations with the Senior Partners," Angel said in a low voice, speaking of his contacts at Wolfgram and Hart, the law firm Angel had taken over. "If we do happen to strike a deal, that Prison you are protection will be fortified enough for the Slayers to move to your position."

"Do you still have contact with the Powers?"

"No," Angel admitted. "Cordelia is still in her coma. They don't know if she'll ever wake up."

Buffy felt something tug at her heart. Talking about Cordelia was like talking about home. And that's exactly where she wanted to be.

"I miss you," Buffy said suddenly.

There was a pause on his end. "I miss you."

"If you ever want to chance a flight to England, there's a beautiful castle, waiting here for you," Buffy said softly.

"I might take you up on that."

She grinned. But as soon as she did, the voice she heard in the background melted her smile away. "Spike?" she breathed.

Sure enough, she heard his voice, demanding to know who was on the phone. It sounded like there was a minor scuffle before suddenly Spike's voice came on the line. "Hello? Hello?"

Buffy opened her mouth to speak but couldn't. Not knowing what else to do, she clicked the end button and set the phone aside.

- - - - -

As the students trooped into the Great Hall on Halloween morning, they discovered that the hall had gone undergone some major changes. The entire room seemed to glow with the long black candles that danced in midair. As Dawn walked in, she found herself awestruck by the glow emmanating from the entire Hall. It really was an awesome sight.

There had been a rumor started among the Slytherins that Professor Dumbledore had hired someone to entertain them that night. In fact, it was rumored he had booked a group of dancers and an exotic singing witch troupe. Excitement sizzled in the air as Dawn sat down amongst her usual group of sixth and seventh year Ravenclaws.

But it was a conversation behind her that piqued her interest. Knowing she needed help in Arithmancy, in which they had a double lecture that morning, she said goodbye to her table the moment she finished eating and approached the Gryffindor table cautiously. "Hello."

Hermione noticed her first, her goblet still in hand, their large Arithmancy text propped up against a large basket of fruit, bewitched to look black. "Hey, Dawn," Hermione said in a friendly voice, moving over to make room for her and eyeing Harry, who had been sitting next to her, to do the same. Dawn sat down.

"Did you finish that Arithmancy essay?" Dawn asked tentatively. "I'm still about two and a half inches short on those two full scrolls that Professor Vector asked for."

Hermione grinned at her and brandished three neatly wound rolls before handing them to Dawn. "I read your last essay when I passed them back... I was impressed."

"We both know that you got two hundred percent on the last quiz," Dawn admitted. "I barely passed it. Which is why I'm here, actually. Do you think you could spare twenty minutes to explain that last chapter to me? No matter how many times I read it, I still get lost."

"Sure!" said Hermione, looking flattered at being asked such a question. "Can we meet out in the courtyard in say, five minutes?" Suddenly the look on her face darkened. "I think your fan club is awaiting you."

Dawn groaned, pulled her bag onto her shoulder, and hurried away just as a small crowd of Slytherins pursued her. "Poor girl," said Hermione softly.

"I didn't know you knew her so well," Harry commented, draining his orange juice. Just then, there was the sound of flapping wings as owl post arrived. Harry spied Hedwig among them and was slightly surprised to see her land gracefully on his shoulder, a package tied to her feet. Up on the staff table, Professor Summers had also received a package, but the look on her face told Harry that it wasn't what she expected.

On the Staff table, Buffy turned toward Professor Vector, sitting on her left, since Severus had not yet arrived to breakfast. "This is a package for Sibyll Trelawney."

Professor Vector, who had a few minutes before going to class and would be passing by her newly, secured quarters rose and left to deliver the package.

Back along the students, Dawn had just reached the entrance to the courtyard when she heard Draco's drawling voice behind her. "Hello, Draco," she finally said, realizing she couldn't avoid him anymore.

Truth be it told, it annoyed her when people started talking about her and Draco. Draco was a very popular boy, and because of her own popularity within Ravenclaw, he seemed to have zoned in on her as someone he could torture with his presence.

"Harris," he said, shielding his eyes from the morning sun. "Do you have a minute?"

"I have two, actually," she said, her eyebrows raising. What could Malfoy possibly want to talk about?

"It's about the first Hogsmeade weekend, which is two days from now," he said in a rush of words, his normally pale face flushing for the first time that Dawn could remember. "Would you care to go with me? I know you haven't been there, unless you were there before school started."

Dawn was at a loss for words. She was being asked to go to a village by someone she considered the lowest of the low, especially at the way he treated Hermione Granger. But, as he had said, she would look stupid wandering around with a lost look on her face. And besides, Draco was a cutie, no matter how bad his meanstreak ran. "Okay," she finally agreed.

"Really?" he asked, his eyes lighting up, but they weren't full of malice. There was surprise in his eyes, and it pleased Dawn to know that. "Wow, great... see you at the Great Hall on Saturday then?"

She nodded and watched him turn back inside with those two thugs of his by his side. She didn't notice Hermione jogging toward her, her arms full of books and scrolls. "Have a nice chat with Malfoy?" Hermione asked breathlessly.

"Yeah," said Dawn as the two sat on a bench. "For once, I actually did."

