I'd like to thank Alpha for being my beta for 12/13/14, and my kickass roomie-of-the-week. This  Chapter is a bit longer... so enjoy! You might not see my next one for a while.

- - - - -

Chapter 13

Safe and Sound

- - - - -

"... And this is why we feel we must express the seriousness of this situation."

Professor McGonagall was standing before the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, a scroll  opened in front of her, her eyes reading the words, but the look on her face was grave.

"I'm afraid that Hogwarts may no longer be as safe as we have said it is. We believe, therefore,  that until further notice, Hogsmeade visits will be canceled and Quidditch is still up in the  air. Needless to say, it will be a while before many of us can sleep soundly again."

Professor McGonagall turned to Professor Summers, who stood next to her, and took a step back,  giving Professor Summers the opportunity to speak. "From now until this threat is over, the floo  network will be expressly forbidden. Invisibility cloaks, if used, will be confiscated  permanently. You are not to go out on the grounds alone. You will always be with one to two other  people. The Prefects and Head Boy and Girl will be looked to to make sure that no one steps out  of line. Because if you do, you could be another body."

Everyone in the room gave an involuntary shudder at the finality sound in her voice. But the look  on her face was very strained. "I think we've said enough."

Then the questions began, as Professors McGonagall and Summers exchanged a dark look as they were  bombarded. How did Professor Trelawney die? Who got into the castle to kill her? What were the  crows? Professor McGonagall didn't answer, but kept her lips pursed.

But Harry, who was trembling from head to toe, knew it was now or never to talk to them. But as  his gaze swung back to the Professors, he could feel something tugging at his heart. Parvati  Patil and Lavender Brown were sitting in the squashy chairs, hand in hand, both with tears  streaming down their cheeks and apparently too stunned to speak or blink away those tears. Harry  had never felt more terrible for anyone else than he did now, knowing that those two girls had  lost their mentor. He knew that they would soon have the same rage, the same boiling point as he  did over losing Sirius. Making a mental note to talk to them later, he rose to his feet and  approached both Professors as they were leaving the common room.

"Professors, can I have a word?"

Professor Summers stepped back, allowing Harry to exit through the portrait hole behind Professor  McGonagall. As soon as the portrait closed, Professor McGonagall turned to Harry, but instead of  stern reproof in her eyes, he saw something that looked like pity.

"Voldemort knows about the prophecy now, doesn't he?" Harry asked in a dead voice.

"We don't know," Professor McGonagall said sadly. "All we do know is that her memory was  extracted. We don't know if he has access to that information yet."

"But he will," Harry said bitterly.

"Perhaps," McGonagall said softly, turning to Professor Summers. "I'll meet you outside the  basement. We should make this announcement quickly to all Houses."

Buffy watched as Professor McGonagall disappeared down the hall before turning back to Harry.  "Let's take a walk, shall we?"

Harry fell into step beside her as they walked town the corridor. "I know you're scared, Harry,  about the prophecy and everything. But if the worst comes to worst, and there is a battle here,  people are going to die. You can't stop death, no matter how hard you try."

"Look at you," Harry said. "Tara told me you died."

"She didn't tell you the real deal, did she?" Buffy said, pausing. "Harry, I've died twice and  I'm still standing. If you're afraid for the lives of your peers, that's why I'm here. I'm  someone who comes from a very long line of... girls... who are chosen to protect those they need  to."

"Is that why you came to Hogwarts?"

"It's one of the reasons," Buffy replied as they started walking again. "I know you lost someone  close to you. And I know how it feels. I lost my mom a few years ago, and it was one of the worst  experiences of my life. But I also know what it's like to kill someone too."

Harry stopped and turned to her, a mortified look on her face. "You've..."

"I've killed many," Buffy said. "Not humans. Demons. I'm what they call a vampire Slayer. I alone  rid the world of vampires and other forces of darkness. Only now, I'm not so alone anymore..."

"Those other girls the day you were at Diagon Alley... are they Slayers too?"

Buffy nodded. "There are hundreds of us, maybe more. When Tara told you about me, did she also  tell you I have an army? Because I do. They're not here right now because they had another place  to be."

"Where could they possibly go?" Harry asked in a hushed voice.

"You don't think Azkaban is unguarded, do you? Not anymore. The Slayers are now the guards at  Azkaban, at least until their reinforcements arrive. And then, the Slayers will come here. The  Ministry has its own army. Now Hogwarts does too."

They turned and began walking back toward the portrait. "I'm telling you this Harry because you  need to know. If someone with such a cold heart could waltz in and take the life, and the mind,  of a Professor against her will... what do you think will stop him in the end?"

