Again with the apology... it didn't seem like a cliffhanger in the normal world-in-peril sense of the word... therefore this chapter, which I was DYING to end on a cliffhanger, won't... and that entire passage will therefore be added to the next chapter. Which makes this one nice 'n shortish.

Some have asked if OoTP is returning.. they are. Someone asked if Oz would be making a cameo. He will be, but not in the role you think. Let's see... Buffy is feeling pressure from the two undead beings and the two men in her life. Two, you ask? Xander is still a factor, believe it or not. Especially when you meet Xander's new girl.

I'm completely spoiling the next two chapters for you... aren't you just... lucky?

Minor spoilers for Season 7 Buffy... recycled speech and all that.

- - - - -

Chapter 27
Trust, Sacrifice and Willingness of Truth

 - - - - -

Buffy took a deep breath, opened her mouth, and began to speak.

"I stand before you all today, not as your Professor, but as your General. All of these strangers you see, they aren't your friends. They're my army. Those of you who have worked hard in my class this year know how to fight what's coming. I understand that. But you won't be there. There is something out there that wants us all dead and he's going to throw anything and everything he can at us.

"We have to be ready. I taught you to be ready. You have to know how to run when the time comes. By now, you've learned that hiding from your fears isn't the best answer, but in this case, it's the wisest. If my lines don't succeed, Hogwarts could fall within minutes. Your heads of Houses will be explaining to you tonight the different evacuation plans if we need them. And we most likely will.

"But there are several of you, the defense elite, who have been selected to remain behind and to defend the school." As she said this, her eye caught Harry's. "Why me, you ask? Because you will be the only thing standing between potentially a thousand vampires and certain doom. Only one of us has to live and we Slayers are prepared to take that sacrifice. We just became a united army. A Hogwarts army."

She paused for a moment. "Any questions?"

The hall was still silent as a few people moved to the front of the queue, preparing to answer any questions they were faced with. But many students appeared to be too afraid to talk.

Xander stepped forward. "I know what you're all thinking. Why is our Professor up there telling us we might all be dead in a few weeks? Why is she up there telling us that we have to be ready to do the big 'fraidy cat run? Do you even know what she is? Who she really is?

"She's died twice, giving her life in sacrifice to save the world. And these aren't just any normal girls. They're Slayers now. They have the skill and the force and the power to stand up to whatever awaits them. I know you're all scared, ashamed, maybe even guilty. Why can't I be out there? Why can't I do that? These girls have a destiny. And right now, it's to protect the only one who can kill the monster behind the enemy lines.

"Why should we trust her? What has she given us? As I've said, she's died twice and she's still standing. She defeated the greatest evil the world has ever faced. She's also lost loved ones and more during the heat of battle. If that isn't a reason to trust that she will see this through, then you really have learned nothing from her this year."

A single hand raised amongst the silence. "Sir?"

"Could you please stand up?" Xander called out.

A tiny Gryffindor boy stood up. "Colin Creevy, sir. Who are this defense elite?"

Buffy chose to answer the question herself. "The DA," she said, noticing the look of fleeting panic on the young boy's face and on other faces around the room.

"Excuse me," a female said, standing up on the other side of Dawn. "I'm Cho Chang. Where is the battle taking place? And who are you going to fight?"

There was a murmur of curiosity as more eyes turned toward Buffy.

She paused a moment. "Normally, I would never tell you, because you don't need to know. But maybe now you do. The battle will take place over Hogsmeade and into the Forbidden Forrest. We will try and hold off these creatures as long as we can. The DA will guard the school. As for what we are fighting, all I can say is that there could be over a thousand vampires. And not just your run-of-the-mill types. There are ubers, bringers and other nasty demons. There are also hellions, werewolves and maybe even centaurs if they have chosen to fight for the other side. Goblins, trolls, and witches and wizards. Expect the death eaters. And we must be prepared to face giants and dragons should the need arise."

Cho put her hand down. "Oh," she said simply, before nearly collapsing in her chair.

A Slytherin from the opposite end of the Great Hall raised his hand. "How many vampires have you defeated at one time?"

Buffy exchanged an uneasy glance with Spike. "The last time we faced a battle of this size, it was twenty thousand strong."

There was a gasp of awe from the crowd. But Buffy and Spike both knew the truth. The amulet had saved their lives, as well as killing Spike again.

Knowing that the time had come to go for broke, she finally continued. "There is one student who will follow us into battle. He will be bearing the same weapon that had defeated our foes last time. Harry Potter, although he is the only one who can defeat Voldemort, is now joining the front lines.

"We must ask that all purebloods remain out of harm's way. This includes purebloods in the DA...

"Many are going to die, I'm not doubting that," Buffy continued, her voice dropping into almost a sad tone. "If it comes to the end, then we will have such an end. No one will forget what happens here, because no one will wish to forget it. If we stand together, our lines will hold. But if we don't... then we face something even worse. Now, finish your desserts and return to your common areas. Your head of House will be following up my talk tonight shortly. Good night to you all."

