Next round...
What happened to Voldemort?
Proceed through this chapter and you will see the fall of the Dark Lord.
What happened to Willow? When did she wake up?
I'm thinking that before Buffy went back to CA, she spent some time in debriefing at the Ministry. That means she probably spent an extra two weeks in London. Willow most likely returned back to CA and woke up there. It'll all be explained in Chapters 5 and 6.
More questions? Ask away.
This chapter is for all HP fans!
June 11: Edited for continuity grammar error
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Chapter 3
Fall of a Dark Lord
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"I don't see why she's all bent out of shape about it anyway."
Ginny set down her tray with a trembling arm on an already overloaded table. Next to her, Harry Potter grinned, rubbing her back. "You're too good to us."
"And don't you forget it," she grumbled, sweeping back toward the kitchen.
Harry turned his attention to Ron, who was complaining about his on-and-off-again girlfriend's latest dilemma. They were currently on an off and rather moody swing, which made Ron even more entertaining to listen to.
Their mutual best friend, Hermione Granger, was an Activist. Involved in heavy political roles, she was a spokesperson for elfish rights and the rights of other creatures. She was heavily involved in her work, which was why Ron was sitting in the flat he owned with Harry and complaining about Hermione's latest travels.
"I mean, she expects me to go to Egypt just to attend some conference with security trolls asking for more paid leave. Honestly... you'd think her work would never end!"
Harry caught Ginny's eye as she returned, and they both turned away, stifling laughter.
"I'm sorry that your life is so inconvenient," Ginny stammered, wiping away tears of laughter as she sat down. "And I can't believe I'm spending part of my training season with you two."
"Would you rather live with Fred and George?" Ron grumbled, naming their two older twin brothers.
"Certainly not," Ginny said in mock indignation. "I wanted to see Harry before we started our Eastern European tour."
"I still cannot believe you were accepted on the English national team," Harry said in wonder, recalling his girlfriend's legendary Quidditch skills. "And I can't believe that you'll be in Latvia for the next few weeks."
Ginny shrugged as she stirred sugar into her tea. "To be honest with you, I'd rather be in Auror training."
Harry shuddered, thinking of his last Transfiguration assignment. "No, you wouldn't. Trust me."
Ron scowled. "You could feel sorry for me, too, you know. After all, I am your brother."
Ginny sighed, setting down her spoon. "I'm sorry that you and Hermione are having yet another row. I'm sorry that I'm actually happy with Harry, even though..."
Ron looked down, flushing a deep red while Harry looked away, removing his glasses for a moment.
"I'm sorry," Ginny mumbled, looking miserably at her cup.
"It's okay," said Harry quietly. "Sometimes I feel I need to talk about it... just to believe it actually happened."
"No matter what anyone says, Harry, you're not a murderer," Ginny said firmly, reaching across the breakfast table to take his hand. "You did what you had to do. In our people's eyes, you're a real hero."
"I didn't think heroes killed people," Harry said bitterly, his memories taking him a few years back. It had been just before his NEWT-level tests that he had met with Voldemort one last time.
It had been a spectacular plan of Hermione's. She was going to use Occulemency against the Dark Lord, because Harry possessed the power to read his thoughts. Using that weapon, Voldemort was lured from hiding. Once he'd discovered the deception, he had no choice but to face down Harry Potter.
And Harry had defeated him, once and for all.
As Dumbledore put it when warily addressing the school the night after the incident, "It is with great tragedy and astounding joy I announce to you that the Dark Lord has fallen at last."
His speech was legendary. Or so Ron and Hermione told Harry once he'd awoken from his own coma. Dazzling violent, green, gold and red jets of light. He remembered a lot of pain. He even thought at one point he was going to die.
But knowing what Voldemort would do to those he loved made it that much easier to look into his eyes and give the final blow.
"Sometimes I wonder if I only dreamt it happening," he said quietly, reaching for his own tea.
Ron nodded across the table. "No one had to die. Not again."
Harry nodded mutely, staring into his cup before setting it aside. "I wasn't really expecting adoration or fame... I guess I just hide myself away here because I know it'll never stop coming."
"People love you, Harry," said Ginny. "They believe in you. You are most likely the most powerful Wizard in the world."
"I don't want to be," Harry insisted. "I just want to be a normal... Wizard."
"You've never been normal, mate," Ron said cheerfully, adding a touch of rum to his currant tea. "Care for some?"
"Are you mad?" Ginny asked, watching as Ron added rum to Harry's cup too. "Don't you have to work this afternoon?"
