Chapter 35: The Death of A Slayer
Xander walked down the corridor to the Gryffindor dormitory. He stood outside the portrait trying to calm down before he went in there to get Zoe. He couldn't believe what she had done and what was going to happen to her. He knew it was the right thing to do but he was still in awe about it. The little girl he raised turned evil, that must make him a bad parent right? Xander could shake that thought. He finally calmed down enough to get her.
" Canary creme." Xander told the portrait, they had changed the passwords as a fake safety precaution. He walked through and found Zoe sitting at a desk studying something. He walked up to her and she quickly stuffed it into her bag.
" Hey Xan. What's up? Why are you here?" Zoe said looking happy and innocent.
" Dumbledore wants to talk to you something about Slayer training. Buffy and the others are there. They decided that they want to get rid of somethings that you've mastered and add different challenges now. I don't know either way they want you to come, so you can help them decided what they should get rid of. You know how they are you might have mastered one thing to them but to you, you still feel like you should work on it. You might want to bring your stuff it could be a while, and you might have to go to one of your classes later." Xander said leading Zoe out of the portrait.
" What's wrong? You're not as cheery as you usually are." Zoe had been around Xander forever and knew when he was trying to cover stuff up.
" Buffy and I got into a fight over stupid back in the day stuff. You know Sunnydale high, Cordelia stuff. She says that I cheated on Cordelia with Willow, I said I didn't that we were under that we're going to die any minute type pressure that's why we kissed. You know the story, anyways Willow walked in on the conversation and started to get all upset, and you know how I am when Will's upset." Xander looked over to Zoe.
" Sorry, I didn't know. If you want I can talk to Will for you. I don't know if she'll listen to me though since I wasn't there." Zoe said reaching Dumbledore's office.
" That's ok, I think I'll talk to her about it, there's still stuff we need to work out. Marauders," Xander got onto the moving stair case and waited for it to get to Dumbledore's office door.
" Aren't the Maraurders those jokesters that pulled off some of the greatest pranks at Hogwarts?" Zoe asked walking through the door.
" Yea, you actually know two of the Marauders Sirius and Remus. Go figure, supposidley the other two are Harry's dad, and a guy named Wormtail." Xander moved over by Dumbledore while Zoe took a seat in front of him.
" Zoe do you know why we called you here today?" Dumbledore asked while looking at her through his half moon spectacles.
" Yeah something about my training and taking things out. I'm not positive though on why I should take things out." Zoe said as she felt invisible strings tye around her arms and legs. " Hey! What's going on?!" Zoe started to scream.
" Silencio" Sirius yelled, Zoe kept screaming but no words were coming out of her mouth.
" Now, Ms. William do you promise to stop your screaming until after I'm done explaining why you are here? I have to warn you that Sirius is very impatient though and I can't not stop him from doing what he will." Dumbledore looked at Zoe who nodded her head and Sirius lifted the curse.
" So, why am I here and why am I bound to this chair?" Zoe asked.
" You're bound to the chair so you don't run, and you're here because a couple of your teachers have informed us that they've seen a very interesting tattoo on the inside of your left arm. Now I must ask you not to lie to me Ms. Williams, did you get the Dark Mark?" Dumbledore looked straight into Zoe's eyes.
" No, I have no idea what you're talking about. I think the teacher's are seeing things." Zoe said.
" Severus will you please roll up your sleeves and show Ms. Williams what I am talking about maybe she doesn't have any idea what Dark Mark I'm talking about." Dumbledore turned to Snape.
Snape turned up his sleeve and showed Zoe the Dark Mark. "Are you postive you don't have one?" Dumbledore asked, he wasn't going to force it out of her unless he had to.
" Yeah I'm not going to let someone tattoo me ok I'm not stupid!" Zoe said as calmly as she could, she was about to yell it before she saw Sirius pull out his wand and point it at her.
" Look girl, I know you have one! I was there when they put it on you. I don't think the headmaster would mind if I ripped your sleeve. If you didn't have one you woldn't mind either." Snape sneered.
" Go ahead rip it I don't have one!" Zoe said about to cry.
" Fine I think I will!" Snape went to rip her sleeve when Dumbledore stopped him.
" Before we do that I think that he Minister and Aurors should be present, that way it doesn't look like we put it on her to frame her for it." Dumbledore said standing up.
" How long is that going to take?" Zoe asked getting slightly annoyed.
" Not long at all Zoe, I'd been called earlier." Remus said coming into the room again with Moody and Kingsley.
" Remus, Alastor, Kingslsey. Please notice that we have done nothing but ask her a few harmless questions about getting the mark, of which she has denyed getting. Severus please continue what you were going to do." Dumbledore said sitting down away.
Snape took something called Scissors from Buffy and went to go and cut the fabric. " I don't trust you with those!" Zoe said. " You might cut me!"
" Fine, Summers, Faith could one of you do it then?" Snape said handing the scissors over to someone who would know how to use it.
" Here, let me." Faith took the scissor and cut the fabric up the arm and across. " There look there's a black scull and a snake coming out of it's mouth. If I'm not mistaken I believe that's the Dark Mark. It matches the one of Severus' arm." Faith said look at both marks.