With that, the long line of people swept out like one swift legion on a death march. Buffy was the last to leave, her eyes forward, ignoring the looks of shock and disbelief all around her.

Once the doors had closed behind her, the buzz started up again.

Dawn leaned over the table toward Cho. "Are you all right?"

Cho nodded, her dark hair falling into her face. "It seems so weird that a month from now we could all be dead."

"My sister won't fail us," Dawn said, putting a hand on Cho's shoulder. "You can count on her."

Cho smiled wanly. "I do."

Meanwhile, Ron was still pale as he stared at an apple crisp on his plate while his best friend, his girlfriend and his sister were eating and chattering like nothing happened. His hand unconciously found his scar and he touched it, biting his lip. "Am I weak?" he suddenly asked.

Hermione set down her fork and turned to him with that sparkle of superior intelligence in her eyes. "Why do you say that?"

"I'm out of the fight," he said, noticing now that the voice he was speaking with didn't sound like his own. "I get to run away and hide while all of you could--"

"Hey," said Hermione, reaching up with a trembling hand to touch his face and turn it towards her. "You aren't a coward, Ron. I wish you could be there."

Across from them, Ginny was stonily eating the rest of her treacle tart, ignoring the conversations around her. Ron had known he would be sitting out of the battle. But herself?

"You all right?" Harry asked her quickly while he sipped the rest of his water and stood up, following Ron and Hermione's lead as they lead the youngest Gryffindor students quickly back to the common room.

Ginny made to follow them, but Harry's hand closed over her arm. "Ginny?"

"I'm fine, Harry," she said, turning to face him. "I get to watch my friends fight and risk dying knowing I have to stay away?"

"I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you," he said, taking her hand. "Ginny, please don't get any crazy ideas. You were almost killed last year."

"And what about now? Ron almost died, too. Or did you forget that?"

"I didn't. But that doesn't mean--"

"I am staying for this fight, Harry. Wild oxen couldn't drag me away. I am not going to stand there and watch you fight on the front lines... because if you die... then I'll..."

Harry moved closer to her. "You'll do what?"

"It doesn't matter," she said bitterly, turning away.

He watched her go, too stunned to call her back.

- - - - -

Buffy returned to her suite, the rest of the Slayers and the entirety of her visitors from the Ministry electing to return via the floo network, save one. Xander followed her down the corridor. "Buffy!"

She stopped.

"What's going on with you?" he asked, taking her arm and turning her to face him.

"Xander, I'm sorry," she said, pulling away from him and shrugging. "I'm sorry that I couldn't save her for you."

"If you're talking about Anya, she died heroically... she wouldn't have had it any other way..."

"I know, it's just that, what do you expect of me? I only have a limited number here!"

"You could call for aid," Xander said softly, following Buffy as she struggled toward her suite door, not twenty feet away. "If you go in there now, nothing would have changed from last year, and all of those who died would mean nothing. Their deaths would be empty, because once again, you'd have turned your back on what matters most."

"I just sentenced kids to die," she said, her voice tearful. She turned back toward him, and he was startled to see the tears in her eyes. "Harry Potter, who lost his godfather, the closest thing he had to a wizarding relative! How can I ask him to give up his life when he alone can kill the last great evil in this world?"

"Don't turn your back on this, Buffy," he said, taking her arms. "It's hard, I know... I lived through it. For eight years now I have faught beside you. I brought you back from the dead, Buffy, and yet it changes nothing. I have loved you for so long I became blind because of that power you hold. It isn't power until you wield it. It's just words."

Buffy couldn't find her voice to speak and shook her head bitterly. "We have to do this, Xander."

"Once you're out there fighting... it won't become 'we have to do this for them'... it'll be because we have to do it to live, to survive. Once Hogwarts is taken, Voldemort will have a clear path to the Ministry. Everyone knows this... why can't you see it?"

"Because these kids are not going to die in vain," Buffy said. "I gave up my teen years to my destiny. I won't ask them to make that choice too. It isn't even their calling."

"But it is their lives? How can you justify the taking of all... or even one?"

Buffy sighed and pulled away from him. "I can't..."

"We trust you Buffy... with our lives. You have saved my life so many times... yet you never gave me the chance to fight for myself until the end came."

She turned back toward him.

"I have never fought by your side, as an equal..."

"You brought Willow back," she said, her voice low, her eyes still shining with unshed tears. "You brought her back from a very dark place."

"My heart will save me in the end, because I love this world, and I love certain people in it... but if you close yourself off, and cut off the heart... what's left?"

A flame in the sconce along the wall flickered, casting a strange shadow over Buffy's face. "Me."

- - - - -

To be continued...

Chapter 28 -- finals, OWLs and NEWTs, oh my!

Look for an addendum to this wonderful fanfic in a few days... to include all of the happenings inside of the Ministry of Magic with Giles, Wesley, Xander and others. I decided to write this to clarify what's been going on with these characters and because adding this part to the book now would be wrong.