"While, dear sister, you have been plotting the next round of Quidditch playoffs, I myself have been in a comfortable position at the Ministry of Magic training to be an Unspeakable," Ron said, putting his feet on the table and sipping his tea. "That's more like it."
Harry sighed and pushed his tea away. "I'm sorry Ginny that you've had to come back to all this disappointment, but he doesn't get out much."
Ginny was glaring at the rum bottle. "I can see that."
"It isn't as bad as you think, Ginny," Harry said soothingly.
"No," Ginny said, her eyes starting to tear up. "It's worse. I thought Draco Malfoy was one thing, but you, Ron? An alcoholic?"
"Just because my girlfriend defends the rights to creatures everywhere doesn't mean she's domesticated," Ron sighed, staring longingly at the bottle. "And I'm no alcoholic Ginny."
"He really isn't," Harry insisted.
Ginny sighed. "Whatever you say. Maybe I should go stay with Fred and George this next week."
"Ginny, no," said Harry, turning in his chair to take her hands. "I want you to be here. With us. Because I haven't seen you in almost eight weeks, and I've missed you."
She smiled slightly. "Sorry, Harry. But Ron's all depressed and you work fourteen hours a day. I don't want to be trapped here and probably starve to death in the next six days."
"What do you mean?" Ron asked, setting down his empty mug with flourish.
"It means you haven't got any food, doesn't it?" Ginny asked him harshly. "When was the last time you went to the market? Or did Hermione have to go?" Ron's deep flush answered her question for her. "Harry gets to work and pay the bills... but you get to sit here and live your life in a bottle, hm?"
Ron looked at her for a moment before shaking his head. "You've flipped, dear sister."
"Or maybe I'm just the realist like I always was," she said, her voice sharper than intended.
Harry knew he was a bit guilty about her new role in realism. Harry became increasing depressed over his seventh year, mainly because he knew that he had to destroy Voldemort. He ended up pushing Ginny away and becoming closer to Dawn, who was like a breath of fresh air compared to the life he had to live through.
When she left shortly after commencement, it was sad to see her go.
But truth be it told, Draco and Dawn split up just after commencement. Dawn was extremely bitter about something, refusing to talk about it. Draco had turned to the bottle. Word was, he had found himself a new girlfriend. Pansy Parkinson had seen Draco single and living it up and decided that once and for all, she could be his again.
And Dawn returned to America brokenhearted.
He refused to let that happen. There was no way in hell he'd let Ginny down the same way Draco hurt Dawn. There was absolutely no way.
"Ginny, listen to me," he said, taking her hand and pulling her into the hallway. "I love you, and that won't change, whether you're here or in Japan. You're the best Quidditch player I know. My parents would love you if they were still here. And I know Sirius approved. Stay here, with me, please."
"I'll stay for you, Harry," she said softly, but her eyes darkened as she glanced back towards the dining area. "And only for you."
He kissed her and they returned back to the kitchen where Ron had uncapped the bottle and was drinking straight from it.
"You should wait until afternoon you know," Ginny said coldly, gathering their breakfast dishes.
"Doesn't matter to me," Ron smirked, pouring a bit of rum into his teacup. Ginny glared at him as she returned to the kitchen.
"You need to lighten up," Harry said, his voice commanding as he turned to Ron. "She's worried about you. Even Hermione expressed her concerns the last time she was in London."
"I need to lighten up?" Ron asked, swirling the red liquid in his glass. "Maybe you need to not worry about things that don't concern you."
"Just because Percy is a prat and Hermione a little bit opinionated..." Harry began, before giving up. It was an argument they'd had many, many times in the course of the year they'd lived there. Harry shook his head and rose, glancing around their flat.
It was a nice place to live. It had big windows overlooking a quaint park. They lived about a mile from Diagon Alley and Fred and George, which was pleasant. Percy lived in the same building as they did, which wasn't so pleasant, since Ron and Percy had a row twice a week at least.
Harry couldn't wait to move to Hogsmeade. The village had been rebuilt, the shops reopen, and Wizards and Witches alike couldn't wait to see what it looked like.
And yet Harry remembered the day it had been destroyed.
It was such a lot to think about.
The ringing of the telephone in the distance pulled him from his reverie. He turned to Ginny, who'd answered it, towel in hand. She paused a moment before pulling the receiver from her ear and handing it to him.
"It's Tara."
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To be continued.
Chapter 4 -- Harry thinks Dawn left England in June. But Buffy says it was the following March. What happened to Dawn?
I know this was a shorter Chapter, but it gave a great introduction to what is happening in Harry's world at that point in time.