Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter is not mine and never will be, but the OC's are and so is the plot concept. I do not own any Buffy stuff either, cause if I did I wouldn't have ended it at season 7.
Notes: A crossover between BtVS & HP. Just an idea that has been pressing on my brain for what seems like forever. This story actually started out as a plain old HP fic, but when the idea to bring in the Buffy cast jumped into my head I couldn't resist. This fic takes place at the beginning of season 7, right after Willow was about to destroy the world. As for the HP time span, this takes place as though they were in their 7th year just to make things run smoothly plot wise. I apologize beforehand for any OOC scenes, and please feel free to critique and comment. I understand that many of you might not understand the story because you don't watch Buffy, but I do suggest you read the fic anyway. I will try my best to answer all sketchy areas, and if you would like to know more about the plot line please feel free to email me at .
Quick Summary: He was tired of living his life for his father, and when the opportunity became available he formed new loyalties. Now he must battle his seventh year and his father, but if that wasn't hard enough he must now battle his dreams. He must battle his future. She was tired of feeling like a void after the destruction she caused. Her punishment was to attend proper training in the most prestigious wizarding school known. Yet the dark power that coursed through her veins continued to resurface; beckoning her to join them. What happens when these two worlds collide? And what happens when the Slayer has no control over the outcome? In one world everything has depended on the Slayer, and in the other everything has always depended on the boy-who-lived. What happens when the future of the world resides in two people who are trying to redeem their ties to dark power? A story of friends, foes and fiascos.
Chapter 5 An Imposter Lurks Among Us
Her finger pressed down upon his forehead with such a force, that Draco, through his screams, stumbled backwards and fell against the closest bench. He had been prepared to learn about Willow's power, but never in a million years did he ever imagine that this was the sort of power that she possessed. His forehead throbbed beyond any pain he had ever endured, and all the while he could hear her chilling cackles cutting through the air.
"Silly little Malfoy thinks he knows what's best. Stupid! You have no idea what my life entails. You have no idea what I have been through, but if you want to learn it all so bad then be my guest." Dropping her head back towards the sky she grinned. " Goddess divine, flash these memories to mind."
Draco screamed again, a sudden tingling sensation ripping through his skin at a ridiculous rate. It was like he was being forced into some sort of sleeping state, though he wasn't really sure what the hell was going on. Was this her way of killing him? No, it couldn't be. Because as his body sank lower to the ground images began to appear in his head. Fuzzy at first, but growing clearer by the second, he suddenly stopped thrashing about and let the images scan through his mind.
She knew he wouldn't understand a second of what she was showing him, but all she could hope for was some sort of inkling as to how screwed up she really was. So she began right in the beginning of it all. Back during the days where things probably weren't as awful as she had imagined they were. Still it was better to begin here so he could get a clear picture of what she was showing.
The images shot through him at a ridiculous speed. A high school followed by an enormous snake and many vampires. Vampires? How the hell did she know vampires were real? There was a library and what looked to be like the beginning of a large apocalypse. A woman with short brown hair being closed in a coffin, and the floor of the library cracking open once again. Flashes of pain, sorrow, and distress filled his head, and he began to struggle again in hopes of getting out of this predicament. The flashes drove onward, now leaping to a point where they looked older. A boy had turned into a werewolf, and then Willow cried as the same boy left her. A machine looking demon appeared followed by a group of men who were suited in camouflage. There was a young girl with long brown hair being seized by Glorificus? He had read about her last year during a History of Magic assignment. A man was stabbed by a long pole, and then…
Draco felt his body chill over. The images began to slow down, and he tried desperately to free himself from Willow's grasp. Now there was a girl, two girls standing up on a tower. The one with the long brown hair was cut, deep. They were engaged in a conversation, and the one girl continued to cry tears of sorrow. The other, well she began running towards the other end of the tower, and without any hesitation she dove over the edge and into some bright flashy light. Pain. He could feel the loss. Whomever that girl was, it was evident that she held a special place in Willow's heart. And then the flashes began to pick up again. The very same girl who he just saw died returned to life with the help of Willows magic. Another woman was dead on a couch. There was singing, which he didn't quite understand, and then it all slowed down again. This time he witnessed the death of yet another, and when the bullet ripped through her body he felt a wave of torture sweep through him. He watched as a force drove through Willow, and by her own hands he watched as she brutally skinned a man alive. There was death, followed by destruction, followed by Willow finally falling into the arms of a dark haired man.