" Well Minister, Auror's the punishment is up to you. You've already heard what we thought and what could happen if the right procedures aren't taken I'll give you all the time you need to talk it over." Dumbledore said looking over at Remus and the others.
" Thank you Dumbledore I think we will go back into the room we were in and then think it over." Remus said leaving the room.
" Dumbledore may I talk to Zoe for a minute you can all stay if you want to. I just want to tell Zoe something." Xander said fighting back tears again.
" Xander you've earned the right to talk to her, and I can't deny you that. I think I will go and check up on the students. I believe that Buffy, Faith, Spike, and the others might want to talk to her also." Dumbledore said leaving the room.
" Zo, I've raised you since you were a baby, I took you in and gave you want you always wanted. I can't believe you would be so irresponsible to go and do something like this! I don't know what to think about you anymore. I don't know what to think of myself, you are the only person who has ever made me question anything about myself. I don't know where I went wrong, if it was my parenting or if this was going to be you from the start. Any punishment they decide to give you I'll stand behind it one hundred percent. I might not like it, or agree with it but I'll stand behind it because I know that it's for everyone's own good. I wish you would of thought over your decisions before you acted! Before Remus, the two Aurors, and yourself came, many people were leaning towards death, and I don't blame them. We don't need another rogue Slayer, espically one whose more powerful then the last one. I'm just sorry you had to realize this so late." Xander was trying to hold back tears, but they couldn't help but fall, it was hard to look at Zoe anymore. ' Where did I go wrong?' Xander couldn't help but think that over and over again.
" If you kill me my master will only bring me back! There is nothing you can kill me with!" Zoe said smiling.
" You're right, there's nothing we can do. However Ms. Granger suggested a couple things called the Unforgivable curses, supposedly those Aurors in there can perform it and you can't come back from that. You're more screwed than I was Z. According to Dumbledore even Voldemort can't bring those people who die from one back, supposedly he tried when one of his most loyal Death Eaters tried and he couldn't do it. So what makes you think he'll be able to bring you back? Espically once we take care of you." Faith asked looking quite like her old evil self again.
" Xan. You know that I didn't mean it, you know I'm sorry right? Xan, please don't let them kill me!" Zoe started to cry.
" To late for that. If you live you'll just go back to him Zoe. I can't put people's lives in danger just because you want to save yourself. It's either a couple hundred lives or one. I think I'm going with that latter there Zoe." Xander turned away from Zoe and started to cry.
Dumbledore showed back up a few moments later, after everyone had finished guilt tripping Zoe into tears. " Please Dumbledore you're a great man, please don't let them kill me." Zoe's last hope was Dumbledore.
" I'm sorry Ms. Williams, but I have no authority there. Whatever happens is out of my hands." Dumbledore said calmly going to the room to see if they others were done thinking over their decision. He came back into the room with Lupin and the others.
" We have made our decision. By order of the Minister of Magic, I find the condemed Zoe Williams guilty of being a Death Eater, and a danger to not only the wizarding world but the muggle community also, punishable only by death of the Avadra Kevada curse. Those whom are to witness please sign this parchment please, you too Alastor, Kingsley. Xander if you want to leave you may do so with out signing the parchment. I understand how this must be effecting you right now." Lupin said looking over and the red eyed Xander.
" No it's ok, I want to be here to witness." Xander said signing the order.
"Ok, well Alastor, Kingsley have you decided whose going to perform it? Any last words Zoe?" Lupin asked looking over at her. Zoe shook her head as tears fell down her face. " Ok last chance though." Lupin said looked older than he ever had. Zoe shook her head again. Alastor walked up infront of Zoe and took out his wand.
" Well here goes nothing. Avadra Kevada!" Moody shouted, green sparks shot out of his wand and straight into Zoe's heart. Zoe's body went limp, the room went silent and Xander couldn't hold it back anymore and started to cry worse then he did before.
" I think we'll leave." Moody said following Kingsley to the fire and disappearing.
" I'm going to go find Fred. I'll tell her what happened." Lupin left quickly and quietly. Everyone else dispersed slowly. Dumbledore, Xander, and Zoe's limp body were left in the office.
" I'm sorry for your loss Xander. No one knew about Zoe we all wished that we could of helped and changed her before she went to far, but all of us overlooked the danger that overtook her." Dumbledore said before leaving his office.
Xander finally moved from where he was standing, and walked up to Zoe and took her hand. The ropes that were on her arms and legs were taken off afterwards. Xander checked for a pulse, he didn't know why he knew she was dead. " How could I have let you down? How could I have let your parents down. I promised them I would take care of you and make sure that nothing bad happened. Zo, you were such a great girl, I loved you like you were my own kid. I'm sorry please for give me." Tears started to fill his eye and rolled down his cheek. He started to hear something and looked around to see Fawkes singing. " Thanks Fawkes. I know how much Zoe liked you, she would of wanted you to say good-bye in your own way." Xander said kissing Zoe's hand and getting up to go pet Fawkes. He noticed that Xander had cut his hand on something, he placed his head close to the cut and cried on it. It healed instantly, " Thanks." Xander said petting Fawkes again. He left the office and went back to his room.