"I have to," Harry said with realization. "It'll be him or me."

"Then you know what you have to do now, Harry," Buffy replied simply as they stopped outside the  portrait. "You have to be strong and learn as much as you can. It's the only way you're going to  survive. These new restrictions are just to make you safe and sound, but you'll never be, will  you? You've been chosen to do something so powerful... just like I was."

"Are you here for another reason?" Harry asked curiously.

"There's an unknown Slayer at Hogwarts," Buffy replied. "Tara and Willow are here to help me  uncover her identity so that she can join the group. Once this assignment is over, we'll be  starting a new Academy in the States."

"Do you miss your home?" Harry asked.

"I really do," Buffy said, finally turning to the portrait of the Fat Lady, who had been trying  not to look as though she'd been eavesdropping. As Harry gave the password and waited for the  portrait to swing open, Buffy talked a few last words to his retreating back. "Watch your back,  Harry."

"I will," he said, trying for a smile as the portrait closed out the rest of the corridor,  trapping him inside.

The common room had emptied some, but he noticed that Parvati and Lavender still hadn't moved. He  moved closer to their chairs and searched his mind for something to say that wasn't stupid or  lame. Finally, he settled on what he truly felt. "I'm sorry. I know you thought of Professor  Trelawney as your mentor."

Parvati turned to him, her pretty dark eyes shining with tears as she stood up. "Harry?" she  asked, her voice tiny, looking as though she'd never seen anything like him before. Before he  could move however, she put her arms around him and lowered her tear-stained face onto his  shoulder. Judging by the small breaths and the jerking movement of her shoulders, she was still  sobbing. Lavender was watching them, trying in vain to brush her own tears aside.

"It'll be okay, Parvati, really," he said consolingly, patting her back uncertainly. He glanced  at Lavender, who was smiling softly. He quickly mouthed, "Are you okay?" And she nodded before  rising.

"Come here, sweetie," she said gently, prying Parvati from Harry. Harry quickly took the box of  tissues from the table and handed them to Parvati, who was again seated and muttering words to  herself about being silly.

Harry turned to leave, feeling the exhaustion finally weighing in on him.

"Harry?" a small voice asked behind him.

He turned.

"Thanks," Parvati said, showing her first genuine smile as she dabbed at her eyes.

He smiled himself before turning and taking the steps, only to see Ginny on the landing. "You all  right Harry?"

"I'm fine," he said, excusing himself and heading to the boy's dormitory, leaving Ginny, still  staring at him, on the landing.

- - - - -

It was quiet later that night when Buffy returned to her suite, finding Willow and Tara inside,  not speaking, but at least they weren't at their separate corners.

As she removed her robes, her mind flashed back to not even a quarter hour before as she and  Professor Snape were leaving the faculty meeting.

"How are you doing?" he had asked her in a quiet yet cool voice.

"Pretty well, for my part," Buffy had replied in her own quiet voice. "I just keep thinking... if  we hadn't taken that package, then maybe..."

"You cannot blame yourself," Snape said in his calculating voice, the expression on his face  changing from cold concern to something Buffy couldn't quite place. "Don't blame yourself for  something that was not of your doing. It isn't worth that."

She had given him a shaky smile before returning to the warmth and comfort of her quarters, but  even here, she felt trapped, compressed.

Willow noticed Buffy's silence before moving to her best friend's side. "You doing okay?"

"No," Buffy said, with a sigh. "I just can't stop thinking about how stupid I was... and now...  look at what happened. For all we know... Voldemort now has the entirety of the prophecy. And for  all we know..." She couldn't keep talking. Tears were blurring her vision and her voice had  choked as she dropped to the floor, her gaze steady, unwavering, full of a deep, crushing  sadness. "Did I just sign their death warrants?" She turned to Willow, who sat down beside her.  Tara moved from her position.

"No, baby," Willow said in a comforting voice, wrapping her arm around Buffy. "Things are hard  now, I know."

"I just keep seeing the body and wondering that if I'd done things differently... maybe..."

"This isn't the time for maybes," Tara said, taking Buffy's other arm. "We have to worry about  what is instead of what we could have done. Buffy, people are going to die unless you hold  together long enough to help them. Harry's counting on you. And so are we."

"V-Voldemort was bound to find out sooner or later," Willow said comfortingly. "And it's almost  better than it's sooner... because now we know that he knows and we can plan a way to stop him."

Buffy shook her head and leaned back slightly into Willow. "All of our hopes rest on a  sixteen-year-old boy."

Willow chuckled slightly. "Do you remember sixteen? You died, Buffy."