Draco's body ached with emotion. Everything he had imagined about the red-headed American was nothing compared to what he had just witnessed. The throbbing pain in the center of his head slowly began to fade, and the images began to blur again until they finally faded into nothingness. His eyes opened, his wrists were released, and when he was able to focus on Willow he could see the tears pour heavily from her eyes.
"Promise me you will never tell a soul. No one can know what I did…what I've done…" Her cheeks were stained with the wetness of her teardrops, and Draco reached up and wiped them from her face.
"I swear to you that I wont tell a soul." He whispered, his fingers still moving numbly over her cheeks. " I didn't know- I didn't mean…" He dropped his eyes towards the ground. " I'm sorry Willow. I really truly am."
"Its so hard…." She began through broken sobs. " I just want to go back…make it all go away. No one knows, no one understands…I just want it to be over. I want it to get better."
Draco had consoled his mother often when she cried. Always taking her into his arms and hushing her misery away. Though it wasn't something he liked to admit to anyone, even Blaise, tears had become such second nature to him. At his Manor it was the only emotion, besides hatred, that lingered through the walls. Which is why the front he held at Hogwarts had to be firm. No one could possibly grasp the façade he wore in front of them all. Which is why if anyone knew Draco Malfoy, which was perhaps the entire school, not a single one would have believed what was about to happen.
Gathering back his strength and checking the pitch once over to be certain of its vacancy, Draco dried her cheeks again. Once he was positive his reputation wouldn't be tarnished, he slowly grasped Willow by her shoulders and engulfed her in his arms. Holding her there he felt her body shutter against him. Even without her spilling a word he could feel the pain and anger seeping through her skin. It was frightening to feel all this power against him, but he felt like it was something he had to do. After all he had practically forced her to let out all of this heartache, so it was the least he could do. And here he thought that she held some sort of key to his odd dreams. Here he thought that perhaps her past would lead to some insight into his own life. Gods he could be so incredibly wrong sometimes.
"Willow…you don't ever have to feel alone again. I don't care what the others say. I don't care what house loyalties say…I am not going to let you dig through this on your own." Pulling back from her slightly he offered a tiny smile. "From that first conversation on the train I knew that there was something about you. I felt it. And I don't care about what you may have done in the past. Hell I haven't been a saint all my life either. Ask Potter about it." At this she smiled. " I'll be the first to admit that I'm a cold hearted bastard, but I know what its like to feel out of place. I know the loneliness, and the pain. God I lived with it my entire life. Not anymore. You're as much a Slytherin as the next pureblood wizard."
Willow sniffed. Her body and mind was completely shredded at the moment, and she longed for her bed. If she had known that this would have happened when she came down to the pitch than perhaps she would have stayed in with Ginny. She hated reliving the past. All it did was bring on memories of heartache. Most of the heartache was her own bloody fault. Now she had gone and spilled the entire thing to him. In one way it felt relieving, but in another sense it scared her more than she could possibly say. If he told anyone that she had killed an innocent man than she was certain the entire school would be in an uproar.
Good going Willow. Way to screw it up again.
Swiping at her nose, Willow fumbled with the hem of her cloak. Hell she wasn't even capable of looking him in the eyes. " I- I don't know what I can say really. God if this was any other time I'd be so thankful for everything you just said, but now- Draco I just hit you with so much, and I don't think I tiny apology can even hint at my regret. I'm such a failure. All I ever do is screw things up, and here you are trying to help me out. You know you're in for a lot of trouble if you take me in. I don't think your lot will be too happy, and I can guarantee Harry and the others wont like it. "
"Screw the Gryffindorks. They're so bloody righteous half the time. All the moan about is acceptance and goodwill, bullshit. Merlin forbid someone tries to take away one of their own. I'm telling you they are worse then the Slytherins. House loyalties…hah." he rolled his eyes. "I've got more loyalty in my little finger than they have accumulated in their entire house."
She laughed softly, fingering a piece of her hair for a brief moment. " Can I ask you something?"
"Course."
Swallowing a bit of nervousness that had snuck inside of her, she finally brought her eyes up to meet his own. " When you said you have dreams about me…what do they entail? I mean…what am I doing?"
Well that certainly wasn't the question he expected her to ask. Especially since he didn't really want to tell her that he had seen her name on his fathers papers. How delightful would that be to inform her that his father, current death eater, was inquiring about the girl? At least in his dreams.
"Nothing terrible. Don't fret. Just your name appearing in various places…for awhile I thought that I was just going crazy. Come on…" He lifted her from the seat and took her by the hand. "We should really get back inside."
She nodded at his words, relieved that his dreams didn't involve her destroying anything. " All right." She took his hand and stood, brushing off her cloak with her free hand. "Draco, you still promise to keep this all secret?" Arching her eyebrow she gripped his hand firmly in her own.
