CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: THE SEAL
Giles, Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Draco were all seated around a large table in the middle of the Room of Requirement, each of them scanning through the numerous books that the Room had provided. They'd since found more information on the First and the Harbingers than Buffy had been able to find in a week of research on her own.
As for the Slayer herself, she was curled up on a couch in the corner of the Room, a book in her lap, though her eyes was closed and she was in the deepest sleep that she'd had since the beginning of her nightmarish week.
Her friends kept sending her sympathetic glances, grateful that she was finally able to rest. With the stipulation on the Room that they required the First to be unable to enter, the Room was well protected. Harry wished he'd had that foresight the previous week when he and Buffy had slept within the Room of Requirement. She'd seen the First then, and had been sufficiently rattled by it, and he couldn't believe how simple it was to now keep the First away.
Seeing his girlfriend sleeping peacefully for the first time in the last week was balm to his soul, and he was glad that they now had a room to retreat to where the First could not infiltrate.
"Wait, here's something," Hermione stated, capturing everyone's attention, except for the sleeping Slayer's. "The High Priests of the First are able to summon the spirit of their master through the ritualistic creation of a Seal. That seal will act as the link between realms, allowing the First to access the human realms at will. If the First is allowed access through an imbalance between light and shadow, the Seal will act as a permanent connection and allow constant access. It is known as the Seal of Danthalzar."
"A seal?" Ron asked curiously. "What exactly does that mean?"
"It could mean anything," Giles replied. "Is there any other information about it?"
Hermione skimmed across the page and shook her head.
"We require information about the Seal of Danthalzar," Dumbledore said softly.
A large tome flew from the shelves and onto the table, making the four students dodge to avoid being clipped by the book. The pages flipped by themselves and opened to an entire chapter of information about the Seal.
"I can see why we're not allowed to use this room for homework," Ron whispered.
Harry and Draco smirked slightly, and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Indeed Mr Weasley," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling slightly. "It would completely negate the purpose of the anti-summoning spells within the library."
"What does it say about the Seal?" Giles asked, wanting to get back on track.
Dumbledore skim read over the page, his frown not giving any of the others the slightest bit of encouragement.
"It talks about the rituals needed to create the Seal. Something about the High Priests being the only ones able to call forth the First," Dumbledore explained.
"Anything about destroying it?" Draco asked. "I mean, if the First can be summoned by using the Seal, surely it can be beaten if we destroy it, right?"
"But the First wasn't technically summoned through the Seal," Hermione replied. "The Seal allows it to remain here, so the Bringers must have built it after the First was in this realm. Destroying the Seal wouldn't permanently get rid of the First, it would just limit its access."
Giles nodded his agreement, somewhat impressed by Hermione's astute point about the First's relationship to the Seal.
"We need a way to get rid of the First if it's been brought about by an imbalance then," Harry replied.
"Ah…here," Dumbledore said. "The First's presence within the human realm due to the disruption of the balance can only be rectified, either by the rebalancing of the scales, or through the Variable ritually destroying the Seal having undergone a series of trials. With the destruction of the Seal, the First will be banished from the human realm, and the First may no longer contest the imbalance."
"Variable?" Draco repeated.
"We worked this out earlier," Hermione began explaining, "the First is here because the balance between good and evil is off. Because both Buffy and Faith are Slayers, the balance is favouring the side of good, so the First has been granted access to our realm to rectify that. It's trying to make her a force for evil. When it talks about the variable, it's talking about Buffy."
Draco didn't looked thrilled with that explanation, and Harry and Ron weren't any happier with it either.
"Does it say what the trials are?" Harry asked, looking across the Room to his still sleeping girlfriend. She looked so at peace, which was a nice change from the chaos of the last week. He didn't want to think about her having to go through trials to get the First to retreat to its own realm, but he definitely didn't want the First to remain in the human realm either.
"It's a trial of temptation," Dumbledore explained. "It's what the First has been doing for the last week or so. For the First to win, Buffy either has to turn from the side of good, or die."
"So, for Buffy to win, all she has to do is remain on the side of good and stay alive, right?" Ron asked.
"It's not quite that simple," Dumbledore replied. "The Trial of Temptation, according to this book, is 'a psychological battle of wills between the First and the Variable'. The First will tempt Buffy with…everything it can think of, really, and Buffy must be able to make it through that period of temptation without giving into it, and without the interference of others. If she fails the trials, the First will devour her soul."
The room fell silent, and each of them looked towards the Slayer. She looked more vulnerable than any of them could ever remember seeing her, even during her first year at Hogwarts when the students had discovered that she was Voldemort's daughter.
"How do the trials work?"