"You need to watch out for him," Hermione warned her, seeing the look on Dawn's face. "The minute he finds out anything about you, he'll use it to his advantage."

"Not if I have something on him first," Dawn said in same voice of quiet force her sister used. Hermione stared at her a moment before returning to the text.

"Anyway..."

- - - - -

The Halloween feast was as spectacular as ever. As the students ate, they were entertained by the Hogwarts ghosts, which floated amongst the tables. The dancers danced up and down the aisles, and the band toward the front played another mournful yet upbeat tune.

Harry glanced up from where he was eating a candied apple to see Hermione poring over her Ancient Runes essay. "Hermione, relax. You haven't got that class until Friday."

"I know," she said, blowing slightly on the parchment for the ink to try. "I can't waste any more time. Besides, you said that Friday night would be our first... you know what!"

"I did, didn't I?" he said, his face showing his unpleasant thoughts at the dozens of signs boasting the return of the Defense Against the Dark Arts group, its first meeting to be in the Room of Requirements and instructing all that wanted to attend to be on the seventh floor by seven on Friday night.

Hermione finally shoved her essay inside her bag and poured herself another glass of pumpkin juice. "Relax, Harry. I doubt any more people will show up than last year, and some have graduated, like Lee Jordan, and Angelina!"

"Right," said Harry, his eyes suddenly transfixed on the dancers moving behind Hermione over toward the Ravenclaw table.

As soon as the last bit of food disappeared off the plates, Dumbledore rose and applauded the troupe before the doors burst open, and another figure walked in.

It was Tara. Even Ron looked puzzled as Tara moved to Dumbledore's side and bowed graciously. At the staff table, Willow the cat mewed pitifully in Buffy's lap. "What?" she asked under her breath.

"We finally have the arrival of our featured singer tonight, who will be singing with her old troupe, Black Magic. Please put your hands together in a grand welcome for Tara McClay!"

The Great Hall erupted into polite cheers before the music started. But it had changed somehow. It was more melodic, more hypnotic.

Tara's voice was ethereally beautiful as she sang into the air, in a voice that was haunting, a song that was more so. The cat on Buffy's lap was at rapt attention. Even Buffy was paying attention, listening as the song drew her in further and further...

Suddenly, a large flock of crows swarmed into the Great Hall and the spell that the band had cast was broken. Tara blinked as the crows swirled around the staff table before heading out.

The students were temporarily frozen, staring at the crows and at the mortified look on Tara's face. But with a hurried look at the crows, she pulled out her wand, just as the staff table behind her rose as one, their own wands raised, their voices crying out, "IMMOBULUS!"

The crows froze, now suspended in the air.

Knowing that this was a danger sign, panic burst out in the Great Hall. It took a splash of gold sparks from Dumbledore's wand to silence them all. "Prefects, you will close the Great Hall. All students are to remain in here!" As he spoke, the crows were being removed in large groups by the faculty as they swept quickly from the Hall. "To our Head Boy and Girl, seal the entrances. We don't want anymore surprises." That said, Dumbledore swept from the hall.

Harry and Ron exchanged an uneasy glance as Hermione and Ginny, the two female Prefects from Gryffindor, rose as one and began to usher the anxious first and second years back to their seats.

Outside the Great Hall, the faculty was huddled in a tight circle.

"The crows can only mean one thing, Albus," Professor McGonagall was saying in a low, rushed voice. "A trap has been sprung."

"It can only mean one thing," Snape agreed, pressing his hands together under his chin, his eyes narrowed in thought.

But inside Buffy's head, it clicked. She had dropped Willow on her way out of the Hall so that Willow could re-transfigure back into a human. A loud mewing sound interrupted their thoughts. Willow was on a staircase before them. Once she had their attention, she turned and disappeared back upstairs. "Willow!" Buffy cried. Behind her, the staff followed.

They continued down long corridors and up more staircases, finally ending up at the secured room for Professor Trelawney. The door was locked, which Buffy knew was a danger sign, because the door had not been locked that afternoon...

She used all the force she could muster and kicked it open. What she saw inside made her scream.

As she stumbled into the room, Tara was suddenly there beside her. Her eyes wide, Tara took a step back, her hands cupping her mouth, a small "No!" flying from her lips.

The rest of the staff followed in, lead by Professor Dumbledore. The moment each member of the staff had seen what was inside, they knew that something terrible had happened.

Sibyll Trelawney was lying on a rug in front of a fireplace. Her eyes were open but vacant; a small glass that had been held in her hand was shattered.

Buffy fell to her knees beside her, her fingers feeling the cold hand of the former Professor for a pulse or any sign of life, but finding none.

Next to her, Severus picked up a gold stand. "Fascinating," he said in a quiet voice, turning it over in his hands before handing it to Professor Dumbledore, who looked at it through his spectacles.

"Professor Summers," he said gently.

Buffy couldn't move. She was rooted to the spot, on her knees, next to a body of a dead instructor. Tears blurred her vision. Feeling a gentle weight of hands on her shoulders, she finally rose as Willow tore inside and leapt on Sibyll's body, her soft mews gone unnoticed by the stunned staff as they crowded in a too-warm room with a simple gold stand.

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To be continued...

Chapter 13 -- The aftermath; first DA meeting