For a brief second he considered at least telling Blaise. If anyone deserved to know what had just occurred, it was his best friend. Though the second the thought swept through his mind, in another second it was gone. "Secrets safe with me. Slytherins honor." He smirked.
"Somehow I don't find that too relieving…." She chuckled, a sudden weight finally lifting from her shoulders. With another tiny laugh, and her hand firm in Draco's, they made their way back inside the castle.
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Lucius Malfoy had silently watched the drama unfold between the red-headed witch and his own flesh and blood. It was, at least to him, an odd scene. Especially since it seemed as though the two were actually getting along. However in light of things the Dark Lord had told him, this would indeed come in handy. Oh, especially if he informed Draco how pleased the Dark Lord would be with his involvement. With the trust of his son, he was almost certain he could have the witch in his clutches within the next few weeks. Enough time for the ceremony to take place, and certainly enough time for the Dark Lord to convince her of almighty power.
She was weak. It would be an easy capture, and most of all an easy sway. They had done it to so many weak individuals before. It would have been such a pity if they let this girl go to waste. In an odd way they owed Pettigrew for discovering her power. Without his botch in the Ministry a month ago they would have never known that this witch even existed. With the prophecy so disturbingly close, and the possibility of such power on their side, it was only time before the Dark Lord would rise again amongst the people. Only a sheer matter of months before that blasted Potter would be killed.
Oh it tasted so sweet in his mouth.
When he caught sight of the two embracing his stomach lurched in disgust. One thing he truly hated about his son was his bloody heart, but he couldn't dwell on that disgusting fact now. No, he had bigger things to deal with. Better things. With a elegant turn of his heel, Lucius Malfoy headed towards the castle. The potion he had grabbed before he left his quarters was tucked tightly in his hand. After colliding with the witch on the grounds he had managed to take a spec of hair from her cloak. It would suit him perfectly for the next part of his plan. Granted it would only last a good ten minutes, but that was really all he needed in order to complete his mission. For he had a certain red head to meet up in Gryffindor tower, and if the cards were played correctly, Willow would be placed in his hands sooner rather than later.
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Ginny rolled her eyes and tossed the newest issue of The Quibbler on the floor. Most of the time she enjoyed reading the asinine stories that they put in there, but when they dealt with her friends she wasn't exactly a fan. Especially when they toyed with Harry as much as they did.
"Really now, you'd think they'd learn…" She sighed, rolling from her bed and heading across to her trunk.
Willow had left no more than an hour ago, and Ginny was practically itching with boredom. Slipping on her shoes, and grabbing a few sheets of parchment, Ginny opened up her dormitory door and made way down to the common room.
"I told you Parvati, I'll give you this shade of lipstick, if you let me borrow those strappy shoes for the first Hogsmeade trip!"
"And I told you, I don't want your feet in my brand new highly expensive shoes. Go bother someone else for shoes. I hear Hermione has quite a selection." The girls giggled.
Ginny folded her arms over her chest at the comment and cleared her throat as she approached them from behind. " Ehem, hello Lavender, Parvati…" She offered a slight nod before heading towards the couch. Sometimes she really hated those two.
"Hey Gin." Glancing up she smiled broadly as Harry took the seat next to her. "What ya been up to today? Anything positively exciting?" Leaning back into the couch he propped his feet up on the adjacent table.
"No, nothing to fun. I was up in my room with Willow before, but she took off in a hurry. Then I forced myself to read The Quibbler. According to its contents you're the grand prize for their raffle drawing in a few months." Giggling she placed the parchment down on the floor.
Harry, even though this wasn't the first time it happened, pounded his fist against the arm of the couch. "I don't know how many times I have to inform them that I do not want my name in that blasted magazine."
"You shouldn't let it get to you Harry. Junk like that gets published all the time. " Reaching over she gave him a pat on the knee.
"You don't understand Ginny. They publish all this rubbish about me, and then I have to spend extra time convincing people that none of it is true."
"That none of what's true?" Ron shoved a piece of chocolate into his mouth.
"And where have you been?" Harry craned his neck to get a better look at the approaching Ron. "I thought you said we'd meet back here before heading down to Hagrids?"
"Oh that.." Ron flickered his gaze over towards Ginny before blushing. " I um I well I stopped in the library to see Hermione. I well-"
Harry burst into laughter. "Ron, you don't need to explain anymore. I get the idea."
"What idea? " Ginny quirked an eyebrow.
"Oh, you know." Harry nodded towards the brightly blushing Ron.