The group was slightly startled when they realised that it was Buffy who'd voiced the question. Her eyes fluttered open and she stretched as much as the one-seater couch would allow.
"Buffy…" Giles whispered softly. "We didn't realise you were awake."
Buffy stood up slowly and made her way to the table. Harry held his hand out, and Buffy gave it a gentle squeeze before sitting half in Harry's lap.
"Professor Dumbledore?" Buffy prodded. "How do the trials work?"
Dumbledore hesitated, sharing a look with Giles that spoke volumes.
"Buffy, I understand that you're tired-"
"I'm beyond tired," Buffy replied. "I'm beyond scared. I am standing at the edge of an apocalypse, and it wants to devour my soul. And it'll choke on me. If it wants a fight, then I'll give it to him. Because I just declared war. I am done waiting. I'm taking the fight to the First. There is only one thing more powerful on this earth than evil…and that's us. Any questions?"
Harry, Hermione, Ron and Draco exchanged impressed grins. They couldn't deny that Buffy's speech had given them a boost of energy, and something undefinable that gave them all confidence. Even Giles and Dumbledore were suitably amazed.
Dumbledore looked Buffy in the eyes, and saw only a steely determination that had been significantly lacking for the last few days. Obviously seven hours of undisturbed sleep and the chance to reconcile with her friends had given Buffy the strength to suck up her courage and bring the matter to a close. It was no wonder that the First wanted Buffy away from Hogwarts. It was at the school that she'd been able to regain her strength, pride and courage. She truly was a Gryffindor at heart.
"'The Variable may call on the First to undergo the trials in order to fight for dominance within the realm'," Dumbledore explained. "There is a ritual to bring forth the First to begin the trials, which will last for six hours non-stop. The trial is more a mental battle of wills. You'll enter a trance-like state, and the First will try to manipulate your psyche. The ritual itself requires a day of fasting, and if…when you successfully complete the trials, the destruction of the Seal must be within the next thirty minutes."
Buffy nodded thoughtfully. "I guess I'd better actually eat before I begin fasting then, huh?"
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"Can we talk?" Harry asked quietly as the four Gryffindors and one Slytherin made their way to the Great Hall for dinner.
Buffy nodded, and the other three, seeing the need for privacy for their friends, continued towards the Hall without them.
Harry and Buffy wandered outside and took a seat on the cool stone steps that led up to the entrance of the castle. Harry wrung his hands nervously, wondering where to begin.
"I…I wanted to apologise for…well, everything really," Harry said softly. "I should have had more faith in us…in you."
Buffy sighed and took hold of one of Harry's hands. "I do get it Harry," Buffy replied, her voice equally as soft. "And…I'd understand if you didn't want us to be friends."
Harry looked at her completely shocked, but Buffy missed the expression entirely, so caught up in looking at their entwined hands that she completely missed his bewildered expression.
"I don't want to be friends," Harry replied.
Buffy felt as though she'd been punched, and she fought to maintain her control. She managed to unlink their hands and quickly stood, refusing to allow herself to break down. Whatever she'd been expecting, that hadn't been it.
Harry quickly realised what he'd just said, and how it must have sounded, and he grabbed hold of Buffy's hand, stopping her from standing up.
"I meant…I meant, I don't want to just be friends Buffy," Harry explained. "I love you, that hasn't changed. The only reason that I even broke up with you is because I saw my parents. They told me that they didn't approve of us. And…and I didn't believe in us enough to want to go against them. That's what I'm sorry for."
Buffy was torn in her reaction. On one hand, it was very much what she'd been longing to hear. She could logically understand how badly Harry wanted his parents to approve of the relationship between them, and knowing how thoroughly convincing the First was in manipulation, she couldn't blame Harry for his reaction. She couldn't, however, say that she wasn't disappointed tat Harry hadn't fought harder for them.
"Buffy, I will do anything I can to make it up to you. The only thing that I want is for us to be together. We've been through so much, and I love you more than I can ever say…I've been so lost without you, and its barely even been a full two days," Harry said, tears welling in his eyes. "Just…tell me we can fix this. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Buffy looked at him, her free hand coming up to gently touch Harry's face, outlining the scar that marred his forehead, and coming to rest her palm against his cheek. She leant forward and brushed a gentle kiss to his lips.
Harry tried to contain his grin, but couldn't manage it completely. He smiled widely at her and leant his forehead against hers.
"Let's not find out."
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Wow, that's a short chapter. I was gonna put the reunion between B and H in the next chappie, but realised how short this one was, so I moved it completely. Kinda glad I did tho. Mush!!
Sorry for the lack of updates. Been writing more fics…huzzah! Four more chapters to go!
Toodles.
DKG.