"When I died, it almost created an apocalypse... but some power brought me back. It was the same  power that brought me after the portal... but for Harry... he's already lost so many people he  loved, and it's bound to have it's price. He's only sixteen. And he has to face this alone." She  closed her eyes. "I just want to forget this entire day happened."

"I know you do, Buffy," said Willow. "You can do this. You have to do this."

"What I need now is sleep," said Buffy, breaking from Willow's hold and sighing. "Can you make  sure I'm up early enough?"

"Yeah," said Willow, squeezing her hand as Buffy turned away. "Angel called," she said to Buffy's  back. "If you have a chance come morning, I think you two should talk again."

"Maybe," Buffy choked out.

Willow turned to Tara, who had opened Buffy's briefcase and was now pulling out another stack of  essays. "We should probably finish these tonight," Tara said gently.

But Willow was still staring down the dark corridor leading to the bedrooms. "Yeah, sure."

- - - - -

Three days after the announcement of Professor Trelawney's death had been made, it was announced  that the first DA meeting would take place on Wednesday evening. Without Quidditch practice, the  entire group seemed on edge and jumpy, especially around Harry.

Dawn walked down the corridors toward the Great Hall on Wednesday, feeling strangely sad. The  entire school was in a state of shock and Dawn remembered what Buffy's life had been like -- she  had blown up her high school.

Dawn entered the Great Hall, expecting to feel the weight of sadness. But instead, as she sat  down at her usual spot on the table, there was a crackle of energy in the air. And Cho explained  it as she spooned a hearty serving of stew into a gold-dipped bowl. "It's the first meeting of DA  since Umbridge nixxed it last year," she said excitedly.

"What's the DA?" Dawn asked cautiously, finally deciding fried tomatoes.

"I keep forgetting that you weren't here last year!" Cho exclaimed. "It's a group run by Harry  Potter where we learn defense against the dark arts, only really. I'm excited because now it's  open to all students. You should come, you'd really enjoy it. Professor Summers is supervising."

"Oh," said Dawn, feeling a bit of anxiety at the thought of being in an enclosed space with her  sister for a long period of time. "Exciting."

"It totally is!" another voice gushed dreamily down the table. It was Luna Lovegood, or Looney,  as Cho and her friends had dubbed her. Now with large earrings shaped like spatulas dangling from  her ears and that constant expression of vacant surprise, Luna really did look mad.

"Were the Slytherins invited?" Dawn asked, turning her back on Luna and speaking to Cho softly.

"I don't know if they'll come, because Harry is in charge, but they were invited," Cho responded  thickly, having just taken a mouthful of stew. "You really should try this."

"Not hungry," Dawn explained in half a sentence, putting a hand to her stomach, which was so  knotted with nerves. Her thoughts were taking her back to earlier that day, when Draco Malfoy had  approached her in the courtyards.

Dawn had been sitting, her Arithmancy book propped on her lap as she hurriedly tried to read  through the chapter before applying the theories in practice in class that afternoon. Draco had  approached from inside and Dawn had the vague impression he'd been watching her. "Harris," he  called out in his usual greeting.

"Malfoy," she replied softly as he sat next to her.

"I'm sorry they canceled Hogsmeade," he said in a rush of words, a tint of pink appearing on his  pale face. "I would really have liked to spend the day with you."

"Same here," said Dawn as she carefully marked her book and set it inside her bag. "What is it?"  she asked, noticing the pained look on her face.

"I know they said the owl post was being watched," said Draco, a bitter look crossing his face.  "But I got a letter from my Dad today."

"Your dad is in Azkaban, right?" Dawn asked tentatively, knowing it was probably a delicate  topic.

He nodded. "He keeps telling me that there is no way they can get out. I really wish he would.  Then he'd be safe."

"I'm sorry," Dawn finally said after a moment's silence. "I know that this year has probably not  been easy on you."

"Losing my Dad to Azkaban, losing Quidditch, losing Hogsmeade... losing to Potter is the worst of  all." As he said this, a very bitter look came across his face.

"Harry isn't so bad, Draco," Dawn sighed.

"No?" snarled Draco. "He just needs a fat hat to go along with that big head of his. He's a  marked man, so what? He gets away with everything. It isn't fair!"

"You're jealous of him?" Dawn questioned, realization crashing into her like cold water. "You're  jealous because he gets the attention?" Without realizing what she was doing, she reached across  and took his hand. "Draco, you're an amazing boy. You've made life at Hogwarts very interesting  for me and I can safely say I've never met anyone like you before."

That seemed to relax him a little bit and he finally returned her smile. "Thanks, Dawn."