Ginny shot a look towards Ron, then another back towards Harry. For the few silent seconds that unfolded before them, Ginny had no bloody idea what the hell they were going on about.
"So Ron went to see Hermione in the library, big deal. I visit Hermione in the library all the time." She threw her hand casually in the air.
"Yeah, but…" Harry turned on the couch and pushed himself up on his knees. Reaching over the back he tugged Ron closer and began pointing. " do you always come back late with your hair ruffled and your shirt noticeably unbuttoned ?" Harry fell back into the couch, laughter pressing at his lips.
" I don't understand what you're getting- " Ginny's eyes went wide. " Oh my gosh. " Turning towards Ron she covered her mouth with her hand. " You? And Hermione? When? Oh my gosh! She didn't tell me!" Gathering her blank parchments from the floor she jumped from the couch. " I cant believe she didn't tell me!" Running around the side of the couch Ginny wrapped her arms tightly around her brother. " This is so exciting!" Pulling back she punched him in the arm.
"Ow, what in bloody hell was that for?" He rubbed at the tender spot.
"That's for not telling me sooner, you git." Turning quickly on her heel she made a bee line for the door. "I'm going to go see Hermione. I'll see you guys later."
"She's a wildfire that one." Ron shook his head, his arm still sore from his sisters jab.
Ginny, a very smiley Ginny, emerged from the painting with a cry of joy. She had been expecting for the two to get together eventually, but she had always hoped that Hermione would spill it to her right away. Hell it didn't matter. Her brother had finally gotten together with the girl he had been dreaming about since second year. Now Ginny wouldn't have to hear about it all summer long.
"Oh drat." The parchment she had been carrying flew from her hands, and billowed down the staircase.
"Need help?"
Pausing at the first step Ginny smiled at the voice. "Hey you took off in such a hurry I didn't know what to make of it. Everything ok?" She leaned against the banister and smiled at Willow.
"Oh, well you know. Sometimes there's just no time for explanations." She grinned and placed her hand on her hip.
Folding her arms across her chest she chuckled. "You look way better than when we were up in the dorm. I mean you don't look as down as you did earlier. Clear your mind or something?"
"You can say that." A smirk rose to the corner of her lips. "Hey Weasley, quick question for you."
"Huh?" Uncrossing her arms she arched her eyebrow. "Willow you just called me Weasley."
"Yeah I suppose I did. Anyway, here's the question." Willow took a few advancing steps, her face inches from Ginny. " What would be the one reason why a wizard wouldn't use the killing curse?"
"Well that's easy, the dark mark appears above the spot when the curse is completed. It's a dead giveaway. Why?" An uneasy knot formed in the bottom of Ginny's stomach.
"Oh. No reason really. Its just that you'd think they learn that breaking necks works just as dandy." With a shove, Willow smiled as she watched Ginny crash down the entire flight of stairs.
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"You sure about this?" Dawn, huffed as she lifted the box from the closet.
"Believe me Dawnie, as much as I hate doing this, it really needs to be done. Besides Willow will so thank us when she eventually gets back." Buffy picked up another box and took a few steps towards the bed.
With a loud clatter the bottom of the box fell out, and the contents of the box spilled across the floor. "Crap." Buffy tossed the now empty box onto the bed. "Dawn help me"
"Uh…little help here first." Stumbling slightly, Dawn gripped tightly onto the box.
"Hah give me that." Buffy grinned as she took the large box from Dawn's arms. "I thought you said you've been working out. Ya know, getting ready to fight off the forces of evil."
Gripping her arms Dawn shook her head. " I said I was ready to fight off hell beasties, not refurnish Willow's bedroom. Who would have guessed that those bottles of herbs were so damn heavy."
Buff rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot."
"Am not!" Picking up a Wiccan text Dawn hurled it at Buffy.
Chuckling lightly Buffy knocked the book to the floor and stuck out her tongue. "Are."
"Not!"
"Um, sorry to interrupt the Summers annual verbal bash, but Giles needs to see you both downstairs." Xander leaned his body against the door frame.
"What's the what, Xan?" Placing another box by the door, Buffy brushed off her hands and placed them firmly on her hips.
"Something about Willow, something about school, oh and there's this really weird looking guy downstairs who has an odd resemblance to Santa Claus." He shrugged.
Without waiting a second longer, Buffy pushed quickly past Xander and took the staircase two at a time. Whatever, scratch that, whoever this guy ended up being, it didn't settle well in Buffy's stomach that he was here in Sunnydale. If he a faculty member of Willow's school, would that mean she did something wrong? Were they going to send her to that Azkaban place? The awful ideas swirled in her head, and Buffy didn't slow her steps until she halted in the kitchen entrance.
Well when Xander said this guy was weird he really wasn't exaggerating. The man stood at about Giles height, though the pointy hat he was wearing made him appear a bit taller. His clothing, a robe of sorts, was a dark shade of blue velvet that cascaded down his back with such beauty. For a brief second she flickered her eyes to his own, and watched how they twinkled behind the half-moon glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose. Perhaps the most noticeable feature this stranger had was his massive beard of snowy white that was tucked into his belt.
"Don't stare, he's the headmaster of Willow's school. " Dawn hissed in her ear.
"Huh?" Buffy scrunched her nose and shot Dawn a quizzical expression.
"I believe she said that I am the Headmaster of Ms. Rosenbergs school, and I must say she is indeed correct." The man smiled warmly towards Dawn. Pulling out a chair and taking a seat next to Giles he ushered the others towards the empty seats around the table. "Please, please have a seat all of you. Ms. Summers I presume?" His eyebrow arched towards Buffy as she pulled out the chair opposite him.
"Uh, yeah that's me." She quickly shot Giles a glance but received nothing but a nod to take her seat. "And you, Mr. Headmaster of Willows school, you mind telling me why you're here and not in class?"
Dumbledore chuckled, turning slightly in his seat towards Giles. "You're quite right Rupert, she doesn't hesitate to find the points. Good quality, really. No wonder you are the oldest slayer in history." He opened his cloak and pulled out a small bag of yellow balls. "Lemon drop?" He offered them towards Xander first who quickly declined.
"Ooh! I'll take one. Never could resist candy." Dawn reached across the table to take one but Buffy swatted at her hand.
"Don't be rude Dawnie."
"Hey if anyone's being rude its you. I just want some candy." Reaching over again she took a few and popped them quickly into her mouth. "Thank you Headmaster. To be honest…" She swirled the candy in her mouth. " I would have much rather sampled a chocolate frog, or whatever they're called, but this is totally fine."
"I see you have been reading those books Ms. Rosenberg has sent you. " He smiled again, folding his hands together on the table top.
"Look, I don't really mean to be short, but why are you here exactly? Had Willow done something wrong?" The beating of Buffy's heart was pulsing so fast she was almost sure that it was going to beat right out of her chest.
"Willow is coming along fine. She has quickly excelled in many of her studies, and a few of our hardest Professors have already ceased her study sessions. I dare say that Ms. Rosenberg is giving our top student Ms. Granger a run for her money."
"Willow knows Hermione Granger!?" Dawn squeaked with delight, but she calmed once all eyes turned to her in sudden shock. "Oh….sorry. I meant to tell you that I've been reading a lot about, well, about everything. Hermione Granger is friends with Harry Potter, the boy who lived, right Headmaster?"
Dumbledore chuckled again. "You know Ms. Summers with such a thirst for wizarding knowledge I'm surprised you weren't sent a letter when you were eleven."
Dawns enthusiastic smile quickly faded. Dropping her eyes to the floor, she shrugged, "Yeah, well it would have been kinda hard since I wasn't alive until two years ago." Pushing from the table she caught Buffy's concerned stare before pointing towards the staircase. "I'm- I'm just gonna head upstairs for awhile. " Before anyone had the chance to object Dawn flew from the table and up the stairs.
"Sorry about that Albus. Dawn, well as I'm sure you are aware, Dawn is a special case." Removing his glasses from his face he wiped them once over with his handkerchief.
"The key. I had forgotten that this was the very same house in where it lives." Dumbledore turned his attention towards the staircase.
"It, has a name, and is not the key anymore. Dawn is my sister, and now thanks to you, we are going to have to bore into her brain again that she shouldn't worry about the past." Buffy grumbled, already wishing that this jerk would just get on with it, or get out.
"Please Ms. Summers. Everyone is entitled to their mistakes. I apologize for bringing up foul memories, but this is neither the time nor place to dwell on it. I am here today to speak to you about Ms. Rosenberg." Pushing back from the table Dumbledore hovered over the lot of them. " Before Ms. Rosenberg entered the school, it was of great concern to the staff that her presence would no doubt bring about many questions from our students. Of course our suspicions had been correct, mostly because Willow was already highly advanced in her magics. Now Rupert here along with Mr. Ollivander had informed me that when Willow received her wand it cast out the Red Cloud of Peril. We in the wizarding world have not seen that cloud for many years. The last man to have that sort of power held within him was the dark lord himself, Lord Voldemort. Which is where Willow's safety has become a concern for me. " Waving his hand towards the sink Buffy watched as a empty glass quickly filled with water and the levitated over to Dumbledores hand. He sipped it, pausing and then sipped again, finally placing the glass back on the table. "Voldemort is an intelligent wizard. A very powerful intelligent wizard. Now when that cloud was cast, it has no doubt triggered a sign to the Dark Lord that there is another who walks among us who wields the power he has. His intentions, I have no doubt, will be to seize Ms. Rosenberg and as far as his plans after that, well we can only hope that he does not succeed."