"Anytime."

Now, just a few hours later, she craned her neck to glance at the Slytherin table. Draco  obviously knew about the DA, because the sour look was back on his face. With a tiny sigh, she  turned around just in time to see the two Weasley children approaching. Next to her, Cho lit up.  "Ron!"

"Hey, Cho," said Ron, squeezing in between Cho and the girl on Cho's right. "You're coming  tonight, right?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the end of the world," Cho grinned.

"Are you coming?" Ginny finally asked Dawn. "Hermione seemed to think you'd enjoy it."

"Yeah," Dawn agreed. "I'm coming."

"Excellent, then!" Ron exclaimed, jumping back to his feet as he glanced around the Great Hall.

He and Ginny left the table, leaving in their wake a dozen whispering and giggling girls.

"I never realized how cute he was before," Cho sighed next to her, watching as Ron sat back down  at the Gryffindor table. "Too bad he's totally into Hermione."

"Wait," Dawn said, turning to Cho. "Rewind a moment. You just said that Ron is into Hermione?"

"Yes," Cho said softly.

"But is Hermione into Ron?" Dawn asked in confusion.

"They've been friends forever," Cho said with a dramatic sigh, setting her spoon inside her empty  bowl. "Come on. We want to get good seats tonight."

"Right," said Dawn, who was right behind her.

- - - - -

Buffy entered the Room of Requirement, followed closely by Harry, Ron, Hermione and little Ginny  Weasley. As the four paced the room, getting everything they needed, Buffy's mind fell back on  her conversation with Angel that morning.

"Giles told me what happened," Angel said.

"It was horrible," Buffy whispered. "Seeing her body and knowing there was nothing I could do. It  was beyond my control, Angel. I felt like I was about ready to lose it last night."

"But you're okay right?"

"I'm okay... I just need... do you think I could speak with Spike for a minute?"

In Buffy's mind, the last time she had seen someone fall was not one of the potential Slayers. It  was Spike. And now that he was alive again, hearing his voice was the only thing in the world to  her.

"All right," said Angel, sounding more than a little suspicious. He called for the other vampire  and within a moment, Spike's voice sounded on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Spike..." Her entire heart, broken, wounded and bleeding spilled out in a rush of emotion long  enough to choke out his name.

"Buffy," he said, and from the sound of his voice, he could feel the emotion, though separated  thousands of miles. "Is it really you?"

"It's really me," Buffy said softly.

"When I heard you were in England... all I wanted was to get to you... because I needed your help  to explain to me why I was back... because... because..."

"I miss you," Buffy interrupted, her voice barely above a whisper, sounding like she was choking  back a sob. "I wish you were here."

"You do know who you're speaking to, right?" he asked, sounding doubtful.

"I could use your strength," she replied, suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of loss.

"Buffy, you're scared. I know you are, because I can feel for you. But if there is anyone who can  stop whatever evil there is, you can. You've always fought against the bad, no matter how tough  things got, no matter who you lost along the way, you've always won."

Buffy blinked back her tears. The feeling of loss was gone, replaced by a certain feeling she  wasn't accustomed to. Was it hope?

"I feel you can reach me, even though we're thousands of miles apart..."

"Well, you can pretend I'm with you, right beside you, and I'm holding you in my arms..."

It was a warm sensation Buffy dreamed of. She could feel the power, her destined power, coursing  through her veins, giving her a warm and fuzzy sensation. "I can feel you... I can-"

A loud thudding noise nearly made her jump as she turned to her door. "Yes?" she asked in a sharp  voice. The door creaked open slightly and Willow was standing there.

"Sorry to bug you when you're on the phone, but Severus is here, and he wishes to speak with  you."

Buffy sighed, remembering the conversation as real as it could have been. As she strayed in her  thoughts, the room filled to capacity with forty two bodies, including Dawn's, who was one of the  first to walk in. Hermione greeted her warmly while the rest of Dawn's friends flocked to Harry  and Ron.

"All right!" Buffy started once everyone was seated and the room had fallen into silence.  "Tonight I'm going to give you a lesson. And then you have the rest of the time to do whatever.  This is the only time I'll appear at one of these meetings unless Harry asks me to supervise. I  trust that whatever you do will be your time spent learning something that can protect you.

"Tonight, I'm going to teach you basic self-defense, because a wand can only get you so far.  There are creatures out there, numbers in Voldemort's army that are impervious to a wand and you  have to learn how to fight them, hand-to-hand. So stand up. Let's see what you got..."

- - - - -

To be continued...

Chapter 14 -- Quidditch and the Thanksgiving Holiday; Time montage;