"But I thought Hogwarts was the safest- "
"Please, Ms. Summers, let me finish." He reached for the glass again and took another quick sip of water. " Already tonight there has been an accident. I have informed my deputy Headmistress to keep things under control until my return, but I knew things had to be settled here first. Buffy, despite your lack of magic abilities, and your knowledge of the wizarding world, you have prophetic dreams, yes?"
Buffy's mouth dropped open. "Yes, well- I…sometimes they're wrong."
"But you have them nonetheless. Now tell me, have you been recently dreaming of strange places…strange people?"
Again her mouth hung wide open and she mutely nodded.
"I thought so. You see, your advanced mind would certainly be an asset to us in times such as this. There is another in our school, the boy whom Dawn mentioned earlier, Harry Potter. He has these dreams as well, but often his get clouded over for a plethora of reasons. Ms. Summers, I am inviting you, insisting you help us save our world, and yours from the clutches of Lord Voldemort. Your presence would surely lift the spirits of many people in the Order, and your strength would be a boost and comfort to Willow. All I ask is that you come back to Hogwarts with me, and we can discuss things further there."
"You want me to go with you to a wizarding school, help you defeat a powerful wizard with my dreams, and keep Willow from turning into one herself? Buffy quirked an eyebrow.
Dumbledore smiled. "Precisely."
A long silent pause swept through the room. Both Xander and Giles had their eyes fixed on Buffy, and Dawn, who had been cleverly hiding at the top of the stairs, took a quick inward breath. Leaving for Europe would mean a lot of things for the Scooby gang. Someone, perhaps Angel, would have to take on patrol here in Sunnydale. Dawn would have to start up at another school in a foreign country, and even Buffy herself would have to get accustomed to the new world she would be thrusting herself into. Was it worth it? After all she had absolutely no idea about any of this junk. Her specialty was vampires, and hell beasts, not evil wizards who wanted to rule the world! She didn't have a single clue about these things, and most of all she didn't know any magic! How was she supposed to help out with something that large when she still had trouble convincing Dawn that she was indeed a real human. So that settled it.
Clicking her tongue to the roof of her mouth, Buffy's mind shifted to the man in her dreams but only for a brief second. Why it did, well she wasn't entirely sure, but then again she wasn't entirely sure why the hell she was about to do this.
"Well…I suppose we should start packing then."
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Commotion filled the corridor below him, as Harry emerged from the Gryffindor common room. He had been meaning to head towards the library to find Ginny and Hermione, but the sudden crowd in front of him seemed that much more exciting.
"Filtch said he saw her do it, and then she just took off down the staircase." Neville Longbottom looked shaky, but continued talking with Colin Creevey. " I heard they can't wake her up…I don't suppose, no. She isn't. I wont believe it until I hear it myself."
"Suppose they'll ship her off to Azkaban for attempted murder?" Colin chipped in before Harry squeezed between them.
"What's the big crowd about, and whose going to Azkaban?" Harry narrowed his eyes as he tried to get a better look between the heads of others.
"Rosenberg. Well she- Oi Harry, you better get Ron. I didn't even think…gosh. I'll go get him." Neville turned to leave but Harry grasped him by the sleeve of his robe.
"Why? What's going on?"
But before Neville could even answer Hermione, breathless, came rushing up to Harry. "Harry! Oh my word! They think she's dead! Harry they think Ginny is dead!"
"What!" At that Harry violently pushed by a few people in front of him, disregarding the little first year who whimpered as she was thrown against the banister.
At the bottom of the staircase, sandwiched in between McGonagall and Filtch, Ginny's body lay limp upon the ground.
"Filtch is swearing he saw Willow do it. Says she pushed Ginny down the stairs and when he tried to nab her she took off." Hermione whispered in Harry's ear. "Harry…she'll be all right wont she?"
Harry's anger surged through him so rapidly he barely heard the last thing Hermione said. Mutely he nodded, taking another couple of steps towards Ginnys body.
"Keep back Potter, just stay where you are. " McGonagall halted him with her hand.
"But Professor, Ginny's my-"
"Ginny!" Harry turned towards Ron's frantic voice. He saw the red bobbing head weave through a few people before he burst through the crowd and next to Harry. "She's not, is she?" The tears ran steadily down his face, and Harry, doing the only thing he could think of, placed his hand on Ron's shoulder and gave a squeeze.
"She'll be fine. Don't you worry. Gin is tough."
"See Professor! See the things that happen when you let these creatures roam the corridors by themselves. Especially an outsider! An American! Now one of our students is dead because she-"
"No!" Ron pushed forward, throwing himself across Ginny's limp body. "No, Ginny. You cant go, please don't."
There was a murmur growing steadily in the crowd, and Harry glanced over at the many pointed fingers of various students. There, climbing the staircase was Willow accompanied by Malfoy. Harry sneered. They had trusted her! They had let her pal around in hopes of making her feel better and this was how she repaid them. This was the type of student Dumbledore wanted in Hogwarts. His eyes flashed towards Ginny, Ron still flung across her body. It was then that Harry's sense had blown out the window, and reaching for his wand he pointed it straight at her.
"Stop!" He shouted, now students began pointing between Harry and Willow.
"Potter what is the meaning of this?!" Professor McGonagall's voice boomed but Harry remained firm in his standing.
"She killed my friend!" His voice hissed.
Willow on the other hand, stared blankly at the faces who were staring at her. Had he just said that she killed someone? Oh my god?! Was Harry friends with Warren? No, that was impossible. Her eyebrow arched, and she turned her attention towards Professor McGonagall. Then she noticed it. Ginny's body was sprawled out on the ground, her legs twisted in directions that they shouldn't have been twisted.
"I-I didn't do that. I couldn't…I- Ginny was my friend." Her eyes welled with tears, and she looked over at Draco in desperation.
Draco, took in the situation with wide eyes. How in the world could Willow have been blamed for this. She had been with him the whole time. No, Ginny fell down the stairs by mistake. She'd come out of this fine and then clear the mistake.
"Liar! Filthy liar! I saw you! I saw you push her down the stairs. You and that red hair of yours. Cant miss it." Filtch growled, Mrs. Norris slinking slowly around his feet.
"Professor McGonagall, I swear I didn't do it. I was with Draco the whole evening. I swear it."
"She's a liar Professor! She killed my sister! Call the Ministry before I kill her myself." Ron choked from the floor, his hands numbly running over Ginny's face.
"Rosenbergs telling the truth Professor. We were out on the pitch. She was with me the entire time." Draco stepped up, his eyes fixed on Harry and his wand.
"Oh yeah. Cause your word is so trustworthy Malfoy." Hermione spat, flicking some tears from her cheeks.
"Enough!" Another voice came from the landing below, and most head craned to see who was there. " You will all go back to your dormitories immediately." Professor Dumbledore, looking as though he just returned from a trip, strode up the staircase. "All of you get on now. Except you three…" he motioned towards Harry, Hermione and Ron. " and you two…" He glanced over at Willow and Draco. As the crowd slowly dispersed, Dumbledore shooed Ron out of the way, and began examining Ginny. "Now, what happened."
"It was her Headmaster! I saw it with my own two eyes! She's the one who killed Ms. Ginny Weasley, it was her!" Filtch pointed his decrepit finger across the hall and scowled at the witch.
Harry's mouth went dry as he looked over at Hermione. This couldn't be happening. He watched Willow as she shook her head, Draco taking his hand and running it along her arm. It certainly was gross to see him comfort someone, or at least attempt to.
"No, Argus. Ms. Weasley is fine. Minerva," he turned his eyes towards her. " Go to Poppy. Tell her what's happened and tell her to prepare a bed." Mcgonagall nodded and went off in the direction of infirmary.
Ron's red-rimmed eyes looked hopeful a this. "You mean she isn't dead."
"Of course not Mr. Weasley." Standing up, Dumbledore flicked his hands over Ginny's body and they watched as it levitated from the ground. "Now I would like all of you to meet me at the entrance to my office. I'm just going to bring Ms. Weasley to Madam Pomfrey so she can get the attention she needs, and don't look at me like that Ron, once we are done you will be free to check on your sister. Off you go." And with Ginny's body floating behind him, Dumbledore made way for the infirmary.
"Ron…Harry, I swear I didn't do it. I really was with Malfoy the whole time." Willow's words slipped out through her choked sobs.
Harry on the other hand merely sneered. "We can discuss this with Dumbledore." He turned, ushering Hermione and Ron to follow him.
Willow sighed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. It was at this moment that she was taken back because Draco took her hand and began leading her after Harry and the others. His grip did not slip from hers, but his eyes never left the back of Harry's head. In a way it was comforting to have him there beside her, but on the other hand it only worsened her friendship with her housemates. Would they ever trust her again?
"Don't you worry about this, Willow. I'll vow about where we were until I'm blue in the face."
"Oh and I'm sure your word along with Murder Magee over there is really going to prove her innocence." Ron snapped over his shoulder.
"Sod off Weasel."
They continued the rest of their journey in silence, stopping once when Hermione got stuck on a changing staircase. When they finally reached the statue to Dumbledore's office, he was already waiting there with a smile on his lips.
"Follow me. Fizzing Lava Rocks." They waited while the door appeared, and then followed Dumbledore up the spiral staircase.
Once inside they all sat down while Dumbledore removed his cloak. The silence was eating at Willow, and she prayed that the smile on the Headmasters face was a sign that she wouldn't be heading to Azkaban tonight.
"Now, Ginny is awake and receiving healing potions from Madam Pomfrey in the hospital. So as far as that is concerned you should all know she is going to be fine. As for how she got to the bottom of the staircase, well that is the matter we must take up now."
"Why discuss it? She did it!" Ron pointed an accusing finger towards Willow.
"No I didn't" Willow yelled, which was closely followed by Draco's "No she didn't."
"As a matter of fact Ron, both Ms. Rosenberg and Mr. Malfoy are telling the truth. Willow was not the one to push Ginny down the stairs."
Harry's jaw clenched. "Then why would Filtch-er- Mr. Filtch state that he saw her do it? Why would he accuse someone of something to that caliber? "
"Looks can be deceiving Harry. You of all people should know that. The three of you in fact should know that." There was a twinkle in Dumbledores eye and Hermione, the first to catch onto his hint, let out a soft 'oh'. "You see when Ginny woke up in the infirmary just now the first thing she said to me was that someone had disguised themselves to look like Ms. Rosenberg. Your sister is quite clever Ron." At this Ron smiled. "You see the person had addressed Ginny by Weasley, which is not what Willow addresses Ginny by. Ginny said that Willow only calls her Ginny, or sometimes Little Red, apparently after a muggle character." Willow smiled. "So you see Harry, Ron…Willow did not push Ginny down the staircase, nor did she do anything else that deserves such rude behavior. I advise you to think about times when your names had been slandered in gossip, and recall just how that made you feel."
Both Harry and Ron lowered their heads and in unison they apologized. "Sorry."
"Now as for you two," he moved his gaze towards Willow and Draco. "Did you notice anything funny while you were out on the grounds. Anything suspicious that you can think of?" His white bushy eyebrow arched.
Willow thought for a moment. Besides her own ordeal with Draco there had not been anything strange outside. Unless of course you counted that man whom she ran into.
The man!
"Oh! Professor, there was a man! A strange man I ran into outside. He didn't tell me who he was, but he really irked me. I mean, he came out of nowhere and then headed towards the castle after I refused to listen to him anymore."
Dumbledore furrowed his brow. "What did this man look like? Can you recall?"
Draco, who had yet to let go of her hand, gave it a squeeze of reassurance. "Well…" she took a breath and tried to bring back his face. "I…it was dark. He was tall, had these piercing eyes. Oh! And a cane. He carried a cane."
Draco's heart sunk. His father carried a cane all the time. But why the hell would his father be at Hogwarts?
Her
"Well then its safe to say that an imposter is lurking among us. I will ask you all not to mention a word of this to anyone, except of course the clearing of Willow's name. For the time being you may all return to your dormitories. Ron, you are permitted to go see your sister, but do not stay longer than Madam Pomfrey allows. You know how irritated she can get when her patients arent resting." He chuckled. " I advise you all to get a goodnights sleep. Tomorrow will be quite hectic around here, and I will need everyone in tip top shape."
"Why sir? What's tomorrow?" Harry asked as he stood from his chair. The blurbs of information they had just learned still didn't settle easily in Harry's stomach, and as he waited for Dumbledores answer he found himself casting sideways looks at Willow.
The Headmaster of Hogwarts smiled, "Because tomorrow morning there will be five new additions to Hogwarts among us. Three teachers, a student and a history lesson."
So can anyone guess who the three teachers, the student and the history lesson are? I'll give you candy if you guess right.
Wow this chapter took me SOOOO long to get up. I must have deleted it like four million times until I thought it was ok. Well let me know what you think. More to come soon. Remember to review!!!!!